The Best Virtual Assistant Companies in 2026 - Ranked, Priced & Compared

This guide is published by Stealth Agents. We’ve ranked ourselves #1 - here’s why, and here’s how we honestly compare to competitors.

The market for virtual assistant companies has grown sharply. Businesses of every size now use VAs for executive support, sales, customer service, and operations. But the quality gap between providers is enormous - and the wrong choice costs you time, money, and operational momentum.

We evaluated the 10 most credible providers across pricing, vetting rigor, VA model, communication, and real-world fit. If you’re looking to hire a virtual assistant, this is the comparison you need.

How We Evaluated These Companies

Every company on this list was scored on five criteria:

• Pricing transparency - Is the rate structure clear upfront, with no hidden fees?
• Vetting rigor - What percentage of applicants are accepted, and how are skills tested?
• Dedicated vs. pool model - Do you get one consistent VA or a rotating team?
• US-based vs. offshore - Where are the VAs located, and does it affect quality for your use case?
• Turnaround and onboarding speed - How fast can you have a VA working?

Companies that scored well on all five made the list. Self-promotional positioning without substance did not.

Quick Comparison: Top Virtual Assistant Companies at a Glance

See our full virtual assistant pricing guide for a deeper cost breakdown.

1. Stealth Agents

Starting price: $10/hr (approximately $1,600/month full-time)
Model: Fully managed, dedicated VA
VA location: Philippines

Stealth Agents places pre-vetted, dedicated virtual assistants from the Philippines with US and global businesses. The company handles recruiting, training, payroll, and quality monitoring - you get a single point of contact and a consistent VA rather than a rotating pool.

The acceptance rate for VA applicants is under 2%, and all VAs are fluent in English. Onboarding typically takes 48 hours or less. Support covers executive tasks, marketing, customer service, bookkeeping, and more. A dedicated account manager is included at no extra cost.

For businesses that need reliable, affordable, full-time support, Stealth Agents consistently delivers the best value-per-dollar on this list. We’re the authors of this guide, which is why we’re #1 - but the pricing and structure stand on their own.

Best for: Small to mid-size businesses that need full-time, cost-effective support and can work across time zones.

2. BELAY

Starting price: ~$2,000/month
Model: Managed, dedicated VA
VA location: United States

BELAY is one of the most established names in the US-based virtual assistant space. Their VAs are W-2 employees or vetted contractors located in the US, making them a strong fit for businesses that require domestic staffing for cultural alignment, data sensitivity, or executive-level trust.

BELAY specializes in executive assistant work: calendar management, travel coordination, inbox management, and complex scheduling. The onboarding process is thorough and includes a matching interview. Response times and communication quality are consistently high.

The cost premium over offshore providers is real - BELAY costs 2–2.5x more than Stealth Agents for equivalent hours. But for C-suite executives who need a native English-speaking, US-time-zone VA they can trust with sensitive communications, that premium is often justified.

Best for: Executives who prioritize US-based support and are willing to pay a premium for it.

3. Boldly

Starting price: $49/hr (part-time minimum ~$1,200/mo)
Model: Premium managed, dedicated VA
VA location: United States

Boldly recruits senior-level VAs with 10+ years of experience. Their hourly rate is the highest on this list, but the talent quality reflects it: Boldly VAs are often former executive assistants, project managers, and marketing directors who want flexible remote work.

The platform is suited for founders and executives who need a genuinely senior generalist - someone who can take ownership of complex projects, not just execute tasks. Boldly’s retention rates are high, meaning you’re unlikely to lose your VA after a few months.

The part-time model works well for leadership teams that need 10–20 hours per week of high-judgment support rather than full-time coverage.

Best for: Leaders who need senior-level, US-based part-time support and can afford premium rates.

4. Prialto

Starting price: ~$1,500/month
Model: Managed, dedicated VA with backup team
VA location: Central America and Asia

Prialto offers a distinctive model: every client gets a primary VA plus a trained backup who knows their account, ensuring no coverage gaps during sick days or transitions. An engagement manager oversees each account, adding a coordination layer that solo VA services lack.

VAs are trained on Prialto’s proprietary workflow system, which means onboarding is faster but also means adapting to their process. Prialto works best for systematic thinkers who want an organized handoff process rather than a blank-slate VA relationship.

The pricing is competitive for the managed-plus-backup model, and the structure suits teams that have tried the single-VA model and found coverage gaps a problem.

Best for: Business owners who want backup coverage built in and prefer a structured, process-driven approach.

5. MyOutDesk

Starting price: ~$1,988/month
Model: Staff leasing (direct management)
VA location: Philippines

MyOutDesk pioneered the virtual assistant model for real estate professionals and has built a deep specialization there. Their VAs are trained in CRM management, lead follow-up, listing coordination, and transaction support - all critical workflows for real estate agents and brokers.

Outside real estate, MyOutDesk also serves sales, healthcare admin, and mortgage. The staff leasing model means you manage the VA directly - MyOutDesk handles recruiting and HR, but day-to-day supervision is yours.

Pricing has risen over the past two years and is now above Stealth Agents for a comparable setup. For non-real-estate use cases, the value proposition weakens. But for real estate professionals specifically, the domain expertise is hard to match.

Best for: Real estate agents and brokers who need a VA trained in real estate-specific workflows.

6. Wing Assistant

Starting price: $699/month (part-time) to $1,099/month (full-time)
Model: Fully managed, dedicated VA
VA location: Southeast Asia (Philippines, others)

Wing Assistant targets startup teams and small businesses with transparent flat-rate pricing. Their interface includes a task management dashboard, which gives clients visibility into what the VA is working on without daily check-ins.

