Side by side · every figure sourced

Cool Blue VA vs HelpSquad

Both companies publish a rate, so they can actually be compared. Everything below is quoted from each company’s own website with the date we read it. Blank means the company publishes nothing on that point — click ⓘ to see which pages we checked.

6/12Cool Blue VA publishes

3/12HelpSquad publishes

	Cool Blue VA	HelpSquad
Published rate	$9.95/hrVerified i $9.95/hr comes from this sentence on their site: “Cool Blue VA Medical Virtual Assistants offers an affordable rate starting at $9.95 per hour for customer service virtual assistants.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	$8.00/hrVerified i $8.00/hr comes from this sentence on their site: “$8 to $13 per hour depending on the role.”https://helpsquad.com/ Checked 2026-07-25
Setup fee	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	NoneVerified i None comes from this sentence on their site: “No setup fees, no replacement costs.”https://helpsquad.com/ Checked 2026-07-25
Minimum commitment	No minimumVerified i No minimum comes from this sentence on their site: “No contracts, no fees, or hidden charges. You can cancel anytime without cost.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Free trial	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Replacement guarantee	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Assistants based in	PhilippinesVerified i Philippines comes from this sentence on their site: “All our Virtual Assistants are local Filipinos and are governed by the Philippines' Data Privacy Act of 2012.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Qualifications held	registered nursesVerified i registered nurses comes from this sentence on their site: “Many are registered nurses in the Philippines.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Dedicated or shared	Dedicated to one clientVerified i Dedicated to one client comes from this sentence on their site: “It means this person is dedicated to performing tasks for you.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Works your time zone	YesVerified i Yes comes from this sentence on their site: “But regardless of their location, they work based on your work hours.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Background checks	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Fastest stated start	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
Cover when assistant is out	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
The BAA is between	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 5 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//about/how-it-works/social-media-marketing-pricing/frequently-asked-questions` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.	With the provider — they are the business associateStated i With the provider — they are the business associate is what this company states, in these words: “Because HelpSquad is a US-based company, your Business Associate Agreement is with us, not with an offshore VA or agency.”https://helpsquad.com Checked 2026-07-25We report this claim as published. We have not audited it — ask for written proof before you sign.
Claims HIPAA training	YesStated i Yes is what this company states, in these words: “They are also HIPAA certified.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25We report this claim as published. We have not audited it — ask for written proof before you sign.	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.
EHR systems named	eClinicalworksVerified i eClinicalworks comes from this sentence on their site: “Our Medical VAs are trained in eClinicalworks, but are adaptable to other systems as well.”https://coolblueva.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Checked 2026-07-25	Not recordedNot recorded i No value recorded. This field has not been established in this source record. The record references 2 checked pages; this does not mean the provider never publishes it: `//how-it-works` That the company does not publish this is itself worth knowing.

We do not pick a winner. We have no commercial relationship with either company, we are not paid by either, and we are not qualified to say which suits your practice. What we can do is put their own published claims next to each other, dated, so the differences are visible without sitting through two sales calls.

Before you decide

Ask both for the actual Business Associate Agreement, not a sentence about one.
Ask what happens on a sick day — the answer varies far more than the price does.
Ask which EHR, by name, and for how long.
If a figure here is out of date, tell us and we will re-check it within a day.

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