Boldly's 2026 rates are published: $2,600/mo for 40 hours, $3,900/mo for 60 hours, $5,200/mo for 80 hours, and $6,500/mo for 100 hours. That is a flat $65/hr across every standard plan. Specialist work such as project management, web development, blog writing, and design bills at $79/hr. Prices assume ACH; credit card adds 2.9%. Boldly staffs US and UK-based fractional assistants, so the real comparison is not cheaper versus more expensive: Boldly sells onshore seniority by the hour, while a firm like VirtuHire US sells a dedicated full-time South African seat at $1,200 to $2,800/mo for a full month of hours. Boldly is the right answer when you need a US or UK resident specifically, or when you only need a few hours a week. Full-time offshore wins when the role has no residency requirement and more hours at a lower total cost is the priority. As of: August 14, 2026.
Boldly's published 2026 prices
Unlike many competitors who keep pricing behind a discovery call, Boldly publishes its rate card. These figures were verified on boldly.com/pricing on August 14, 2026, and confirmed unchanged since May 2026.
| Plan (hours/month) | Monthly cost (ACH) | Effective hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | $2,600/mo | $65/hr |
| 60 hours | $3,900/mo | $65/hr |
| 80 hours | $5,200/mo | $65/hr |
| 100 hours | $6,500/mo | $65/hr |
| 160 hours | Quote only | Contact Boldly |
A few important line items outside the standard plan table:
- Specialist billing. Project management, web development, blog writing, and design are billed separately at $79/hr, not the standard $65/hr plan rate.
- Payment method surcharge. Boldly's published prices assume ACH payment. Paying by credit card adds 2.9% to the total. On a $3,900/mo plan that is $113/mo in additional cost.
- 160-hour block. The full-time volume block is quote-only. Contact Boldly directly for that rate.
These are Boldly's published figures as of August 14, 2026. Pricing can change; verify the current rate card at boldly.com/pricing before signing anything.
What's included in each Boldly plan
Boldly's pricing bundles several services into the hourly rate. Understanding what you are buying clarifies the comparison with any alternative.
- US and UK-based assistants. Boldly staffs domestic assistants in the United States and the United Kingdom. The premium over offshore options reflects this geography directly: you are paying US and UK labor economics, not offshore rates.
- Senior, experienced staff. Boldly positions its assistants as senior operators, not entry-level. The $65/hr reflects that positioning. Buyers at this price point are typically not looking for task-doers; they want someone who requires minimal direction.
- Vetted matching. Boldly screens candidates and matches you based on your role and working style. You are not posting a job, sorting applicants, or running your own interviews.
- Account management. A relationship or success manager oversees the engagement. This layer adds coordination cost and is one reason the hourly number stays at $65 rather than a lower figure.
- Fractional structure. Your assistant splits time across a small number of clients. You are buying a block of hours, not a dedicated full-time employee. For some buyers this is exactly what they need; for others it is a limitation.
- Employment and payroll handled. Boldly manages the employment relationship, so you are not running payroll, withholding, or benefits for the assistant yourself. This is bundled into the rate.
The bundle is real and useful. Whether it is worth $65/hr compared to alternatives depends on whether your role specifically needs the things Boldly bundles, in particular the US or UK residency of the staff.
The per-hour math
Boldly's standard hourly rate is flat at $65/hr across all published plans. That makes the hourly math clean. The question is what you compare it to.
For a Boldly buyer, the decision is usually between Boldly and either another US or UK staffing firm, or a full-time offshore placement. Here is how the hours and dollars compare across common monthly volumes:
| Monthly hours needed | Boldly monthly cost | VirtuHire US full-time (South Africa) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | $2,600/mo ($65/hr) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full 160+ hrs, dedicated) |
| 60 hours | $3,900/mo ($65/hr) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full 160+ hrs, dedicated) |
| 80 hours | $5,200/mo ($65/hr) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full 160+ hrs, dedicated) |
| 100 hours | $6,500/mo ($65/hr) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full 160+ hrs, dedicated) |
The structural difference here is larger than the dollar gap suggests. Through Boldly, a $3,900/mo plan gets you 60 hours from a fractional assistant who is also working for other clients. Through a full-time offshore placement at $1,800 to $2,200/mo, you get a dedicated person working your standard full month of hours, roughly 160 to 170, who knows only your business.
On the per-hour comparison: a full-time South African placement at $2,200/mo for 165 working hours works out to roughly $13/hr. A Boldly plan runs $65/hr. The four-plus-times gap is real, but so is the difference in what you are buying: onshore seniority and US residency on one side, offshore full-time dedication on the other. The right comparison is what your role actually requires, not which number is larger.
Who Boldly fits
Boldly built its product for a specific buyer, and it is worth naming that buyer precisely so you can decide whether you are in that group.
Boldly is a strong fit when:
- You need a US or UK-based, US or UK-resident assistant because of regulatory, contractual, or governance requirements. Legal, financial, or government-adjacent roles sometimes carry this constraint explicitly.
- You need 40 to 80 hours a month and want a fully managed relationship with no hiring, onboarding, or HR overhead on your side. The Boldly model is set up specifically for this use case.
