Time Etc vs Boldly 2026: Is the $1,260/Month Price Gap Worth It?

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Last Updated: June 2026

Time Etc costs $1,260/month for 40 hours. Boldly costs $2,520/month for 40 hours. That is exactly double. The question this comparison answers: what does the extra $1,260/month actually buy you, and is there any scenario where paying it makes sense?

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Quick Comparison: Time Etc vs Boldly

Both services offer US-based, dedicated virtual assistants for professionals and growing businesses. The fundamental difference is employment model — Time Etc uses independent contractors, Boldly employs W-2 workers with full benefits. That distinction drives almost every other difference between them.

Factor	Time Etc	Boldly
Starting price	$360/mo (10hrs)	$2,520/mo (40hrs minimum)
40hr/mo price	$1,260	$2,520
80hr/mo price	N/A (60hr max)	$5,190
Per-hour effective rate	$30–$36/hr	$63/hr (specialist: $79/hr)
VA employment model	Independent contractors	W-2 employees with benefits
VA locations	US and UK	US and UK
Minimum commitment	10 hours/month	40 hours/month
Free trial	$50 credit, no CC required	No
Money-back guarantee	100%	No
Hours rollover	Yes	No
Trustpilot rating	4.9/5 (263 reviews)	4.8/5 (Clutch)
Glassdoor rating	4.7/5 (116 reviews)	4.8/5 (130 reviews, 95% recommend)
Bookkeeping available	No	Yes (specialist tier, $79/hr)
Credit card surcharge	No	2.9% fee

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Time Etc Overview

Time Etc was founded in 2007 by Barnaby Lashbrooke in the UK and expanded to include US-based VAs. It is now one of the most consistently well-rated VA services in either country, holding a 4.9/5 Trustpilot score across 263 reviews — the highest of any major managed VA service.

The model is straightforward: you get a matched, dedicated US or UK VA on a monthly subscription. Plans start at $360/month for 10 hours and go up to $1,800/month for 60 hours. Hours roll over (unused hours carry forward), and you can share your VA with colleagues at no additional cost. Month-to-month with no contracts.

Time Etc's core focus is administrative work: email management, calendar, research, document formatting, travel booking, data entry, and similar tasks. It does not offer bookkeeping or specialized financial support.

The $50 free trial credit (no credit card required) and 100% money-back guarantee make it the lowest-risk entry point of any US-based managed VA service on the market.

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Boldly Overview

Boldly was founded in 2012 as Worldwide101, rebranding to Boldly in 2019. The defining feature of the service is that VAs are W-2 employees — not independent contractors. They receive health insurance, 401k contributions, paid time off, and other full benefits. This is genuinely unusual in the VA industry and it has measurable consequences for VA stability and quality consistency.

Boldly's pricing reflects this model: $2,520/month for 40 hours ($63/hr), $5,190/month for 80 hours, and a specialist tier at $79/hr for roles requiring advanced skills (bookkeeping, project management, marketing). The minimum is 40 hours per month. There is no free trial and no lower entry tier.

The Glassdoor score tells the story: 4.8/5 with 95% of employees recommending the company. That is exceptional for any employer, let alone a remote work company. The W-2 model produces lower turnover than any other managed VA service we track.

Boldly is month-to-month, though they do add a 2.9% credit card processing fee — an annoying line item at this price point.

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Pricing: Time Etc vs Boldly

The price gap is stark and does not compress at higher volumes.

Hours/Month	Time Etc	Boldly	Difference
10 hours	$360	Not available	—
20 hours	$660	Not available	—
40 hours	$1,260	$2,520	+$1,260/mo (Boldly)
60 hours	$1,800	~$3,780 (est.)	+$1,980/mo (Boldly)
80 hours	Not available	$5,190	—

Annual cost at 40hrs/month:

• Time Etc: $15,120/year
• Boldly: $30,240/year (+$15,120)

At 40 hours per month, Boldly costs $15,120 more per year than Time Etc. That is the price of a dedicated question: what does the W-2 employment model give you that costs $15,120?

