Compare/Head to head

Clera vs Juicebox

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

Starting price

Clera

Success fee on hire

Clera is an AI talent agent for startups that finds candidates who fit, asks them first, and introduces you only to the ones who say yes. You pay nothing until you hire, then 15% of first-year base salary, which undercuts the 20 to 30% agency rate but adds up fast on senior roles.

Where Clera fits

  • VC-backed startups hiring engineers, sales or ops
  • Founders hiring without an in-house recruiter
  • Teams that want to pay only on a hire
  • Companies seeing fake applicants

Juicebox

$99/mo Free tier Free trial

Fits sourcers who want PeopleGPT over a large index instead of Boolean. Free plan exists; paid Starter is $99/seat/mo annual. Agents are a $199 add-on.

Where Juicebox fits

  • Sourcers who hate Boolean
  • Agencies on a few seats
  • Teams pushing shortlists into Greenhouse or Ashby
  • Desks that want MCP on paid plans

At a glance

DetailCleraJuicebox
Starting priceSuccess fee on hire$99/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server✓Yes✓Yes
Public API–No–No
Listed underSourcing, Candidate fraud & AI detectionSourcing

Where they pull apart

Clera

Stands out: Every intro is double opt-in: candidates have already told Clera the stage, pace and dealbreakers they want, and agreed to meet you. It also ships a first-party hiring MCP server, so you can search its network, check whether an applicant is a known fake and request intros from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Grok.

Watch out: The fee scales with salary, so a $200,000 hire costs $30,000, far more than a flat sourcing subscription if you hire often. The network leans to startup engineering, sales and ops roles in SF, NYC, London, Berlin, Munich, Stockholm and remote, and MCP access is free only during the beta.

Not the right fit for

  • High-volume or hourly hiring
  • Teams hiring many roles a year on a tight budget
  • Roles outside startup tech hubs

Juicebox

Stands out: Natural-language search plus a Chrome extension and 50+ ATS connectors.

Watch out: The Agents add-on costs extra on top of the seat price.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need Juicebox to be the ATS
  • Buyers who only want a cheap email finder

Pros and cons

Clera

  • No cost until a hire is made
  • Candidates have opted in before you meet
  • First-party MCP server for AI assistants
  • 15% of base gets expensive on senior roles
  • Candidate pool centred on startup tech hubs
  • MCP pricing after beta not yet published

Juicebox

  • Starter is $99/seat/mo on annual billing
  • Free plan for limited searches
  • Named ATS list including Ashby and Greenhouse
  • Agents cost $199 per agent per month extra
  • MCP is on paid plans, not the free seat
  • Monthly Starter is $119, not $99

What each one costs

Clera

Success fee on hire

Clera charges companies a success fee of 15% of the hire's first-year base salary, and nothing before that: no job post fees, no platform or seat fees, no subscription and no retainer. On a $160,000 role that is $24,000. For contract and fractional hires the fee is 15% of total pay across the first 12 months. If a candidate Clera introduces is already in your ATS or an active conversation, the fee is dropped with proof. The MCP server is free to connect for early-access companies during beta. Candidates never pay. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 8 Nov 2026

Juicebox

$99/mo

Free plan with limited searches. Starter is $99/seat/mo billed annually ($119 monthly) with unlimited searches and 500 contact credits. Growth is $179/seat/mo annually ($199 monthly) with 1,500 contact credits and up to 5 seats. Business is custom and annual only. Juicebox Agents are an add-on at $199 per agent a month. Confirm current plans on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Clera or Juicebox for free?
Juicebox carries a free tier on our listing. Juicebox offers a free trial.
Does Clera or Juicebox have an MCP server?
Clera and Juicebox ship a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 8 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?