Compare the best virtual assistant companies in the UK. EA vs VA services, pricing for 60 hours, management models and where assistants are based, side by side.
The best virtual assistant companies in the UK depend on whether you need a virtual assistant (VA) for task execution or a managed executive assistant (EA) who operates as a strategic partner. For UK CEOs and founders, DonnaPro is the specialist choice – a fully managed EA from £2,350 per month. Boldly is the premium alternative at $3,900 per month (approximately £2,950). For general VA support, Time Etc and Virtalent are the strongest UK-based options from £1,680 per month for 60 hours.
Dozens of companies now offer virtual assistant and virtual PA services to UK businesses, but the differences between them are enormous – and the labels do not always help. Some providers market themselves as “executive assistant” services while delivering general admin support. Others call it “virtual assistant” but provide a fully managed, senior-level service.
The distinction matters because it changes everything about what you are actually buying, who you are buying it for, and whether the monthly cost represents value or a compromise.
This guide compares ten of the most established virtual assistant and executive assistant companies serving the UK market. For each one, we clarify exactly what tier of service you get – virtual assistant (VA) or executive assistant (EA) – and what that means for the type of business leader it is designed to support. For a detailed breakdown of what outsourced executive assistant services actually cost and how they compare to hiring in-house, see our full cost comparison guide.
Before comparing companies, you need to understand what separates these two service tiers, because every price comparison in this article depends on it.
Virtual assistant (VA): Handles tasks you assign. Diary management, inbox triage, data entry, travel booking, research, social media scheduling. You direct the work, set priorities and check outputs. A VA is reactive – they complete what you ask them to complete. In the UK, this tier is also often marketed as a “virtual PA”. Best suited for: entrepreneurs, small business owners and team leaders who need additional support with defined admin tasks.
Executive assistant (EA): Operates with autonomy. An EA manages your priorities, anticipates what needs to happen next, makes decisions on your behalf, coordinates across your team, and acts as a true operational partner. You delegate outcomes, not tasks. Best suited for: CEOs, founders, managing directors, and senior executives who need someone to think alongside them, not just execute.
The companies in this comparison are clearly marked as VA or EA throughout. When a provider’s pricing is significantly lower, it is almost always because they deliver VA-level support – which is a perfectly valid service, but a fundamentally different one.
No single company fits every business. The table below compares 10 providers on a like-for-like basis where possible: service level, management model, assistant location, monthly cost, and working hours. Prices shown at comparable tiers (approximately 60 hours) unless otherwise noted.
| Company | Service Type | Dedicated Assistant | Management Model | Assistants Based In | Monthly Cost | Hours Included | Working Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DonnaPro | EA | Yes | Fully managed | Europe (EU) | £2,350/mo | 60 hrs (dedicated) | EU business hours |
| Time Etc | VA | Yes | Semi-managed (VA + support manager) | UK | £1,680/mo | 60 hrs | UK business hours |
| Virtalent | VA | Yes | Semi-managed (VA + Client Success Coach) | UK | £1,680/mo | 60 hrs | UK business hours |
| SmartPA | Virtual PA / admin | Yes | Primary VA + SmartPOD back-up | UK, South Africa + global | 60-hr price not published | 40+ hrs / FTE on request | Varies by assistant |
| Oneresource | Virtual PA / admin | Yes | Dedicated VA + account manager | UK | Not publicly visible | 60+ hrs | UK business hours |
| Pink Spaghetti | Virtual PA / admin | Yes (local franchisee) | Franchise network | UK (local) | Pay-per-use; price not published | Flexible | UK business hours |
| Boldly | EA | Yes | Fully managed | North America or Europe | $3,900/mo (~£2,950) | 60 hrs | Check UK hours |
| Teambuild Consultancy | Offshore VA | Yes | Managed (CSM + QA) | Philippines | From £500/mo | ~80 hrs | UK-aligned hours |
| Wing Assistant | VA | Yes | Managed (CSM + QA) | Philippines + Latin America | $699/mo (~£523) | ~80 hrs | Check UK hours |
| Oriel Partners | PA/EA recruitment | Direct hire | Recruitment (not managed) | UK (London-focused) | Salary + placement fee | Full-time employment | UK business hours |
Comparison of virtual assistant and executive assistant companies serving the UK market in 2026. Prices shown at comparable tiers. Information based on publicly available provider pages and third-party comparisons. Always verify current pricing, contract terms, and service details directly with each provider.
