Compare/Head to head

Interview Signal vs Lavalier

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

Starting price

Interview Signal

$9/hour Free tier

Interview copilot for agency recruiters and hiring managers who want the scorecard and client submittal written by the end of the call, without a meeting bot. It starts with 20 free minutes, then hour packs from $9, Solo at $49/mo, or Team at $59/seat/mo with a three-seat minimum.

Where Interview Signal fits

  • Agency recruiters running many phone screens
  • Teams wanting every recruiter on the same scorecard
  • Recruiters who write client submittals after each call

Lavalier

$499/mo Free tier

Lavalier is interview intelligence from the team behind Textio that turns each role into a structured interview plan, coaches interviewers live and compares candidates on the evidence they gave. It suits TA teams and hiring managers who want consistent, defensible interviews rather than an AI that interviews for them. A free plan covers unlimited users with 100 credits a month, and Pro starts at $499/month for 500 credits.

Where Lavalier fits

  • TA teams rolling out structured interviewing across many hiring managers
  • Hiring panels that want shared plans and evidence-based debriefs
  • Teams that interview in person as well as over video
  • Companies that want unlimited users without seat pricing

At a glance

DetailInterview SignalLavalier
Starting price$9/hour$499/mo
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underAI note takers, InterviewingInterviewing, AI note takers

Where they pull apart

Interview Signal

Stands out: Nothing joins the meeting: it listens through the recruiter's own computer audio, so it also works on softphones, dial-ins and a mobile on speaker, which meeting-bot note takers cannot record. Transcripts, notes and candidate names stay on the recruiter's machine, and every score must carry a quote found word for word in the transcript.

Watch out: There is no native ATS push yet; notes come out as copy shaped for Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Lever and JobAdder, a Word file or a CSV row. Because it records locally with no visible participant, the recruiter has to read the built-in consent notice, which matters in two-party consent states.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need notes pushed into the ATS automatically
  • Buyers wanting call recordings stored centrally
  • Companies needing a single-seat team plan

Lavalier

Stands out: Pricing is by credits with unlimited users, so a whole hiring panel can use it without seat fees. Live Guidance tracks which planned questions have been covered during the interview and suggests follow ups, and it works for in-person interviews as well as phone and video.

Watch out: ATS integrations are not on the free plan, and reporting and SSO only come with Enterprise. Heavy interviewers can burn credits fast at up to 30 credits per long interview, and paid plans are bought through a demo rather than a self-serve checkout.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that want an AI to run screening interviews unattended
  • Small teams that need ATS writeback but not a $499/month bill

Pros and cons

Interview Signal

  • No bot joins the call, and phone screens work
  • Scores backed by quotes verified in the transcript
  • 20 free minutes, then hour packs that never expire
  • No native ATS push yet
  • Team plan needs at least three seats
  • Recruiter must handle consent notices

Lavalier

  • Free plan with every core feature and unlimited users
  • Live guidance during phone, video and in-person interviews
  • Published credit prices with no seat fees
  • No ATS integration on the free plan
  • Reporting and SSO only on Enterprise
  • Paid plans go through a demo, not self-serve checkout

What each one costs

Interview Signal

$9/hour

Every account starts with 20 free minutes of live transcription in total, with no card. Pay as you go hour packs are $9 for 1 hour, $29 for 5 hours or $69 for 15 hours, bought once and never expiring. Solo is $49/mo or $468 a year for one interviewer with unlimited interviews. Team is $59/seat/mo, or $49/seat/mo billed yearly at $588 per seat, with a three-seat minimum and shared roles, admins, panels and a weekly coaching report. Solo and Team carry a 30-day refund guarantee after twenty interviews. There is a free plan instead of a trial. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Lavalier

$499/mo

Lavalier prices by monthly credits, with unlimited users on every plan. Free: $0 for 100 credits a month (about 5 roles a year), with every core feature but no ATS integrations, company values, reporting or SSO. Pro: $499/month for 500 credits, $849/month for 1,000 credits or $1,399/month for 2,000 credits (about 10+ roles a year at the entry level), adding ATS integrations and company values. Enterprise: custom credits, adds reporting and SSO. Credits are spent per interview (10 credits up to 30 minutes, 18 up to 60, 25 up to 90, 30 up to 180) and 25 per role created. Paying yearly gives all credits up front and saves 20%. Unused credits roll over up to a cap. Pro and Enterprise are bought through a demo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is Interview Signal cheaper than Lavalier?
Interview Signal starts lower, at $9/hour against $499/mo for Lavalier. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Interview Signal or Lavalier for free?
Interview Signal and Lavalier carry a free tier on our listing.

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