Wishup Pricing in 2026: Every Plan, the Real Hourly Rate After Holidays and Leave, and Where It Costs Less Than an Agency
October 23, 2026
Wishup prices its Prime virtual assistant at $1,299 a month for 4 hours a day and $1,999 a month for 8 hours a day, its Elite VA at $1,999 and $2,999, a US-based VA at $3,000 and $5,400 and a dedicated bookkeeper at $999 and $1,799, as listed on its pricing page on October 23, 2026. Annual billing takes 5% off, there is no sign-up fee, and Wishup's terms add a 10% price increase on each contract anniversary. Divided by the 174 weekday hours a full-time plan covers in a month, Prime costs $11.49 an hour before any holidays or leave.
This guide lists every plan and term Wishup publishes, turns monthly prices into hourly ones, and adds what an hour of work costs once Wishup's own published holidays and leave are taken out. Virtustant is a remote staffing agency and one of the routes compared, so we stick to published facts and show every calculation. For the head-to-head on models, see Virtustant vs Wishup.
Wishup sells a dedicated person by the month in blocks of 4 or 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday: "a part-time VA at $1299 and a full-time VA at $1999" (virtual assistant page); its US page lists "$1,299 onwards–$5,400/mo (4–8 hrs/day)" (US virtual assistants page).
| Plan | 4 hours a day | 8 hours a day | 8 hours a day, annual billing (per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime VA | $1,299 | $1,999 | $1,899 (saves $1,199 a year) |
| Elite VA | $1,999 | $2,999 | $2,849 (saves $1,799 a year) |
| US-based VA | $3,000 | $5,400 | $5,130 (saves $3,240 a year) |
| Dedicated Bookkeeper | $999 | $1,799 | $1,709 (saves $1,079 a year) |
| AI & Automation Expert | $1,799 | $2,999 | $2,849 (saves $1,799 a year) |
Source: Wishup pricing page, read October 23, 2026. Prices are per month on the default "Quarter" option; the "Annual" option is labeled "5% OFF". Managed bookkeeping "Starts from $300/month", and Wishup says its executive assistants "start from $1,299/month" (executive assistant page), the Prime 4-hour price.
| Item | What Wishup says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up fee | "Is there a sign-up fee? No." | FAQs |
| When you pay | In advance, charged automatically at the start of each billing cycle. | FAQs; Terms 7.31 |
| Annual increase | "The Subscription Fee shall be subject to an annual increase of 10% starting from the anniversary date." | Terms 7.33 |
| Working hours | Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm US time; India-based VAs "work a night shift in India". No weekends. | Pricing page; FAQs |
| Unused hours | "We do not roll over unused hours." | FAQs |
| Holidays and leave | 9 compulsory holidays in 2026, up to 3 on-demand holidays and 22 leaves a year. The fee "is inclusive of leaves and holidays", with no credits within those limits. | FAQs; holiday list; Terms 7.35 |
| Replacement | Free, at the same price. You run the handover; any overlap is billed pro rata. | Pricing page; Terms 7.29 |
| Cancellation | Pro-rata refund if you cancel within the first month; one month's notice after that. | Terms 10.2 |
| Late payment | $100 per subscription per week. | Terms 7.34 |
| Hiring the assistant | Barred for the contract plus 24 months, with damages of the greater of $50,000 or 200% of annual compensation, unless Wishup accepts a non-refundable $25,000 buyout. | Terms 8.9, 8.10 |
Sources: Wishup Inc's Terms and Conditions (effective November 27, 2025), the Wishup FAQs and its 2026 holiday list, read October 23, 2026.
Not published: an hourly rate, the hours in a month, the leave policy document, and whether "Quarter" is charged three months at a time (the terms describe a monthly cycle; confirm it on your order form). The page's share description still quotes "$2,849/Month for 8 Hours" and "$1,899/Month for 4 Hours", which do not match its plan cards. Use the plan cards.
2026 has 261 weekdays, so an 8-hour plan schedules 8 × 261 ÷ 12 = 174 hours a month and a 4-hour plan 87. Dividing each price by those hours gives the scheduled hourly rate:
| Plan (8 hours a day) | Per month | First 12 months, Quarter option | First 12 months, annual billing | Per scheduled hour | Per hour for hours 5 to 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime VA | $1,999 | $23,988 | $22,789 | $11.49 | $8.05 |
| Elite VA | $2,999 | $35,988 | $34,189 | $17.24 | $11.49 |
| US-based VA | $5,400 | $64,800 | $61,560 | $31.03 | $27.59 |
| Dedicated Bookkeeper | $1,799 | $21,588 | $20,509 | $10.34 | $9.20 |
| AI & Automation Expert | $2,999 | $35,988 | $34,189 | $17.24 | $13.79 |
The last column is the 8-hour price minus the 4-hour price, divided by the 87 extra hours. What follows:
A monthly plan prices the hours on the calendar, not the hours worked. Wishup says so plainly: the fee includes holidays and leave, with no credits within the published limits. So the useful number is the Delivered-Hour Rate: the monthly fee divided by the hours the assistant actually works in an average month.
