Compare/Head to head

Braintrust vs Hoonr

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

Starting price

Braintrust

15% fee

Braintrust is a freelance talent marketplace plus an AI screening product. Employers pay a published 15% fee on talent payments, and talent pays nothing. It fits companies hiring contract engineers and specialists that want a transparent fee instead of a staffing agency markup.

Where Braintrust fits

  • Companies hiring contract engineers or designers
  • Teams wanting contract-to-hire flexibility
  • Employers that want a published fee
  • High-volume teams screening with AI voice interviews

Hoonr

Sales-quoted

AI-first workforce orchestration for large enterprises: direct sourcing from a pre-vetted talent pool, AI screening, onboarding and contractor compliance, and AI task agents in one platform. Sold by quote.

Where Hoonr fits

  • Enterprises building a direct sourcing program for contingent talent
  • Workforce programs that mix employees, contractors and freelancers
  • Procurement teams that want rate and spend visibility across labor types
  • Companies engaging independent contractors across many countries

At a glance

DetailBraintrustHoonr
Starting price15% feeSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underSourcing, EOR, AI interviewingWorkforce management, Onboarding, Sourcing

Where they pull apart

Braintrust

Stands out: Braintrust publishes its 15% client fee, which is rare among vetted talent networks. The same company sells AIR, an AI voice interviewer that runs thousands of screens a day and syncs ranked results to Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, iCIMS and SmartRecruiters.

Watch out: The site now spans three products, including Nexus for operations automation, so the marketplace can be hard to find. The 15% fee also applies to direct hires and conversions within six months, and EOR services cost extra.

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers wanting a free trial period
  • Teams avoiding AI-led screening
  • Local on-site hourly hiring

Hoonr

Stands out: Hoonr manages employees, contractors, freelancers and AI agents in one skills-first program, and embeds Independently's contractor classification checks for 60+ countries before an engagement starts, instead of leaving compliance to a separate tool.

Watch out: It launched in April 2026, so the track record is short, and it is a division of Pyramid Consulting rather than a standalone software vendor. The site publishes no prices and no integrations list; everything starts with a demo.

Not the right fit for

  • Small teams that want a self-serve ATS with published pricing
  • Buyers who want to check integrations before a sales call

Pros and cons

Braintrust

  • Published 15% client fee
  • No fees charged to talent
  • AI screening and EOR from one vendor
  • Same 15% fee applies to direct hires
  • AIR pricing only by quote
  • Mix of products can confuse buyers

Hoonr

  • One program for employees, contractors, freelancers and AI agents
  • Contractor classification checks built into the workflow
  • Pre-vetted talent pool for direct sourcing
  • No published pricing
  • Launched in 2026, short track record
  • No public integrations list

What each one costs

Braintrust

15% fee

On the Talent Marketplace, employers pay a 15% service fee on payments to talent, and talent pays no platform fee. Direct hires, and contractors converted to employees within six months, cost 15% of first-year base salary. AIR is priced by interview volume and quoted by sales, and EOR or W-2 payrolling costs extra. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Hoonr

Sales-quoted

Hoonr does not publish prices. Pricing is set after a demo and depends on which modules and labor categories an enterprise program uses. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Braintrust or Hoonr for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?