The best Boldly alternative for most businesses is Assist World: a full-time assistant from $1,800 a month (about $12 an hour), chosen by you from matched candidates, with no lock-in contract and industry-trained VAs. Boldly lists $2,600 a month for 40 hours ($65 an hour). For US-based hourly help at a lower rate, compare Time Etc or Zirtual. For the lowest monthly price, compare Wing Assistant.
Boldly sells executive and personal assistant support on published plans: $2,600 a month for 40 hours up to $6,500 for 100 hours, which is $65 an hour at every published tier. Specialist work is $79 an hour. There are no setup fees, you can cancel or change plans at any time, and Boldly says you meet your assistant before subscribing and get a trained backup. Forbes Advisor rated it 3.8 out of 5 and listed it among the highest priced options.
Open pricing and a money-back style guarantee are real strengths. The reason people compare is the rate itself: $65 an hour is the highest published rate on this list, and the 40-hour monthly minimum means a starting bill of $2,600 even if your needs are smaller.
One disclosure up front: this is Assist World’s site, so we list ourselves first. Every price and rating below comes from each provider’s own site or from Forbes Advisor, checked in October 2026, and we say plainly where Boldly is the better fit.
Boldly alternatives at a glance
| Provider | Best for | Starting price | Assistants based | Guarantee or exit | Forbes Advisor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assist World | Industry-matched support you choose yourself | $1,800/mo full time (about $12/hr) | Vetted global talent pool | 100% satisfaction guarantee, no lock-in | 4.5/5, Best for Specific Industries |
| Time Etc | US-based hourly support | $390/mo for 10 hrs ($39/hr) | US-based | Cancel anytime, satisfaction guarantee | 4.9/5 |
| Zirtual | US-based inbox, calendar and outbound support | $599/mo for 12 hrs (about $50/hr) | US-based | No contract; no formal guarantee, can request a new assistant | 4.6/5 |
| Magic (GetMagic) | Dedicated human assistants on weekly plans | $360/week for 40 hrs a week (about $9/hr) | Not stated | No contracts, pay after you pick your assistant | Not in Forbes roundup |
| Wing Assistant | Lowest monthly price | $999/mo (160 hrs) or $699/mo (80 hrs) | Not specified on homepage | Free replacement, cancel anytime | Not rated (featured partner) |
| Boldly (for comparison) | Executive and personal support with published plans | $2,600/mo for 40 hrs ($65/hr) | North America or Europe options | Satisfaction guarantee (month refunded), cancel anytime | 3.8/5 |
Prices and terms from each provider’s own pricing page and the Forbes Advisor roundup, October 2026. Where a provider doesn’t publish a price, we say so instead of estimating.
Now the detail on each one, starting with the option most Boldly prospects compare first.
01Assist World: Matched to Your Industry, Chosen by You
The Assist World model starts with a choice: you meet at least two matched candidates and pick the person you will work with. Matching goes by role and by industry, so a bookkeeping assistant already knows the month-end routine and a real estate assistant already knows listing and CRM vocabulary. For an executive or owner, that usually means fewer weeks spent explaining how your business works.
A full-time assistant typically costs $1,800 to $3,000 a month (about $12 to $17 an hour), set by role and experience. That is a full month of dedicated hours for less than Boldly charges for its 40-hour plan. You also get a dedicated account manager, a dashboard for managing the assistant, a 100% satisfaction guarantee and no lock-in contract. Forbes Advisor rated Assist World 4.5 out of 5 and named it Best for Specific Industries.
Boldly offers things we don’t match feature for feature: you meet your staff before subscribing, a trained backup covers vacations and sickness, and a refund promise is written into its FAQ. We give you a lower cost, a person you chose and an account manager rather than a built-in backup. If your work is mostly admin, see our administrative virtual assistant support.
What works
- You meet at least two matched candidates and choose who you work with
- Industry-trained VAs across 18 service lines
- Dedicated account manager and a dashboard to manage your assistant
- No lock-in contract and a 100% satisfaction guarantee
Watch for
- Pricing varies by role and experience, so use the instant quote for a firm number
- A vetted global talent pool, so not the pick if you require US-based assistants only
- A placement agency across many industries: ask about your exact tools before you commit
Versus Boldly: Pay about $12 to $17 an hour instead of $65, choose from matched candidates and skip any monthly minimum. Boldly wins on a published backup and refund promise. Assist World wins on price and industry fit.
