The best Athena alternatives for fast-moving executive teams

TL;DR

If you’re comparing Athena, Viva, and Boldly for executive assistant services, here’s the short version: Viva delivers full-time, startup-aligned support with real-time availability in U.S. time zones and onboarding in under 24 hours. Athena offers strong coaching and onboarding, but assistants are based in the Philippines and often work overnight shifts. Boldly provides experienced U.S.-based EAs on a fractional basis.

Viva stands out for high-growth executives needing proactive, embedded support that moves fast.

“As a leader, you will need a support staff that can help you focus on priority work while also covering your weak spots. Many leaders will build a team consisting of highly skilled executive assistants and sometimes a chief of staff to help propel the change agenda.” — McKinsey & Company, 2024

Table of contents

1. What should enterprises look for in an Athena alternative?
2. Which executive assistant service is best: Athena, Viva, or Boldly?
3. Why do companies choose Athena?
4. Is Boldly right for part-time executive support?
5. Why do high-growth execs choose Viva?
6. What makes Viva the top choice for executive support?
7. What are some other alternatives to Viva, Athena, and Boldly?

Choosing the right executive assistant service can have an outsized impact on how effectively you operate as a leader. The right support unlocks focus, speed, and leverage,  while the wrong fit can quietly slow everything down.

Athena, Viva, and Boldly are three of the most commonly compared options for executive assistant services in the U.S. market today. Each offers a managed model rather than freelancers, but they differ significantly in how assistants are hired, trained, and integrated into an executive’s day-to-day workflow.

This guide breaks down how Athena, Viva, and Boldly compare across availability, onboarding speed, support structure, and ideal use cases, so you can decide which executive assistant service aligns best with how you actually work.

1. What should enterprises look for in an Athena alternative?

After pairing hundreds of enterprise leaders with executive assistants, at Viva, we’ve learned the most important evaluation factors are:

• Onboarding speed: Can your EA start delivering value within the first week?
• AI and automation fluency: Can your EA build functioning and valuable workflows and automations in Zapier, Notion, Slack, beyond simple prompt usage?
• Security and compliance: Is the infrastructure aligned with SOC 2 (or other security standards), with proper access controls and audit trails?
• Employment model: Are EAs full-time and dedicated to your company, or fractional and split across companies?
• Time zone coverage: Will your EA be working in your hours, or overnight?
• Scalability: Can the provider support multiple EAs, executive pods, or backfills as needed?

2. Which executive assistant service is best: Athena, Viva, or Boldly?

Finding the right executive assistant is one of the most critical decisions for leaders in scaling organizations. And if you’ve landed here, you’re likely weighing top-tier options like Athena, Viva, and Boldly.

All three offer managed services, not freelancers, and all three serve U.S.-based executives. But there are important differences in structure, responsiveness, and fit depending on how you work.

At a high level, Athena, Viva, and Boldly all provide professional executive assistant support, but the ways in which support is provided vary significantly. Key differences around time zone alignment, responsiveness, onboarding speed, and support model can dramatically affect an executive’s experience.

The comparison table below highlights how each service stacks up across the factors executives care about most when choosing an assistant, including availability, pricing structure, training, and long-term fit. It’s designed to help you quickly identify which model best supports your workload, pace, and operating style.

3. Why do companies choose Athena?

Athena is known for its values-driven culture, clear social mission, and structured onboarding. EAs are full-time and dedicated, receiving continuous coaching.

However, Athena assistants are based in the Philippines. While they work U.S. hours, they do so on a graveyard schedule, and that can come with risk. Time zone misalignment creates lags in real-time tasks, like higher turnovers, delays in meeting prep, and friction during urgent handoffs.

If you’re comfortable with async workflows and don’t need someone immediately, Athena is still a solid option. Their monthly price is competitive, and they offer strong delegation coaching.

4. Is Boldly right for part-time executive support?

Boldly provides experienced executive assistants, all based in the U.S. Support is fractional, typically 40 to 80 hours per month, and pricing scales accordingly. Their assistants also handle specialized work like project management, content creation, or bookkeeping.

