The best outsourcing companies in the Philippines for Australian businesses are Yoonet, Virtual Coworker, Flat Planet, My Cloud Assistant, Smart Online Staff and USource. Each serves a different niche, and the right choice depends on your industry, the roles you need filled, and how much management infrastructure you want included. For businesses weighing up office based Philippines outsourcing, this guide compares them honestly so you can make an informed decision.
We have included ourselves in this list because we believe transparency serves everyone better than pretending we are an objective third party.
What should Australian businesses look for in a Philippine outsourcing company?
Before diving into specific providers, it helps to understand what separates a reliable BPO from a risky one. The market is massive, and quality varies enormously.
The factors that matter most for Australian businesses:
- Office based versus remote. Office based operations provide better data security, reliable internet, management oversight and a structured work environment. Remote setups are cheaper but come with infrastructure and security trade offs.
- Compliance with Philippine labour law. Legitimate providers handle SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, 13th month pay and all mandatory employment benefits. If a provider’s pricing seems impossibly low, they may be cutting corners on compliance.
- Staff retention. High turnover is the hidden cost of outsourcing — we counted it properly in the real cost of churn. Ask every provider for their retention rate. If they will not share it, that tells you something.
- Industry specialisation. A generalist BPO and a specialist BPO are fundamentally different products. If your industry has specific compliance or workflow requirements, specialisation matters.
- Australian timezone coverage. Most Philippine BPOs offer Australian business hours coverage. Confirm whether your team will work your timezone or theirs.
What makes Yoonet different from other Philippine outsourcing companies?
Yoonet was founded in 2011 by New Zealanders Ben Carter and Gavin Hodges. We operate from a dedicated office in Balanga City, Bataan, with more than 130 staff. Our staff retention rate is 89.29%, which we publish because we think it matters.
What genuinely differentiates us:
- Allied health specialisation. Roughly a third of our operations support allied health practices. We have deep Cliniko expertise, apps published in the Cliniko ecosystem, and a dedicated allied health division called Clinic Admin.
- Office based only. Every team member works from our secured facilities. No remote work, no personal devices accessing client data. CCTV, biometric access, disabled USB ports, firewall protection, and mandatory two factor authentication on all client systems.
- Full Philippine compliance. Every team member is a properly employed Filipino worker receiving all legally mandated benefits.
- Two engagement paths for allied health. A standard path where you lead the training, and a Clinic Admin path where team members arrive pre trained in clinical workflows.
Our pricing starts at approximately AUD 1,500 per month for a full time dedicated team member. That is a fully loaded cost covering salary, office infrastructure, management, IT support and compliance.
Where we are not the best fit: if you need a provider with offices in multiple countries, or very large scale operations with hundreds of staff, other providers on this list may serve you better.
What is Virtual Coworker known for?
Virtual Coworker operates from Sydney with staff based in the Philippines. They focus on general administrative support, marketing assistants, bookkeeping and customer service roles.
Their model appeals to Australian businesses that want a local account manager they can meet face to face in Sydney. They offer a broad range of role types and have built a reputation for responsive account management on the Australian side.
Ideal client: Australian businesses wanting a generalist assistant with a Sydney based point of contact, particularly those that value having their provider’s management team in the same timezone and city.
What does Flat Planet offer Australian businesses?
Flat Planet is Melbourne based and operates in both the Philippines and South Africa. They are one of the larger players in the Australian outsourcing market and handle a wide range of roles including customer service, data entry, administration and specialised functions.
Their scale means they can handle larger staffing requirements and ramp up teams quickly. The dual country model gives them geographic redundancy that single country providers cannot match.
Ideal client: mid sized Australian businesses needing to scale quickly or requiring a larger offshore team, or businesses that want geographic diversification across the Philippines and South Africa.
How does My Cloud Assistant compare for executive support?
My Cloud Assistant specialises in executive and administrative virtual assistants. Their focus is narrower than the generalist providers, concentrating on personal and executive assistance rather than operational roles.
