8 Top Virtual Assistant Companies for Executives in the US

If you’re a founder, CEO, or board director, admin work probably eats more of your week than it should. A good virtual assistant company can give you those hours back.

The hard part is choosing one. These companies look alike on paper, but they don’t sell the same thing.

Some send short tasks to a shared pool of helpers. Others sell blocks of hours. A few give you a senior assistant who works as your partner.

And the price page rarely shows that difference. It also hides how many other clients your assistant serves and how much of your fee they actually keep.

So below, we compare 8 US-based companies side by side to help you match the right one to how you work.

TL;DR: Top Virtual Assistant Companies at a Glance

Here’s the short version of how the 8 companies compare:

• ProAssisting is the premium pick for executives who want a senior, US-based partner on a flat monthly retainer.
• BELAY, Boldly, and Base sell US-based assistant support in monthly hour plans.
• Time Etc, Zirtual, and Double offer the lowest-cost way to get a dedicated assistant for 10 to 20 hours a month.
• Fancy Hands handles small, one-off requests through a shared team of US-based assistants.
• How many clients your assistant carries matters more than the starting price.
• Freelance marketplaces suit one-off projects better than ongoing executive support.

Know the 3 Types of Virtual Assistant Companies

A virtual assistant (VA) is a remote assistant who handles administrative work for you from another location. But VA companies package that help in very different ways.

Every company on this list fits one of these 3 models:

• On-demand task services: You send short requests to a shared pool of assistants. Whoever is free picks up the task, so no single person learns how you work.
• Hourly VA plans: You buy a set number of hours each month from a dedicated assistant. Rollover rules for unused hours vary by company.
• Fractional executive assistant services: You pay a flat monthly retainer for a share of a senior Executive Assistant’s (EA’s) resources. A fractional executive assistant works as your partner across business and personal tasks instead of working through a task list.

The model you pick shapes everything else. It decides the price, the depth of the work, and how well your assistant gets to know you.

See How the 8 Companies Compare

Each company’s site lists the starting prices and assistant locations below (as of the time of writing):

A low starting price usually buys fewer hours or a narrower scope of work. It rarely buys a partner who can act for you.

Do you already know you need that kind of partner? Then book a free 30-minute consultation to see what a senior, US-based EA could take off your plate.

Review the 8 Top Virtual Assistant Companies in the US

Each profile covers what the company sells, what it costs, and who it fits best:

1. ProAssisting

ProAssisting is a fractional executive assistant service for C-suite leaders, board directors, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals. You’re matched with a ProAssistant, which is our name for the seasoned, US-based EAs we place with clients.

The support you get comes down to 3 parts of our model:

• A small client load: Each ProAssistant works with no more than 3 clients, a cap we explain in our guide on how to find the right executive assistant. That leaves them room to respond quickly and learn how you like things done.
• A strict hiring bar: We accept fewer than 5% of the assistants who apply. The assistant you meet has already cleared a high bar for skill and judgment.
• Fair pay for your assistant: We pass more than 75% of your retainer directly to your ProAssistant. Well-paid assistants stay longer, so you don’t keep starting over with someone new.

Your ProAssistant covers the 5 performance multipliers from our book, The 29-Hour Work Day. These are business partner, chief of staff (your single point of contact for everyone who needs you), project manager, assistant/scheduler, and personal assistant.

Plans start at $3,300 per month for one-third of a ProAssistant’s resources. One-half and two-thirds plans cover heavier workloads. ProAssistants answer within the hour and work on month-to-month terms.

Our guide to executive assistants vs. virtual assistants shows how this setup compares with typical VA support.

ProAssisting fits leaders who want a senior partner to handle both their business and personal lives.

2. BELAY

BELAY is a well-established US company that places remote assistants and bookkeepers. Its site describes a bench of more than 2,000 vetted, US-based professionals.

A Client Success Consultant matches you with an assistant, usually within about a week. If your first match isn’t right, BELAY rematches you at no added cost.

BELAY doesn’t publish its prices, but support runs month to month and typically starts at 45 hours a month.

It fits established teams that want a large US-based provider and steady monthly hours.

3. Boldly

Boldly is a subscription staffing company. It employs its assistants as W-2 employees, which means they’re on Boldly’s payroll and receive benefits.

Its assistants are based in the US and UK. Pricing starts at $2,600 per month for 40 hours. There’s no long-term contract to sign.

You meet your proposed assistant before you sign up. Boldly also offers a buy-out if you later want to hire your assistant full-time.

Our breakdown of Boldly client reviews covers what buyers report after signing.

Boldly fits executives who want an employed assistant on a fixed number of hours each month.

4. Base

Base, also known as BaseHQ, is a women-owned executive assistant company based in Austin. It matches founders and executives with US-based EAs who work as contractors after Base vets them.

Subscriptions start at $2,800 per month for 40 hours. Base also offers temporary support and a trial-to-hire option.

It fits founders who want a US-based EA on a 40-hour plan and may want to hire that person later.

5. Double

Double pairs remote executive assistants with its own delegation app. Its assistants are based in the US, Canada, and France. The company calls its assistants Doubles.

According to its site, Doubles average 5 years of experience supporting busy CEOs and C-level executives.

Plans start at $549 per month for 10 hours. A $300 onboarding fee covers matching and setup.

Double fits tech-minded executives who want to delegate and track work inside an app.

6. Time Etc

Time Etc sells monthly bundles of hours with a dedicated, US-based assistant.

Plans run from $390 a month for 10 hours to $2,160 a month for 60 hours. Unused hours roll over on the 20-hour plan and up.