Prices are shown for the closest publicly available package. Some providers do not publish a directly comparable 60-hour package, and offshore providers are shown at their part-time (~80-hour) tier. US dollar prices are converted to sterling using exchange rates as at 9 July 2026.
The key like-for-like point: Only two providers in this comparison offer genuine managed executive assistant services: DonnaPro (£2,350 per month) and Boldly ($3,900 per month, approximately £2,950). Every other company provides virtual assistant support or recruitment placement – a different tier of service at a different price. Comparing a VA at £1,680 per month with an EA at £2,350 per month without acknowledging that difference is like comparing a taxi fare with a chauffeur contract.
Best for: UK and European CEOs and founders who want a fully managed executive assistant without the overhead of an in-house hire.
DonnaPro provides a dedicated, senior-level EA who operates as an extension of your leadership team. This is not task execution; your EA manages priorities, coordinates with stakeholders and makes decisions on your behalf. All assistants are trained on modern AI productivity tools before they start. The service operates through a B2B service contract with an account manager and quality manager assigned to every client. Less than 1% of applicants are accepted into the assistant pool.
Pricing: £2,350 per month for a dedicated part-time EA (60 hours). A full-time option is available at £5,660 per month. Pricing includes the full management layer – account manager, quality manager, back-up cover and replacement support – at no additional cost.
Working hours: EU business hours, with flexibility for UK-aligned scheduling.
What to consider: DonnaPro includes a 60-day zero-commitment trial period – the longest in this comparison. Most clients start with the part-time plan and scale up as they learn to delegate effectively and the workload grows. The service is purpose-built for C-suite executives who need an operational partner, not general admin support. See how DonnaPro matches UK leaders with remote EAs.
Best for: Entrepreneurs and small business owners who need reliable, UK-based admin support with flexible scaling.
Time Etc matches you with a dedicated UK-based VA who handles assigned tasks: email management, scheduling, research, social media and data entry. The assistant does not operate with executive-level autonomy or manage your priorities independently. This is a task-execution service – you direct the work, set priorities and manage the relationship day to day with support from a Client Happiness manager.
Pricing: £1,680 per month for 60 hours (excl. VAT).
Working hours: UK business hours.
What to consider: Time Etc is one of the most established UK VA companies. At the 60-hour tier, you are paying £1,680 per month for admin support – but you remain the manager. For CEOs who want to fully delegate executive coordination, the client-directed model may add more work than it removes.
Best for: Growing businesses that want a UK-based VA with more structured account support than a typical hourly service.
Virtalent positions itself as a step above a standard VA agency. Each client gets a dedicated assistant and a Client Success Coach who helps with onboarding and ongoing support. However, the core service remains VA-level – task execution, admin support, and operational assistance. This is not an executive assistant service.
Pricing: £1,680 per month for 60 hours. Monthly billing with 7 days’ cancellation notice.
Working hours: UK business hours.
What to consider: At £1,680 per month for 60 hours, Virtalent offers good value for UK-based VA support. However, comparing Virtalent’s 60-hour VA plan with DonnaPro’s 60-hour EA plan means comparing two different service tiers – the volume of task execution versus the depth of executive partnership.
Best for: Businesses that want virtual PA-level admin support with built-in back-up cover through SmartPA’s team model.
SmartPA assigns a primary assistant plus a “SmartPOD” – a small back-up team that provides continuity when your primary assistant is unavailable. Tasks include diary management, call handling, inbox management, document preparation and travel booking. This is virtual PA-level support, not executive assistant.
Pricing: Not publicly visible for a comparable 60-hour package. Support bands from 40+ hours up to a dedicated FTE are available on request.