They are well suited to founders and senior executives who need someone to manage their calendar, travel, email and personal admin. The role is closer to a traditional executive assistant than a general purpose VA.
Ideal client: CEOs, founders and senior executives who need dedicated personal administrative support. Less suited to businesses looking for operational or industry specific roles.
What should you know about Smart Online Staff?
Smart Online Staff operates from Brisbane with staff in the Philippines. They serve Australian SMEs across a range of industries with general administrative, customer service and back office support.
Their Brisbane base gives Queensland businesses a local point of contact, and they have built a solid reputation in the Australian SME market for straightforward, reliable service.
Ideal client: Queensland based SMEs wanting a local provider with a broad range of general administrative capabilities.
Where does USource fit in the market?
USource provides virtual staffing solutions for Australian SMEs, matching businesses with Philippine based staff for a variety of administrative and support roles.
Their model is designed for small to medium businesses that want the flexibility of offshore staffing without the complexity of managing it themselves.
Ideal client: Australian SMEs looking for flexible virtual staffing with a straightforward engagement model.
How do you choose the right outsourcing company for your business?
The right provider depends on three things:
- Your industry. If you are in allied health, you need a provider with health sector experience and appropriate data security. A generalist BPO may not understand Cliniko, patient privacy requirements, or clinical workflow terminology.
- Your management capacity. Some providers offer hands off models where they manage performance and workflows. Others provide staff and leave the management to you. Be honest about how much time you have to manage an offshore team member.
- Your risk tolerance. Office based operations with full compliance cost more than remote freelance arrangements. The hidden costs of going direct are real, but so is the price premium for managed infrastructure.
Ask every provider these questions:
- What is your staff retention rate?
- Are your staff office based or remote?
- How do you handle Philippine employment compliance?
- What happens if my team member is sick or resigns?
- Can I visit your office?
The answers will tell you more than any marketing page.
What does outsourcing to the Philippines actually cost for Australian businesses?
Through a managed BPO, expect to pay between AUD 1,500 and 3,000 per month per full time team member. That typically includes salary, office infrastructure, management overhead, IT support and compliance costs.
The comparison against local Australian hiring is significant. An equivalent administrative role in Australia costs AUD 55,000 to 85,000 per year in salary alone, before office space, superannuation, leave entitlements and management overhead. Outsourcing through a compliant BPO typically represents 60 to 70% savings on total employment cost. For the full breakdown, including BPO versus freelance versus direct hire, read our complete cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which outsourcing company is best for allied health practices in Australia?
Yoonet is the most specialised provider for allied health practices, with dedicated Cliniko expertise, apps in the Cliniko ecosystem, and a purpose built allied health division called Clinic Admin. Approximately a third of Yoonet’s operations support allied health practices across podiatry, physiotherapy and exercise physiology.
Can I visit the Philippine office of my outsourcing provider?
Reputable providers welcome office visits. We actively encourage clients to visit our Balanga office in Bataan to see the security infrastructure, meet their team members, and verify working conditions firsthand. If a provider discourages visits, consider that a warning sign.
How long does it take to get started with a Philippine outsourcing company?
Most providers can have a team member operational within two to four weeks of agreement. This includes recruitment, compliance setup and initial training. Specialised roles or industry specific training may extend this timeline.
What is a good staff retention rate for a Philippine BPO?
Retention rates above 80% indicate strong staff engagement and management practices. Our rate of 89.29% is well above typical industry benchmarks. High retention means less disruption to your operations and lower costs from constant retraining.
Should I choose an office based or remote outsourcing provider?
Office based providers offer better data security, reliable infrastructure, management oversight and compliance. Remote arrangements can work for low risk, non sensitive tasks. If you handle patient data, financial information or any sensitive business data, office based operations are strongly recommended.
Ready to compare options for your business? Talk to us — we will give you an honest assessment of whether Yoonet is the right fit, or if another provider might serve you better.