Head to head

Ribbon vs ShortlistIQ

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

Ribbon

$499/mo Free trial

Voice AI interviewer for screening at volume. Growth is $499/mo billed annually; 7-day trial.

Where Ribbon fits

TA teams running high-volume voice screens
Companies on Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, or Workday
Desks that want a 7-day trial before a $499 seat
Top-of-funnel screening, not final-round interviews

ShortlistIQ

$49/mo Free tier

Conversational AI that runs first-round interviews and scores them. Free plan for 10 applicants; Basic is $49/mo.

Where ShortlistIQ fits

Startups testing AI first-rounds
TA teams that want scored interview reports without an enterprise RFP
Desks that will start on the free 10-applicant plan
High-volume screening that is not yet HireVue-shaped

At a glance

Detail	Ribbon	ShortlistIQ
Starting price	$499/mo	$49/mo
Free tier	–No	✓Yes
Free trial	Yes	Not on record
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Interviewing, AI interviewing	Interviewing, AI interviewing

Where they pull apart

Ribbon

Stands out: A public interview-capacity grid ($499 / $999 / $1,999) plus Ashby, Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn, Workday, and Workable named.

Watch out: Growth is 100 interviews/mo with $4 overage. This is not a $49 toy. Overage will dominate a busy week.

Not the right fit for

SMBs that need a $49 interviewer
Teams that will not use AI voice
Executive search

ShortlistIQ

Stands out: A public $49 Basic plus a real free rung. That is rare in AI interviewing, which is usually quote-only.

Watch out: Basic is a startup cap (20 interviews). Agencies are on Premium at $599/mo.

Not the right fit for

Enterprises that need Workday-native voice AI
Teams that refuse AI interviews
Agencies that need $49 to mean unlimited

Pros and cons

Ribbon

Public $499 Growth with a 7-day trial
Named ATS list including Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday
Capacity plus overage instead of a pure quote

$4/interview overage on Growth
Wrong size for a two-recruiter shop
Not a human interviewer marketplace

ShortlistIQ

Public $49 Basic instead of a pure quote
Free plan to try 10 applicants
Scored first-round reports without a human interviewer marketplace

Volume caps on Basic
Integration list is not published in detail
Not an ATS

What each one costs

Ribbon

$499/mo

Growth from $499/mo billed annually, with 100 interviews included and $4 per interview over that. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 18 Sep 2026

ShortlistIQ

$49/mo

Free tier; paid from $49/mo (Basic). Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Ribbon cheaper than ShortlistIQ?

ShortlistIQ starts lower, at $49/mo against $499/mo for Ribbon. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

Can you try Ribbon or ShortlistIQ for free?

ShortlistIQ carries a free tier on our listing. Ribbon offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 18 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?