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Quick answer: The best virtual executive assistant service depends on how much of one person's week you need. For a dedicated, full-time EA at a published price, Stellar Staff costs $1,999 a month for 160 hours, or $2,999 on its Executive plan, month to month. Athena, Viva, and Persona Talent also assign one full-time EA, at published starting prices of $3,000 to $3,999 a month. If you need 10 to 60 hours a month, BELAY, Prialto, Boldly, and Time Etc sell EA support in smaller blocks, and BELAY and Boldly keep every assistant in the United States.
Disclosure: Stellar Staff publishes this page and appears in it. Every other company's price and terms come from its own website, linked in its entry and dated, so you can check them yourself. Where a company doesn't publish something, we say so instead of guessing.
Most comparisons of virtual executive assistant companies rank brands from first to last. That can obscure the most important question: are you buying one person's full week, or a block of hours that one or more assistants work through? A founder whose calendar, inbox, and travel need an owner every day needs a different service from an executive who needs help ten hours a week. So this list groups the eight providers by the model they sell, then compares price, hours, location, and terms side by side.
Eight Virtual Executive Assistant Services at a Glance
Prices are the published starting figures, checked on each company's website on October 28, 2026, except Boldly, whose pricing page was last checked on October 7, 2026.
| Company | Model | Published starting price | Hours | U.S.-based EAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar Staff | One dedicated full-time EA | $1,999 a month (Executive plan $2,999) | 160 a month | No, primarily the Philippines |
| Athena | One dedicated full-time EA | $3,000 a month | Full-time | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Viva | One dedicated full-time EA | $3,999 a month | Full-time | Not stated |
| Persona Talent | One dedicated team member | $3,000 a month | Full-time | No, talent from 98 countries |
| Prialto | Fractional units with backup assistants | $1,600 per unit | 55 per unit; full-time from 165+ | Not stated on its pricing page |
| BELAY | Fractional or full-time EA | Not published | Typically from 45 a month | Yes |
| Boldly | Hour plans with a backup assistant | $2,600 a month | 40 to 100 a month | Yes |
| Time Etc | Hour plans | $390 a month | 10 to 60 a month | Yes |
What We Compared, and Where the Facts Come From
You may also see this support sold as an outsourced executive assistant or remote executive assistant services. We looked at providers that sell executive assistant support to U.S. businesses and publish enough about their model to compare. For each one we recorded five things from the company's own site: the starting price, the hours it covers, where the assistants work, the contract terms, and what happens if the match is wrong. We didn't score companies on reviews, and we didn't include freelance marketplaces, because there the hiring, vetting, and replacement work falls on you. Our ranked list of the best virtual assistant companies covers marketplaces and general VA providers.
One distinction runs through the whole page. A virtual EA working on your calendar, inbox, meeting prep, and travel needs context, and context builds when the same person does the work every day. That's why the first group below assigns one full-time assistant and the second sells hours. Neither model is better in general. The right one depends on how much executive work you actually have.
Providers That Assign One Full-Time EA
These four companies place one dedicated assistant who works your business hours. They suit a founder or executive with a full week of calendar, inbox, follow-up, and project work.
Stellar Staff
- Price: $1,999 a month on the Pro plan and $2,999 on the Executive plan, for 160 hours a month. Pro works out to about $12.50 an hour. A bilingual assistant adds $200 a month.
- Terms: Month to month, no long-term contract, 14 days' notice to cancel.
- Who you get: You interview 2 to 3 finalists and choose your EA. The search takes 5 to 10 business days.
- If it doesn't work out: Free replacements, forever, on managed plans.
Stellar Staff accepts the top 0.1% of applicants. Candidates pass a 6-step application and 6 individual tests, written and spoken English verification, reference and equipment checks, professional interviews and skill assessments, an internal quality review, and background checks before you meet them. Stellar handles recruiting, payroll, HR, tracking, and replacements, and you direct the daily work. Assistants are trained on AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Zapier. Talent comes primarily from the Philippines, so this isn't the right choice if your EA has to be in the United States. See what the role covers on our virtual executive assistant services page.
