Which Is Better for a Full-Time Remote Assistant: BruntWork or Stellar Staff? (2026)
BruntWork advertises full-time remote staff from $4 an hour and quotes role rates through a calculator. Stellar Staff publishes a flat Pro rate of $1,999 a month for a dedicated full-time assistant, with free replacements forever. BruntWork fits buyers who need part-time staff or a support team.
Stellar Staff vs BruntWork at a glance
BruntWork is a remote staffing company that recruits mainly in the Philippines and Colombia, and its homepage cites a 500K+ talent network across more than 60 countries. CEO Winston Ong leads the company, which bills from Australia and lists a U.S. phone line as its HQ. BruntWork advertises full-time remote staff from $4 an hour, part-time staff from 20 hours a week, 24/7 shifts, and roles from virtual assistants to call center agents, SEO, and IT support.
Stellar Staff was founded in 2022 in Newport Beach, California, and was formerly VA Support Now. It sells one dedicated full-time assistant per plan, recruited primarily from the Philippines: Pro at $1,999 a month and Executive at $2,999, each for 160 hours. Stellar Staff runs recruiting, payroll, HR, tracking, and replacements, and the client directs the daily work. Both companies hire in the same country; they differ on pricing, terms, and scope.
Compare the model, not just the monthly price.
Both recruit in the Philippines, so what sets BruntWork and Stellar Staff apart?
Five practical factors reveal where the two services stop looking alike.
- Price format. BruntWork advertises full-time staff from $4 an hour and gives role rates through a pricing calculator rather than a public rate card. Stellar Staff publishes two flat prices: $1,999 a month for Pro and $2,999 for Executive, each for 160 hours.
- Scope. BruntWork staffs part-time and full-time roles from 20 hours a week, including call center, telesales, IT, and web development teams. Stellar Staff sells full-time plans only, with one dedicated assistant per plan.
- Notice and deposit. BruntWork's homepage says you can cancel anytime, but its client onboarding guide requires 30 days' written notice, holds a security deposit, and raises agent fees by 5% on each contract anniversary. Stellar Staff is month to month with 14 days' notice to cancel.
- Replacements. BruntWork replaces agents at no charge during the first 90 days; after that, a replacement needs 14 days' notice. Stellar Staff's managed plans include free replacements, forever.
- Selection. BruntWork runs English, logic, and numeric tests and lets you video-interview a shortlist. Stellar Staff accepts the top 0.1% of applicants, runs 6 individual tests and background checks, and has you interview 2 to 3 finalists.
Which option fits your business?
Stellar Staff
- You want one published monthly price, $1,999 for Pro, instead of an hourly rate quoted by role and shift.
- You want free replacements, forever, rather than a 90-day free replacement window.
- You want 14 days' notice to cancel instead of 30 days' written notice.
- You want to interview 2 to 3 finalists drawn from the top 0.1% of applicants.
BruntWork
- You want part-time staff; BruntWork's minimum is 20 hours a week.
- You are building a call center, telesales, or customer support team, or you need night shifts within 24/7 coverage.
- You want the lowest advertised entry rate; BruntWork lists full-time staff from $4 an hour.
- You need a provider with an ISO 27001 certificate, or you want talent based in Colombia.
Thirteen points to check before signing with either provider
| Decision point | Stellar Staff | BruntWork |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 (formerly VA Support Now) | Not stated; its about page cites 17 years of experience |
| Company base | Newport Beach, California | Not stated; bills from Australia and lists a U.S. HQ phone line |
| Leadership | Russell German, Founder & CEO; Slava Litvin, Co-Founder | Winston Ong, CEO |
| Where staff work | Primarily the Philippines | Philippines and Colombia, plus a talent network across more than 60 countries |
| Published price | $1,999/month Pro; $2,999/month Executive | From $4 an hour; role rates through its pricing calculator |
| Hourly equivalent | About $12.50 on Pro | From $4, by its headline figure |
| Hours | Full-time, 160 hours a month | Part-time from 20 hours a week, or full-time; 24/7 shifts |
| Billing | Flat monthly price | Logged hours, invoiced monthly |
| Contract | Month to month; 14 days' notice to cancel | Month to month; 30 days' written notice to cancel, per its onboarding guide |
| Time to start | The search takes 5 to 10 business days | Under 7 days, a 14-day average, and a target of 5 to 10 business days, in different places on its site |
| Choosing your hire | Interview 2 to 3 finalists | Video interviews with shortlisted candidates |
| Replacement | Free replacements, forever, on managed plans | Free in the first 90 days; 14 days' notice after that |
| Security credentials | Reference, equipment, and background checks during vetting | ISO 27001:2013 certificate and a locked-down remote desktop for agents |
Roles each provider can staff
BruntWork staffs a wide range of offshore roles, from single assistants to contact center teams. Stellar Staff places one dedicated full-time assistant per plan.
