Virtual assistant companies compared by how they actually work
When people search for virtual assistant companies, they find four very different kinds of business under the same name. Some assign you an assistant and bill you a marked-up hourly rate. Some run an open marketplace and take a percentage of every payment. Some are job boards for one country. And some, like Aides, give you a verified directory, a flat subscription and direct payment to the person you hire. The right choice depends on how much control you want, how much you want to spend and how much you need to trust who is on the other end.
- Every assistant passes an ID and liveness check. No AI personas.
- You pay your assistant directly. No markup.
Four models side by side
This table compares models, not individual brands. Pricing within each model varies, and the figures are typical patterns rather than quotes from any specific company.
| Managed VA agencies | Open freelance marketplaces | Country-specific VA job boards | Aides | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who chooses the assistant | The agency assigns one | You choose from open proposals | You choose from one country | You choose from verified profiles in any country |
| How you pay | Agency invoice with margin built into the rate | Payment through the platform with a percentage fee | Employer subscription, pay the worker yourself | Flat subscription, pay your assistant directly |
| Markup on the assistant's rate | Typical, often significant | Typical percentage per payment | None | None |
| Identity checks | Done by the agency internally | Varies widely by profile | Often limited | Government ID and liveness check on every profile |
| Time zone fit | Set by the agency | You check it yourself | Tied to one region | Overlap hours shown in search |
| Replacement if it does not work | Agency reassigns | You search again | You search again | Message others from your shortlist |
| Best for | Buyers who want zero hiring work | One-off projects and broad choice | Lowest cost in one region | Ongoing roles with choice, trust and flat cost |
Managed VA agencies
A managed agency recruits assistants, puts them on its payroll or contract, and assigns one to you. You pay the agency, and the agency pays the assistant. The convenience is real: you do not screen candidates, and if the match fails the agency finds a replacement. The trade-off is cost and choice. The agency's margin, account management and recruiting are built into the hourly rate you pay, and you usually cannot pick from a wide pool or speak directly about rates with the assistant.
- Good when you want no hiring work at all
- Higher total cost for the same hours
- Limited say in who you work with
Open freelance marketplaces
Open marketplaces list freelancers of every kind, and a virtual assistant is one category among many. You post a job, receive proposals and choose. The choice is very wide, which is useful for one-off projects. The cost comes as a percentage fee on payments, and quality control is uneven. Copied and automated proposals are common, and identity checks differ from profile to profile, so screening takes real time.
- Good for short projects and very specific skills
- Percentage fee on each payment
- Heavy screening load to separate real candidates from noise
Country-specific VA job boards
These boards focus on workers in a single country and usually charge employers a subscription to contact candidates. You then pay the worker directly, which keeps costs low. The limit is geography: every candidate is in the same region and time zone, which can mean weak overlap with a US workday, and verification of identity and work history is often light.
- Good for budget-focused, long-term hires
- No markup on the worker's pay
- One region, one time zone, lighter checks
Where Aides fits
Aides is a marketplace built only for virtual assistants, with the trust of an agency and the economics of a job board. You search verified assistants in any country by skill, and the results show exactly how many hours each person overlaps with your workday. You message them, run a paid trial task and hire the one you choose. You pay your assistant directly, they keep 100 percent of what you pay, and you pay Aides one flat subscription.
Learn how checks work on the verified virtual assistant page, or see plan limits on the virtual assistant cost page.
- Every assistant passes a government ID check and a liveness check
- Real photos, adults only, no AI personas
- Overlap hours in search, any country
- Plans from 49 USD per month or 24 USD per month billed yearly
How to choose the right model for you
Pick a managed agency if you have budget and no time at all for hiring. Pick an open marketplace for a one-off project with a very specific skill. Pick a country-specific board if lowest hourly cost is your only goal and overlap does not matter. Pick Aides if you want an ongoing assistant you choose yourself, need to know the person is real and want a flat cost with no markup. Our full guide to hire virtual assistant help walks you through the rest of the process.
- How much hiring work can you do yourself
- How many hours of overlap do you need each day
- Do you need proof of identity before sharing access
- Do you prefer a flat fee or a percentage of payments
Questions about virtual assistant companies
Are virtual assistant agencies worth the extra cost?
They can be if you want someone else to handle recruiting and replacement entirely. If you are willing to spend an hour reviewing profiles and running a short paid trial, a marketplace with verified profiles usually gives you more choice for less money.
Why do some platforms take a percentage?
Percentage fees scale with how much you pay your assistant, so the platform earns more as the relationship grows. Aides uses a flat subscription instead, so the cost of your account stays the same whether your assistant works 10 hours a week or 40.
Is it safe to hire an assistant from another country?
Yes, when you verify identity, agree on terms in writing and share access carefully. Every Aides profile is ID and liveness checked, and our security page explains how roles, seats and agreement templates help you control access.
Can I switch from an agency to Aides?
Yes. Write down the tasks your current assistant handles, set your overlap hours and search for assistants with those skills.
Compare real profiles yourself
Search verified assistants by skill and time zone and see their overlap with your hours.