Best AI interviewer software in 2026: voice, video and chat

As of November 2026, the leading AI interviewer software splits by channel and by buyer. Alex (sold by Apriora Inc.) runs adaptive interviews by video, phone, SMS or WhatsApp with identity and fraud checks; HeyMilo suits staffing agencies and BPOs that want phone or video screens scored with written reasoning; Tenzo suits multilingual phone and WhatsApp screening in 40+ languages; Ribbon suits frontline employers that want browser voice and video interviews with self-serve sign-up; Hyring is the one with published prices, starting with a free plan; and HireVue's AI Interviewer suits enterprises that want a voice screen with consent and opt-out built in. For chat-first screening, compare Humanly and Paradox.

Everything about each product below comes from the vendor's own site, linked and checked in November 2026. If you are new to the category, what is an AI interviewer explains how these tools work; this page compares the products. For the wider interview process, see the best AI tools for interviewing candidates.

How we chose

• The AI conducts the interview. Every product here asks the candidate questions itself, by phone, browser voice or video, or chat, and hands a recruiter a transcript, score or summary. Note takers and assistants for human interviewers are left out.
• Sold today, under that name. We confirmed each product on its vendor's site. We left out micro1's Zara, whose employer pages now redirect to a micro1 homepage about AI training data (micro1 still uses Zara to interview its own applicants), and Talently, whose site did not let us confirm channels, integrations or prices.
• Three kinds of buyer: in-house teams hiring hourly and frontline staff, staffing agencies and RPOs, and enterprise talent teams.
• Facts only from vendors, checked in November 2026: channel, languages, scoring, what candidates are told, ATS integrations and published price. No ratings, review counts or vendor statistics.

How do the AI interviewers compare?

As published by each vendor, as of November 2026. "Not stated" means we could not find it on the vendor's own site.

Sources, all checked November 2026: Alex home, AI Interviewer, ethical AI, candidate FAQ and integrations; HeyMilo home, responsible AI and pricing; Tenzo home and pricing; Ribbon home, AI interviewer, regulations, integrations and bias audit; Hyring AI Video Interviewer, AI Phone Screener and pricing; Humanly home, AI Interviewer and AI Recruiter; Paradox home and screening; HireVue AI Interviewer and launch release; Glider AI AI video interviews, AI Voice Recruiter and home; ConverzAI Virtual Recruiter.

Which AI interviewers are worth a look, and what is each best for?

Alex

Alex is sold by Apriora Inc.; the site footer reads "Apriora Inc. dba Alex," and apriora.ai redirects to alex.com. It interviews by video, phone, SMS or WhatsApp, asks follow-ups based on the answers, and returns a transcript and a score, alongside resume screening, scheduling, ID verification and a proctor that flags moments to review. Its ethical AI page says Alex "does not automate hiring decisions" and supports employer disclosure and consent flows, so the wording is yours to write (Alex). Best for: employers, RPOs and staffing firms that also need to catch fake applicants.

HeyMilo

HeyMilo runs phone screens, two-way video interviews and SMS screening in 20+ languages, and every score comes with written reasoning. Its responsible AI page is specific: candidates "are always told" they are talking to an AI interviewer, consent is logged and revocable, and Warden AI runs monthly bias audits that HeyMilo says follow New York City's Local Law 144 (HeyMilo). Pricing is by demo. Best for: staffing agencies and BPOs on Bullhorn, Avionté or JobDiva.

Tenzo

Tenzo interviews by phone, video, WhatsApp or email, around the clock, in 40+ languages, and returns a score, grade and summary. It says a de-biasing layer strips protected-class information from transcripts before evaluation and that candidates can opt out and request accommodations. It names none of its "57+ integrations," and quotes by volume (Tenzo). Best for: multilingual high-volume hiring.

