How we compare
Side by side with the two market-leading alternatives most of our prospects consider. Honest. No smear campaigns. No fear-based nonsense.
Team Hatch
|
Market-leading flat fee | Market-leading bundled model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placement fee | $4,500 flat Cheapest flat placement in the market. |
$5,000 flat Their homepage advertises 35% of first-year salary. Pricing page says $5k flat. |
$697 one-off ($3,870/mo bundled) Low entry fee, the real cost lives in the monthly bundle. |
| Monthly model | Hatch Flex $449/mo (20 hrs), or salary only on Hire On Hatch Hire you only pay your team member's salary direct. On Flex it's $449/mo flat, no salary on top. |
Pay salary only No agency fee after placement. You pay your team member's salary direct, monthly. |
Bundled $3,870/mo Single full-time tier. $2,500 salary + $220 13th month + $183 IT + $967 service fee, all rolled into one monthly invoice. |
| Ownership model | You own the placement One-time fee, the offshore team member is yours. Contractor or add optional EOR. |
You own the placement Same one-time ownership model as us, just $500 more up front. |
They own it The team member is their employee on their books. You're renting the engagement monthly, forever. |
| Salary transparency | Paid direct, at cost You see every dollar. Our fee is separate. |
Paid direct, at cost Same transparent model on the placement side. |
Bundled, margin undisclosed Salary listed at $2,500/mo, but a $967/mo service fee sits on top, plus margin baked into the salary itself. No way to verify what your team member actually earns vs the agency's cut. |
| Replacement guarantee | 6 months on Hire, instant swap on Flex Flex placements have no waiting period. Swap to a new VA whenever you need to. |
6 months | Not publicly disclosed 90-day notice period applies to the engagement. |
| Sub-20hr/month option | Yes, $449/mo Flex First of its kind in Australia. |
No | No Part-time tiers removed in May 2026. Full-time only. |
| Part-time placement | Yes — Flex, part-time, or full-time $449/mo Flex (20 hrs), or $4,500 flat one-off for part-time or full-time placement. Same fee either way. |
Full-time focus | Yes |
| Compliance / EOR | $300/mo at cost, optional Pass-through pricing, no markup. You choose when to add it. |
Partner referral Rate undisclosed. You handle the third-party relationship. |
Bundled (they employ) Included in the monthly fee but non-negotiable and non-transparent. |
| 3-year total cost Placement fee + 36 months at example AUD rates. |
Full-time: ~$58,500 Part-time: ~$31,500 Flex (20 hrs/mo): ~$16,164 FT: $4,500 + $1,500/mo × 36. PT: $4,500 + $750/mo × 36. Flex: $449/mo × 36, all-inclusive (no salary on top). |
Full-time: ~$59,000 $5,000 + $1,500/mo × 36 salary, paid direct. No part-time or sub-20hr option. |
Full-time: ~$139,617 $697 + $3,870/mo × 36 bundled. No sub-20hr option. |
| Ongoing lock-in | None | None | Monthly subscription + 90-day notice |
Competitor pricing verified from publicly available pricing pages, May 2026. The market-leading bundled provider repriced and simplified to a single full-time tier in May 2026. EOR-subscription specialists exist in the market but aren't included here — see the "not for you" section below.
Honest breakdowns
We respect every one of these businesses. They're all solving real problems. Here's where we differ and where we don't.
Flat-fee placement model. Proven, serious operators doing multi-million in revenue. Closest competitor to us philosophically — ownership-based, no monthly fees, transparent on the placement side.
Scale, brand recognition, simple menu. Clients who just want a one-off hire without ongoing commitment feel safe here.
No sub-20hr product. No flexibility for businesses not ready for full-time commitment. Partner referral for EOR at an undisclosed rate instead of handling compliance in-house.
Premium bundled subscription model, repriced and simplified in May 2026. A single full-time tier at $3,870/mo bundled, plus a $697 one-off placement fee. Polished brand, AI-matched pairing, one monthly invoice covering everything.
One bill covers salary, payroll, IT, support, and compliance. Strong brand, AI matching, zero admin for the client. Legitimately "hands-off" for businesses that want to outsource the entire process.
A $967/mo service fee sits on top of a $2,500/mo salary, plus IT and 13th-month costs. You pay $46k+/year forever while engaged, on a 90-day notice. The offshore team member is their employee, not yours.
Honesty principle
We'd rather tell you upfront than waste your time. Here's how we draw the line.
$8-15/hr sticker price, juggling 3-5 clients, can ghost for days, churns in weeks, zero accountability, no vetting beyond what you do.
Top 5% pre-vetted, their full commitment on the hours you're paying for, real SLAs, real accountability. Someone who shows up.
Face-time, AU-based compliance (certain legal, healthcare admin), or native-English high-stakes copywriting. Hire local for these.
70-80% cheaper than local equivalents. AU-hours overlap. Remote-first, embedded in your team.
Outrageous monthly fees, salary doesn't pass through at 100% (they skim), cloudy bonus structures. Full-service but expensive and opaque.
Hatch Hire: full handover + 6-month replacement + ongoing support. Bolt on Hatch Launch ($500) for role scoping, 30/60/90 plan, SOP library, async onboarding.
40-page tenders, 6-week vendor approval queues, procurement committee sign-off. We don't play in that lane.
We add firepower for a fraction of the cost — enabling you to scale in situations where onshore hiring just wouldn't have been viable. Talk to the founder, skip the bureaucracy, move fast.
Book a call. We'll give you an honest recommendation, even if it's to go with a competitor.