Checked Sep 2026 · 10 options · 3 models

The best virtual assistant companies, compared honestly.

Virtual assistant companies supply remote assistants to businesses in three ways: agencies match and manage one for you, executive-assistant services place a full-time EA, and marketplaces let you hire directly. We read the official sites of 10 of them on 25 September 2026 and wrote down what each one charges, how it vets assistants and what the contract asks of you.

DonutJobs is one of the ten and is listed first because this is our page. Where another option fits you better, we say so. No star ratings, no paid placements, and every entry links to its source.

Know the model first

Three kinds of virtual assistant company.

Most comparisons mix agencies and marketplaces in one ranked list. They work differently, and the difference decides your real cost and how much of your own time the hire takes.

Marketplace or platform

You hire, the platform connects

A marketplace or hiring platform gives you access to candidates. You screen, hire, pay and manage the assistant yourself.

Who screens and hires
You do
How you pay
A subscription or a fee on each payment, plus the wage you agree with the assistant
Fits
Owners who want the lowest total cost and are willing to run the hiring
On this list (4)
DonutJobs, OnlineJobs.ph, Upwork, Fiverr
Managed VA agency

They hire, you delegate

A managed VA agency recruits the assistant, matches them to you and usually handles contracts, payroll and cover. You pay one fee that includes the wage.

Who screens and hires
The agency does
How you pay
A monthly fee per block of hours or per full-time seat
Fits
Teams that value their own time over the lowest hourly cost
On this list (5)
Time etc, Wishup, MyOutDesk, Boldly, BELAY
Executive-assistant service

One senior EA, full time

An executive-assistant service places one dedicated, full-time EA with a senior leader and may add coaching on how to delegate.

Who screens and hires
The service does
How you pay
A single monthly fee for a full-time EA
Fits
Founders and executives who want one person to run their calendar, inbox and life admin
On this list (1)
Athena
Summary table

Virtual assistant companies, side by side.

Starting price is the lowest monthly price each company publishes for a VA service. Every row was checked against the company's own site in Sep 2026.

  • DonutJobsMarketplace or platform
    Starting price
    Free plan, then $99/mo
    Vetting or testing
    Up to four optional checks, scores on profiles
    Contract
    Free plan; paid plans monthly or 3 and 6 month terms
    Best for
    Hiring and managing your own VA at a low monthly cost
  • OnlineJobs.phMarketplace or platform
    Starting price
    $69/mo to contact workers
    Vetting or testing
    No tests described; background data on PREMIUM
    Contract
    Cancel any time, no salary markup
    Best for
    Direct hires from the Philippines, you screen
  • UpworkMarketplace or platform
    Starting price
    Free to post, fees on each payment
    Vetting or testing
    Profiles, work history, client reviews
    Contract
    Per contract, hourly or fixed price
    Best for
    One-off or specialist projects
  • FiverrMarketplace or platform
    Starting price
    Per gig, plus a buyer fee
    Vetting or testing
    Seller profiles, portfolios, reviews
    Contract
    Pay per order, no subscription
    Best for
    A defined one-off task
  • Time etcManaged VA agency
    Starting price
    $390/mo for 10 hours
    Vetting or testing
    Matched by its team; no tests described
    Contract
    Month to month, no notice to cancel
    Best for
    Light, part-time admin with a US assistant
  • WishupManaged VA agency
    Starting price
    $1,299/mo (4 hours a day)
    Vetting or testing
    Says top 0.1% of applicants, 8-week training
    Contract
    Quarterly or annual billing, cancel any time
    Best for
    A managed, full-day VA on US hours
  • MyOutDeskManaged VA agency
    Starting price
    From $1,988/mo, full time
    Vetting or testing
    Says top 1%, background and ID screening
    Contract
    Terms not published
    Best for
    One full-time offshore hire, HR handled
  • BoldlyManaged VA agency
    Starting price
    $2,600/mo for 40 hours
    Vetting or testing
    Says 10 to 15 years of experience; meet before paying
    Contract
    Cancel any time, 40-hour minimum
    Best for
    Senior, employed staff in the US or Europe
  • BELAYManaged VA agency
    Starting price
    Not published
    Vetting or testing
    Says top 3% of US applicants, human matching
    Contract
    Month to month, about 45 hours minimum
    Best for
    A US assistant matched for you, 45+ hours
  • AthenaExecutive-assistant service
    Starting price
    $3,000/mo, full time
    Vetting or testing
    Says top 1%, interviews, background checks
    Contract
    90-day commitment, then monthly
    Best for
    A full-time EA for work and personal life

Sources are linked under each company below. Upwork and Fiverr block automated checks, so their fee rates are linked rather than quoted. Checked Sep 2026.

