All-Inclusive vs. Tiered IT Support
Texas businesses deserve clarity before they sign another MSP agreement. Use this guide to understand how pricing models impact response times, security posture, compliance readiness, and total cost of ownership.
Evaluate each dimension before renewing your contract. When everything from ransomware response to quarterly strategic planning is covered, the “expensive” option often saves money and stress.
| Category | All-Inclusive Partnership | Traditional Tiered MSP |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing structure | Single per-user investment covering support, security, projects, and strategy with one predictable invoice. | Base fee plus à la carte add-ons for security, compliance, onsite visits, and after-hours work. Bills fluctuate monthly. |
| Support availability | 24/7/365 helpdesk and SOC staffed locally with guaranteed response targets baked into the agreement. | Business-hours helpdesk; evenings and weekends trigger premium rates or fall outside contract scope. |
| Security coverage | EDR/XDR, SIEM, incident response, vulnerability management, and tabletop exercises included from day one. | Basic antivirus bundled; advanced security sold as an optional package with additional tooling costs. |
| Compliance support | Risk assessments, policy management, evidence gathering, and auditor coordination delivered as part of the service. | Access to templates only; full compliance projects require separate consulting statements of work. |
| Strategic leadership | Quarterly business reviews, budgeting support, roadmap ownership, and board-ready reporting included. | High-level check-ins available, but vCIO services cost extra or require a higher package tier. |
| Hidden costs | None. Onsite visits, emergency response, vendor management, and project coordination are already covered. | Expect charges for onsite work, emergency dispatch, documentation, vendor escalations, and project management. |
| Ideal fit | Organizations wanting a partner accountable for outcomes, compliance, and predictable budgeting. | Teams with large in-house IT departments that only need limited remote help and can absorb surprise costs. |
All-inclusive: 40 users × $250 = $10,000 per month covers SOC, onsite work, compliance, and projects. Annual spend: $120,000 with zero surprise invoices.
Tiered: $6,000 base helpdesk + $1,200 SOC add-on + $1,000 compliance package + $1,500 onsite block + $1,200 emergency reserve = $10,900 per month before project labor. Annual spend: $130,800—and that increases any time a new initiative pops up.
Takeaway: Predictability is not just about price; it is about aligning incentives so your provider fixes root causes instead of generating billable hours.
Tiered plans may fit organizations with a mature in-house IT team that needs limited after-hours coverage and already has security tooling in place. If you can absorb project spikes internally and do not require compliance guidance, a tiered MSP can act as overflow.
Just ensure your contract spells out hourly rates, emergency response fees, included tools, and notice periods for removing users. Lack of clarity here is where “low cost” turns into budget nightmares.
- 1. What happens if we call after hours—with examples of actual invoices?
- 2. Are security monitoring, incident response, and compliance management included or subcontracted?
- 3. Who owns documentation, and can we export it if we ever transition away?
- 4. How are projects scoped, priced, and scheduled? What is considered “out of scope”?
- 5. How will you measure success and share performance data with our leadership team?
Ready for a transparent second opinion?
Send us your current proposal. We’ll benchmark it against our all-inclusive model, highlight hidden fees, and map out what a predictable partnership could look like for your team.