You can add extra assistants or share your plan with your team at no extra cost. You can also switch plans or cancel at any time.

Time Etc fits leaders who need a few predictable hours of admin help each month.

7. Zirtual

Zirtual matches you with a dedicated, US-based, college-educated virtual assistant.

Plans start at $599 per month for 12 hours and 1 user. The largest standard plan covers 45 hours and 4 users for $1,699 per month.

Zirtual also sells separate outbound calling plans for prospecting and outreach.

It fits entrepreneurs and small teams with a steady stream of clearly defined tasks.

8. Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands sends your requests to a shared team of US-based assistants instead of 1 dedicated person.

Plans start at $35 per month for 3 requests. Unused requests roll over to the next month.

A dedicated assistant option is available if you want the same person each time.

Fancy Hands fits busy people who need a handful of quick errands handled each month.

Weigh These 6 Factors Before You Choose

The monthly price is the easiest number to compare. But it tells you the least about the support you’ll actually get.

The most common outsourced EA provider red flags show up in these 6 areas, so check each one before you sign:

• Dedicated or pooled support: Ask whether 1 assistant will learn your preferences or a team will split your requests. A pooled team can’t build the context that lets an assistant act for you.
• Client load: Ask how many other clients your assistant supports. An assistant spread across many accounts has less room to respond when your plans change.
• Assistant pay: Ask what share of your fee reaches the person doing the work. Ethan Bull, ProAssisting’s Co-Founder and President, said on the Plugged In podcast that this is the most important question to ask any agency.
• Location and time zone: Ask where your assistant lives and which hours they work. An assistant who speaks for you to clients or your board needs to be online during your business day.
• Pricing model: Ask whether you’re buying hours or a share of a person’s resources. Hourly billing can work against you, since a faster assistant bills fewer hours.
• Exit and backup terms: Ask how cancellation works and who covers for your assistant during vacations. A clear rematch process lowers your risk if the first match doesn’t work.

Before you compare prices, put a number on your own hour. In our book, The 29-Hour Work Day, we suggest dividing your annual net profit by 2,080 working hours.

At $350,000 in net profit, your hour is worth about $168. So every hour a week that admin work steals from you costs $8,736 a year.

Schedule a free call with our team to see which of your weekly tasks a ProAssistant could take off your plate.

Use a Freelance Marketplace Only for One-Off Projects

Freelance marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr let you hire an independent assistant directly. They work well for a defined, short project like a customer relationship management (CRM) cleanup or a research sprint.

Ongoing executive support is a different job. You screen applicants, onboard the person, and manage their work yourself. Freelancers often juggle several clients, so response times can slip when you need help most.

And if they leave, you start the search all over again.

A VA company handles the vetting and replacement for you. That makes it the better fit for support you’ll need for months or years.

Match the Right Company to Your Situation

Your workload and the role your assistant will play point to the right model.

Use these quick matches as a starting point:

• A few quick errands a month: Fancy Hands’ per-request plans cost the least on this list.
• 10 to 20 hours of defined admin work: Time Etc and Zirtual sell small monthly blocks with a dedicated US-based assistant.
• An app-first way to delegate: Double builds its service around a delegation app.
• An assistant on a company payroll: Boldly employs its assistants as W-2 staff.
• A large provider with bookkeeping on the side: BELAY offers assistant and accounting support from one vendor.
• A 40-hour plan with a path to hire: Base offers subscriptions and a trial-to-hire option.
• A senior partner for your business and personal life: ProAssisting gives C-suite leaders, board directors, and founders a dedicated ProAssistant on a flat retainer.

If you’re still unsure which level of support you need, our 2-minute executive assistant quiz gives you a recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are quick answers to the questions executives ask most when comparing VA companies:

What Is the Best Virtual Assistant Company?

The best company depends on the work you want to hand off. For senior, ongoing support across business and personal tasks, a fractional EA service fits best. For a few hours of defined tasks, an hourly VA plan costs less.

How Much Do Virtual Assistant Companies Charge?

Starting prices on this list run from $35 a month for 3 requests to $3,300 a month for a fractional EA. You can see that $3,300 rate on ProAssisting’s pricing page. For comparison, a full-time in-house EA earns a median of $76,590 a year before benefits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Are US-Based Virtual Assistants Worth the Higher Cost?

They usually are when your assistant speaks for you to clients, investors, or your board. A US-based assistant works your hours and can respond in real time. Offshore help can still work for routine, well-defined tasks.

What Is the Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and an Executive Assistant?

A VA completes the tasks you assign. An EA learns your priorities, manages your calendar and inbox, and handles work before you ask for it.

Should Your Assistant Be a W-2 Employee or a 1099 Contractor?

Both models can work well. A W-2 assistant is employed by the company, which handles payroll taxes and benefits. According to the Internal Revenue Service, worker classification depends on who controls how the work gets done.

Can AI Replace a Virtual Assistant Company?

AI can draft emails, summarize meetings, and suggest times for calls. It can’t read the room on a tense call or know your preferences without being told. The strongest setup pairs a skilled human assistant with good AI tools.

Get Senior Executive Support With ProAssisting

The right company is the one whose model matches the work you want off your plate. Errands call for a task service. Running your week calls for a partner.

That’s where ProAssisting comes in. We match you with a ProAssistant, a seasoned US-based executive assistant who works with no more than 3 clients.

Your ProAssistant handles your calendar, inbox, travel, projects, and personal to-dos. They answer within the hour and learn how you like things done. Plans start at $3,300 a month for one-third of a ProAssistant’s resources.

Every plan runs month to month.

Book your free 30-minute consultation to see how many hours a week you could get back.