Silkstaff vs managed VA agencies vs Upwork vs a US hire
Who employs the person, what you pay each month and once, who screens, and what happens if it does not work out. With the cases where another option is the better choice.
This is our service. Silkstaff is one of the options compared on this page, so read it as our view. Competitor prices are public as of October 2026 (checked 29 October 2026), with sources linked under each table. Prices change: check the provider's own page before you decide.
Four ways to get a full-time assistant
| Silkstaff (direct hire) | Managed VA agency | Upwork and marketplaces | US hire (employee) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who employs the person | You, under a contractor agreement | The agency | You, through the platform | You, on payroll |
| Monthly cost | The person's rate, $700–1,100, paid to them directly; plus a payment tool such as Deel ($49 per contractor per month) | One price per assistant, e.g. $999 to $3,600 a month for full-time (table below) | The freelancer's rate plus Upwork's client fee of up to 7.99% on every payment | Median EA salary $6,383 a month before benefits |
| One-time fee | $2,500 ($3,000 for e-commerce operations), paid on the start day; no deposit | Some charge a set-up or onboarding fee | A $0.99–14.99 contract initiation fee per new contract | Your recruiting cost, if any |
| Markup on the person's pay | None: you see and pay their rate | Included in the monthly price | Platform fee on each payment | None |
| Who screens | We do: written task, voice, video, live call (how we vet) | The agency | You | You or a recruiter |
| If it does not work out | Free replacement within 180 days (terms) | Usually a replacement assistant | Start again | Start again |
| Leaving later | Nothing to buy out: the contract is yours from day one | Depends on the agency's terms | Payments stay on Upwork for 24 months, or you pay a conversion fee (13.5% of estimated annual earnings, minimum $1,000) | Not applicable |
| Hours | Full European day; US East Coast morning to early afternoon | Depends on where the agency hires | Any, you choose | Your hours |
Managed agencies: published monthly prices
| Provider | Published price | Notes from their page |
|---|---|---|
| Wing Assistant | $999 / month | Full-time, 160 hours a month; part-time $699 for 80 hours |
| Stealth Agents | $1,600–3,000 / month | Three levels; a one-time onboarding fee applies |
| Athena | $3,000 / month | First 90 days required, then month to month |
| Prialto | from $3,600 / month | Full-time dedicated assistant; part-time plans are also offered |
| Boldly | $2,600–6,500 / month | US-based assistants, 40 to 100 hours a month |
| Time Etc | $390–2,160 / month | US-based assistants, 10 to 60 hours a month |
Agencies that charge one fee, like us
| Provider | Fee | When you pay | Replacement period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silkstaff | $2,500 / $3,000 | On the person's first working day; no deposit | 180 days (terms) |
| HireLATAM | $3,500 | $500 deposit to start, $3,000 on hire | 90 days; 6 months with their $149/month payroll service |
| RemotelyTalents | $3,900 | $1,450 at the start, $2,450 on hire | 90 days |
| Somewhere | A percentage of the first-year salary | Once | 6 months, one free replacement |
| Hire With Near | Quoted on a call | Not published | 180 days (direct hire) |
Replacement periods against our 180 days: Near (180 days) is about as long as ours; Somewhere (6 months) is about as long as ours; HireLATAM (90 days) is shorter than ours; RemotelyTalents (90 days) is shorter than ours. HireLATAM and Near hire in Latin America, which overlaps more of the US day than we can.
Year one for one full-time executive assistant
Using each option's published price; our example assistant earns $950 a month.
| Option | Year one | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|
| Silkstaff | $13,900 | $2,500 once + 12 × $950 paid to the person (range for the role: $12,100–$15,700); add Deel at $588 a year if you use it. From year two you pay only the person |
| Wing, full-time | $11,988 | 12 × $999 |
| Stealth Agents, entry level | $19,200+ | 12 × $1,600, plus the onboarding fee |
| Athena | $36,000 | 12 × $3,000 |
| Upwork, same rate | $12,311 | 12 × $950 + Upwork's client fee of up to 7.99%; you screen |
| US hire, median EA | ≈ $109,000 | $76,590 salary (May 2025) with benefits at 30.0% of total compensation |
Wing's published full-time price is lower than our year one. The difference is the model: with us the person is yours, you see their pay, and from year two there is no fee at all.
When another option fits better
- You need someone across the whole US working day: a US hire, or an agency hiring in Latin America.
