Employ Directly vs Somewhere: hire your VA without a placement fee
Run your Filipino VA search on Employ Directly. Post free, use AI matching on paid plans to focus applicant review, and hire directly without a placement fee.
At a glance
This article recommends Employ Directly for employers who can review and interview Filipino VA applicants themselves. It compares free and paid hiring plans with Somewhere's Direct Hire recruiting service and salary-based placement fee. Somewhere's separate Talent On-Demand service has a different scope. Published by Employ Directly using official competitor sources checked October 1, 2026 and our product definitions; recommendations concern workflow and charges rather than measured hiring outcomes. Paid Employ Directly plans add AI applicant match scores, strengths, gaps, and explanations.
TL;DR
If your team can interview and select a VA, start on Employ Directly with free posting and applicant replies within plan limits. Paid plans start at $35/month, with no placement commission. Somewhere Direct Hire runs a recruiter-led search and charges a quoted percentage of first-year salary. Pro and Premium include AI applicant matching.
Source: Employ Directly vs Somewhere: hire your VA without a placement fee
Key Takeaways
- Employ Directly lets you run a direct Filipino VA search with no placement commission.
- Free includes limited job posting, applicant review, and replies.
- Somewhere Direct Hire charges a role-specific recruiting fee based on first-year salary.
- If your team can handle screening and interviews, you can start with a hiring plan instead of commissioning an agency search.
Summary
You may already have the people and experience to interview your next virtual assistant. What you need is a place to post the role, review applications, and talk with candidates. Employ Directly gives you that starting point on Free, with no placement fee when you hire.
Somewhere Direct Hire provides a recruiter-led search, which can help a business that wants sourcing and screening handled for it. For employers who are ready to do that work themselves, we recommend Employ Directly: your team owns the selection, the conversations stay together, and paid hiring access starts at $35 per month.
| Hiring decision | Employ Directly | Somewhere Direct Hire |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the search | Your team, using platform tools | Recruiting agency |
| Hiring charge | Free; Pro $35/month; Premium $62/month | Quoted percentage of first-year salary |
| Placement commission | None | Applies on hire |
| Candidate review | You review applications and interview | Agency sources and screens; you select |
| After hiring | You arrange onboarding, contracts, and pay | Client manages the working relationship |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Employ Directly charge a fee when I make a hire?
No placement commission applies. Your platform cost is the employer plan you choose, and Free is available within its limits. You agree on compensation directly with the professional.
How much does Somewhere Direct Hire cost?
Its pricing page describes a percentage of the hire's first-year salary, with the rate depending on hiring volume. Request the applicable percentage and total charge for your role. It also describes a refundable deposit credited toward the final fee.
Will Employ Directly send me a recruiter-selected shortlist?
You build your shortlist by reviewing applications and talking with candidates. Employ Directly keeps profiles, screening answers, messages, and offers in the hiring workspace. Paid plans add proactive outreach and advisory AI matching, while your team makes the decisions.
What if I don't have time to run the search?
A recruiter-led service may be worth paying for if sourcing and interviews don't have an owner in your business. Employ Directly is a strong choice when someone on your team can handle those steps and wants direct access to applicants.
About
Employ Directly publishes this comparison. It focuses on Somewhere Direct Hire, using official sources checked October 1, 2026, and our own pricing and product definitions. Prices are in USD; platform access, recruiting fees, worker pay, and external operating costs are separate expenses.
Put your hiring experience to work
If you've hired before, you probably know the questions you want to ask. Can this person cover your working hours? Have they used your tools? How would they handle the customer requests or administrative work you're handing over?
Employ Directly puts those conversations in your hands. Write the role, review the applications and screening answers, and follow up with people whose experience is relevant. You can do that on Free within the posting and application limits.
For a founder or manager prepared to interview candidates, it's an accessible way to get a search started. Create a free employer account and post the responsibilities you need covered.
Keep the placement fee out of your direct hiring budget
Somewhere's Direct Hire service includes sourcing and screening, with a one-time fee tied to first-year salary. That's payment for a recruiting team to carry out part of the search.
Employ Directly charges for platform access where applicable, with no placement commission. You supply the review and interview time, then decide whom to hire. For a business with the capacity to do that work, direct recruitment gives you a way to avoid an agency placement fee.
Your subscription cost also stays independent of the salary you agree on. Pro is $35 per month and Premium is $62 per month. The professional's compensation and payment arrangements are agreed directly between you.
Start with the hiring access you need
Free includes up to three retained job posts, including archived posts, and 15 applications per approved job. You can review applicants, bookmark them, and reply. Posts go through approval before publication, which may take up to two days.
Pro includes five new job posts per month, up to 200 applications per job, 100 proactive talent contacts per month, and two administrators. Premium raises the allowance to 15 new posts, 500 contacts, and five administrators, with the same application limit. Both paid plans provide instant job approval and advisory AI matching.
If you're testing one role, start on Free. If you need a larger pool of applications or want to contact talent yourself, choose the paid capacity that fits your search.
Know what you would be buying from an agency
Somewhere Direct Hire describes six months of replacement coverage; confirm the conditions and deposit terms in your proposal. Its separate Talent On-Demand service includes a different ongoing arrangement, so make sure you're comparing the service you intend to use.
Employ Directly doesn't provide a managed placement or replacement guarantee. Your team handles selection, onboarding, and payments. The value is direct access to applicants and a workspace for the search, with plan pricing you can check before starting.
To make that search useful, write a specific job post and agree on a few application review criteria before applications arrive. Keep the criteria tied to the role so you're assessing evidence of relevant work.
For another direct hiring comparison, read Employ Directly vs OnlineJobs.ph.
Use AI to help your team build the shortlist
Running the search yourself doesn't mean reviewing without support. On Pro and Premium, Employ Directly shows AI match scores alongside strengths, gaps, and an explanation tied to your job. Sort by score in table view to choose where to focus your review.
You can then turn those observations into interview questions. Ask for examples of relevant work, clarify gaps, and check the practical terms directly with the applicant. The hiring decision stays with your team.
Final Verdict
If you have someone ready to review applications and interview a Filipino VA, choose Employ Directly for your direct search. Free posting and applicant replies let you begin, and there's no placement commission when you make the hire.
Post your VA opening on Employ Directly. Describe the work, meet the applicants, and make the decision with your team.
Your next great hire starts here.
Post a job free and talk directly with Filipino applicants. Pro and Premium add AI matching to help you build your shortlist.