Best virtual assistant companies: what eight of them charge, and who each one suits
Eight managed virtual assistant companies side by side: what each charges as published, how the model works, where the assistants work and how replacement works.
We're Catalyst, one of the eight, and we list ourselves first because it's our page. Every other entry comes only from that company's own website, linked and dated in the sources, and each one says when that company is the better pick.
Last checked 7 October 2026
How to compare virtual assistant companies
We included companies that recruit and manage one dedicated assistant for you, publish enough on their own site to compare, and sell to businesses in the US, the UK, Australia or Singapore. Most appear on the lists that rank for this search, such as Forbes Advisor's. We read every page on 7 October 2026.
Four things separate them: the price per hour of work, whether the assistant is an employee or a contractor, where they work and in which hours, and what happens if it isn't a fit.
Prices side by side, from each company's own pricing page, read 7 October 2026
| Company | Published price | Assistants | Model | If it isn't a fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst | From around $8.80 an hour, billed monthly | Matched to your working hours | We employ, pay and equip one dedicated assistant | Replacement in the first two weeks; trained backup when away |
| Belay | Not published; its guide says US assistants run $30 to $75 an hour | US-based, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 | Contractors on a flat monthly fee | A match guarantee |
| Boldly | $2,600 a month for 40 hours to $6,500 for 100 | US-based W2 employees; Europe-based staff also offered | Subscription, 40-hour monthly minimum | A satisfaction guarantee, it says |
| Time etc | $390 for 10 hours to $2,160 for 60; GBP 310 to GBP 1,680 | US or UK-based | Freelancers under contract, monthly plans | Switch plans or cancel any time |
| Virtalent | GBP 310 for 10 hours to GBP 2,700 for 100 | UK-based | Month to month, holiday cover | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Prialto | $1,600 a month per 55-hour unit; full-time from $3,600 | Not stated on the pages we read | Dedicated assistant plus trained backups | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Wing Assistant | $699 a month for 80 hours, $999 for 160 | Hired worldwide; US-based option | Dedicated, month to month | Free replacement |
| MyOutDesk | From $1,988 a month | Not stated on the pricing page | Dedicated, full-time | Replacement at no additional cost |
1. Catalyst
Best for: A dedicated assistant the company employs and manages, from around $8.80 an hour
We recruit, vet, employ, pay and equip one dedicated assistant for you, from around $8.80 an hour on a monthly plan. Part-time is 20 hours a week. Most clients are matched and onboarded within two weeks.
You can ask for a replacement in the first two weeks, and a trained backup covers when your assistant is away. Crewhall, our client workspace, and the time tracker come with every assistant. We're headquartered in Singapore and the agreement is under Singapore law.
Before you sign: we take one month's fees as a deposit, credited to your final month or two, the minimum term is set in your proposal, and notice is 30 days after it.
Pick someone else if the job needs someone on site, or you only need a few hours a month. Sources: [12]
2. Belay
Best for: A US-based assistant from a US company
Belay places pre-vetted US-based assistants on a flat monthly fee. It calls them contractors, and they work Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, in their own time zone. Belay says it matches you in about a week on average.
It doesn't publish prices. Its own guide puts US-based virtual assistants at $30 to $75 an hour, or $1,200 to $3,000 a month for part-time support.
Better than us if you want your assistant in the US, working US hours, and the budget is there. Sources: [1] [2]
3. Boldly
Best for: A senior executive assistant who is the company's employee
Boldly sells executive assistants by subscription: $2,600 a month for 40 hours, up to $6,500 for 100. Its assistants are US-based W2 employees, and the pricing page also offers staff based in Europe.
There's a 40-hour monthly minimum per assistant, plans can change or cancel at any time, and specialist work is billed at $79 an hour. Boldly's terms are issued by Worldwide101 Inc.
Better than us if you want a senior EA employed in North America or Europe and value that over price. Sources: [3] [4] [13]
4. Time etc
Best for: A few hours a week from a US or UK-based assistant
Time etc sells hours by the month: $390 for 10 hours up to $2,160 for 60 in the US, and GBP 310 up to GBP 1,680 in the UK. You get a dedicated assistant based in the US or the UK, unused hours roll over, and there's no setup fee.
Time etc engages its assistants as freelancers, under its own terms. Plans renew monthly and can be switched or cancelled any time.
Better than us if you need ten hours a month, not twenty a week, from someone in the US or the UK. Sources: [5] [6] [7]
5. Virtalent
Best for: A UK-based assistant on UK hours
Virtalent places UK-based assistants on month-to-month plans, from GBP 310 for 10 hours (GBP 31 an hour) to GBP 2,700 for 100 (GBP 27). Unused time rolls over, holiday cover is included, and a client success coach supports you. It has been running since 2014.