The formula: monthly fee ÷ (hours per day × days worked in the year ÷ 12). Days worked = 261 weekdays in 2026, minus Wishup's compulsory holidays on weekdays (7 of the 9 on its list), minus on-demand holidays (up to 3), minus leave (up to 22).
| Scenario (Prime VA) | Days worked in 2026 | Hours a month at 8 hours a day | Prime, 4 hours ($1,299) | Prime, 8 hours ($1,999) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled, no time off | 261 | 174.00 | $14.93 | $11.49 |
| Minus the 7 weekday compulsory holidays | 254 | 169.33 | $15.34 | $11.81 |
| Minus 3 on-demand holidays as well | 251 | 167.33 | $15.53 | $11.95 |
| Minus all 22 days of leave as well | 229 | 152.67 | $17.02 | $13.09 |
How to read it: full-time Prime costs $11.49 per scheduled hour and up to $13.09 per delivered hour if every published day off is taken; on annual billing, $10.91 to $12.44. The 4-hour plan runs from $14.93 to $17.02. The worst case, all leave used, is a ceiling, not a forecast. US holidays such as Thanksgiving are on the on-demand list.
Elite is the exception: it lists a backup VA when the primary is absent, so its delivered-hour rate should stay near its scheduled $17.24. We do not adjust the US-based VA, whose leave allowance is not published.
The rule. Before you compare a monthly plan with an hourly rate, divide the fee by the hours you will actually get, not the hours on the plan, and ask in writing who covers the seat when your assistant is off.
One ongoing general-assistant seat, Monday to Friday in US hours, priced through five routes on what each publishes:
| Route | What you pay | Who picks the person | If it does not work out | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wishup Prime VA | $1,999 a month for 8 hours a day ($1,899 annual); $11.49 to $13.09 an hour | Wishup matches you | Free replacement; you run the handover | One month's notice after month one |
| Upwork | The freelancer's rate plus a marketplace fee of up to 7.99% on Basic (3% for qualifying US bank accounts) | You | You search again | Per contract |
| Deel (contractor plan) | The pay you set, plus from $49 per contractor per month | You | You search again | Month-to-month |
| US in-house administrative assistant | $48,310 a year median; about $5,751.19 a month with benefits | You | You search again | Payroll |
| Virtustant | All-in hourly rate from $7/hr ($1,120 at 160 hours); H1 2026 median $10.10/hr (n=24) | You, from 3 to 5 vetted candidates | Lifetime replacement guarantee | Month-to-month, one weekly invoice per placement |
Sources: Upwork, Deel, BLS (May 2025, loaded at 30% benefits). In Virtustant's H1 2026 placement data (441 starts, January to June 2026), the median client-side rate for a virtual assistant was $10.10/hr (n=24), about $1,616 at 160 hours (2026 Nearshore Rate Report).
On this seat, Wishup Prime costs $1.39 more per scheduled hour than that median, $0.81 more on annual billing. Part time widens the gap: of 25 virtual assistant positions Virtustant filled from August 24 to September 30, 2026, 14 were part time, with a median of 20 hours a week (full dataset). That is Wishup's 4-hour plan, $1,299 for 87 scheduled hours; the same hours cost $878.70 at the Virtustant median and $609.00 at $7.
Related: Belay pricing and Wing Assistant pricing.
On some roles it does. Wishup's scheduled-hour rates (the reading most favorable to Wishup) against Virtustant's starting rates and H1 2026 medians:
| Role | Wishup plan and price per scheduled hour | Virtustant starting rate | Virtustant H1 2026 median | Lower per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual assistant | Prime, 8 hours: $11.49 ($10.91 annual) | $7.00 | $10.10 (n=24) | Virtustant |
| Executive assistant | Prime, 8 hours: $11.49 ($10.91 annual); Elite, 8 hours: $17.24 | $8.50 | $12.00 (n=24) | Wishup Prime, against the median; Virtustant, against Elite |
| Bookkeeper | Dedicated Bookkeeper, 8 hours: $10.34 ($9.82 annual) | $8.50 | $12.85 (n=7, small sample) | Wishup, against the median; Virtustant, at the starting rate |
Bookkeeping is the clearest case. Wishup's dedicated bookkeeper at $1,799 a month for 8 hours a day is $10.34 per scheduled hour, below the Virtustant H1 2026 bookkeeper median of $12.85 (about $2,056 at 160 hours). With all published leave and holidays taken out it is $11.78, still below. That median rests on seven placements and bookkeepers start at $8.50 ($1,360 at 160 hours), so a quote can land either side.
