micro1 Zara alternatives.

micro1 started as an AI recruiting company, and its AI interviewer, Zara, was popular with teams interviewing engineers and contractors. In 2026 micro1 switched its focus to AI training data (the data used to teach AI systems), 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 If something here is out of date, email hello@lessrounds.ai and we’ll fix it.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 to try	Sign up on your own
LessRounds	Live AI interview (voice or video)	Yes. It can ask its own follow-up questions, or read your questions word for word	100 free credits when you sign up (about 20 interviews). They don’t expire	Yes. Sign up with an email code
Ribbon	Live AI interview (voice or video)	Yes. Its questions adapt to each answer	7-day trial	Yes
Interviewer.AI	Recorded video + AI avatar	Yes, on the Professional plan and above	14-day trial	Yes
HeyMilo	Live AI interview (voice, video, SMS)	Yes	None published	No. You start with their sales team

LessRounds

The closest replacement you can set up on your own: an AI interviewer you share by link, which scores candidates on the skills you choose. LessRounds starts you with 100 free credits (about 20 interviews), then costs $5 per finished interview of up to 30 minutes.

Best for: Small and mid-sized teams, agencies and founders who want AI first interviews without signing a contract
How it interviews: Live AI interview (voice or video)
AI interviewer: Yes. It can ask its own follow-up questions, or read your questions word for word
Pricing: 100 free credits to start, then $5 per interview of up to 30 minutes, or $10 for up to 60 minutes. Only finished interviews are charged
Free to try: 100 free credits when you sign up (about 20 interviews). They don’t expire
Applicant tracking systems: None built in. You can send results to other tools with webhooks and an API, or export a CSV spreadsheet
Languages: English and Hindi

Where it’s strong

Free to start: 100 credits (about 20 AI interviews) that don’t expire
Pay per finished interview. No subscription, no per-user fee and no fee per job opening
Every skill score comes with a quote from the answer it was based on
Candidates need no app or account

Trade-offs

No built-in connections to applicant tracking systems (ATS). You connect yours with webhooks and the API, or a CSV file
English and Hindi only
No single sign-on (SSO), custom branding or phone-call interviews yet
No SOC 2 or ISO 27001 security certification yet

Start free Book a demo

Ribbon

AI interviews that adapt to each answer, with published plans and applicant tracking system connections.

Best for: Teams hiring in large numbers or hiring frontline staff who need to connect an applicant tracking system from day one
How it interviews: Live AI interview (voice or video)
AI interviewer: Yes. Its questions adapt to each answer
Pricing: From $499 a month for 100 interviews (billed yearly), then $4 per extra interview. Larger plans: $999 for 400 and $1,999 for 1,000
Free to try: 7-day trial
Applicant tracking systems: 60+ applicant tracking systems, on every plan
Languages: 12, including Hindi

Where it’s strong

Connects to 60+ applicant tracking systems on every plan
Works on any phone without an app
Published prices, with bigger plans for more interviews
12 languages

Trade-offs

No permanent free plan
The cheapest plan is about $6,000 a year, billed yearly
The cheapest plan limits how many job openings can be active

LessRounds vs Ribbon in detail

Interviewer.AI

You can sign up on your own. Its AI avatar, which holds a conversation, is on the Professional plan.

Best for: Teams and universities that want both recorded and conversational formats with public pricing
How it interviews: Recorded video + AI avatar
AI interviewer: Yes, on the Professional plan and above
Pricing: Essential plan $199 a month (50 credits). Professional plan $399 a month (120 credits). One avatar interview uses 2 credits
Free to try: 14-day trial
Applicant tracking systems: About 34 applicant tracking systems, on the yearly Professional plan or Enterprise
Languages: 10+

Where it’s strong

Public pricing, and you can sign up on your own
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
You commit to a monthly plan with a set number of credits

LessRounds vs Interviewer.AI in detail

HeyMilo

An AI recruiter for teams hiring in large numbers, sold through a sales team.

Best for: Staffing agencies, outsourcing companies (BPOs) and corporate teams hiring in large numbers
How it interviews: Live AI interview (voice, video, SMS)
AI interviewer: Yes
Pricing: Not published (you must book a demo)
Free to try: None published
Applicant tracking systems: Workday, Greenhouse, Bullhorn, iCIMS and others
Languages: 14–20+, including Hindi

Where it’s strong

Built for hiring in large numbers
Interviews by voice, video and text message
Fraud checks and connections to applicant tracking systems, including Bullhorn for staffing agencies

Trade-offs

No public pricing
No published free plan or trial

How to choose

Pick the tool that fits what you need.

If you want to run interviews today, pick a tool you can sign up for on your own: LessRounds, Ribbon or Interviewer.AI.
If you need to connect an applicant tracking system right away, 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. If you have an existing agreement, check with micro1 directly.

Can LessRounds interview software engineers?

Yes, for a first interview. It can cover communication, experience and how candidates think through problems. It doesn’t run live coding tests.

Sources

Checked 24 September 2026.

More comparisons

Try LessRounds free today.

Start with 100 free credits, enough for about 20 interviews. No credit card or sales call needed.

Start free Book a demo