15 Mettl Alternatives & Competitors (2025)

Do you know the simple strategy that helps 90% of companies make better hires?

Instead of relying on outdated or inflated resumes, they use skills-based hiring — a smarter approach that tests candidates’ real-world abilities. By doing so, they base their hiring decisions on what candidates can actually do (not just what they claim on paper).

One of the biggest players in the talent assessment software arena is Mercer Mettl, but the platform has some flaws. Users report frustrations with limited test customization, skills assessment tests, poor customer support, a clunky user experience, and high pricing.

If you’re looking for an alternative solution, this guide covers the best Mettl alternatives to streamline your hiring and improve the candidate experience.

Why do people look for Mettl alternatives?

Mettl is a proctoring and talent assessment tool that has been around since 2010. As one of the most established tools in the online assessment and pre-employment testing arena, it’s widely used by hiring managers to evaluate job candidates and by educators to test students in online programs.

But some customers feel it doesn’t meet their needs, prompting them to seek alternatives. There are two main reasons they do so.

Poor customer support

While the platform promises a user-friendly interface, many users struggle with it. Reaching customer support can be difficult for those who do need help, as described by this user in the hospital and healthcare sector:

“It was an extremely buggy site, and I wasn’t able to send the tests to the employee. The website kept coming up with errors no matter what I tried. I reached out to customer service as I needed the tests right away. They don’t have a phone number available for US users (I quickly found out); only email.

They usually responded quickly, using the same faux-friendly-sounding template responses, saying someone from their team would get back to me “shortly.” No one ever got back to me to resolve anything. I sent multiple friendly follow-ups and still got the exact same canned responses every time.”

The cost

The other main issue? Mettl assessments can be pretty expensive. The cost increases according to the growing number of job roles, but you’ll also need to upgrade if your credits expire. As one user noted:

“Many test links went to spam/junk folders, and they expired my credits (payments) without notice, requiring 5x my annual spend to renew. It forced me to find a new solution without any notice when I had students taking the exam.”

Top 13 Mercer Mettl alternatives

Tool	G2 Rating	Pricing
Toggl Hire	4.7	Free plan available for one active job opening
Vervoe	4.6	$300 for 10 candidates
HireVue	4.1	Only available upon request
Equalture	4.7	Only available upon request
TestGorilla	4.5	Free plan offers access to essential skills tests with limited features
Xobin	4.7	Only available upon request
HackerRank	4.6	$165 per month (billed annually at $1,990) for one user
Codility	4.6	$1,200 annually for one platform user and 120 invites
WeCP	4.8	Free plan includes five credits
Harver	4.6	Only available upon request
Crystal	4.6	Free plan includes basic assessments and limited profile views
Plum	4.4	Only available upon request
iMocha	4.4	$400/mo for five recruiters and 600 candidate assessments per year

1. Toggl Hire

Toggl Hire is an all-in-one hiring platform designed for recruiters and HR teams who want more than just assessments. Unlike Mercer Mettl, which only covers testing, Toggl Hire automates the entire recruitment process — from skills screening to candidate ranking, team collaboration, and even offer management.

Key features

• Customizable skill tests: Offers role-specific assessments to evaluate candidates’ abilities and start with skills-based hiring.
• Automated candidate filtering: Can identify top talent instantly, using AI-powered scoring and ranking.
• Customizable hiring pipeline: Organizes and tracks candidates effortlessly with a flexible, detailed dashboard.
• Performance analytics: Gain deeper insights about candidate strengths with detailed test reports.
• Easy team collaboration: Involve as many stakeholders as you want in the hiring process without disrupting your workflows.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like

❓What’s missing

• Fast and efficient hiring: Automates repetitive and manual tasks, helping recruiters save time while ensuring quality hires. • Improves candidate experience: Create a positive hiring environment using engaging skill tests and clear communication. Even those who don’t get the job come away feeling valued. • Full-cycle recruitment solution: Go beyond standard assessments with full pipeline management and workflow automation functionality. • API access: Integrates with the rest of your hiring tech stack with minimal effort.

• Limited free plan: Requires a premium plan for unlimited users.

Pricing

• Free: $0 per month, including one active job slot and one skills test
• Starter: $199 per month, offers unlimited users, 3 active job openings, unlimited skills tests, and candidates
• Premium: $349 per month, including unlimited users, job openings, skills tests and candidates

2. Vervoe

Vervoe is an AI-powered hiring platform that helps HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers evaluate candidates based on their skills and competencies.

Unlike Mercer Mettl, which offers a wide range of assessment services, Vervoe focuses on immersive, real-world tasks and simulations to predict job performance, helping you make hiring decisions based on real-world performance and hard skills tests.

