Free Virtual Assistant Cost Calculator

Compare the commitment, not just the advertised rate

Use written quotes for an outsourced independent provider or an agency service. Enter all quotes in one currency. Changing the currency changes the label, not the numbers: this tool does not fetch exchange rates or convert money. Convert overseas quotes yourself using a consistent rate and include transfer costs. The hypothetical examples are invented to explain the arithmetic, not typical prices or recommendations.

Purchased hours are the hours you will be charged for. Utilised hours are the part you expect to use. A retainer can cost the same even if you use less of it. For an hourly quote without a minimum commitment, enter the hours you expect to be charged for as purchased hours. Include any expected overage in both purchased hours and the quoted price; the calculator does not infer overage rates or rollover terms. See how to build a VA budget and how agency and independent-provider arrangements differ.

Cash, time and break-even use different assumptions

Service price = hourly rate × purchased hours for an hourly quote, or the entered monthly price for a retainer or agency package. Recurring monthly cash = service price × (1 + percentage fee ÷ 100) + other monthly fees. The percentage applies only to the service price, not to other fees or one-time costs. Add unrecoverable tax, software and transfers in the cash fields if they are not already included. Do not count a fee twice.

First-month actual cash outlay = recurring cash + all one-time cash fees. Comparison monthly cost = recurring cash + one-time cash fees ÷ spread months. Spreading a fee supports comparison; it does not change when the bill is due. No tax deduction, recoverable VAT, inflation, cancellation charge, discount or exchange-rate movement is assumed. Enter an all-in figure where appropriate and check the contract.

Gross owner hours replaced = utilised VA hours × owner hours replaced per VA hour. Enter your own ratio: a provider might be faster or slower than you, and some service hours may create work you never previously did. Net owner hours = gross hours − monthly owner review hours − one-time owner setup hours ÷ spread months. First-month net hours subtract all setup time instead. Negative results show an increase in owner workload.

Opportunity value = net owner hours × your entered owner time value. It is not cash saved, revenue earned or profit. The owner overhead value is shown separately to make setup and review visible; it is already deducted in net time, so do not deduct it again from that opportunity value. Actual cash cost remains payable even when the estimated time value is higher.

Cost per net recovered owner hour = comparison monthly cost ÷ net owner hours. It is not calculable when net owner time is zero or negative. This differs from cost per utilised VA hour, which divides comparison cost by utilised service hours.

What would have to happen to cover the cost?

For the billable-work scenario, enter the contribution retained from an extra paid hour after its direct delivery costs, before the VA cost being assessed. Required extra billable hours = comparison monthly cost ÷ that contribution per hour. Available billable capacity = positive net recovered owner hours × the percentage you could actually use for paid work. These are capacity assumptions, not a sales forecast. Client demand, your ability to deliver and collection of payment still matter. Zero contribution produces “Not calculable”.

For the alternative gross-profit scenario, extra sales required = comparison monthly cost ÷ (entered gross-profit margin ÷ 100). Use the share of extra sales left after direct costs, before this VA expense. A zero margin cannot cover a positive cost. These sales may take time and involve other costs, which this tool does not model. Do not add this alternative to the billable-work scenario and count the same benefit twice.

Use the delegation planner to estimate which owner work could disappear. After a trial, replace estimates with observations and follow how to check whether your VA is saving time and money.

Questions about VA costs and break-even

Does a positive time value mean I should buy the service?

No. It only means estimated net recovered time has a positive value at your entered hourly value. It does not mean that value exceeds any cash cost. It does not establish affordability, service quality or additional cash income. Compare the actual cash commitment against your available budget separately.

Can I compare quotes in different currencies?

Only after converting them yourself into the one selected currency. The selector never changes entered values. Use the same exchange-rate basis and include the payment method’s fees for a fair comparison.

What if I buy hours but use none?

The cash commitment remains in the calculation. Cost per utilised hour is not calculable at zero usage. Setup and review can still leave you with negative net owner time. Check whether unused hours expire or roll over with the provider.

Are quote details sent anywhere?

The worksheet runs in this browser with no API, account or submission. Tool-page analytics is disabled, including when you previously accepted site analytics. The existing preference controls still let you manage analytics for other pages. Use TXT or CSV to download locally, or Print for a paper or PDF copy.