Athena is worth it for some owners and a poor fit for others, and you can tell which group you're in from four of its own published terms: the price, the commitment, the 40-hour week and where its assistants work. This guide turns each term into a test you can run in ten minutes. We're Ryz Labs, a company that places executive assistants, so treat us as an interested party; the Athena facts are from athena.com and linked at the end, and the worked numbers are ours. Checked November 14, 2026.
Athena sells one size. If you can't fill a working week, you pay for idle time, and smaller hour plans elsewhere will cost less. Try this: for five working days, write down every task you did that someone else could have done. Calendar juggling, inbox triage, travel, invoices, chasing people, research, CRM updates. Add up the time.
Athena's own case studies are a useful reference point. The CEO of KURK is credited with freeing up 15 to 20 hours a week. If your log looks like that, you're in Athena's target zone.
Put a number on your own hour. A simple way: what would you pay to get one more hour of selling, building or resting? Then compare.
Our math: $36,000 a year divided by the hours you personally recover. The hours your assistant works and the hours you get back aren't the same; handing off 40 hours of work rarely frees 40 of yours. If your hour is worth more than the figure in the right-hand column, Athena clears this test.
For a wider frame: the BLS reports a May 2025 US median wage of $76,590 a year for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants. Benefits are about 30% of private-industry compensation, so an in-house EA costs an employer far more than any service on this page. Our executive assistant cost guide has the full breakdown.
Athena's annual plan is the cheaper rate, but it ties you in for $36,000. The flexible plan costs $600 a month more and needs 90 days, so walking away after the minimum costs $10,800. Ask yourself two things:
If either answer makes you hesitate, the 90-day plan or a month-to-month provider is the safer choice. Athena's /pricing page shows $3,000 with a footnote about a 90-day commitment, while the FAQ pairs $3,000 with twelve months, so get the term for your quote in writing. More in Athena pricing explained.
Athena's EAs are overseas, and its FAQ says they work to a schedule set by your needs, with most members choosing their own time zone. Athena's careers site lists assistant hubs in the Philippines, Guatemala and Kenya. For many tasks, location doesn't matter at all. It matters when:
We wrote a separate guide on where Athena assistants are located and what time-zone coverage means for US owners.
Prices as listed on each company's site, November 2026.
Ryz is the pick for owners who pass tests 1 and 2 but fail 3 or 4. We place a dedicated executive assistant for $3,000 a month or a virtual assistant for $2,000 a month, month to month, on your team during US business hours, New York hours included, with fluent English. Recruiters screen every candidate, and one conversation gets you a plan, a price and named people. After you say go, people can typically start in under two weeks; some roles take three to six weeks.
Ryz also places developers and product and project managers, so the same partner can help when your bottleneck turns out to be the website or the back office. We were founded in 2021, are headquartered in Calabasas, California, have 200+ people and are trusted by Fortune 500 engineering teams. Ryz Portal is rolling out to clients now. Compare us directly in Ryz Labs vs Athena, or talk to us.
It is if you have roughly 25 or more hours a week to hand off, can commit for a year, and don't need someone on your local business day. If you fail any of those, a different model will likely give you better value.
$10,800, which is 90 days at $3,600 a month on its flexible plan. The annual plan commits you to $36,000.
Its FAQ describes every EA as working 40 hours a week and doesn't describe a part-time plan.
The FAQ doesn't address cancellation. Its plans carry a 90-day or 12-month commitment, so ask for the exit terms in writing.
Public client reviews are few. We summarise what's available, with dates, in Athena reviews.
For a dedicated assistant, Ryz Labs at $3,000 a month, month to month. For fewer hours, Time etc or Boldly. See all options in Athena alternatives.
Checked on November 14, 2026. Confirm every provider's current terms before you sign.
Questions we didn't answer? Email info@ryzlabs.com.
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