BELAY vs Boldly: Pricing, Staffing Models, and Contract Terms Compared

Quick answer: BELAY and Boldly both sell part-time access to experienced remote assistants, but they price and staff that work differently. BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, matches you with a U.S.-based independent contractor, and says support typically begins at 45 hours a month. Boldly publishes its prices, starting at $2,600 a month for 40 hours, employs its U.S. staff as W-2 employees, and lets you meet the recommended assistant before you pay. For a full-time assistant, Stellar Staff Pro costs $1,999 a month for 160 hours.

Disclosure: Stellar Staff is a staffing agency that competes with both companies in this BELAY vs Boldly comparison. Every competitor fact comes from the company's own site or the named rating platform, checked November 5, 2026, with links so you can confirm it. We do not quote individual reviewers or score either company ourselves.

What Do BELAY and Boldly Charge Each Month?

In a BELAY vs Boldly price check, Boldly publishes its prices and BELAY does not, so you can only compare the two after BELAY gives you a quote. Boldly's pricing page lists four plans: $2,600 a month for 40 hours, $3,900 for 60, $5,200 for 80, and $6,500 for 100. Plans of up to 160 hours are quoted on request. Those prices assume payment by ACH, and credit cards add a 2.9% processing fee. BELAY's FAQ says it bills a flat monthly rate for fractional support and that it "isn't built to compete on rock-bottom price." A BELAY cost guide says most U.S.-based virtual assistants cost between $1,200 and $3,000 a month, but it presents that as a market range, not BELAY's rate, and adds that services like BELAY may cost more up front. Ask BELAY to quote the same monthly hours you would buy from Boldly.

Sources: BELAY FAQ, BELAY cost guide, BELAY homepage, Boldly pricing, and Boldly terms, checked November 5, 2026.

Our Stellar Staff vs BELAY and Stellar Staff vs Boldly pages cover BELAY pricing and Boldly pricing against Stellar Staff line by line, and our guide to virtual assistant cost shows where U.S.-based rates sit in the wider market.

Who Are BELAY and Boldly, and What Do They Sell?

Both companies have been around for more than a decade, and both focus on executive and administrative support for busy leaders. BELAY's company page says it was founded in 2010 by Bryan and Shannon Miles, that Tricia Sciortino has been CEO since January 2020, and that it has served over 25,000 leaders. Its homepage lists executive, personal, operations, marketing, sales, and social media assistants, plus a finance line with bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and fractional controller and CFO services, built partly through acquisitions in 2024 and 2025.

Boldly's about page says it was founded in 2012, and it lists offices in New York and Towcester, England. Its terms name the contracting company as Worldwide101 Inc., doing business as Boldly Premium Subscription Staffing, which is why some buyers search for Worldwide101 instead of Boldly. The Boldly executive assistant is its core service, alongside administration, project management, marketing, customer service, and bookkeeping. Boldly's homepage says clients stay four years on average, and with the same assistant.

Are BELAY and Boldly Assistants Employees or Contractors?

This is the clearest structural difference between the two companies. BELAY's Right Fit page says its professionals are U.S.-based independent contractors, and its hiring form describes the roles as remote 1099 work. Boldly's homepage says its U.S. assistants are W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors, with benefits that include health insurance and a matched 401(k), and its FAQ says this protects clients from compliance risk. In both models, you pay the company, not the assistant.

Location works differently too. BELAY's FAQ says every executive assistant is U.S.-based. Boldly's pricing page offers a choice of staff based in North America or Europe, and its FAQ says it will assign an assistant from the country you prefer. Boldly's site describes its U.S. staff as employees but does not say how its European staff are engaged, so ask if you choose a European assistant. Boldly's FAQ also says its team works business hours, Monday through Friday, without naming a time zone. Confirm the hours your assistant will keep.

The U.S. Department of Labor explains why worker status matters on its page about misclassification of employees as independent contractors, so ask each provider what its agreement says about it. Stellar Staff's talent comes primarily from the Philippines, and Stellar Staff handles payroll and HR for each hire. Our guide to outsourcing to the Philippines explains that hiring model.

This section is general information, not legal or tax advice.

How Do BELAY and Boldly Match You With an Assistant?

Both companies pick the assistant for you, but Boldly lets you talk with that person before you pay. BELAY starts with a discovery call, and its FAQ says the screening happens on BELAY's end, so you don't run your own interviews. Its homepage says BELAY accepts the top 3% of U.S.-based applicants, reports a 93% first-match success rate, and can match you in as little as one week. The FAQ says most clients are matched within about a week from a bench of more than 2,000 vetted U.S.-based professionals.

