Key Takeaway: The minimum viable MSP stack is four tools: RMM, PSA, backup, and EDR. In 2026, NinjaOne leads for RMM, HaloPSA or Atera for PSA, Veeam or Comet for backup, and Huntress for EDR. Pick one solution per function, standardize across every client, and factor your tool costs into your pricing from day one.

The question gets asked in r/MSP every week: what tools do I need to start an MSP? The answers vary wildly, from people recommending enterprise stacks that cost more than a new MSP’s first month of revenue, to people suggesting you can run a managed services business out of a spreadsheet and a free remote access tool. Neither extreme is right.

This guide is built on current 2026 pricing data, G2 review scores, and what the MSP community actually recommends for new and small providers. Every tool listed here has verified pricing. Every recommendation reflects what works at the stage you are in, not the stage you aspire to reach.

The Principle Before the List

Standardize on one solution per function and require every client to move to your standard. This is the single most important tooling decision you will make, and it is not about which tool you pick. It is about committing to a stack and holding the line.

The MSPs that struggle with their stack are almost always the ones who said yes to whatever the client already had. One client on ConnectWise, another on Autotask, a third on a homegrown ticketing system. That is not a stack. It is chaos with a monthly invoice. Standardization is what makes you scalable, what lets you build runbooks that work across clients, and what lets you onboard a new technician without spending three weeks explaining why every client environment is different.

The Minimum Viable MSP Stack: Four Tools

These are the four categories you need before you take your first managed services client. Everything else can wait.

1. RMM: Remote Monitoring and Management

Your RMM is the operational backbone of your MSP. It monitors client endpoints, deploys patches, runs scripts, and gives you remote access. Without it, you are doing break-fix with a monthly invoice, not managed services.

The 2026 RMM market has consolidated around a few clear options for new and small MSPs:

NinjaOne is the most recommended RMM for new MSPs in 2026. It scores 8.5/10 on independent data-weighted rankings (4.7/5 across 1,600+ G2 reviews) and is consistently cited for its modern interface, strong automation, and ease of onboarding. Pricing is per device and requires a custom quote, but community-reported rates run $2 to $4 per endpoint per month at small MSP volumes. NinjaOne is the default recommendation for MSPs starting out because it is fast to learn, well-supported, and does not require a six-month implementation project.

Atera is the strongest alternative for solo operators and very small MSPs. It uses per-technician pricing with unlimited endpoints, starting at $129 per technician per month. If you are a solo operator managing 200 endpoints, Atera’s math is dramatically better than per-device pricing. It also bundles a PSA, which reduces your total stack cost. The tradeoff is less depth than NinjaOne on the RMM side.

Syncro ($139/user/month) and SuperOps ($79/tech/month) are unified RMM+PSA platforms worth evaluating if you want to reduce the number of vendors you manage. Both have strong reviews and transparent pricing.

ConnectWise Automate is the enterprise standard but scores 6.7/10 on independent rankings (3.9/5 on G2) and requires a custom quote with multi-year commitments. It is not the right starting point for a new MSP. It is a tool you grow into, not one you start with.

What matters more than which RMM you choose is how you configure it. An RMM configured to generate maximum alerts creates alert fatigue. Configure it to surface what matters, suppress what does not, and build a review process that ensures alerts are actually reviewed by a human who can act on them.

2. PSA: Professional Services Automation

Your PSA is where tickets live, where client documentation lives, where time gets tracked, and where invoices get generated. It is the operational record of your business. If it is not in the PSA, it did not happen.

The 2026 PSA market has split into two camps: dedicated PSAs and unified RMM+PSA platforms. For new MSPs, the unified platforms have largely won the argument.

HaloPSA is the strongest dedicated PSA for new and small MSPs in 2026. It starts at $59 per agent per month with transparent pricing, scores 4.6/5 on Capterra, and offers a 30-day free trial. It is highly configurable, modern, and does not require the multi-year commitment that ConnectWise PSA demands. If you already have an RMM you are committed to and need a standalone PSA, HaloPSA is the starting point.

