File 01 · For Australian businesses
VA MASTERSParent company
7.6/10
Filed under Managed remote staffing · HQ: Global company · Staff in: Philippines (assistants and specialists); Ukraine (developers)
A managed remote-staffing agency that places dedicated assistants, specialists and developers, with published rates, a 30-day trial and free replacements. VA MASTERS is the parent company of this site's publisher and is scored with the same rubric as everyone else.
- Price
- $6.50–$15/hr
- Smallest start
- One person; 80 hours/month recommended, fewer hours possible
- Trial
- 30-day trial: end anytime, no notice
- Replacement
- Free; new candidates usually in about 2 business days
- Notice
- None during the trial; notice period after
- Fees
- No recruitment or setup fees; a refundable deposit is part of the first invoice
- Founded
- 2021
- Reviews
- Average 5/5 on Trustpilot, Indeed and Glassdoor
What we like
- Published rate card by role category, plus a plain-English terms summary
- Start with one person, part-time if needed; no seat minimum
- 30-day trial with no notice period, then free replacement if the fit isn't right
- 6-stage screening; about 1 in 508 applicants accepted (Jan 2025–Jul 2026)
What to watch
- Costs more than hiring a freelancer yourself through a job board, because screening, replacement and support are included
- Asks for your input early on (role brief, interviews) to get the match right
- After the 30-day trial a notice period applies, and the first invoice includes a refundable deposit
- Founded in 2021, younger than most companies in these rankings
- Places dedicated individuals, not large seat-based teams with a floor supervisor
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
6-stage screening, 400,000+ applicant database, published acceptance rate of about 1 in 508; background-check details not published
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Rate card by role category and terms summary published; deposit amount not published
9/10 Small-business access (15%)
One person, part-time possible (80 hours/month recommended, fewer allowed); no seat minimum
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
30-day trial with no notice, free replacement, no recruitment or setup fees; notice period after the trial and a refundable deposit
8/10 Track record (15%)
Founded 2021; 1,000+ placements and 500+ clients; average 5/5 on Trustpilot, Indeed and Glassdoor
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Ongoing support and replacement handling from the recruitment team; no account-manager tier or reporting dashboard published
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Lists Australia among its main markets and recruits for Australian business hours; prices and billing in US dollars, no Australian office
7/10 Sources: VA MASTERS' pricing and about pages. Checked October 2026.
Full VA MASTERS profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 02 · For Australian businesses
Outsourced
7.4/10
Filed under Offshore staffing · HQ: Quezon City, Philippines (head office) · Staff in: Philippines, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Colombia, Argentina
Outsourced is an Australian-founded offshore staffing firm headquartered in Quezon City, with an AUD cost calculator and an Australian phone line. It is the only firm on this page that publishes a replacement guarantee, but it doesn't publish its setup fee amount or notice terms.
- Price
- From A$2,231/mo
- Smallest start
- Full-time dedicated staff; home-based setup described as suited to individuals or small teams
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- 12-month replacement guarantee on every role, with no additional recruitment fee
- Notice
- Not published
- Fees
- Salary plus fixed monthly service fee; setup fee (amount not published) refunded if it misses its SLA or you're not satisfied with candidates
- Founded
- 2012
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 on Trustpilot (26 reviews)
What we like
- 12-month replacement guarantee with no extra recruitment fee
- Setup fee refunded if it misses its SLA or you're not satisfied with candidates
- 4.7 on Trustpilot from 26 reviews; 450+ clients and 98% staff retention reported
- Optional monitoring: screenshots, idle tracking and online timesheets
What to watch
- Setup fee amount isn't published
- Full-time dedicated staff only
- Calculator figures are estimates, not quotes; notice terms not published
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Detailed recruitment process with a 'top 1%' claim; no published acceptance data
7/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Salary-plus-fee model with an AUD estimate per role; setup fee amount not published
6/10 Small-business access (15%)
Single full-time hires possible; no part-time option published
6/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
12-month replacement guarantee and money-back setup fee guarantee; notice not published
8/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2012, 450+ clients, 1,800+ employees; 4.7 on Trustpilot from 26 reviews
8/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Dedicated Client Success Manager, 160+ support staff, performance monitoring tools
8/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Australian founder, Australian phone line and AUD estimates; headquartered in the Philippines with no Australian office listed
8/10 Sources: Outsourced's process and about pages; Trustpilot. Checked October 2026.
Full Outsourced profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 03 · For Australian businesses
Cloudstaff
7.1/10
Filed under Offshore staffing · HQ: Makati, Philippines · Staff in: Philippines, India, Colombia, Kenya
Cloudstaff is an Australian-founded offshore staffing firm, headquartered in Makati, with thousands of staff across the Philippines, India, Colombia and Kenya. Its online Team Builder gives indicative AUD prices and it charges no setup fees, but contract terms aren't published.
