Quick answer
Break-fix means "call a technician when something breaks"; managed IT means continuous, proactive monitoring so most problems get caught before they stop your work.
The two terms describe essentially two different philosophies of your relationship with IT support — and the difference has a real impact on your day-to-day business.
Break-fix
You call a technician only after something has already broken. You pay per visit, with no monthly commitment — but that means no one is proactively watching your systems between issues.
Managed IT
A flat monthly subscription that includes continuous monitoring, security updates, and proactive maintenance — the goal is catching and fixing problems before you even notice them.
- Break-fix: lower cost per incident, no prevention
- Managed IT: predictable cost, proactive care
- Most businesses come out ahead with managed