Wing Assistant alternatives: when to subscribe and when to hire directly
Wing publishes its plans, which makes the comparison simple. Here is Wing next to a direct hire and other models over 12 and 24 months, including where Wing costs less.
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 Wing offers, from its pricing page
- Plans: $999 a month for 160 hours (full-time) or $699 a month for 80 hours (part-time).
- Model: Wing provides and manages the assistant; you pay Wing one monthly price.
- Hours: Any hours you want, in your time zone (Wing's plan description).
- Replacement and contract: Free replacement (no period stated); no long-term contract.
- Where the assistants are: not stated on the pricing page.
- Source: wingassistant.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 | |||||
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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: Wing against the alternatives
| 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 |
| Wing Assistant, part-time | $8,388 | $16,776 | 80 hours a month at $699 |
| 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 |
| 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 Wing is the better choice
- You want a low, predictable monthly price for a full-time assistant: $999 for 160 hours a month, the lowest published full-time price on this page.
- You want the provider to manage the assistant and replace them, without running a contractor relationship yourself.
- Part-time is enough: Wing's 80-hour plan costs $699 a month. We only place full-time people.
- You need your own hours, including the full US day: Wing's plans offer any hours in your time zone; we cover the UK and European day or the US East Coast morning and early afternoon.
- You want no long-term commitment and a monthly bill you can stop.
When Silkstaff is the better choice
- You want one person who works only for you and whom you hire directly: the contract is yours from day one.
- You want to see and set their pay, $800–1,100 a month, and keep any raise for the person, not for an agency.
- You plan to keep them for a year or longer and are fine paying a contractor through Deel, Wise or Payoneer.
- You want candidates from Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia or Kazakhstan, vetted on a live call before you see them.
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 Wing Assistant cost?
As of October 2026 Wing's pricing page lists $999 a month for 160 hours (full-time) or $699 a month for 80 hours (part-time), with free replacement and no long-term contract. Check Wing's page for the current price.
Is hiring an assistant directly cheaper than Wing?
It depends on the pay you agree with the person. At $950 a month, Wing's full-time plan costs less than a direct hire through us over both 12 and 24 months. In more detail: 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. The bigger difference is the model: with a direct hire the person works for you and you set their pay.
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
- Athena alternatives
- Somewhere vs Silkstaff
- HireLATAM vs Silkstaff
- How we compare
- Silkstaff vs managed agencies vs Upwork vs a US hire
Sources
- Wing Assistant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://wingassistant.com/pricing/
- Virtustant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.virtustant.com/pricing
- Athena: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.athena.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/
- Time Etc: plans and pricing (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.timeetc.com/plans-and-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/