Alternatives · prices as of Oct 2026, checked 30 Oct 2026
Athena alternatives for founders who want a full-time executive assistant
Athena employs and manages a full-time EA for one monthly price. These are the alternatives, from other managed services to hiring a full-time assistant directly, with 12- and 24-month costs.
This is our service. Silkstaff is one of the options on this page, so this comparison is not independent. Competitor prices and terms are taken from each company's own public pages, as of October 2026 (checked 30 Oct 2026), and each one links to its source. No company paid to be included. Found an error? Email hello@silkstaff.com and we will correct it within 5 business days. How we compare.
What Athena offers, from its pricing page
- Price: $3,000 a month for one dedicated, full-time EA; billed monthly after an initial 90-day commitment.
- Model: Athena employs, trains and equips the EA and manages their performance.
- If it does not work out: A different Athena EA if things do not improve (no period stated).
- Where the EAs are: not stated on the pricing page.
- Source: athena.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026.
Alternatives by model
| Option | Model | Published price (as of Oct 2026) | Replacement terms | Where the person is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly managed service: the provider supplies and manages the person | |||||
| Pearl Talent | Managed monthly service | From $3,000 a month (rate varies by role and seniority) | 30-day replacement guarantee; monthly, cancel anytime | The Philippines, Brazil and Mexico (the sourcing locations on its home page) | pearltalent.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026; pearltalent.com, as of Oct 2026 |
| Wing Assistant | Managed monthly service | $999 a month for 160 hours (full-time) or $699 a month for 80 hours (part-time) | Free replacement (no period stated); no long-term contract | Not stated on the pricing page | wingassistant.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| Hourly pricing: hour packages or an all-in hourly rate | |||||
| Virtustant | Managed service, all-in hourly rate | From $7 an hour (virtual assistant, customer service) and from $8.50 an hour (executive assistant), all-in; no placement or setup fee | Lifetime replacement: a new hire whenever yours leaves, with no expiry | 18 Latin American countries, South Africa and the Philippines | virtustant.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| One-time placement fee: you hire the person directly | |||||
| Hire With Near | One-time placement fee (direct hire), or a monthly staffing model | One-time placement fee (amount not published; quoted on a discovery call) | 180-day free replacement (direct hire); for the duration of the engagement (staffing model) | Latin America | hirewithnear.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| HireLATAM | One-time placement fee (direct hire) | $3,500 per placement: a $500 deposit to start the search and $3,000 when you hire | Standard 90-day replacement guarantee; extended to 6 months if you add their payroll admin ($149 a month) | Latin America | hirelatam.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| Silkstaff (our service) | One-time placement fee (direct hire) | $2,500 one-time ($3,000 for e-commerce operations), paid on the person's first working day; no deposit | Free replacement within 180 days (terms) | Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan | silkstaff.com |
| Somewhere | One-time fee (direct hire), or monthly Talent On-Demand | A one-time fee set as a percentage of the first-year salary (the percentage is not shown on the pricing page); the percentage falls as you hire more | 6-month perfect-hire guarantee with one free replacement (direct hire); unlimited replacements within the contract period (Talent On-Demand) | Latin America, South Africa and the Philippines | somewhere.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
12 and 24 months for one full-time EA
| Option | 12 months | 24 months | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athena | $36,000 | $72,000 | $3,000 a month; Athena employs the EA |
| Wing Assistant, full-time | $11,988 | $23,976 | 160 hours a month at $999; managed by Wing |
| Silkstaff (our service) | $13,900 | $25,300 | $2,500 once + $950 a month paid to the person (our range $800–1,100: $12,100–$15,700 for 12 months, $21,700–$28,900 for 24). Add Deel at $49 a month ($588 a year) if you use it |
| Virtustant, executive assistant | from $16,320 | from $32,640 | 160 hours × $8.50 (their lowest published EA rate), all-in |
| Pearl Talent | from $36,000 | from $72,000 | from $3,000 a month; rate varies by role and seniority |
At $950 a month, a direct hire through us costs $22,100 less than Athena in the first year and $46,700 less over 24 months, before a payment tool such as Deel ($588 a year). Athena's price includes things a direct hire does not: Athena employs, trains, equips and manages the EA. With us, you manage the person and pay them yourself.
When Athena is the better choice
- You want the provider to employ, train and equip the EA and to manage their performance (Athena's pricing page lists all four).
- You do not want to manage a contractor or run monthly payments yourself.
- You want onboarding support from the provider: Athena lists algorithmic matching and tailored onboarding in its price.
When Silkstaff is the better choice
- You are comfortable managing one full-time assistant yourself and want the savings shown above.
- You want to hire the person directly, see their pay ($800–1,100 a month) and keep the contract.
- You work on UK or European hours, or need the US East Coast morning and early afternoon.
- You want nothing to pay until the first working day, and no monthly commitment to an agency.
About Silkstaff in this comparison
- Silkstaff is a hiring agency; our team is in Paris. We are new and have no client reviews yet, so compare us on terms and process, not on a track record.
- We place full-time executive and operations assistants and customer support and e-commerce staff who live in Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan. Every profile passes a written task, a voice answer, a video and a live call with our team (how we vet).
- You hire the person directly as a contractor and pay them $800–1,100 a month (assistants) or $700–1,000 (support) through Deel, Wise or Payoneer, with no markup. Our only charge is a one-time fee of $2,500 ($3,000 for e-commerce operations) on their first working day; an optional support plan is $250 a month.
- Hours: a full UK or European working day, or about 4 to 7 hours of overlap with US Eastern time depending on the country (from Tbilisi or Yerevan, roughly 6 am to 2 pm New York time). We do not promise West Coast or full US-day cover.
- 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.
How Silkstaff works
- 3 vetted profiles with intro videos in 7 days after a 15-minute brief.
- Every candidate passed a role-specific written test in English, an English voice and video check, a live video interview and a setup check. References for finalists are available on request.
- One-time fee: $2,500 for assistant and support roles, $3,000 for e-commerce operations, paid on the person's first working day. No deposit, no exclusivity.
- Direct hire: you sign a contractor agreement with the person and pay them directly (Deel, Wise or Payoneer). No monthly markup on their pay.
FAQ
How much does Athena cost?
As of October 2026 Athena's pricing page lists $3,000 a month for one dedicated, full-time EA, billed monthly after an initial 90-day commitment.
What do I give up by hiring an EA directly instead of using Athena?
The provider's management layer: with Athena, Athena employs, trains, equips and manages the EA. With a direct hire you manage the person and pay them yourself, which costs less but takes some of your time.
What happens if the hire 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.
More comparisons
- Executive assistant agencies compared
- BELAY alternatives
- Wing Assistant alternatives
- Somewhere vs Silkstaff
- HireLATAM vs Silkstaff
- How we compare
- Silkstaff vs managed agencies vs Upwork vs a US hire
Sources
- Athena: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.athena.com/pricing
- Wing Assistant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://wingassistant.com/pricing/
- Pearl Talent: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.pearltalent.com/pricing
- Pearl Talent: home page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.pearltalent.com/
- Virtustant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.virtustant.com/pricing
- Hire With Near: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.hirewithnear.com/pricing
- HireLATAM: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.hirelatam.com/pricing/
- Somewhere: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://somewhere.com/pricing
- Deel pricing: https://www.deel.com/pricing/