shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use SHI International?

Not disclosed - shi.com

Depends. Buy if you're a large organization, school, or government buying hardware, licensing, or IT services at scale — breadth and pricing earn SHI a 4.7/5 on G2. Skip it for small purchases; buy retail or use its self-serve SHI Direct shop instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo direct evidence in sources
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Quote-based

Enterprise procurement

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
SHI DirectListed online

Best for

  • Enterprise hardware and licensing procurement
  • Schools and government buyers
  • Multi-vendor IT consolidation
  • Teams wanting hands-on vendor management

Not for

  • Anyone buying one laptop — go retail
  • Small teams wanting transparent self-serve pricing
  • Buyers needing fast, hassle-free returns
  • MSPs seeking deep resale margins

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

2022 malware attack paused operations roughly a week; class action filed afterward

medium

Quote-based pricing; discount depth varies by rep, volume, and contract vehicle

medium

Returns can draw pushback even when items are unopened

medium

It's a reseller, not a distributor — partners report thin resale margins

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 4.7/5 on G2 across 119 reviews
  • Reviewers call pricing cheaper than competitors
  • Serves 17,000+ organizations worldwide
  • Deep bench: licensing, cloud, security, grants, integration services
  • Cooperative contracts via OMNIA Partners ease public-sector purchasing

Cons

  • Hit by coordinated malware attack in 2022; recovery took a week
  • Class action alleges failure to prevent that breach
  • No transparent pricing; quote-driven with changing terms
  • Return pushback reported even on unopened items
  • Mixed employee reviews: 3.2/5 on Glassdoor

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 12 sources - 2022 coordinated malware attack disrupted SHI for about a week; class action followed. No newer incidents found in sources reviewed.

official x3review x4security x3news x2
  • July 2022 malware attack, Coordinated, professional malware attack over the July 4 holiday; SHI needed about a week to launch recovery and forensics.
  • Class action (Dec 2022), Suit alleges SHI did not properly prevent the breach.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Quote-based

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. G2 reviewers cite cheaper pricing than rivals
  • Ease of use. No direct evidence in sources
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Vast catalog plus licensing, cloud, security, grant services
  • Support quality: 3/5. Mixed; return pushback documented by admins
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2022 malware breach, week-long recovery, class action
  • 4.7/5 G2 rating 119 reviews
  • Quote-based Pricing SHI Direct lists hardware online
  • 17,000+ Customers Organizations served
  • 3.2/5 Glassdoor (employees) Employee satisfaction

Pricing

Enterprise procurement

Quote-based

  • Full catalog, licensing, and services
  • Dedicated account team

SHI Direct

Listed online

  • Self-serve hardware shop
  • Discounted catalog pricing

Security

2022 coordinated malware attack disrupted SHI for about a week; class action followed.

  • July 2022 malware attackCoordinated, professional malware attack over the July 4 holiday; SHI needed about a week to launch recovery and forensics.⁷
  • Class action (Dec 2022)Suit alleges SHI did not properly prevent the breach.⁸

No newer incidents found in sources reviewed.

What users say

G2 buyers (4.7/5, 119 reviews) praise pricing and breadth, while Reddit IT admins report return friction and uneven experiences.

“I appreciate SHI for their pricing”
G2 review
“They were unopened but I got a lot of push back”
Reddit, r/sysadmin

Alternatives

Compare SHI International with each alternative.

  • CDW

    Rival full-service IT reseller; get competing quotes

  • SHI Direct

    SHI's self-serve shop for smaller orders without contracting

  • Datalink Networks

    Smaller reseller positioning service above CDW and SHI

Companies that use it

  • NRG Energy
  • Rapid7
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Big-company IT reseller: great for enterprise-scale hardware and licensing, quote-heavy overkill for small buys.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Sources

  1. SHI Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2g2.com
    review
  2. SHI Review: Find Out If SHI Is The Right IT Partner For Yougoworkwize.com
    review
  3. Anyone have any issues with SHI.com?reddit.com
    review
  4. SHI, CDW - are they good for resellers?reddit.com
    review
  5. SHI International Corp - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  6. SHI Hit By 'Coordinated And Professional Malware Attack' - CRNcrn.com
    security
  7. SHI Cyberattack Timeline, Malware Recovery and Forensicsmsspalert.com
    security
  8. Class Action Alleges SHI International Failed to Prevent Breachclassaction.org
    security
  9. SHI | Infrastructure IT solutions and systems integratorshi.com
    official
  10. SHI Direct | Shop discount IT hardware onlineshidirect.com
    official
  11. SHI supplier page - OMNIA Partnersomniapartners.com
    official
  12. SHI International Corp - Crunchbasecrunchbase.com
    news

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