Compare managed IT proposals over the same period and scope. Add initial takeover, recurring options and expected one-off work to the headline monthly fee. Leave an unknown cost marked as unknown: zero means a confirmed absence of cost.
Establish an equivalent service first
A lower total can reflect fewer services or weaker commitments. Align the user and device count, support hours, on-site work, licences, backup scope, monitoring, restoration assistance and exit requirements before interpreting the difference.
Cloud subscriptions also leave responsibilities with the customer and its provider. Identify who manages accounts, permissions, configuration and recovery for the service actually purchased. Microsoft's shared responsibility explanation helps distinguish those responsibilities.
A fictional comparison for 20 workstations
These amounts are an arithmetic example, not market prices or Initial Infra rates. Assume equivalent services and commitments, with no additional charges. All values exclude VAT.
| Cost | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | €600 | €200 |
| Base monthly fee | €480 | €590 |
| Other monthly costs | €90 | €0 |
| Total over 12 months | €7,440 | €7,280 |
Quote A costs €570 each month after options. Its annual total is €600 + 12 × €570. Quote B costs €200 + 12 × €590. B is €160 lower over one year under these assumptions.
Read the diagram as text
INITIAL INFRA / FICTIONAL EXERCISE · EXCLUDING VAT The monthly fee is not the annual cost. Assumption: equivalent services and commitments, 12 months. Quote A €7,440 excl. VAT 600 + 12 × (480 + 90) Quote B €7,280 excl. VAT 200 + 12 × 590 A costs €160 more excluding VAT in year one. Arithmetic example. These are not Initial Infra rates or market averages.
The duration changes the answer. Both totals reach €12,000 at 20 months. At 36 months, A totals €21,120 and B €21,440. These calculations assume unchanged scope and prices; indexation or new users would change them.
Calculate with your own proposals
Total = setup + months × (base monthly fee + other monthly costs) + one-off costs during the period.
Use this worksheet
What does each quote cost over the period?
Enter amounts excluding VAT for comparable services. Document any estimated intervention or exit charges. No prices are prefilled.
Open the calculator
Nothing is sent or saved automatically. Download your answers before leaving the page.
A cost difference is not a provider recommendation. Check exclusions, support hours and commitments before deciding.
Enter an agreed estimate for foreseeable work, or leave it incomplete until it has been priced. Do not silently treat unknown travel, onboarding or restoration charges as free. The worksheet stays in your browser; download your answers before leaving.
Four items that can change the result
- Scope changes: request the cost of adding or removing users, devices and sites, and the notice needed.
- Interventions: distinguish routine support from projects, out-of-hours work and vendor coordination.
- Licences and equipment: check quantities, term commitments, renewal prices and ownership.
- Exit: include agreed export, documentation and transition assistance where relevant.
For growth, request a second priced scenario using your own expected staffing change. Record when the extra users arrive: charging them for the entire comparison period can distort the total. Compare that scenario separately from the current team.
A fixed cost already paid should not be counted again as a future payment. If you want a full ownership-cost comparison including historical investment, label it as such and apply the same basis to both options.
Decide on scope and evidence together
Use the contract review guide to resolve exclusions and measurable commitments. If the two services remain materially different, show those differences next to the totals. The calculator compares entered costs; it does not score service quality or predict future incidents.