Share
How to Pick a Virtual Assistant Company That Won't Waste Your Money
You've decided to hire a VA. Now you're looking at a list of companies — Belay, Time Etc, Fancy Hands, Prialto, Boldly, Jarvis — and they all look roughly the same on the surface. Same promises, similar pricing pages, identical testimonials about "getting your life back."
They're not the same. The differences matter, and if you pick the wrong one, you'll spend two months trying to make it work before admitting it's not working. We've talked to hundreds of business owners who've been through at least two VA companies before landing somewhere that actually delivered.
This is a direct comparison of the major virtual assistant companies in 2026 — including Jarvis. We're not going to pretend we're objective. But we will be honest about where each option makes sense and where it doesn't.
What to Actually Compare (Not Just Price)
Most comparison articles focus on price per hour or price per plan. That's the wrong lens. What actually determines whether a VA relationship works:
- Training level: Does your VA come pre-trained on your tools, or are you training them from scratch?
- Automation capability: Can your VA build the systems that make their work faster and more reliable?
- Replacement policy: If the match doesn't work, how fast can you get a replacement?
- Onboarding support: Is there a team helping you set up the workflows, or do you figure it out yourself?
- Dedicated vs. shared: Do you have one VA who knows your business, or a rotating pool of people?
Price matters — but it's the last thing to compare, not the first.
Jarvis — Best for Service Businesses That Want Automation Built In
Jarvis is a VA placement service that bundles automation builds with every placement. Every VA comes trained on the tools and workflows common to service businesses: GoHighLevel, HubSpot, Shopify, Gmail, QuickBooks, Klaviyo, Make.com.
When you start with Jarvis, we don't just place a VA — we map your workflows and build the automation layer that makes those workflows consistent and scalable. Your VA manages the exceptions. The system handles the routine.
Best for: Service businesses ($10K–$200K/month), ecommerce brands, agencies, coaches, real estate teams. Businesses where admin volume is high and you want systems, not just headcount.
Price: From $1,600/month full-time. Part-time from $800/month.
Not ideal for: One-time projects, extremely niche industries, or businesses that want a US-based VA specifically.
See how the Jarvis placement process works, or read real client results.
Belay — Best for Executive-Level Support at Premium Cost
Belay focuses on US-based executive assistants and bookkeepers. Their VAs are experienced, vetted, and dedicated. If you need someone who can represent your brand at a very high level and you have the budget for it, Belay delivers quality.
Best for: C-suite executives, high-touch client relationships, bookkeeping support.
Price: Typically $3,000–$5,000/month for full-time support.
Not ideal for: Volume-heavy operational tasks, automation builds, businesses under $50K/month in revenue. The cost-to-output ratio doesn't make sense unless your VA is replacing truly executive-level work.
Time Etc — Best for Light, Flexible Task Execution
Time Etc uses a task-based model: you submit tasks, a VA completes them, you pay for hours used. It works well for businesses with inconsistent, unpredictable VA needs — project bursts, seasonal work, one-off research tasks.
Best for: Solopreneurs or founders who need occasional help without a long-term commitment.
Price: Plans start around $380/month for 10 hours.
Not ideal for: Businesses that need a dedicated VA who knows their systems, voice, and context. A different VA on every task means constant re-briefing and inconsistent output.
Fancy Hands — Best for One-Off Tasks Under 20 Minutes
Fancy Hands handles very small, discrete tasks: make a phone call, do a quick search, schedule one appointment. Requests are handled by a pool of US-based workers, usually within hours.
Best for: Individual tasks that don't need context or continuity.
Price: Plans start around $30/month for 5 tasks.
Not ideal for: Any ongoing relationship work, anything requiring brand context, communication with your clients, or tasks that take more than 20–30 minutes.
Boldly — Best for Premium Part-Time Executive Support
Boldly focuses on high-quality, US-based fractional executive assistants. Their model is a team subscription — you get a consistent, experienced VA for 10–40 hours/month.
