Compare/Head to head

HireVue vs The Cognitive

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

Starting price

HireVue

Enterprise

Enterprise structured video interviews with assessments wired into the hiring stages. Quote-based.

Where HireVue fits

  • Enterprise talent teams standardising video interviews
  • Teams that need assessments before an onsite
  • High-volume employers that cannot run live first rounds
  • Buyers comparing validated assessment vendors

The Cognitive

$49/mo Free trial

The Cognitive does both halves of early-stage recruiting: AI sourcing with verified contact reveals, and live two-way AI video interviews that return scorecards with a quote behind every rating. Interviews start at $99/mo for 15 and sourcing at $49/mo for 500 credits, and you can try both free. It suits SMB and mid-market teams and agencies that want to source and screen in one pipeline.

Where The Cognitive fits

  • Staffing and recruitment agencies screening high applicant volumes
  • SMB and mid-market teams that want sourcing and first-round interviews in one tool
  • Teams hiring across time zones that need interviews run evenings and weekends

At a glance

DetailHireVueThe Cognitive
Starting priceEnterprise$49/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API–No–No
Listed underAssessments, Candidate fraud & AI detection, Interviewing, AI screeningAI interviewing, AI screening, AI sourcing
Capterra4.5 from 50 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

HireVue

Stands out: Video interviews and validated assessments in one enterprise suite.

Watch out: No published price, and it is far heavier than a small team needs for async video.

Not the right fit for

  • Small businesses that want a cheap async video tool
  • Desks that only need interview notes

The Cognitive

Stands out: The interviewer is live and two-way rather than a one-way recording: it picks each follow-up in the moment from the candidate's resume and earlier answers, and every score links to the exact quote and timestamp. Sourced candidates flow straight into interviews, and a 22-tool MCP server lets Claude create roles and read interview feedback.

Watch out: Interviews and sourcing are separate products with separate credit balances that do not roll over, so running both starts at about $148/mo. On monthly billing, ATS integration is only included from the $499 Scale interview plan, and email and SMS outreach only comes with Pro plans. The MCP endpoint is set up per account by request, not self-serve.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that only need a contact-data lookup tool
  • Buyers who want one combined plan instead of two separate subscriptions
  • Small teams on monthly billing that need ATS sync on a low tier

Pros and cons

HireVue

  • Video and assessments in one suite
  • Built for defensible high-volume screening
  • Connects to the major enterprise trackers
  • No published price
  • No API or MCP
  • Too heavy for small-team async video

The Cognitive

  • Live two-way interviews with adaptive follow-ups
  • Every score tied to a quote and timestamp
  • Published prices and a free start with no card
  • Sourcing and interviews billed as separate products
  • Low monthly tiers lack ATS integration
  • Unused credits expire each cycle

What each one costs

HireVue

Enterprise

Enterprise. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

The Cognitive

$49/mo

The Cognitive sells two products separately. AI Interviews are priced by monthly volume: Starter $99/mo for 15 live interviews, Growth $299/mo for 45, Scale $499/mo for 100 and Pro $999/mo for 225, with overage at $8, $7, $6 and $5 per extra interview. Annual billing takes 17% off interview plans and adds ATS integration on every tier; on monthly billing ATS integration comes with Scale and Pro only. Volumes above Pro are custom.

AI Sourcing runs on credits: Starter $49/mo for 500 credits, Growth $99/mo for 1,500, Scale $199/mo for 3,500 and Pro $299/mo for 5,500. A returned candidate costs 1 credit, an email reveal 5 and a phone reveal 10, charged only when the reveal succeeds. Unused credits do not roll over. Email and SMS outreach comes with Sourcing Pro and any Pro plan. New accounts get 2 free AI interviews and 100 sourcing credits, no card needed. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 1 Oct 2026

Common questions

Can you try HireVue or The Cognitive for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. The Cognitive offers a free trial.
Does HireVue or The Cognitive have an MCP server?
The Cognitive ships 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 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?