Better than us if your business is in the UK and you want an assistant who lives there. Sources: [8] [14]
6. Prialto
Best for: An executive or team that wants backup built into the plan
Prialto sells support in 55-hour units at $1,600 a month, or full-time from $3,600. Each unit comes with a dedicated assistant, an engagement manager and trained primary and secondary backups. Every assistant goes through a month-long training programme first.
Better than us if you want an engagement manager designing your processes as part of the plan. Sources: [9]
7. Wing Assistant
Best for: The lowest published monthly price and a fast start
Wing publishes $699 a month for 80 hours and $999 for 160 on month-to-month plans, with a dedicated assistant and free replacement. It hires worldwide, lists a US-based option and says assistants can start in 48 hours.
Better than us if the lowest monthly price matters most, or you need someone within days. Sources: [10]
8. MyOutDesk
Best for: A full-time assistant for real estate and other specialist industries
MyOutDesk places dedicated full-time assistants from $1,988 a month, or $2,500 for industry-specific roles. Recruiting, payroll and an account manager are in the price, and it says it replaces an assistant at no extra cost if it isn't working. Most clients are matched within days, by its account.
Better than us if you need a full-time assistant for an industry role, and $1,988 a month or more fits the budget. Sources: [11]
When to choose each
A US-based assistant
Belay, Boldly or Time etc. Expect $36 to $65 an hour on the plans Time etc and Boldly publish. Sources: [5] [3] [1]
An assistant in the UK, on UK hours
Virtalent, or Time etc's UK service, at GBP 27 to GBP 31 an hour. Sources: [8] [6]
Backup assistants included
Prialto puts an engagement manager and a primary and secondary backup assistant in every 55-hour unit. Sources: [9]
The lowest published monthly price, fast
Wing Assistant, from $699 a month for 80 hours. Sources: [10]
A full-time specialist for real estate
MyOutDesk, from $1,988 a month. Sources: [11]
One dedicated assistant, employed and managed for you
Us, from around $8.80 an hour, with Crewhall and the time tracker included.
Common questions about choosing a virtual assistant company
Which virtual assistant company is best?
The one that fits where you want the assistant and what you can spend. For a US-based assistant, Belay, Boldly or Time etc. For UK hours, Virtalent. For the lowest published monthly price, Wing Assistant. For a dedicated assistant we employ, from around $8.80 an hour, us. Sources: [1] [4] [5] [8] [10]
How much do virtual assistant companies charge?
On published plans, from $699 a month for 80 hours at Wing Assistant to $6,500 for 100 hours at Boldly, or about $6 to $65 an hour. Ours start from around $8.80 an hour, billed monthly. Sources: [10] [3]
Are the assistants employees or contractors?
It depends on the company. Boldly's are its W2 employees, and we employ ours. Belay calls its assistants contractors, and Time etc's terms describe its assistants as freelancers it engages. Sources: [4] [1] [7]
What if the assistant isn't a good fit?
Wing Assistant and MyOutDesk say they replace the assistant free, and Boldly and Time etc offer a satisfaction guarantee. With us, you can ask for a replacement in the first two weeks of the engagement. Sources: [10] [11] [3] [5] [12]
Is a company better than hiring a freelancer?
For work that repeats every week, usually. A company finds, vets and replaces the person, and a freelancer leaves all of that with you. Our comparison of a virtual assistant, a freelancer and an in-house hire prices both over six months.
Why is Catalyst first on this list?
Because it's our page. We wrote every other entry from that company's own website and linked it, so you can check each line yourself.
Sources
- Belay homepage, read 7 October 2026
- Belay: How much does it cost to hire a virtual assistant in the U.S.?, read 7 October 2026
- Boldly: Plans and pricing, read 7 October 2026
- Boldly homepage, read 7 October 2026
- Time etc: Plans and pricing (US), read 7 October 2026
- Time etc: Plans and pricing (UK), read 7 October 2026
- Time etc: Terms and conditions, read 7 October 2026
- Virtalent: Prices and plans, read 7 October 2026
- Prialto: Pricing and plans, read 7 October 2026
- Wing Assistant homepage and plans, read 7 October 2026
- MyOutDesk: Pricing, read 7 October 2026
- Catalyst Outsourcing: Terms of Business, read 7 October 2026
- Boldly: Terms and conditions, read 7 October 2026
- Virtalent: About us, read 7 October 2026