VA MASTERS vs. GetMagic vs. Wishup: Which Virtual Assistant Service Is Right for Your Business? (2026)
Three of the most-searched VA services in 2026 — VA MASTERS, GetMagic, and Wishup — take fundamentally different approaches to the same problem: getting you skilled virtual assistant support without the cost and complexity of a local hire.
This comparison is built for business owners who want a clear answer, not marketing copy. We cover pricing, recruitment process, talent quality, customisation, and the scenarios where each service genuinely makes sense — including where VA MASTERS isn’t the right choice.
Company Overviews: Three Different Models
Before comparing the details, it helps to understand the fundamental model each service operates on — because they’re solving the same problem in meaningfully different ways.
VA MASTERS
VA MASTERS is a boutique Filipino VA recruitment agency. The model is a dedicated, custom-recruited hire: every placement starts with a role brief, runs through a 6-stage recruitment process (including a custom skills test built for your specific role), and results in a dedicated full-time or part-time VA who works exclusively for your business. HR, payroll, and ongoing management are handled by VA MASTERS. The client pays an hourly rate — no monthly subscription fee structure.
GetMagic (Magic)
GetMagic (marketed as “Magic”) positions itself as an on-demand executive assistant platform. Clients get a dedicated assistant who can handle a wide range of tasks and is managed by Magic’s internal coaching team. Magic provides 24/7 availability and co-managed support. Pricing is structured as a monthly plan starting around $2,000/month, with billing every 4 weeks.
Wishup
Wishup is a US-based VA platform that sources talent primarily from India. The model is subscription-based: clients choose a monthly plan (part-time or full-time), get matched with a pre-trained VA within 60 minutes, and have a 7-day trial period. Wishup emphasises AI tool training (120+ tools) and standardised pre-training across their VA pool. Pricing starts at $1,299/month for part-time.
Pricing Comparison: What You Actually Pay
| Service | Pricing Model | Part-Time (Monthly) | Full-Time (Monthly) | Effective Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA MASTERS | Hourly rate, role-based | ~$1,040–$1,600 (80 hrs) | ~$1,040–$4,000+ (160 hrs) | $6.50–$25/hr |
| GetMagic | Monthly plan (billed 4-weekly) | ~$1,000–$1,300 | ~$2,000+/month | ~$13–$35/hr |
| Wishup | Monthly subscription | $1,299–$1,999/month (80 hrs) | $1,999–$2,849/month (160 hrs) | ~$10–$18/hr |
The Cost Gap Is Significant
For a full-time admin or operations VA, VA MASTERS costs approximately $1,040–$1,600/month. The equivalent Wishup plan runs $1,999–$2,849/month. GetMagic runs approximately $2,000+/month. For a growing SMB running two VAs, the annual cost difference between VA MASTERS and the alternatives is $15,000–$30,000.
What’s Included in the Rate
| Included In Rate | VA MASTERS | GetMagic | Wishup |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA compensation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HR and payroll management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recruitment fee | ✓ (no extra) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom skills test for your role | ✓ | ✗ (standardised training) | ✗ (pre-trained pool) |
| Dedicated VA (yours only) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Replacement guarantee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (7-day trial) |
| Upfront payment to start | ✗ (sign only) | ✓ (first month) | ✓ (first month) |
| Industry-specific skills test | ✓ built per role | ✗ | ✗ |
Recruitment and Vetting: How Each Finds Candidates
This is where the three services diverge most significantly. Recruitment quality is the single biggest driver of whether a VA placement succeeds or fails.
VA MASTERS: Custom 6-Stage Process Per Role
Every VA MASTERS placement starts from a blank sheet. The recruitment brief defines the specific tools, tasks, hours, and success criteria for your role — and a custom skills test is built from that brief. From 1,000+ applicants, approximately 500 pass initial screening, 50–100 pass the custom skills test, 15–20 are interviewed in depth, and 1–3 finalists are presented to you. You interview them, you choose. Candidates are delivered within 2 business days of receiving the brief.
The key differentiator: no two clients receive the same shortlist, because no two roles are the same. A real estate investor needs a VA who can work in Salesforce and analyse property data. A Shopify brand needs someone who can navigate Gorgias and run fulfilment checks. A custom test simulating your actual job tasks filters for exactly that.
GetMagic: Curated Pool + Internal Training
Magic interviews and trains candidates centrally, then assigns from its pool. Magic’s approach emphasises live interviews, internal training, and ongoing coaching by dedicated “Magic Coaches.” The 24/7 model means Magic maintains a large pool of available assistants. The trade-off: you don’t get a candidate recruited specifically for your role — you get the best available match from a trained pool. The magic of fit is harder to achieve without role-specific testing.
User reviews on Trustpilot are mixed (rated 3.8/5 based on 64 reviews). Some report excellent outcomes; others cite inconsistency in task completion and difficulties with business context comprehension on complex tasks.
