What is the difference between managed services and IT outsourcing?

Managed services is a form of IT outsourcing with proactive operations and fixed monthly fees. Classic IT outsourcing can also be project-based or billed by time and material.

Is IT outsourcing worthwhile for small companies?

Yes, especially for SMEs with fewer than 50 employees. External IT partners are typically 30–50% cheaper than an in-house IT position and offer broader expertise.

What IT costs should I budget for?

As a rule of thumb, Swiss SMEs allocate 5–8% of revenue for IT. With managed services contracts, license costs (Microsoft 365, security) plus service fees apply.

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IT Cost Calculator

How much does IT outsourcing cost for a Swiss SME? Answer 2 questions and get an estimate of your monthly IT expenses along with suitable providers.

CHF 100–200

per employee / month

Typical IT costs per employee at Swiss SMEs with outsourced IT operations.

30–50%

cheaper

Managed services cost on average less than an in-house IT department.

∅ 23%

cost savings

Experienced by companies after 12 months with an external IT partner.

* Estimates are based on market data and project experience from Thermic. Individual costs may vary.

Step 1 of 3

How large is your company?

Company size is the biggest cost driver.

Swiss SME benchmark

What makes IT costs realistic in 2026

For Swiss SMEs, basic managed services typically cost CHF 80-150 per workplace per month. This usually includes helpdesk, patch management, monitoring and standard administration. Cybersecurity, backup tests, cloud migrations or compliance requirements increase the budget but are often cheaper than unplanned downtime.

The lowest monthly price is not the main criterion. Coverage matters: response time for critical incidents, Swiss or EU data location, written SLAs, exit clauses and clear responsibilities.

Use the calculator range as a budget frame. For a reliable provider decision, compare at least three offers with the same scope: workplaces, support hours, security level, backup RTO/RPO and onboarding effort.