Book a free consultationSee pricing and get an instant quoteAssist World pricing and terms from our own rate card and site. Rating from the Forbes Advisor roundup, October 2026.
02Time Etc: US-Based Help by the Hour
Time Etc is the nearest like-for-like comparison, because it is also a published-price service with US-based assistants. Its four plans step down in price as hours rise: $390 for 10 hours, $760 for 20, $1,480 for 40 and $2,160 for 60 (about $39 down to $36 an hour). Like Boldly, holiday and sickness cover is built in.
Put the 40-hour plans side by side and the gap is plain: Time Etc is $1,480 for 40 hours, Boldly is $2,600. Time Etc also lets you try one task free with no credit card, and Forbes Advisor ranked it first overall at 4.9 out of 5.
What works
- Dedicated US-based assistants on every plan, with holiday and sickness cover built in
- Month to month with no setup fee, and unused hours roll over
- Free first-task trial and a satisfaction guarantee
- Forbes Advisor’s top-rated service at 4.9 out of 5
Watch for
- About $36 to $39 an hour, so volume gets expensive fast
- Forbes Advisor notes fewer industry-specific assistants
- Plans above 60 hours aren’t priced online
Versus Boldly: Pick Time Etc when you want US-based help with published prices at roughly 40 percent less per hour than Boldly.
Source: Time Etc pricing page, checked October 2026. Rating from the Forbes Advisor roundup.
03Zirtual: US-Based Help for Inbox and Calendar Work
Zirtual sells by task hours and by the number of users who share the assistant. The Entrepreneur plan is $599 for 12 hours (about $50 an hour); Grow is $899 for 20 hours and two users; Small Business is $1,199 for 30 hours and three users; the Team plan is $1,699 for 45 hours and four users (about $38 an hour).
Assistants are US-based and college educated, per Zirtual, with a kickoff strategy call and a stated 2 hour response time in business hours. Rated 4.6 out of 5 by Forbes Advisor. The catch: unused hours don’t roll over, and cancellations take effect the following month.
What works
- Assistants are US-based and college educated, per Zirtual
- No long-term contract and no setup fee
- Individual, team and outbound plans are all published
- Direct phone, text and email access, with a 2 hour business-hours response time
Watch for
- About $50 an hour on the solo plan, the highest solo rate here after Boldly
- Unused hours don’t roll over, and cancellations take effect the following month
- No formal guarantee stated, only the option to request a different assistant
- Forbes Advisor notes no industry-specific assistants beyond paralegal
Versus Boldly: Choose Zirtual when you need 12 to 45 hours a month and several people will share one assistant.
Source: Zirtual pricing page, checked October 2026. Rating from the Forbes Advisor roundup.
04Magic: Weekly Plans for a Dedicated Human Assistant
Magic prices by the week instead of the hour. A virtual assistant is $360 a week and an executive assistant is $540 a week, each for 40 hours a week, and billing happens every four weeks ($1,440 or $2,160). That is roughly $9 and $13.50 an hour on our math. Magic says you choose your assistant first and only then pay.
Compared with Boldly’s $65 an hour, that is a very different cost base. What you give up is information: the pricing page doesn’t say where assistants are based or state a guarantee, and Magic isn’t in the Forbes Advisor roundup.
What works
- You pay only after selecting the assistant you want to work with
- No contracts and no hidden fees, per Magic
- Described as a dedicated human assistant, not AI
- Part-time plans are available
Watch for
- The pricing page doesn’t state where assistants are based
- No guarantee is stated on the pricing page
- Part-time prices and hours aren’t published
- Hourly rates aren’t stated, so the hourly figures here are our math
Versus Boldly: Pick Magic when full-time weekly hours at a low rate matter more than a stated guarantee.
Source: Magic pricing page, checked October 2026. Not covered in the Forbes Advisor roundup.
05Wing Assistant: Lowest Monthly Price
Wing Assistant publishes two general plans: $699 a month for 80 hours and $999 a month for 160 hours (about $8.74 and $6.24 an hour), each month to month, with a customer success manager and free replacement.
The 160-hour plan costs well under half of Boldly’s 40-hour plan and gives four times the hours. In return, Forbes Advisor lists Wing as a featured partner without a rating, and the page gives no stated guarantee beyond replacement.
