Best Virtual Assistant Companies in 2026

Ask fifteen virtual assistant companies what they charge and you will get five clear answers, six answers that start with "starting at," and four that will not answer until you book a call. That is the real state of this market in 2026, and it is the reason comparing these companies is harder than it should be.

We pulled the published pricing, staffing location, minimum commitment, and replacement policy for fifteen companies, plus Upwork as the do-it-yourself alternative. Every figure below came from the company's own website in September 2026. Where a company does not publish a price, we say so instead of estimating one.

The short version: the price range runs from about $540 a week to $6,500 a month for what looks like the same job, and almost all of that gap comes down to one thing. Where your assistant sits.

Why Half of This Market Won't Quote You a Price

Six of the fifteen companies we looked at either publish no pricing or hedge every number with "starting at."

The clearest case is BELAY. It is one of the most recommended names in the category, it has served more than 25,000 clients since 2010, and it has no pricing page. The URL where one would normally sit returns a 404. Its service page says only that it offers "flexible, fractional support through a flat monthly pricing structure," with no figure attached. BELAY's own resource article on what virtual assistants cost quotes $1,200 to $3,000 a month as an industry range, then adds that "services like BELAY charge more." That is the closest thing to a number the company publishes, and it is a number about somebody else.

Wing Assistant does something stranger. The page at its /pricing URL contains no prices at all, just a form to schedule a call. The actual figures, $699 a month part-time and $999 a month full-time, live on a product page somewhere else on the site.

This matters for a practical reason. When a company will not publish a price, you cannot compare it without entering a sales process, and you cannot tell whether the quote you eventually get is the standard rate or the rate for you. Published pricing is not proof of a better service. It is proof that the price does not change based on how much the company thinks you can pay.

How We Compared These Fifteen Companies

We are a virtual assistant company, so it is fair to ask how this list was built. Here is the method, in full.

Every price came from the company's own site. Not from another roundup, not from a review aggregator, and not from a sales conversation. If a figure appears below, it appeared on that company's website in September 2026, and the page it came from is linked.

Effective hourly rates are our arithmetic, not their claim. Where a company sells monthly hours or weekly packages, we divided to get a comparable hourly figure. Those numbers are labeled as ours. No company on this list advertises itself by the hourly rate we calculated.

We recorded four things for every company: the published price, where the assistants are based, the minimum commitment including any setup fee, and the exact wording of the replacement or refund policy. Those four decide most of what the relationship costs you over a year.

We did not rank one to fifteen. A $600 task subscription and a $6,500 dedicated employment arrangement are not competing for the same buyer, and putting them in a single ranked order would be dishonest. The companies are grouped by cost structure instead, because that is the decision you are actually making.

What we left out. We do not report headcount, client counts, or founding years unless the company states them on its own site. Several well-known figures in this category circulate widely and trace back to nothing. Where we could not verify something, the entry says so.

Managed Offshore Teams: $700 to $3,600 a Month

This is the largest group and the one most small businesses end up in. You get a dedicated full-time assistant, the provider employs them and handles payroll and HR, and the assistant works your hours from the Philippines, Latin America, Africa, or India. The provider manages the relationship. You manage the work.

Stellar Staff

Our own service, so treat this section accordingly. PRO is $1,999 a month and Executive is $2,999 a month, both for a dedicated full-time assistant. Custom Recruitment, where we hire a specialist role to your specification, starts at $4,999. Assistants are based in the Philippines. Matching takes five to six days from the first call, and every placement carries a 100% replacement guarantee. Candidates come through a 24-step application process, and we accept roughly one in a thousand.

Best suited to a business that wants one person full-time and does not want to manage recruiting, payroll, or replacement. Not the right fit if you need fewer than twenty hours a week, in which case a task subscription will cost you less.

Wing Assistant

$699 a month for 80 hours and $999 a month for 160 hours, which works out to roughly $6.24 an hour at the full-time tier. That is the lowest effective rate of any dedicated provider we found. Assistants are described as "based all over the world" without a country breakdown. Founded in 2019, month-to-month, with a 3% discount on a three-month agreement and a stated 24-hour replacement guarantee.

