Compare/Head to head

Criteria vs HiPeople

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

Starting price

Criteria

Sales-quoted 14 day free trial

Pre-employment testing and video interviewing sold as three packages: Assess, Interview, and Hire. All three are quote-based.

Where Criteria fits

  • HR teams adding validated pre-hire tests
  • Companies that want cognitive plus personality tests
  • Teams that want tests and video interviews together

HiPeople

$6/candidate

HiPeople automates reference checks, skills surveys, and AI hiring workflows. Modular pricing starts from $6 per candidate, billed annually, and a free trial is offered.

Where HiPeople fits

  • TA teams replacing manual reference calls with 24-hour surveys
  • Teams that want to pay per candidate rather than per seat
  • Mid-market desks that want assessments and references from one vendor
  • Employers that want fraud detection on references before an offer

At a glance

DetailCriteriaHiPeople
Starting priceSales-quoted$6/candidate
Free tier–No–No
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underAssessmentsAssessments, Background check, Reference checks
CapterraNot enough reviews4.8 from 1,563 reviews

Where they pull apart

Criteria

Stands out: Cognitive, personality, emotional intelligence, risk, and skills tests on one platform, with video interviews in the same suite.

Watch out: All three packages are sales-quoted. AI proctoring, the AI interview agent, and AI scoring are paid upgrades, and Develop is a separate add-on.

Not the right fit for

  • Engineering teams that only need a live coding pad
  • Buyers who need a published price

HiPeople

Stands out: Modules cover a science-based assessment library and reference checks with role-specific templates, custom questions, verification and fraud detection, and benchmarking.

Watch out: Only the $6 per candidate starting point is published, billed annually; the full cost depends on the modules you pick. Enterprise is quoted. The homepage now leads with AI recruiting agents as well as reference checks.

Not the right fit for

  • Companies that only need a criminal background check, not a reference survey
  • Buyers who want a permanent free plan

Pros and cons

Criteria

  • Broad test catalog in one platform
  • Video interviewing in the same suite
  • Standard ATS integrations, SSO and MFA in every package
  • No published price
  • AI features cost extra
  • Develop is a separate add-on

HiPeople

  • Per-candidate pricing from $6, billed annually, with a free trial
  • Capterra 4.8 from 1,563 reviews on the matching HiPeople listing
  • Fraud detection and verification built into reference checks
  • Only a starting per-candidate price is published
  • Billed annually
  • No permanent free plan listed

What each one costs

Criteria

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Three packages (Assess, Interview, Hire) are priced on request by goals and headcount, with AI upgrades and the Develop add-on on top. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

HiPeople

$6/candidate

HiPeople's pricing page shows modular pricing that starts from $6 per candidate, billed annually, across modules such as assessments and reference checks. Enterprise is custom, with a dedicated CSM, integration support and ongoing training. SOC 2 Type II is listed as always included. A free trial is offered through Try for free; no permanent free plan is listed. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Criteria or HiPeople for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Criteria offers a 14 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Criteria alternatives All HiPeople alternatives Every Assessments tool

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