VA Masters vs Stealth Agents: An Honest Comparison for 2026 (Pricing, Vetting & Fit)
If you are comparing VA Masters and Stealth Agents, you are looking at two managed services that both place dedicated Filipino virtual assistants, both handle vetting and ongoing management, and both cover a wide range of roles. The fundamentals overlap. The meaningful differences are subtler: how you are priced, how candidates are tested and chosen, and how each provider structures its management layer.
This is an honest, side-by-side comparison written by VA Masters, so read it with that in mind. We have tried to be genuinely fair, because Stealth Agents is a capable, well-rated provider with real strengths — a dedicated Campaign Manager on every placement, documented SOPs and playbooks, and training across many industries. The decision usually comes down to nuance: hourly pricing with a custom skills test and a choice of finalists, or flat monthly packages with a built-in management layer and industry playbooks. Below we break down pricing, vetting, candidate choice, and management so you can decide with clear eyes.
The Quick Verdict
In one line
Choose VA Masters if you want hourly pricing that scales to your real hours, a custom skills test on your work, and a choice among two or three tested finalists, at up to 80% savings. Choose Stealth Agents if you want flat monthly packages with a dedicated Campaign Manager and ready-made industry playbooks built in.
Both are legitimate managed Filipino VA services, and both give you a dedicated assistant with full-service management — so this is not “good versus bad.” It is a comparison of nuance between two close providers: how you are billed, how candidates are proven and chosen, and how the management layer is structured. Start by being honest about whether hourly flexibility and a real-work skills test matter most, or flat monthly packages with a built-in Campaign Manager and playbooks.
VA Masters vs Stealth Agents at a Glance
Here is the whole comparison in one view. Read the table for the shape of the decision, then use the sections below to pressure-test whichever provider looks like your fit.
| Factor | VA Masters | Stealth Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Talent | Dedicated Filipino virtual assistants | Dedicated Filipino virtual assistants |
| Pricing | Role-based hourly, from $6.50/hr | Monthly packages, from around $1,600/mo |
| Hours | Full-time or part-time, by the hour | Full-time or part-time packages |
| Candidate choice | Choose from 2-3 tested finalists | Matched from talent pool, interview |
| Skills testing | Custom test built from your real work | Structured vetting, pre-trained |
| Vetting | 6-stage, 1,000+ to 2-3 | Top 1% of applicants |
| Management | Account manager, training, SOPs | Campaign Manager, SOPs, playbooks |
| Onboarding | Recruited to fit, then placed | Around 48 hours, pre-matched |
| Industries | Any role, industry-matched | Trained across 35+ industries |
| Savings vs local | Up to 80% | Cost-effective vs a US hire |
Two Similar Managed Filipino Models
The most important thing to understand here is that these two providers are genuinely alike at the core. Stealth Agents places dedicated full-time Filipino virtual assistants under a fully managed model: you describe your needs, they match you with a pre-vetted candidate from their talent pool, and each placement comes with a dedicated Campaign Manager who handles onboarding, monitors quality, and provides backup coverage, with documented SOPs and industry playbooks built in.
VA Masters works similarly on the surface — dedicated Filipino assistants, full-service vetting and management, SOP development. The differences are in the details: VA Masters prices by the hour rather than in flat monthly packages, builds a custom skills test from your real work into the funnel, and presents two or three finalists specifically for you to choose from. Both are strong managed models; the distinction is how you are billed, how candidates are tested, and how the management layer is packaged.
The honest summary: these two are genuinely close, and Stealth Agents is a capable, well-rated provider with a strong management layer. Both give you a dedicated Filipino VA, full-service vetting and management, and the ability to interview your assistant. The nuances that separate them are hourly-versus-monthly-package pricing, the custom skills test on your real work, choosing from tested finalists, and Stealth Agents’ built-in Campaign Manager and industry playbooks. Neither is universally better — it depends on which of those nuances matters most to you.
Why does that framing matter? Because when two services overlap this much, the temptation is to pick on brand or first impression, and that misses the point. Both give you a dedicated Filipino VA you interview, with full-service management behind them. What actually shapes your experience is whether you are billed for a fixed package or the hours you use, whether the person was tested on your real work before you chose them, and whether you value a bundled Campaign Manager and ready-made playbooks or equivalent management delivered with hourly flexibility. Those are the levers worth weighing.
What the Two Have in Common
It is worth being upfront about the shared ground, because it is substantial and Stealth Agents deserves credit for it. Both providers place dedicated Filipino virtual assistants rather than a rotating pool. Both run rigorous vetting, accepting only a small fraction of applicants. Both let you interview your assistant rather than being assigned one sight-unseen. And both wrap the placement in full-service management, including a dedicated point of contact, backup coverage, and a replacement or money-back guarantee.
Because so much overlaps, the honest advice is to look past the surface similarities and focus on the handful of dimensions where the two actually diverge: whether you are billed hourly or in flat monthly packages, whether candidates are tested on your real work before you meet them, how the final choice is structured, and how each provider packages its management layer. Get clear on those, and the right provider for you usually becomes obvious.
This is also why an honest comparison here reads differently from a comparison against a very different competitor. There is no missing candidate interview to flag, no absent management layer, no fundamentally weaker talent pool. Stealth Agents gets the fundamentals right, and its management layer is genuinely strong, so we would rather say so plainly than manufacture differences that are not there. The real decision lives in the details below, and for some buyers — those who want a heavily managed, packaged arrangement — those details will point to Stealth Agents just as legitimately as they point to VA Masters for others.
Pricing: Hourly vs Monthly Packages
This is one of the clearest differences. Stealth Agents prices in flat monthly packages — a core VA around $1,600 a month, a senior executive assistant around $2,400, and an operations manager around $3,000, each a full-time placement with the Campaign Manager and management layer included. That structure is simple and predictable, and the included management is part of what the package price buys.
VA Masters prices dedicated assistants by role category and by the hour, from around $6.50 an hour for administrative support up to $15 for marketing, with savings of up to 80% versus local hiring. For many roles that works out more cost-effective than a flat monthly package, and because you pay by the hour, you are billed for exactly the hours the role needs rather than a fixed package tier. For a full-time role the two can land closer; for anything part-time or variable, hourly pricing is usually both cheaper and more flexible than a set monthly package.
The practical effect shows up at the edges of the package. If your real need is, say, 25 hours a week, a full-time monthly package means paying for a full-time seat you do not fully use. If your need is a specialized role that does not map neatly onto a core, senior, or operations tier, you are fitting your requirement into a fixed structure rather than the other way round. Hourly, role-based pricing sidesteps both: you pay for the hours worked at the rate for that role, and the arrangement bends to your need rather than asking your need to bend to a tier.
Vetting: A Custom Skills Test on Your Work
Both providers vet hard — Stealth Agents accepts only the top 1% of applicants through structured tests and interviews — but the testing approach differs. Stealth Agents’ assistants are pre-vetted and pre-trained for general readiness across many industries, then matched to your workflow. It is a strong, efficient process that puts capable, pre-prepared people in front of you quickly.
VA Masters builds a custom skills test from your actual work into a six-stage funnel, so candidates complete a real task from your business before you meet them, and you choose from finalists already proven on the specific job. The difference is evidence on your work: rather than general pre-trained readiness plus industry matching, you see performance on your real tasks before committing. For a specialized role, testing on your actual work is a sharper predictor of on-the-job performance than pre-training plus a match.
The difference sharpens with role complexity. For a defined, standardized task, strong general pre-training plus industry matching is often perfectly adequate, and Stealth Agents does it well. But for a role with real judgement in it — reconciling your books the way you need, running your ad accounts to your standards, handling nuanced situations in your voice — seeing the candidate perform an actual task from your business tells you something that general readiness and a sector match cannot. The more specialized and ongoing the role, the more that built-in skills test earns its place.
