Head to head

Criteria vs Mercer Mettl

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

Criteria

Sales-quoted 14 day free trial

Pre-employment testing and video interviewing sold as three packages: Assess, Interview, and Hire. Quote-based, with a 14-day free trial.

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
Buyers who want a free trial before a demo

Mercer Mettl sells enterprise skills assessments, simulations, and AI remote proctoring under Mercer. Pricing is personalized. The US and global pricing pages are quote forms, with a try-for-free path on mettl.com.

Where Mercer Mettl fits

Enterprises that want Mercer-backed skills tests and proctoring in one contract
TA teams running high-volume proctored assessments across countries
L&D and certification programs that need the same platform as hiring tests
Buyers who will start on try-for-free, then a custom package

At a glance

Detail	Criteria	Mercer Mettl
Starting price	Sales-quoted	Sales-quoted
Free tier	–No	–No
Free trial	14 day free trial	Yes
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Assessments	Assessments
Capterra	Not enough reviews	4.3 from 42 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

Mercer Mettl

Stands out: A large job-skills library, pay-as-you-go packaging language, and AI-based remote proctoring sit on one Mercer-branded cloud. The vendor cites 6,000-plus customers, 25 million-plus assessments a year, and 20-plus languages.

Watch out: There is no public per-test or per-seat table. You pick products on a form and wait for a quote. This is an assessment platform, not an ATS.

Not the right fit for

SMBs that want a published $142/mo test library they can buy online
Teams that only need a cognitive screen like Wonderlic Select

Pros and cons

Criteria

Broad test catalog in one platform
Video interviewing in the same suite
14-day free trial

No published price
AI features cost extra
Develop is a separate add-on

Mercer Mettl

Try for free plus a deep skills library under the Mercer brand
AI remote proctoring for hiring and exam integrity
Capterra 4.3 from 42 reviews on Mercer Mettl Talent Assessments

The vendor does not publish per-test or seat prices
Quote motion is slow compared with self-serve test libraries
Product surface spans hiring, L&D, and exams, so it can feel broad

What each one costs

Criteria

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Three packages (Assess, Interview, Hire) are priced by headcount, with AI upgrades and the Develop add-on on top, and a 14-day free trial is available. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Mercer Mettl

Sales-quoted

Mercer Mettl sells personalized assessment packages. The US pricing page is a quote form with pay-as-you-go language and no public per-test table. Try for free is offered on mettl.com. AI proctoring, the skills library, and SOC 2 Type 2 claims are in the core offering. Ask sales for a quote. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Criteria or Mercer Mettl for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Criteria offers a 14 day free trial. Mercer Mettl offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Criteria alternatives All Mercer Mettl alternatives Every Assessments tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?