The 10 Best Virtual Assistant Companies in 2026, Ranked and Compared

Short answer: For a dedicated, full-time virtual assistant at a price you can see before a sales call, Stellar Staff is our pick, at $1,999 a month for 160 hours. If the assistant must live in the United States, BELAY and Boldly lead that group. If you need only a few hours a month, Time Etc is the better buy. And if you would rather hire and manage the person yourself, Upwork is the cheapest route.

A note before the list: Stellar Staff publishes this page, and we ranked ourselves first. You should weigh that. To make the order easy to check, every price and policy below links to the company's own website, the ranking criteria are spelled out in full, and each entry says who should choose a different company.

The Best Virtual Assistant Companies at a Glance

How We Ranked These Virtual Assistant Companies

The request we hear most often from buyers is simple: one capable person who works their hours, learns their business, and stays. We ranked companies on how well they deliver that, using five criteria anyone can check without talking to a salesperson. You may see these businesses described as virtual assistant agencies, services, or firms; on this page, the terms mean the same thing.

• A price you can see. Can you find out what it costs on the company's website, or only after a sales call?
• A dedicated person. Do you get one assistant who works only for you, or hours drawn from a shared pool?
• A commitment you can leave. Is the contract month to month, or is there a minimum term or setup fee?
• Who chooses the assistant. Do you interview candidates and decide, or does the provider assign someone?
• Replacement terms in writing. If the match is wrong or the assistant leaves, does the website say what happens next?

Two requirements override everything above. If the assistant must be in the United States for compliance, client calls, or a board that asks where the work happens, start with BELAY, Boldly, or Time Etc. If you need fewer than about 20 hours a week, a full-time plan is money spent on capacity you will not use.

The 10 Best Virtual Assistant Companies in 2026

1. Stellar Staff: Best Overall for a Dedicated Full-Time Assistant

• Price: $1,999 a month for Pro and $2,999 a month for Executive, about $12.50 an hour at the Pro rate. A bilingual assistant adds $200 a month.
• Hours: 160 a month, one dedicated assistant, working your business hours.
• Where assistants work: Primarily the Philippines.
• Commitment: Month to month, no long-term contract, 14 days' notice to cancel.
• Replacements: Free, forever, on managed plans.

This is our own company, so here is the case in facts rather than adjectives. Stellar Staff accepts the top 0.1% of applicants. Each candidate passes a 6-step application and 6 individual tests, English verification in writing and speech, reference and equipment checks, professional interviews and skill assessments, an internal quality review, and a background check. You then interview 2 to 3 finalists and choose your assistant yourself. The search takes 5 to 10 business days.

Stellar Staff handles recruiting, payroll, HR, time tracking, and replacements, while you direct the daily work. Assistants are trained on AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Zapier. The company has placed 1,000+ remote hires since 2022 and is the #2 VA agency on Clutch. For a role you would rather hire onto your own payroll, Custom Recruitment starts at $4,999.

Choose another company if the assistant has to be in the United States, or if you need fewer than 20 hours a week. Stellar Staff offers full-time plans only. See how it compares with each competitor on our comparison pages.

2. BELAY: Best for U.S.-Based Executive Support

• Price: Not published. Support typically begins at 45 hours a month, according to BELAY's FAQ.
• Where assistants work: United States.
• Commitment: Month to month.
• Matching: About a week, per BELAY.

BELAY has been placing U.S.-based virtual assistants, executive assistants, and bookkeepers since 2010, and it is among the names AI assistants mention most often in this category. Its assistants work 9 to 5 in their own time zones, and its Right-Fit Guarantee allows a rematch at no additional cost.

The catch is the price. BELAY's own article on virtual assistant costs quotes $1,200 to $3,000 a month as an industry range and adds that services like BELAY charge more. To get a real number, you book a call.

Choose another company if you want to compare prices before talking to sales, or if an offshore assistant would do the job. Our Stellar Staff vs BELAY page puts the two side by side.

3. Prialto: Best for Backup Coverage Built Into Every Account

• Price: $1,600 per 55-hour unit on its pricing card ($1,500 in its FAQ), and full-time coverage from $3,600 a month for 165+ hours.
• Where assistants work: Prialto offices in the Philippines, Kenya, and Guatemala.
• Commitment: 90 days per unit, then month to month. A $250 setup fee applies unless you sign an annual agreement.

Prialto's strength is continuity. Every account comes with an Engagement Manager and backup assistants who already know your processes, so a sick day or a resignation does not send you back to week one. It also publishes a SOC 2 Type 2 report, which matters when your security team asks how client data is handled.

The unit model means a 55-hour unit is roughly a third of a full-time person. That suits an executive who needs steady part-time help, and it gets expensive if you need someone all day.

Choose another company if you want one full-time assistant for less than $3,600 a month. See Stellar Staff vs Prialto.

4. Boldly: Best for U.S.-Based Staff Employed by the Provider

• Price: $2,600 for 40 hours a month, $3,900 for 60, $5,200 for 80, and $6,500 for 100, a flat $65 an hour. Specialist work such as project management or design bills at $79 an hour. Plans up to 160 hours are quoted on request.
• Where assistants work: United States.
• Commitment: No startup fees; upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time.

