Best virtual assistant agencies and companies in 2026

The best virtual assistant agencies in 2026 include HeyVA, BELAY, Boldly, Prialto, Time etc, and Wing Assistant, while OnlineJobs.ph and Upwork are alternatives for businesses that prefer marketplace-style hiring. The right provider depends on your preferred talent location, budget, screening support, candidate choice, and how much of the hiring process you want handled for you.

Some providers offer a fully managed service and match you with an assistant. Others give you access to candidates while helping with screening and hiring. Marketplaces provide more choice but generally leave more of the recruiting process to the employer.

Key takeaways

• Managed VA services handle more of the recruiting and matching process, while marketplaces require greater employer involvement.
• Hiring platforms can provide a middle ground by combining candidate choice with screening and hiring support.
• Compare talent location, screening, candidate choice, total cost, and post-hire support rather than advertised rates alone.
• HeyVA is designed for employers who want Filipino remote talent with hiring assistance while retaining the final hiring decision.

Best virtual assistant agencies at a glance

If you're comparing providers, start with the hiring model rather than the advertised price. A managed VA service, hiring platform, and freelance marketplace solve the same hiring problem in very different ways.

Pricing, services, and provider terms can change. Always check the provider's current information before making a hiring decision.

If you're ready to move beyond comparing providers, you can also explore how to hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines with HeyVA

Hire your first VA from the Philippines.

 Get Started → 

How we evaluated the virtual assistant providers

Not every company on this list operates as a traditional virtual assistant agency. That's intentional.

Businesses searching for the best virtual assistant companies are likely to encounter managed services, hiring platforms, direct-hire marketplaces, and freelance marketplaces competing for the same hiring need.

Rather than treating them as identical, we compared providers based on:

Hiring model

Does the company assign or match an assistant, help you hire one, or simply give you access to candidates?

Talent location

Does the provider focus on U.S.-based professionals, Filipino talent, or a broader global workforce?

Screening

Who evaluates candidates before the interview: the provider, the employer, or both?

Candidate choice

Can you compare and interview several candidates, or does the service primarily match you with an assistant?

Employer involvement

How much sourcing, screening, interviewing, and hiring work remains with you?

Pricing model

Does the provider charge hourly, through a monthly managed-service package, through a subscription, or through marketplace fees?

Ongoing support

What happens after the hire? Depending on the provider, this might include account management, replacements, task management, performance support, or limited involvement.

Research note: HeyVA is included in this comparison and is also the publisher of this guide. Provider information was reviewed using publicly available information from company websites in September 2026. Platform Pricing, services, and terms can change. ‘Best for’ describes the type of buyer or use case each service appears designed to serve rather than an absolute ranking.

8 virtual assistant agencies and companies to consider in 2026

1. HeyVA

Best for: Filipino remote talent with screening and hiring support
Model: Hiring platform
Talent location: Philippines
Pricing: Platform subscription + candidate compensation
Screening: Alexandra assists with screening; the employer decides who advances and is hired

HeyVA helps US businesses hire Filipino virtual assistants  while reducing repetitive recruiting work. Instead of assigning an assistant, HeyVA keeps employers involved in candidate selection while Alexandra, HeyVA's AI hiring manager, assists with screening and hiring coordination.

What to know: HeyVA is designed for employers who want more hiring support than a self-service marketplace while retaining control over who they interview and hire. 

If you're specifically comparing this model with a traditional agency, see how HeyVA compares with a virtual assistant agency in the Philippines

Hire your first VA from the Philippines.

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2. BELAY

Best for: U.S.-based virtual support
 Model: Managed VA service
 Talent location: United States
 Pricing: Monthly engagement
 Screening: Provider-led

BELAY provides U.S.-based virtual professionals across functions including executive assistance, bookkeeping, marketing, project management, HR, and personal assistance.

Rather than giving employers a large candidate database to search, BELAY uses a provider-led matching process and provides support around the client relationship.

This can reduce the amount of recruiting an employer needs to handle directly.

What to know: BELAY's managed U.S.-based model is fundamentally different from hiring an offshore VA directly, so compare the total service and level of support rather than hourly compensation alone.

Consider BELAY if: U.S.-based support and a managed matching process are priorities.

3. Boldly

Best for: Experienced executive support
 Model: Subscription staffing
 Talent location: U.S. & UK
Pricing: Monthly subscription
 Screening: Provider-led

Boldly focuses on experienced remote professionals, with executive assistance forming an important part of its offering.

Its subscription staffing model is geared toward businesses and executives looking for ongoing fractional support rather than one-off freelance tasks.

That can make it relevant when the role requires more executive-level context, communication, and continuity.

What to know: Boldly is positioned toward experienced professional support rather than competing primarily on low hourly VA rates.

Consider Boldly if: You're looking for experienced fractional executive support through a subscription staffing model.

4. Prialto

Best for: Structured managed executive support
 Model: Managed VA service
 Talent location: Philippines, Kenya & Guatemala
 Pricing: Monthly service
 Screening: Provider-led

Prialto provides managed virtual assistance with additional service infrastructure around the assistant.