The honest answer: primarily, lower VA turnover and the psychological stability of knowing your VA has genuine job security. Whether that's worth $1,260/month depends entirely on what continuity is worth to your business.

Note that Boldly's 2.9% credit card fee adds another $73/month at the $2,520 plan level — $876/year in processing fees.

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Features Compared

VA Quality and Skill Level

Both services recruit experienced professionals, not entry-level VAs. Time Etc vets for background and specific skills; Boldly recruits what it describes as senior-level executive assistants with demonstrable track records.

In practice, both services attract serious professionals. The W-2 model at Boldly creates an incentive alignment difference: Boldly VAs are employees, not contractors running parallel client relationships. That theoretically means more focus, less risk of client conflicts, and greater accountability.

Time Etc's 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating suggests this doesn't translate to a perceptible quality gap for most users — but Boldly clients working in high-stakes executive environments report that the dedicated focus matters to them.

VA Stability and Turnover

This is Boldly's clearest concrete advantage. W-2 employment with health insurance, 401k, and PTO creates a VA workforce with demonstrably lower turnover. Boldly's Glassdoor score — 4.8/5, 95% recommend — is genuinely rare for any employer in any industry. High employee satisfaction directly correlates with client-side stability.

Time Etc's contractor model means VAs can and do move on. The 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating suggests excellent service delivery during engagements, but if you rely on a single dedicated VA and they leave, you face a rematch and ramp-up period.

For an executive who has trained a VA to know their preferences, communication style, and priorities over 18 months, VA departure is a real operational cost. For most small business owners doing general admin, it's a manageable inconvenience.

Flexibility and Entry Point

Time Etc wins decisively on flexibility. You can start at $360/month for 10 hours, try the service with $50 in free credit, cancel at any time, and roll unused hours to the next month. There is no risk floor to speak of.

Boldly's minimum is 40 hours per month at $2,520. No trial, no smaller tier, no money-back guarantee. The commitment asks you to be confident before you start. For businesses on tighter budgets or those still assessing their VA needs, that floor is a real barrier.

Services and Specializations

Time Etc is administration-focused: email, calendar, research, travel, data entry, document work. It does not offer bookkeeping, social media strategy, or specialist professional support.

Boldly offers a broader range, including an explicit specialist tier at $79/hr for bookkeeping, advanced project management, marketing, and similar roles. For executives who need one service to handle both administrative and occasional specialist tasks, this breadth is a meaningful differentiator.

Support and Matching

Both services use a managed matching model where the agency pairs you with a VA. Boldly's white-glove positioning emphasizes the matching quality — they take more time with initial discovery to ensure alignment. Time Etc matches efficiently, with most clients operational within a few days.

Time Etc's 100% money-back guarantee means a bad match is a financial non-event. Boldly has no equivalent safety net, which puts more pressure on their matching process to be right the first time.

Hours Management

Time Etc rolls over unused hours and allows you to share your VA with colleagues at no extra cost. Boldly has no rollover — unused hours in a billing period are lost.

For businesses with variable workloads, Time Etc's rollover and flexibility are practically significant. A busy month followed by a slow month is handled gracefully. At Boldly, $2,520 is the floor regardless of utilization.

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Who Should Choose Time Etc?

• Most small business owners and entrepreneurs who need reliable US-based admin support without paying a premium
• Anyone trying a managed VA service for the first time — the $50 trial and money-back guarantee make it genuinely zero-risk
• Variable workload businesses that benefit from rollover hours and month-to-month flexibility
• Teams — colleagues can share the VA at no extra cost, effectively multiplying the value
• Budget-conscious buyers — at $360/month to start, it's the most accessible US-based managed service available

Read our full Time Etc review for the complete breakdown.

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Who Should Choose Boldly?