- Price
- From A$2,168/mo
- Smallest start
- Full-time staff, one monthly rate per staff member; no minimum headcount published
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Not published
- Notice
- Not published
- Fees
- No setup fees or hidden charges; the monthly rate covers recruitment, onboarding, HR, payroll, hardware, technology and support
- Founded
- 2005
- Reviews
- 3/5 on Trustpilot (4 reviews)
What we like
- No setup fees; one monthly rate per staff member covers recruitment, HR, payroll, hardware and support
- Online Team Builder shows indicative AUD costs by role and experience level
- Large scale: over 6,000 staff and 1,300+ businesses served, with hubs in four countries
What to watch
- Places full-time staff; no part-time option published
- Trial, notice and replacement terms aren't published
- Few independent reviews: 3.0 on Trustpilot from 4 reviews
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
1M+ talent pool and an in-house academy; screening steps not detailed
6/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Indicative AUD prices by role in the Team Builder; no setup fees
7/10 Small-business access (15%)
Can price a single staff member; full-time only
6/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No setup fees; trial, notice and replacement not published
5/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2005, over 6,000 staff, 1,300+ businesses; only 4 Trustpilot reviews (3.0)
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Onshore account management teams, designated team leads, structured onboarding
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Australian founded and led, with an AU phone line, onshore account management and AUD estimates
9/10 Sources: Cloudstaff's about page; Trustpilot; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Cloudstaff profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 04 · For Australian businesses
Emapta
6.9/10
Filed under Offshore staffing · HQ: Mandaluyong, Philippines · Staff in: Philippines (16 delivery centers), Colombia (3 delivery centers), India
Emapta is a large Philippines-headquartered staffing firm with delivery centers in the Philippines, Colombia and India and an Australia and New Zealand leadership team; it says it has hundreds of ANZ clients. With no minimum hires and no long-term contracts it suits small teams, though prices are quote-only.
- Price
- Not published; quoted per role with no salary markups
- Smallest start
- No minimum hires or headcount
- Trial
- No formal trial published; describes 'try before you buy' with easy-in, easy-out contracts
- Replacement
- Not published
- Notice
- No long-term contracts; notice period not published
- Fees
- No salary markups; other fees not published
- Founded
- 2010
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 on Clutch (3 reviews)
What we like
- No minimum hires and no long-term contracts
- You can see exactly what your team is paid, with no salary markups
- Dedicated Client Experience Manager; says teams can be built in as little as 9 days
What to watch
- No published prices, and no AUD estimates
- Replacement and notice terms aren't published
- Serves clients worldwide; its Australian presence is an ANZ leadership and sales team inside a global firm
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Pre-vetted candidates through its talent marketplace; 'top 1%' claim without published acceptance data
7/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Quote only, but no salary markups and pay visibility promised
4/10 Small-business access (15%)
No minimum hires or headcount
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No long-term contracts; notice and replacement not published
6/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2010, 98% staff retention reported; only 3 Clutch reviews (4.7)
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Dedicated Client Experience Manager through onboarding and beyond
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
ANZ managing director, an ANZ sales line and hundreds of ANZ clients claimed; a global firm with no AUD pricing
8/10 Sources: Emapta's service page; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Emapta profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 05 · For Australian businesses
Affordable Staff
6.7/10
Filed under Offshore staffing · HQ: Sumner (Brisbane), Queensland, Australia · Staff in: Bacolod City, Philippines (office-based only)
Affordable Staff is a Brisbane-based firm that has supplied Philippines-based staff to Australian and New Zealand businesses since 2010. It is open to one-person starts and describes its screening in detail, but publishes no prices or contract terms.
- Price
- Not published
- Smallest start
- Works with businesses engaging a single virtual assistant; staff are permanent full-time
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Not published
- Notice
- Not published
- Fees
- Not published
- Founded
- 2010
What we like
- Seven-step recruitment with English tests, police clearance and reference checks
- Works with businesses hiring a single virtual assistant
- All staff work from its own Bacolod office with on-site team leaders; Hubstaff activity tracking available
What to watch
- No published prices or contract terms
- Office-based only, so no work-from-home staff
- We found no independent review ratings with counts
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Seven-step recruitment, English assessments, police clearance, reference checks and role training
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Quote only
3/10 Small-business access (15%)
Single-VA clients welcome; full-time staff only
7/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
Trial, notice, replacement and fees not published
3/10 Track record (15%)
Operating since 2010; no independent review counts found
5/10 Management & reporting (15%)
On-site team leaders, client and team success managers, Hubstaff tracking, onboarding method
8/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Brisbane-based and serves only Australian and New Zealand clients
9/10 Sources: Affordable Staff's FAQ and about pages. Checked October 2026.
Full Affordable Staff profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →