AI interview assistants in 2026: what they actually cost (prices checked 4 Nov)
Disclosure: I build Nail My Interview, one of the tools below. I've tried to keep this fair: every price comes from each company's own pricing page, checked on 4 November 2026 (Verve AI and Preptail on 3 November). Prices change often, so check before you buy.
If you search for "best AI interview assistant", almost every list you find is written by one of the companies, and it ranks itself first. I'm also a maker, so I won't pretend this is neutral. What I can do is put the actual prices side by side, because they are surprisingly hard to compare. Some tools charge by the hour, some by the session, some are "unlimited", and many show a permanent "50% off" code.
What these tools do
An AI interview assistant listens to a live video call (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams), picks up the interviewer's question, and shows you a suggested answer based on your resume and the job description. Most also offer mock interviews, so you can practise beforehand.
The prices, side by side
| Tool | Free option | Cheapest paid plan with live help | Live time | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nail My Interview | 3 min of live answers every day, 1 practice interview, no card | $14.99/month | 6 hours/month (Max: $45 for 50 hours) | Browser (Chrome, Edge) |
| Cluely | Limited AI responses | $19.99/month | Unlimited AI responses | Desktop app |
| Preptail | One 10-minute session, no card | $29/month, or $9 for a 1-hour pack | 6 hours/month (Max: $59 for 20 hours) | Windows app (web version is a preview) |
| Verve AI | 3 sessions/month, 15 min each, plus 5 mocks | $44.99/month, or $16.99/month paid yearly | 5 sessions/month, up to 60 min each | Browser, Mac/Windows app, mobile |
| Final Round AI | Prep tools only, no live help | $62.50/month billed yearly ($750/year); $125/month billed every 2 months | Unlimited | Browser and desktop app |
| LockedIn AI | Free to start | $69.99/month with the site's 50%-off code ($139.98 without) | 400 minutes/month (Unlimited: $139.99) | Browser, desktop and mobile apps |
| ParakeetAI | Free intro session and first mock | Credits: 3 hours for $59 ($29.50 with their code). Unlimited: $149.90/month ($74.95 with the code) | 1 credit = 1 hour | Desktop app, desktop Chrome, mobile browser |
A few notes on reading this:
- "With code" prices. LockedIn AI and ParakeetAI both show a 50%-off code on their own pricing pages, so I listed both prices. Final Round AI says "sign in to reveal today's discount", so the real price may be lower than the one shown.
- Billing period matters. Final Round AI no longer has a plain monthly plan. The cheapest option is billed every 2 months, so you pay $250 up front. Verve AI's $16.99 is only if you pay for a full year.
- Cluely is not an interview tool. It's a general meeting assistant. It's cheap for unlimited use, but it doesn't take your resume and the job description into account the way interview-specific tools do.
What 6 hours a month costs
Six hours is roughly what a busy month of interviewing looks like (6 to 10 interviews of 30 to 60 minutes):
- Nail My Interview Pro: $14.99
- Preptail Pro: $29
- ParakeetAI credits: $59 with their code (6 credits), or $118 without
- LockedIn AI Credits: $69.99 with their code (400 min ≈ 6.7 h)
- Verve AI Standard: $44.99 gets you 5 hours (5 × 60 min), or $16.99/month if you commit to a year
- Final Round AI: $62.50/month at minimum, billed yearly
If you need unlimited use because you're interviewing every day, the unlimited plans (Final Round AI, LockedIn AI Unlimited, ParakeetAI Unlimited, Verve AI Pro) are the ones to compare.
Where each one is strongest
- Final Round AI: a big question bank, a desktop app and unlimited sessions. Expensive, and there's no free trial of live help.
- LockedIn AI: the most ways to run it (desktop, mobile, and a VS Code extension for coding rounds). Credits never expire.
- ParakeetAI: pay-as-you-go credits for occasional users, plus extras like a resume maker and headshots.
- Verve AI: generous mock interviews and company question banks. Good value if you're happy to pay for a year.
- Preptail: one-off hour packs that never expire, so you don't need a subscription for one or two interviews. Windows only for now.
- Cluely: if most of your calls are sales or client meetings, not interviews.
- Nail My Interview (mine): the lowest monthly price for 6 hours, nothing to install, and the free plan refills every day, so you can test it on a real call first. The downside: no desktop app, and no unlimited plan.
How to choose
- Count your interviews. Two interviews? A pack or a free plan is enough. Twenty? Look at unlimited plans.
- Test it on a real call before paying. Speed and accuracy vary a lot between tools. A free tier that works on a real call is worth more than a long feature list.
- Check what you're actually billed. "$16.99/month" and "$62.50/month" can both mean a yearly charge up front.
- Practise first. Every tool on this list has mock interviews in some form. An hour of practice before the real call helps more than anything you read off a screen.
- Check the rules. Some employers and online assessments don't allow AI help during the interview. Respect that.
If I've got a price wrong, tell me in the comments and I'll fix it.