Want to see a scored candidate pipeline for your own role?

Methodology

How we compared them.

Same day, same method, the companies' own pages. Last checked 25 September 2026.

  1. Chose ten options across three models

    We picked companies that recur in search results and industry lists for "virtual assistant companies", then made sure each model (marketplace, managed agency, EA service) had real representatives.

  2. Read each official site on the same day

    On 25 September 2026 we read every company's own pricing page, FAQ or homepage and recorded its model, starting price, vetting claims, contract terms and location. The source links sit under each entry.

  3. Used published prices only

    The starting price is the lowest monthly price the company itself publishes for a VA service. If a company shows no price, we write "Not published" instead of repeating a figure from a third-party site.

  4. Attributed every vetting claim

    Acceptance rates such as "top 1%" are the company's own claims. We did not hire through the agencies, so we report what they say and whether they publish evidence.

  5. Linked fee pages where sites block checks

    Upwork and Fiverr block automated page checks, so for those two we describe how the fees work and link the official fee pages rather than quote a rate we could not re-read.

  6. Skipped scores and paid placement

    There are no star ratings or overall scores on this page, and no company paid to appear. DonutJobs is listed first because this is our page. The rest are grouped by model, then by published entry price, with per-payment and unpublished prices last.

The full list

The ten companies, one by one.

What each one sells, what it costs, how it vets, who it suits and what to check before you sign.

Marketplace or platform

DonutJobs

Hiring platform and talent pool. You post a role, review scored candidates and hire them directly.

Free plan, then $99/mo

DonutJobs is a hiring platform and talent pool for virtual assistants and remote operators. You post a role, candidates apply, and each profile can carry scores from up to four skill checks. An applicant pipeline, screening forms and in-app chat are built in. You agree terms with the person you hire and pay them directly, so the platform fee stays the same whatever the wage.

Price
The Free plan posts 1 job and collects up to 10 applications, with no credit card. The Agency plan is $99 a month, or $55 a month on a 6-month term, and Pro is $299 a month. You pay the assistant's wage directly, with no per-hire fee.
Vetting
Candidates can complete up to four checks: internet speed, English, typing speed and a recorded voice sample. The scores show on their profiles, and you can filter candidates by them.
Contract
The Free plan has no expiry. Paid plans bill monthly, either month to month or on 3 and 6 month terms at a lower monthly rate. No placement or per-hire fee.
Assistants based in
Global pool, 78.5% of profiles in the Philippines (as of Sep 2026)

Best for

Businesses that want to hire an assistant themselves, see test scores before the first call, and keep the platform cost flat while the wage goes straight to the person.

Watch out for

You do the interviews, onboarding, payroll and day-to-day management yourself. The checks are optional: as of Sep 2026, 32% of profiles had completed the internet, English and typing checks and 14% had completed all four. Free job posts wait for a human review of up to 48 hours; paid posts go live immediately.

DonutJobs also runs a managed option: a dedicated assistant for $629 a month (80 hours) or $899 a month (160 hours), with no setup fee and no minimum term. See managed virtual assistants. Platform plans are on the pricing page.

OnlineJobs.ph

Job board for hiring Filipino remote workers directly, with no agency in between.

$69/mo to contact workers

OnlineJobs.ph is a job board for hiring Filipino virtual assistants directly. You pay a monthly subscription to contact workers, then hire and pay them yourself. It is simple and cheap, and it leaves every step of screening to you.

