How We Compare
We believe in transparency - including about how we compare to the alternatives. Here is an honest side-by-side comparison of HUK SONS IT against traditional IT agencies, in-house teams, and big consulting firms.
HUK SONS IT vs Traditional IT Agency
Traditional IT agencies scale headcount with junior staff, bill by the hour, and retain knowledge to preserve dependency. We do the opposite.
| Attribute | HUK SONS IT | Traditional IT Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed-scope / fully transparent | Variable hourly billing |
| Who does the work | Principal engineer - always | Junior staff, frequently rotated |
| Response time | Same day on active engagements | Days to weeks |
| Transparency | Full documentation delivered to you | Black box - knowledge retained by agency |
| Contract flexibility | No lock-in, project-by-project | Long retainer contracts standard |
| Typical engagement time | 2–8 weeks to completion | Months to years |
| Specialisation | Cloud, email, AI, GRC - deep expertise | Generalist - spread thin across services |
HUK SONS IT vs In-House IT
A full-time IT hire costs $60K–$150K annually and covers 1–2 specialisms. For the same budget, HUK SONS IT gives you access to 8 specialisations - only when you need them.
| Attribute | HUK SONS IT | In-House IT Team |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | From $1,500/month - pay for what you need | $60K–$150K/year salary + benefits |
| Availability | On-demand, async-first support | Business hours only |
| Breadth of expertise | 8 specialisations across cloud & IT | 1–2 specialisms per hire |
| Scaling | Instant - no hiring process | Slow to hire, slow to reduce |
| Vendor relationships | Multi-vendor - AWS, Azure, GCP, Microsoft | Single vendor bias common |
| Focus | Results-driven, outcome-scoped | Process-driven, ticket-focused |
HUK SONS IT vs Big Consulting
Big consulting firms (Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG) require $50K+ minimums, put account managers between you and the engineers, and bill opaquely. We are the opposite model.
| Attribute | HUK SONS IT | Big Consulting (Accenture / KPMG) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | No minimum - projects from £2K | $50K+ minimum, often $200K+ |
| Who leads your project | Founder & principal engineer | Account manager → junior team |
| Project visibility | Direct access throughout | Indirect - filtered through managers |
| Pricing | Transparent, fixed-scope | Opaque - subject to change orders |
| Specialisation | Deep IT infrastructure specialist | Generalist consulting firm |
| Accountability | Personal - founder owns every outcome | Diluted across account teams |
Why clients choose us
Four things that no traditional agency, in-house team, or consulting firm can simultaneously offer.
Founder-Led, Always
The person you speak to on day one is the person who delivers your project. No handoffs, no account managers, no junior staff on critical infrastructure.
Fixed-Price Transparency
Every engagement is scoped and priced before we start. Your CFO knows the cost on day one - not after 200 hours of billing.
Fast, Focused Delivery
We complete most engagements in 2–8 weeks. We do not create dependency or stretch projects to fill retainers.
Deep Specialisation
Cloud, email, AI, GRC - we do fewer things than generalist agencies and do them significantly better.
See the difference for yourself
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. No obligation, no sales pitch - just an honest conversation about your infrastructure challenges.