Boldly is best suited for executives who need a flexible, high-quality assistant for a few hours a day. It’s not ideal for leaders managing daily team ops, high-volume scheduling, or inbox triage. Boldly’s onboarding is personalized but not built for urgency. 

5. Why do high-growth execs choose Viva?

Viva was built specifically for executives in high-growth companies. Every assistant is full-time, startup-trained, and embedded in your team.

Notion’s Partnership with Viva’s Executive Assistants

Viva Executive Assistants offer more than just administrative help; they become a trusted partner in driving efficiency and productivity. With their proactive approach and strong work ethic, Viva EAs free up your time so you can focus on the bigger picture. 

This is what some of our customers say about Viva:

“Viva’s EA service has been very reliable. I depend on Clara for a variety of tasks, beyond just calendar and email management.” — Bakul Banthia, Founder, Tessell

“Onboarding was seamless and the EA they provided me with is fantastic. She’s highly capable, energetic, intelligent, and has a great attitude.” — Sean Kelly, General Partner, FamilyFundVC

“Wendy is taking the load off me in places where I’d need it; hiring someone good can take a while, so I’d be unhappy to no longer be able to work with Wendy, or with Viva who I presume would be able to fill a role quickly.” — Troy Astorino, Co-founder and CTO, Picnic Health

“Now that I am ramped up with a Viva EA I don’t think I could go back. Dani ramped up so quickly and has been enthusiastic with a learner’s mindset.” — Lauryn Isford, Head of Product Growth, Notion

6. What makes Viva the top choice for executive support?

Viva’s executive assistants are located in Latin America and work the same hours as U.S. executives, so there’s no async lag. You can delegate inbox management (Gmail, Superhuman), calendar coordination, meeting prep, hiring support, and internal comms.

Pairing happens in less than 24 hours. Each EA goes through a rigorous business bootcamp before being assigned, and they receive ongoing coaching throughout the partnership.

• Startup-trained talent: Assistants go through a rigorous business bootcamp
• Fast pairing: Get matched in under 24 hours
• Real-time alignment: Latin America-based assistants work U.S. hours for seamless collaboration
• Full-time, embedded support: Work with 1–3 execs, depending on your plan
• Ongoing coaching: Structured performance feedback, not set-it-and-forget-it
• Security and compliance: Enterprise-grade systems, SOC 2 Type II support
• Meaningful impact: Support long-term careers for women in LATAM

Overcoming Startup Hiring Challenges | Success Story from Teryle Aguilar SVP at Shippo

7. How do other EA services compare to Athena, Viva, and Boldly?

While Athena, Viva, and Boldly are among the EA services most frequently considered by executives, there are other EA services that may be worth exploring depending on your needs. These include:

• Double: Offers part-time assistants based in the U.S. with a focus on async workflows
• Wing Assistant: Low-cost option with generalist support, though quality and responsiveness can vary
• Belay: U.S.-based assistants with faith-oriented values, suitable for leaders who prioritize mission alignment
• Prialto: Offers scalable support for teams, with a focus on managed services for sales and ops

Ready to find the right executive assistant? Book a call today to get an EA to help you with your executive assistant search.

FAQs

How fast can Viva Executive Assistants begin supporting my team? 

Viva’s proprietary onboarding system ensures executives see measurable value in under one week, typically within the first 48 hours.

Are Viva’s executive assistants shared across multiple customers? 

No. Viva’s model is full-time and exclusive to one company. Each EA can support up to three executives within the same organization but never works across multiple clients.

What makes Viva different from Athena or Boldly? 

Athena focuses on coaching and delegation; Boldly emphasizes experience and security. Viva delivers both while adding faster onboarding, AI readiness, SOC-aligned security, and a full-time structure that eliminates cross-company exposure.

What kind of AI training do Viva’s executive assistants receive? 

Every Viva EA completes an internal AI Builder program focused on workflow automation in Zapier, Notion, and Slack, as well as prompt engineering and business application of AI tools.

Does Viva provide equipment and benefits for its team? 

Yes. Viva provides all necessary equipment and benefits, including healthcare, ensuring stable long-term support and professional readiness.

Who manages performance and quality at Viva? 

Each account is supported by a Customer Success Team that works closely with executives to assess delegation, ensure output consistency, and identify areas for improvement.

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