In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Expect three cost layers: software licences (for example Microsoft 365 from US$7 to US$22 per user per month, as of October 2026), one-off setup work, and ongoing support, priced per job, as a retainer or per user. Offices with no servers often need a security plan plus ad-hoc help.
How IT support is priced in Singapore
Most providers use one or a mix of these models. None is better in general; each suits a different kind of office.
Ad-hoc (pay per job)
Per hour or per task
- Pay only when something breaks
- No monthly commitment
- Slower response, no priority
- Nobody checks things before they fail
Best for: Very small, cloud-only teams with few issues.
Retainer (block of hours)
Fixed monthly fee for X hours
- Predictable budget
- Priority over ad-hoc clients
- Unused hours often expire
- Scope depends on the hours, not the outcome
Best for: Offices with steady small changes each month.
Per-user monthly plan
Most predictableFixed fee per user per month
- Cost scales with headcount
- Includes monitoring and routine admin
- Clear list of what is covered
- Projects and hardware usually extra
Best for: Teams of 5 or more that want someone accountable.
Per-device pricing also exists, mainly for monitoring laptops and servers. Whichever model you choose, ask for the response time and the list of exclusions in writing.
What is usually included and what costs extra
| Item | Usually included in a monthly plan | Usually extra |
|---|---|---|
| Password resets, user questions | Yes | Only on ad-hoc arrangements |
| Joiners and leavers (accounts, licences) | Yes | Laptop set-up time on some plans |
| Security settings and monitoring | Depends on plan | 24/7 monitoring by a security operations centre |
| Software licences (Microsoft 365, antivirus) | No | Always billed separately |
| On-site visits | Sometimes, limited | Per visit or per hour |
| Hardware, printers, networking gear | No | Purchase and installation |
| Projects (migrations, new office) | No | Quoted separately |
| After-hours and weekend support | Rarely | Premium rate |
Note that 24/7 security monitoring and penetration testing are licensable services in Singapore under the Cybersecurity Act, so they come from CSA-licensed providers, often as a separate contract.
The licence costs you pay regardless of support
Support labour is only part of the bill. Licences are paid to the vendor (directly or through a reseller) whoever looks after them. As of October 2026:
- Microsoft 365: Business Basic US$7, Standard US$14 and Premium US$22 per user per month on an annual plan, before GST, per Microsoft's Singapore pricing page. Our guide to the Microsoft 365 price increase shows how to trim seats.
- Google Workspace: Business Starter S$9.40 per user per month on the flexible plan, per Google's Singapore pricing page.
- Endpoint protection: Microsoft Defender for Business is US$3 per user per month standalone, or included in Business Premium.
- Backup and password manager: separate subscriptions from their vendors.
When comparing quotes, check whether a per-user price includes licences or not. Bundled prices can look cheap or expensive depending on which licences are inside.
Worked example: a 10-person cloud-first office
A design studio with 10 staff, laptops only, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, a website and no on-site server. Using our own published plans as the support layer, as of October 2026:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium x 10Paid to Microsoft; includes Intune and Defender for BusinessUS$220/mo
- Protect Standard x 10 usersSecurity settings, devices, antivirus, joiners and leavers kept on trackS$190/mo
- Website Care planUpdates, backups, monitoring, 1 hour of changesS$129/mo
- Password manager and backup licencesPaid to the vendors directlyVendor pricing
- Quick Fix for one-off issuesOnly when neededS$119 per hour
Example only, before GST. Microsoft prices are in US dollars. No on-site visits or hardware included.
What this does not cover is anything physical: printers, Wi-Fi access points, cabling or a broken screen. A cloud-first office usually buys those as needed from a local hardware shop or the vendor's warranty service, rather than paying a monthly fee for on-site cover it rarely uses.
How to choose an IT support provider
List what actually breaks or takes time
Review the last six months: password lockouts, new staff, email problems, printer issues, website changes. This tells you whether you need on-site help or mostly remote admin.
Make sure you own the admin accounts
Microsoft 365, Google, domain and antivirus consoles should be in your company's name, with the provider added as an admin, not the other way round.
Ask for the scope in writing
Response times, hours covered, what counts as included, what is billed extra and at what rate, and the notice period to cancel.
Check security basics are part of it
MFA for everyone, device encryption, updates, backups that are tested, and a leaver checklist. These prevent the expensive incidents.
Check grants before you pay
Grant support applies only to pre-approved solutions. Our EDGE Grant guide explains what qualifies, and IMDA's SMEs Go Digital programme lists pre-approved solutions.
Do it yourself or get help?
A team of two or three on cloud apps can often manage with a tidy admin setup and occasional help. As headcount grows, joiners, leavers, devices and security settings become a regular job that someone has to own. Our guide to website maintenance costs covers the website side, and the ransomware first-response guide shows what poor upkeep can lead to.
Our Protect Standard plan (S$19 per user per month, minimum 3 users) keeps security settings, antivirus, devices and leavers on track remotely, with help within 1 business day. Quick Fix (S$119) covers one-off tasks, and the Care plan (S$129 a month) looks after your website. We work remotely and do not provide on-site or hardware support.
Frequently asked questions
It varies widely by what is included: remote only or on-site, business hours or 24/7, and whether licences are bundled. Compare quotes on the same scope. As one reference point, our remote Protect Standard plan is S$19 per user per month, excluding vendor licences, which for Microsoft 365 range from US$7 to US$22 per user per month.
Pay-per-use suits very small, cloud-only teams with occasional issues. A retainer suits offices with a steady flow of small changes. A per-user plan suits teams of five or more who want routine admin, security and joiners and leavers handled. Ask what happens to unused retainer hours.
Not always. Without on-site servers, much of the work is cloud administration: accounts, security settings, devices and backups. A security-focused plan plus ad-hoc help can cover this. You still need someone responsible, and a local option for hardware problems such as printers and Wi-Fi.
Sometimes, which makes quotes hard to compare. Many providers bill licences such as Microsoft 365, antivirus and backup separately. Others bundle them into a per-user price. Ask for licences and labour to be shown separately, and make sure the licences are in your company's name.
Grants support pre-approved solutions rather than general IT support. Since 30 September 2026, Enterprise Singapore's EDGE Grant handles business grant support, including listed digital solutions. Check whether a specific solution is pre-approved on the SMEs Go Digital platform, and apply before paying anything.