Compare/Head to head

Brainner vs HireBuddy

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Brainner

$249/mo

AI resume screening and candidate fraud detection with ATS sync. Paid Professional is listed at $249/mo; 25-candidate free start.

Where Brainner fits

  • TA teams drowning in inbound resumes
  • Companies on Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, Ashby, or iCIMS
  • Hiring that needs fraud signals, not only a score
  • Desks that will try 25 candidates before paying

HireBuddy

$119.95/mo Free trial

HireBuddy is an AI screening and sourcing tool for recruiters and in-house hiring teams. QuickScreen ranks every applicant by fit and explains the match, and Talent Scout finds passive candidates on LinkedIn, GitHub and the web from a plain-English query. Screening is priced by resume scan, from $119.95/month for 500 scans after a free 10-scan trial.

Where HireBuddy fits

  • Teams buried in inbound applications who want a ranked shortlist with reasons
  • Greenhouse users who want AI screening added on top
  • Recruiters who prefer plain-English search over Boolean strings
  • Buyers who want a per-scan price they can budget

At a glance

DetailBrainnerHireBuddy
Starting price$249/mo$119.95/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underAssessments, Candidate fraud & AI detectionAI screening, AI sourcing

Where they pull apart

Brainner

Stands out: Ranking plus fraud (300-plus signals) with two-way ATS sync, not a generic ChatGPT-on-CVs wrapper.

Watch out: Analyses are metered: the paid tier covers a fixed quota and extra analyses are charged per analysis, with unlimited sold as an add-on. A busy month is the thing to model, not the headline.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that will not use AI on applications
  • Companies that need a flat, unmetered price
  • Agencies that need a full ATS

HireBuddy

Stands out: Pricing is by the scan, so you can work out the cost per applicant up front (about $0.15 to $0.24 a resume), and candidate to job match analysis is unlimited on every plan. One customer quoted on the site uses QuickScreen to spot potential fake candidates.

Watch out: Talent Scout sourcing has no published price and is sold by demo. The site gives no company location or founding details, its customer logo strip shows placeholder logos, and there are no outside reviews yet.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need a published price for sourcing and outreach
  • Buyers who want an established vendor with outside reviews

Pros and cons

Brainner

  • Resume ranking plus fraud in one product
  • Named two-way ATS connectors
  • Usage-capped free start to try the scoring
  • Quota plus per-analysis overage
  • Unlimited analyses are an add-on
  • Not an ATS

HireBuddy

  • Clear per-scan pricing from $119.95/month
  • Every ranking comes with the reasons for the match
  • Free 10-scan trial without a sales call
  • Talent Scout sourcing price is not published
  • Only Greenhouse and GitHub are named as integrations
  • No outside reviews and little company detail on the site

What each one costs

Brainner

$249/mo

From $249/mo (Professional). Standard listed at $99/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

HireBuddy

$119.95/mo

QuickScreen pricing is based on resume scans per month. Trial is free, one time only, with 10 resume scans. Pro is $119.95/month for 500 scans (about $0.24 a scan). Growth is $189.95/month for 1,000 scans (about $0.19 a scan). Scale is $299.95/month for 2,000 scans (about $0.15 a scan). Custom is quoted per seat with flexible scan volumes, and Enterprise is a custom quote with unlimited scans. Every plan includes unlimited candidate to job match analysis and role scope advice, and extra AI credits can be bought. The pricing page has a monthly and annual toggle and single and multi-user licences; annual prices are not shown. Talent Scout sourcing is sold through a demo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is Brainner cheaper than HireBuddy?
HireBuddy starts lower, at $119.95/mo against $249/mo for Brainner. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Brainner or HireBuddy for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. HireBuddy offers a free trial.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?