Head to head

Carv vs Lavalier

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

Carv

$60/user/mo

AI interview notes, write-ups, and ATS fill for recruiting agencies. Recruitment Pro is commonly quoted at $60/user/mo; the vendor has no published price grid.

Where Carv fits

  • Recruiting agencies that live on intake calls
  • Desks on Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Lever, or Workable
  • Recruiters drowning in notes and write-ups
  • Teams that will accept AI in the interview workflow

Lavalier

Sales-quoted

Lavalier is interview intelligence that builds role-aligned plans, guides interviewers live, and compares candidates on competencies without a hire/no-hire score. The public pricing page mixes placeholder course prices with a Pro Starter card, so buyers still go through a demo for a real quote.

Where Lavalier fits

  • TA teams that want structured plans and live interviewer prompts, not a scoring bot
  • Employers who refuse social-profile enrichment of candidates
  • Desks that need consent management and candidate opt-out before recording
  • Companies that already interview on a calendar and ATS and want an overlay

At a glance

DetailCarvLavalier
Starting price$60/user/moSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underInterviewingInterviewing

Where they pull apart

Carv

Stands out: Joins the interview, writes the note, and pushes a candidate presentation back to Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Lever, or Workable.

Watch out: Packaging is demo-led and the product now leans toward agentic volume hiring, so confirm the seat price on a call rather than budgeting from the $60 figure. The five-meeting free plan is a usage cap, not a timed trial.

Not the right fit for

  • Enterprises that need HireVue-style structured video
  • TA teams that will not record interviews
  • Buyers who need a published price grid

Lavalier

Stands out: Role Setup, Plan Builder, Live Guidance, and Candidate Compare sit on one workflow. Lavalier uses only what the candidate says in the interview and does not enrich profiles from social data.

Watch out: The pricing page is not a trustworthy rate card. It currently interleaves placeholder course tiles with a Pro Starter block that asks you to book a demo. There is no self-serve checkout you can trust.

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers who need a published monthly price they can put in a cart
  • Teams that want an AI interviewer to run the screen without a human

Pros and cons

Carv

  • Notes and write-ups that actually land in the ATS
  • Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, and Teams named
  • Built for agency intakes, not enterprise video exams
  • No published pricing grid
  • Product marketing has shifted toward agentic volume hiring
  • Five-meeting free plan is not a timed trial

Lavalier

  • Live Guidance plus Candidate Compare without auto-reject scores
  • Consent email and opt-out before recording
  • Does not pull social profiles to enrich the candidate
  • No reliable public rate card, demo required
  • Does not replace an ATS or run unattended AI screens
  • Enterprise features such as SSO sit behind a custom card

What each one costs

Carv

$60/user/mo

Free trial of 5 meetings. Recruiter Pro from about $60/user/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Sep 2026

Lavalier

Sales-quoted

Lavalier lists Pro Starter and Enterprise cards that go through Book a Demo. The page advertises free to start and no demo required, but it is not a self-serve checkout with a standing monthly rate. Calendar, ATS, SSO, and reporting sit on the paid cards. Ask sales for a quote scoped to roles and credits. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Carv or Lavalier for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Carv alternatives All Lavalier alternatives Every Interviewing tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 15 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?