Looking for a Zara replacement?

micro1 started as an AI recruiting company, and its AI interviewer, Zara, was popular with teams screening engineers and contractors. In 2026 micro1 turned its focus to AI training data, and Zara is no longer offered as a hiring product. If you relied on it, these tools do the same job.

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 Prices and features change often; if something here is out of date, email hello@lessrounds.ai and we’ll fix it.

micro1 (Zara)

What happened to micro1 (Zara).

micro1 began as an AI recruiting startup with an AI interviewer called Zara. It has since become an AI training-data company.

Its Zara pages now point to the AI data business (TechCrunch, 20 August 2026).

Why people look for alternatives

Zara is no longer available as a standalone hiring product.

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
Interviewer.AI	One-way video + AI avatar	Yes, on the Professional plan and above	14-day trial	Yes
HeyMilo	Live AI (voice, video, SMS)	Yes	None published	No. Sales-led

LessRounds

The closest self-serve replacement: an AI interviewer by link, scored against your skills. 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

Adaptive AI interviews with published plans and 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

Interviewer.AI

Self-serve with a conversational AI avatar on its Professional plan.

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

HeyMilo

A sales-led AI recruiter for high-volume teams.

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

How to choose

Match the tool to the job.

If you want to be running interviews today, pick a self-serve tool: LessRounds, Ribbon or Interviewer.AI.
If you need ATS integrations immediately, Ribbon is the strongest fit.

Questions

Can I still use micro1 for hiring?

micro1 now focuses on AI training data; its Zara interviewer pages point to that business. Check with micro1 directly if you have an existing agreement.

Can LessRounds screen software engineers?

Yes, for a first round: communication, experience and how candidates reason about problems. It doesn’t run live coding tests.

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