Prialto vs BELAY in 2026: Prices, Minimums and Which Fits
October 29, 2026
Prialto and BELAY both sell an experienced assistant by the month, but only Prialto publishes a price: $1,600 a month per 55-hour unit on its plan card (its FAQ says pricing starts at $1,500), or from $3,600 a month for a full-time assistant of 165 hours or more, with a 90-day minimum per unit (Prialto, October 29, 2026). BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, typically from 45 hours a month, month to month, with US-based assistants only. 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 are committed to before you can leave, 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 Prialto alternatives.
| What each publishes | Prialto (checked Oct 29, 2026) | BELAY (checked Oct 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,600 a month per 55-hour unit on the plan card; the FAQ says pricing starts at $1,500. Full-time (3+ units, 165+ hours) from $3,600 a month | Not published; a flat monthly rate set after a consultation |
| Smallest commitment | One 55-hour unit, with a 90-day minimum per unit | Support typically begins at 45 hours a month |
| Contract | 90-day minimum per unit; annual contracts get a discount it does not quantify | Month to month, not a long-term contract |
| Setup fee | $250 in the first month, waived on a one-year agreement | Not published |
| Hours over the plan | No overage fees; each unit includes "free episodic overflow time" | Hours can be scaled up or down |
| Who does the work | A dedicated assistant, an engagement manager, and cross-trained backup support | A matched executive or personal assistant |
| Where the team works | Headquarters in Portland, Oregon, with centers in Manila, Nairobi and Guatemala City (Prialto careers page) | United States: every executive and personal assistant is US-based |
| Working hours | 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday in US and UK time zones, excluding federal holidays; extended hours can be arranged | Not stated on its FAQ |
| Time to start | Onboarding for individuals and small teams typically begins within 3 to 5 days | Most clients matched within about a week |
| If the match does not work | Not stated on its pricing page | Rematch at no added cost |
The two are built differently. Prialto sells a unit of hours backed by a team, so a sick day or a departure is absorbed by a backup who already knows your work. BELAY sells a match with one US-based assistant, so the person and the location are the product.
There is no published BELAY price, 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 is $1,350 to $3,375 a month, an illustration rather than a BELAY quote. One Prialto unit is $1,600 for 55 hours, or $29.09 an hour if you use every hour, and the full-time plan is $3,600 for 165 hours, or $21.82 an hour.
| Hours you need a month | Prialto | Prialto per hour used | BELAY (illustration at $30 to $75 an hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 hours | 1 unit, $1,600 | $53.33 | You pay for about 45 hours, its typical floor: $1,350 to $3,375 |
| 45 hours | 1 unit, $1,600 | $35.56 | $1,350 to $3,375 |
| 55 hours | 1 unit, $1,600 | $29.09 | $1,650 to $4,125 |
| 110 hours | 2 units, $3,200 | $29.09 | $3,300 to $8,250 |
| 165 hours | Full-time plan, from $3,600 | $21.82 | $4,950 to $12,375 |
Ask BELAY for a written monthly quote and divide it by the hours you will really use. Under $29.09 an hour, BELAY costs less than one Prialto unit used in full; under $21.82, it costs less than Prialto's full-time plan. Then run the next test, because a monthly price is not the whole commitment.
The Commitment Exposure Test asks one question: if the arrangement does not work, what is the most you will have paid before you can walk away? It is minimum term × monthly price + setup fee. It matters most for a first hire, when you do not yet know how many hours you will delegate.
| Starting point | Minimum term | Exposure before you can leave |
|---|---|---|
| Prialto, one unit (no annual agreement) | 90 days | 3 × $1,600 + $250 = $5,050 (at the FAQ's $1,500: $4,750) |
| Prialto, full-time plan | 90 days per unit | 3 × $3,600 + $250 = $11,050 |
| BELAY, 45 hours a month | Month to month | One month: $1,350 to $3,375 at its own US range (a quote replaces this) |
| Virtustant, 45 hours a month | Month to month | One month: $315 for a virtual assistant at $7/hr, $382.50 for an executive assistant at $8.50/hr |
Read it this way: Prialto asks for a longer commitment and gives you a team in return; BELAY and Virtustant let you leave after a month and give you one dedicated person. If you are unsure how many hours you will hand off, the shorter exposure is worth more than a lower per-hour price you may not reach.
Prialto fits when continuity matters more than the person: an executive whose calendar cannot stop for a vacation, or a sales team that needs scheduling covered every weekday. The engagement manager and backup support are what you pay for, and the 90-day minimum is the cost of setting that up.
BELAY fits when the assistant must be in the US, for example for in-person errands, US phone presence or a client base that expects a US-based contact, and when you want to stay month to month from the start. Get the quote in writing and run it through both tests above.
Neither is built for a small, irregular need: under about 40 hours a month, an hour package costs less than a unit or a 45-hour floor. All the options are in Prialto alternatives and BELAY alternatives.
At 55 hours a month, the size of one Prialto unit, Virtustant's starting rates give $385 for a virtual assistant at $7/hr and $467.50 for an executive assistant at $8.50/hr. At 165 hours, the size of Prialto's full-time plan, they give $1,155 and $1,402.50. 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 Prialto and Virtustant vs BELAY; for another premium pair, see BELAY vs Boldly. Ready to price a seat? Book a discovery call.
Only Prialto publishes a price: $1,600 a month per 55-hour unit ($29.09 an hour if fully used) and from $3,600 a month for 165 hours or more ($21.82 an hour), as of October 29, 2026. BELAY quotes a flat monthly rate after a consultation, and its cost guide puts US virtual assistants at $30 to $75 an hour. Divide a BELAY quote by the hours you will use and compare it with those two figures.
Prialto bills units of 55 hours a month at $1,600 per unit on its plan card, and its FAQ says pricing starts at $1,500. A full-time dedicated assistant (three or more units, 165+ hours) starts at $3,600 a month. There is a 90-day minimum per unit and a $250 setup fee, waived on a one-year agreement.
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 every executive and personal assistant is US-based. Prialto is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and lists centers in Manila, Nairobi and Guatemala City; its assistants work 9am to 6pm on weekdays in US and UK time zones.
Prialto has a 90-day minimum per 55-hour unit, so one unit commits you to about $5,050 including the setup fee. BELAY runs month to month and typically starts at 45 hours a month.
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 $385 to $467.50 for 55 hours, with $0 placement fees, month-to-month terms, a shortlist in 48 hours and a lifetime replacement guarantee.