What works
- Lowest published monthly price on this list
- Dedicated assistant, customer success manager and free replacement
- Month-to-month plans with no stated minimum term
- Plans published openly on the pricing page
Watch for
- Assistant location isn’t specified on the homepage
- No satisfaction or money-back guarantee stated, only free replacement
- Forbes Advisor lists Wing as a featured partner without a star rating
Versus Boldly: Pick Wing when volume and budget matter more than a refund promise.
Source: Wing Assistant pricing page, checked October 2026. Rating from the Forbes Advisor roundup.
A published price is only a bargain if the rate fits the hours you will actually use.
Why people look for Boldly alternatives
Boldly’s executive-support model suits some teams well. The reasons people compare it with other providers are usually these:
- The $65 hourly rate. Boldly’s plans are $65 an hour at every published tier, which is two to ten times the rate of most other providers on this list.
- The 40-hour minimum. The smallest plan is $2,600 a month, so a part-time need still carries a full bill.
- Specialist work costs more. Boldly lists $79 an hour for specialist support.
- They want an industry match. Assist World matches by role and industry, which helps in niches like real estate, accounting or healthcare admin.
- They want a smaller start. Time Etc starts at $390 a month and Zirtual at $599.
What the price gap actually buys
Any virtual assistant is a bargain next to a local hire. For most US businesses the comparison that matters is against the salary they would otherwise pay:
Boldly’s smallest plan at $2,600 a month is still well under a local hire, and Assist World at about $12 to $17 an hour is lower again. The real question is whether Boldly’s published backup and refund guarantee are worth roughly four to five times the hourly rate to your business, or whether a person you chose and an account manager covers the same risk.
What Boldly’s published plans cost, month by month
Boldly is one of the few providers that shows every price on the page, so it is easy to work out exactly what a month costs. Here are the plans as published in October 2026, with the in-house comparison beside them.
| Monthly hours | Boldly price | Per hour | Compare with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | $2,600 | $65 | Assist World full time starts at $1,800 |
| 60 hours | $3,900 | $65 | Time Etc 60 hours: $2,160 |
| 80 hours | $5,200 | $65 | Wing 80 hours: $699 |
| 100 hours | $6,500 | $65 | US in-house admin hire: $5,000 to $8,000 |
| Up to 160 hours | On request | Not published | Assist World full time: $1,800 to $3,000 |
Boldly’s specialist tasks (project management, web development, blog writing, design) are $79 an hour. Comparison figures from each provider’s pricing page, October 2026.
Notice where the 80 and 100 hour plans land: at $5,200 and $6,500 a month, they cost as much as a US in-house hire once salary, payroll taxes and benefits are counted. That doesn’t make Boldly a bad choice. It means Boldly is priced as a premium service, and the useful question is whether the backup, the refund promise and meeting your staff first are worth that premium to you.
Where Boldly is the better choice
A fair comparison has to say when the higher price is justified. Boldly makes the most sense in four situations:
- You want to meet before you subscribe. Boldly’s FAQ says you can meet the VA first to make sure it’s a good match.
- Continuity matters. Every plan includes a trained backup to cover vacations or sickness, which reduces the risk of a gap in your inbox and calendar.
- You want your money back if it doesn’t work. Boldly says it will refund the month’s fees if you are not completely satisfied.
- You need specialist tasks. Project management, web development, blog writing and design are available at $79 an hour, in the same relationship, rather than hiring a second provider.
If none of those four describe you, a lower-priced option usually delivers the same inbox, calendar and travel support for a fraction of the cost.
Seven questions to ask Boldly before you subscribe
Published prices don’t answer everything. Get written answers to these before you commit:
- How many hours do I really need? A 40-hour plan is the smallest, and the FAQ describes a minimum of 40 hours per month per assistant when you use more than one.
- What counts as a specialist task billed at $79 an hour instead of the $65 plan rate?
- What is the price for the 160-hour plan, which is listed as on request?
- How does the backup get up to speed, and how many days of notice do I get when they step in?
- How is the lifetime guarantee different from the monthly refund described in the FAQ?
- Which time zones and working hours does my assistant cover?
- Can I change plans mid-month, and when does the change take effect?
Three buyers and which option fits
Numbers are easier to judge against a real situation. These are common profiles and where each one tends to land:
- A founder who needs about 60 hours a month of inbox and calendar help. Boldly costs $3,900 for that. Time Etc costs $2,160 for 60 hours. A full-time Assist World assistant starts at $1,800 and gives roughly a full work week of coverage.
