“How much does a VA cost?” has no single answer, because “VA” covers everything from a £5/hour freelancer to a £3,000/month UK executive assistant. Here's what each tier actually buys you.
Freelance marketplace VAs (£5–15/hour)
The cheapest option on paper. You'll find plenty at a few pounds an hour. The reality: shared across clients, high churn, variable quality, and a re-briefing tax every time one leaves. Fine for genuine one-offs; risky for anything ongoing.
UK-based VAs (£25–50/hour)
A UK freelance or agency VA charges £25–£50 an hour. For 20 hours a week that's £2,000–£4,000 a month — for part-time, often shared support. Quality is usually good but the cost adds up fast.
Dedicated offshore VAs (from £950/month)
A dedicated full-time offshore VA is around £950 a month all-inclusive — that's full-time, exclusive, working your hours. Per hour, it works out far below even the cheapest UK option, for a dedicated person rather than shared time.
The right comparison
Don't compare hourly rates — compare cost per unit of reliable work done. On that measure, a dedicated offshore VA at a fixed monthly fee beats both the cheap-but-flaky freelancer and the good-but-expensive UK agency. For ongoing support, it's the clear value choice.
See what a dedicated hire would cost you
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