Compare/Head to head

Juicebox vs The Cognitive

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

Starting price

Juicebox

$99/mo Free tier Free trial

Fits sourcers who want PeopleGPT over a large index instead of Boolean. Free plan exists; paid Starter is $99/seat/mo annual. Agents are a $199 add-on.

Where Juicebox fits

  • Sourcers who hate Boolean
  • Agencies on a few seats
  • Teams pushing shortlists into Greenhouse or Ashby
  • Desks that want MCP on paid plans

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

DetailJuiceboxThe Cognitive
Starting price$99/mo$49/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trialYesYes
MCP server✓Yes✓Yes
Public API–No–No
Listed underSourcingAI interviewing, AI screening, AI sourcing

Where they pull apart

Juicebox

Stands out: Natural-language search plus a Chrome extension and 50+ ATS connectors.

Watch out: The Agents add-on costs extra on top of the seat price.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need Juicebox to be the ATS
  • Buyers who only want a cheap email finder

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

Juicebox

  • Starter is $99/seat/mo on annual billing
  • Free plan for limited searches
  • Named ATS list including Ashby and Greenhouse
  • Agents cost $199 per agent per month extra
  • MCP is on paid plans, not the free seat
  • Monthly Starter is $119, not $99

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

Juicebox

$99/mo

From $99/seat/mo (Starter, billed annually; $119 monthly). Growth from $179/seat/mo annual. Free plan available. Agents add-on $199/agent/mo. Confirm current plans 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

Is Juicebox cheaper than The Cognitive?
The Cognitive starts lower, at $49/mo against $99/mo for Juicebox. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Juicebox or The Cognitive for free?
Juicebox carries a free tier on our listing. Juicebox offers a free trial. The Cognitive offers a free trial.
Does Juicebox or The Cognitive have an MCP server?
Juicebox and The Cognitive ship 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?