Six remote executive assistant services are compared on this page for startup founders, on the criteria that matter when the company is still small: how fast the match happens, whether the assistant is US-based, what the plan costs at 40 hours a month, and how much of your week the EA takes off your plate versus adds to it. Pricing and claims were read from each provider’s own website on October 13, 2026.
Full disclosure: Base is on this list, and we put ourselves first. We say why below, and we say where each of the other five is the better call. If you want the full market ranked on quality rather than startup fit, see our ranked comparison of executive assistant services.
Quick guide: 6 remote executive assistant services for startup founders
| Service | US-based assistants | Match time (published) | 40 hours a month | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Yes | 5 business days | $2,800 standard; $1,800 through Built by Base | Founders who want one strategic partner who owns outcomes |
| Double | US, Canada, France | 2 to 4 business days by plan | $1,899 | Founders who run their day in software and want delegation tooling |
| Boldly | Yes, W2 employees | Not published; “days, not months” | $2,600 | Founders who want a long-tenured, corporate-background EA |
| Time etc | Yes | Not published | $1,480 | Founders with a defined task list and a tight budget |
| Prialto | No; Philippines, Kenya, Guatemala, US-managed | Not published | $1,600 for 55 hours | Founders who want managed coverage with a trained backup |
| Athena | No; Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, Philippines | 1 to 2 weeks to kickoff | $3,000 full-time only | Founders ready to hand off their whole life to one full-time EA |
Read from each provider’s own pricing and services pages on October 13, 2026. Always confirm current rates directly.
Key numbers
- As of October 13, 2026, Base publishes a personalized match within 5 business days on its subscription pricing page, and reports that 95 percent of clients are satisfied with their first match.
- As of October 13, 2026, Base’s subscription page states that 0.01 percent of top US-based talent is invited to apply, through an invite-only application.
- As of October 13, 2026, Double publishes matching in 4 business days on its 10-hour plan, 3 on its 20-hour plan, and 2 on its 40- and 60-hour plans, at $549, $999, $1,899, and $2,799 a month.
- As of October 13, 2026, Boldly’s homepage states that clients stay with Boldly, and with the same EA, for four years on average, and that its US staff are W2 employees with health insurance and a matched 401(k).
- As of October 13, 2026, Time etc publishes $390 a month for 10 hours through $2,160 for 60, with unused hours rolling over and billing tracked to the second.
- As of October 13, 2026, Prialto publishes $1,600 a month per 55-hour unit with no overage fees, a three-month pilot before month-to-month billing, and over 15 years in business.
- As of October 13, 2026, Athena publishes $3,000 a month for one full-time dedicated EA, with a 90-day initial commitment, a one-to-two-week onboarding, and SOC 2 Type II certification.
- In Porter and Nohria’s 2018 Harvard Business Review study of 27 CEOs tracked over 13 weeks, CEOs spent 24 percent of their work time on electronic communications.
How we chose: 6 criteria for a startup founder
Startup readiness. Can the service start inside two weeks and adjust when priorities change weekly? Published match times are in the table; a provider that quotes a range on a sales call is harder to plan around.
Inbox and calendar ownership. Does the EA take over triage, scheduling, and follow-ups, or execute the ones you hand them? The difference is the difference between a virtual assistant and an executive assistant, and it is the first thing to ask on a call.
Project coordination. Can the assistant run vendor follow-ups, internal deadlines, and board prep on your behalf? Every service on this list says yes; the proof is in how the EA was trained and vetted.
Matching quality. How is the pairing made, how long does it take, and what happens when the first match misses? Base, Athena, and Boldly all publish a rematch path.
Flexibility. Can you move hours up or down month to month? Four of the six are month-to-month from day one. Prialto has a three-month pilot and Athena a 90-day commitment.
Talent vetting. What percentage of applicants get through, and is the assistant US-based? The table and Key numbers above carry what each provider publishes.
The 6 services, reviewed
1. Base: for founders who want one strategic partner
Base matches founders with a dedicated, US-based executive assistant within 5 business days, through an invite-only application that admits 0.01 percent of the top US-based talent it approaches. The EA owns inbox, calendar, travel, and projects, and is trained to run your AI tools: the prompting, the checking, and the finishing that AI drafts leave behind. Personal work is in scope too: a Base EA handles anything in your life that can be done remotely, from household logistics to family travel, alongside the business.
Two things set Base apart on this list. The talent bar is the whole business, and the subscription page publishes the numbers behind it. And Base is the only service of the six with three engagement models on one pricing page: fractional blocks from 20 to 160 hours, short-term and seasonal support, and a trial-before-hire path for founders who want full-time.
Pricing: $2,800 a month for 40 hours with an experienced EA, or $1,800 a month for 40 hours through Built by Base, where a newer-career EA who passed the same assessment is trained and coached by Base at $45 an hour.
Where another service is the better call: If you need overnight coverage or a full-time seat under $3,000 a month, Athena or Prialto. If you want the EA on your own payroll with benefits, Boldly.
2. Double: for founders who want software with their EA
Double pairs US, Canada, and France-based executive assistants with its own delegation app and AI tools, and publishes the fastest matching on this list: 2 to 4 business days depending on plan. Plans run $549 for 10 hours to $2,799 for 60, with no long-term contracts. Double also sells project support for “an urgent project or a busy month,” which fits a founder with one big push ahead.
