- Maintenance and conservative updates.
- Monitoring and alerting.
- Backup oversight and restore testing.
- Incident handling within agreed boundaries.
- Documentation and operational visibility.
Home · Pricing
Linux Infrastructure Pricing and Engagement Models
Predictable, calm operations for organizations that value responsibility, clarity, and long-term stability.
Pricing reflects operational responsibility and risk, not system count.
Pricing at a glance
- Operational StewardshipEUR 900–3,500 / mo
~USD 970–3,800 / moongoing retainer, billed monthly in advance, after onboarding - Audit & DiscoveryEUR 500–1,500
~USD 540–1,700paid scoped engagement, required for new infrastructure, credited toward first retainer month - Infrastructure DesignEUR 1,500–6,000
~USD 1,700–6,500fixed scope, design only, no operational responsibility - Project EngagementsEUR 1,000–8,000
~USD 1,100–8,600defined scope, no ongoing responsibility unless explicitly agreed
Understanding comes first
For existing infrastructure, new engagements begin with a paid audit and discovery phase. This phase establishes system understanding, operational risk, and clear responsibility boundaries.
- Review architecture, systems, dependencies, and risk.
- Identify operational weak points and improvement opportunities.
- Establish a security baseline and operational risk profile.
- Assess documentation quality and operational visibility.
- Clarify ownership boundaries and responsibilities.
- Deliver a clear recommendation and pricing proposal.
The audit is charged upfront and credited toward the first retainer month if ongoing management begins. Operational responsibility does not start during this phase. Either party may choose not to proceed without penalty.
The retainer model
Retainer-based management prioritizes continuity, prevention, and calm operations over reactive support. Most clients engage on a retainer basis for long-term infrastructure care, with pricing typically ranging from high hundreds to low thousands of euros per infrastructure per month.
- Operational responsibility begins after onboarding.
- Monthly retainer reserves operational capacity.
- Scope and availability are explicitly defined.
- 30-day notice required for offboarding.
- New feature or product development.
- Emergency work outside agreed scope.
- Third-party licenses or service fees.
- 24/7 availability unless explicitly agreed.
- Hourly-based reactive work.
Retainers are not prepaid hours. If nothing breaks, that is success, not unused credit.
Project-based engagements
Some engagements are structured as defined, time-bound projects. Pricing reflects effort and operational risk. No work begins without written scope and agreement. Ongoing operational responsibility is not included unless explicitly agreed.
- Infrastructure MigrationEUR 3,000–8,000
~USD 3,300–8,600typical effort 3–10 days - Major Version UpgradeEUR 1,500–5,000
~USD 1,700–5,400typical effort 1–5 days - Architecture ReviewEUR 2,000–4,500
~USD 2,200–4,900typical effort 2–4 days - Short-Term StabilizationEUR 1,000–2,500
~USD 1,100–2,700typical effort 1–2 days - Security HardeningEUR 1,500–3,500
~USD 1,700–3,800typical effort 1–3 days - Documentation & HandoverEUR 1,000–3,000
~USD 1,100–3,300typical effort 1–3 days
What drives pricing
Number of Systems & Services
More moving parts = more oversight.
Criticality & Blast Radius
Riskier systems require tighter controls.
Complexity & Dependencies
Interconnected systems need careful management.
Change Frequency
Rapid change increases operational attention.
Documentation
Well-documented systems are cheaper to manage.
Who owns what
Business Risk & Priorities
Owns business risk, scope priorities, and acceptance.
Operational Responsibility
Defined. Documented. Enforced.
Vendors, Providers, Platforms
Upstream provider responsibility, evaluated and tracked.
FAQ
Is onboarding free?
No. Onboarding is a paid process that combines audit and discovery work to understand your systems, document them, and define operational responsibilities.
Is the audit free?
No. Audit & Discovery is a paid, scoped engagement. It is credited toward the first month of ongoing management if you proceed. Operational responsibility does not start during this phase.
Can I stop after the first retainer month?
Yes. Retainers are 30-day prepaid, with one-month notice required for offboarding. If you stop after the first month, no additional billing occurs.
Why not price per server?
Operational risk hides in assumptions and does not scale linearly with server count. One poorly understood system can require more attention than several simple, well-documented ones.
Do you offer hourly pricing?
Not for ongoing management or retainers. Hourly pricing incentivizes activity and urgency, while retainers incentivize stability, prevention, and clarity.
What about emergency support?
Emergency support is handled separately and priced higher to discourage reliance on reactive operations as a default model. It is limited to short-term stabilization and does not establish ongoing responsibility without a separate audit and onboarding phase.
Are discounts available?
Discounts may be available for 12-month advance payment or for non-profit organizations, depending on scope and risk.
Can pricing change over time?
Yes. Significant scope changes, infrastructure growth, or increased responsibility may require revisiting pricing. Any changes are discussed in advance.
Budget alignment
This model is appropriate when infrastructure is treated as an ongoing operational responsibility rather than an occasional expense. Predictable monthly spending is preferred over surprise incident billing, and prevention is understood as a recurring investment in stability.
It is not designed for environments where the lowest short-term price drives decisions, where operational spending only happens after disruption, or where infrastructure care is postponed until problems force attention.
Next steps
A short description of your infrastructure is enough to get started. We’ll review the environment and clarify scope, responsibility, and operational risk.
Review the Mutual NDA before sharing system details.