AI Employee vs Virtual Assistant
One costs $50/month, the other $2,000+. Here's when each makes sense.
| Feature | AI Employee | Virtual Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Available 24/7 | ||
| Natural language instructions | ||
| No training period | ||
| Instant scaling (hire more in seconds) | ||
| Consistent output quality | Varies | |
| Cost per month | $39–75 | $1,500–3,000 |
| Physical tasks | ||
| Phone calls & live meetings | ||
| Complex relationship management | ||
| Human judgment for edge cases |
The honest comparison
Virtual assistants are human. They bring judgment, relationship skills, and the ability to handle genuinely novel situations. A good VA is worth their weight in gold for high-touch work.
AI employees are tireless. They work 24/7, never need time off, produce consistent output, and cost 95-98% less. For structured, repeatable work — analysis, outreach, content, support — they're extraordinarily effective.
When to choose an AI employee
- Your budget is tight and you need leverage fast
- The work is structured: reports, outreach, content, research, support
- You need 24/7 availability
- You want instant scaling — hire 5 employees in 5 minutes
- Consistency matters more than creative flexibility
When to choose a virtual assistant
- You need someone to make phone calls or attend meetings
- The work requires real-world interactions or physical tasks
- Complex relationship management (investor relations, partner management)
- You need human judgment for high-stakes edge cases
The best of both worlds
Many founders use AI employees for operational work (the 80% that's structured and repeatable) and a part-time VA for high-touch work (the 20% that needs a human). This hybrid approach gives you full coverage at a fraction of traditional cost.
Learn more about AI employees or see pricing.
Start with AI employees for the structured work. Add a VA later if you need one for the human stuff.