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Best Virtual Assistant Providers in the Philippines – 2026 Guide

Last updated: 02 January 2026
 Author: Martin English, Founder – Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS)

TL;DR for founders

Filipino virtual assistants (VAs) still deliver around 70–90% payroll savings in 2026 with strong English, cultural fit, and 24/7 coverage. Most founders end up choosing between three paths:

  • Best overall, compliance-first: A managed VA + Employer of Record (EOR) provider such as Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS), with full-time Filipino VAs employed under PH law and packages starting at around US$700/month in 2026 (salary + EOR fee for simpler roles). 
  • Best for flexible or hourly work: Hour-block VA providers like TaskBullet when you need project-based or variable support. 
  • Best for DIY hiring: Marketplaces and job boards such as OnlineJobs.ph or VirtualStaff.ph when you want to recruit, manage, and carry compliance risk yourself. 

This guide compares leading providers, realistic VA rates, and which model fits which kind of founder.

Why the Philippines remains the VA capital in 2026

The fundamentals that made the Philippines the go-to VA destination are still intact:

  • Deep talent pool: Decades of BPO experience across admin, CX, finance, marketing, and tech roles. 
  • Strong English and cultural fit: Neutral accents, high literacy, and day-to-day familiarity with US, UK, AU, and EU clients. 
  • Time zone advantage: PH (UTC+8) comfortably supports AU daytime, UK mornings, and US evenings or night shifts. 
  • Cost efficiency: Full-time VA salaries of roughly US$500–US$1,200/month still deliver major savings versus on-shore assistants, even after you add a managed-service or EOR fee. 
  • Mature compliance: Established structures for SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and 13th-month pay mean predictable employment when you use a compliant provider.

 

 

How this 2026 comparison ranks VA providers

To keep this useful for founders and operations leaders, providers are compared on:

  • Pricing transparency: Clear monthly or hourly rates and what’s included. 
  • Time-to-hire: Days from green light to a VA starting work. 
  • Engagement model: Marketplace, managed VA, BPO, staff leasing, or VA + EOR hybrid. 
  • Compliance and HR cover: Contractor-only vs fully employed under local labour law. 
  • Client satisfaction and retention: Tenure, renewals, and public review signals. 

The goal is to help you pick the right engagement model and provider for your stage, not just pick from a random list.

2026 cost benchmarks – Filipino VAs and EOR-wrapped VAs

Indicative ranges for full-time VAs in 2026 (roughly 160–173 hours/month):

Role level Direct hire salary (USD/mo) Managed VA (USD/mo) Approx. hourly equivalent Typical use-cases
Entry-level admin VA $500–$700 ~$700–$1,300 ~$3–$7/hr Inbox, scheduling, basic support, data entry
Specialist VA $700–$1,200 ~$1,100–$1,900 ~$4–$10/hr E-commerce, bookkeeping, marketing, ops
Senior EA / team lead VA $1,000–$1,600 ~$1,600–$2,400+ ~$6–$14/hr C-suite support, RevOps, team leadership

Managed VA/EOR pricing typically wraps in:

  • Recruitment, vetting, and shortlisting 
  • HR support and replacement guarantees 
  • Payroll and basic benefits administration 
  • Account management and basic performance oversight 

For Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) specifically in 2026:

  • Full-time VA packages typically start around US$700/month for simpler roles (for example, core admin VAs on straightforward schedules). 
  • Total cost combines the VA’s salary in PHP plus a flat EOR fee anchored around US$190 per employee/month, covering PH-legal employment, payroll, statutory contributions, and HR support. 

A simple planning rule many founders use:

Total monthly cost ≈ salary × 1.1–1.2 + EOR / management fee

Best virtual assistant providers in the Philippines – 2026 snapshot

Pricing is indicative and will vary by role, schedule, and benefits. Always confirm current quotes and inclusions.