Boldly's how it works page describes a short consultation, after which Boldly recommends one experienced staff member. You speak with that person to confirm the fit before you sign up, and every plan includes a one-hour launch meeting. Boldly says its staff have 10 to 15 years of experience and that it reduces hiring time "from months to days," without giving a number of days. Ask either company for a profile of the person proposed for your role.

Neither company describes a round where you compare several finalists. At Stellar Staff, the search takes 5 to 10 business days, and you interview 2 to 3 finalists and pick one. Our article on how long it takes to hire a virtual assistant walks through each stage of a search.

What Do the Contracts Say About Notice, Refunds, and Hiring Your Assistant?

Boldly posts its client terms, and BELAY does not. Boldly's terms and conditions, effective December 1, 2023, run month to month and require 30 days' prior written notice to end the agreement. You pay in advance. Unused hours do not roll over, and refunds are not given for unused hours on prepaid plans. If you are not satisfied with the work, the terms say you will not be charged for the hours used in that billing cycle. Boldly also restricts hiring its staff for 12 months after the agreement ends. It may allow a direct hire at its discretion once the person has supported you for at least 6 months, for a fee of 6 times your largest monthly subscription, with a $30,000 minimum.

BELAY's FAQ says support runs month to month, not on a long-term contract, and that BELAY can help you move your executive assistant into an internal full-time role as you grow. Its Right Fit Guarantee offers a rematch at no added cost when concerns are raised within 30 days, typically in days rather than weeks. The notice period, any refund terms, and any conversion fee are not on the public pages we checked, so check the agreement BELAY sends you.

Sources: BELAY FAQ, BELAY Right Fit Guarantee, Boldly terms and conditions, and Boldly FAQs, checked November 5, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Our virtual assistant contract template lists the exit and hiring clauses worth checking before you sign. Stellar Staff plans are month to month with no long-term contract and 14 days' notice, and replacements are free, forever, on managed plans.

Which Published Details Don't Match From Page to Page?

Each company has a few details that read differently from page to page. On BELAY's FAQ, the answers on bookkeeping and contracts say support typically begins at 45 hours a month, while the executive and personal assistant answers say many leaders start at 10 to 20 hours a week. Ask which starting point applies to the role you want. BELAY's homepage calls its 93% figure a first-match success rate, while its Right Fit page describes it as the share of clients satisfied with their first match.

Boldly's pricing page says you can "upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time," while its terms and its FAQ require 30 days' notice. The pricing page FAQ says Boldly will refund the month's fees if you are not satisfied, while Section 3.6 of the terms limits that to not charging for the hours used in the current cycle. Boldly's pricing page lists 10 to 15 years of staff experience, and its homepage says 10+ years. Boldly gives 2012 as its founding year, while its Clutch profile lists 2009. Confirm in writing which version applies to you.

How Do BELAY and Boldly Compare on Public Ratings?

BELAY has far more public client feedback than Boldly, so this part of the comparison leans on BELAY. On Trustpilot, BELAY shows 3.8 out of 5 from 66 reviews, 64 of them from the past 12 months, and Trustpilot reports that BELAY replies to 92% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours. Boldly has one review on Trustpilot and one on Clutch. BELAY's only Clutch review covers a 2023 accounting project, not its assistant service.

We read the reviews on each profile and summarized them in our own words. Positive reviews of BELAY mention friendly, knowledgeable staff, a smooth matching and onboarding process, and assistants who understood the business quickly. Critical reviews of BELAY focus on monthly cost against value, a sales process some found pushy, and matches that did not meet expectations. Boldly's single Trustpilot review praises the assistant's professionalism, and its single Clutch review describes a long relationship with mixed marks on quality. One review is too few to judge a company, so ask Boldly for client references. Our BELAY review covers BELAY's ratings in more depth, including BBB, Glassdoor, and Indeed. For comparison, Stellar Staff is the #2 VA agency on Clutch.

Who Should Choose BELAY, and Who Should Choose Boldly?

Choose a BELAY executive assistant if your assistant must live and work in the United States and you want a company with a long record and a large bench. BELAY has operated since 2010, says it has served over 25,000 leaders, and keeps more than 2,000 U.S.-based professionals on its bench. It is also the better pick if you want bookkeeping, payroll, tax, or fractional CFO help from the same vendor as your assistant, or if you would rather have BELAY screen and choose the match. Expect to request a quote, and ask for the notice period and conversion terms in writing.

Choose Boldly if you want to see the price before the first call, want your U.S. assistant on a W-2 payroll, or would consider an assistant based in Europe. Boldly also fits buyers who want to meet the assistant before paying, want a backup to cover vacations and sick days, or expect to need specialists for design or web development at $79 an hour. Weigh its trade-offs: 30 days' notice, unused hours that do not roll over, and a $30,000 minimum fee to hire your assistant directly. Our comparison of virtual executive assistant services covers more providers.