The price is the story here. If your budget will not stretch past $1,000 a month for full-time coverage, this is the floor of the market.

Magic

$270 a week for 20 hours and $540 a week for 40 hours, billed every four weeks, so about $1,080 and $2,160 per cycle. That is roughly $13.50 an hour by our math. Assistants are sourced from the Philippines. Magic launched in 2015 out of NASA Ames Research Center, charges nothing until you actually start, and has no contract.

Worth noting that Magic's replacement language is the vaguest in this group. It promises "replacements if expectations aren't met" with no defined timeline and no refund terms.

MyOutDesk

Managed Outsourcing starts at $1,988 a month and Specialized Outsourcing starts at $2,500. Both are explicitly "starting at," so expect a real quote to land higher. Full-time only, 40 hours a week, with assistants in the Philippines, Peru, and Morocco.

Founded in 2008, which makes it the oldest company on this list, and the only one in this group that publishes a SOC 2 Type 1 certification. Its guarantee reads: "We guarantee an impact on your business. Or we'll find someone who will." Strongest in real estate, mortgage, insurance, and property management.

Prialto

$1,600 a month per unit, where a unit is 55 hours of support, roughly a third of a full-time person. Full-time coverage starts at $3,600. There is a $250 setup fee, waived on an annual agreement, and a 90-day minimum per unit. Assistants work from Prialto offices in the Philippines, Kenya, and Guatemala.

Two things set Prialto apart. Every engagement includes an Engagement Manager and at least 80% backup coverage, meaning trained colleagues who know your processes and can step in. And it secured SOC 2 Type 2 compliance in 2025, the strongest security credential anyone on this list publishes.

Wishup

$1,999 a month for Prime and $2,999 for Elite, with a US-based option at $5,400 and a dedicated bookkeeper at $1,799. Assistants are based in India and work US hours on a night shift. Heavy emphasis on AI tool training, with a claim of 120-plus tools covered.

One caution. The pricing page puts its plans behind a "4 hours / 8 hours" toggle and never states whether that is per day, per week, or per month. Confirm the hours basis before you sign anything.

Virtudesk

Publishes a full rate card by role: $9.55 an hour for full-time administrative work, rising to $12.35 for an executive assistant, with part-time and ten-hour tiers priced higher per hour. There is a $450 setup fee and a three-month lock-in. Assistants are in the Philippines. Founded in 2016, strongest in real estate.

Practical note: the virtudesk.com domain serves a TLS certificate that does not match the hostname, so it fails in most browsers. The working site is myvirtudesk.com.

US-Based Assistants: $390 to $6,500 a Month

Everything in this group costs more per hour, and all of it is for the same reason. The assistant lives in the United States, is usually paid a US wage, and in two cases is a W-2 employee of the provider rather than a contractor. If your work involves client-facing phone calls, state-specific compliance, or a board that will ask where the data sits, this is the group you are choosing from.

Time etc

$390 a month for 10 hours, $760 for 20, $1,480 for 40, and $2,160 for 60. That is $36 to $39 an hour, the cheapest US-based option we found. No setup fee, no minimum contract, and unused hours roll over on the 20-hour plan and above.

Founded in 2007 and serving more than 22,000 entrepreneurs. Assistants need five to eight years of relevant experience to apply and the company says 98% do not make it through. There is a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, though the rematch mechanics are not spelled out.

Zirtual

$599 a month for 12 hours, rising to $1,699 for 45 hours across four users. No setup fee and no long-term contract, but hours do not roll over. Assistants are US-based and college-educated. There are separate rate cards for outbound calling and for paralegal and legal assistant work.

Zirtual is also the most misreported company in this category, which we cover below.

Delegated

$1,200 a month for 25 hours, $2,400 for 50, and $3,600 for 75, which is a flat $48 an hour on the bundled time. Extra hours are $60. Unused hours roll over for 30 days. Assistants are all US-based and the company states plainly that it never hires overseas.