| Work | Stellar Staff | BruntWork |
|---|---|---|
| Executive and admin support | Yes; Executive plan at $2,999 | Virtual assistants, with about 24 niche types |
| Real estate, legal, and dental assistants | Yes | Niche assistant pages for real estate, legal, dental, and more |
| Customer support and live chat | Yes | Customer support, live chat, and contact center teams |
| Call center and telesales teams | One dedicated assistant per plan | Call center, telesales, and telemarketing |
| Appointment setting | Yes | Yes |
| Social media and digital marketing | Yes | Social media, digital marketing, Google Ads, and SEO |
| Web development and UI/UX design | Depends on the hire; confirm the skills you need | Web development and UI/UX design |
| Bookkeeping and payroll | Yes, as a full-time assistant role | Bookkeeping and payroll |
| Data entry | Yes | Data entry |
| Bilingual staff | +$200 a month for a bilingual assistant | Talent based in Colombia |
| AI tools | Trained on AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Zapier) | Not stated on its site |
What will a BruntWork hire cost each month next to Stellar Staff?
BruntWork publishes a starting rate, not a rate card, so the final hourly price depends on role, shift, and hours. This table lists only what each company states.
| Cost item | Stellar Staff | BruntWork | Local full-time hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,999 Pro; $2,999 Executive, per month | From $4 an hour; quoted by role through its calculator | Salary, taxes, and benefits |
| Hours | 160 a month | From 20 a week; billed on logged hours | Full-time schedule |
| Hourly equivalent | About $12.50 on Pro | From $4 | Varies by market |
| Included in the price | Recruiting, payroll, HR, tracking, and replacements | Agent and management fees, recruiting, payroll, HR, IT support, and healthcare for full-time agents | Paid by your business |
| Equipment | Checked during vetting | Agents supply their own computer, internet, and backup power | Your business |
| Replacement | Free, forever, on managed plans | Free in the first 90 days, then 14 days' notice | A new search |
| Notice to cancel | 14 days | 30 days in writing; deposit applied to final invoices | Your own employment policies |
| Relative cost | A third of the cost of a local hire | Save 70 to 80% on a local hire, per its about page | Baseline |
BruntWork's starting rate is lower than Stellar Staff's Pro equivalent of about $12.50 an hour, so ask for a written quote for the exact role and shift you need. Also ask for the security deposit amount and the overnight or holiday surcharge, which its site does not quantify, and confirm the 5% annual increase described in its onboarding guide.
BruntWork's real advantages
BruntWork is built for scale and range. Its homepage cites a 500K+ talent network, recruiting in the Philippines and Colombia, and roles that span virtual assistants, customer support, call centers, telesales, SEO, web development, and IT. Clients can hire part-time from 20 hours a week or build full teams on day or night shifts with 24/7 coverage, and workforce management is available to clients with 10 or more staff.
Its security setup is documented. BruntWork holds an ISO 27001:2013 certificate issued through QAS International, and its Secure Remote Worker desktop isolates work sessions and blocks USB storage by default. Its hourly package includes recruiting, payroll, HR, IT support, and healthcare for full-time agents, with zero setup fees. Its homepage cites 4.9 stars from more than 2,500 reviews across Trustpilot, Google, and Glassdoor.
How Stellar Staff's pricing and terms compare with BruntWork's
BruntWork and Stellar Staff both recruit in the Philippines, so the difference is in how you buy. BruntWork quotes an hourly rate by role and shift, starting from $4, and bills logged hours. Stellar Staff publishes one monthly price for one dedicated full-time assistant: $1,999 on Pro, about $12.50 an hour, or $2,999 on Executive, each for 160 hours. You know the cost before the first call.
