TestGorilla vs Testlify Pricing for Small Hiring Teams
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Short answer: Testlify is cheaper and easier to start with. Testlify Standard costs $139 a month or $1,668 a year with 100 candidate credits, and you can pay monthly. TestGorilla's paid plans start from $215 a month for Core and from $520 a month for Plus, both billed annually, which works out to about $2,580 and $6,240 a year. TestGorilla's advantage is a permanent free tier with 10 credits a month. Both charge by candidate, so the gap widens or narrows with your volume.
Those figures come from each vendor's own pricing page, not from the directories that still show 2024 tiers. If you have both trials open and need to pick one before the next job post goes live, this page puts the two side by side, runs a year at real small-business volumes, and says plainly where each one wins.
TestGorilla vs Testlify pricing at a glance
| Item | TestGorilla | Testlify |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free plan, 10 credits a month, refreshed monthly | No free plan; 7-day trial, no card |
| Entry paid plan | Core from $215 a month, billed annually (about $2,580 a year) | Standard $139 a month, or $1,668 a year |
| Next tier | Plus from $520 a month, billed annually (about $6,240 a year) | Custom, by quote, for 25,000+ candidates a year |
| Monthly billing | A pay monthly toggle exists, but no monthly rates are shown for paid plans; annual saves 25% | Yes, monthly or annual on every plan |
| Candidates included | Shared account credit pool; size not published | 100 credits a year, about $16.68 each |
| Extra candidates | Not listed on the pricing page | $21 per credit |
| What uses a credit | 1 per premium test or video question, 2 per AI interview or job simulation | 1 when a candidate starts an assessment |
| Users | Core 2 premium user roles, Plus unlimited; hiring managers unlimited | 3 seats, $15 a month per extra seat |
| Library | 350+ premium tests | 3,500+ tests |
| ATS integrations | Plus only (Workday, Greenhouse and others, plus API) | $2,388 a year add-on; AI resume scoring free with Greenhouse |
| Refund | No refund policy on the pricing page | 30-day money-back guarantee |
One more detail matters if you have an old quote in your inbox: TestGorilla raised its listed prices in 2026. Core used to be $142 a month billed $1,704 a year, and many comparison sites still show that figure. Our TestGorilla pricing guide covers the Free, Core and Plus plans in more depth.
Which is cheaper, TestGorilla or Testlify?
Testlify is cheaper for most small employers. Its Standard plan costs $1,668 a year against roughly $2,580 for TestGorilla Core, it can be paid month to month, and it publishes exactly how many candidates you get. TestGorilla is only cheaper if your volume fits inside its free plan, which allows 10 credits a month, enough for one or two short tests a week.
The catch is that the two vendors meter different things. TestGorilla counts credits per test inside an assessment, so an assessment with three premium tests and one AI interview can use five credits for one candidate. Testlify counts one credit per candidate who starts, regardless of how many tests are inside. If you like to bundle several tests into one screen, that difference can outweigh the sticker price.
What a year costs at 50, 150 and 300 candidates
Testlify's math is fully public, so it can be run exactly. TestGorilla does not publish the size of the Core credit pool, so the table shows its entry price and notes that extra volume depends on the pool your account is sold.
| Candidates a year | Testlify Standard, annual | Testlify per candidate | TestGorilla Core, entry price | Assessing AI Starter, yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $1,668 | $33.36 | About $2,580 plus credits beyond the pool | $288 |
| 150 | $1,668 + 50 x $21 = $2,718 | $18.12 | About $2,580 plus credits beyond the pool | $288 |
| 300 | $1,668 + 200 x $21 = $5,868 | $19.56 | About $2,580 plus credits beyond the pool | $288 |
Two things stand out. First, below 100 candidates Testlify's per-head price is high because you pay for credits you may not use, and unused credits expire at the end of the billing cycle. Second, past 100 candidates every extra applicant adds $21, so a single retail or warehouse posting that pulls 200 applicants can double the bill. Ask TestGorilla for the Core credit pool in writing before you compare the two on volume.
Where TestGorilla wins
- Very low volume. If you test fewer than about 10 people a month with essential tests, the free plan costs nothing.