Athena
Athena's pricing page lists one dedicated, full-time EA at $3,000 a month, billed monthly after an initial 90-day commitment. The EA is employed and equipped by Athena, and the plan includes matching, onboarding, and performance management. If the fit doesn't improve, Athena says it will move you to a different EA. Athena is built around the founder or senior leader who wants one assistant and a structured way of delegating. The 90-day start is the main difference from a month-to-month plan. Our Stellar Staff vs Athena page compares the two in detail.
Viva
Viva sells a full-time, dedicated EA with plans starting at $3,999 a month, and says every plan includes the EA plus a client success contact. It advertises matching in under 24 hours and re-matches at no cost if the fit isn't strong. Its home page doesn't state contract length, notice period, or where its assistants are based, so ask for those in writing before you sign.
Persona Talent
Persona Talent places a full-time, dedicated team member from $3,000 a month, with pricing quoted by role complexity and seniority. Its managed staffing is month to month, talent is sourced from 98 countries, and it says matching often takes about a week. Persona covers executive assistants alongside operations, finance, and project roles, which helps if you expect the EA role to grow into broader operations work. See Stellar Staff vs Persona Talent.
Providers That Sell EA Hours in Blocks
These four companies sell a set number of hours a month, sometimes with a backup assistant built in. They suit executives who need steady help but not a full week of it, and buyers who need the assistant to be in the United States.
Prialto
Prialto prices support in units of 55 hours a month. Its pricing table lists $1,600 per unit, while its FAQ says pricing starts at $1,500. A full-time dedicated assistant starts at $3,600 a month for 165 or more hours. Each unit has a 90-day minimum, and a $250 setup fee applies unless you sign a one-year agreement. Prialto's strength is continuity: every unit includes trained backup assistants who can step into your processes, and the company reports SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Assistants cover 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays in U.S. and UK time zones. See Stellar Staff vs Prialto.
BELAY
BELAY's FAQ says every executive assistant is U.S.-based, support typically begins at 45 hours a month, and it runs month to month at a flat monthly rate. BELAY doesn't publish prices, so you'll need a call to get a number. It says most clients are matched within about a week and that it will rematch you at no added cost if the first match isn't right. Many of its clients start at 10 to 20 hours a week. Our Stellar Staff vs BELAY page puts the two side by side.
Boldly
Boldly listed plans from $2,600 for 40 hours a month to $6,500 for 100 hours when we last checked on October 7, 2026, a flat $65 an hour, with larger plans quoted on request. Its assistants are U.S.-based employees rather than contractors, and every plan includes a backup assistant for vacations and sick days. Boldly fits executives who need U.S.-based, senior support for part of the week and can pay U.S. rates. See Stellar Staff vs Boldly.
Time Etc
Time Etc sells U.S.-based assistant hours from $390 for 10 hours a month to $2,160 for 60 hours, or $36 to $39 an hour. There's no setup fee, you can switch plans or cancel at any time, and unused hours roll over on the 20-, 40-, and 60-hour plans. It's the least expensive way on this list to get a few hours of U.S.-based executive support each week. See Stellar Staff vs Time Etc.
Where the Monthly Price Stops Being Comparable
A starting price is only comparable once you know what it buys. Four details change the real cost of a virtual EA more than the headline number does.
| What to check | Why it matters | Examples from this list |
|---|---|---|
| Hours behind the price | $2,600 for 40 hours and $3,000 for a full-time EA buy very different amounts of work | Boldly 40 hours; Athena, Viva, Persona, and Stellar Staff full-time |
| Minimum commitment | A 90-day start means your smallest possible spend is three months | Athena and Prialto start with 90 days; Stellar Staff, BELAY, and Persona are month to month |
| Setup fees | They add to the first month and aren't always on the pricing card | Prialto $250 unless you sign for a year; Time Etc none |
| Rematch and backup | Coverage gaps cost you more than the fee difference | Prialto and Boldly include backups; BELAY, Viva, and Athena rematch; Stellar Staff replaces free, forever |
Location belongs on the list too. If your clients, board, or compliance rules require a U.S.-based assistant, BELAY, Boldly, and Time Etc are the providers here that state it. If they don't, an offshore full-time EA usually costs less per hour than a U.S. part-time one. Our virtual assistant cost guide breaks down rates by location and role.