Atera ($129/tech/month) and Syncro ($139/user/month) bundle RMM and PSA together. For a new MSP, the consolidated billing and single-vendor support relationship is a real operational advantage. Both include unlimited endpoints per technician, which changes the cost math significantly as you grow.

ConnectWise PSA (formerly ConnectWise Manage) is the market-share leader for established MSPs but scores 6.8/10 on independent rankings (3.9/5 on G2). It requires a custom quote, typically involves multi-year commitments, and has an implementation timeline that routinely runs 60 to 120 days. It is not the right tool for a new MSP. It is the tool you migrate to when you have 30+ technicians and the operational complexity to justify it.

The PSA is where your documentation discipline either gets built or does not. From your first client, every ticket should close with notes on what was found, what was done, and what the client should watch for. That discipline is the difference between a business that can scale and one that depends on your personal memory.

3. Backup and Business Continuity

Every managed services agreement needs a backup solution. More importantly, it needs a backup solution you have actually tested. The backup that has never been tested is not a backup. It is an assumption.

The 2026 backup market for MSPs has several strong options:

Veeam leads independent rankings at 8.5/10 (4.6/5 across 700+ G2 reviews) and offers a free tier for getting started. It is the market standard for VM, server, and cloud backup. For MSPs managing server environments, Veeam is the default recommendation.

Acronis Cyber Protect (7.8/10, 4.4/5 on G2) bundles backup with security in a single agent, which reduces endpoint complexity. It requires a custom quote but is widely used in the MSP channel.

Comet Backup starts at $2 per endpoint per month with a 30-day free trial, making it the most accessible entry point for new MSPs. It supports bring-your-own storage (AWS, Wasabi, Backblaze B2), which gives you control over data residency and storage costs.

Cove Data Protection (7.7/10) is cloud-first with no appliances required, which simplifies deployment for MSPs who do not want to manage hardware.

Datto BCDR (7.4/10) is the appliance-based standard for MSPs that need instant virtualization and cloud failover. It is the right tool for clients with high recovery time objectives, but the appliance cost and Kaseya ecosystem lock-in make it a considered purchase rather than a default starting point.

Whatever you choose, the process matters more than the product. Document every backup configuration, schedule quarterly restore tests, and report the results to clients. That process is what separates you from the MSP that discovers the backup did not work during a ransomware recovery.

4. Endpoint Security: EDR, Not Just Antivirus

Antivirus detects known threats by signature. Endpoint detection and response monitors behavior and detects unknown threats. In 2026, antivirus alone is not sufficient for business-grade security, and cyber insurance carriers are increasingly requiring EDR as a condition of coverage.

Huntress is the most recommended EDR for new and small MSPs in 2026, and the data supports the community consensus. It starts at $8.99 per endpoint per month with a 24/7 human-led SOC included in the base price. That SOC reviews every alert and passes along less than 1% as incidents, which means your team is not drowning in false positives. Huntress also includes Managed Identity Threat Detection for Microsoft 365 and Security Awareness Training in the base SKU. Community-reported pricing runs $2.50 to $3.50 per endpoint per month for EDR at volume, with the full Managed EDR product at $8.99. The 50-endpoint minimum applies to the standard plan.

SentinelOne is the strongest autonomous EDR engine on the market and the right choice for MSPs with clients who have in-house security teams. Singularity Core runs $5 to $7 per endpoint per month; the Complete tier and Vigilance Respond MDR add-on carry additional costs. For most SMB-focused MSPs, SentinelOne’s depth exceeds what clients can operationalize without dedicated security staff.

Malwarebytes EDR and Bitdefender GravityZone are lower-cost alternatives that appear frequently in MSP community discussions for price-sensitive clients, though they lack the human SOC component that makes Huntress particularly well-suited for MSPs without dedicated security analysts.

What to Add Next: The Second Layer

Once you have the four core tools in place and your first clients onboarded, these are the next additions in priority order.

DNS Filtering

DNS filtering blocks malicious domains before a connection is established. It is one of the highest-leverage, lowest-cost security controls available, and cyber insurance carriers increasingly require it.