Price
A free account can post jobs and browse, but cannot contact or hire. PRO is $69 a month (75 worker contacts a month) and PREMIUM is $99 a month (500 contacts, background data checks). Annual plans are $299 for PRO and $349 for PREMIUM.
Vetting
Its pricing page describes no skill tests. PREMIUM adds unlimited background data checks, and paid plans can read worker reviews.
Contract
No contracts or commitments, cancel any time, and a money-back guarantee if you do not find someone. It says it charges no salary markups.
Assistants based in
Philippines

Best for

Employers who want a large Filipino talent pool, are happy to screen applicants themselves, and want no markup on the wage.

Watch out for

All screening is on you, and the free account cannot contact anyone. Its Terms of Use exclude some industries, including companies connected to the adult or OnlyFans industry.

Upwork

Global freelance marketplace. Freelancers send proposals, and contracts and payments run through Upwork.

Free to post, fees on each payment

Upwork is a large general freelance marketplace and a common first stop for a first virtual assistant. You post a job, freelancers pitch, and you choose. It shines when the work is a defined project, and it gets expensive in time and fees when the same role runs for months.

Price
Freelancers set their own hourly or fixed prices. Upwork adds a client marketplace fee to every payment you make, and freelancers pay a service fee on what they earn.
Vetting
You judge freelancers on their profiles, work history and the reviews past clients left after each contract.
Contract
No subscription needed to hire. Each engagement is a contract, hourly or fixed price, paid through Upwork.
Assistants based in
Global

Best for

One-off or specialist projects where you want escrow on fixed-price work, a very large global supply and reviews from past clients.

Watch out for

You screen the proposals yourself on every role, and the fees apply to every payment for as long as the contract runs.

Fiverr

Gig marketplace. You buy a defined service from a seller at a listed price.

Per gig, plus a buyer fee

Fiverr sells packaged services. It is fast when you know exactly what you want delivered, and awkward when you need someone to own a workload week after week.

Price
Each seller sets the price of a gig. Fiverr adds a buyer service fee to each order you pay for.
Vetting
You judge sellers on their profiles, portfolios and buyer reviews.
Contract
No subscription. You pay per order, and each order is a separate purchase.
Assistants based in
Global

Best for

A defined one-off task with a clear deliverable, such as a slide deck, a data clean-up or a logo.

Watch out for

It is built for orders, not for a person in a seat for months. A fee lands on every order and the relationship runs through Fiverr.

Managed VA agency

Time etc

Managed agency with dedicated US-based assistants, sold in monthly hour blocks.

$390/mo for 10 hours

Time etc sells small, flexible blocks of time with a dedicated US assistant. It has the lowest published entry price of the agencies here, which makes it an easy way to try delegating.

Price
Plans of 10, 20, 40 and 60 hours a month, from $390 ($39 an hour) to $2,160 ($36 an hour). Unused hours roll over on the 20, 40 and 60 hour plans.
Vetting
It says its assistants are experienced and matched to you by its team. The pricing page describes no tests and no acceptance rate.
Contract
No setup fee, switch plans or cancel any time, and no notice period. Your first task can be done free before you pay.
Assistants based in
United States

Best for

Founders and small teams with 10 to 60 hours of admin a month who want a US assistant without a long commitment.

Watch out for

The largest listed plan is 60 hours a month, and at $36 to $39 an hour it costs far more per hour than an offshore assistant you hire directly.

Wishup

Managed agency. Most assistants work from India on US business hours; a US-based tier exists.

$1,299/mo (4 hours a day)

Wishup places managed assistants, most of them in India working night shifts to cover US hours. Prices are published per plan, and a dedicated VA manager and replacement are included.

Price
Prime VA is $1,299 a month for 4 hours a day or $1,999 for 8 hours a day. Elite VA is $1,999 or $2,999, and a US-based VA is $3,000 or $5,400. Annual billing takes 5% off.
Vetting
It says it hires the top 0.1% of applicants and gives them 8 weeks of hands-on training. It does not publish the test data behind that figure.
Contract
The pricing page offers quarterly or annual billing (annual is 5% off) and says you can cancel any time. A free replacement is included.
Assistants based in
India, with a US-based option

Best for

Businesses that want a managed assistant working a full US day at a mid-range price, with a replacement if the fit is wrong.

