File 01 · For UK businesses
VA Connect
7.8/10
Filed under Managed remote staffing (dedicated assistants on monthly hour packages) · HQ: Sandton, South Africa (Clutch listing); contracts through Virtual Assistant Connect LLC, Delaware, USA · Staff in: South Africa
VA Connect places dedicated South African assistants with businesses in the UK, the US and other markets, on hour packages from £818 a month for 40 hours. It publishes its prices and screening steps and runs month to month, but it bills in US dollars and has no UK office.
- Price
- From £818/mo
- Smallest start
- Packages start at 40 hours a month; no minimum term (rolling monthly)
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- If the VA isn't performing to the agreed standard, a new candidate is found at no additional cost
- Notice
- Cancel at any time; service runs to the end of the paid period, and unused hours can be refunded pro rata
- Fees
- No deposit or consultation fee; packages billed monthly in advance; optional permanent placement R88,000 one-off (paid in South African rand)
- Founded
- 2008
- Reviews
- 4.8/5 on Clutch (13 reviews)
What we like
- Publishes package prices by hours, from £818 ($1,088) a month for 40 hours, with no deposit
- Candidates take skills tests, background checks and a 45-minute work simulation; only those scoring 80% or more are shortlisted
- Rolling monthly packages you can cancel at any time, with pro-rata refunds of unused hours and free replacement
- Clutch rating of 4.8 from 13 reviews
What to watch
- Charged in US dollars, monthly in advance, through a US company, so the cost in pounds moves with the exchange rate
- No UK office or UK phone number; the only listed number is a US one
- Founded in 2008 as a South African consultancy and took on international clients from 2018; the UK is one of several markets
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Skills tests, background checks and a 45-minute work simulation with an 80% pass mark; client interviews 3-4 hand-picked candidates
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Package prices by hours published in USD with GBP equivalents on its UK page; placement fee published
8/10 Small-business access (15%)
Packages start at 40 hours a month with no minimum term
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
Cancel any time with pro-rata refunds of unused hours, free replacement, no deposit; no trial and billed in advance
8/10 Track record (15%)
Founded 2008 (VA Connect since 2014, international clients since 2018); Clutch 4.8 from 13 reviews
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Client success manager check-ins plus a team success manager who handles each VA's coaching and KPIs
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
UK-specific site with a London-hours schedule, GBP price equivalents and UK clients among its reviewers; USD billing through a US entity and no UK office keep it below 9
8/10 Sources: VA Connect's website; virtualassistantza.com; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full VA Connect profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 02 · For UK 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 the UK among its main markets and recruits for UK business hours; prices and billing in US dollars, no UK office
7/10 Sources: VA MASTERS' pricing and about pages. Checked October 2026.
Full VA MASTERS profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 03 · For UK businesses
Outsourcery
7.5/10
Filed under Offshore staffing (part-time, full-time and recruit-only) · HQ: Nicosia, Cyprus (contact address in its terms; serves UK clients with a UK 0800 number) · Staff in: South Africa
Outsourcery places South African professionals with UK small businesses, from part-time FLEX hours (from £15/hour) to full-time hires it employs and manages. It has served UK clients since 2015, and the former AVirtual website now redirects to it.
- Price
- From £15/hr
- Smallest start
- FLEX starts at 20 hours a month; DIRECT is full-time only
- Trial
- Not published. Subscriptions start with a 1-month initial period, then renew monthly
- Replacement
- FLEX: a 'talent swap' if the fit isn't right. RECRUIT: 3-month replacement guarantee, then a tiered rebate if no replacement is found
- Notice
- FLEX: rolling monthly contract, one month's notice. DIRECT: one calendar month's notice
- Fees
- No setup fees on FLEX or DIRECT. RECRUIT: one-off fee of 20% of first-year salary, due within 7 days of the start date
- Founded
- 2015
- Reviews
- 3.8/5 on Trustpilot (2 reviews)
What we like
- Publishes a starting rate (FLEX from £15/hour) and charges no setup fees on FLEX or DIRECT
- Part-time start from 20 hours a month on a rolling monthly contract
- FLEX clients get a dedicated Client Success Manager, regular check-ins and shared time logs
What to watch
- Terms set a non-solicitation fee of £10,000 or 25% of annual cost (whichever is greater); an £8,000 buy-out is only available after 12 months
- Full-time DIRECT prices are not published, and DIRECT does not include the same continuity cover as FLEX
- Only 2 Trustpilot reviews; the site cites a 4.9 Google rating from 140+ reviews, which we did not check
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Sources, vets and pre-screens candidates and the client interviews a shortlist; no tests or acceptance rates published
6/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
FLEX hourly rate and RECRUIT fee published; full-time DIRECT pricing is quote-only
7/10 Small-business access (15%)
FLEX starts at 20 hours a month on a rolling monthly contract
9/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No setup fees, one month's notice and a talent swap, but no trial and a £10,000+ non-solicitation fee
6/10 Track record (15%)
Operating since 2015 with 2,000+ UK businesses (company figure); only 2 Trustpilot reviews
6/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Dedicated Client Success Manager, structured onboarding, check-ins and shared time logs for FLEX
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Works only with UK businesses, with GBP pricing, a UK 0800 number and staff chosen for UK-hours overlap; its contact address is in Cyprus
9/10 Sources: Outsourcery's FAQ and terms pages; Trustpilot. Checked October 2026.
