65/100IFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 200 Google reviews, the most in Albert Lea.
Best IT Consultants in Albert Lea, MN (2026)
10 IT consultants ranked by IFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Best overall in Albert Lea: The Computer Store of Owatonna, IFR Score 65/100; 4.9★ from 200 Google reviews; open Saturdays until 12 PM.
- 2
Most-reviewed: Simplified Technology Solutions, LLC, 36 Google reviews at 4.3★, the most of 10 ranked after The Computer Store of Owatonna; ranked #2.
Rankings can't be bought. IT providers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
10 Albert Lea IT consultants are ranked here by IFR Score, from nine published factors. 2 open Saturdays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.8★ across 10 rated IT firms.
Top 10 IT consultants in Albert Lea at a glance
Ranked by IFR Score from public data. Sponsored placements are labelled and never change the order.
| Rank | Business | IFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Computer Store of Owatonna | 65 | 4.9★ (200) | Owatonna, 31 mi away | Sat | Overall |
| 2 | Simplified Technology Solutions, LLC | 49 | 4.3★ (36) | Austin, 20 mi away | — | Most reviews |
| 3 | Baker Tech Services | 48 | 4.7★ (24) | Owatonna, 32 mi away | — | — |
| 4 | Pantheon Computers | 47 | 5.0★ (24) | Mankato, 48 mi away | — | — |
| 5 | Computer Technology Solutions, Inc. | 46 | 4.5★ (24) | North Mankato, 48 mi away | — | — |
| 6 | Opie's Computers, LLC | 44 | 4.3★ (6) | Mankato, 47 mi away | Sat · Evenings | — |
| 7 | Metro Sales Inc. | 44 | 5.0★ (10) | Mankato, 49 mi away | — | — |
| 8 | On-Site Computers Inc | 43 | 5.0★ (5) | Rochester, 41 mi away | — | — |
| 9 | Merritt Computer Services Inc | 43 | 5.0★ (4) | Mason City, 36 mi away | — | — |
| 10 | A Plus Systems Group/Q InfoTek (Computer & IT Division) | 42 | 3.2★ (9) | Mankato, 48 mi away | — | — |
The 10 best IT consultants in Albert Lea, ranked
Ordered by IFR Score, a 0–100 score from nine published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by IFR Score from public data. Sponsored placements are labelled and never change the order.
Scores below: based on 8 of 9 factors; recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Based in Austin, 20 mi away
49/100IFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.3★ from 36 Google reviews.
Based in Owatonna, 32 mi away
48/100IFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.7★ from 24 Google reviews.
Based in Mankato, 48 mi away
47/100IFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 24 Google reviews.
Based in North Mankato, 48 mi away
46/100IFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.5★ from 24 Google reviews.
Based in Mankato, 47 mi away
44/100IFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and service focus: 4.3★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Computer repair service”.
Based in Mankato, 49 mi away
44/100IFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and service focus: 5.0★ from 10 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Office equipment supplier”.
Based in Rochester, 41 mi away
43/100IFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and service focus: 5.0★ from 5 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Computer repair service”.
Based in Mason City, 36 mi away
43/100IFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and service focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Software company”.
Based in Mankato, 48 mi away
42/100IFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and service focus: 3.2★ from 9 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Computer store”.
Also serving Albert Lea
13 more IT consultants within 50 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a service we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| A+ Computer Repair | In Albert Lea | |
| AAA Midwest Technology Solutions | 31 mi | |
| Assemble 7 Studios Application Development and Design | 47 mi | |
| CS Computers | 5.0★ (227) | In Albert Lea |
| Hammer Head Technology | In Albert Lea | |
| Marco Technologies | 5.0★ (1) | 47 mi |
| Merryworks Computer Consulting | 31 mi | |
| Momo Technology Solutions | 43 mi | |
| Pantheon Computers | 4.7★ (7) | In Albert Lea |
| Praxis AI Solutions | 45 mi | |
| System Services | In Albert Lea | |
| Technology 9 | 4.9★ (14) | In Albert Lea |
| Web-Room | 4.5★ (11) | In Albert Lea |
How we ranked Albert Lea IT consultants
We scored 10 Albert Lea IT consultants on nine factors, weighted as shown. An IT firm is ranked when its service is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. An IT firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Sponsored businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Albert Lea data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Review volume | 15% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed IT firm on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday and 24/7 support | Measured |
| Service focus | 15% | How clearly the firm does this service (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its IT Firms Ranked profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The firm links to IT Firms Ranked from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
| Client reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by IT Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
How to choose an IT consultant
- Ask whether the consultant earns commissions or referral fees on products they recommend.