Key features

• Customizable assessments: Create custom assessments with various question formats, including text, multiple-choice, video, and coding challenges, to match specific job requirements.
• AI-driven grading: Use artificial intelligence to automatically grade and rank candidates based on their performance, helping you set benchmarks and reducing manual evaluation time.
• Anti-cheating measures: Includes features such as question randomization and advanced proctoring to maintain the integrity of assessments.
• Integration capabilities: Connect with applicant tracking systems such as Greenhouse, Lever, and SmartRecruiters.
• Candidate messaging: Use in-app communication tools to keep candidates informed and engaged throughout the hiring process.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like

❓What’s missing

• Flexible assessment creation: Offers comprehensive candidate evaluation with platform support for multiple assessment formats. • Efficient candidate screening: Automate the evaluation process, saving time and resources, using this AI-driven grading system. • Enhanced candidate experience: Contribute to a positive and engaging candidate journey using in-app messaging and personalized assessments.

• Initial AI training required: May require time and effort to train the AI to grade assessments accurately. • Interface performance issues: May suffer from occasional slowness and bugs in the interface.

Pricing

• Pay & Go: $300 for 10 candidates, includes unlimited invites and assessments, a standard assessment library and builder, AI grading, CSV exports, and more.
• Custom: Provides customizable assessments, custom question types and integrations, advanced AI detection, and more.

3. HireVue

HireVue is a hiring platform for HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers to improve their recruitment processes through video interviewing, assessments, and AI-driven tools.

HireVue integrates video technology and artificial intelligence to speed up candidate evaluation and improve hiring efficiency.

Key features

• Video interviewing: Offers on-demand and live video interviews, allowing candidates to submit recordings at their convenience and letting recruiters assess non-verbal cues and communication skills effectively.
• AI-powered assessments: Uses artificial intelligence to evaluate candidates’ responses, providing insights into competencies and potential fit for the role.
• Game-based assessments: Delivers engaging, gamified tests to measure cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills, enhancing the candidate experience.
• Text-enabled recruiting: Incorporates SMS and WhatsApp communication to reach candidates quickly, facilitating prompt interactions and updates.
• ATS integration: Integrates seamlessly with various applicant tracking systems, ensuring a cohesive and efficient recruitment workflow.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like

❓What’s missing

• Reduces time-to-hire: Accelerates the hiring process by enabling quicker identification of top candidates. • Improves candidate experience: Provides flexible, on-demand interviews so candidates can participate at the most convenient time. • Provides valuable insights: Uses AI-driven assessments to offer a deeper understanding of candidates’ skills and potential fit, helping you make better hiring decisions.

• Technical issues: May suffer from technical difficulties during interviews, such as connectivity problems, which can affect the assessment process. • High cost: May not be the best fit for small businesses as it’s on the higher end of the pricing spectrum compared to other video interviewing providers. • Lack of human interaction: Can feel impersonal to some candidates, potentially impacting their perception of the company.

Pricing

• Pricing is available on request from the vendor.

4. Equalture

Equalture is a pre-employment assessment platform designed to help HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers make unbiased and competency-based hiring decisions.

Equalture focuses on gamified assessments to evaluate candidates’ cognitive abilities and behavioral traits, aiming to enhance the predictive validity of hiring processes.

Key features

• Game-based assessments: Uses neuroscientific games to objectively measure candidates’ cognitive functions and behaviors, giving candidates a more engaging and less intimidating experience than traditional assessments.
• Competency profiling: Analyzes existing team dynamics to identify key competencies that drive success in specific roles, allowing you to create tailored competency profiles.
• Bias reduction tools: Implements features designed to minimize unconscious bias in the recruitment process, promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Integration capabilities: Integrates seamlessly with various Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HR platforms to ensure a cohesive hiring workflow.
• Candidate experience focus: Offers an engaging and user-friendly assessment process, leading to higher completion rates and a positive impression of the employer brand.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Unbiased hiring insights: Provides objective data on candidates, reducing reliance on subjective judgment. • Enhanced team composition: Spots candidates who complement existing team strengths and weaknesses with the competency profiling feature. • Positive candidate feedback: Creates an enjoyable application experience using gamified assessments.	• Integration challenges: May suffer from difficulties integrating Equalture with their existing ATS, leading to potential workflow inefficiencies. • Candidate participation: Leads some candidates to hesitate in completing game-based assessments, possibly affecting application completion rates.

Pricing

• Pricing is available on request.

5. TestGorilla

TestGorilla is a pre-employment assessment platform designed to help HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers effectively evaluate candidates’ skills and aptitudes.

TestGorilla has a user-friendly interface with a diverse test library, and its goal is to refine the hiring process and enhance decision-making.

