This index is for: business owners trying to answer the most-asked question in remote staffing, what should a virtual assistant actually cost?, in a market where prices range 15x ($4/hour to $60/hour) and the pricing models make apples-to-apples comparison nearly impossible.
TL;DR: Virtual assistant pricing in 2026 falls into four clear bands: budget offshore ($4 to $8/hr), mid offshore ($8 to $17/hr or $700 to $2,000/mo), premium offshore/nearshore ($1,500 to $3,000/mo), and US-based ($25 to $60/hr). The right band depends on three things: whether the role is phone-facing (time zone matters), whether the work is specialized (training matters), and whether you've automated the robotic half of the job first (most buyers over-purchase hours by 30 to 50%). Full data, regional breakdowns, and total-cost math below. All figures are published or reported as of September 2026, verify on each provider's site.
The index: 25 providers, normalized
| # | Provider | Pricing | Model | Talent region | US time-zone overlap | Source basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BruntWork | $4 to $17/hr | Hourly | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Published/reported |
| 2 | Bluprint Creations | From $5/hr | Scoped monthly | Africa | Good | Published |
| 3 | TaskBullet | ~$6.50/hr | Hour buckets (20h min) | US + Philippines | Mixed | Published/reported |
| 4 | Invedus | $6 to $12/hr | Hourly/monthly | India | Poor | Reported |
| 5 | GigaBPO | From $7/hr | Packages | Offshore + global | Varies | Published |
| 6 | WoodBows | ~$8/hr | Monthly | Offshore | Varies | Reported |
| 7 | Virtudesk | ~$10.60/hr | 20/40-hr plans | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 8 | Magic | From $10/hr | On-demand | Global | 24/7 coverage | Published |
| 9 | MyOutDesk | $1,788 to $1,988/mo | Monthly seat | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 10 | ShoreAgents | $9 to $16/hr | Monthly | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 11 | AgentUp | $8 to $15/hr | Monthly | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 12 | 20four7VA | $8 to $18/hr | Monthly | Global | Varies | Reported |
| 13 | UAssist.Me | ~$12/hr | Monthly | US/LatAm | Good | Reported |
| 14 | Virtual Coworker | ~$1,120/mo FT | Monthly seat | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 15 | VirtuHire US | $1,200 to $2,800/mo | Monthly (EOR incl.) | South Africa | Moderate | Published |
| 16 | Hirevado | $1,997 to $2,997 one-time + salary | Placement | Global 8+ markets | Good (Jamaica EST) | Published |
| 17 | Wishup | $999 to $2,999/mo | Retainer (80 to 160h) | Offshore + US | Options | Published |
| 18 | Wing Assistant | $699 to $2,999/mo | Retainer | Offshore + LATAM | Good (LATAM) | Published |
| 19 | Prialto | $1,350 to $2,400/mo | 55-hr units | PH, Kenya, Guatemala | Options | Published/reported |
| 20 | Time Etc | $25 to $40/hr | Hourly | US/UK | Native | Reported |
| 21 | BELAY | $30 to $60/hr | Hourly | US | Native | Reported |
| 22 | Boldly | $25 to $50/hr | Subscription | US-aligned global | Good | Published/reported |
| 23 | Athena | ~$3,000/mo + lockup | Monthly | Philippines | Poor (+12h) | Reported |
| 24 | Pearl Talent | $2,500 to $5,190/mo | Monthly | PH/LatAm/SA | Options | Reported |
| 25 | Persona | Premium, quote | Monthly | Global | Options | Reported |
Direct marketplaces, for contrast: OnlineJobs.ph full-time hires run $400 to $800/month; Upwork freelancers $5 to $25/hour, with no vetting, management, or replacement safety net.
Methodology: figures compiled September 2026 from provider pricing pages, published comparison charts, and third-party reviews. "Reported" means a credible third party stated the figure but the provider doesn't publish it. Updated quarterly (next: December 2026).
The 4 pricing bands, and who belongs in each
Band 1: Budget offshore ($4 to $8/hr)
Who: BruntWork's lower tiers, Bluprint Creations, TaskBullet, Invedus, GigaBPO, direct marketplaces. Right for: task-based back-office work, data processing, entry-level support, and, where time-zone overlap exists (Africa, LATAM), phone-facing roles at remarkable value. Watch for: vetting depth and management structure vary enormously at this band. The difference between a $5/hr success and a $5/hr disaster is the provider's screening funnel, not the rate.
Band 2: Mid offshore ($8 to $17/hr or $700 to $2,000/mo)
Who: Wing, Wishup entry, MyOutDesk, Virtudesk, Magic, ShoreAgents, Virtual Coworker. Right for: dedicated ongoing support with managed structure, the market's center of gravity. Watch for: the +12-hour Philippines gap for customer-facing work, and seat-model rigidity for variable workloads.
Band 3: Premium offshore/nearshore ($1,500 to $3,000/mo)
Who: Prialto, Pearl Talent, Athena, Boldly, Hirevado (all-in), VirtuHire US. Right for: executive support, client-facing roles, compliance-sensitive work, and buyers who want documented continuity (backup VAs, EOR, replacement guarantees). Watch for: lock-in terms (Athena's reported 12-month commitment and $24K buyout), read the exit clause.
Band 4: US-based ($25 to $60/hr)
Who: BELAY, Time Etc, Boldly's US tiers. Right for: roles where native US English, cultural context, and same-timezone work are hard requirements, executive assistance, sensitive client communication, regulated industries. Watch for: a full-time US-based VA costs $62,000 to $125,000/year, 5 to 10x offshore for work that often doesn't require it. Buy this band for roles that need it, not by default.
Regional comparison: what your money buys where
| Region | Typical FT monthly | English | US time overlap | Bench depth | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | $800 to $2,000 | Strong | Poor (+12h) | Deepest VA bench globally | Back-office, async work |
| Latin America | $1,200 to $2,500 | Good, strong | Excellent | Growing | Phone-facing, CX |
| Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, SA) | $800 to $1,800 | Strong | Good | Deep, underutilized | Phone-facing, support, ops |
| India | $700 to $1,500 | Varies | Poor | Deep (tech-leaning) | Technical, back-office |
| South Africa (EOR) | $1,200 to $2,800 | Strong | Moderate | Mid | CX with compliance needs |
| US/UK | $4,000 to $10,400 | Native | Native | Deep | Executive, regulated |
The 12-month total-cost reality check
Sticker rates mislead; total cost decides. One full-time-equivalent support role, 12 months:
| Route | Year-1 cost | What you own at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Direct marketplace hire | $5,000 to $10,000 + your hiring/management time | The employee (if it works out) |
| Budget offshore (scoped) | $9,000 to $15,000 | Depends on provider, confirm knowledge stays with you |
| Mid-offshore retainer | $12,000 to $24,000 | Nothing portable |
| Premium offshore | $18,000 to $36,000 | Nothing portable (placement models excepted) |
| US-based | $62,000 to $125,000 | Nothing portable |
Two multipliers the table can't show: automation (removing robotic work before staffing cuts required hours 30 to 50%, shrinking every row) and turnover (each replacement costs 20 to 40 hours of your re-training time, written replacement guarantees are worth real money).
5 questions to ask any provider before signing
- "How many applicants do you screen per placement, and what do you test?", numbers or it didn't happen.
- "Whose systems does my assistant work in?", if it's the vendor's platform, your process knowledge leaves when you do.
- "What hours will my person actually work, in my time zone?", get the shift, not the promise.
- "What's the replacement guarantee, in writing?", including who pays for re-training.
- "What work should I automate instead of staffing?", a provider who can't answer will happily sell you hours a $30/month tool should do.