Its model includes elements such as account management, process documentation, performance management, and backup support.

For businesses that do not want to build their own systems around an individual VA, that managed structure can be valuable.

What to know: You're paying for more than an individual assistant. The service includes management infrastructure, so it should not be compared directly with the hourly compensation of a direct-hire VA.

Consider Prialto if: You want structured executive or administrative support with ongoing management built into the service.

5. Time etc

Best for: Flexible part-time assistance
 Model: Virtual assistant service
 Talent location: U.S. & UK
 Pricing: Hour-based plans
 Screening: Provider-led

Time etc focuses on businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals who need recurring virtual assistance without necessarily hiring a full-time remote employee.

Typical use cases include scheduling, inbox management, research, administrative work, travel coordination, and other recurring tasks.

The hour-based model can make sense when you know what needs delegating but do not yet have enough work for a full-time role.

What to know: Businesses requiring a dedicated full-time team member should compare the economics of hour-based support with other hiring models.

Consider Time etc if: You need flexible part-time administrative assistance.

6. Wing Assistant

Best for: Ongoing managed remote support
 Model: Managed remote staffing
 Talent location: Global
 Pricing: Monthly plans
 Screening: Provider-led

Wing Assistant provides dedicated remote support across multiple business functions.

Its services extend beyond traditional calendar and inbox work into areas such as sales, customer support, marketing, administration, and operations.

This makes it relevant to businesses looking for recurring support but wanting more service infrastructure than a freelance marketplace typically provides.

What to know: Wing's managed model is different from directly hiring and managing an independent VA, so compare what is included in the service as well as the price.

Consider Wing Assistant if: You want dedicated remote support within a managed-service environment.

7. OnlineJobs.ph

Best for: Direct hiring from the Philippines
 Model: Direct-hire marketplace
 Talent location: Philippines
 Pricing: Employer platform subscription
 Screening: Primarily employer-led

OnlineJobs.ph gives employers direct access to a large pool of Filipino remote workers.

Employers can post jobs, search worker profiles, communicate with candidates, interview applicants, and hire directly.

That provides significant control over the hiring process, but it also means the employer generally takes greater responsibility for deciding who should move forward.

What to know: Access to a large talent database doesn't remove the work involved in evaluating candidates. Employers should be prepared to spend more time screening and interviewing than they might with a managed service or screening-assisted platform.

Consider OnlineJobs.ph if: You want direct access to Filipino talent and are comfortable managing more of the recruitment process yourself.

8. Upwork

Best for: Freelance and project-based support
 Model: Freelance marketplace
 Talent location: Global
 Pricing: Marketplace fees
 Screening: Primarily employer-led

Upwork is a global freelance marketplace rather than a dedicated virtual assistant company.

Employers can browse freelancers across thousands of skill categories, including virtual assistance, customer support, bookkeeping, marketing, and administrative work.

Its broad talent pool makes it particularly useful for project-based or flexible hiring.

What to know: Because Upwork serves many freelance categories, it doesn't provide the same VA-specific hiring experience as a dedicated virtual assistant service.

Consider Upwork if: You want broad global choice or need flexible freelance support for a particular project or workload.

Which type of virtual assistant provider fits your needs?

The best provider depends more on your hiring priorities than the company's position on a list.

If you've decided a VA is the right type of support but haven't started recruiting yet, follow our 8-step guide to hiring a virtual assistant.

Hire your first VA from the Philippines.

 Get Started → 

 VA agency vs hiring platform vs marketplace

The main difference is how much of the hiring process the provider handles for you.

A managed VA agency typically handles more sourcing, matching, and ongoing support. A hiring platform gives employers more candidate choice while providing tools or assistance around recruiting. A marketplace primarily provides access to talent, leaving more screening and selection to the employer.

None is automatically better. Choose based on how much hiring work you want handled and how much control you want to retain.

How much do virtual assistant agencies cost?

Virtual assistant agency costs can range from hourly VA compensation to monthly managed-service packages costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. The total depends on the assistant's location and experience, the hours required, specialization, and how much recruiting or management the provider includes.

This is why headline rates are difficult to compare directly.

Common virtual assistant pricing models

Before comparing providers, find out whether the advertised price includes:

• VA compensation
• sourcing and screening
• account management
• payroll or payment handling
• replacements
• software
• minimum hours
• setup or recruitment fees

A $7-per-hour direct hire and a $1,500 managed-service package aren't equivalent products.

If you want to build a realistic hiring budget, see our full breakdown of how much it costs to hire a virtual assistant, including hourly and monthly cost examples.

How to choose the best virtual assistant agency for your business

Once you understand the different hiring models, use these seven factors to evaluate individual providers.