- The role is senior enough that $65/hr is the right market rate for the seniority level you need, and domestic seniority is the real differentiator.
- Board-level or investor-facing work makes a US W-2 or UK employment relationship the cleaner choice from a confidentiality or governance standpoint.
- Fiduciary or compliance-sensitive work where domestic staffing reduces liability exposure.
Boldly is not the right tool when:
- The role has no actual US or UK residency requirement, which covers the majority of admin, EA, bookkeeping, and ops roles.
- You need a full-time dedicated person who works only for your business, learns your systems deeply, and is available your whole workday.
- The monthly cost at the hours you need is difficult to justify, and a lower total spend would change whether the hire makes financial sense.
- You want morning-through-afternoon coverage five days a week rather than a fractional block of hours shared across the week.
The second list is where most founders and operators land, which is why the offshore model exists as a mainstream option alongside US staffing firms.
The offshore alternative: full-time South African staff
For roles that have no US or UK residency requirement, a full-time offshore placement gives you more hours, a dedicated person, and a lower monthly cost. The trade is clear: you give up the domestic residency, and in return you get a whole workday instead of a fractional block.
South Africa is the market VirtuHire US works in, so here is the comparison without the sales spin.
| Boldly | VirtuHire US (South Africa) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $2,600 to $6,500/mo (fractional) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full-time) |
| Hours | 40 to 100/mo (fractional blocks) | Full-time, dedicated to one client |
| Staff location | United States and United Kingdom | South Africa |
| English | Native | Native or near-native |
| Timezone overlap | Full US timezone coverage | 4 to 8 hrs US-AM overlap (shiftable) |
| Recruitment fee | Bundled into hourly rate | None |
| Replacement | Account management handles rematch | 30-day replacement guarantee |
| Dedicated vs shared | Fractional, shared across clients | Dedicated to one client |
| Effective hourly rate | $65/hr (standard), $79/hr (specialist) | Roughly $7.50 to $17.50/hr |
South Africa is English-speaking at the business level: English is one of its official languages and the dominant professional language. The writing, phone communication, and email quality that US clients receive from South African hires is the primary reason the market competes on quality rather than purely on rate. This is why VirtuHire US has 93% retention across 272 clients and 750+ placements (internal data, August 2025): a placement that communicates and executes at a high level stays. One that does not, goes.
On timezone, South Africa runs 6 to 7 hours ahead of US Eastern time depending on daylight saving. A South African assistant working standard hours covers the US East Coast morning completely. Many placements shift schedules to extend into the US afternoon. The practical overlap is enough for real-time delegation during the period when most of the actual work gets handed off.
When Boldly is the better choice
The purpose of this guide is to help you pick the right tool, not to push a specific answer. Boldly is the better choice in a real and specific set of cases.
- US or UK residency is legally or contractually required. If your contract, your regulator, or your industry mandates domestic staffing, offshore is not an option. Pay for the geography.
- You want 40 to 60 hours a month and no management overhead. Boldly's fractional model is built for buyers who need part-time support and want the matching, onboarding, and relationship management fully handled. If that is your situation, the per-hour premium is buying real convenience.
- Seniority is the actual differentiator. Boldly attracts experienced US and UK professionals. If the specific seniority level of a domestic market veteran is what your role needs, the hourly rate reflects that market.
- Board, governance, or confidentiality concerns. A US or UK employment relationship with a named employer is a cleaner arrangement for some board-level or investor-facing executive support roles.
- Fiduciary or compliance-driven requirements. Domestic staffing reduces certain liability exposures in regulated industries. If that exposure is real for your role, the Boldly premium can be cost-justified on compliance grounds alone.
Outside those cases, you are paying a premium for domestic geography that most EA, admin, bookkeeping, and ops roles do not actually require. A full-time offshore placement covers the role at a fraction of the cost. See also: VirtuHire US vs Boldly for a more detailed head-to-head comparison.
How to decide in five minutes
Run through this filter and you will have a clear direction.
- Does the role legally or contractually require a US or UK resident? If yes, Boldly or another domestic firm is your answer. Stop here.
- Do you need 40 to 80 hours a month, or a full workday? A fractional block points to a model like Boldly. A full workday of dedicated coverage points to a full-time offshore placement.
- Does the monthly cost change whether this hire makes sense for your business? At $3,900 to $6,500/mo for part-time hours, Boldly is a significant expense. At $1,400 to $2,200/mo for full-time hours, the offshore route often pencils out where Boldly would not.
- Is US-morning overlap plus native or near-native English enough for this role? If yes, offshore covers your language and timezone needs. If you need a physical US presence or US-legal work status, Boldly or a similar domestic firm is the call.
- Do you want someone who learns your business deeply over months, or a vetted generalist available on demand? Dedicated full-time offshore works better for the first; Boldly's managed fractional model fits the second.
Most founders and operators who go through this filter and do not have a hard residency requirement end up pointing at full-time offshore. Most who have a residency requirement or need genuinely part-time support land at Boldly or a comparable domestic option.
