Join the Level Discord — connect with IT professionals, share ideas, and get real-time updates
Check it out.svg)
Product
Transparent pricing in RMM is more than a convenience—it builds trust, reduces friction, and empowers MSPs and IT teams to make better decisions. Learn why Level leads with clarity and how cost transparency supports faster buying cycles and predictable IT budgets.
Level
Monday, September 15, 2025
Choosing an RMM should not feel like negotiating at a used car lot. Yet many buyers still face a routine of required demos before cost, vague bundles, long commitments, and long waits for quotes. For modern MSPs and internal IT teams, that friction hurts more than feelings. It slows sales cycles, complicates budgeting, and undermines confidence in the decision process.
Level takes a different approach. Our pricing is public, simple, and predictable. No gatekeeping, no gimmicks. In this article we break down why transparent pricing is not only a buyer experience preference but a business performance lever, how it improves operational efficiency for both MSPs and internal IT, and what to look for when evaluating RMM pricing models. We also connect transparency with broader B2B buyer behavior data that shows rising demand for self-service evaluation and clear costs.
Opaque pricing usually looks like this. You must book a demo to see a number. You encounter onboarding or setup fees you did not anticipate. There are minimums for devices or users. Discounts depend on negotiation rather than a published schedule. This is not unique to RMM. It reflects a wider enterprise software habit that prioritizes seller control over buyer autonomy. B2B research shows buyers increasingly prefer self-service paths with clear information, which puts hidden pricing at odds with modern expectations.
The impact is measurable. When pricing is hidden, buyers struggle to compare tools side by side and to forecast total cost of ownership. The result is a longer time to decide and more internal back-and-forth. McKinsey’s latest B2B Pulse highlights the growing comfort with larger self-serve purchases, which means buyers are comfortable making serious commitments when they have the data to evaluate on their own. Pricing is part of that data.
Technical buyers want to verify fit, map features to requirements, and estimate cost quickly. Clear pricing lets teams do an initial qualification in minutes, not weeks. G2’s 2024 Buyer Behavior report notes that buyers prefer to self-serve at most stages of the journey. Transparent pricing supports that expectation and reduces needless meetings.
Hidden fees and custom quotes create uncertainty. Published pricing with clearly documented inclusions, exclusions, and overage rules lowers perceived risk because the buyer can confirm budget impact without waiting on a rep. Gartner reports a majority of B2B buyers now prefer a rep-free experience for most of the journey. Clear pricing enables that path while still leaving room for human help when buyers want it.
Procurement, finance, and security reviewers need concrete numbers for approvals. Public pricing shortens that loop since stakeholders can review cost scenarios directly from the vendor page instead of relying on screenshots from a sales deck. TrustRadius’ Buying Disconnect research reinforces that buyers reward vendors who provide transparent information up front, since it speeds validation.
Transparent pricing advantages. Faster decisions, easier comparisons, and stronger buyer confidence. It also supports product-led evaluation since teams can try, measure, and forecast without a sales gate. The drawback is limited room for one-off negotiation, though volume tiers can still be public and predictable.
Opaque pricing advantages. Custom terms and large-deal flexibility for complex enterprises. The drawbacks are slower buying processes, more friction, and the perception that price depends on negotiation skill rather than value. In a market where most research happens before first contact, that friction is costly.
MSPs live on thin margins and variable demand. Predictable per-endpoint pricing simplifies packaging and forecasting. In presales, account managers can build proposals quickly and with fewer assumptions. In customer success, transparent vendor pricing maps cleanly to the MSP’s own service bundles, reducing reconciliation work each month.
Transparent pricing also reduces stalled deals. Several industry analyses of B2B buying show that deals stall when buyers lack clarity on cost, scope, and time to value. Clear, public pricing removes one of the biggest variables. The effect compounds for small MSPs that cannot afford long quote cycles.
Operational example. An MSP onboarding a new client can calculate device counts, pick service tiers, and generate a workable quote in a single working session. Finance can project margin without waiting for a vendor quote revision. If the client adds a site, the MSP can model the additional per-endpoint cost within minutes and issue a coherent addendum. This keeps revenue predictable and reduces rework.
Internal IT teams do not sell services, but they do manage recurring costs. Budget owners need price clarity to approve pilots and to plan multi-year budgets. Transparent pricing lets IT prove fiscal discipline and gives procurement fewer reasons to slow approvals. It also aligns with the new buyer behavior in mid-market and enterprise technology. Many teams want to test a tool, confirm value, and then talk to sales for commercial terms. Public pricing supports that loop.