Wishup: Pre-Trained Pool, 60-Minute Matching
Wishup’s model is built for speed. Their entire VA pool is pre-trained on 120+ tools (including 70+ AI tools) over an 8-week onboarding programme before they’re ever assigned to clients. When you sign up, Wishup matches you with a VA from this trained pool within 60 minutes. The strength is speed and standardisation — you get a VA who already knows the major tools. The weakness: the match is to a generic trained profile, not a test built for your specific job requirements. For specialist roles (QuickBooks for your specific chart of accounts, Shopify with your specific workflow, CRM with your custom fields), generic tool training doesn’t substitute for role-specific testing.
Wishup VAs are primarily based in India, which introduces a time zone consideration for US and Australian businesses wanting overlapping hours. Wishup is rated 4.7/5 on Trustpilot.
See VA MASTERS’ Recruitment Process in Practice
Talent Quality and Specialisation
Filipino vs. Indian VAs: What the Difference Means in Practice
VA MASTERS sources exclusively from the Philippines. GetMagic also sources significantly from the Philippines. Wishup sources primarily from India. Both countries produce excellent VA talent — but there are practical differences worth understanding:
| Factor | Philippines (VA MASTERS / Magic) | India (Wishup) |
|---|---|---|
| English proficiency | Filipino English is accent-neutral and widely cited as among the clearest globally | Strong English but accent variation can be a factor for customer-facing roles |
| Western cultural alignment | Very high — Philippines has deep historical and cultural ties to the US | High, especially in tech and business contexts |
| Time zone overlap (US) | Filipino VAs typically align with US hours; 12–15 hour difference manageable with overlapping shifts | India is 9.5–12.5 hours ahead of US — significant time zone gap for real-time collaboration |
| Customer-facing roles | Philippines is the global leader in outsourced customer service voice roles | Strong in back-office; voice customer service traditionally more Philippines-dominant |
| Talent pool size | Philippines: 1.3M+ BPO workers, deep specialist VA ecosystem | India: massive pool across all skill levels |
Specialisation Depth
VA MASTERS’ custom skills test model means you can recruit for any specialist role — QuickBooks for your specific business, GoHighLevel configured to your funnel, your CRM with your custom fields, your specific real estate software. The test is built from your brief. Neither GetMagic nor Wishup builds role-specific tests — they train to a generic tool standard, which works well for general admin but falls short for deeply specialised roles.
Full Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | VA MASTERS | GetMagic | Wishup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talent origin | ✓ Philippines | Philippines (primarily) | India (primarily) |
| Full-time monthly cost | ✓ ~$1,040–$4,000 | ~$2,000+ | ~$1,999–$2,849 |
| Custom role-specific skills test | ✓ Every role | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dedicated VA (yours only) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Applicants screened per role | ✓ 1,000+ | Pool-based matching | Pool-based matching |
| No upfront payment to start | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Candidates delivered within 2 days | ✓ | Varies | 60-minute matching (pool) |
| Replacement guarantee | ✓ Full, no extra cost | ✓ | 7-day trial period |
| HR and payroll fully managed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specialist roles (real estate, e-com, fintech) | ✓ Custom test per role | Limited | Tool training only |
| 24/7 availability | Business hours (your timezone) | ✓ | Business hours |
| AI tool training included | VA-dependent (briefed per role) | ✓ Ongoing coaching | ✓ 120+ tools standardised |
| Trustpilot rating | ✓ Excellent (4.9) | 3.8 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Employee reviews (Indeed/Glassdoor) | ✓ 5.0 Indeed / 5.0 Glassdoor | 3.6 Glassdoor | Not prominently listed |
“I tried a different VA service before VA Masters. The difference in recruitment depth was immediately obvious. The candidate VA Masters presented had been tested on our actual tools — she came in knowing our workflow. The other service sent us someone who’d passed a generic skills assessment. It’s not the same thing.”
Who Each Service Is Best For
Choose VA MASTERS if:
- You need a specialist VA — real estate, e-commerce operations, fintech, marketing, bookkeeping, development — where generic tool training isn’t enough and role-specific testing is essential
- Cost efficiency is a priority and you want the lowest fully-managed hourly rate for a dedicated full-time VA
- You want a fully custom recruitment process — your role brief, your custom skills test, your shortlist
- You’re hiring a Filipino VA specifically (for customer service voice roles, US-timezone overlap, or cultural alignment reasons)
- You want to start without upfront payment — sign the agreement and we begin recruiting
- You’re scaling a team across multiple roles and industries and need a recruitment partner rather than a platform subscription
Choose GetMagic if:
- You need 24/7 availability — Magic’s round-the-clock concierge model is genuinely differentiated here
- Your tasks are varied and hard to predict in advance — Magic’s flexible tasking model handles this better than role-specific placements
- You want an AI-enabled assistant with access to the latest LLM tools built into the workflow
- You value co-managed support and ongoing weekly coaching of your assistant
Choose Wishup if:
- Speed of placement is your top priority — 60-minute matching is faster than any custom recruitment process
- You want standardised pre-training across 120+ tools, particularly AI and automation tools
- You’re comfortable with India-based VAs and the time zone difference doesn’t impact your workflow
- You want a trial period before committing — Wishup’s 7-day trial provides a lower-risk entry point
Honest note: VA MASTERS is the right choice for the majority of businesses that need a dedicated, specialist VA at the lowest fully-managed cost. But if 24/7 coverage or instant placement are non-negotiable for your situation, GetMagic or Wishup respectively have genuine strengths in those areas.
