A virtual assistant company is simply a firm that provides outsourcing services.
Many are located internationally (India and the Philippines are popular spots), but you’ll find a growing number of virtual assistant companies in the US and Europe.
Why’s that?
Well, the demand for qualified remote workers just continues to increase! Over the next 10 years, hiring managers expect nearly 40% of their workforce to be working remotely.
As more companies get on board with the idea of a virtual team, that means the virtual assistant industry is booming — and that’s great news for you.
Advantages of Working With a Virtual Assistant Company
There are several advantages of hiring through an established VA company vs. making a direct hire, and especially over making a local hire.
Recruiting
First, the company does the bulk of the recruiting and screening legwork for you, which can be a huge time saver.
As the demand for remote work has increased, so has the supply. And I get that. I mean, I’ve been working from home for over 10 years — it’s awesome.
But what that means for virtual assistant companies is that they can afford to be extremely picky with who they bring on board. In fact, on my VA company sites, you’ll find material on their hiring process and how they only accept the top 1-3% of candidates.
If you’ve ever tried to make a traditional job posting and screen candidates, you know that recruiting is incredibly time-consuming.
Backups and Replacements
Next, if and when your VA leaves, gets sick, or gets promoted, you’re not scrambling to replace them.
You’ll still have to train your new worker, but at least you won’t have to go out and source them completely on your own.
A Team of Assistants Under One Virtual Roof
And finally, many virtual assistant companies offer a cool hybrid model where you have a dedicated assistant for most of your tasks, but have access to the company’s broader talent pool for more specialized requests.
This allows you to amplify your productivity and keep all the communication and delegation under one roof.
Simple Accounting
Hiring through a VA company can also make for a simpler relationship come tax time too.
The fees you pay to the firm are a quick line-item deductible expense and you don’t have to stress about whether a freelance contractor you hired is technically an employee in the eyes of the IRS.
Here’s a quick profile of some of the top-rated companies. You can check them out or browse the full directory below.
| Online VA Team | Time Etc | Remote CoWorker | Tasks Expert | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established | 2014 | 2007 | 2013 | 2017 |
| Location | USA and The Philippines | USA and UK | USA | US and India |
| Customer Rating | ||||
| Hourly Rate | $7+ | $27-29 | $5.99-8.00 | $4.50 |
| Minimum Package | $250 for 20 hours | $390 for 10 hours | $139 for 20 hours | $169 for 20 hours |
| Dedicated Assistant | ||||
| Team Access | ||||
| Rollover Hours | *Per policy | |||
| Free Trial | ||||
| Learn More | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Drawbacks to Virtual Assistant Companies
The biggest disadvantage I see to working with virtual assistant companies is you’re paying a premium for:
- Their recruiting and training
- Their company overhead and infrastructure
- A management layer
In each case, those might not be a huge benefit for you. You could potentially go out and find a better skills and cultural fit by hiring directly.
The training an assistant receives through a company will probably be helpful — but it might not be directly applicable to your business.
If your VA is working from a dedicated call-center type of office, the rent, electricity, equipment, and Internet are all baked into your price.
And finally, virtual assistant companies have a management layer you’re also paying for — but unless something goes wrong — you might not need.
How Much do Virtual Assistant Companies Cost?
You’ll find virtual assistant companies with task-based plans starting around $30 a month. For that price, you’ll be able to delegate a handful of small requests.
Dedicated services begin in the $100-300 a month range for part-time support.
Overseas, you can hire a full-time VA through a virtual assistant company for $800-1500 a month. For assistants in the US or Western Europe, you can easily spend double or triple that.
My Experience with Virtual Assistant Companies
I’ve worked with several virtual assistant companies over the last decade, starting with my first dedicated assistant from Pakistan.
These companies, and increasingly specialized virtual agencies, are an important part of my virtual assistant “stack.”
(A specialist agency is a company that does just ONE thing, like graphic design, podcast editing, or bookkeeping.)
What I see as the biggest benefits are the team access and the VA replacement.
Over the last few years, there have been quite a few instances of my assistant getting promoted or taking a new job. And instead of me being stranded and stuck without support, a new qualified VA took their place seamlessly. In one case, I didn’t even know the change had happened for a couple weeks!
And similarly, when a company has lots of different skills under one roof, it’s been really helpful to send over a random request and have that taken care of.
For example, maybe your regular assistant does social media and content marketing for you — but you occasionally need some technical website stuff done. It’s a big time saver to just have one company able to handle it.
Which Virtual Assistant Company is Right For You?
What you should look for in a VA company, aside from positive customer reviews, is:
- professionalism (can you picture this person or company working for you?)