Rank Provider Engagement model Typical cost band (USD/mo) Time-to-hire (est.) Compliance wrapper Best for
1 Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) Managed VA + EOR From ~US$700/mo, up to ~US$1,900+¹ ~7–10 business days Full PH EOR (employment) Founders wanting low-risk, fully compliant VA teams
2 20four7VA Managed VA ~US$800–$1,700 ~10–14 days Contractor/agency model SMEs wanting done-for-you matching at scale
3 CrewBloom Remote staffing / managed Mid–premium range ~10–15 days Employer / contractor mix Growth teams needing sales, CX, and revenue VAs
4 Cloudstaff Staff leasing / BPO Typically mid–high range ~10–20 days PH employer under BPO Larger teams needing office-based or hybrid support
5 Outsourced.ph Staff leasing Mid-market ~10–14 days PH employer under BPO Tech, creative, and operational support teams
6 TaskBullet Hour-block VA service From roughly US$6–$10/hr ~3–5 days Contractor Short projects, micro-tasks, variable workloads
7 OnlineJobs.ph Job board / DIY marketplace Direct salaries + platform fee Depends on you You handle compliance Experienced hirers building teams directly
8 VirtualStaff.ph Marketplace + staff-leasing Direct salaries + platform fee ~7–14 days Mixed; read terms closely Cost-sensitive founders comfortable managing risk

¹ For SOS, that range reflects different combinations of VA salaries, schedules, and benefits. In 2026, entry-level full-time VA packages commonly start around US$700/month (salary + SOS EOR fee) and rise with seniority, complexity, or night-shift coverage.

 

Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) – why many founders put it #1 in 2026

SOS is often the preferred choice for founders who care about both savings and legal safety:

  • VA + EOR in one stack: Your VA is a Philippine employee under SOS’s BIR-registered entity, not a grey-area contractor. Contracts, payroll, SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG, and 13th-month pay are handled properly. 
  • Clear economics with a low starting point: In 2026, full-time VA packages with SOS typically start at around US$700/month for simpler roles, combining salary and a flat EOR fee. This makes 12-month planning straightforward for finance. 
  • Startup-friendly operations: No heavy seat minimums, a simple onboarding flow, and an easy path to scale from one VA to a small team. 
  • Support and retention focus: Dedicated account management, structured onboarding, and the ability to replace or adjust roles if your needs change. 

SOS is particularly compelling when:

  • The VA is close to your customers, cash, or operations. 
  • You want to avoid misclassification and data-risk issues. 
  • You plan to grow from a single assistant into a leveraged offshore pod over the next 6–18 months. 

 

When other VA providers may be a better fit

Different providers suit different situations:

  • 20four7VA and CrewBloom
     Good when you want managed VAs (often beyond just the Philippines) and are comfortable with contractor-style arrangements instead of a full EOR wrapper. 
  • Cloudstaff and Outsourced.ph
     Strong options for larger teams, office-based or hybrid models, or when VAs are part of a broader staff-leasing or BPO strategy. 
  • TaskBullet
     Useful when you’re still testing what to delegate and want hourly blocks or micro-tasks rather than a dedicated full-time assistant. 
  • OnlineJobs.ph and VirtualStaff.ph
     Best when you already know how to recruit remotely, are willing to own HR and compliance, and prioritise the lowest upfront provider cost. 

 

How to choose the right VA provider in 2026

 

1. Do you need legal employment or just output?

  • If the role is core, long-term, and customer-facing, and you care about risk, lean towards managed VA + EOR providers like SOS. 
  • If you are running short-term experiments or one-off projects, hourly or marketplace options can be fine. 

2. Are you buying time or building a function?

  • Buying time: You mostly want relief from repetitive tasks. Hourly blocks and flexible VAs can be enough. 
  • Building a function: You are expecting your VA to own processes, talk to customers, and grow with your company. Treat them as an employee via a compliant provider. 