DNSFilter leads independent rankings at 8.1/10 (4.6/5 across 239 G2 reviews) and starts at $1 per user per month with transparent pricing and a 14-day free trial. It is the default recommendation for MSPs because of its multi-tenant console, strong MSP pricing, and transparent cost structure. Cisco Umbrella (8.0/10) is the enterprise alternative with Talos threat intelligence, but requires a custom quote and is better suited to larger environments.

Documentation Platform

If your PSA does not handle documentation well, a dedicated platform is worth the investment early. Documentation is the infrastructure of a scalable MSP.

Hudu leads independent rankings at 8.1/10 (4.8/5 across 100 G2 reviews) and starts at $31 per user per month with a free trial and cloud or self-hosted deployment. It is the most recommended documentation platform for new MSPs because of its modern interface, transparent pricing, and fast-moving roadmap. IT Glue (7.5/10) is the category leader with more integrations and SOC 2 compliance, but requires a custom quote and is now part of the Kaseya ecosystem, which introduces vendor lock-in considerations.

Security Awareness Training

Cyber insurance carriers require documented security awareness training as a condition of coverage. It is also a service you can charge for separately, which makes it a revenue line as well as a security control.

KnowBe4 is the market leader with the largest phishing simulation library. Proofpoint Security Awareness is the enterprise alternative. If you are using Huntress, its Security Awareness Training module is included in the base Managed EDR price, which eliminates the need for a separate vendor at the early stage.

Email Security

Email is still the primary attack vector for most SMB breaches. Microsoft 365 Defender provides baseline protection for M365 environments. Proofpoint Essentials and Mimecast are the third-party alternatives for clients who need more than the Microsoft baseline.

Password and Credential Management

You need a secure way to store client credentials that is accessible to your team and auditable. If you are using Hudu or IT Glue for documentation, credential management is built in. Passportal (now part of N-able) is a standalone option. Do not store client passwords in a spreadsheet or a shared email account.

The Pricing Reality: What the Stack Actually Costs

New MSPs frequently underestimate their tool costs and underprice their services as a result. Here is what the minimum viable stack costs at different scales, using verified 2026 pricing.

Solo operator, 10 clients, 100 endpoints:

NinjaOne RMM: approximately $200 to $400/month at community-reported rates. Atera (RMM+PSA combined): $129/month for one technician. Comet Backup: $200/month (100 endpoints at $2). Huntress EDR: $250 to $350/month at community-reported rates. DNSFilter: $100/month (100 users at $1). Total: approximately $880 to $1,180 per month, depending on tool choices.

Small MSP, 25 clients, 300 endpoints:

NinjaOne RMM: approximately $600 to $1,200/month. HaloPSA: $177 to $345/month (3 agents at $59 to $115). Veeam or Comet Backup: $600/month (300 endpoints). Huntress EDR: $750 to $1,050/month at community-reported rates. DNSFilter: $300/month. Hudu documentation: $93/month (3 users). Total: approximately $2,520 to $3,588 per month.

These numbers should be factored into your per-user pricing from the beginning. An MSP charging $75 per user per month with 300 endpoints under management is generating $22,500 per month in revenue against $2,500 to $3,600 in tool costs, leaving a gross margin of approximately 84% to 89% before labor. That math works. An MSP that does not account for tool costs in their pricing will discover the problem when they try to hire their first technician.

The Pricing Model Decision: Per-Device vs. Per-Technician

The pricing model of your RMM and PSA has a larger impact on your total stack cost than which specific tool you choose. This is the most underappreciated decision in MSP tooling.

Per-device pricing (NinjaOne, most RMMs) is predictable and scales linearly with your client base. It rewards efficiency because your cost per device stays constant regardless of how many technicians you have.

Per-technician pricing (Atera, Syncro) is dramatically cheaper when each technician manages many devices. A solo operator managing 300 endpoints pays $129/month with Atera. The same 300 endpoints on a per-device RMM at $3/device costs $900/month. The math reverses when you have multiple technicians managing fewer devices each.

Run the numbers for your specific situation before committing. The right pricing model depends on your device-to-technician ratio, and that ratio changes as you grow.