The terms after the hire also differ. BruntWork's onboarding guide asks for 30 days' written notice to cancel, holds a security deposit, adds a 5% fee increase on each contract anniversary, and limits free replacements to the first 90 days. Stellar Staff is month to month with 14 days' notice, and replacements are free, forever, on managed plans.
Stellar Staff also publishes its selection rate. From thousands of applicants a month, it accepts the top 0.1%, then uses a 6-step application, 6 individual tests, written and spoken English verification, reference and equipment checks, professional interviews and skill assessments, internal QA, and background checks. You interview 2 to 3 finalists, and the search takes 5 to 10 business days.
When BruntWork wins and when Stellar Staff does
Choose BruntWork if you need part-time staff, a multi-person support or call center team, night shifts, or talent in Colombia, or you want the lowest advertised starting rate. Get the hourly quote, deposit, and notice terms in writing.
Choose Stellar Staff if you want one dedicated full-time assistant at a published $1,999 a month, a choice of 2 to 3 finalists, free replacements forever, and 14 days' notice to cancel.
BruntWork reviews, rates, and terms: common questions
Clear answers on pricing, hiring speed, replacements, specialization, and compliance.
How much does BruntWork cost per hour?
BruntWork advertises full-time remote staff from $4 an hour, with the rate covering agent and management fees, recruiting, payroll, HR, and IT support. Role-specific rates come from its pricing calculator and are not listed publicly. Overnight and holiday work carries an additional surcharge. Stellar Staff Pro is $1,999 a month, about $12.50 an hour.
Is BruntWork legit? What do reviews say?
BruntWork shows named client testimonials, an ISO 27001:2013 certificate, and its CEO, Winston Ong, on its own site. Its homepage cites 4.9 stars from more than 2,500 reviews, but the same page also shows 4.6 stars and over 2,000 reviews, so check Trustpilot, Google, and Glassdoor directly. Stellar Staff is the #2 VA agency on Clutch.
Are BruntWork staff employees or freelancers?
BruntWork's site uses both terms: its Philippines page and about page call its workers freelancers, while other pages call them employees or agents. BruntWork handles payroll and provides healthcare for full-time agents. Stellar Staff handles recruiting, payroll, HR, and tracking, and you direct the daily work. Ask either provider to state the worker setup in writing.
What are some BruntWork alternatives?
BruntWork alternatives include other offshore staffing providers such as MyOutDesk, Wing Assistant, 20four7VA, and Stellar Staff. They differ on hours, whether prices are published, and how replacements work. Stellar Staff sells only full-time plans, at $1,999 a month for Pro, with free replacements, forever, and talent primarily from the Philippines.
How do I cancel BruntWork?
BruntWork's homepage says you can cancel anytime, but its client onboarding guide requires 30 days' written notice to cancel. With that notice, your security deposit is applied to outstanding invoices; without it, the deposit is forfeited. Stellar Staff is month to month with 14 days' notice to cancel, so compare both notice periods before you sign.
Will BruntWork replace a staff member who is not working out?
BruntWork replaces agents at no charge during the first 90 days, with no notice period. After 90 days, its onboarding guide asks for 14 days' notice to replace an agent, and your deposit moves to the new hire. Stellar Staff's managed plans include free replacements, forever, and you pick from 2 to 3 finalists.
How long does BruntWork take to hire someone?
BruntWork's site gives several figures: its homepage says hire in under 7 days, its homepage questions say 14 days is the average from job ad to placement, and its pricing page targets 5 to 10 business days. Ask for a start date in writing. For Stellar Staff, the search takes 5 to 10 business days.
Is my company data safe with a BruntWork agent?
BruntWork says it is certified to ISO 27001:2013 through QAS International, and its Secure Remote Worker desktop blocks USB storage and isolates work sessions on the agent's Windows computer. Its own site notes that HIPAA and PCI compliance must be certified independently. Stellar Staff runs reference, equipment, and background checks as part of vetting.
Stellar Staff
Stellar StaffBruntWork
How we reviewed the providers
BruntWork details were reviewed on October 13, 2026 on BruntWork's own website. Sources include the BruntWork homepage, BruntWork pricing, BruntWork about page, BruntWork client onboarding guide, BruntWork ISO 27001 page, BruntWork Secure Remote Worker page, BruntWork Philippines page, and Stellar Staff pricing. BruntWork does not publish a rate card or terms of service page. Prices and terms can change, so confirm them in writing with each provider before you sign.