Full disclosure: we're Ryz Labs, and we're one of the options on this page. So yes, we're biased. Every fact we give about another company comes from its own website, linked in the sources at the end, and we'll tell you plainly when staying with Athena is the right call.
Athena sells one dedicated executive assistant who works 40 hours a week, five business days, for a flat monthly fee. Its FAQ lists $3,000 a month on a 12-month commitment and $3,600 a month after an initial 90-day commitment, and it says its EAs are "located overseas but work on a schedule determined by your needs." That is a clear, well-packaged offer. Owners usually start shopping around for structural reasons: they want fewer than 40 hours, a shorter commitment, an assistant based in the US, or one partner who can also put a developer on the same team. Here is how the main options line up.
Prices are as listed on each company's pricing page as of November 2026. Magic blocks automated reads, so its figures come from its own pages as shown in search listings.
Athena describes no part-time plan. If your backlog is 10 or 20 hours a month, an hour-block service such as Time etc or Boldly fits the work better than a 40-hour seat.
Athena's lower rate needs a 12-month commitment. Its flexible rate needs 90 days first, which works out to $10,800 before you can go month to month. BELAY, Boldly, Wing and Magic all describe month-to-month or cancel-any-time terms.
BELAY, Boldly and Time etc each say their assistants are US-based. Athena, Prialto and Magic place assistants outside the US who keep a US-friendly schedule.
Every company in the table except one sells assistants only. If your business also has a website, an app or an automation backlog, you end up managing two vendors.
We place executive assistants and virtual assistants on your team. They work US business hours, including New York hours, and speak fluent English, so the 8 AM reschedule and the 6 PM travel change get handled the same day. A dedicated executive assistant is $3,000 a month, month to month. Our recruiters screen every candidate. After one conversation you get a plan, a price and the names of the people who would do the work. Once you say go, people can typically start in under two weeks; some roles take three to six weeks.
What none of the other options here offer: we also place developers and project and product managers. Your EA and your developer can sit on one team, with one partner. Ryz was founded in 2021, is headquartered in Calabasas, California, has 200+ people, and is trusted by Fortune 500 engineering teams. See how we place product managers and software engineers.
Where we're not the right fit: if you need 10 hours a month, Time etc is built for that, and if you want a structured delegation-coaching program, Athena runs one and we don't. Talk to us if a dedicated assistant on your hours sounds right.
BELAY matches US-based executive, virtual, marketing and operations assistants, and also offers bookkeeping and fractional CFO services. It says it matches "in as little as one week," reports 93% first-match success, and offers a Right-Fit Guarantee rematch at no extra cost. Its assistants work Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, in their own time zone, so a West Coast assistant serving a New York owner covers a shifted window. Our Athena vs BELAY page goes deeper.
Boldly's assistants are US-based with 10+ years of experience, per its site. Plans start at 40 hours a month for $2,600, with no start-up fee, and you can meet the assistant before paying. Boldly offers a satisfaction guarantee that refunds that month's fees and quotes up to 160 hours on request.
Wing publishes its EA plans on its own Athena comparison page and describes them as month-to-month. You choose a US, Latin America or Asia time-zone option. At 160 hours, the listed price works out to about $12.50 an hour.
Time etc says its virtual assistants are 100% US-based. Plans renew monthly, unused hours roll over on the 20, 40 and 60 hour plans, there is no setup fee, and your first task is done free.
Prialto sells assistant time in 55-hour monthly units with a 90-day minimum per unit, works 9 AM to 6 PM on US or UK time, and lists "starting at 80% backup coverage." It cites SOC 2 Type 2 and over 15 years in business.
Magic's pages say assistants work your time zone, 40 hours a week, with "Cancel anytime" terms and "$0 until you hire." It says more than 10,000 businesses use it.
For the full price breakdown see Athena pricing explained, and for a ranked view of the field see the best executive assistant services.
It depends on what made you look. For US-based assistants on monthly terms, BELAY or Boldly. For fewer hours, Time etc. For the lowest listed price, Wing. For a dedicated EA on US business hours at $3,000 a month, month to month, who can share a team with your developer, Ryz Labs.
On listed prices, Wing's 160-hour EA plan works out to about $12.50 an hour and Magic's 40-hour weekly plan to about $13.50. Athena's 12-month plan is about $17.30 an hour at 40 hours a week. Boldly is $65 an hour and Time etc $36 to $39.
Athena describes no part-time option. Boldly, Time etc, Prialto and Wing all sell smaller hour blocks.
Yes. Athena itself offers $3,600 a month after an initial 90 days. BELAY describes month-to-month with 30-day notice, Boldly, Wing and Magic say you can cancel any time, and a dedicated Ryz EA is $3,000 a month, month to month.
Athena says onboarding takes one to two weeks and BELAY says it can match in as little as one week. With Ryz, once you say go, people can typically start in under two weeks; some roles take three to six weeks.
We checked pricing and terms for every provider here on November 14, 2026, as listed on each pricing page. Prices change often, so confirm with each company before you sign.
Thanks — your message has been sent. We’ll get back to you soon.
Something went wrong while sending your message. Please try again or email info@ryzlabs.com.