Ribbon

Ribbon's voice and video interviews run in a browser on a phone or computer, in 10+ languages, scored against your rubric. Its regulations page says interviews never start recording until the candidate agrees, and it shows a New York City bias audit labeled 2025. It offers a free sign-up, but its pricing page returned "not found" when we checked, and a site banner says Ribbon has signed an agreement to be acquired by Dayforce (Ribbon). Best for: frontline employers that want to try it themselves; ask about the roadmap after the deal.

Hyring

Hyring's AI Video Interviewer runs one-way (fixed questions) or two-way (live follow-ups) interviews with a voice-only interviewer or an avatar, and its AI Phone Screener places outbound calls. Prices are public: Free (one seat, 50 credits a month, English only), Pro ($79 a month billed annually or $99 monthly, five seats, 11 languages) and Business ($239 billed annually or $299 monthly, 15 seats), at one credit per video interview and half a credit per phone screen (Hyring pricing). Its pages do not say what candidates are told. Hyring Meet, its human-led video room, is a separate product covered in our Hyring Meet comparison. Best for: small teams that want to start free at a known cost.

Humanly

Humanly, a platform for hourly and frontline hiring, has an AI Interviewer that runs structured interviews by chat, voice or video and scores them, and an AI Recruiter that screens by SMS, chat or email with knockout questions and books interviews. Its FAQ says it is "transparent about when candidates are interacting with AI" (Humanly). Its AI Notetaker for human-led interviews is in our Humanly notetaker comparison. Best for: large hourly employers on Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG or iCIMS.

Paradox

Paradox's assistant, Olivia, screens "through chat or text" against job requirements in 100+ languages, then schedules qualified candidates, suggests other jobs, or dispositions those who do not fit (Paradox). That is a conversational screen, not an adaptive interview, and because Olivia can disposition on its own, decide who reviews those outcomes. Best for: frontline employers whose candidates apply by text; our scheduling roundup covers its booking side.

HireVue AI Interviewer

HireVue announced its AI Interviewer on June 18, 2026: a two-way voice interview with probing follow-ups. Requirement questions are marked "Meets or Does Not Meet" and skill questions use a 1–5 rubric. The product page puts it as "AI Informs. Humans decide." Candidates grant consent, can opt out and can request accommodations (HireVue). Best for: large enterprises, especially existing HireVue customers.

Glider AI

Glider AI has conversational AI video interviews with rubric-scored reports, live proctoring and ID verification, and an AI Voice Recruiter that calls candidates and returns a score, transcript and summary. It lists no interview languages and no prices (Glider AI). Best for: staffing firms and contingent workforce programs that want proctoring and live coding interviews on one platform.

ConverzAI

ConverzAI's Virtual Recruiter calls, texts and emails candidates, can start role-specific interviews on its own, and writes notes and a summary back to the ATS; it describes summaries rather than scores. Pricing is outcome-based: "pay only for placements," with no figures (ConverzAI). Best for: staffing agencies that want an AI recruiter working their existing database.

How do you choose an AI interviewer?

• Channel. Candidates on the move: phone or WhatsApp (Tenzo, Alex, HeyMilo, Glider AI, Hyring). Identity matters: video (Alex, HeyMilo, Hyring, Glider AI, Ribbon). Candidates who apply by text: chat (Paradox, Humanly).
• Company size. Small teams can start on Hyring's free plan or Ribbon's sign-up. Enterprises on Workday, SAP SuccessFactors or iCIMS should shortlist HireVue, Humanly, Paradox and Alex and ask to see the integration live.
• Volume. These tools pay off when qualified applicants outnumber the calls recruiters can make; see AI tools for high-volume hiring.
• Agency or in-house. Agencies should check that results land on the Bullhorn, Avionté or JobDiva record (HeyMilo, Alex, Glider AI). In-house teams should check that scores reach the requisition.

If a fixed set of recorded questions is enough, see one-way video interview software; for resume and knockout screening before any interview, see AI candidate screening tools.

When does an AI interviewer make sense, and when does it not?

It makes sense for volume (hundreds of applicants for similar roles, where the first call checks the same things every time), for speed (hourly candidates often take the first offer, and an interview minutes after applying keeps them), and for well-defined roles, because a score is only as good as the rubric behind it.