- Check experience with projects like yours, and ask for a sample deliverable.
- Agree the deliverables, timeline and price for each phase before work starts.
- Ask for two or three references from clients of your size and industry, and call them.
- Get the scope, response times and price in writing before you sign, including how you leave and get your data back.
Questions to ask an IT consultant
- Do you receive commissions from any vendor you might recommend?
- What will we receive at the end of the project?
- Who will do the work, and what similar projects have they completed?
- Do you bill hourly, per project or on retainer?
- Will you work alongside our current IT provider?
Terms explained
- MSP (managed service provider)
- A firm that runs a business’s IT for a recurring fee: monitoring, patching, help desk, backups and security tools.
- Co-managed IT
- An arrangement where an outside firm supports an in-house IT person or team, sharing tools and tasks.
- Break-fix
- IT support paid per incident or per hour, with no monthly agreement.
- SLA (service-level agreement)
- The contract terms for response and resolution times, uptime and support hours.
- Help desk
- The support line staff call or email for IT problems.
- RMM
- Remote monitoring and management software that lets an IT firm watch, patch and fix computers remotely.
- vCIO
- A virtual chief information officer: part-time IT strategy and budgeting from an outside firm.
- MSSP
- A managed security service provider: a firm that monitors and manages security tools around the clock.
- EDR / MDR
- Endpoint detection and response software, and the managed service of people watching its alerts (managed detection and response).
- MFA
- Multi-factor authentication: a second proof of identity, such as an app prompt, on top of a password.
- Penetration test
- An authorised, simulated attack on your systems to find weaknesses before criminals do.
- SOC 2
- An independent auditor’s report (AICPA standard) on a service provider’s security controls.
IT consultants in Albert Lea: frequently asked questions
Who is the best IT consultant in Albert Lea?
By IFR Score, the highest-ranked IT consultant in Albert Lea, MN is The Computer Store of Owatonna with an IFR Score of 65/100. It has 4.9★ from 200 Google reviews. It is open Saturdays until 12 PM. Simplified Technology Solutions, LLC (#2) and Baker Tech Services (#3) follow. We ranked 10 IT consultants on nine factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many IT consultants are there in Albert Lea?
ITFirmsRanked ranks 10 IT consultants serving Albert Lea, MN. Another 13 within 50 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which IT consultants in Albert Lea work on weekends?
2 of 10 ranked IT consultants post Saturday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are The Computer Store of Owatonna (#1) and Opie's Computers, LLC (#6). Posted hours are office hours; many firms also run an after-hours support line for contract clients.
What Google rating do Albert Lea IT consultants have?
The median Google rating among 10 rated IT consultants in Albert Lea is 4.8★, with a median of 17 reviews. The Computer Store of Owatonna has the most, 200 reviews, and ranks #1. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does ITFirmsRanked rank IT consultants?
Each IT consultant gets a 0–100 IFR Score from nine published factors, led by reputation (25%), review volume (15%), service focus (15%) and recency (10%). An IT firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only IT firms with a confirmed service and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do IT consultants outside Albert Lea count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 50 mi of the Albert Lea city center, our service radius for IT consultants. Each listing shows where the IT firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the IFR Score, so a nearby IT firm gets a small edge.
Can IT consultants pay to rank higher on ITFirmsRanked?
No. The IFR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured IT firms may appear above the list, labelled Sponsored and showing their honest rank.
What does an IT consultant do?
IT consultants advise on technology plans and projects: system selection, cloud migrations, budgets, security and compliance programmes, often as a part-time or virtual CIO.
How are it consultants in Albert Lea ranked?
By IFR Score: Google rating and review volume, recent reviews, opening hours, how clearly the firm does IT consulting, distance, a claimed profile, our badge and verified client reviews. Sponsored placements never change the order.
When does a business need an IT consultant rather than an IT provider?
For decisions and projects rather than day-to-day support: choosing a new system, planning a cloud move, setting an IT budget, preparing for an audit or reviewing an existing IT provider.
How do IT consultants charge?
By the hour, by the project or on a monthly retainer for ongoing virtual CIO work. Ask for a fixed price or a capped estimate on defined projects.
Update log for Albert Lea
- November 2026: IFR Scores recalculated for 10 IT consultants serving Albert Lea.
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