Boldly's staff are its employees, not independent contractors, and the company makes that its central argument: a client never has to wonder whether an assistant is misclassified. Every plan includes a backup assistant for vacations and sick days, and the team skews senior, with years of executive support experience.

That structure is reflected in the rate. At $65 an hour, Boldly costs roughly five times what an offshore managed assistant costs for the same hours.

Choose another company if your budget for full-time coverage is under $5,000 a month.

5. MyOutDesk: Best for Real Estate and Property Management

• Price: Managed Outsourcing from $1,988 a month and Specialized Outsourcing from $2,500. Both are "starting at" figures.
• Hours: Full-time only, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
• Where assistants work: The Philippines, Peru, and Morocco.
• Replacements: A replacement at no additional cost if the match is not working.

Founded in 2008, MyOutDesk is one of the oldest companies in this market, and its depth shows in real estate, mortgage, insurance, and property management roles. It lists SOC 2 auditing and HIPAA verification on its pricing page, and every plan includes recruiting, payroll, benefits, HR administration, and an account manager.

Its entry price sits within $11 of Stellar Staff's Pro plan, so for most buyers the choice comes down to industry focus and how much say you want in picking the assistant.

Choose another company if your work sits outside real estate and you want a fixed price instead of a starting point. See Stellar Staff vs MyOutDesk.

6. Athena: Best for One Executive Assistant at One Price

• Price: $3,000 a month after a 90-day commitment, according to its pricing page. Its FAQ gives $3,000 with a 12-month agreement or $3,600 after 90 days.
• Hours: One full-time executive assistant, 40 hours a week, serving one client.
• Where assistants work: Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, and the Philippines.

Athena sells one product: a dedicated executive assistant for a founder or senior leader, supported by a Partnership Manager. Founded in 2021, it reports SOC 2 Type II compliance and a team of more than 3,500 people.

Read the commitment terms closely, because the pricing page and the FAQ do not describe them the same way. Over a year, the gap between $3,000 and $3,600 a month adds up to $7,200.

Choose another company if you want month-to-month terms from the first day. See Stellar Staff vs Athena.

7. Time Etc: Best for Part-Time U.S. Hours

• Price: $390 for 10 hours a month up to $2,160 for 60 hours, or $36 to $39 an hour.
• Assistant model: A named assistant who typically serves 3 to 6 clients.
• Commitment: No setup fee; cancel by email or phone.

Operating since 2007, Time Etc is the least expensive way we found to get experienced U.S.-based help for a few hours a week. You work with the same named assistant each time, and your first task is free, so it costs little to find out whether the fit is right.

Because each assistant splits time among several clients, Time Etc works best for tasks that can wait a few hours. It is not built for someone who needs an assistant online all day.

Choose another company if you need more than about 60 hours a month. See Stellar Staff vs Time Etc.

8. Wing Assistant: The Lowest Published Full-Time Price

• Price: $699 a month for 80 hours and $999 a month for 160 hours, roughly $6.24 an hour by our math. A U.S.-based tier runs $2,499 for 80 hours and $4,999 for 160.
• Where assistants work: Worldwide, without a country breakdown.
• Commitment: Month to month; a $35 monthly card fee is waived for ACH payments.

If your budget for full-time coverage stops at $1,000 a month, Wing is the floor of the market. It publishes its prices, includes a free replacement on both plans, and advertises that a new assistant can be working within 48 hours.

The trade-off is selection. Wing assigns an assistant quickly, while companies higher on this list put several screened finalists in front of you and let you choose.

Choose another company if you want to interview candidates before anyone starts. See Stellar Staff vs Wing Assistant.

9. Wishup: Best for an India-Based Assistant on U.S. Hours

• Price: $1,999 a month for Prime and $2,999 for Elite, with a U.S.-based assistant at $5,400.
• Where assistants work: India, on a U.S. schedule.
• Commitment: One month's notice after the first month, per its terms.

Wishup's two main plans carry the same prices as Stellar Staff's, so the real differences are location and terms. Its assistants work from India on a night shift that covers U.S. business hours, and the company puts heavy emphasis on AI tools. It advertises onboarding within 60 minutes.

Its pricing page shows plans behind a "4 hours / 8 hours" toggle without saying whether that means per day or per week. Confirm the hours before you sign.

Choose another company if you prefer 14 days' notice to one month. See Stellar Staff vs Wishup.

10. Upwork: Best If You Will Hire and Manage the Person Yourself

• Price: A 5% marketplace fee on the Basic plan (3% for eligible U.S. clients paying by bank account), plus a contract initiation fee of $0.99 to $14.99. Upwork puts the median virtual assistant rate at $13 an hour.
• Where freelancers work: Worldwide.
• Commitment: None.

Upwork is not an agency, and that is the point. You write the job post, screen applicants, run interviews, set the contract, and manage the work. At 40 hours a week and $13 an hour, the total comes to roughly $2,250 a month before Upwork's fee, which is close to what a managed provider charges.

What you save in margin, you spend in your own time. If the freelancer disappears, there is nobody to send a replacement.