See How VA Masters Recruits Across Roles
Candidate Choice and Matching
Both let you interview your assistant, which is a genuine shared strength, but the framing differs. Stealth Agents runs a needs assessment, selects a pre-vetted candidate from its talent pool matched to your workflow and industry, and you meet them through a structured onboarding session before they start — an efficient, match-led process that gets a well-prepared person to you fast.
VA Masters narrows a 1,000-plus applicant funnel to a final two or three, each already tested on a real task from your business, and presents those finalists for you to interview and choose. The practical difference is choice and evidence: rather than a single pre-matched candidate, you select from finalists already proven on your actual work. Both give you a say; the distinction is whether you approve one match or choose among tested finalists, and whether a real-work test precedes the meeting.
Management Depth and SOPs
Here Stealth Agents has a genuine, honest strength worth highlighting. Every placement includes a dedicated Campaign Manager who handles onboarding, monitors quality, tracks KPIs, runs weekly check-ins, and provides backup coverage, and the service builds documented SOPs and industry-specific playbooks so your operation runs on systems rather than memory. For a business that wants a heavily managed, hands-off arrangement with a built-in oversight layer, that depth is a real, valuable feature.
VA Masters also provides an account manager, ongoing training, SOP development, and performance management, so the management layer is genuinely comparable in substance. The difference is packaging: Stealth Agents bundles a named Campaign Manager and ready-made playbooks into its monthly package, while VA Masters delivers management and SOPs alongside hourly, role-based pricing. If a named Campaign Manager and pre-built industry playbooks are decisive, Stealth Agents’ structure is a plus; if you want equivalent management with hourly flexibility, VA Masters fits.
It is worth being precise about what the two management models actually deliver, because the substance is closer than the packaging suggests. A named Campaign Manager who owns onboarding, quality, and check-ins is a clear, tangible structure, and Stealth Agents markets it well. VA Masters delivers the same essential functions — a dedicated account manager, documented SOPs, ongoing training, and performance reviews — but presents them as part of the service rather than a headline package feature. If the named, bundled structure gives you more confidence, that is a fair reason to prefer it; if you care about the substance and want it alongside hourly pricing, the two are more alike than they look.
Scope and Industry Coverage
Both cover a wide range — admin, customer service, lead generation, CRM, social media, content, bookkeeping, research, and e-commerce — and Stealth Agents notes training across 35-plus industries including real estate, healthcare, legal, finance, SaaS, and insurance, so its assistants often arrive with sector familiarity.
VA Masters recruits per role across the full range too, with a custom skills test on your real work for each, and matches assistants to your industry. For most roles the practical difference is the skills test and the structured finalist choice rather than the breadth available. Both can staff admin, specialized, and industry-specific positions; the question is whether you prefer flat-package, pre-trained industry matching or hourly, tested-on-your-work recruiting with a choice of finalists.
One more honest point on the packaged model: predictability and hands-off management are genuine benefits, not just limitations. Some businesses want a single fixed monthly figure they can budget against and a named manager who owns the relationship, so they never have to think about oversight themselves. Stealth Agents delivers exactly that, and for an owner who wants to hand the whole thing off and forget it, the bundled package is a feature rather than a compromise. VA Masters trades a little of that packaged simplicity for hourly precision and a real-work skills test; which you prefer depends on whether hands-off predictability or flexible, tested-to-fit hiring matters more to you.
When Stealth Agents Is the Better Choice
An honest comparison has to say where the other provider wins, and Stealth Agents genuinely does for the right buyer. If you want a heavily managed, hands-off arrangement — a named Campaign Manager who owns onboarding, quality, KPIs, and backup coverage, with ready-made industry playbooks so the assistant contributes from day one — Stealth Agents is built for exactly that, and that management depth is a real, differentiated strength. If flat monthly packages with a built-in oversight layer suit how you want to buy, it is a strong, credible choice.
Given how much the two share, this is a close call rather than a lopsided one, and Stealth Agents earns its place. Where VA Masters pulls ahead is the opposite emphasis: hourly pricing that scales to your real hours, a custom skills test on your actual work, and a choice among tested finalists, at up to 80% savings. The difference is a flat-package, pre-matched hire with a bundled management layer versus a tested, hourly, choose-your-finalist one built around your specific work.
