BELAY alternatives: monthly plans vs hiring a full-time assistant directly
BELAY provides U.S.-based assistants for a monthly fee it does not publish. Here are seven alternatives grouped by model, with the prices each one publishes, and the cases where BELAY is still the better choice.
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 BELAY offers, from its own website
- Who: United States (U.S.-based assistants). Assistants work as BELAY contractors; you pay BELAY a monthly fee.
- Price: Not published; the website describes a flat monthly fee. We do not use third-party estimates of BELAY's prices: ask BELAY for a quote.
- Services: Assistants, plus bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and fractional CFO services. Each client has a dedicated BELAY Client Success Consultant.
- Replacement: “The BELAY Guarantee means your match sticks” (no period stated).
- Source: belaysolutions.com, as of Oct 2026.
Seven alternatives by model
Listed by model, from US-based hours to a full-time person you hire directly. Prices are what each company publishes, as of October 2026.
| 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 | |||||
| Athena | Managed monthly service | $3,000 a month for one dedicated, full-time EA; billed monthly after an initial 90-day commitment | A different Athena EA if things do not improve (no period stated) | Not stated on the pricing page | athena.com/pricing, 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 | |||||
| Time Etc | Monthly hour packages | $390 a month for 10 hours up to $2,160 a month for 60 hours | Complete satisfaction guarantee (their wording); switch plans or cancel any time | United States (“Dedicated U.S. assistant”) | timeetc.com/plans-and-pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| 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 | |||||
| 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 assistant
BELAY is not in this table because it does not publish prices. HireLATAM and Somewhere charge a one-time fee plus the pay you agree with the person (HireLATAM $3,500; Somewhere a percentage of the first-year salary).
| Option | 12 months | 24 months | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Time Etc, 60 hours | $25,920 | $51,840 | $2,160 a month for 60 hours (their largest published plan; not full-time); US-based |
| Athena | $36,000 | $72,000 | $3,000 a month; Athena employs the EA |
Wing's full-time plan: $11,988 for 12 months and $23,976 for 24. A direct hire through us at $950 a month: $13,900 and $25,300. At $950 a month, Wing's full-time plan costs less than a direct hire through us over both 12 and 24 months. The answer depends on the pay you agree with the person: at $800 a month, a direct hire becomes cheaper in total from month 13 (month 17 if you also pay for Deel); at $950 a month, a direct hire becomes cheaper in total from month 52 (never, if you also pay for Deel); at $1,100 a month, Wing's plan always costs less. So the choice is about the model more than the price: who employs and manages the person, which hours you need, and whether you want to see and set their pay yourself.
When BELAY is the better choice
- You want an assistant based in the US, including for West Coast hours. BELAY's assistants are U.S.-based; ours work from Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan.
- You want part-time, fractional support rather than one full-time person.
- You want bookkeeping or accounting and an assistant from one provider. BELAY sells both.
- You want a managed service with a client success contact, and do not want to manage or pay a contractor yourself.
- You value a long track record: in August 2024 BELAY announced its 10th consecutive year on the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing private companies, according to its press release. We are a new agency.
When Silkstaff is the better choice
- You want one full-time assistant (about 160 hours a month) who works only for you.
- You want to see and set their pay, $800–1,100 a month, paid by you directly with no markup.
- You work on UK or European hours, or need the US East Coast morning and early afternoon.
- You plan to keep the person for a year or longer: after our one-time fee you pay only the person.
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
Does BELAY publish its prices?
No. As of October 2026 BELAY's website describes a flat monthly fee without amounts, so ask BELAY for a quote. Several alternatives on this page publish their prices, from $390 a month for 10 US-based hours (Time Etc) to $3,000 a month for a full-time managed EA (Athena).
What is the main difference between BELAY and hiring an assistant directly?
With BELAY you pay a monthly fee and BELAY provides and supports the assistant. With a direct hire you choose one full-time person, contract and pay them yourself, and pay an agency like ours only once.
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
- Wing Assistant alternatives
- Athena alternatives
- Somewhere vs Silkstaff
- HireLATAM vs Silkstaff
- How we compare
- Silkstaff vs managed agencies vs Upwork vs a US hire
Sources
- BELAY: home page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.belaysolutions.com/
- BELAY: press release on Newswire, 13 August 2024 (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.newswire.com/news/belay-celebrates-10-consecutive-years-on-the-inc-5000-annual-list-of-22402450
- Time Etc: plans and pricing (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.timeetc.com/plans-and-pricing/
- Wing Assistant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://wingassistant.com/pricing/
- Athena: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.athena.com/pricing
- Virtustant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.virtustant.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/