Working hours: Varies by assistant location and arrangement.
What to consider: The SmartPOD back-up model is an interesting approach to the continuity issue – if your primary assistant is unavailable, the team steps in. However, the service level remains general PA/VA support. SmartPA’s virtual PAs are based in the UK, South Africa and across a global network, which may affect time zone alignment for some UK clients.
Best for: UK micro-businesses and sole traders who want minute-by-minute billing with no idle-time charges.
Oneresource provides general business support: PA services, admin, marketing administration, bookkeeping and customer service. Their assistants are directly employed rather than freelance, which can provide greater consistency, but the service level is VA, not executive assistant.
Pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Plans range from 10 to 60+ hours per month. Charged by the minute with no idle-time billing.
Working hours: UK business hours.
What to consider: The minute-by-minute billing model can save money if your usage is unpredictable. With more than 17 years in business, they are reliable and consistent – but the service is geared towards admin delegation for small businesses, not executive-level support for senior leaders.
Best for: Small business owners who want a local, UK-based virtual PA with a pay-per-use model and no retainer commitment.
Pink Spaghetti operates a franchise network of virtual assistants across the UK – you search by postcode and are matched with a local franchisee who delivers the service personally. Support covers administration, diary and inbox management, minute taking, social media, marketing, and lifestyle management. Many of their assistants are small business owners themselves, which shapes the service around small-business needs.
Pricing: Not publicly published. Pay-per-use structure – you only pay for work completed, with no retainer required. Retained agreements available for regular support.
Working hours: UK business hours, delivered by your local franchisee.
What to consider: The local franchise model is Pink Spaghetti’s main differentiator – your VA is nearby, which some clients value for occasional in-person work. The trade-off is the same as with SmartPA: quality and capacity depend on the individual franchisee you are matched with. This is small-business admin support, not an executive assistant service for senior leaders.
Best for: Premium personal assistant support, primarily serving clients in North America, with Europe-based staff also available.
Boldly is one of the few companies in this comparison that genuinely offers EA-level professionals. Their assistants have an average of 10–15 years’ experience, and clients meet their assigned assistant before committing. A 3% acceptance rate ensures quality.
Pricing: $3,900 per month for 60 hours ($65 per hour flat rate), approximately £2,950 at 9 July 2026 exchange rates. Plans can be upgraded, downgraded or cancelled at any time. Specialist tasks are billed at a higher rate.
Working hours: Clients can choose North America or Europe-based staff. UK and EU buyers should check time zone alignment and confirm GDPR-compatible workflows before committing.
What to consider: Boldly is the closest comparison to DonnaPro on service tier – both provide genuine, fully managed executive assistants. But for a UK business, the differences favour DonnaPro on several fronts. DonnaPro is less expensive: £2,350 per month versus Boldly’s $3,900 per month (approximately £2,950) for the same 60 hours. DonnaPro’s assistants are EU-based, giving natural alignment with UK working hours and GDPR compliance by default – whereas Boldly is primarily focused on North America, leaving UK buyers to check working-hours fit and GDPR-compatible workflows themselves. DonnaPro also includes a 60-day zero-commitment trial plus a dedicated account manager and quality manager at no extra cost, so you can assess the fit before you commit.
Best for: Cost-conscious UK companies that want a dedicated offshore assistant aligned to UK working hours.
Teambuild sources assistants from the Philippines with at least two years of industry experience and strong English. A six-step vetting process claims to select “top 1% Filipino talent.” However, this is a virtual assistant service, not an executive assistant service – the significantly lower price reflects the offshore location and VA-level service tier.
Pricing: From £500 per month for part-time support (approximately 80 hours). Full-time support starts from £900 per month.
Working hours: Aligned to UK business hours, but assistants are based in a different time zone – check availability for urgent requests outside standard hours.
What to consider: Their pricing is the lowest in this comparison because assistants are based in the Philippines. For defined admin and operational tasks, this can represent excellent value. At £500 per month you are getting competent offshore VA support, not a UK/EU-based executive partner. For CEOs who need autonomous decision-making, a strong understanding of UK business culture and strategic coordination, the offshore VA model may not be the right fit.
