Why full-time roles outgrow a marketplace
On Upwork's free Basic plan, clients pay a client marketplace fee of up to 7.99%1 on payments to freelancers. For a project that is a small cost for a lot of convenience: proposals within hours, work history, payment protection. For a full-time assistant, the same fee runs on every month's pay for as long as the relationship lasts.
Moving the relationship off the platform has its own price. Upwork's user agreement sets a conversion fee of 13.5%2 of 12 months of estimated earnings if you take a relationship off the site within its non-circumvention period. And many marketplace freelancers serve several clients at once, which is fine for projects and harder for a role that needs your hours.
What a full-time assistant hire needs
- A person committed to your hours, not one of several clients.
- A direct working relationship you can keep for years.
- Screening for judgement and English, not just a profile rating from other jobs.
- A low ongoing cost: the person's pay plus a payment tool, nothing on top every month.
Each alternative below delivers some of these and costs something else in return.
The alternatives
A job board, then a direct contract
You post the role, screen the applicants and sign a contractor agreement with the person. There is no fee on each payment; you pay through Deel at $493 a month or by Wise transfer from 0.23%4 per transfer. On Stafka, posting a job is free; pricing shows when a fee applies.
A board for one country
Some boards focus on one country and charge a subscription to contact workers, with no fee when you hire. Cheap if you have the time to screen. See our guide to OnlineJobs.ph and its alternatives.
A recruiter paid once
The recruiter screens and sends a shortlist; you hire the person directly. Stafka sends three matching profiles within 55 business days and charges a one-time fee of $2,5006 on the start day, nothing before.
A monthly assistant agency
The agency provides the assistant for one monthly price that includes its margin. You get cover and less admin, and you pay the margin every month. Our comparison with a managed assistant service runs the numbers with one provider's published prices.
Your own network
Ask founders you trust for a referral. Free, slow and unpredictable, but sometimes the best hire you will make.
How the costs compare over a year
Year-one cost by route, fill in your numbers
Marketplace: [monthly pay] × 12 + the marketplace fee on each of those payments
Job board, direct contract: [monthly pay] × 12 + [payment tool] × 12 + your screening time
Recruiter paid once: [monthly pay] × 12 + [payment tool] × 12 + the one-time fee
Monthly agency: [agency price] × 12
Year two: repeat every line without the one-time costs. That line shows the real difference.
Our Stafka and Upwork comparison fills these lines with Upwork's published fees, and the cost of hiring calculator adds the comparison with a US hire.
If you already found someone on Upwork
Do not quietly move the person off the platform. Either keep paying through Upwork, or follow its terms for taking the relationship elsewhere, including the conversion fee. If the person is excellent, paying the fee is often still worth it: a great assistant is harder to find than the fee is to pay.
This is general information about published terms, not legal advice; read the current user agreement before you decide.
When Upwork is still the better choice
- A project with a clear end, such as cleaning up a CRM or setting up a help desk.
- A few hours a week where the scope keeps changing.
- A specialist you need for weeks, not years.
- You want to start today and value the platform's payment protection.
For a long-term assistant, start with our guide to agencies, marketplaces and direct hiring to pick the route.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Upwork for hiring a virtual assistant?
For a long-term, full-time assistant: a job board with a direct contract if you have time to screen, or a recruiter paid once if you do not. For part-time or project work, a marketplace is often still the simplest option.
Is it cheaper to hire a virtual assistant outside Upwork?
Over a year or more, usually yes, because there is no fee on every payment. In the first weeks, a marketplace can be cheaper and faster. Compare the second year, not the first month.
Can I take a freelancer off Upwork?
Only under Upwork's terms, which include a conversion fee within the non-circumvention period. Read the current user agreement first; this is general information, not legal advice.
Does Stafka take a cut of the assistant's pay?
No. You pay the person directly and they keep their full pay. Posting a job is free; pricing shows when a fee applies. Candidates never pay anything.
General information for small employers, not legal or tax advice: check contracts, tax and data rules for your country with a qualified adviser. Figures carry their sources below; our own prices are on the pricing page. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@stafka.com.