How VA Masters Recruits
The reason the difference shows up most in vetting and pricing is the process behind each placement. For every role, we run a six-stage funnel that begins with 1,000+ applicants and ends with your final two or three. The stage that sets it apart is the custom skills test, built from your actual work.
Detailed job posting
We map the exact tasks, tools, schedule, and skills before sourcing anyone — so the search targets your real role.
Candidate collection
A dedicated search draws 1,000+ applicants per role through posting, headhunting, and referrals.
Initial screening
Connectivity, English, and relevant experience are checked first, narrowing the field to the strongest candidates.
Custom skills test
Candidates complete a real task from your business, so competence is proven on your actual workflow before you meet them.
In-depth interview
We assess communication, initiative, and culture fit, because skills alone are not enough.
Client interview
You meet only the top two or three finalists and choose the one who fits.
The result is a role-specific, pre-tested finalist you choose from a shortlist, then supported over time with ongoing training, documented SOPs, and active performance management. You can read more about how our funnel narrows 1,000+ applicants to your final few, or why we test every candidate on real work.
What You Actually Pay With VA Masters
Dedicated assistants are priced by role category and by the hour, and businesses typically save up to 80% versus local hiring. The table below shows representative dedicated hourly ranges, which you scale to the hours the role actually needs.
| Role category | Typical hourly range |
|---|---|
| Administrative & operations support | $6.50 – $10 |
| E-commerce management | $6.50 – $10 |
| Writing & content creation | $7 – $12 |
| Finance & accounting | $7.50 – $14 |
| Design & creative | $8 – $14 |
| Sales & business development | $8.50 – $14.50 |
| Marketing & advertising | $8.50 – $15 |
The advance is not a recruitment fee. To get started you simply sign the agreement; there is no upfront payment and no setup cost. Once we deliver candidates you are happy with and you decide to proceed, a modest advance applies, credited against the assistant’s first salary and refundable minus any hours worked. Because pricing is role-based and hourly, you pay for the hours the role actually requires and scale as it grows, without a fixed monthly package.
A flat monthly package service
- Fixed monthly packages by tier
- Pre-matched from a talent pool
- Campaign Manager bundled in
- Ready-made industry playbooks
With VA Masters
- Up to 80% savings vs local hiring
- Hourly pricing, pay for hours worked
- Custom skills test on your real work
- Choose from two or three tested finalists
Hiring a QuickBooks expert and a real estate admin VA transformed how I run my business. Being able to choose from finalists tested on our actual workflow, and paying by the hour rather than a fixed package tier, made all the difference. The cost savings versus local hires are substantial.
Weighing hourly against a monthly package?
Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly whether a tested, hourly VA is the right call — and exactly who we would recruit. No pressure, no setup fee.
What to Check Before You Decide
Compare hourly against a monthly package for your real hours. A fixed package suits a steady full-time need; hourly pricing lets you pay for exactly the hours a role requires and flexes with variable or part-time work.
Ask how candidates are tested and chosen. Approving one pre-matched assistant and choosing from finalists tested on your real work are different experiences. Confirm who runs the skills test and how much choice you get.
Weigh the management packaging. A named Campaign Manager and ready-made playbooks are a real benefit; so is equivalent management delivered alongside hourly pricing. Decide which structure fits how you buy.
Check for industry playbooks you actually need. Pre-built playbooks help in some sectors; in others, a custom skills test on your real work matters more. Match the approach to your role.
Pro tip
If a bundled Campaign Manager and ready-made playbooks are decisive, a flat-package managed service fits. For hourly flexibility, a candidate tested on your real work, and a genuine choice among finalists, a tested, hourly recruited hire usually wins on fit and value.
What Our Clients Say
Real Messages from Real Clients
Happy VAs Deliver Better Results for Your Business
There is a direct line between how an assistant is treated and how they perform for you. A VA who is supported, fairly paid, and invested in stays longer and goes deeper into your work. That is why the management layer is not a nicety; it is what protects your continuity and your results.
