BELAY vs Boldly in 2026: Prices, Minimums and Which Fits
October 28, 2026
BELAY and Boldly both sell experienced assistants by the month, but only Boldly publishes a price: $65 an hour, from $2,600 a month for 40 hours to $6,500 for 100 hours (Boldly, October 28, 2026). BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, typically from 45 hours a month, and its own cost guide puts US virtual assistants at $30 to $75 an hour. If the assistant does not need to live in the US, a remote staffing agency that places Latin American assistants on US hours (e.g., Virtustant) starts at $7/hr all-in, or $8.50/hr for executive assistants, with $0 placement fees.
This page compares the two services on what each publishes, shows what you really pay per hour when your needs do not match a plan size, and says when each fits. Virtustant is one of the options mentioned, so we use published facts only and show every calculation; sources are at the end. For each service in depth, see BELAY pricing and Virtustant vs Boldly.
| What each publishes | BELAY (checked Oct 28, 2026) | Boldly (checked Oct 28, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Not published; a flat monthly rate set after a consultation | $65 an hour: 40 hours $2,600, 60 hours $3,900, 80 hours $5,200, 100 hours $6,500 a month |
| Smallest commitment | Support typically begins at 45 hours a month | 40-hour plan; plans up to 160 hours priced on request |
| Contract | Month to month, not a long-term contract | Upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time |
| Where assistants are based | United States | North America or Europe, your choice |
| Employment model | Not stated on its FAQ | Its US team are employees rather than contractors |
| Specialist work | Bookkeeping priced by how complex the books are | Project management, web development, writing and design at $79 an hour |
| Time to match | Most clients matched within about a week | Not stated on its pricing summary |
| If the match does not work | Right-Fit Guarantee: rematch at no added cost | Refund of the month if not completely satisfied |
| Setup fee | Not published | No start-up fees |
| Payment fees | Not published | Credit cards carry a 2.9% processing fee; ACH Direct Debit has none |
Both describe a premium, experienced assistant rather than a low-cost one: BELAY says it "isn't built to compete on rock-bottom price", and Boldly prices every plan hour at $65.
There is no published BELAY price to compare, so the honest answer is a range. BELAY's own cost guide says US-based virtual assistants charge $30 to $75 an hour on average. At its typical 45-hour starting point, that range gives $1,350 to $3,375 a month as an illustration, not a BELAY quote. Boldly's nearest plans are $2,600 for 40 hours and $3,900 for 60.
Ask BELAY for a written monthly quote and divide it by the hours included. If the result is under $65, BELAY costs less per plan hour than Boldly; if it is over, Boldly does. Then run the next test, because the plan hour is not the hour you use.
The Unused-Hour Test asks: at the hours you really need each month, what do you pay per hour used? Plans come in fixed sizes, so a need that falls between sizes buys hours you may not use. Boldly's pricing summary does not say unused hours roll over, so confirm before you size up.
| Hours you need a month | Boldly plan you buy | Boldly price per hour used | BELAY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 40-hour plan, $2,600 | $86.67 | You pay for about 45 hours, its typical floor |
| 45 hours | 60-hour plan, $3,900 | $86.67 | Quote ÷ hours used |
| 50 hours | 60-hour plan, $3,900 | $78.00 | Quote ÷ hours used |
| 70 hours | 80-hour plan, $5,200 | $74.29 | Quote ÷ hours used |
| 90 hours | 100-hour plan, $6,500 | $72.22 | Quote ÷ hours used |
Boldly price per hour used = plan price ÷ hours you need. At 30 hours a month you pay $86.67 for every hour you use, a third more than the $65 list rate; at 90 hours, $72.22. On BELAY, a need under its typical 45-hour floor works the same way: at 30 hours you pay for about 45, or 1.5 times the hourly rate for every hour used.
The rule. Size the plan to the hours you can delegate every month, not the hours you hope to. The list rate is what you are quoted; the price per hour used is what you pay.
BELAY tends to fit when you want a US-based assistant, around 45 hours a month or more, and prefer to be matched by the provider after a consultation, with a rematch if the first match is not right.
Boldly tends to fit when you want a published price before the first call, a plan sized in 20-hour steps from 40 to 100 hours, staff based in North America or Europe, and US assistants who are Boldly employees.
Look at other models when you need fewer than 40 hours a month (hour packages such as Time etc start at 10 hours), or when the assistant does not need to live in the US. All the options are in BELAY alternatives.
At 45 hours a month, Virtustant's starting rates give $315 for a virtual assistant at $7/hr and $382.50 for an executive assistant at $8.50/hr. The professional is based in Latin America and works your US business hours. The price is lower because the location is different, so the choice is location first, price second.
Virtustant is a remote staffing agency. We recruit a dedicated, bilingual professional from Latin America who works your US hours and is directed by you, at one all-in hourly rate. Starting rates: virtual assistants from $7/hr; executive assistants and bookkeepers from $8.50/hr (Virtustant pricing). The median client-side rate for a virtual assistant was $10.10/hr (n=24) in the 2026 Nearshore Rate Report (441 placement starts, January to June 2026).
Shortlist in 48 hours. Start in 72 hours. You get 3 to 5 vetted candidates within 48 hours of your first call. The vetting funnel: 100% apply, 22% clear the recruiter screen, 9% pass cognitive (IQ), skills and English testing, 3% reach a live interview, 1% are hired, which is what we mean by the top 1%. Terms are month to month, with zero placement fees, a lifetime replacement guarantee and one weekly invoice per placement. Virtustant handles payroll, contracts and the paperwork on the professional's side; you direct the work. How Virtustant makes money: if you pay your agent $10/hr, we give them $9 and keep the dollar in the middle.
For the head-to-heads, see Virtustant vs BELAY and Virtustant vs Boldly; for 22 providers on one page, see compare agencies. Ready to price a seat? Book a discovery call.
Only Boldly publishes a price: $65 an hour, from $2,600 a month for 40 hours, as of October 28, 2026. BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, typically from 45 hours a month, and its cost guide puts US virtual assistants at $30 to $75 an hour. Divide a BELAY quote by its hours: under $65 an hour it costs less per plan hour than Boldly.
Boldly publishes four plans at $65 an hour: $2,600 for 40 hours, $3,900 for 60, $5,200 for 80 and $6,500 for 100, with larger plans up to 160 hours priced on request. Specialist work such as project management, web development, writing and design is $79 an hour.
BELAY does not publish prices. Its FAQ says support is a flat monthly rate, runs month to month and typically begins at 45 hours a month. At the $30 to $75 hourly range in its own cost guide, 45 hours would be $1,350 to $3,375 a month, an illustration rather than a quote.
BELAY says its personal and executive assistants are US-based. Boldly offers North America or Europe-based staff and says its US team are employees rather than contractors.
BELAY says support typically begins at 45 hours a month, month to month. Boldly's smallest plan is 40 hours a month, and you can upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time.
Yes. A remote staffing agency that places Latin American assistants on US hours, such as Virtustant, starts at $7/hr all-in for virtual assistants and $8.50/hr for executive assistants, or $315 to $382.50 for 45 hours, with $0 placement fees, a shortlist in 48 hours and a lifetime replacement guarantee.