- Brand and reviews. TestGorilla has the larger customer base and more third-party reviews, which some HR teams need for vendor approval.
- Bigger teams on Plus. Unlimited premium user roles, ID verification, native ATS integrations and an API come in one plan rather than as add-ons.
- AI interviews library. Plus includes 100+ ready-made AI interviews alongside the tests.
Where Testlify wins
- Price and terms. A lower entry price, monthly billing, a 30-day money-back guarantee and base pricing locked for 24 months.
- Library size. 3,500+ tests against 350+ premium tests, including typing and many role-specific tests.
- Predictable cost. 100 credits and $21 per extra credit is easy to budget. A non-profit gets 25% off.
- Proctoring options. Core proctoring is included, with photo ID checks at $0.50 and live video proctoring at $5 per attempt.
Is Testlify better than TestGorilla?
For a small business paying its own bills, Testlify is usually the better buy: it costs less, it bills monthly, and it refunds within 30 days. TestGorilla is better for a team that already lives inside an ATS and wants integrations, ID checks and unlimited users in one Plus contract, or for an employer whose volume fits its free tier. Neither is built for testing hundreds of applicants on a flat budget.
Does TestGorilla have a monthly plan?
Not in a way you can price from its website. The pricing page shows a pay monthly toggle, but the paid plans display only annual billing, with annual marked as saving 25%. Testlify does offer monthly billing on every plan at $139 a month for Standard. If you hire in bursts and want to cancel between rounds, that is a real difference.
A third option when you want to test every applicant
Both tools price by candidate because they sell research-backed library tests, and you pay partly for that research. That is worth it when you need a normed cognitive score or proctoring. It is less useful when the question is simply which of your 180 applicants can do the job you posted.
Assessing AI takes a different approach. You describe the role or paste the job description, and on Plus the AI drafts multiple choice, written and recorded voice questions about that job in under a minute. You edit them, set time limits and send one link. Choice answers are scored the moment applicants submit, and your team scores written and recorded answers in the results view. Starter is $49 a month or $288 a year with up to 500 responses a month, and Plus is $149 a month or $888 a year with up to 2,000. There is no credit meter and no annual contract on monthly plans.
Be clear about the trade. We do not run live or video proctoring, verify identity or grade written answers with AI, and we have no validated test library. If those matter, choose between TestGorilla and Testlify using the tables above. If you mainly need to rank a stack of applicants on the actual work, see how a flat plan compares on our Testlify alternative and TestGorilla alternative pages, or the eleven-vendor pre-employment assessment software pricing table. Once the shortlist is ranked, an AI office assistant that books the follow-up interviews can take the calendar back-and-forth off your plate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does TestGorilla cost compared to Testlify?
TestGorilla Core starts from $215 a month billed annually, about $2,580 a year, and Plus from $520 a month, about $6,240 a year. Testlify Standard is $139 a month or $1,668 a year with 100 credits and $21 per extra credit. TestGorilla also has a free plan with 10 credits a month; Testlify does not.
Is Testlify cheaper than TestGorilla?
Yes, at list price Testlify is cheaper. Its paid entry plan costs about $900 a year less than TestGorilla Core and can be paid monthly. The comparison flips only if your volume fits TestGorilla's free plan, or if your Testlify usage runs far past 100 candidates and the $21 extra credits pile up.
Do Testlify credits expire?
Yes. Testlify states that unused credits expire at the end of the billing cycle, so credits bought on an annual plan do not roll into the next year. A credit is used only when a candidate starts an assessment; creating tests and sending invites is free. Our Testlify pricing breakdown covers add-ons and seats.
Which is better for a small business, TestGorilla or Testlify?
Testlify suits most small businesses better because of its lower price, monthly billing and 30-day money-back guarantee. TestGorilla suits a business that tests only a handful of people a month and can live on the free plan. For roles with 100+ applicants, a flat-priced job test such as Assessing AI at $49 a month usually costs less than either.
Can I pay for TestGorilla monthly?
TestGorilla's pricing page shows a pay monthly toggle but lists only annual billing for its paid Core and Plus plans, with annual described as saving 25%. If month-to-month billing is a requirement, confirm terms with TestGorilla sales or choose a vendor that publishes monthly prices, such as Testlify or Assessing AI.