Watch out for

Check the billing period before you sign: the pricing page defaults to quarterly billing. The "top 0.1%" figure comes without published test data.

MyOutDesk

Managed outsourcing. Full-time staff in the Philippines, Latin America and Africa, with recruiting, payroll and HR included.

From $1,988/mo, full time

MyOutDesk recruits and employs full-time offshore staff for you and bills one monthly rate. It argues openly for full-time seats over hour blocks, and prices reflect that.

Price
Managed Outsourcing starts at $1,988 a month and Specialized Outsourcing at $2,500 a month; Enterprise is quoted. It is full-time only: one person, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Vetting
It says it accepts the top 1% of applicants, with two-stage vetting plus background and identity screening.
Contract
Minimum term and cancellation terms are not published on its pricing page. It offers a replacement if the fit is not right.
Assistants based in
Philippines, Latin America and Africa

Best for

Businesses that want one full-time offshore team member with recruiting, payroll and HR handled, including in real estate, healthcare and insurance roles.

Watch out for

It is full-time only, so it does not fit a light workload, and contract terms are only discussed on a call.

Boldly

Premium subscription staffing. Staff in North America or Europe, employed by Boldly.

$2,600/mo for 40 hours

Boldly employs experienced assistants and rents their time by subscription. Its full price list is published, down to the hourly rate for specialist tasks.

Price
Plans of 40, 60, 80 and 100 hours a month, from $2,600 to $6,500 ($65 an hour). Up to 160 hours on request. Specialist tasks are $79 an hour, and card payments add a 2.9% fee.
Vetting
It says its staff have 10 to 15 years of experience, and you meet them before you pay. It publishes no tests or acceptance rate.
Contract
Upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time, with no start-up fees. The smallest plan is 40 hours a month.
Assistants based in
North America or Europe

Best for

Companies that want a senior assistant employed in North America or Europe and will pay a premium for experience and compliance.

Watch out for

It has the highest published hourly rate here, and the smallest plan is $2,600 a month.

BELAY

Managed agency with US-based assistants, matched by a person rather than an algorithm.

Not published

BELAY is a US agency that places assistants, bookkeepers and other specialists, all US-based. It sells a flat monthly fee but keeps the number off its site.

Price
A flat monthly fee, quoted after a consultation. Support typically starts at 45 hours a month.
Vetting
It says it accepts the top 3% of US-based applicants and matches every client by hand. It does not publish test data.
Contract
Month to month with no long-term contract, and hours can scale up or down. Support typically starts at 45 hours a month.
Assistants based in
United States

Best for

US businesses that want a US-based executive or admin assistant matched for them and can commit to 45 or more hours a month.

Watch out for

You cannot see a price before a sales conversation, and the 45-hour monthly floor rules out very light workloads.

Executive-assistant service

Athena

Executive-assistant service. One dedicated, full-time EA, employed and trained by Athena.

$3,000/mo, full time

Athena is built for executives rather than task lists. You get one full-time EA plus a structured delegation process, at a single published price.

Price
One dedicated, full-time executive assistant for $3,000 a month, with matching, onboarding and performance management included.
Vetting
It says it selects the top 1% of 30,000 to 60,000 monthly applicants, with identity checks, in-person interviews, background checks and an in-person bootcamp.
Contract
An initial 90-day commitment, then monthly.
Assistants based in
Not stated on the pages we checked

Best for

Founders and executives who want a full-time EA across work and personal life, with coaching on how to delegate.

Watch out for

There is one full-time price and a 90-day commitment, so there is no part-time or trial option.

Cost per hour

What the published prices actually buy.

Only plans whose source states both a monthly price and the hours it includes are here, so the hourly figure is plain division, not a guess.