- response time (did they reply promptly to your inquiry?)
- price (will the work justify the expense?)
Related: 13 Questions to Ask a Virtual Assistant Company
Check out the top-rated VA companies below, see what other customers have to say, and narrow down your options.
| Overall Rating |  |
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Pixels-VA is a well-established virtual assistant company that provides virtual support to companies, business professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone who requires additional help that can be performed virtually. The company was founded in 2014, and operates its primary location in Ghana, […]
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Talent Gurus is an outsourcing company in Hyderabad, India. The firm is a subsidiary of Sai People Solutions, Inc., a business with more than 20 years of experience in offshore staffing. Where Sai was focused on Fortune 500 companies and […]
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MyWorkers is a virtual assistant company providing a range of virtual assistant services to businesses of all sizes across the globe. The company has been in operation since 2014 and recently went through a rebranding in 2019. Their headquarters is […]
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Ministry Assistant Services is a virtual assistant company that provides cutting-edge solutions for churches, non-profits, and Christian business owners looking to outsource tasks. The company is headquartered in South Carolina. Ministry Assistant Services’ virtual assistants work across many states in […]
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Accessibility isn’t optional—it’s essential. Ignoring it means alienating millions of users, risking legal penalties, and missing out on potential revenue. Userway, an AI-powered accessibility solution, has garnered attention for its precision, affordability, and ease of use. No complicated coding. No […]
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UrBackOffices is a virtual assistant company based in Bangladesh, and the company was founded in 2014. They don’t offer the usual wide range of virtual assistant services you’d expect from a virtual assistant company, instead specializing in providing virtual assistants […]
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As you probably guessed from the name, Virtual Assistants India is an India-based VA company. The company was founded in 2012, and today they serve clients worldwide and handles a multitude of tasks including General Administration, Bookkeeping, Sales and Marketing, Call Center, Website Development, […]
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UPDATE: Pinoy for Hire may no longer be in operation. Please see below for alternatives. Pinoy for Hire is a Filipino virtual assistant company. Their head offices are located in Novi, Michigan, with their virtual assistants based in their offices […]
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Fancy Hands is a New York-based virtual assistant company that was founded in 2010. I’ve been a member since 2012, and here’s my review. What sets Fancy Hands apart from its low priced outsourcing competition is its use of US-based, […]
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UPDATE: It appears BPOVIA out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives. Among the growing standouts in the outsourcing industry is BPOVIA. The company was established in 2007 and has seen rapid growth since then. In addition to their […]
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Agents of Value is an outsourcing company in the Philippines. Established in 2005, the company is focused on providing technical help, online marketing expertise, and virtual assistance to entrepreneurial clients worldwide. Agents of Value calls their business an “offshore staff […]
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Stuff is a Boston-based technology company that has developed an on-demand concierge service powered by a combination of humans and AI technology. Their goal is to complete tasks for you with the same or better quality as you could do […]
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20four7VA (EconMobile LLC dba 20four7VA) is an American-owned virtual staffing agency licensed and insured in Maryland, USA. Their staff and virtual assistants (VAs) are based all over the world and work remotely. Read on for a detailed 20four7VA review. 20four7VA […]
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UPDATE: As of 2020, it appears Virtual Helper 24/7 is offline. Please see below for alternatives. Virtual Helper 24/7 is a professional virtual assistant company headquartered in Australia with virtual offices in Hong Kong and Taguig City in the Philippines. […]
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UPDATE: It appears Secret Staff is out of business. Please consider one of these alternatives. My Secret Staff is a virtual assistant and outsourcing company with offices in Chicago. The company was founded in 2009 has been growing at a […]
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Virtual Assistants Today (VirtualAssistants.today) is a US-based virtual assistant company based in San Francisco. Their virtual assistants are based in Mexico and are bilingual speaking both English and Spanish. The company has been operating for 2 years and specializing in […]
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$99 Social provides outsourced social media services for small businesses that don’t have the time or the expertise to actively engage with their customers online. The company aims to provide social media posts and activity on sites such as Facebook, […]
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UPDATE: EZY VA has pivoted their business model and no longer offer the services listed below. They are no longer accepting new clients. Please consider one of these alternatives. Headquarted in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Ezy VA is the brainchild of […]
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Virtudesk is a virtual assistant company based in Washington state. The business was founded in 2016 and their assistants specialize in real estate prospecting, marketing, and administrative tasks. Their company tagline says it best: “We manage the small tasks so […]
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Carve is a virtual assistant company based in Davao City, Philippines. The company was founded in 2013 by Tom Secuya, who’s overseen the business’ growth from 3 people to a team of more than 100. Tom had several years of experience […]