It carries the strongest guarantee on this list: a 14-day money-back guarantee, plus a commitment to credit back time used and switch you to a different assistant if the first one underdelivers. Formerly known as Red Butler.

Boldly

$2,600 a month for 40 hours, up to $6,500 for 100 hours, a flat $65 an hour. Specialist work such as project management, web development, or design bills at $79. No startup fees, but unused hours do not roll over and cancellation requires 30 days' notice.

The differentiator is employment structure. Boldly's staff are W-2 employees with benefits, not contractors, and the company argues directly that contractor-based competitors expose clients to misclassification risk. Staff have 10 to 15 years of experience, and every account includes a trained backup for vacation and sickness. There is a lifetime satisfaction guarantee with a full refund of the month's fees. Boldly is explicit that it wants clients with at least six-figure annual revenue.

BELAY

No published pricing, as covered above. US-based assistants across 48 states, working 9 to 5 in their own time zone, Monday through Friday. Founded in 2010, more than 25,000 clients served, and a repeat Inc. 5000 honoree. Matching typically takes about a week. The Right-Fit Guarantee allows a rematch at no additional cost.

BELAY is the most-cited name in this category and, by its own description, positioned at the executive-support end. You will need a sales call to find out what that costs.

Fancy Hands

The only task marketplace in this group. $35 a month for 3 requests, $55 for 5, and $125 for 15, where a standard request is up to 20 minutes of work. Unused requests roll over while the account is active. Assistants are across the US, and you are explicitly not assigned a dedicated one.

Two things to know. There is no guarantee or refund policy published, and because no assistant is assigned, no replacement policy applies. It is a different product from everything else here, and it is priced accordingly.

Dedicated Executive Support at a Single Price

Athena

$3,000 a month for one dedicated full-time executive assistant. One price, no tiers, no packages. The assistant is employed and equipped by Athena, matched algorithmically, and supported by a Partnership Manager. There is a 90-day initial commitment, then month to month. Onboarding runs one to two weeks.

Assistants work from the US, Canada, Guatemala, Colombia, Kenya, and the Philippines. Founded in 2021 with a team of more than 3,500 people, which makes it the youngest and fastest-growing company on this list.

The guarantee is worth reading closely. Athena's policy is to have your Partnership Manager address performance issues first and rematch you only "if things don't improve." That is a remediate-then-replace approach rather than a fast swap, and there is no refund language.

Hiring Direct on a Marketplace

Upwork

Not an agency, and worth including because it is the honest floor on price. You source, vet, interview, contract, and manage the person yourself. Upwork charges clients a 5% marketplace fee on the Basic plan, reduced to 3% for eligible US clients paying by checking account, plus a one-time contract initiation fee between $0.99 and $14.99. Business Plus doubles the marketplace fee to 10%.

Upwork's own data puts the median virtual assistant rate at $13 an hour, with administrative and data entry work at $12 to $20 and executive-level assistants at $38 to $50.

The tradeoff is not subtle. At 40 hours a week and $13 an hour you are looking at roughly $2,250 a month all in, which lands between the offshore managed providers and the US agencies. What you save on margin you spend on sourcing, vetting, onboarding, and continuity. There is no replacement policy, because there is nobody to provide one, and the marketplace fee is not refundable even if a payment is reversed.

The Price Spread in One Table

Published prices as of September 2026. Effective hourly figures are our calculation from the company's own published hours, not a rate any of them advertise.

The spread between the cheapest and most expensive full-time option is about tenfold. Almost none of it is explained by service quality, and almost all of it is explained by the last two columns.

Who Actually Owns These Companies Now

This part is missing from every comparison article we could find, and it changes who you are signing with.

Zirtual is the best-known cautionary tale in this industry. It shut down abruptly in August 2015, and that story still anchors most of what is written about it. It is also ten years out of date. Zirtual resumed operations within a week under new ownership, and it is now owned by PennSpring Capital.

Since February 2024, Zirtual has acquired four companies: Delegated, Del.Trust, Double, and Virtual Gurus, the last of those announced in November 2025. Two of the companies on this list, Zirtual and Delegated, are now the same corporate group.