Best for: Executives who want US-based, highly experienced support at a premium.
Price: From $1,560/month for 10 hours (approximately $156/hour).
Not ideal for: Businesses that need full-time support or high-volume operational tasks. The hourly rate is high for admin-level work.
The Honest Comparison Table
| Company | VA Location | Model | Automation | Price (Full-Time) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarvis | Philippines (US hours) | Dedicated + automation | Yes, included | $1,600–$2,000/mo | Service businesses, ecommerce, agencies |
| Belay | US-based | Dedicated | No | $3,000–$5,000/mo | C-suite, high-touch roles |
| Time Etc | US-based | Task pool | No | Variable (hours-based) | Occasional tasks, solopreneurs |
| Fancy Hands | US-based | Task pool | No | $30–$75/mo (tasks) | One-off micro-tasks |
| Boldly | US-based | Fractional | No | $1,560/mo (10 hrs) | Part-time executive support |
What Most VA Companies Don't Tell You
Here's the contrarian take: the VA company that charges less isn't always the worse option. Most premium VA services are charging for US-based labor — and paying more for a US address doesn't automatically mean better output.
What actually drives VA performance is training, systems, and workflow design. A well-trained VA working in a properly designed workflow will consistently outperform an untrained VA regardless of where they're based. The question isn't where your VA is located — it's how well they've been prepared for your specific work.
This is why Jarvis invests in training before placement and builds automation alongside the VA — because systems create consistency, and consistency is what makes delegation actually work at scale. Read more about our approach on the AI automation page.
Not sure which VA model is right for your business? Book a free 15-minute call. We'll tell you honestly whether Jarvis is a good fit — and if not, what is. Book now.
How to Choose: 3 Questions to Ask First
Question 1: Do you need ongoing dedicated support or occasional task execution?
If your VA needs context about your business, clients, and voice — get dedicated. If you have isolated tasks with no continuity requirement — task pools are fine.
Question 2: What's the volume of work?
Under 10 hours/month: Time Etc or Fancy Hands. 10–20 hours/month: consider part-time dedicated. Over 20 hours/month: full-time dedicated is almost always the better math.
Question 3: Do you need automation, or just execution?
If you want a VA to handle tasks and nothing else — most services work. If you want the workflows themselves to become faster and more reliable over time — that requires automation capability, which most VA companies don't include.
Browse the Jarvis products and services for more detail on what's included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best virtual assistant company for a small business?
It depends on budget and use case. For service businesses under $200K/month that want dedicated support plus automation, Jarvis is the strongest option at the price point. For C-suite executives with higher budgets who want US-based support, Belay is the premium choice.
How much do virtual assistant companies charge?
Ranges vary widely: $30/month for task pools (Fancy Hands) up to $5,000+/month for premium dedicated US-based VAs (Belay). Jarvis full-time placement starts at $1,600/month. See our pricing page for what's included.
What's the difference between a VA company and a freelance VA?
A VA company handles matching, vetting, training, and replacement if the VA doesn't work out. A freelance VA is a direct hire — more flexibility, more risk. For most businesses, starting with a company is lower risk until you know exactly what you need.
Is Jarvis a good Belay alternative?
Yes, especially for businesses that want similar dedicated-VA quality at a lower price point and want automation builds included. Jarvis VAs are Philippines-based (working US hours) vs. Belay's US-based model — if that distinction matters for your business, it's worth discussing on a call.
Can a virtual assistant company handle industry-specific tasks?
Good ones, yes. Jarvis VAs are pre-trained on common tool stacks for service businesses, ecommerce, and agencies. If you have a highly specialized industry (medical coding, legal research), share the requirements during your consultation — we'll be honest about fit.
Ready to Find the Right VA for Your Business?
You've done the research. If Jarvis sounds like a fit — or if you're not sure and want to talk through what would actually work for your business — book a free 15-minute consultation. No pitch, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about what you need and whether we can deliver it.