Alex (Apriora) alternatives, compared fairly.

Alex, which used to be called Apriora, is an AI recruiter that interviews candidates by phone, video, SMS or WhatsApp, with scheduling and identity checks built in. It’s well funded, supports many languages and suits larger teams and staffing firms. It’s also sales-led with no public price. If you want to try an AI interviewer this week, these alternatives have a front door.

Facts last checked 24 September 2026 · Published by the LessRounds team

A note on fairness. We make LessRounds, so we’re not neutral. We’ve checked every fact about other tools against their own websites or the sources listed at the bottom, and we say where they’re the better choice. Prices and features change often; if something here is out of date, email hello@lessrounds.ai and we’ll fix it.

Alex (formerly Apriora)

What Alex does well, and why teams look elsewhere.

An AI recruiter that runs live first-round screens by phone, video, SMS or WhatsApp, with scheduling and identity checks.

apriora.ai now redirects to alex.com; the company trades as Alex.

Where it’s strong

Many channels, including phone calls and WhatsApp
Scheduling and fraud/identity checks built in
Wide language support
Well funded (Y Combinator, Peak XV-led Series A)

Trade-offs

No public price, no free plan or trial
A demo and contract are required to start

Why people look for alternatives

No public pricing. Third-party estimates run from $10,000 to $35,000 a year.
No free plan or trial; a demo comes first.
Built for larger programs than many teams need.

At a glance

The alternatives side by side.

Tool	How it interviews	AI interviewer	Free plan or trial	Self-serve
LessRounds	Live AI interview (voice or video)	Yes. AI-led with follow-ups, or scripted word for word	Yes, 10 completed interviews a month	Yes. Sign up with an email code
Ribbon	Live AI interview (voice or video)	Yes, adaptive	7-day trial	Yes
HeyMilo	Live AI (voice, video, SMS)	Yes	None published	No. Sales-led
Interviewer.AI	One-way video + AI avatar	Yes, on the Professional plan and above	14-day trial	Yes

LessRounds

Self-serve AI interviews by link, with public pricing: LessRounds is free for 10 completed interviews a month, then $5 per completed interview.

Best for: Small and mid-sized teams, agencies and founders who want an AI first round without a contract
How it interviews: Live AI interview (voice or video)
AI interviewer: Yes. AI-led with follow-ups, or scripted word for word
Pricing: Free for 10 completed interviews a month, then $5 per completed interview
Free plan or trial: Yes, 10 completed interviews a month
ATS integrations: None yet. CSV export
Languages: English and Hindi

Where it’s strong

Permanent free plan that includes AI interviews
Pay per completed interview, with no subscription, seat or per-role fee
Every skill score quotes the answer it came from
Candidates need no app or account

Trade-offs

No ATS integrations yet
English and Hindi only
No SSO, custom branding or phone-call interviews yet
No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification yet

Start free Book a demo

Ribbon

Self-serve AI interviewer with published plans and 60+ ATS integrations.

Best for: High-volume and frontline hiring teams that need ATS integrations from day one
How it interviews: Live AI interview (voice or video)
AI interviewer: Yes, adaptive
Pricing: From $499 a month for 100 interviews (billed annually), then $4 per extra interview. $999 for 400; $1,999 for 1,000
Free plan or trial: 7-day trial
ATS integrations: 60+ ATSs on every plan
Languages: 12, including Hindi

Where it’s strong

60+ ATS integrations on every plan
Works on any phone without an app
Published pricing with volume tiers
12 languages

Trade-offs

No permanent free plan
Entry plan is about $6,000 a year, billed annually
Active roles are capped on the entry plan

LessRounds vs Ribbon in detail

HeyMilo

Another sales-led AI recruiter for high-volume and staffing teams, with SMS screening.

Best for: Staffing firms, BPOs and corporate teams hiring at high volume
How it interviews: Live AI (voice, video, SMS)
AI interviewer: Yes
Pricing: Not published (demo required)
Free plan or trial: None published
ATS integrations: Workday, Greenhouse, Bullhorn, iCIMS and others
Languages: 14–20+, including Hindi

Where it’s strong

Built for high-volume hiring
Voice, video and SMS channels
Fraud checks and ATS integrations, including Bullhorn for staffing

Trade-offs

No public pricing
No published free plan or trial

Interviewer.AI

Published pricing and a 14-day trial, with a conversational AI avatar.

Best for: Teams and universities that want both recorded and conversational formats with public pricing
How it interviews: One-way video + AI avatar
AI interviewer: Yes, on the Professional plan and above
Pricing: Essential $199 a month (50 credits); Professional $399 a month (120 credits). An avatar interview uses 2 credits
Free plan or trial: 14-day trial
ATS integrations: About 34 ATSs, on annual Professional or Enterprise
Languages: 10+

Where it’s strong

Public pricing and self-serve sign-up
Both recorded and conversational interview formats
Used for admissions as well as hiring

Trade-offs

No free plan
The AI interviewer isn’t on the entry plan
Monthly commitment with a credit allowance

LessRounds vs Interviewer.AI in detail

How to choose

Match the tool to the job.

Choose Alex if phone-call or WhatsApp interviews are essential.
Choose LessRounds or Ribbon if you want to start without a sales call.

Questions

Are Alex and Apriora the same company?

Yes. apriora.ai redirects to alex.com, and the company now trades as Alex.

Can LessRounds interview candidates by phone call?

No. LessRounds interviews run in the browser, on a laptop or a phone. If you need the AI to dial candidates, Alex does that.

Sources

Checked 24 September 2026.

More comparisons

First rounds run on LessRounds.

Start with 10 free interviews a month. No card, no sales call.

Start free Book a demo