1. Define what you want to delegate

Start with the work rather than the job title. If the role will involve higher-level calendar ownership, executive communication, prioritization, and direct support for a founder or senior leader, you may need an Executive Assistant rather than a general Virtual Assistant

That might include:

• inbox and calendar management
• customer support
• research
• CRM updates
• bookkeeping
• social media
• e-commerce operations
• executive support
• administrative tasks

The right role depends on the work you're delegating. For example, HeyVA can help businesses hire customer support professionals, hire a Social Media Manager, or hire an Executive Assistant when the work requires more specialized support.

If you're still defining the position, our guide to how to hire a virtual assistant walks through the process from delegation to onboarding.

2. Decide how much recruiting you want to handle

Do you want a provider to match you with someone?

Would you rather compare candidates yourself but get help screening them?

Or are you comfortable sourcing, screening, and interviewing applicants independently?

This is often the fastest way to narrow your shortlist.

3. Ask what ‘vetted’ actually means

Terms such as screened, verified, and vetted can mean different things across providers.

Find out what the company actually evaluates.

Depending on the role, useful hiring signals may include:

• relevant experience
• communication
• role-specific skills
• work samples
• identity
• availability
• problem-solving
• judgment

The process behind the claim matters more than the label.

4. Consider talent location

Some employers specifically want U.S.-based assistants. Others deliberately hire internationally.

The Philippines, for example, has an established outsourcing and remote-work sector, with professionals working across administration, executive assistance, customer support, bookkeeping, marketing, e-commerce, and operations.

Choose based on the role and person you need rather than location or hourly rate alone.

5. Compare total cost

Don't compare only the advertised VA rate.

Consider:

What does the provider remove from my workload?

A managed service may cost more while handling more recruitment and support. A marketplace may have lower service fees while requiring significantly more employer time.

Both money and time are part of your hiring cost.

6. Decide how much candidate choice matters

Some employers prefer being matched with a VA.

Others want to compare several candidates and conduct their own interviews.

If communication, judgment, experience, or working style matters strongly for the role, make sure the provider gives you enough visibility before committing.

7. Look at what happens after hiring

A successful remote hire requires more than finding a candidate.

Ask how you'll:

• assign and track work
• communicate expectations
• identify problems
• handle replacements
• maintain the working relationship

The best hiring experience doesn't necessarily end when the contract is signed.

How HeyVA helps you hire and manage virtual assistants

HeyVA is built for employers who want access to Filipino remote talent without turning candidate screening into another full-time job.

Instead of simply giving you a database and leaving the rest to you, HeyVA provides tools around the hiring journey while keeping the final decisions with the employer.

Create a clearer role with Job Post Scoring

HeyVA's Job Post Scoring Assistant reviews your job post and helps identify areas that could be clearer before you start evaluating applicants.

A clearer role gives candidates a better understanding of what you need and gives the hiring process a stronger starting point.

Reduce repetitive screening with AI Screening

Once candidates apply, Alexandra, HeyVA's AI hiring manager, helps screen applicants using the role requirements alongside recruiting frameworks developed and refined by HeyVA.

Alexandra handles repetitive screening work. You decide which candidates move forward.

Add identity verification before hiring

Every HeyVA user must successfully complete ID verification before becoming active on the platform.

Identity verification doesn't determine whether someone is the right hire. You'll still need to evaluate experience, skills, communication, judgment, and fit.

It simply means the identity check is built into the process rather than being an optional badge for active users.

Keep candidate communication organized

HeyVA's Candidate Messaging keeps applicant conversations connected to the hiring workflow, while Alexandra can help with candidate follow-ups.

That means fewer hiring conversations scattered across different tools.

Reduce interview scheduling back-and-forth

Once you move a candidate to the Interview stage, Alexandra can coordinate directly with the applicant and send your existing scheduling link, whether you use Calendly, Dubsado, or another booking tool.

Generate a contract when you're ready to hire

Click Hire, and HeyVA automatically creates a pre-filled agreement using information from the job post and candidate profile. Review it, sign, and move forward without starting from a blank document.

Manage the work and the relationship

After hiring, Task Management helps organize delegated work.

Monthly VA Pulse Checks add another layer by asking the VA how they're feeling about the working relationship and surfacing useful signals for the employer.

HeyVA's hiring workflow at a glance

The goal isn't to remove the employer from hiring.

It's to reduce the repetitive work around the decisions only you can make.

Choose the right virtual assistant hiring model for your business

The best virtual assistant agency isn't necessarily the company with the biggest candidate database, the longest feature list, or the lowest advertised rate.

Start with five questions:

What do you want to delegate?

Where do you want to hire?

How much screening do you want handled?

How involved do you want to be in choosing the candidate?

What support do you want after the hire?

Once those answers are clear, choosing between a managed agency, hiring platform, or marketplace becomes much easier.

If you're looking for Filipino remote talent and want help reducing the repetitive work around hiring, HeyVA combines candidate access with job-post support, AI-assisted screening, ID verification, candidate messaging, interview coordination, contracts, task management, and ongoing pulse checks.

You choose who joins your team. HeyVA helps make the process easier.