The Tools You Do Not Need Yet

New MSPs frequently over-invest in tooling before they have the clients to justify it.

A dedicated SIEM is valuable at scale. For a new MSP with fewer than 10 clients, it is overhead you cannot operationalize. A separate NOC platform is a scaling tool, not a starting tool. Multiple RMMs are a trap: the cost of running two RMMs is not just the licensing, it is the operational complexity, the training burden, and the documentation inconsistency. The most expensive version of everything is a cash flow problem disguised as a quality decision.

The Stack Is Not the Business

The most important thing to understand about your MSP stack is that it is infrastructure, not differentiation. Your clients do not care which RMM you use. They care whether their systems are monitored, their backups work, and their team can get help when something goes wrong.

Pick reasonable tools, configure them well, standardize across clients, and build the processes that make the tools useful. The MSP that wins is not the one with the best stack. It is the one with the best operational discipline around a good-enough stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best RMM for a new MSP in 2026?

NinjaOne is the most recommended RMM for new MSPs based on independent rankings (8.5/10, 4.7/5 on G2 across 1,600+ reviews) and community consensus. It is modern, fast to learn, and well-supported. Atera is the strongest alternative if you are a solo operator who wants per-technician pricing with unlimited endpoints and a bundled PSA.

What is the best PSA for a new MSP in 2026?

For a standalone PSA, HaloPSA starts at $59/agent/month with transparent pricing and a 30-day free trial. For a unified RMM+PSA, Atera ($129/tech/month) and Syncro ($139/user/month) are the leading options. ConnectWise PSA is the enterprise standard but is not the right starting point for a new MSP.

What is the best EDR for a new MSP in 2026?

Huntress is the most recommended EDR for MSPs serving SMB clients. It starts at $8.99/endpoint/month with a 24/7 human-led SOC included, plus Managed ITDR for Microsoft 365 and Security Awareness Training. Community-reported EDR-only pricing runs $2.50 to $3.50/endpoint/month at volume. The 50-endpoint minimum applies to the standard plan.

How much does the MSP starter stack cost per month?

For a solo MSP with 100 endpoints under management, the minimum viable stack (RMM, PSA, backup, EDR) runs approximately $880 to $1,180 per month depending on tool choices. Adding DNS filtering brings the total to approximately $980 to $1,280. These costs should be factored into your per-user pricing from the first client.

Should I use a unified RMM+PSA or separate tools?

For new and small MSPs, unified platforms (Atera, Syncro, SuperOps) have largely won the argument. The consolidated billing, single-vendor support, and shared data model reduce operational overhead significantly. Separate tools make sense when you have an existing RMM you cannot displace or when your PSA requirements exceed what unified platforms offer.

About Brent Lacy: Brent Lacy is a technology advisor and the voice behind Rewired MSP. He helps MSPs operate with greater maturity and helps business owners make IT choices that make them more secure and more efficient. He is the author of Rewired MSP: Mastery, Scalability & Performance, vCIO Rewired: Virtually Conquering IT Obstacles, and Near Miss: Preventable IT Failures Threatening Your Business Security.

Related Reading

• From Technician to MSP Owner: What Nobody Tells You Before You Make the Jump
• MSP Documentation: Why It Matters, What to Document, and How to Make It Stick
• MSP Cybersecurity: The Monitoring Trap, Backup vs. Continuity, and What Competent Security Looks Like
• Building a Documentation Culture: The Invisible Engine of MSP Scalability
• Backup Is Not Business Continuity: What Every Business Owner Must Know
• What Does Managed IT Services Cost? A Transparent Pricing Guide

Sources

• MSP Compared: Best RMM Software for Small Business (2026)
• MSP Compared: Best PSA Software for MSPs (2026)
• MSP Compared: Best Backup Software for MSPs (2026)
• MSP Compared: Best DNS Filtering Software for MSPs (2026)
• MSP Compared: Hudu vs IT Glue (2026)
• Unio Digital: Huntress vs SentinelOne (2026)
• Kurums: Best RMM Software 2026 Comparison