What VA MASTERS Clients Experience
Real Client Results: VA MASTERS in Practice
The VA MASTERS 6-Stage Process
Role Brief
Custom job description built from your tools, tasks, hours, and success criteria. Not a generic post.
1,000+ Applicants
AI-assisted sourcing generates a large qualified pool. Volume is the foundation of quality selection.
Initial Screening
Internet, English proficiency, experience match. ~500 candidates advance to the skills test.
Custom Skills Test
A real-task simulation built for your specific role — not a generic online test. 50–100 pass.
In-Depth Interview
Communication, culture fit, and work ethic assessed in depth. 15–20 candidates reach this stage.
You Choose
1–3 finalists presented. You interview. You decide. We handle contract, onboarding, and HR.
What Our Clients Say
Real Client Feedback
As Featured In
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between VA MASTERS and GetMagic?
The core difference is the recruitment model. VA MASTERS builds a custom 6-stage recruitment process — including a role-specific skills test — from your brief for every placement. GetMagic assigns from a trained pool via internal matching. VA MASTERS’ model produces deeper role-fit for specialist positions; GetMagic’s model is faster and offers 24/7 availability. VA MASTERS is also significantly less expensive for full-time placements.
What is the main difference between VA MASTERS and Wishup?
VA MASTERS recruits Filipino VAs with a custom skills test per role. Wishup provides India-based VAs pre-trained on 120+ tools via a standardised programme, matched from a pool within 60 minutes. VA MASTERS costs less for full-time placements and provides deeper role-specific fit. Wishup is faster to place and has a 7-day trial option. Wishup’s India-based talent introduces a larger time zone gap for US and Australian businesses.
Is VA MASTERS more expensive than GetMagic or Wishup?
No — VA MASTERS is typically less expensive for full-time placements. VA MASTERS rates start at $6.50/hr for admin roles, producing a full-time monthly cost of approximately $1,040–$1,600 depending on role. Wishup’s full-time plans start at $1,999/month. GetMagic starts at approximately $2,000+/month. For a full-time admin or operations VA, VA MASTERS saves $400–$1,200/month compared to both alternatives.
Which service is best for specialist roles like real estate or e-commerce?
VA MASTERS. The custom skills test model means a real estate VA is tested on your specific tools — property management software, Google Sheets analysis, RFTA forms — before you meet them. An e-commerce VA is tested on your specific Shopify setup, fulfilment workflow, and customer service tool. Generic tool pre-training (Wishup’s model) or pool-based matching (GetMagic’s model) doesn’t produce the same depth of role-fit for specialist positions.
Which service is best if I need a VA quickly?
If speed is the absolute priority with no compromise, Wishup places within 60 minutes from a pre-trained pool. VA MASTERS delivers shortlisted, custom-tested candidates within 2 business days — faster than most agencies but slower than pool-based matching. If 2 business days is acceptable (it is for most roles), VA MASTERS delivers significantly better role-fit for a lower cost.
Does VA MASTERS require upfront payment?
No. VA MASTERS starts recruiting immediately after you sign the service agreement — no upfront payment required. A deposit is paid only after we deliver candidates you’re satisfied with, and it’s refundable minus hours worked. GetMagic and Wishup both require the first month’s subscription payment upfront before placement begins.
What happens if a VA MASTERS placement doesn’t work out?
VA MASTERS provides a full replacement guarantee at no extra cost. If a VA leaves or doesn’t meet expectations after a fair onboarding process, we restart the 6-stage recruitment immediately. Wishup offers a 7-day trial period but replacement terms beyond that vary. GetMagic also offers replacement but without the same depth of re-recruitment from a fresh pool of 1,000+ applicants.
See Why 500+ Businesses Choose VA MASTERS Over the Alternatives
Custom recruitment. Role-specific skills testing. Filipino VAs. Up to 80% cost savings. No upfront fees. If you’re comparing VA services, start with a 30-minute call — we’ll show you exactly how our process works and what it would cost for your specific role.
- Custom skills test built for your exact role — every time
- 1,000+ applicants screened per placement
- Candidates delivered within 2 business days
- Full HR management and replacement guarantee
- No upfront payment — sign and we start recruiting
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
