Time etc alternative for growing teams
KeyPlayers vs Time etc: when you’ve outgrown an hourly assistant
Founders comparing Time etc and KeyPlayers are usually deciding one thing:
Do I need a few hours of help a month, or someone who owns the work every day?
$0 until they start · Trained before day one · Guaranteed for life
At a glance · Updated September 2026
Time etc sells a U.S.-based assistant by the hour, from $390 a month for 10 hours to $2,160 for 60. KeyPlayers places a dedicated assistant for 20 hours a week at $1,497 or full-time at $2,397, so choose Time etc for a few hours a month, and KeyPlayers once you have 20 hours a week of work or more.
| Time etc | KeyPlayers | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $390 to $2,160/mo | $2,397/mo full-time, $1,497/mo for 20 hrs/week |
| Hours | 10 to 60 hrs/mo | Full-time (about 173 hrs/mo) or 20 hrs/week |
| Based in | U.S. | Philippines, Latin America and beyond |
| Guarantee | Complete satisfaction guarantee | Lifetime replacement guarantee |
Trusted by 200+ growing companies
Time etc has matched entrepreneurs with U.S.-based virtual assistants since 2007. Plans run from 10 hours a month for $390 to 60 hours for $2,160, or $36 to $39 an hour, and you can switch or cancel any time.
KeyPlayers places a dedicated assistant for $1,497 a month for 20 hours a week, or $2,397 a month full-time. Fewer than 1% of applicants are hired, every KeyPlayer is AI-trained before day one, and every placement carries a lifetime replacement guarantee.
Time etc
Hourly plans of 10 to 60 hours a month with a dedicated U.S. assistant.
KeyPlayers
A dedicated assistant for 20 hours a week or full-time, for one flat monthly fee.
More than a hire
A workforce partner behind every hire.
Trained before day one
Screened, tested, and AI-trained before they ever start, so they are productive immediately.
A system around the person
Every KeyPlayer is backed by the recruiting, training, SOPs and support we have built across 200+ companies.
Supported and guaranteed for life
A dedicated client success team and a lifetime replacement guarantee stand behind every placement.
Side by side
Feature by feature.
Feature
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Monthly price
Effective hourly rate
Hours available
Where your assistant is based
Roles
AI training
Guarantee
Monthly price
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Effective hourly rate
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Hours available
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Where your assistant is based
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Roles
Time etc
KeyPlayers
AI training
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Guarantee
Time etc
KeyPlayers
Time etc details are from Time etc’s own website, checked September 2026: plans and pricing, homepage. Their offering may have changed since.
Where we go further
The difference that compounds.
Full-time for $237 more than 60 hours
Time etc’s largest plan is 60 hours a month for $2,160. For $2,397, a KeyPlayer works full-time, close to three times the hours.
Built for a real workload
Hourly plans suit a few tasks a month. Once you have 20 hours or more of work every week, a dedicated KeyPlayer costs less per hour and knows your business.
More than admin
KeyPlayers covers executive assistants, operations, sales support, customer support and more than 40 other roles.
The KeyPlayers difference
What you actually get with a KeyPlayer.
A screened, AI-trained assistant, a support team behind them, and the playbooks to run the work.
<1%
of applicants placed
Training
AI-trained before day one
Every KeyPlayer is screened from thousands of applicants and tested on real tasks. Those who make it through are trained in executive operations, your tools, and our AI workspace before they ever start.
- Real-task testing, not just interviews
- Trained on your tools and AI workspace
- Ongoing enablement, not one-and-done
For life
replacement guarantee
Infrastructure
A system behind the person
A KeyPlayer is never just a placement. They are matched to you on skills, personality, and work style, supported by a dedicated client success team, and backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee.
- Matched on skills, personality, and work style
- Dedicated client success team
- SOPs and knowledge that stay in your workspace
200+
AI agents included
AI Workspace
One assistant, the output of a team
Every KeyPlayer works inside an AI workspace built on your business, with a board of AI agents behind them. It is how one KeyPlayer does the work of three to five people.
- A board of AI agents: CMO, CRO, COO, CXO and more
- Built on your knowledge and workflows
- Task, outreach, support, and reporting agents on tap
200+
companies refined against
GTM Playbooks
Proven playbooks, not guesswork
For sales, marketing, and ops roles, your KeyPlayer runs the go-to-market playbooks we have refined across hundreds of businesses, so you get a proven system, not a blank page.
- Outreach and follow-up sequences
- Campaign and content frameworks
- Onboarding, retention, and reporting systems
Roles we place
Full-time talent that actually performs.
Every KeyPlayer is screened, AI-trained before day one, and backed by our client success team, across the roles that move a business.
An honest take
Where each one wins.
What Time etc does well
- Time etc has been running since 2007 and says it has saved more than 22,000 entrepreneurs over 2 million hours.
- Its plans are small and flexible: you can switch or cancel any time, and unused hours roll over.
- Every Time etc assistant is U.S.-based.
Choose Time etc if
You only need a few hours a month and want a U.S.-based assistant you can scale up or down at any time.
Choose KeyPlayers if
You have 20 hours a week of work or more and want one dedicated person owning it for a flat monthly price.
Questions
Time etc, answered.
How much does Time etc cost compared to KeyPlayers?
Time etc publishes four plans: $390 a month for 10 hours, $760 for 20, $1,480 for 40 and $2,160 for 60. KeyPlayers is $1,497 a month for 20 hours a week, or $2,397 a month full-time.
Is KeyPlayers a good Time etc alternative?
Yes, once your workload passes about 20 hours a week. Time etc is the better fit for a few hours a month from a U.S.-based assistant.
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