Alternatives to a Full-Time IT Person for a Small Company (2026)
A small company does not need to hire a full-time IT person to keep its computers working. The five main alternatives are a managed IT company (about $100 to $200 per user per month), hourly break-fix help (about $150 to $225 an hour), a part-time or fractional IT leader for planning, a remote IT support plan built for small teams, and handling the basics yourself with a short checklist. Most offices under ten people do best with a monthly remote plan or careful hourly help, and only need a full MSP when they have servers, a complex network or compliance requirements.
Why not just hire someone?
A full-time IT hire is expensive for a small team. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts median pay for computer support specialists at $62,890 a year (May 2025 data). Benefits make up 30 percent of total compensation across private industry, so the real cost is roughly $90,000 a year, before equipment, software and training. One person also means one point of failure: when they are sick, on vacation or leave, the knowledge goes with them.
For an office of three to fifteen people, there is rarely enough IT work to keep one person busy every day.
The alternatives compared
| Alternative | Typical cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed IT company (MSP) | About $100 to $200 per user per month | 10 or more people, servers, compliance needs | Monthly minimums of $2,000 or more |
| Hourly break-fix help | About $150 to $225 per hour | Simple setups, rare problems | Nobody watches computers between calls |
| Fractional IT leader | About $4,000 to $6,000 per month for 8 to 12 hours | Planning, budgets, vendor choices | Does not fix day-to-day problems |
| Remote IT support plan (like iFixediT) | iFixediT: $169.99 to $279.99 per month for 3 to 5 people | Small offices with no IT staff | Remote only for now; check what is covered |
| Do the basics yourself | Your time | Very small offices with a willing person | Security and backups get skipped |
| Full-time IT employee | Roughly $90,000 a year with benefits | Companies large enough to keep one person busy | One person, one point of failure |
1. A managed IT company (MSP)
An MSP becomes your outside IT department for a monthly fee: help desk, monitoring, updates, security tools and usually backups. Published 2026 guides put standard plans at about $100 to $200 per user per month (Dataprise, N-able).
Pros: a whole team instead of one person, predictable monthly cost, documentation for audits and insurance.
Cons: many MSPs set a monthly minimum. One lists $2,000 a month, another $2,500. For a five-person office that can mean paying for twice the seats you have.
Best for: companies with 10 or more people, servers, a complex network, or strict security rules.
2. Hourly break-fix help
A local technician or shop you call when something breaks. Rates of $150 to $225 an hour are typical, often with a two-hour minimum (BRITECITY).
Pros: no monthly fee. You only pay when you use it.
Cons: problems are found late because nobody is watching, costs jump in a bad month, and the person may be busy when you need them.
Best for: very small offices with simple needs and few problems.
3. A fractional or part-time IT leader
A senior IT person hired for a few hours a month to plan, budget, choose vendors and handle security policy. MentorCruise lists 8 to 12 hours a month at $4,000 to $6,000.
Pros: senior judgment you could not afford full time.
Cons: they will not reset a password on a Tuesday morning. You still need day-to-day help.
Best for: growing companies that need a plan more than they need fixes.
4. A remote IT support plan for small teams
A monthly plan that covers a few people and computers, without an MSP's minimums. This is the gap iFixediT was built for.
How iFixediT works:
- Business is $169.99 a month for 3 people and 3 computers. Business Pro is $279.99 a month for 5 people and 5 computers. Extra computers are $24.99 each per month. You can cancel any time.
- Paid plans include Protected computer: security software and health checks on covered computers, watched by our team during support hours.
- Fixie, the AI helper, works through common problems first. On paid plans, a live remote agent can step in on the same case.
- Fixie can run a few approved fixes on Windows computers today. On a Mac, Fixie walks you through the steps. Anything involving files, accounts or security settings goes to a person.
- On-site visits are coming soon. Until then, hardware repairs need a local shop.
Best for: offices of one to five people, or a little more with extra computers, that have no IT staff and want protection plus a person to call.
5. Handle the basics yourself
Some small offices name one person to own IT, with a short list of duties: turn on automatic updates, keep backups running and test them, use a password manager, turn on two-step sign-in for email and banking, and know who to call for anything beyond that.
Pros: no cost beyond time.
Cons: the duties slip when the person is busy, and security is the first thing to go.
Best for: very small offices with a willing person. Our guide on fixing office computer problems without an expensive technician is a good starting checklist.
Do I need an IT company for a team of five?
Usually not a full MSP. A team of five with laptops, email, Wi-Fi and a printer needs three things: computers that stay protected and updated, backups that work, and someone to call when something breaks. A remote plan or a careful mix of self-help and hourly support covers that. Bring in an MSP when you add servers, handle regulated records, or your insurer or clients ask for documented IT controls.
How to choose
- Count people and computers, and list anything unusual (servers, special software, a point-of-sale system).
- Decide what you need most: fixes, protection, planning, or all three.
- Ask every provider for a monthly total for your exact headcount, including minimums.
- Ask who watches your computers between problems.
- Check what is extra: on-site visits, after-hours help, projects and software licenses.
For a side-by-side look at prices, see how much small business IT support costs, or compare iFixediT plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to an IT employee?
Doing the basics yourself costs only time. Among paid options, a remote support plan for small teams or occasional hourly help usually costs the least, as long as problems are rare.
What is the difference between an MSP and a fractional CIO?
An MSP does the day-to-day work: help desk, monitoring and fixes. A fractional CIO does planning and decisions for a few hours a month. Many growing companies use both.
Can remote IT support handle everything?
No. Software problems, accounts, updates, security and most network issues can be handled remotely. Broken hardware still needs hands on the device.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer support specialists (May 2025 pay data)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer costs for employee compensation (June 2026)
- Dataprise, Managed IT services cost in 2026
- N-able, MSP pricing guide
- Bit by Bit, Managed IT services pricing structure
- BRITECITY, Break-fix vs managed IT
- MentorCruise, Fractional CIO
Outside prices are as published when we checked them in November 2026 and can change. The total cost of a full-time employee is our estimate from the BLS figures above.