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DaaS vs Buying Outright: Which Makes More Financial Sense?

Jony Khan28 February 2026

When evaluating DaaS against traditional purchasing, it's important to look beyond the sticker price and consider total cost of ownership (TCO).

The Traditional Model: Hidden Costs Add Up

For a typical 100-device fleet of business laptops:

  • - Hardware: $2,000 per device = $200,000 upfront
  • - Setup & deployment: $150 per device = $15,000
  • - Extended warranty: $200 per device = $20,000
  • - Accidental damage insurance: $100/year per device = $40,000 over 4 years
  • - IT support time: 2 hours/month at $80/hr = $76,800 over 4 years
  • - End-of-life disposal: $50 per device = $5,000

Total 4-year TCO: ~$356,800 or $74/device/month

The DaaS Model: Everything Included

The same 100-device fleet on a DaaS subscription:

  • - Monthly subscription: ~$72/device/month (48-month term)
  • - Includes: Hardware, setup, support, damage protection, lifecycle management, and disposal
  • - No upfront costs: $0 CapEx
  • - No hidden fees: Everything is bundled

Total 4-year TCO: ~$345,600 or $72/device/month

Beyond the Numbers

The real value of DaaS extends beyond raw cost comparison:

  • - Cash flow preservation — no $200K capital outlay
  • - Accounting simplicity — one line item vs multiple vendors
  • - Always-current hardware — automatic refresh at end of term
  • - Risk transfer — device failures and damage are our problem, not yours

Ready to see what DaaS would cost for your specific requirements? Request a custom quote.

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