When Stellar Staff Is the Better Fit Than Either One

BELAY and Boldly both sell part-time hours from a senior assistant. Stellar Staff sells something different: one dedicated assistant working full-time, at a price you can see before any call. Pro costs $1,999 a month and Executive costs $2,999, both for 160 hours, and Pro works out to about $12.50 an hour. A bilingual assistant adds $200 a month. Both plans are listed on our pricing page.

You also choose the person. We receive thousands of applicants a month and accept the top 0.1%. Vetting includes a 6-step application, 6 individual tests, written and spoken English verification, reference checks, an equipment check, professional interviews and skill assessments, internal QA, and background checks. You interview 2 to 3 finalists and pick one, and the search takes 5 to 10 business days. Assistants are trained on AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Zapier). Stellar Staff handles recruiting, payroll, HR, tracking, and replacements, and you direct the daily work. Replacements are free, forever, on managed plans, and plans are month to month with 14 days' notice. Our count stands at 1,000+ remote hires placed since 2022.

We are not the right fit for every buyer. If your assistant must be based in the United States, BELAY and Boldly both offer that and we do not. If you need 40 to 100 hours a month rather than a full workweek, either one fits better. If you want an executive assistant role filled full-time, see our executive assistant service, and for more companies, our BELAY alternatives guide and Stellar Staff alternatives page compare other options.

What Buyers Ask Before Choosing Between BELAY and Boldly

Which is better, BELAY or Boldly?

BELAY is the better pick if your assistant must be U.S.-based and you want finance services from the same company, and it has far more public reviews. Boldly is the better pick if you want published prices, W-2 staff in the United States, the option of a European assistant, and a meeting with the assistant before you pay. Neither sells a published full-time plan.

How much does a Boldly executive assistant cost?

Boldly's pricing page lists $2,600 a month for 40 hours, $3,900 for 60, $5,200 for 80, and $6,500 for 100, paid by ACH. Card payments add a 2.9% fee, and plans of up to 160 hours are quoted on request. Specialist tasks such as design and web development cost $79 an hour, and unused hours do not roll over. These details were checked November 5, 2026.

Does BELAY publish its pricing?

No. BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, and its FAQ says support typically begins at 45 hours a month. A BELAY cost guide puts U.S.-based virtual assistants in general at $1,200 to $3,000 a month, but presents that as a market range rather than BELAY's own rate. Ask for the quote, hours, and notice terms in writing.

Is Boldly the same company as Worldwide101?

Yes. Boldly's terms and conditions name the contracting company as Worldwide101 Inc., doing business as Boldly Premium Subscription Staffing. Boldly says it was founded in 2012 and lists offices in New York and Towcester, England. If you see Worldwide101 on an invoice or contract, it refers to the same Boldly virtual assistant service.

Can you cancel BELAY or Boldly at any time?

Both run month to month, but the notice rules differ. Boldly's terms require 30 days' prior written notice, even though its pricing page says you can cancel at any time. BELAY's FAQ says support is not on a long-term contract, but its public pages do not state a notice period, so check your agreement. Stellar Staff plans are month to month with 14 days' notice.

What is a good alternative to BELAY and Boldly?

If you have a full week of work to hand off, consider Stellar Staff. Pro costs $1,999 a month for 160 hours, the search takes 5 to 10 business days, and you interview 2 to 3 finalists and pick one. Replacements are free, forever, on managed plans. If you want a U.S.-based assistant on a smaller plan, our Time Etc review covers another option.

Count Your Monthly Hours Before You Call BELAY or Boldly

The BELAY vs Boldly decision comes down to location, price transparency, and how you want to choose the person. BELAY wins on U.S.-only staffing, finance services, and a larger body of client reviews. Boldly wins on price transparency, W-2 employment for U.S. staff, and the chance to meet the assistant before you pay. Whichever you call, ask for the monthly hours, the notice period, and the conversion terms in writing.

A remote assistant is not the right answer for every business. If you need only a few hours of help a month, a freelancer or a smaller block of hours usually costs less than either company's plans. If the job requires someone in your office, hire locally. If nobody on your team has time to direct an assistant's daily work, settle that before you hire anyone. If you have a full workweek of tasks and want to choose the person yourself, compare plans on the Stellar Staff pricing page and book a call to start your search.

Competitor details and ratings checked November 5, 2026, on each company's own website and the named rating platforms. Plans and terms change, so confirm current figures with each provider. Stellar Staff pricing is current as of November 2026. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.