Head to head

ERIN vs Hellora

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

ERIN

Sales-quoted

ERIN is frontline text-to-refer software so hourly employees can send a candidate in about 60 seconds with no login. Pricing is quoted. Refer, Reach, and a free Referral Studio sit in one platform.

Where ERIN fits

  • Hourly and deskless employers that need referrals from a phone, not a desktop portal
  • TA teams already on Workday, iCIMS, UKG, ADP, or Bullhorn
  • Retail, healthcare, and hospitality groups running SMS campaigns by location
  • Program owners who want bonus eligibility, waiting periods, and payroll queue automated

Hellora

Sales-quoted

Hellora is the new name for Eqo. It is a frontline SMS referral program, strongest in healthcare, where employees refer from a phone with no app and no login. Pricing is quoted.

Where Hellora fits

  • Health systems and senior-living operators with large nursing and clinical hourly teams
  • TA leaders replacing spreadsheet referral tracking with text-to-refer
  • Program owners who will send department- and location-targeted SMS campaigns
  • Orgs that want automatic status texts at applied, interviewed, hired, and paid

At a glance

DetailERINHellora
Starting priceSales-quotedSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underEmployee referralsEmployee referrals

Where they pull apart

ERIN

Stands out: SMS, email, Slack, and Teams campaigns plus AI matching trained on 12.4 million-plus real referral payouts. Bonuses queue into payroll when the hire is ready.

Watch out: This is a text-first program for distributed hourly teams. Corporate intranet-and-leaderboard shops may want a classic portal instead. ATS and payroll go live through a sales implementation.

Not the right fit for

  • Staffing agencies that need a Bullhorn-native talent-referral product (see Staffing Referrals)
  • Small offices that only need a simple web form and a public monthly SKU

Hellora

Stands out: Fairview moved referrals from 6% to 41% of hires and sourced 589 nursing hires with 92% retention. Eve is an AI assistant that captures referrals made on applications and matches messy names.

Watch out: The product is built for frontline healthcare, senior living, and similar hourly workforces. A general corporate referral intranet is a different buy. SMS short-code programs need employee-comms consent.

Not the right fit for

  • Tech companies whose employees will use a desktop portal and LinkedIn Auto Share
  • Staffing firms that need a Bullhorn talent-referral network product

Pros and cons

ERIN

  • Text-to-refer in about 60 seconds with no app or login
  • Named syncs: Workday, iCIMS, UKG, ADP, Bullhorn, JazzHR, Jobvite, Paycom
  • Free Referral Studio for policies, posters, and bonus benchmarks
  • Quoted only. Implementation is sales-led
  • Built for frontline SMS. Weak fit for white-collar intranet programs
  • Reach and Refer are separate products inside the quote

Hellora

  • Text-to-refer with no app or login, built for healthcare frontline
  • Published case studies with 6% to 41% referral-hire share at Fairview
  • Eve AI captures off-platform referrals and messy name matches
  • Quoted only. Healthcare-weighted, not a general corporate portal
  • SMS-first. Weak fit if the workforce will not use text short codes
  • Homepage also sells a healthcare recruiting CRM, so scope the referral module in the quote

What each one costs

ERIN

Sales-quoted

ERIN quotes Refer, Reach, and related services. The vendor does not publish a per-employee or per-location table. Referral Studio is listed as a free AI assistant for program content. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Hellora

Sales-quoted

Hellora (formerly Eqo) quotes the frontline SMS referral program after a conversation. The vendor does not publish a per-employee or per-location table. Case studies and Eve sit on the referral module. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try ERIN or Hellora for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All ERIN alternatives All Hellora alternatives Every Employee referrals tool

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