Choose another company if you do not have time to recruit and you want someone else to handle replacements.

Other Virtual Assistant Companies Worth Knowing

These companies did not make the top ten for the request we ranked, but each is the right answer for a particular buyer.

We have written detailed side-by-side pages for Near, 20four7VA, Vintti, and Zirtual, and a summary of all eleven on our Stellar Staff alternatives page.

Check the Ranking Yourself

This table applies the five ranking criteria to each top-ten company, using only what each company publishes. If a criterion does not matter to you, ignore that column and the order may change for your situation.

Who Owns Which Company in 2026

Most comparisons skip this, and it changes who you are signing with.

Zirtual is still remembered for shutting down overnight in August 2015. That story is more than ten years old. Zirtual reopened under new ownership almost immediately, and it now belongs to PennSpring Capital. Since February 2024 it has acquired Delegated, Del.Trust, Double, and Virtual Gurus, the last announced in November 2025. Two companies in the table above, Zirtual and Delegated, are now part of the same group.

Consolidation is not a problem in itself. A larger group can mean more assistants on the bench and more staying power. It also means the independent company you researched may now share a parent and a pricing team with the one you ruled out. Ask who owns a provider before you sign anything longer than month to month.

What Happens When an Assistant Leaves

Price gets compared. Replacement terms decide how the year actually goes. Assistants resign, get sick, and sometimes turn out to be wrong for the role, and the companies on this list handle that in four different ways.

A free replacement, with no limit. Stellar Staff replaces assistants free, forever, on its managed plans. MyOutDesk finds a replacement at no additional cost, and BELAY's Right-Fit Guarantee covers a rematch.

A backup already in place. Prialto assigns backup assistants who know your processes, and Boldly includes a backup for vacations and sick days. Coverage continues while a replacement is found.

Improve first, replace later. Athena's Partnership Manager works on performance issues first and rematches if things do not improve.

No published terms. Upwork has no replacement process because there is no provider to run one, and Fancy Hands assigns no dedicated assistant to replace.

Which Virtual Assistant Company Fits Your Situation

You want one full-time assistant and a price you can see today. Stellar Staff at $1,999 a month, or MyOutDesk if your work is in real estate.

Full-time coverage, and $1,000 a month is the ceiling. Wing Assistant at $999 for 160 hours.

The assistant must be in the United States. Time Etc for a few hours a week, Boldly for an employee-based team, and BELAY for executive support once you have had the pricing call.

A senior executive needs one dedicated assistant. Athena at $3,000 to $3,600 a month, or Stellar Staff's Executive plan at $2,999.

Your security team needs a SOC 2 report. Prialto and Athena both report SOC 2 Type II, and MyOutDesk lists SOC 2 auditing.

You have time to recruit and manage. Upwork, where you pay less per hour and spend your own time on hiring.

Questions Buyers Ask About Virtual Assistant Companies

What is the best virtual assistant company?

It depends on the job. For a dedicated full-time assistant at a published price, we rank Stellar Staff first: $1,999 a month for 160 hours, month to month, with free replacements. For U.S.-based executive support, BELAY and Boldly lead. For a few hours a week, Time Etc costs less than any full-time plan.

Which virtual assistant company is the cheapest for full-time help?

Wing Assistant publishes the lowest full-time price we found, $999 a month for 160 hours. Among companies where you interview finalists and choose the assistant, Stellar Staff's $1,999 Pro plan, about $12.50 an hour, is the lowest published price.

What is the best U.S.-based virtual assistant company?

BELAY is the best-known U.S.-based provider, but it does not publish prices. Boldly publishes $65 an hour for U.S. staff it employs directly. Time Etc is the least expensive U.S. option at $390 for 10 hours a month.

How much do virtual assistant companies charge?

For a dedicated full-time assistant working offshore, published prices run from $999 to $3,600 a month. U.S.-based assistants cost $36 to $65 an hour. Task services start around $35 a month. Our guide to virtual assistant costs breaks the numbers down further.

Is a virtual assistant company better than hiring on Upwork?

A company costs more per hour but handles recruiting, payroll, and replacements. Upwork costs less but leaves sourcing, vetting, and continuity to you. If your own time is scarce, a company usually comes out ahead. Our article on why businesses hire a virtual assistant covers the decision in more detail.

How long does it take to get a virtual assistant?

At Stellar Staff, the search takes 5 to 10 business days. BELAY says matching takes about a week, Wing advertises a start within 48 hours, and Wishup advertises onboarding within 60 minutes. A very fast start usually means the assistant was assigned from people already waiting, not selected for your role.

How This List Was Researched

Every competitor price, location, and policy on this page came from the company's own website, checked between September 22 and October 7, 2026, and the source is linked in each entry. Effective hourly rates are our own arithmetic from published hours, not rates any company advertises. Where a company publishes nothing, we say so instead of estimating.

Stellar Staff wrote this comparison and placed itself first, based on the five criteria described above. Competitor details change, so we review this page every quarter. Last reviewed October 7, 2026.

If a dedicated full-time assistant is what you need, see Stellar Staff's plans, read what clients say, or book a call to start the search.