OpenMSP Blog.

How to start an MSP business in 2026 - business model, pricing strategies, margins, and the tools you actually need. No fluff.

For years, IT services have been defined by vendors. Big platforms decided how we worked, what we paid, and how much control we were allowed to keep. That era is ending. A quiet revolution is already underway, and it's being led not by new SaaS giants, but by open-source builders, communities, and the companies that believe freedom and transparency will shape the next decade of technology.

Change in the managed services world doesn't usually come with fanfare. Right now, something interesting is happening behind the scenes: large MSPs are migrating to open-source stacks. But they're keeping it quiet. Here's why that shift is underway and why it actually matters.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are operating in a market where costs are rising, competition is fierce, and margins are under constant pressure. Vendor payouts, often comprising 20-35% of revenue, combine with labor inefficiencies to create a perfect storm of challenges. As a result, the average MSP operates with net margins of **10-15%**, leaving little room for reinvestment or growth.