Compare/Head to head

Carv vs Spark Hire

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

Starting price

Carv

Sales-quoted

AI interview notes, write-ups, and ATS fill for recruiting agencies. Pricing is sales-quoted; the vendor publishes no prices and its recruiter product is on a waitlist.

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

Spark Hire

$249/mo

One-way and live video interviews, with a separate ATS. Video starts at $249/mo billed annually.

Where Spark Hire fits

  • TA teams replacing live first rounds with one-way video
  • SMBs that want video without an enterprise HireVue contract
  • Companies that may grow into Spark Hire's ATS
  • Desks on Greenhouse or Lever that only need the video layer

At a glance

DetailCarvSpark Hire
Starting priceSales-quoted$249/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underAI note takers, InterviewingInterviewing
CapterraNot enough reviews4.7 from 109 reviews

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. Carv for recruiters shows a join-the-waitlist sign-up, so confirm availability and price on a call before you budget.

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

Spark Hire

Stands out: Unlimited video interviews at a public $249/month annual start, then a full ATS if you want sourcing and workflows in the same vendor.

Watch out: The ATS (Recruit Pro) starts at $335/month billed annually, not $249. AI resume review and notetaker hours are metered by ATS plan. No free trial is advertised.

Not the right fit for

  • Enterprises standardised on HireVue
  • Buyers who thought $249 included the ATS
  • Teams that cannot ask candidates to record video

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
  • Recruiter product is on a waitlist

Spark Hire

  • Public $249/mo annual start for unlimited video
  • One-way and live in the same product
  • Optional ATS if you want one vendor
  • ATS starts at $335/mo annual, not $249
  • No advertised free trial
  • AI notetaker hours are capped on ATS plans

What each one costs

Carv

Sales-quoted

Carv no longer publishes prices. Its pricing page now redirects to the homepage, which offers a demo for its agentic volume-hiring platform and a waitlist for Carv for recruiters. Pricing is sales-quoted. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Spark Hire

$249/mo

Video interviewing from $249/mo billed annually. The applicant tracking system is a separate plan from $335/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

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

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