Published virtual assistant hour plans and their cost per hour, checked Sep 2026
Company and planPer monthHoursPer hour
Time etc, 10 hours$39010$39.00
Time etc, 60 hours$2,16060$36.00
Boldly, 40 hours$2,60040$65.00
Boldly, 100 hours$6,500100$65.00
DonutJobs managed, 80 hours$62980$7.86
DonutJobs managed, 160 hours$899160$5.62

Hiring directly instead: a worked example

On a platform you pay the wage plus the platform. At the median asking rate on DonutJobs ($5 an hour, 1,482 profiles, as of Sep 2026), 80 hours a month is $400 in wages. Add the $99 Agency plan and the month costs $499, about $6.24 an hour.

What that leaves out: your own time to screen, interview, onboard and manage, and cover when the assistant is away. Those are what agencies charge for.

Plans that do not state hours

Wishup prices by hours per day ($1,299 for 4 hours a day), and MyOutDesk ($1,988) and Athena ($3,000) price a full-time seat. Their pages do not state monthly hours, so we leave them out of the per-hour table rather than estimate. BELAY publishes no price.

The asking rate is self-stated. The current signup screen offers $2, $3, $5 and $8 shortcuts and says most jobs pay $2 to $5 per hour, so answers cluster on those values.

DonutJobs data, as of Sep 2026

What a direct-hire talent pool looks like.

Agencies describe their pools in adjectives. Here are measured numbers from the DonutJobs database, with the sample size next to each one, so you know what you are filtering when you hire directly.

26,888

candidate profiles

in 143 countries

8,672

completed three checks

32% of profiles

31

median typing WPM

n = 12,680

17

minutes to first application

median, n = 1,489 jobs that got one

DonutJobs talent pool and job data, snapshot 25 September 2026. Checks are optional for candidates.
MeasureValueSample
Candidate profiles26,888All non-demo profiles
Countries represented14378.5% of profiles in the Philippines
Completed internet, English and typing checks8,672 (32%)n = 26,888
Completed all four checks, including voice3,798 (14%)n = 26,888
Median typing speed31 WPMn = 12,680 typing tests
Median English test score73% correctn = 10,854 English tests
Median download speed68.7 Mbpsn = 11,008 speed tests
Median asking rate$5/hrn = 1,482 profiles created on or after 25 Aug 2026
Median hourly rate in job posts$3/hrn = 1,262 hourly posts, 767 also pay commission
Median time from job going live to first application17 minutesn = 1,489 jobs that got an application (of 1,537)

Read-only aggregate queries on the DonutJobs app database, 25 September 2026. English scores are percent correct on the DonutJobs test, not an official certificate. Internet speeds are entered by candidates from the in-app speed test.

Honest fit check

When not to choose DonutJobs.

DonutJobs suits owners who want to hire and manage their own assistant at a low, flat cost. If any of these describe you, another company on this list is the better call.

  • You do not want to hire or manage anyone

    DonutJobs is a platform: you interview, onboard and manage the person. If that is the work you want to hand off, a managed agency such as Time etc, Wishup or MyOutDesk fits better, or DonutJobs' own managed option.

    DonutJobs managed assistants
  • You need someone based in the US or Europe

    The DonutJobs pool is global but 78.5% of profiles are in the Philippines (as of Sep 2026). For a US-based assistant, look at Time etc or BELAY; for staff employed in North America or Europe, look at Boldly.

    See Boldly
  • You need one deliverable, not a person

    For a logo, a spreadsheet clean-up or a one-time research task, a gig marketplace is faster. Fiverr and Upwork are built for that.

    See Fiverr
  • You want the platform to handle payments

    DonutJobs does not run payroll or escrow. You pay your hire directly through Wise, Payoneer, Deel or your own setup. Upwork handles payments inside the marketplace.

    See Upwork
  • You need proof of specialist skills

    The four checks cover internet speed, English, typing and voice. Skills such as bookkeeping are self-reported tags, and as of Sep 2026 only 14% of profiles had completed all four checks. Specialist roles still need your own test task.

    See the pool data
  • You need a senior EA for an executive

    If the job is running a founder's calendar, travel and household at a senior level, an EA service such as Athena is designed for exactly that.

    See Athena

Hiring yourself? Post the role free and compare applicants.

Decision guide

How to choose a virtual assistant company.

7 steps, in the order that cuts the list fastest.

  1. Decide who does the hiring

    If you will screen and manage the assistant, use a platform and keep the savings. If you will not, pay an agency to do it. This one choice removes half the list.

