Comparison guides

Compare your options, straight

No vendor picks the option that's wrong for them, so it helps to read a comparison written by someone other than the vendor. These are the same comparisons our team walks clients through, cost model, management overhead and where each option actually breaks down, without a pitch attached.

Every comparison guide

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365 vs traditional desktops
Cloud & End-User Computing

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365 vs traditional desktops

Cost model, management overhead and the situations each one actually suits, compared straight, so you can pick the right desktop strategy for your business.

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10 min read
Managed IT support vs in-house IT vs break-fix
Managed IT

Managed IT support vs in-house IT vs break-fix

The right IT support model changes as you scale. How managed IT, an in-house team and break-fix compare on cost, response time and coverage for 15-250 seats.

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11 min read
Microsoft 365 licensing: Business vs Enterprise, E3 vs E5
Microsoft 365 & Licensing

Microsoft 365 licensing: Business vs Enterprise, E3 vs E5

What Business Basic, Standard, Premium, E3, E5 and F3 include, where Copilot fits, why education buys the A series instead, and where the overspend is.

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10 min read
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus: which one do you need?
Security & Compliance

Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus: which one do you need?

Same five controls, two very different levels of proof. What each certification verifies, what it costs, and which one your contracts require.

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12 min read
MSP vs internal IT: replace, supplement or co-manage
Managed IT

MSP vs internal IT: replace, supplement or co-manage

You already have someone doing IT. Should a provider replace them, work alongside them, or stay out of it? The three arrangements, compared honestly.

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11 min read
IT outsourcing vs managed services: what the difference actually is
Managed IT

IT outsourcing vs managed services: what the difference actually is

The terms are used interchangeably and mean different things. What each one buys, how the contracts differ, and which one you are actually shopping for.

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10 min read
Buying Microsoft licences through a partner, or direct from Microsoft
Licensing

Buying Microsoft licences through a partner, or direct from Microsoft

What a partner actually adds, what it costs you, and the cases where buying direct from Microsoft is genuinely the better answer.

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9 min read
MSP vs CSP vs MSSP: which kind of IT provider do you need?
Managed IT

MSP vs CSP vs MSSP: which kind of IT provider do you need?

Three acronyms, three different businesses. What a managed service provider, a cloud solution provider and a managed security service provider each do.

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10 min read
How to choose an IT support company in the UK
Managed IT

How to choose an IT support company in the UK

The questions that separate providers, the answers that should worry you, and how to compare two quotes that are not pricing the same service.

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12 min read
Backup & Recovery

VM backup compared: Hornetsecurity vs Nakivo vs Veeam

Three backup products compared on hypervisor coverage, licensing model and where each genuinely wins, including the cases where Veeam is worth the money.

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9 min read
End-User Computing

Citrix vs Parallels RAS vs Azure Virtual Desktop: what to move to

Leaving Citrix after a renewal quote. What Parallels RAS covers, where native AVD and Windows 365 win, and the management layer you lose going native.

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12 min read
Windows 10 ESU vs upgrading to Windows 11 vs moving to a Cloud PC
Legacy Modernisation

Windows 10 ESU vs upgrading to Windows 11 vs moving to a Cloud PC

Windows 10 support ended in October 2025 and ESU pricing doubles each year. Three routes forward compared on cost, effort and how long each one buys.

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12 min read