Full Outsourcery profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 04 · For UK businesses
Talent Shore
6.7/10
Filed under Offshore staffing (recruitment plus employment service) · HQ: Croydon, England · Staff in: South Africa
Talent Shore is a Croydon-registered firm that recruits South African staff for UK companies and then runs their payroll, HR and admin for a fixed monthly fee. It suits businesses that want to direct the work themselves and prefer published service fees.
- Price
- Not published
- Smallest start
- One hire; the employment service runs on a 12-month contract
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Not published
- Notice
- Not published (12-month contract for the employment service)
- Fees
- No upfront fee; £999 one-off fee after a successful hire
- Founded
- 2021
- Reviews
- 4.6/5 on Trustpilot (25 reviews)
What we like
- Publishes all of its own fees: £999 per hire, £500/month employment service and £100/month IT
- No upfront fee; the recruitment fee is only charged after a successful hire
- Trustpilot rating of 4.6 from 25 reviews
What to watch
- The employment service runs on a 12-month contract per hire
- Salary comes on top of the fees and isn't published; no trial or replacement terms published
- On the first page of its Trustpilot reviews, 14 of 20 reviewers have South African profiles and 6 have UK profiles
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Advertises each role across South Africa, pre-screens and sends pre-recorded video interviews before live calls; no acceptance rates published
6/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
All service fees published in GBP; salary is set per role and not published
7/10 Small-business access (15%)
One hire is accepted, but each employment service runs on a 12-month contract
6/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
12-month contract with no trial, replacement or notice terms published
4/10 Track record (15%)
Incorporated in 2021; Trustpilot 4.6 from 25 reviews, many from South African profiles
6/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Handles HR, payroll and IT setup; the client manages the work and no account management or QA is described
5/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Croydon office, UK phone numbers, fees in GBP and South African staff one hour from the UK
9/10 Sources: Talent Shore's website; find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk; Trustpilot. Checked October 2026.
Full Talent Shore profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 05 · For UK businesses
Get Ahead VA
6.5/10
Filed under Managed UK-based virtual assistant network (franchise) · HQ: Surrey, United Kingdom · Staff in: United Kingdom (UK-based specialists working remotely)
Get Ahead VA is a UK network of 90+ remote specialists, matched to clients by local Regional Directors, with no minimum hours. It is the onshore option on this list, for businesses that want UK-based help rather than offshore staff.
- Price
- Not published
- Smallest start
- No minimum hours and no fixed monthly retainer
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- If the fit isn't right, the Regional Director finds someone who is (no written guarantee published)
- Notice
- Not published. The site says there are no long-term contracts
- Fees
- Not published
- Founded
- 2010
What we like
- No minimum hours or fixed retainer; clients range from sole traders using a few hours a week to full back-office support
- A local Regional Director matches each client and stays involved as needs change
- All 90+ specialists are UK-based, covering admin, finance, HR, marketing and web
What to watch
- Prices aren't published, and UK-based specialists cost more than offshore staff
- No review ratings found on Trustpilot
- Regional Directors are franchise owners, each running their own territory
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Regional Directors hand-pick experienced UK specialists for skills and fit; no vetting steps or acceptance rates published
6/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
No rates or fees published
3/10 Small-business access (15%)
No minimum hours or retainer; a few hours a week is accepted
9/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No long-term contracts and rematching if the fit is wrong; notice and replacement terms not published
6/10 Track record (15%)
Operating since 2010 with 90+ specialists and a franchise network since 2017; no review ratings found
5/10 Management & reporting (15%)
A Regional Director is the single point of contact and stays involved
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
UK-only network with local Regional Directors and UK-based specialists, so hours and support are local; onshore at UK rates, with no published GBP prices
8/10 Sources: Get Ahead VA's about page; Trustpilot. Checked October 2026.
Full Get Ahead VA profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →