Quick answer: Time Etc vs BELAY comes down to how much help you need and how. Time Etc publishes monthly hour packages for dedicated U.S. assistants at $36 to $39 per hour, ideal for a few hours a week. BELAY focuses on U.S.-based executive, marketing and financial support for leaders and prices through a consultation. If you need daily front-office coverage on a tighter budget, Go Hire Virtual starts at $12/hr.
- Both Time Etc and BELAY emphasize U.S.-based assistants.
- Time Etc: published packages from $390/month for 10 hours to $2,160/month for 60 hours.
- BELAY: executive, marketing and operations assistants plus fractional finance services; pricing by consultation.
- Go Hire Virtual: remote VAs managed from Utah at $12–$14/hr for daily front-office work.
Disclosure: this guide is written by Go Hire Virtual, one of the companies included. Competitor details come from each company’s public website, reviewed in October 2026, and may change. Go Hire Virtual is not affiliated with the other companies named. All trademarks belong to their owners.
If you want a U.S.-based virtual assistant, Time Etc and BELAY are two names you will see often. Both match you with a dedicated assistant, and both serve busy professionals. They differ in pricing transparency, how hours are sold and the breadth of services. This Time Etc vs BELAY comparison uses each company’s public website as reviewed in October 2026.
Time Etc vs BELAY at a Glance
| Time Etc | BELAY | |
|---|---|---|
| Assistants | Dedicated U.S. assistants | U.S.-based assistants, personally matched |
| Pricing | Published: $390/mo (10 hrs), $760 (20), $1,480 (40), $2,160 (60) | Not listed as set rates on its main site; consultation |
| How hours work | Monthly packages; unused hours roll over on larger plans | Confirm with BELAY |
| Services | Personal and business assistance | Executive, marketing and operations assistants; bookkeeping, payroll, controller and CFO services |
| Flexibility | Switch plans or cancel any time | Confirm with BELAY |
| Guarantee | Complete satisfaction guarantee listed | Highlights a high first-match success rate |
Pricing and Hours
Time Etc is one of the most transparent providers in this space. Its per-hour cost falls slightly as you buy larger packages, from $39 per hour on the 10-hour plan to $36 per hour on the 60-hour plan, and larger plans let unused hours roll over. BELAY does not publish set rates on its main site, so you will need a consultation to compare, although its blog notes that virtual assistant rates in the market commonly range from about $20 to $75 per hour.
Services and Depth
BELAY offers a broader menu: executive, marketing and operations assistants plus financial services like bookkeeping, payroll and fractional controller or CFO support. Time Etc focuses on dedicated assistants for personal and business tasks, with the ability to add extra assistants and share with your team.
Who Each One Fits
- Choose Time Etc if you want a U.S. assistant for a predictable, modest number of hours with published pricing and no lock-in.
- Choose BELAY if you are a leader who wants a personally matched U.S.-based executive assistant, possibly alongside fractional finance support.
A Lower-Cost Option for Daily Front-Office Work
Both Time Etc and BELAY are built around U.S.-based talent, which suits executive and personal support. If your need is different, such as answering calls, booking and dispatching jobs and following up on estimates every day, the hourly cost of U.S.-based help can make full coverage hard to justify.
Go Hire Virtual places trained remote assistants, managed by our U.S. team in South Salt Lake, Utah, at $12/hr (General) or $14/hr (Professional). That means 20 hours a week costs about $1,040 a month. See Go Hire Virtual vs. Time Etc, Go Hire Virtual vs. BELAY and our BELAY alternatives guide.
How to Decide
- Write down the tasks and how many hours a week they take.
- Decide whether a U.S.-based assistant is a must-have or a nice-to-have.
- Compare total monthly cost at your real hours.
- Ask how each provider handles changes after the hire.
Browse more side-by-sides on our virtual assistant company comparisons hub. For an in-house benchmark, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2025 median receptionist wage of $18.27 per hour.
Need daily front-office help at a lower hourly rate?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Time Etc and BELAY?
Both offer U.S.-based assistants. Time Etc publishes monthly hour packages from $390 for 10 hours to $2,160 for 60 hours. BELAY offers executive, marketing and operations assistants plus fractional finance services, with pricing provided through a consultation.
Is Time Etc cheaper than BELAY?
Time Etc publishes rates of $36 to $39 per hour through its packages. BELAY does not list set rates on its main site, so request a quote to compare. BELAY’s blog cites a typical market range of about $20 to $75 per hour.
Which is better for executives, Time Etc or BELAY?
BELAY focuses heavily on executive and leadership support and adds fractional finance services, while Time Etc suits professionals who need a set number of assistant hours each month with simple, published pricing.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Time Etc and BELAY?
For daily front-office work such as calls, scheduling and dispatch, Go Hire Virtual offers trained remote assistants managed by a U.S. team at $12/hr for General VAs and $14/hr for Professional VAs.
