groei MSP markt
How do you still grow as an MSP in a shrinking margin market?
MSP growth no longer comes from extra seats or engineers, but from specialisation, partnerships and higher revenue per employee. Generalists without clear positioning lose margin to vendors and consolidators, while niche players structurally fetch higher multiples in an acquisition.
MSP Late Night · 6 August 2026
Where is growth in the MSP market moving to?
Software margins are falling, vendors take more of the service themselves, and buyers demonstrably pay more for a niche player than for a generalist. Since 2024 buyers look hard at revenue per employee and net revenue retention, not only at EBITDA. Anyone leaving the generalist take-the-worry-away proposition of ten years ago unchanged gets caught between consolidating competitors and vendor programmes squeezing them.
Specialise or orchestrate?
Smaller MSPs fetch a higher price in a sale when they serve one clear niche (security, AI, a vertical). Large MSPs can stay generalist because they have the manpower to set up a team per speciality.
Partnership or dependency?
A partnership works when both parties need each other and invest together. In vendor relationships such as Microsoft or HubSpot the balance often tips towards squeezing after a few years, so set exit terms down contractually.
Sell or keep building?
MSPs that ran stable but stationary these past years can rarely finance the AI and Q-Day transition alone. Joining a larger group takes risk off your shoulders and speeds up access to specialisms such as NIS2, DORA and MDR.
Buyers pay more for a niche player than for a generalist.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a niche MSP fetch a higher acquisition price than a generalist?
Buyers value predictability and potential to scale. An MSP with a recognisable niche (security, a vertical, AI) has sharper propositions, a higher gross margin per service and lower acquisition cost per client. Generalists compete on hourly rate and are harder to integrate into a larger platform. In acquisition processes that translates into a higher EBITDA multiple and better earn-out terms for the selling owner.
When does a vendor partnership become a dependency?
A partnership tips into dependency as soon as the incentive structure becomes one-sided: kickbacks fall, certification requirements rise and the vendor starts serving end clients itself. Microsoft and HubSpot partners have seen this pattern over the past ten years. A healthy partnership asks for mutual relevance, contractual exit terms and spreading across several vendors, so that your own proposition does not lean entirely on one programme.
What does the shift from SLA to XLA mean for MSP pricing?
With service level agreements you are paid per ticket or for availability; with experience level agreements you are paid for the outcome, such as fewer disruptions or higher user adoption. That forces MSPs to agree KPIs with the client that go beyond uptime: productivity, security incidents prevented, automation through infrastructure as code. Tying price to outcome only works with transparent measurement and shared responsibility.
How does a peer group for MSP owners work in practice?
A peer group usually consists of three to five non-competing MSPs meeting periodically, often monthly, for a day and sharing openly about rates, propositions, staff and figures. The value sits in trust and non-competition: members are in the same phase but in different regions or niches. The results are usually faster decisions and shared blueprints for services.
What is a realistic growth strategy for an MSP under 25 FTE?
For smaller MSPs, growth rarely sits in building everything yourself. Realistic options are: choosing a clear niche, joining a larger group or holding, taking white-label services from specialist vendors (MDR, adoption, FinOps) and networking regionally to share projects through partnerships. Steering on revenue per employee and net revenue retention gives a better gauge than total revenue growth.