Key features

• Extensive test library: Delivers access to 280+ scientifically validated tests covering various domains, including cognitive abilities, programming skills, language proficiency, and personality traits.
• Customizable assessments: Combines multiple tests to create tailored assessments that align with specific job requirements.
• Anti-cheating measures: Implements features like full-screen mode detection, webcam monitoring, and randomized questions to maintain assessment integrity.
• ATS integrations: Integrates with popular applicant tracking systems (ATS) such as Greenhouse, Lever, and JazzHR.
• Candidate-friendly experience: Offers mobile-friendly assessments with a straightforward interface, enhancing accessibility and candidate engagement.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• User-friendly interface: Simplifies the creation and management of assessments with an intuitive design. • Diverse test options: Offers a wide range of tests, allowing for comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ skills and aptitudes. • Efficient candidate screening: Reduces time-to-hire rates by identifying top candidates quickly.	• Pricing concerns: Has a confusing pricing model, which some users feel may be expensive for small businesses or startups. • Customer support limitations: Can be slow to respond to user queries, impacting timely issue resolution for customers.

Pricing

• Free: Access to essential skills tests with limited features.
• Starter: From $83 per month, billed annually for additional test options and basic integrations.
• Pro: From $127 per month, billed annually for advanced features, including ATS integrations and comprehensive test libraries.

6. Xobin

Xobin is a cloud-based candidate assessment platform for HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers. The platform provides a comprehensive talent operating system that includes pre-hire tests, psychometric assessments, video interviews, and applicant tracking features, enabling a more integrated approach to talent acquisition.

Key features

• Extensive assessment library: Access 1,500+ validated skill assessments covering various domains for a thorough evaluation of candidates’ competencies.
• Video proctoring: Implement video-proctored assessments to prevent malpractice and ensure the credibility of test results.
• Customizable tests: Tailor assessments to specific job roles and requirements, allowing for a personalized evaluation process.
• Automated video interviews: Conduct AI-driven video interviews to speed up the initial screening phase and identify suitable candidates efficiently.
• Integration capabilities: Integrates with existing applicant tracking systems and other HR tools to improve workflow efficiency.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• User-friendly interface: Simplifies the creation and management of assessments. • Responsive customer support: Understands and resolves issues quickly and effectively. • Comprehensive feature set: Offers a wide range of functionalities, including skill assessments, psychometric testing, and video interviews, providing a holistic recruitment solution.	• Limited advanced features: Lacks a more current question bank. • Pricing issues: May not be the best fit for companies with ad-hoc hiring recruitments.

Pricing

• Pricing is available from the vendor on request.

7. HackerRank

HackerRank is a developer skills platform designed to help HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers evaluate software developers based on their coding abilities. Unlike Mettl, which offers a wide range of assessments, HackerRank specializes in technical skill evaluations, providing tools to assess developers’ real-world problem-solving capabilities.

Key features

• Certified assessments: Offers standardized, role-based tests, launched in minutes to evaluate candidates’ proficiency in specific technical domains.
• Plagiarism detection: Uses AI-powered tools to prevent dishonest practices during assessments.
• Real-world questions: Assesses technical hires with coding challenges that mirror real-world scenarios straight from the rich question bank.
• Integrations: Connects seamlessly with ATS and other HR tools to improve the recruitment workflow.
• Interview platform: Conducts live technical interviews with a collaborative coding environment, facilitating a real-time assessment of problem-solving approaches.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Comprehensive assessment library: Has an extensive range of coding challenges covering multiple programming languages and difficulty levels. • Effective plagiarism detection: Maintains the integrity of assessments by identifying dishonest practices. • User-friendly interface: Is intuitive and easy to navigate, simplifying the process of creating and managing assessments.	• Premium pricing: May be out of reach for smaller organizations or startups with limited budgets.

Pricing

• Starter: $165 per month, billed annually at $1,990, for one user, access to Screen and Interview, advanced plagiarism detection, 2,000+ questions, and 120 attempts per year.
• Pro: $375 per month, billed annually at $4,490 for unlimited users, integrations with ATS and calendar tools, 4,000+ questions, and 300 attempts per year.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for tailored solutions with custom users and attempts, certified assessments, extensive integrations, full library access with 7,500+ questions, advanced user roles and permissions, and the capability to test up to 100,000 candidates at once.

8. Codility

Codility is a technical recruitment platform designed to assist HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers in evaluating the coding skills of potential candidates. Codility specializes in coding tests and technical interviews, providing tools to assess real-world problem-solving abilities in developers.

