Personal Assistant vs. Virtual Assistant: Which Option is Right for You?

Jun 26

Whether you’re juggling a demanding career and social life or you’re busy with passion projects and running a household, hiring a full-time or even part-time personal assistant will add more hours to your day. With the right support, you can focus on doing what’s important to you and delegate the rest.

But is the right support a personal or virtual assistant? Are they even really all that different?

To give you some clarity, we’ll be covering the pros and cons of each option.

Personal or Virtual Assistant?

While we do also offer executive staffing, in this post we’ll be weighing the pros and cons of a virtual assistant vs. a personal assistant for private individuals.

What is a virtual assistant?

There are two types of virtual, or remote, personal assistants, human assistants who work remotely and AI assistants. Both help you manage your day-to-day responsibilities, however, an AI assistant is used for more basic admin tasks.

What does a virtual personal assistant do?

Answer phone calls and emails on your behalf
Set up and manage appointments, such as doctor visits
Handle personal errands like calling the pharmacy to refill a prescription or a restaurant to make a reservation
Order groceries for delivery
Help research and plan events and trips
Find candidates and schedule interviews for household staff

Pros of a virtual assistant

A virtual personal assistant is usually cheaper than an in-person assistant.
Virtual assistants are often available for short-term engagements and can be hired for an hour here or there.
An AI virtual assistant is available 24/7.

Cons of a virtual assistant

You don’t work with a remote assistant face to face. This makes it challenging to develop a strong relationship. They won’t be able to pick up on emotional nuances from a distance. For example, noticing when you’re stressed and adjusting their support accordingly.
All interaction is through video calls, phone calls, email and other modes of remote communication. This can create communication issues that breed inefficiencies.
Having a virtual assistant sit in on confidential or sensitive meetings, such as a meeting with your lawyer, to take notes remotely, poses some security concerns This is even more true when it comes to AI assistants where the recording will be stored on a server somewhere.
A virtual assistant can only complete tasks that can be done from a distance (e.g., calling to have your prescription refilled as opposed to calling and then picking it up for you).
Some virtual personal assistant services don’t provide dedicated support. This means you could have a different virtual assistant each time, so there’s no continuity and you’ll have to explain things to every new person.
Virtual personal assistants can’t travel with you or accompany you to places if needed.

What is a personal assistant?

A personal assistant is an individual who provides one-on-one assistance with everyday tasks and, sometimes, not-so-everyday tasks. They help you manage your private life and may serve as the point of contact between you and outside parties.

What does a personal assistant do?

A full-time or part-time personal assistant works with you in-person. While their specific tasks will depend on what you hire them to take on, they commonly:

Answer and manage phone calls, emails and other correspondence
Manage your calendar or the family calendar, including setting up appointments
Run personal errands
Plan meals and grocery shop
Plan parties, events and travel
Household organization
Help you stay on top of your health, including booking preventive care visits, dealing with health insurance claims, organizing your meds for the week, etc.
Help find and hire household staff
Pay bills, handle staff payroll, organize financial documents
Liaise with other staff, contractors and vendors

Pros of a personal assistant

You can build a stronger relationship face to face, which helps to establish trust and a higher level of comfort.
Being physically present allows your personal assistant to more quickly learn your preferences and be able to better anticipate your needs.
Your personal assistant can run errands on your behalf.
Communication is easier and more efficient.
Depending on the engagement, your personal assistant may be able to accompany you to meetings, appointments or trips.
An in-person assistant can be available at your house to manage staff, vendors and contractors even when you’re away or busy.
They can handle sensitive information while on the premises instead of through video or email, minimizing privacy concerns.
Whether it’s gently nudging you when you’re absorbed in a task so you’re not late for an important event or running your keys out to you when you forget them, personal assistants provide a human touch that’s hard to replicate remotely.

Cons of a personal assistant

You probably won’t find a dedicated personal assistant willing to work for really short timeframes like 30 minutes a week
It can be difficult to find a personal assistant that meets your specific needs. Fortunately, our specialty is matching you with your ideal assistant.

The bottom line

When weighing the drawbacks and benefits of a personal assistant vs. virtual assistant, a personal assistant has important advantages. An in-person assistant is able to pick up on emotional cues, more quickly learn to anticipate your needs, and be physically present for a wider range of tasks.

That said, if you only need assistance for a handful of hours a month and/or you’re on a very tight budget, a virtual assistant could be a good choice.

Ready to find a personal assistant?

Whether you want full-time placement or hourly support, we have pricing models starting at just 10 hours per week. All of our assistants are formally screened and meet our strict criteria for education and work experience.

As a boutique personal assistant staffing agency, our experts take the time to find your perfect match down to their personality traits and areas of expertise. From performing day-to-day responsibilities to providing instant bandwidth for events, your assistant will be fully qualified to handle the details. To get started, request a personal assistant in the NYC, LA, Silicon Valley or Palm Beach areas.