3. How much internal capacity do you have for hiring and HR?

  • Low internal capacity: You will benefit from providers that handle sourcing, vetting, HR, and performance basics. 
  • Higher capacity: If you enjoy recruiting and already have HR structure, job boards may give you more control at the cost of more work. 

4. What is your risk appetite?

  • Lower risk appetite: Ask providers for sample contracts, payslips, and statutory remittance proofs so you can see what “compliant” looks like. Pick those that can show a real PH employment wrapper. 
  • Higher risk appetite: You may accept contractor-heavy models, understanding you own the misclassification and IP-risk trade-offs. 

 

Top tasks to delegate first to a Filipino VA in 2026

Start with tasks that are easy to document and deliver fast time savings:

  • Inbox triage, calendar scheduling, meeting prep, and follow-ups. 
  • CRM hygiene: contact updates, opportunity tagging, list building. 
  • Customer support: email, chat, and basic ticket handling. 
  • E-commerce support: listing updates, returns coordination, review responses. 
  • Finance admin: invoice tracking, simple reconciliations, expense processing. 
  • Marketing support: social scheduling, content formatting, simple design updates. 

Once you have trust and clear processes, expand into:

  • KPI reporting and dashboard upkeep. 
  • Lead research and outbound prospecting. 
  • Vendor coordination, logistics, and light project management.

 

 

FAQ – Best VA providers in the Philippines in 2026

  • Who are the best virtual assistant providers in the Philippines in 2026?
     A practical shortlist is: Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) for VA + EOR, 20four7VA and CrewBloom for managed VA teams, and OnlineJobs.ph or VirtualStaff.ph if you prefer to recruit and manage directly.
  • How much does a Filipino virtual assistant cost per month in 2026?
     Direct salaries are usually around US$500–US$1,200/month, depending on experience and role. Managed VA and EOR-wrapped services typically start from about US$700/month (for example, entry-level full-time roles with SOS in 2026) and can reach US$2,400+ for senior or specialised positions.
  • Which provider is best if compliance is my top concern?
     Look for a provider that acts as an Employer of Record (EOR) in the Philippines. SOS is a good reference point, as VAs are employed under its local entity, with payroll, benefits, and statutory contributions handled correctly.
  • Should I use a VA marketplace or a managed VA service?
    • Marketplace: Lower provider fees, but you own recruitment, HR, performance, and compliance. 
    • Managed VA: Higher monthly fees, but recruitment, HR, replacement, and often payroll and compliance are handled for you. 
  • What hidden fees should I watch for when comparing VA providers?
     Ask about seat/IT fees, 13th-month pay handling, health benefits, early termination penalties, buy-out fees, and FX margins. Request a full monthly example for one full-time VA that includes all these line items.
  • Will a Filipino VA overlap with my time zone?
     Yes, if you define the schedule clearly. VAs in the Philippines regularly support AU daytime, UK mornings, and US time zones via night or split shifts.
  • How do I protect IP and data with an overseas VA?
     Use NDAs and IP assignment clauses, company-controlled cloud tools, role-based permissions, and multi-factor authentication. If you work with a managed provider, ask for their written security policy and how they handle devices and access.

Plan your 2026 VA rollout with SOS

If you are considering building or upgrading a VA function in the Philippines, a clear, numbers-first view usually beats generic pitches.

Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) can help you:

  • Map what a full-time SOS VA package starting around US$700/month looks like for your specific role, including salary, EOR fee, and optional benefits. 
  • Compare that option against marketplace VAs, generic BPO, or in-house hires, so you can see cost, risk, and coverage differences side by side. 
  • Outline a 90-day VA rollout plan covering tasks, KPIs, handover steps, and what “success” looks like by the end of the pilot. 

You share the roles, hours, and budget you have in mind; SOS can return a simple, line-item breakdown that finance, HR, and leadership can all read in one sitting—no obligation, just a cleaner way to decide how and where a Filipino VA fits into your 2026 strategy.

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