Our verdict
This Time etc review covers one of the longest-running managed virtual assistant services, a company that has been matching busy professionals with remote assistants since the late 2000s. Time etc is not a freelance marketplace where you post a job and sift through applicants. You talk to the company, it matches you with a dedicated US-based assistant, and you buy a monthly bundle of hours that the assistant works through on your behalf, with every minute tracked in a dashboard.
That model is why we rank Time etc so highly for founders, executives and small business owners who need reliable part-time admin help without hiring. Its plans page promises no setup fee, no minimum contract, a dedicated client manager, free additional specialist assistants and a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, and customer reviews are strongly positive. The downsides are equally clear: it costs more per hour than offshore services and marketplaces, it is built for part-time support rather than a full-time hire, and getting real value out of it takes some upfront effort to hand over your processes.
NerdBible did not hire a Time etc assistant for this review. It is an editorial assessment based on Time etc's own pages and on independent reviews and customer feedback published by other sites.
What is Time etc and who is it for?
Time etc says on its homepage that all of its virtual assistants are based in the United States, and that it serves clients worldwide. Its assistants page says it requires several years of relevant experience, that its assistants average around twelve years of experience, and that past employers include large technology and media brands. Assistants work part-time from home, according to the how it works page.
The service suits:
- Founders and executives who need inbox, calendar and travel admin handled by someone with corporate experience.
- Small business owners who want help with research, data entry, customer emails, social media scheduling or bookkeeping support, without becoming an employer.
- Professionals in client-facing fields where native English and a US time zone matter for phone calls and correspondence.
- People who have never delegated before and want a managed service that does the hiring, vetting and replacement for them.
How does Time etc work?
The how it works page sets out a short process. First, a consultation with a Time etc expert to understand your workload and working style. Second, matching: Time etc selects an assistant based on the skills, experience and personality you need, and you speak to them before starting. Third, delegation: you send tasks by email, text, phone, Zoom, Slack or the Time etc app. Every task is logged against your hours with real-time tracking, so you can see how long each job took as soon as it is done.
If a match does not work, the plans page says Time etc will help you find a replacement assistant. You can also bring in additional assistants with specialist skills, such as design or bookkeeping support, at no extra fee on top of the hours you use. The homepage offers a free first task with no credit card required, a sensible way to judge quality before paying.
Key features
Vetted, US-based assistants
Vetting is the core of the product. The assistants page describes a multi-stage screening that includes automated checks, practical and personality tests, review by assessors, video interviews, identity verification, onboarding and ongoing performance monitoring. The how it works page describes the same process as a ten-stage selection, while the assistants page lists seven named steps, so the exact count depends on which page you read. Several third-party sites report an acceptance rate below one percent, a figure we could not find on Time etc's own pages.
Dedicated assistant plus a client manager
Each plan includes one dedicated assistant, so your instructions and preferences build up with one person rather than a rotating pool. A Client Happiness manager handles the relationship, which is useful when you need to change scope or swap assistants.
Time tracking and a task dashboard
Billing is by tracked time, and the dashboard shows the minutes spent on each task. That transparency is a real advantage over flat-fee services, though it also means you are paying for the time your assistant takes to learn your systems.
Team sharing
The plans page says you can share your plan with your team and add extra assistants at no additional cost, which lets a small company pool one bundle of hours across several people.
Confidentiality
The how it works page says all assistants work under a confidentiality agreement. Time etc does not publish a dedicated security page, so if you will share passwords or customer data, ask how access is managed and use a password manager with shared vaults rather than sending credentials by email.
How much does Time etc cost?
Our product card shows current prices from our data, so we describe only the structure here. Time etc sells monthly bundles of hours, from a small starter bundle up to a larger plan for heavier users, with the hourly rate falling as the bundle grows. Custom plans are available for bigger needs, and you can buy extra hours for busy months. According to the plans page, unused hours roll over to the next month on the larger plans but not on the smallest one, there is no setup fee, and you can switch or cancel at any time without a notice period. Independent reviewers consistently place Time etc at the higher end of the virtual assistant market on a per-hour basis.
Support and guarantees
Time etc offers a satisfaction guarantee for the lifetime of the account and help finding a replacement assistant if the first match is wrong. On Trustpilot, the company holds a high TrustScore from a few hundred reviews, with most recent ratings at five stars. Praise focuses on proactive, professional assistants and a responsive support team. The minority of negative reviews mention matching problems at the start, setup taking patience, one detailed billing dispute and frequent contact from the company; Time etc replied to those reviews and in some cases issued refunds.
