Allying vs
Athena.
Athena gives you one dedicated, full-time executive assistant, selected and trained by Athena, for $3,000 a month on a 12-month commitment, or $3,600 a month on a 90-day commitment, then month to month. Allying does the job you posted for 30% of the salary in your posting, a month, with a monthly minimum for each job and the first week done before any conversation. Here is what each is for.
What Athena does well
Athena's whole product is one person: a dedicated, full-time executive assistant, vetted, trained, equipped and employed by Athena, in their words [1]. The pitch on their home page is selection and training: the top 1% of thirty to sixty thousand monthly applicants, an in-person bootcamp and ongoing upskilling [4]. The work they name is the executive's own life: email and inbox zero, calendar and scheduling, travel and bookings, research and reporting, CRM and pipeline tracking [4]. If what you need is one excellent person who learns you over years, this is a serious company to talk to.
How Athena is sold
One plan, two ways to pay: $3,000 a month with a 12-month commitment, or $3,600 a month on the monthly plan after an initial 90-day commitment, both billed monthly [2]. From onboarding through kickoff takes one to two weeks, by their pricing page [1]; their FAQ says two to three weeks from signing [2]. Matching is algorithmic with tailored onboarding, and Athena manages the EA's performance on its side; if the fit is wrong and does not improve, they partner you with a different Athena EA [1]. The assistants are located overseas and work your schedule, in their words [2]; Athena names Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines [3].
The honest differences
Both give you someone who takes work off your desk. The difference is what you are buying: a person's hours, or a job's results.
| What a job is | Athena | Allying |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One person, full time, employed by Athena, who learns your calendar, inbox and travel over time. | Allying does the whole job on the posting, with a named specialist who answers for it. |
| The first week | A 12-month commitment at $3,000 a month, or 90 days at $3,600 a month, first; onboarding takes one to two weeks before the work starts. | The first week of the job is done before any conversation and before the first dollar; then a free week, starting with a short call. |
| Who answers for it | Athena's EA performance management, and a different EA if things do not improve. | A named person with a face, a phone number and expertise in the job. Every action is on the record, with a daily note and a weekly report. |
| Where the work happens | In the executive's own inbox, calendar, travel and CRM, the work their pages describe. | In your own channels, Slack, Teams, text, WhatsApp or email, with its own phone number. Nothing reaches a customer without your yes until you say it no longer needs asking. |
| What it costs | $3,000 a month on a 12-month commitment, or $3,600 a month on a 90-day commitment, then month to month. | $1,380 a month on a $55,000 posting (about 30% of the posted salary, after a free week) |
What Athena charges
| Plan | What their page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant, annual | $3,000 a month with a 12-month commitment, billed monthly. One dedicated, full-time EA, vetted, trained, device equipped and employed by Athena. | [2] [1] |
| Executive Assistant, monthly | $3,600 a month, billed monthly, after an initial 90-day commitment. | [2] |
We checked this on 2026-09-25. Prices and plan names change; the links in the sources are the ones to trust.
When to choose which
Choose Athena when
- You want one full-time person for the whole of your working life, calendar, travel and inbox included.
- You can commit to a year at $3,000 a month, or to 90 days at $3,600 a month, before you see the work.
- The tasks are personal as much as professional: flights, dinners, family logistics.
- You want a company whose whole business is executive assistants.
Choose Allying when
- You posted a job, marketing, support, admin, writing or research, and want it done, not staffed.
- You want to see the first week before you commit to anything.
- You want a specialist in that job and a named person who answers for it.
- You want every action on the record, in your own channels.
Weighing more than these two? Athena alternatives, by what you need sets ten alternatives beside Athena, each with its price and the day we read it.
More comparisons
Hiring for this job
Your contact for anything on this page is Mae Santos, co-founder of Allying: hello@allying.com.
The work is done with AI and overseen by a named specialist who answers for it.
Sources
- Athena, Pricing. Read on 2026-09-25. "Executive Assistant" at "$3,000 / per month" with the Annual option selected (the default), and "$3,600*" with the Monthly option, which adds "*Monthly after initial 90-day Commitment"; "One dedicated, full-time EA", "Vetted, trained, device equipped, and employed by Athena", "Algorithmic matching + tailored onboarding", "EA performance management"; onboarding through kickoff "one to two weeks"; a different Athena EA "if things don't improve".
- Athena, FAQs. Read on 2026-09-25. "$3,000 per month with a 12-month commitment, billed monthly (most popular)"; "$3,600 per month after initial 90-day Commitment, billed monthly (most flexible)"; "Athena EAs are located overseas but work on a schedule determined by your needs."; "Every Athena EA works 40 hours per week"; "Once you sign your membership agreement, the full onboarding process typically takes 2-3 weeks."
- Athena, About. Read on 2026-09-25. "based in the US with deep investment in our Executive Partner (XP) communities in Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, and the Philippines".
- Athena, home page. Checked on 2026-09-18. "Top 1% of 30–60k monthly applicants"; "Rigorous in-person bootcamp + ongoing upskilling"; the work listed: email and inbox zero, calendar and scheduling, travel and bookings, research and reporting, CRM and pipeline tracking; "Human intelligence amplified by AI". No price is quoted on this page.