Whether that concerns you depends on what you are buying. A consolidator brings scale, bench depth, and staying power. It also means the independent provider you researched may now share a parent, a pricing team, and eventually a talent pool with the one you rejected. Ask who owns the company before you sign a twelve-month agreement with it.

Replacement Policies Are Where Companies Differ Most

Pricing is the thing buyers compare and replacement is the thing that decides how the year actually goes. Assistants leave, get sick, and occasionally turn out to be wrong for the role. What happens next is written into the contract, and the wording varies far more than the price does.

Money back. Delegated offers 14 days. Boldly and Time etc both offer a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, with Boldly stating it will refund the month's fees.

Fast replacement. Wing commits to a replacement in under 24 hours. Stellar Staff carries a 100% replacement guarantee. MyOutDesk rematches at no additional cost.

Trained backup already in place. Prialto assigns two fully trained backup assistants and documents your processes, so a departure does not restart onboarding. Boldly includes a trained backup for vacation and sickness.

Remediate first. Athena addresses performance issues through a Partnership Manager and rematches only if things do not improve.

Nothing published. Fancy Hands and Virtudesk publish no replacement or refund policy at all. Magic's language is vague enough that it commits to nothing specific.

Matching the Model to Your Situation

You need fewer than 10 hours a month. Fancy Hands at $35 to $125, or Time etc at $390. Anything full-time is money spent on capacity you will not use.

You need full-time coverage and budget is the binding constraint. Wing at $999 a month is the floor for 160 hours. Magic at $540 a week is next.

You need full-time coverage with real management behind it. Stellar Staff, MyOutDesk, or Prialto. You are paying for recruiting, payroll, HR, replacement, and somebody whose job is the relationship.

The assistant has to be in the United States. Time etc is the cheapest entry, Zirtual is next, and Boldly is the premium option with W-2 employment. Expect to pay three to five times an offshore rate.

You need executive-level support and want one number. Athena at $3,000, or BELAY once you have had the pricing conversation.

You have the time to hire and manage somebody yourself. Upwork. You will pay less per hour and spend the difference in your own hours.

What Buyers Ask Before They Sign

What does a virtual assistant company actually cost in 2026? For a dedicated full-time assistant working offshore under management, $1,000 to $3,000 a month. For a US-based assistant, $36 to $65 an hour, which is $1,500 to $6,500 a month depending on hours. For occasional task work, $35 to $400 a month. Anything advertised far below those ranges is usually shared coverage rather than a dedicated person.

Why is offshore so much cheaper? Wage levels, not skill levels. A college-educated assistant in Manila costs a fraction of one in Denver. The providers that charge US rates are paying US wages, and several of them treat that as the product.

Is a dedicated assistant worth more than a shared pool? If the work involves your systems, your customers, or your judgment, yes, because a dedicated assistant learns them and a rotating pool cannot. If the work is genuinely self-contained, such as booking a restaurant or filling a spreadsheet, a task subscription is cheaper and works fine.

How long does it take to get started? Stellar Staff matches in five to six days. Magic quotes five days. BELAY says about a week. Athena's onboarding runs one to two weeks. Anyone promising same-day placement is assigning you somebody who is already on the bench.

What should I ask that nobody volunteers? Four things. Who employs the assistant, you or the provider. What happens in week one if the match is wrong. Whether unused hours roll over. And who owns the company now.

Decide Which Cost Structure You Are Buying

Most of this decision is settled before you compare a single feature list. Offshore managed support, US-based staff, or self-managed marketplace hiring are three different cost structures, and the right one follows from your work, not from a ranking.

Once that is settled, the comparison gets short. Within any one of those groups the prices cluster tightly, and what separates the companies is the replacement policy, the minimum commitment, and whether they will tell you the price before you get on a call.

If offshore managed support is the structure that fits, that is what we do. Our pricing is published, a dedicated full-time assistant is $1,999 or $2,999 a month, and matching takes five to six days. You can book a call to see candidates, or read what our clients say first.