Your clients keep asking about AI. Vendors keep pitching you. And the numbers say most MSPs haven't cracked it yet. Kaseya's 2026 State of the MSP survey found 48% of MSPs call AI the top thing clients want, and only 13% earn meaningful revenue from it.
This week I'm breaking down seven ways to take AI to market: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Hatz, Synthreo, and building your own. One topic a day. If you want help picking the right one for your shop, Schedule a Call.
How I put this together
I pulled public docs, pricing pages, terms, and what MSP owners say in public. I sent written questions to Hatz and Synthreo. Hatz answered on October 23, 2026. Synthreo answered on October 25, 2026.
I also asked both for trial access before writing this. Synthreo gave me a tenant. Hatz declined. I tested Hatz through a partner's tenant instead, and Hatz told me they were fine with that.
One disclosure. I know Synthreo's founder from our Evolve peer group. That's the whole relationship.
The two decisions
The seat
The seat is what your client's people type into every day. Copilot inside Microsoft 365. ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini inside Google Workspace. Or the chat window inside an MSP platform like Hatz or Synthreo.
Here's the hard part. Microsoft and Google already gave most of your clients an AI seat. Copilot Chat comes with eligible Microsoft 365 plans. Gemini comes bundled in Workspace. Anything you sell has to beat free and already there.
The practice
The practice is how you run AI as a business. How you onboard clients, control usage, keep audit logs, build agents, connect your PSA, and bill each client correctly.
Hatz and Synthreo live here. They give your clients access to models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others in one place, and that can replace standalone ChatGPT or Claude seats. But you don't stop depending on those labs. You now rely on the platform, the provider hosting the models, and the company that built them. Ask every platform which provider runs each model, and where.
The seven options at a glance
- Microsoft Copilot. AI inside Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Copilot Business costs $21 per user per month. From December 1, 2026, new CSP licenses turn on metered credit billing by default. Set caps before then.
- ChatGPT. Business seats cost $20 per user per month on annual billing. No BAA on the Business plan, and governance tools sit in Enterprise.
- Claude. Team seats cost $20 per user per month on annual billing, for 2 to 150 seats. Strong for documentation, scripting, and internal engineering work.
- Gemini. Bundled into Google Workspace. No license margin, so the money is in services.
- Hatz. Built for MSPs. Many models in one console, unlimited users per tenant, monthly credits per tenant, and a SOC 2 Type II report. No BAA, and storage is US only.
- Synthreo. Built for MSPs. White label by default, the deepest agent builder in this group, a mobile app, and Canadian storage. Its SOC 2 audit is in progress, and it signs BAAs case by case.
- Build your own. Buy models through the APIs and build your own governance, automation, and billing. The most control and the best usage margin, with the most work and key person risk.
My picks by MSP type
Microsoft heavy generalist: Copilot
You already own the tenant, the skills, and the CSP billing. Don't expect much from the license itself. The money is in readiness assessments, permission cleanup, and adoption programs. Microsoft now scores partners on paid active usage, so adoption is your job.
Healthcare or dental: Copilot inside the client's tenant
HIPAA requires a signed BAA before patient data touches the tool. Hatz confirmed it has no BAA. Synthreo signs BAAs case by case, and its SOC 2 report isn't out yet. Confirm Copilot's BAA scope in Microsoft's terms for your clients' licensing. Revisit this when Synthreo's report lands.
Lower regulation clients, whole company rollouts: Hatz deserves a look
Unlimited users per tenant means no seat math. Its onboarding tool is fast, and it has the largest MSP partner base in this group. Model your credits carefully first.
Premium AI consulting practice: Synthreo, with a gate
Synthreo's agent builder, white label, and co-delivery support fit a practice that sells custom agents. Before you sign, call three partners outside its investor network and ask who builds their agents. If partners lean on Synthreo's engineers, building your own on the APIs becomes the better play.
What I saw firsthand
Both MSP platforms were buggy at times. Hatz didn't credit back sessions that timed out after eating a chunk of tokens.
Synthreo was the only one with a mobile app when I tested, and it works well. I want my clients on a well built mobile app, so that matters to me.
Hatz has the easier workflow builder. End users can build basic things on their own, and that's a real plus. Synthreo is putting Wingtip on that job, aimed at deeper workflows.
I prefer a simple interface, and Synthreo had it. Hatz felt bloated to me. Plenty of people prefer the opposite, so test it yourself.
Where MSP AI practices break
Most MSP AI practices fail on conversion and owner bandwidth, not technology. Pilots never turn into paid work. The owner is the only one who can sell it. Pricing you can't forecast eats the margin. And clients drift to whatever app they like on their phone.
Before you pick a platform, find out whether your shop can run another practice. Start with the Operational Maturity Assessment. If you're honest enough to want the hard answer, take the MSP Owner Reality Check.
The rest of this series
- Tuesday: the seats. Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
- Wednesday: Hatz, up close.
- Thursday: Synthreo, up close.
- Friday: building your own, and how to choose.
Do your own homework
This series is built on public information, my own hands-on testing, and written answers from vendors to my questions. It's my read as of October 25, 2026. Prices, terms, and features change fast. Don't take anything here as fact without checking it yourself. Get every claim that matters to you in writing before you sign.
Want help sorting out which option fits your MSP? Schedule a Call. If you want the rest of this series and more like it, subscribe to my newsletter.
FAQ
Do Hatz and Synthreo replace ChatGPT and Claude?
They can replace standalone seats, because they give users those models inside their own platforms. You still rely on the model makers and the providers hosting the models underneath.
What's the safest first AI move for most MSPs?
For a Microsoft heavy book, a Copilot readiness and adoption practice. Your clients already trust Microsoft, and the services around Copilot pay better than the license.
Can I sell AI to healthcare clients today?
Only with a signed BAA from every vendor in the chain. Hatz has no BAA. Synthreo signs case by case. Confirm Copilot's BAA scope for your clients' licensing before patient data goes anywhere near it.