• C-suite executives and senior leaders who genuinely rely on a dedicated EA and where VA turnover is an operational risk, not just an inconvenience
• Long-term commitments — if you know you need 40+ hours per month for 2+ years, Boldly's stability is worth real money
• Businesses needing specialist support — the $79/hr specialist tier provides bookkeeping and advanced project management in one relationship
• Anyone for whom VA turnover has already cost them significantly and who wants a structural solution

Read our full Boldly review for the complete breakdown.

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The Winner

Time Etc wins for the vast majority of businesses. At exactly half the price, with a higher Trustpilot rating (4.9 vs 4.8), a free trial, a money-back guarantee, rollover hours, and the ability to start at $360/month instead of $2,520/month — Time Etc beats Boldly on every dimension that matters to most buyers.

The W-2 employment model at Boldly is a genuine differentiator, and if VA continuity is a serious business risk for you, the premium deserves consideration. But it's a premium designed for a specific type of buyer: the executive who has already learned that losing a deeply embedded EA costs them more than $1,260/month in productivity and retraining. That buyer exists. It's probably not you.

For most businesses, Time Etc delivers the quality of output you need at $1,260/month less per month. Run the extra $1,260 into your business, not into an employment model.

Also compare Time Etc vs BELAY and BELAY vs Boldly if you're evaluating the full US managed service tier.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real difference between Time Etc contractors and Boldly W-2 employees? Time Etc VAs are independent contractors who set their own hours and may serve multiple clients simultaneously. Boldly VAs are W-2 employees who receive health insurance, 401k contributions, and PTO — more like a traditional employment relationship. The practical difference is mainly VA stability: Boldly employees have less incentive to leave for another client, and their higher Glassdoor score (4.8/5, 95% recommend) suggests they're genuinely happier in the role.

Can I try Time Etc before committing to a paid plan? Yes. Time Etc offers $50 in free trial credit with no credit card required — the most generous no-risk entry point of any major US managed VA service. They also have a 100% money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. Boldly has no trial and no money-back guarantee.

Does Time Etc offer bookkeeping? No. Time Etc focuses on administrative work: email, calendar, research, document formatting, travel booking, and similar tasks. Boldly offers a specialist tier at $79/hr that includes bookkeeping. If bookkeeping is part of your VA needs, BELAY (which explicitly lists bookkeeping as a service) and Boldly's specialist tier are your US-based options.

Is Boldly worth $2,520/month? For most businesses, no. At twice the cost of Time Etc with comparable (not superior) output quality for standard admin tasks, the premium is hard to justify unless VA continuity is genuinely a material business risk. For executive-level EAs deeply embedded in a leader's daily operations — where losing them represents weeks of lost institutional knowledge — the W-2 stability model is worth paying for.

Do either service work outside US business hours? Time Etc is US and UK based, so UK VAs can cover European hours. For US businesses, most Time Etc VAs work US business hours — same-timezone support is part of the value proposition. Boldly similarly operates in US and UK hours. Neither service is suitable for businesses needing 24/7 or Asia-Pacific timezone coverage.

Which service has better reviews? Time Etc holds a 4.9/5 Trustpilot score across 263 reviews — the highest of any major US managed VA service. Boldly's strongest rating is on Glassdoor (4.8/5, 130 reviews, 95% recommend) and Clutch (4.8/5), reflecting strong employee satisfaction. Time Etc's client-facing Trustpilot score slightly edges Boldly's in breadth of review volume.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my Time Etc plan easily? Yes. Time Etc is month-to-month with no contracts. You can adjust your plan — upgrade to more hours or reduce hours — on a monthly basis. Unused hours roll over to the following month, providing flexibility for businesses with variable workloads. Boldly is also month-to-month but has no lower tier than 40 hours per month.

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More Resources

• For the full market overview, see our best virtual assistant services ranking.
• See how these prices compare across all services in our VA pricing guide.
• Considering offshore options? Read our US vs Philippines VA comparison.
• See how BELAY fits into the premium tier in our BELAY vs Time Etc comparison.

About the Author: Our editorial team independently researches and tests virtual assistant services. We are not affiliated with any VA company featured on this site.