Best for: SMEs and founders who want flexible, low-cost managed VA support with a dedicated assistant model.
Wing offers general VA, admin assistant and customer service roles. They list “executive assistant” as a service option, but at these prices the service level is general VA – task execution with client success manager oversight, not autonomous executive partnership.
Pricing: From $699 per month for part-time support (~80 hours), approximately £523 at 9 July 2026 exchange rates. Specialist roles are priced higher, and US-based assistants are available at a significantly higher cost.
Working hours: Check alignment with UK working hours – assistants are primarily based in the Philippines and Latin America.
What to consider: Wing’s pricing is attractive for budget-conscious businesses, and the dedicated assistant model with a free replacement guarantee provides some continuity. However, the same principle applies as with Teambuild: the lower price reflects an offshore VA service, not a managed executive assistant. UK buyers should check working-hours alignment and GDPR compliance before committing.
Best for: UK companies that want to employ a PA or EA directly and need a specialist recruiter to find the right candidate.
Oriel Partners is not a virtual assistant company – it is a London-based recruitment agency specialising exclusively in PA, EA and administrative support placements. They place candidates into permanent and temporary roles across finance, private equity, consultancy, property and private households.
Pricing: Recruitment model – you pay the assistant’s full salary plus a placement fee. For a UK executive assistant, that means approximately £8,449 per month in total employment costs before the recruitment fee.
Working hours: UK business hours – the assistant becomes your direct employee.
What to consider: This is a fundamentally different model from everything else in this comparison. Oriel Partners finds the person; after placement, you employ, manage, train and replace them yourself. There is no ongoing management layer, no back-up cover and no flexibility to scale hours up or down. It is the right choice if you specifically want an in-house employee – and the most expensive option in this comparison once total employment costs are counted.
Based on the providers in this comparison, UK virtual assistant and executive assistant pricing falls into four distinct tiers:
The pattern is consistent: price reflects service tier and location rather than quality within a tier. A £500-per-month offshore VA and a £1,680-per-month UK VA do broadly similar work – the higher price reflects time-zone and cultural alignment. Moving from VA to EA pricing buys a different kind of work entirely: autonomy, judgement and executive-level coordination.
If you need someone to handle a defined list of admin tasks and you are comfortable directing the work yourself, a UK-based VA service such as Time Etc or Virtalent (both around £1,680 per month for 60 hours) will serve you well.
If you need someone who can manage your priorities, make decisions in your absence, coordinate across your team and grow into a true operational partner, you need an executive assistant. In that case, only two providers in this comparison deliver that tier: Boldly ($3,900 per month, approximately £2,950) and DonnaPro (£2,350 per month) – both for 60 hours.
DonnaPro is the only provider with an EU-based team, a 60-day zero-commitment trial, and a management layer (account manager + quality manager) included at no additional cost.
An in-house executive assistant in the UK costs approximately £8,280 per month including employer NI, or £8,449 per month including NI plus pension contributions. That covers salary and statutory costs only – not recruitment fees, office space, equipment, training or holiday and sick leave cover. DonnaPro’s full-time rate of £5,660 per month (£67,920 per year) includes all of those. For a full cost breakdown, see our outsourced executive assistant cost comparison.
Get Matched With an Executive AssistantThis comparison was prepared using publicly available provider information, provider websites, third-party virtual assistant service comparisons, industry resources such as the Society of Virtual Assistants and DonnaPro’s own service data. We focused on the factors that matter most to CEOs and founders: assistant vetting and acceptance rates, management layer, back-up and replacement support, time zone and working-hours fit, security and GDPR compliance, trial terms and whether the service is built for executive-level work or general admin support.
If your main comparison is location-based rather than reliability-based, read our related guide to the best virtual assistant companies for start-up founders and our most reliable virtual executive assistant agencies comparison.
Services, pricing, contracts, and replacement terms can change, so buyers should always verify current details directly with each provider before making a decision.
Sources reviewed:
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