Hear From Our VAs
As Featured In
Want Hourly Pricing and a Choice of Tested Finalists?
Tell us about the role and we will show you exactly who we would recruit, how we would test them, and what it costs.
- No setup fee and no fixed monthly package
- Custom skills test on your real work
- Choose from two or three tested finalists
- Up to 80% savings versus local hiring
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between VA Masters and Stealth Agents?
They are very similar — both are managed services placing dedicated Filipino VAs with full-service vetting and management, and both let you interview your assistant. The differences are in the details: VA Masters prices by the hour, builds a custom skills test on your real work into the funnel, and presents two or three tested finalists to choose from, while Stealth Agents uses flat monthly packages with a bundled Campaign Manager and ready-made industry playbooks.
Which is cheaper, VA Masters or Stealth Agents?
It depends on the role and hours. Stealth Agents' packages start around $1,600 a month for a core VA. VA Masters prices by role category from around $6.50 an hour with up to 80% savings versus local hiring, so for many roles, and especially for part-time or variable work, hourly pricing is more cost-effective and flexible than a fixed monthly package.
How does the pricing structure differ?
Stealth Agents bills flat monthly packages by tier — core VA, senior EA, operations manager — with management bundled in. VA Masters bills by the hour, so you pay for exactly the hours the role needs and scale up or down without a fixed package. For variable or part-time work, hourly is usually both cheaper and more flexible.
How does vetting and candidate choice differ?
Stealth Agents accepts the top 1% of applicants, pre-trains them across industries, and matches you with a candidate you meet before they start. VA Masters builds a custom skills test on your real work into a six-stage funnel and presents two or three finalists to choose from. Both let you meet your assistant; VA Masters adds a real-work test and a genuine choice among finalists.
Does Stealth Agents include a manager?
Yes, and it is a genuine strength. Every Stealth Agents placement includes a dedicated Campaign Manager who handles onboarding, quality, KPIs, weekly check-ins, and backup coverage, plus documented SOPs and industry playbooks. VA Masters provides comparable management — an account manager, training, SOPs, and performance management — delivered alongside hourly pricing rather than bundled into a package.
Do both source from the Philippines?
Yes, both place dedicated Filipino virtual assistants with full-service vetting and management. They are among the more similar options in the market, which is why the comparison comes down to nuance — pricing structure, the skills test, candidate choice, and how the management layer is packaged — rather than fundamentally different talent.
Do both let me interview my assistant?
Yes. Stealth Agents matches you with a pre-vetted candidate from its talent pool and you meet them through onboarding before they start. VA Masters presents two or three finalists tested on your real work for you to interview and choose from. Both give you a say; VA Masters offers a choice among tested finalists rather than approval of a single match.
Is a monthly package better than hourly pricing?
Neither is universally better. A flat monthly package gives you a predictable, easy-to-budget cost with management bundled in, which is Stealth Agents model. Hourly pricing means you pay for exactly the hours worked and scale freely, which suits part-time, variable, or growing roles, and is VA Masters model. Choose based on whether budgeting predictability or hourly flexibility matters more.
Which should I choose?
Choose Stealth Agents if you want flat monthly packages with a bundled Campaign Manager and ready-made industry playbooks. Choose VA Masters if you want hourly pricing that scales to your real hours, a custom skills test on your work, and a choice among two or three tested finalists, at up to 80% savings.
Anne is the Operations Manager at VA MASTERS, a boutique recruitment agency specializing in Filipino virtual assistants for global businesses. She leads the end-to-end recruitment process — from custom job briefs and skills testing to candidate delivery and ongoing VA management — and has personally overseen the placement of 1,000+ virtual assistants across industries including e-commerce, real estate, healthcare, fintech, digital marketing, and legal services.
With deep expertise in Philippine work culture, remote team integration, and business process optimization, Anne helps clients achieve up to 80% cost savings compared to local hiring while maintaining top-tier quality and performance.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +13127660301