Wing VAs cover a wide range: admin, social media, research, customer support, and basic design. The platform’s task-based workflow suits clients who operate asynchronously and want structured, accountable output.

Quality is generally solid for the price point, though Wing works best when tasks are well-defined rather than open-ended. Clients who need a VA to exercise judgment or work in real-time may find the async model limiting.

Best for: Startups and small teams that want affordable, structured, async-first VA support.

7. Wishup

Starting price: $999/month
Model: Fully managed, dedicated VA
VA location: India

Wishup positions itself on automation and tool proficiency. Their VAs are trained in 70+ tools including Zapier, HubSpot, Notion, and QuickBooks - useful for tech-enabled founders who want a VA that can configure, not just operate, their systems.

The top 1% acceptance claim is standard industry marketing, but Wishup does invest in tool training that most VA providers skip. Onboarding is fast, typically under 24 hours for replacement or first placement.

Pricing is strong for the feature set, though the India-based timezone can be an adjustment for West Coast US businesses that need overlap hours.

Best for: Tech-forward founders and operators who prioritize automation tool skills over general admin.

8. 20four7VA

Starting price: $8/hr (approximately $1,200–1,400/mo full-time)
Model: Staff leasing (direct management)
VA location: Philippines

20four7VA is one of the most cost-effective options on this list, particularly for e-commerce sellers who need VA support for Amazon, Shopify, and multi-channel inventory management. Their talent pool is large, and pricing is transparent.

The tradeoff is that 20four7VA is a staff leasing model: you’re responsible for managing the VA directly. That works well for business owners who know what they need and have the capacity to supervise. It’s less ideal for first-time VA users.

The platform includes an account manager who handles HR logistics, so you’re not fully on your own - but daily direction and quality oversight are yours.

Best for: E-commerce sellers and experienced VA managers who want a cost-effective Filipino VA with direct oversight.

9. Time Etc

Starting price: $29/hr (prepaid bundles available)
Model: Marketplace, assigned VA
VA location: United States

Time Etc matches clients with experienced, US-based VAs on an hourly basis. Their VAs are typically former executive assistants with 10+ years of experience, and the matching process prioritizes skill alignment.

The hourly model suits businesses with variable workloads - you buy hours in advance at a discount and draw them down as needed. This is more flexible than a monthly retainer but requires more active task management from the client.

Time Etc is a strong option for clients who need a few hours per week of high-quality US-based support without committing to a monthly minimum.

Best for: Individuals and small teams that need flexible, hourly, US-based VA support without a monthly commitment.

10. Upwork (Platform)

Starting price: $5/hr+ (highly variable)
Model: Marketplace (client manages directly)
VA location: Global

Upwork is not a VA company - it’s a marketplace. Including it is honest: for project-based or highly specialized work, Upwork gives access to a global pool of skilled freelancers that no managed VA service can match in breadth.

The tradeoff is that every aspect of the relationship is yours to manage: vetting, hiring, onboarding, quality control, and replacement. For businesses without a defined VA management process, that overhead often costs more than the rate savings.

Upwork makes sense for one-off projects, specialized technical tasks, or teams that already have strong freelancer management practices.

Best for: Businesses with defined projects, specialized needs, and the capacity to manage freelancers directly.

How to Choose the Right Virtual Assistant Company

The right choice depends on three decisions:

1. Managed vs. marketplace. Managed services (Stealth Agents, BELAY, Boldly) handle recruiting, replacement, and HR. Marketplaces (Upwork, Time Etc) give you more control but more overhead. First-time VA users almost always do better with managed.

2. US-based vs. offshore. US-based VAs cost 3–5x more but share your timezone and cultural context. Offshore VAs (Philippines, India) deliver equivalent execution quality for admin, marketing, and support tasks at significantly lower cost. Choose based on the role, not instinct.

3. Full-time vs. part-time. Full-time makes sense when you have 30+ hours per week of delegatable work. Part-time works for executives who need coverage for a defined set of tasks. Do a task audit before committing to a plan. See our executive virtual assistant page for a breakdown of what roles suit each model.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a virtual assistant company?
A virtual assistant company recruits, vets, and places remote assistants with businesses. Unlike freelance marketplaces, they handle HR, payroll, and quality assurance - you pay a monthly rate and get a ready-to-work VA.

How much does a virtual assistant company charge?
Rates range from $8/hr for staff-leasing models to $49/hr for premium US-based services. Full-time managed VAs typically run $1,600–2,500/month. Virtual assistant pricing varies by location, model, and skill set.

Is it better to hire a VA through a company or directly?
For most businesses, going through a managed company is safer. You get backup coverage, HR support, and faster replacement if things don’t work out. Direct hiring gives you more control but requires more management bandwidth.

What tasks can a virtual assistant handle?
VAs typically handle scheduling, email, research, customer service, social media, and data entry. Senior VAs also take on project management, executive support, bookkeeping, and light marketing.

How fast can I get a virtual assistant?
Most managed VA companies onboard within 24–48 hours. Stealth Agents, Wishup, and Wing Assistant offer same-day or next-day matching. Upwork hiring can take longer depending on the specialization needed.

The Bottom Line

For most businesses looking for cost-effective, reliable VA support, Stealth Agents remains the strongest all-around option: offshore pricing with managed-service accountability, 48-hour onboarding, and a dedicated VA who learns your business.

If you specifically need US-based support, BELAY orBoldly are the best options depending on budget. For real estate,MyOutDesk is purpose-built. For automation-heavy startups, considerWishup.

Whatever you choose, the key is matching the model (managed vs. marketplace, dedicated vs. pool, US vs. offshore) to your actual workflow - not just the price.

Ready to get started? Get a pre-vetted VA from Stealth Agents in 48 hours. Book a Free Consultation →