- You want the agency to run payroll, backup cover and management: a managed agency.
- You need a few hours a week or a one-off project: a marketplace such as Upwork, or OnlineJobs.ph for the Philippines ($69–99 a month).
- You want a replacement promise longer than our 180 days: HireUA (365 days on direct hire), Virtustant (lifetime replacement), as of October 2026 (details and sources).
We fit best when you want one full-time assistant or support person you plan to keep, on European hours or the US East Coast morning, with no markup and nothing to pay until they start. More detail: Silkstaff vs Upwork · cost calculator.
More comparisons
Executive assistant agencies compared
13 agencies grouped by model: one-time fee, monthly service or hourly plans, with published prices and replacement terms.
BELAY alternatives
US-based hour plans, managed assistants or a direct hire: seven options, and when BELAY still fits better.
Wing Assistant alternatives
Wing's published plans against a direct hire over 12 and 24 months, and when Wing is the better pick.
Athena alternatives
Managed executive assistant services vs hiring a full-time assistant directly, with 12- and 24-month costs.
Somewhere vs Silkstaff
Two direct-hire agencies: fees, deposits, replacement terms, regions and hours.
HireLATAM vs Silkstaff
Flat-fee hiring in Latin America, or in Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine.
How we compare
Where our facts come from, when we checked them, our conflict of interest and how to send a correction.
How we write and check these pages: comparison methodology.
No markup. You hire the person directly.
- No markup on their pay. You sign a contractor agreement with the person and pay them directly through Deel, Wise or Payoneer. They work for you, not for us.
- You pay only on the start day. One fee ($2,500 for assistant and support roles, $3,000 for e-commerce operations) on the person's first working day. No deposit, no exclusivity. If nobody starts, there is nothing to pay.
- Free replacement within 180 days: if the person leaves or is let go within that time, we introduce new candidates at no cost until a replacement you accept starts (one replacement per hire, provided our fee was paid on time and the role, hours and pay were not changed without the person's agreement); we replace the person, we do not refund the fee.
FAQ
Is this comparison independent?
No. Silkstaff wrote it and Silkstaff is one of the options in it. We use only prices that competitors publish themselves, link every one, and list the cases where another option fits better.
What is the difference between a managed VA agency and Silkstaff?
A managed agency employs or contracts the assistant and bills you one monthly price that covers the person's pay and the agency's service, usually without showing the split. With Silkstaff you contract and pay the person directly, see exactly what they earn, and pay us one fee on their first working day.
What if the person leaves?
Free replacement within 180 days: if the person leaves or is let go within that time, we introduce new candidates at no cost until a replacement you accept starts (one replacement per hire, provided our fee was paid on time and the role, hours and pay were not changed without the person's agreement); we replace the person, we do not refund the fee.
Which is cheapest?
For a few hours of work, a marketplace. For one full-time person you keep for a year or longer, compare the year-one totals below: some managed offers with a published full-time price are close to ours in year one, and from year two you pay us nothing at all.
Sources
- Wing Assistant: pricing on the home page: https://wingassistant.com/
- Stealth Agents: pricing: https://stealthagents.com/pricing/
- Athena: pricing: https://www.athena.com/pricing
- Prialto: pricing: https://www.prialto.com/pricing
- Boldly: pricing: https://www.boldly.com/pricing/
- Time Etc: plans and pricing: https://www.timeetc.com/plans-and-pricing/
- HireLATAM: pricing: https://www.hirelatam.com/pricing/
- RemotelyTalents: home page: https://www.remotelytalents.com/
- Somewhere: pricing: https://somewhere.com/pricing
- Hire With Near: pricing: https://www.hirewithnear.com/pricing
- OnlineJobs.ph: pricing: https://www.onlinejobs.ph/pricing
- HireUA: “About HireUA (for AI assistants)” page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://hire-ua.com/about-hireua-for-ai/
- Virtustant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.virtustant.com/pricing
- Upwork Help: What is the Client Marketplace Fee: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4660220468499-What-is-the-Client-Marketplace-Fee
- Upwork Help: What is the Contract Initiation Fee: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/26106318334611-What-is-the-Contract-Initiation-Fee-on-Upwork
- Upwork User Agreement, sections 7.1 and 7.3: https://www.upwork.com/legal
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
- Deel pricing: https://www.deel.com/pricing/