Executive assistant work depends on the tier. Wishup lists "C-suite & leadership-level support" on Elite. If Prime at 8 hours fits the job, its $11.49 per scheduled hour is below the Virtustant executive assistant median of $12.00 ($1,920 at 160 hours); after all published time off it is $13.09, above it. Elite, at $17.24, is above it either way.
What each price buys:
Wishup is the stronger choice more often than a competing provider would like to admit:
It is a weaker fit when you want to choose the person, need fewer than 4 hours a day or a flexible schedule (unused hours do not roll over), need the budget to hold for two years (the 10% increase), might hire the person yourself ($25,000 buyout), or need cold calling, which Wishup says its India-based VAs do not do.
All models side by side: compare agencies.
Virtustant is a remote staffing agency. We recruit a dedicated, bilingual professional from Latin America who works your hours and is directed by you, at one all-in hourly rate. Starting rates: virtual assistants and customer service from $7/hr; executive assistants and bookkeepers from $8.50/hr. See the virtual assistant, executive assistant and bookkeeper role pages and pricing.
Shortlist in 48 hours. Start in 72 hours. You get a shortlist of 3 to 5 vetted candidates within 48 hours of your first call, and your hire can start in 72 hours. 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%.
After the hire, your account manager is the main point of contact and coordinates onboarding, the start date, tools access and a first-week plan, then follows up during the first weeks. You direct the day-to-day work. Virtustant handles payroll, paperwork and everything administrative on the professional's side. Terms are month-to-month with zero placement fees, a lifetime replacement guarantee and one weekly invoice per placement. How Virtustant makes money: if you pay your agent $10/hr, we give them $9 and keep the dollar in the middle. Virtustant is rated 4.9/5 on G2 and 4.5/5 on Trustpilot.
See virtual assistant rates, or book a discovery call to price your role.
As of October 2026, Wishup lists the Prime VA at $1,299 a month for 4 hours a day and $1,999 for 8 hours, Elite at $1,999 and $2,999, a US-based VA at $3,000 and $5,400 and a dedicated bookkeeper at $999 and $1,799. Annual billing takes 5% off, there is no sign-up fee, and its terms add 10% on each contract anniversary.
Wishup does not publish an hourly rate. Full-time Prime, $1,999 a month for 8 hours a day, covers about 174 weekday hours a month in 2026, or $11.49 per scheduled hour. Because the fee includes holidays and up to 22 days of leave, the cost per hour actually worked can reach $13.09. The 4-hour plan is $14.93 per scheduled hour.
Elite costs $1,999 for 4 hours a day and $2,999 for 8, against $1,299 and $1,999 for Prime. Wishup lists Elite assistants with 5+ years of experience against 3+ for Prime, plus leadership-level support and a backup VA when the primary assistant is absent.
Yes. The Annual option is labeled 5% off: on Prime at 8 hours, $1,899 a month instead of $1,999, a saving of $1,199 a year. Wishup's terms also set a 10% increase on each anniversary, which adds $2,398.80 to Prime at 8 hours in year two.
Wishup's terms allow cancellation within the first month of service with a pro-rata refund of the subscription paid. After the first month, cancellation requires one month of advance notice by email or through your account manager. Payment is taken in advance, and unused hours do not roll over.
Only through Wishup's buyout. Its terms bar hiring the assistant during the contract and for 24 months after, with damages of the greater of $50,000 or 200% of annual compensation. Wishup may accept a buyout for a non-refundable $25,000, about 12.5 months of the Prime 8-hour fee.
For a virtual assistant, no: Prime at 8 hours is $11.49 per scheduled hour, against a Virtustant H1 2026 median of $10.10 (n=24) and a $7 starting rate. For a bookkeeper, Wishup is lower: $10.34 against a Virtustant median of $12.85 (n=7, small sample), though Virtustant bookkeepers start at $8.50.
Yes, they are included in the fee. Wishup's terms say the fee is inclusive of the assistant's leave and holidays, with no credits within the policy limits. Its assistants get 22 leaves a year and observe 9 compulsory holidays in 2026, 7 on weekdays, plus up to 3 on-demand holidays. Elite lists a backup VA for absences.