Procurement scenario. An IT manager submits an RMM request with a published per-endpoint price, a documented onboarding plan, and a clear renewal policy. Finance runs sensitivity models for device growth and approves a pilot without a separate quote process. Security runs a parallel review. The project moves forward in weeks rather than quarters. This speed matters when the request follows a security incident or a compliance gap.
B2B buyers are more technical, more research driven, and more time constrained. Multiple independent studies point in the same direction. Buyers favor digital self-service and clear information, then engage sales when they are ready for advanced questions or tailored terms. Hiding pricing runs counter to that preference and creates needless friction.
This does not remove the role of consultative selling. It simply shifts the moment of engagement. Vendors that publish pricing and allow product-led evaluation meet buyers where they are. Vendors that force demos to reveal basic information add steps that buyers now view as avoidable.
Use this checklist to pressure test any RMM pricing model.
When you compare vendors with this list, gaps in transparency become obvious. The right partner will answer these questions on their website or in a single reference sheet, not after three calls.
Here is how a transparent model typically reads.
This structure satisfies both product-led explorers and procurement-driven evaluators. It also mirrors what B2B buyers say they want in modern purchasing journeys.
It respects your time. Our posted price lets you qualify instantly. You can estimate cost for one site, twenty sites, or a global fleet without waiting on a rep. G2’s 2024 data shows buyers prefer to self-serve. We match that preference.
It builds trust. We want you to know exactly what you are buying and what it will cost next month and next year. That credibility matters more than squeezing a point or two from opaque quotes. It also aligns with research showing a growing share of buyers prefer rep-free journeys until late stages.
It keeps operations simple. MSPs can mirror our per-endpoint pricing in their own service bundles. Internal IT can plan OpEx with fewer contingencies. Simplicity reduces rework and errors.
It supports product-led evaluation. Transparent pricing pairs with a try-and-verify motion. Teams can validate fit, measure automation reliability, and then decide. That is how many high performing B2B sellers are growing today.
Small MSP, regional focus. The firm wanted to consolidate three tools into one RMM. Public per-endpoint pricing allowed them to create a new standard bundle in a single afternoon. Proposals went out within a week. The owner reported shorter sales cycles and fewer revisions because fees were clearer up front.
Mid-market internal IT. A manufacturer needed to replace legacy remote tools after a security review. The team used public pricing to build a two year budget model and secure approval for a staged rollout. Procurement appreciated that there were no onboarding fees or minimums hidden in the fine print. The switch completed on schedule because stakeholders did not wait for quote iterations.
These examples reflect a pattern we hear often. Clarity speeds decisions. Decisions unlock outcomes.
“Our environment is complex, so we need custom pricing.” Complex environments sometimes need custom terms. That does not mean the base price should be a secret. Start with a public rate, then publish how custom terms modify it. Buyers can model cost while still accommodating edge cases.
“Publishing prices gives competitors an advantage.” In practice it signals confidence. Multiple studies show buyers reward vendors who provide clear information for self-service research. If transparency wins buyers and reduces sales costs, it is a competitive advantage, not a liability.
“We offer discounts that cannot fit a pricing page.” Publish the tiers and the thresholds. Keep exception handling for the rare cases. Most buyers care about understanding typical scenarios, not perfect edge conditions.
When you evaluate any RMM, run this simple TCO calculation.
If a vendor’s pricing page gives you enough data to complete that worksheet without a call, you are dealing with a transparent model. If you cannot complete it after three interactions, that is a signal to move on.
The right RMM influences technician efficiency, client retention, and audit outcomes. When pricing is hidden, it introduces extra steps into an already complex evaluation. Transparent pricing strips out noise so your team can focus on the questions that matter. Does the tool fit your workflows? Can you deploy it quickly? Will it scale as you grow? Buyers want to answer those questions earlier and with less ceremony. The data shows it.
Pricing should not be a guessing game. In a market where trust is scarce and time is limited, vendors who lead with clarity win loyalty. Transparent pricing is not a marketing trick. It is a commitment to respect the buyer’s time, to support modern self-service research, and to reduce the risk of surprises after purchase.
If your current vendor makes you jump through hoops to learn what you will pay, consider a simpler path. Demand clear pricing, published tiers, and documented terms. Your team will move faster, your budgets will be cleaner, and your confidence will be higher. The most trustworthy partner is the one who tells you the truth about price on day one.
At Level, we understand the modern challenges faced by IT professionals. That's why we've crafted a robust, browser-based Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) platform that's as flexible as it is secure. Whether your team operates on Windows, Mac, or Linux, Level equips you with the tools to manage, monitor, and control your company's devices seamlessly from anywhere.
Ready to revolutionize how your IT team works? Experience the power of managing a thousand devices as effortlessly as one. Start with Level today—sign up for a free trial or book a demo to see Level in action.
Product
Start your 14-day free trial today.