What to Hand a Virtual EA in the First Month
Whichever provider you choose, the first month helps determine how much responsibility the EA can take on. Start with the work that has a clear right answer, then hand over the work that needs judgment.
- Week one: calendar access, scheduling rules, meeting buffers, and the people whose meetings always get priority.
- Week two: inbox rules: what your EA answers, what gets drafted for you, and what gets flagged right away.
- Week three: meeting prep and follow-up, including agendas, notes, and action items with owners and dates.
- Week four: travel, expense reports, and one recurring project your EA can run end to end.
Keep a short list of what always comes back to you, such as pricing decisions, client complaints, and anything that commits company money. If you're still deciding whether you need an EA or an administrative assistant, our comparison of an executive assistant vs. administrative assistant explains the split, and our guide on how to hire an executive assistant covers in-house, agency, and virtual routes. If the role is drifting toward running projects and teams, read chief of staff vs. executive assistant first.
Choose Stellar Staff for Full-Time Executive Assistant Support
Choose Stellar Staff if you want one dedicated EA working 160 hours a month at a published price, without a minimum term. You interview 2 to 3 finalists and pick your assistant, the search takes 5 to 10 business days, and replacements are free, forever, on managed plans. A full-time hire through Stellar Staff comes in at a third of the cost of a local hire, and Stellar Staff is the #2 VA agency on Clutch, with 1,000+ remote hires placed since 2022.
Choose a different provider if the EA must be U.S.-based (BELAY, Boldly, or Time Etc), if you need fewer than about 20 hours a week (Time Etc or BELAY), or if built-in backup coverage matters more than one dedicated person (Prialto or Boldly). If you'd rather put the EA on your own payroll, Stellar Staff's Custom Recruitment starts at $4,999 one-time.
Short Answers on Virtual EA Pricing and Terms
How much do virtual executive assistant services cost?
Published starting prices on this list run from $390 a month for 10 hours of U.S.-based help at Time Etc to $3,999 a month for a full-time EA at Viva. A dedicated full-time EA through Stellar Staff costs $1,999 a month for 160 hours, or $2,999 on the Executive plan. U.S.-based hour plans run $36 to $65 an hour.
Which virtual executive assistant companies have U.S.-based assistants?
BELAY says every executive assistant is U.S.-based, Boldly employs U.S.-based staff, and Time Etc's assistants are based across the United States. Stellar Staff's talent comes primarily from the Philippines, and Persona Talent sources from 98 countries.
Is a virtual EA the same as an executive assistant staffing agency?
Not quite. A traditional executive assistant staffing or placement agency finds a candidate for you to hire onto your own payroll and charges a placement fee. A virtual EA service employs or contracts the assistant and bills you monthly. Stellar Staff offers both: managed plans from $1,999 a month and Custom Recruitment from $4,999 one-time.
Can I start with part-time EA support and grow it?
Yes. BELAY, Boldly, Time Etc, and Prialto sell smaller blocks of hours that can grow. Stellar Staff's plans are full-time only, so it fits once the work fills a full week.
How fast can a virtual EA start?
It varies by provider. Viva advertises matching in under 24 hours, BELAY says most clients are matched within about a week, and with Stellar Staff the search takes 5 to 10 business days, with 2 to 3 finalists for you to interview.
Choose an EA Service Based on Your Weekly Workload
Count the hours of executive work you'd hand off in a normal week before you compare a single provider. Under 20 hours points to an hour plan, and the U.S.-based ones on this list cost $36 to $65 an hour. A full week of calendar, inbox, meeting, and project work points to one dedicated EA, where published monthly prices on this list start at $1,999. Then compare the terms behind the price, not just the number on the card.
If a full-time EA fits, compare Stellar Staff's plans, read what clients say, or start a search.
Competitor prices and terms were checked on each company's website on October 28, 2026, except Boldly, checked October 7, 2026. Hourly figures for Boldly and Time Etc are their own published rates. Details change, so confirm current terms before you sign.