# In-house IT vs managed IT

> Hire an in-house IT person or outsource to a managed IT plan? We compare total yearly cost, continuity and risk, with an example for a 15-computer company.

URL: https://secureitsolutions.ro/en/in-house-it-vs-managed-it/  
Updated: 2026-11-12  
Source: secureitsolutions.ro

**In-house IT person vs managed IT plan: what makes more sense for an SME**

For a company with up to 50 computers, a managed IT plan usually costs much less than an employee and doesn't stop during holidays or after a resignation. A junior IT employee costs at least €1,500 per month in total, while a managed IT plan starts at €150/month + VAT. Hiring makes sense when you need someone in the office all day or when IT is part of your product.

Price: from €150/month + VAT (The exact plan depends on the number of workstations and servers; we set it after the free audit.)

## What’s included

- **Total cost, not just salary.** With an employee you pay salary, taxes, holidays, equipment, training and recruitment. A managed plan has one monthly price, written into the contract.
- **Continuity.** A single IT person goes on holiday, gets sick or resigns. With a managed plan, support continues because a team answers.
- **Specialist skills.** One person has to know support, networking, servers, security and cloud. A team covers each area with someone who knows it.
- **Guaranteed response time.** With a managed plan, the maximum response time is written into the contract: 8, 6 or 4 hours, depending on the plan.
- **Handed-over documentation.** Passwords, configurations and backups are documented and handed over at the end of the contract, not kept in one person's head.
- **The hybrid option.** You can keep your current IT person for day-to-day support while we take over servers, security, backup and whatever falls outside their skills.

## The comparison at a glance

| | In-house IT person | Managed IT plan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | at least €1,500, total cost | €150, €350 or €750 + VAT |
| Yearly cost | at least €18,000, plus recruitment | €1,800, €4,200 or €9,000 + VAT |
| Skills | one person for everything | a team: support, networking, servers, security, cloud |
| Holiday, sickness, resignation | IT stops or waits | support continues |
| Response time | whenever possible | maximum 8, 6 or 4 hours, in the contract |
| Out-of-hours monitoring | usually none | 24/7, included |
| Documentation and passwords | with one person | documented and handed over to the company |

Plan prices are in euros and exclude VAT. The employee cost is our minimum estimate for a junior profile, total cost to the company.

## Example: a company with 15 computers and one server

- **Junior IT employee:** at least €1,500 per month, so at least €18,000 per year, plus recruitment and the time the role stays empty.
- **Standard plan** (10–25 workstations, up to 3 servers): €350/month + VAT, so €4,200 per year + VAT. It includes 24/7 monitoring, 12/7 support with a response in at most 6 hours, weekly verified backups, advanced security and network management.

The difference stays in the company, and the risk of IT depending on a single person disappears. For an exact price on your infrastructure, [request a quote](/en/#quote) or see the [IT support plans](/en/it-support-plans/).

## When each option fits

- **A managed plan** suits companies with 5–150 employees that want a fixed cost, a guaranteed response time and a team instead of one person.
- **Hiring** suits companies that need someone in the office all day or where IT is part of the product.
- **The hybrid option** suits companies that already have a good IT person who needs backup on servers, security and projects. See also the [outsourced IT department](/en/outsourced-it-department/).

## How we work

1. **We count what you have.** Workstations, servers, accounts, applications and how much time your staff lose to IT problems today.
2. **We compare the cost.** Using your company's numbers, we show the yearly cost of an employee against the right managed plan.
3. **You choose.** Full managed plan, a hybrid with your IT person, or hiring, if that comes out better.
4. **Onboarding.** If you choose the managed plan, onboarding takes 5–7 business days, with no downtime.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does an in-house IT person cost compared with a managed IT plan?

A junior IT employee costs at least €1,500 per month in total (salary, taxes, holidays, equipment), which is at least €18,000 per year, plus recruitment. A managed IT plan costs €150, €350 or €750/month + VAT, which is €1,800, €4,200 or €9,000 per year + VAT, depending on the plan.

### What makes more sense for a company with 15 computers?

For 15 computers and one server, the right plan is usually Standard at €350/month + VAT (€4,200 per year + VAT), compared with at least €18,000 per year for an employee. The plan also adds 24/7 monitoring, weekly verified backups and a maximum response time of 6 hours, written into the contract.

### When does hiring an IT person still make sense?

When you need someone physically in the office all day (for example hundreds of users, production or a lab), when IT is part of your product, or when you build software in-house. Even then, many companies keep a managed plan for servers, security and backup.

### Can I keep my current IT person and add a managed plan?

Yes. In the hybrid model, your person stays on day-to-day support and we take over infrastructure, security, backup and projects. They have someone to call when a problem goes beyond what they know.

### What happens to IT when the employee goes on holiday or resigns?

With a single employee, IT waits or stops, and passwords and configurations can leave with them. With a managed plan a team answers, and the documentation is handed over to the company, not to one person.

Get a quote: https://secureitsolutions.ro/en/#quote