- An executive who values continuity above all else. This is Boldly’s case: a trained backup, a refund promise and a chance to meet your staff first. Budget at least $2,600 a month.
- An owner who needs full-time help for admin and operations. At that volume, per-hour pricing stops being the right model. A monthly placement such as Assist World or Wing costs a fraction of 160 hours at $65.
How to choose between Boldly and its alternatives
Run every provider through the same four checks before you compare price:
- Minimum hours. Does the smallest plan match your real workload, or are you paying for hours you won’t use?
- Hourly rate. Divide the monthly price by the hours so every provider is compared on the same basis.
- Meet before you commit. Can you interview the assistant first, and what happens if the match is wrong?
- Role fit. Has this person done your exact task (scheduling, intake, bookkeeping, listing coordination) before?
Count your real hours
Track one typical week of inbox, calendar and errands, then multiply by four to get a monthly number.
Price it three ways
Work out the cost at $65 an hour, at a lower hourly plan, and as a full-time monthly placement.
Meet the person
Ask each provider to introduce the assistant before you pay, and ask what happens if you don’t click.
Check the exit
Confirm refund wording, notice periods and what happens to unused hours at month end.
How to switch from Boldly without losing momentum
Boldly says you can cancel or change plans at any time, so the move can be quick. Prepare the handoff in advance:
- Ask your assistant to document recurring tasks, templates and approval rules.
- Move shared logins into a password manager so access can be reassigned in minutes.
- Start the new provider before you cancel and overlap for a week if your timing allows it.
- Write down the three outcomes you’ll judge the new assistant on after 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Boldly alternative?
It depends on what you’re optimizing for. For industry-trained assistants you choose yourself with no lock-in contract, Assist World (from $1,800 a month, rated 4.5 out of 5 by Forbes Advisor). For US-based hourly help, Time Etc (from $390 a month) or Zirtual (from $599 a month). For the lowest monthly price, Wing Assistant ($999 a month for 160 hours).
How much does Boldly cost?
Boldly’s pricing page lists $2,600 a month for 40 hours, rising to $6,500 for 100 hours, which is $65 an hour at every published tier. Specialist work is $79 an hour. There are no start-up fees and you can cancel or change plans at any time. Prices checked in October 2026.
Does Boldly have a guarantee?
Yes. Boldly states a 100% satisfaction guarantee that refunds the month’s fees if you aren’t satisfied. Assist World offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and no lock-in contract.
Is there a Boldly alternative with lower hourly rates?
Yes. Time Etc runs about $36 to $39 an hour, Assist World about $12 to $17 an hour, Magic about $9 an hour on its virtual assistant plan (our math), and Wing Assistant about $6.24 an hour.
Is there a Boldly alternative with US-based assistants?
Time Etc and Zirtual both state that their assistants are US-based. Assist World recruits from a vetted global talent pool, so tell us your hours up front when you book a consultation.
How does Forbes Advisor rate these providers?
In Forbes Advisor’s current roundup, Time Etc scores 4.9, Zirtual 4.6, Assist World 4.5 and Boldly 3.8. Wing Assistant appears only as a featured partner without a rating, and Magic is not covered.
Is Boldly worth $65 an hour?
It depends on what you value. At $65 an hour, Boldly costs roughly four to five times Assist World’s full-time hourly cost and about double Time Etc’s. In exchange you get a published backup, a refund promise and the chance to meet your assistant first. If you only need simple admin help, a lower-priced option covers the same work.
What is Boldly’s minimum?
Boldly’s smallest plan is 40 hours a month at $2,600, and its FAQ describes a minimum of 40 hours per month per assistant when a team uses multiple assistants. Time Etc starts at 10 hours and $390 a month, and Zirtual at 12 hours and $599.
Does Boldly include a backup assistant?
Yes. Boldly lists a trained backup to cover vacations or sickness in the features included in every plan. Time Etc also builds in holiday and sickness cover, and Prialto gives every unit a second assistant. Assist World doesn’t promise a built-in backup; you get a dedicated account manager instead.
Keep comparing
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Free ConsultationHow we checked. Pricing and terms come from each provider’s own site (Boldly, Time Etc, Zirtual, Magic, Wing Assistant), reviewed in October 2026. Ratings come from the Forbes Advisor roundup of virtual assistant services. Where a provider doesn’t publish a price, we say so instead of estimating.
Disclosure. Assist World is our company, so we list it first. Prices and terms change, so confirm current details with any provider before you buy.