  2. Count the hours you really need

    Under about 20 hours a month suits hour blocks such as Time etc. From about 80 hours a month, compare part-time or full-time seats and direct hires: on the published prices above they cost far less per hour than small hour blocks.

  3. Price the whole month, wage included

    Agency prices include the assistant. Platform prices do not, so add the wage before you compare. The cost-per-hour table above does that sum for the published hour plans.

  4. Pick a location and time zone

    Assistants based in the US cost more and share your working day. Offshore assistants cost less; check how many of your hours they overlap and how cover works when they are away.

  5. Ask for evidence behind the vetting

    A "top 1%" claim is not a test result. Ask for English and typing scores, a voice or video sample and a paid test task that looks like your real work.

  6. Read the contract before the call ends

    Look for minimum monthly hours (BELAY), an upfront commitment (Athena), the billing period (Wishup) and card fees (Boldly). The contract row in each company entry above lists them.

  7. Start small, then scale

    Use a trial where one exists: Time etc does a first task free, Boldly lets you meet staff before paying, and the DonutJobs Free plan takes 10 applications with no card.

Virtual assistant companies: FAQ

  • What are virtual assistant companies?

    Virtual assistant companies are businesses that supply remote assistants to other businesses. Agencies such as Time etc, BELAY and Boldly match and manage an assistant for a monthly fee. Marketplaces such as DonutJobs, Upwork and OnlineJobs.ph let you hire the assistant yourself, and executive-assistant services such as Athena place one full-time EA with a leader.

  • How much do virtual assistant companies cost?

    Published prices we checked in Sep 2026 run from $390 a month for 10 hours (Time etc) to $6,500 for 100 hours (Boldly). Full-time offshore seats start at $1,988 at MyOutDesk, and a full-time EA at Athena is $3,000. Marketplaces charge a smaller platform fee, and you pay the wage on top.

  • What is the difference between a VA agency and a VA marketplace?

    An agency recruits, screens and manages the assistant and bundles their pay into one monthly fee. A marketplace gives you access to candidates, and you screen, hire, pay and manage them yourself. Agencies cost more per hour but save your time. Marketplaces cost less but put the hiring work on you.

  • Which virtual assistant company is best for a small business?

    It depends on hours and budget. For under 20 hours a month of admin with a US assistant, Time etc has the lowest published agency entry price at $390. For a full-time assistant on a tight budget, hiring directly through DonutJobs or OnlineJobs.ph costs least. If you want the work managed, compare Wishup, MyOutDesk and DonutJobs managed.

  • How do virtual assistant companies vet their assistants?

    Most agencies describe selective hiring, such as BELAY's top 3% or Wishup's top 0.1%, but none of the agency pages we checked shows the test data behind those figures. Ask for real scores or work samples before you sign. On DonutJobs, candidates can complete English, typing, internet and voice checks, and the scores sit on their profiles.

  • Is it cheaper to hire a virtual assistant directly than through a company?

    Usually, in cash terms. As of Sep 2026, the median hourly rate DonutJobs candidates asked for was $5 (1,482 recent profiles), so 80 hours costs about $400 plus the platform fee. The US and European agency hour plans we found cost $36 to $65 an hour, but they include recruiting, management and cover.

  • Why is DonutJobs listed first on this page?

    Because DonutJobs publishes this page and is one of the options, and we would rather say so than hide it. The others are grouped by model and then by published entry price, not by a score, and none of them paid to appear. Every entry links to the page we checked, so you can verify each price yourself.

  • Can I try DonutJobs for free?

    Yes. The Free plan lets you post 1 job and receive up to 10 applications, with no credit card and no expiry. Free posts are checked by a person before they go live. Paid plans start at $99 a month, publish posts immediately and add talent pool search and outreach.

Hiring it yourself? Start with the scores.

Post 1 job free and receive up to 10 applications, no credit card. Candidates can show internet, English and typing scores and a voice sample on their profiles, and you pay your hire directly with no per-hire fee. Paid plans start at $99 a month.

Rather not hire yourself? See managed virtual assistants.