Where another service is the better call: If you want strategic ownership rather than tracked task execution, Base or Boldly. The software layer is Double’s strength and also its model: the app is where the relationship lives.
3. Boldly: for founders who want a long-tenured W2 EA
Boldly employs its US assistants as W2 employees with health insurance and a matched 401(k), and publishes that clients keep the same EA for four years on average. Plans start at $2,600 a month for 40 hours and run to $6,500 for 100, with a 30-day notice period for cancellation. Boldly’s homepage says matching takes “days, not months” but publishes no number.
Where another service is the better call: If you need fewer than 40 hours, Time etc or Double. If you want to trial the fit before a full-time hire, Base’s Select+ path.
4. Time etc: for founders with a defined task list
Time etc has matched US-based assistants with clients since 2007, publishes the lowest dedicated rates on this list ($390 a month for 10 hours, $36 to $39 an hour), rolls unused hours forward, and bills to the second. Its own pricing page says it is better suited to ongoing assistance than one-off work, and the fit is task execution rather than strategic partnership.
Where another service is the better call: If the instructions are the work you want gone, you want an EA who writes their own task list, which is what Base, Boldly, and Athena sell.
5. Prialto: for founders who want managed coverage
Prialto sells 55-hour units at $1,600 a month, staffed from its offices in the Philippines, Kenya, and Guatemala and managed by US-based engagement managers. Every account gets a cross-trained backup from day one, there are no overage fees, and a three-month pilot precedes month-to-month billing. Prialto states over 15 years in business and millions of hours of support.
Where another service is the better call: If you want one person who sits in your meetings and holds your relationships, a US-based dedicated service. Prialto’s model is a managed system, and that is the tradeoff it makes for continuity.
6. Athena: for founders ready to delegate their whole life
Athena pairs each client with one full-time EA, employed, device-equipped, and managed by Athena, from its communities in Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, and the Philippines. The $3,000 a month plan carries a 90-day initial commitment, a one-to-two-week onboarding, a Partnership Manager, rematching, and delegation training. Athena is SOC 2 Type II certified.
Where another service is the better call: If you need 20 to 80 hours rather than 160, or same-time-zone coverage for live meetings, a fractional US-based service. For the tradeoffs in full, see offshore vs onshore executive assistants.
When a startup founder needs an executive assistant
In Porter and Nohria’s 2018 Harvard Business Review study, which tracked 27 CEOs for 13 weeks, CEOs spent 24 percent of their work time on electronic communications. Founders of small companies rarely have less email than that. The signal is a pattern rather than a breaking point: your calendar fills with meetings you did not choose, your inbox sets your day, and follow-ups slip week after week. When that recurring coordination work is limiting what you can do for the company, the hire pays for itself. Our guide to how many executive assistant hours you need turns the pattern into a starting block.
What to delegate first
Inbox first, because it touches every part of your day. Your EA triages, flags, and drafts while you handle the messages that need you. Calendar second: scheduling, conflicts, and protected focus time. Then projects, travel, and meeting prep. For what a fractional EA owns at each block, see what a fractional executive assistant is.
Frequently asked questions
What is a remote executive assistant service?
A remote executive assistant service matches you with a dedicated professional who runs your inbox, calendar, projects, and administrative work from their own location, through a monthly subscription. The six on this page differ on where the assistant lives, how fast they match, and whether they execute tasks or own outcomes.
How much do remote executive assistant services cost for startups in 2026?
At rates published on October 13, 2026, 40 hours a month runs $1,480 at Time etc, $1,800 at Base through Built by Base, $1,899 at Double, $2,600 at Boldly, and $2,800 at Base standard. Prialto sells 55 hours for $1,600, and Athena sells full-time only at $3,000. For every provider converted to an hourly rate, see executive assistant pricing compared.
How quickly can a startup founder get matched with a remote EA?
As of October 2026, Double publishes 2 to 4 business days depending on plan, Base publishes 5 business days, and Athena publishes one to two weeks to kickoff. Boldly, Time etc, and Prialto do not publish a timeline.
Can a remote EA handle personal tasks as well as business tasks?
Yes. A Base EA handles everything personal and professional that can be done remotely: family travel, household vendors and appointments, gifts, personal scheduling, bills and renewals, and the admin that follows a family around, alongside your inbox, calendar, and projects. Athena markets full-life delegation including household logistics. Boldly and Double cover travel and select personal logistics as part of executive support. Ask each provider what is in scope before you sign.
Does a startup founder need a full-time EA or part-time support?
In Base’s 2026 scoping guide, executives with no current support usually start at 40 hours a month, and strategic partnership starts at 60 to 80. Full-time, at 160 hours, is where executives land when they are replacing a traditional in-house EA. Five of the six services here sell fractional blocks; Athena sells full-time only.
Which remote executive assistant service is best for a startup founder?
It depends on the problem. A tight budget and a defined task list: Time etc or Double. Full-time hours at an offshore price: Athena. Managed coverage with a built-in backup: Prialto. A long-tenured W2 employee: Boldly. One US-based strategic partner who owns your inbox, calendar, and projects, with the talent bar published: Base.
Where Base fits
If you want one US-based executive assistant who owns outcomes and runs your AI stack, matched in 5 business days, Base places one at $2,800 a month for 40 hours or $1,800 through Built by Base. See current pricing, or talk to us about your first 40 hours.