It does not make sense when:

• The first call sells the job. Executive search, senior or scarce roles and passive candidates expect a person who can answer questions and persuade them.
• The requirements are fuzzy. If the hiring manager cannot write the rubric, the AI cannot score against it.
• The candidate needs another format. Voice agents can disadvantage candidates with speech, hearing or processing differences, and the ADA bars tests that reflect "impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills" rather than the skill measured (42 U.S.C. § 12112(b)(7)). Offer a human interview, say so in the invitation, and make sure choosing it does not slow the candidate down.
• The decision is final. Keep a person on every rejection. Several vendors say their AI informs and a person decides; configure it so that is true.

What are candidates told?

Vendors differ on what they build in: HeyMilo says candidates are always told and consent is logged, Ribbon has consent screens, HireVue and Tenzo describe opt-out and accommodation paths, and Alex leaves the disclosure to you. Either way, the notice is the employer's job: say before the interview that it is run by AI, what it assesses, who decides and how to ask for a person. Our AI disclosure templates have wording.

• Video, for Illinois-based roles. If applicants record video interviews that AI analyzes, the employer must first tell them AI may be used, explain how it works and what general characteristics it evaluates, and get consent; on request, it must delete the videos within 30 days and have anyone it shared them with do the same (820 ILCS 42). The Act does not expressly address live two-way AI video, so treat it as covered unless counsel says otherwise; see our Illinois AI Video Interview Act guide.
• Scoring or ranking, for New York City jobs. An AI interviewer that scores or ranks candidates can be an automated employment decision tool under Local Law 144: it needs a bias audit within one year of use, a public summary, and notice to candidates 10 business days before use (NYC DCWP). Ask the vendor for its audit; publishing and notice remain the employer's job. See our Local Law 144 bias audit guide.

Which other laws apply to AI interviewers?

Briefly, as of November 2026; not legal advice.

• Illinois. Since January 1, 2026, the Human Rights Act bars AI with a discriminatory effect in recruitment and hiring and requires notice of its use (Public Act 103-0804).
• Colorado. SB 26-189 replaced the 2024 AI Act; from January 1, 2027, employers must give notice at the point of interaction, explain adverse outcomes and offer human review on request (SB 26-189; our Colorado guide).
• California. Civil Rights Council rules in force since October 1, 2025 cover automated-decision systems in hiring (CRD), and the privacy agency's ADMT rules apply from January 1, 2027 (CPPA); see California AI hiring regulations.
• The EU. The AI Act lists AI that evaluates candidates as high-risk (Annex III), and Article 50 requires telling people they are interacting with AI unless it is obvious (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689); dates are in our EU AI Act guide.
• Federal. Title VII's disparate impact provision applies to AI scores like any selection procedure (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(k); our Title VII guide). Other states: AI hiring laws by state.

How to pilot an AI interviewer

1. Pick one requisition with plenty of applicants and stable must-haves, in a location whose rules you have checked.
2. Write the rubric before the demo: knockout questions, three or four scored questions, and what a weak, adequate and strong answer sounds like. Approve every question.
3. Turn off automatic rejection, so a recruiter reviews every outcome.
4. Write the notice, consent step where required, and an easy route to a human interview or accommodation.
5. Get the vendor's bias audit (date, auditor, tool version) and its retention, deletion and model-training terms.
6. Run it beside your current screen for two to four weeks and read every case where the AI and the recruiter disagree.
7. Compare pass rates by group where you have the data, and take advice if any group falls well behind.
8. Ask candidates how it felt, including those who did not advance, and count how many asked for a person.

Candidates who pass still meet people. For those human interviews, Interview Signal is a desktop app that gives the recruiter a live question guide and a scorecard built from the candidate's own quotes. We make Interview Signal; it does not conduct interviews, which is why it is not in the comparison above, and everything about the other products comes from their own sites, linked and dated. For screens that stay with people, see AI tools for phone screens.