What could be better
- Cost per hour. You pay for experienced US-based talent and management; offshore agencies and freelance marketplaces are cheaper.
- Part-time by design. The standard plans top out at a level well short of a full-time role.
- Onboarding effort. Reviewers and customers say it takes time to hand over processes before the assistant is fully productive, and that time is billed.
- No rollover on the smallest plan. Light users can lose unused hours.
- Thin security documentation. Beyond confidentiality agreements, there is little public detail on how client data and credentials are handled.
Who should choose something else
If you need someone embedded in your team for thirty or more hours a week, attending meetings and owning processes, a direct hire or a full-time remote staffing agency fits better than a fractional assistant. If cost is the main driver and you are comfortable managing someone yourself, a freelance marketplace or an offshore agency will be cheaper per hour. If your tasks need specialist professional judgement, such as legal or accounting work, hire the relevant professional rather than an assistant. And if you only have an hour or two of tasks a month, the smallest plan's lack of rollover may make an hourly freelancer better value.
What other reviewers found
- Virtual Assistant Assistant, a site that collects client ratings of VA firms, gave Time etc a near-perfect average and singled out its experienced assistants, but noted clients found task time estimates hard to understand at first.
- Outsource Manifest was cooler, scoring it in the middle of its VA rankings: it valued the free trial task and selective hiring but said the service saves convenience, not money.
- South, a staffing company that sells a competing full-time model, praised the experienced assistants and flexibility but said costs climb at higher hours and the plans suit delegated tasks rather than an embedded team member.
- Trustpilot customers overwhelmingly rate the assistants and support team highly, with a small number reporting early matching problems and one serious billing complaint.
Where the reviewers agree and disagree
Everyone agrees on quality: experienced, well-vetted assistants and good support are the reason people pay for Time etc. Everyone also agrees on the cost, which is high per hour compared with alternatives. The disagreement is about whether that cost is worth it. Client-rating sites and customers, who have already chosen to pay, say yes. Outsource Manifest and South, which sell or rank cheaper and full-time alternatives, frame it as a convenience purchase. For a buyer, the practical takeaway is to decide what you are buying: if you want time back and a low-maintenance relationship, Time etc delivers; if you want the lowest hourly rate or a full-time person, look elsewhere.
Is Time etc worth it? Bottom line
Time etc is a polished, low-risk way to start delegating. You get an experienced US-based assistant, a manager to smooth problems, transparent time tracking, no contract and a free first task to judge the fit. It is not cheap, it is not a full-time solution and it rewards clients who invest a little time in documenting how they work. For founders and small teams who want dependable part-time admin help and value continuity over the lowest rate, it remains one of the strongest options available.
Frequently asked questions
Are Time etc assistants based in the US?
Yes. Time etc says all of its virtual assistants are based in the United States and work part-time from home, while the company serves clients worldwide. Its assistants page says it requires several years of relevant experience and that assistants average around twelve years. That makes it a good fit for client-facing work in US time zones, though it costs more than offshore services.
Do unused Time etc hours roll over?
According to Time etc's plans page, unused hours roll over into the next month on the larger plans, but the smallest starter plan does not include rollover. Plans can be switched or cancelled at any time without a notice period, so if you consistently under-use your hours you can move down a tier rather than lose them repeatedly each month.
Can I try Time etc before paying?
Time etc's homepage offers a free first task: you send one task and an assistant completes it at no charge, with no credit card required. Beyond that, the company advertises a satisfaction guarantee for the lifetime of the account and help finding a replacement if your matched assistant is not right, and plans carry no minimum contract.
What tasks can a Time etc assistant do?
Time etc lists email management, scheduling, general administration, content marketing support, social media management and personal tasks among the work its assistants handle. You can delegate by email, text, phone, Zoom, Slack or the app. Specialist assistants can be added at no extra fee. Work that needs a licensed professional, such as legal or accounting advice, should go to the relevant professional.
Is Time etc a freelance marketplace?
No. Time etc is a managed service. Instead of posting a job and interviewing freelancers, you have a consultation and the company matches you with a vetted assistant, provides a client manager and handles replacements. That costs more per hour than a marketplace, but it removes the hiring and vetting work and gives you a single dedicated assistant to build continuity with.