What VirtuHire US offers and the proof behind it
VirtuHire US places pre-vetted, full-time South African staff with US companies. The parent brand's track record is the credibility anchor for that claim: 272 active clients, 750+ placements, and 93% retention, based on internal data as of August 2025. Retention is more predictive of long-term value than any individual placement stat, because a hire who stays and grows into the role beats a cheaper one who cycles out in four months.
Pricing runs $1,200 to $2,800/mo full-time depending on role complexity, with no recruitment fee, EOR employment handled by the South Africa side, and a 30-day replacement guarantee if the fit is off. Recent placements across roles show the range: Carmen, an executive assistant, at $1,600/mo. Tom, a sales account manager, at $2,200/mo. Chantel, an order processing specialist, at $1,200/mo. Eugene, a GTM lead engineer, at $2,800/mo. All placed in one month for one international partner, which is the placement window VirtuHire consistently works within.
If you want to talk through whether your specific role fits offshore or genuinely needs a domestic hire, book a 15-minute call here. If Boldly is the right answer for your situation, we will say so on the call.
How we built this guide
Boldly's pricing figures in this guide are taken from boldly.com/pricing, verified on August 14, 2026, and confirmed unchanged since May 2026. We cite the as-of date in the guide because pricing changes, and confirm means the same figures were present on both verification dates. VirtuHire US figures are internal placement data (272 clients, 750+ placements, 93% retention, August 2025) and current pricing bands from the VirtuHire US pricing page. Last reviewed: August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Boldly cost per month in 2026?
Boldly publishes its pricing. As of August 14, 2026, Boldly's monthly plans run from $2,600 per month for 40 hours to $6,500 per month for 100 hours. The 160-hour block is available on request only. Every plan is priced at $65 per hour. Specialist roles such as project management, web development, blog writing, and design are billed separately at $79 per hour. These are ACH prices; credit card payments add 2.9%.
Does Boldly publish its pricing?
Yes, Boldly publishes its prices on its website. As of August 14, 2026, the rate card shows four standard hour blocks at $65 per hour, ranging from 40 hours at $2,600 per month to 100 hours at $6,500 per month. Specialist billing at $79 per hour and the credit card surcharge of 2.9% are also published. The 160-hour block requires a quote. These figures were verified on August 14, 2026, and re-verified as unchanged since May 2026.
What does Boldly charge per hour?
Boldly's standard hourly rate across all published plans is $65 per hour as of August 14, 2026. Specialist work including project management, web development, blog writing, and design is billed at $79 per hour. Prices assume ACH payment; credit card adds 2.9%.
What is included in a Boldly monthly plan?
A Boldly monthly plan includes a vetted, US or UK-based fractional assistant who is matched to your work, an account management layer, and the payroll and employment relationship handled by Boldly. Your assistant typically splits time across a small number of clients rather than working full-time for you. Specialist roles such as project management, web development, blog writing, and design are separate line items billed at $79 per hour.
Is Boldly worth the cost in 2026?
Boldly is worth the cost when you specifically need a US or UK-based, onshore assistant: regulated industries, board-level confidentiality, a domestic W-2 preference, or a fiduciary role with compliance considerations. It is also a good fit when you only need 40 to 60 hours a month and want a fully managed relationship. If your role has no residency requirement and you need a full-time dedicated person, a full-time South African placement at $1,200 to $2,800 per month delivers more hours at a lower total cost.
What is a lower-cost alternative to Boldly?
Full-time dedicated offshore placement firms are the main lower-cost alternative to Boldly. A dedicated South African virtual assistant or executive assistant through VirtuHire US runs $1,200 to $2,800 per month full-time, which is a standard 160 to 170 working hours per month. Compared to Boldly's $65 per hour, the offshore route delivers far more hours for a lower total monthly cost, in exchange for an offshore rather than onshore hire.
When is Boldly the better choice over offshore staffing?
Boldly is the better choice when US or UK residency is a hard requirement for the role, when you only need a few hours a week and do not want to manage a full-time person, when a fiduciary or compliance-sensitive role needs onshore domestic staff, or when board-level confidentiality makes a US or UK employment relationship non-negotiable. In those cases, the Boldly premium buys something real and the offshore option is not a substitute.
Does Boldly charge extra for credit card payments?
Yes. Boldly's published prices assume ACH payment. Paying by credit card adds 2.9% to the monthly total. On a $3,900 per month plan, that surcharge amounts to an additional $113 per month. ACH is the standard payment method and avoids the surcharge.
Related reading
- VirtuHire US vs Boldly: head-to-head comparison of model, pricing, and who fits where.
- How much does a virtual assistant cost in 2026: full pricing breakdown by country and named provider.
- Belay virtual assistant pricing 2026: commonly reported Belay rates and the offshore alternative.
- 7 cheaper Belay alternatives in 2026: side-by-side comparison of lower-cost providers.
- Offshore executive assistant for US founders: dedicated EA pricing and engagement types.
- US vs South Africa salary report: US fully-loaded salaries vs South Africa retainers.
- VirtuHire US pricing: full-time South African placements from $1,200 to $2,800/mo.
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