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Among UK virtual assistant companies, choose a UK-based firm such as TVAC or Get Ahead when you want an assistant in your own country for a few hours a month, and Moneypenny when the job is answering your phones. Choose ACXHUB when you want a dedicated, office-based assistant for a full or part-time role, covering the whole UK working day, managed by one Account Coordinator.
These options are not all the same product, so this comparison keeps like with like. TVAC and Get Ahead sell general virtual assistant time. Moneypenny sells outsourced call answering and live chat, which overlaps with what many people mean by a VA. ACXHUB places a dedicated assistant from its Cebu office. If you are still weighing up outsourcing against hiring, read in-house vs outsourced first.
How do UK virtual assistant companies compare at a glance?
Pricing model
ACXHUB: The one public price is the Hourly Retainer offer for new customers only: deposit $100 and get 20 hours, 10 paid and 10 bonus. Top-ups after that are a minimum of 50 hours at a standing rate quoted when you top up. A dedicated full-time assistant is scoped and quoted.
TVAC: Publishes assistant plans from £30 an hour pay-as-you-go down to £26 an hour on a 60-hour monthly plan (£1,560), excluding VAT (pricing).
Get Ahead: No published rates. There is "no minimum number of hours and no fixed monthly retainer", and you pay for the support you use (Get Ahead).
Moneypenny: No published price. Pricing is "based on your needs, such as call volumes and hours of coverage" (telephone answering).
Contract terms
ACXHUB: No long lock-in. If the fit is wrong, your coordinator re-matches or adjusts scope.
TVAC: "No tie-ins, no commitment, no hidden fees" (pricing).
Get Ahead: No minimum commitment or contract (Get Ahead).
Moneypenny: Smaller schemes have a three-month minimum, larger schemes a six or twelve-month commitment (telephone answering).
Where the staff work
ACXHUB: An office in Cebu, Philippines, on a 3:00 PM to 5:00 AM Cebu shift.
TVAC: UK-based assistants (pricing).
Get Ahead: A network of more than 90 UK-based Virtual Experts (Get Ahead).
Moneypenny: "100% UK-based" receptionists (virtual receptionist).
How you are matched
ACXHUB: A vetted assistant is placed with you, and an Account Coordinator oversees quality.
TVAC: A hand-picked VA after a free consultation (TVAC).
Get Ahead: A Regional Director matches you on skills and personality and stays involved (Get Ahead).
Moneypenny: A receptionist working in a team of five, so a colleague who knows your business covers when they are busy (virtual receptionist).
Who does the work, and how are they engaged?
The main structural difference is whether your assistant is a self-employed specialist in a network or a team member in an office. Get Ahead states that "the VA remains self-employed", so you do not handle holiday, sick pay or pension contributions (VA services). TVAC describes itself as a team of UK-based assistants and does not say on its pricing page whether they are employed or freelance, so ask if it matters to you.
ACXHUB's assistants work from our Cebu office as part of an office-based team rather than from home. Your assistant learns your business and owns the recurring work: inbox, calendar, scheduling, data entry, research, bookings and follow-ups. Your preferences are documented, so the work stays consistent if cover is needed.
Which hours will your assistant work?
A UK firm works UK hours by default, and ACXHUB's shift is set to cover them. Moneypenny's standard cover is 8:30am to 6:00pm, with evening, weekend and 24/7 answering available on request (telephone answering). TVAC lists flexible hours as a benefit (TVAC).
ACXHUB's shift runs 07:00 to 21:00 UTC. That is 07:00 to 21:00 UK time in GMT and 08:00 to 22:00 in BST, so a 9 to 5 sits fully inside it in both seasons. Your assistant is online when you start and is still there when you send the last request of the day. The full calculation is on why the Philippines.
How much do you pay, and for what?
You pay a UK firm by the hour or by monthly block, and you pay ACXHUB either from an hours pool or for a dedicated seat. TVAC's general assistant plans are 10 hours for £290, 20 for £560, 40 for £1,080 and 60 for £1,560, all excluding VAT (pricing). Get Ahead and Moneypenny quote per client.
ACXHUB has two routes for VA work. The Hourly Retainer suits occasional tasks: new customers deposit $100 for 20 hours (10 paid, 10 bonus), and later top-ups are a minimum of 50 hours at a quoted standing rate. Dedicated Staffing suits a role you want filled every day, where a full-time assistant is 160 hours a month, scoped to your needs and quoted rather than listed. We do not publish a staffing price, so compare written quotes for the same hours.
What about your data?
Using a UK firm keeps personal data in the UK, while an offshore assistant involves an international transfer. The Philippines is not on the UK government's list of adequate countries, so a transfer needs a safeguard such as the IDTA or the Addendum. If your assistant will work in your inbox or CRM, agree the transfer mechanism with us before they start.
When a UK virtual assistant company is the better choice
Choose TVAC or Get Ahead when you need a few hours a month, want a published hourly price with no minimum, or want your assistant to work in the UK. Get Ahead's network also covers specialist work such as HR, finance and bookkeeping, matched by a regional director who knows your area.
Choose Moneypenny when the job is answering calls and live chat in your name. It is a dedicated telephone and chat service with UK receptionists, team cover and options for out-of-hours answering, which is a different product from a general assistant.
Choose any UK firm when keeping personal data inside the UK matters more than cost or coverage.
When ACXHUB is the better choice
Choose ACXHUB when you want one assistant who works your whole day and knows your business, full or part-time, rather than buying hours from a pool of people. You get a vetted, office-based assistant, one Account Coordinator overseeing quality, and the same coordinator if you later add customer support, marketing or design. You can start small on the Hourly Retainer and move to a dedicated seat without changing provider.
Questions buyers ask
Is a Philippine VA dedicated to me or shared?
At ACXHUB, a staffed VA is dedicated to you and works your hours. Hours bought on the Hourly Retainer are routed by your coordinator to the right person instead.
Do UK virtual assistant companies charge VAT?
It depends on the firm. TVAC's prices are exclusive of VAT (pricing). Ask each provider whether VAT applies to your invoice.
Can a Philippine VA cover UK mornings?
Yes. ACXHUB's shift starts at 07:00 UK time in winter and 08:00 in summer, before a 9 o'clock start in both seasons.
What if the assistant is not the right fit?
TVAC and Get Ahead both say they will find someone else if the match is wrong (TVAC, Get Ahead). At ACXHUB, your coordinator re-matches or adjusts the scope.
Competitor details were checked on 5 November 2026 and may have changed since.
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