Key features

• CodeCheck: Offers a library of coding tasks to create assessments that evaluate candidates’ programming skills across various languages and technologies.
• CodeLive: Facilitates live technical interviews with collaborative coding environments, enabling interviewers to assess problem-solving approaches in real time.
• CodeEvent: Supports hosting of coding competitions and hackathons to engage and identify top talent.
• AI-resistant task library: Provides a collection of coding tasks designed to assess candidates’ abilities without the risk of AI-generated solutions.
• Proctoring and plagiarism detection: Includes features like screen proctoring, behavioral event detection, and similarity checks to maintain assessment integrity.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Comprehensive task library: Offers extensive coding tasks covering multiple programming languages and difficulty levels. • Effective proctoring tools: Includes screen recording and plagiarism detection to guarantee the authenticity of assessments. • User-friendly interface: Is intuitive and easy to navigate, simplifying the process of creating and managing assessments.	• Initial setup time: May take too long to set up customized assessments.

Pricing

• Starter: $1,200 annually, including 120 invites per year, access for one platform user, and a starter task library with over 1,200 questions.
• Scale: $500 monthly or $5,000 annually for 25 invites per month, access for three platform users, and a core task library with over 1,800 questions.
• Custom: Contact Codility for personalized pricing and packages tailored to specific needs.

9. WeCP

WeCP (We Create Problems) is an AI-driven talent assessment platform designed to assist HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers in evaluating technical candidates efficiently.

WeCP specializes in technical skill evaluations, providing a vast library of coding tests and real-world problem scenarios to identify top tech talent.

Key features

• Extensive question library: Gives access to 200,000+ pre-built questions covering more than 2,000 technical skills, enabling comprehensive candidate assessments.
• AI-powered assessment creation: Uses AI to generate role-specific assessments swiftly, ensuring alignment with job requirements.
• Strong anti-cheating measures: Implements video and audio proctoring, browser restrictions, and IP monitoring to maintain assessment integrity.
• Hands-on coding environments: Provides candidates with real-world coding challenges in a simulated environment to gauge practical skills accurately.
• Seamless integrations: Integrates with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other HR tools.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• User-friendly interface: Offers a seamless design, making it easy to build and manage assessments. • Automated grading: Reduces manual effort and accelerates the hiring process using an AI-driven grading system. • Comprehensive test library: Includes a vast array of customizable tests that allows for tailored assessments that meet specific hiring needs.	• Question selection: Lacks depth of technical questions, according to some users.

Pricing

• Freemium: $0 per month, five credits, face-to-face interviews, ATS integrations
• Premium: $240 per month for 40 credits, advanced skill analytics, learning and development integration, and much more.

10. Harver

Harver is a cloud-based pre-employment assessment platform tailored for HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers aiming to enhance their volume hiring processes.

Harver emphasizes predictive analytics and automation to expedite candidate selection, making it particularly advantageous for organizations with high applicant volumes.

Key features

• Diverse assessment suite: Offers a range of scientifically validated tests, including cognitive ability assessments, personality tests, situational judgment tests, and realistic job previews.
• Predictive analytics: Uses AI-driven algorithms to match candidates’ profiles with job requirements, forecasting potential success and tenure.
• Customizable workflows: Allows tailoring of the recruitment process to align with specific organizational needs and branding.
• Integration capabilities: Syncs with various Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HR platforms to ensure a cohesive hiring process.
• Candidate experience focus: Incorporates engaging elements like gamified assessments and interactive simulations to enhance the applicant’s journey.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like

❓What’s missing

• Efficient volume hiring: Reduces time-to-hire, particularly in large-scale recruitment scenarios. • Data-driven insights: Includes built-in analytics, providing actionable data that powers informed decision-making and improved quality of hire. • Enhanced candidate engagement: Creates a positive candidate experience using interactive and gamified assessments, which reflects well on the employer brand.

• Learning curve: May be hard to adopt, as some users note the extensive features and customization options require time and training to navigate effectively.

Pricing

• Pricing is available on request.

11. Crystal

Crystal is a personality data platform designed to help HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers understand candidates’ behavioral traits to improve communication and hiring decisions.

Crystal provides deep insights into personality types, enabling more personalized interactions and better team dynamics.

Key features

• Personality assessments: Offers DISC, Enneagram, and other assessments to evaluate individual personality types.
• Communication insights: Provides tailored advice on interacting effectively with different personality profiles.
• Writing assistant: Integrates with email platforms to suggest language that resonates with the recipient’s personality.
• CRM enrichment: Enhances existing CRM data with detailed personality information for better client engagement.
• Team dynamics analysis: Evaluates team compositions to identify strengths, weaknesses, and potential conflict areas.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Enhanced communication: Reveals personality types, which leads to more effective and empathetic interactions. • Improved hiring decisions: Helps select candidates with great performance and cultural fit. • User-friendly interface: Offers an intuitive design that makes it accessible for users without a psychology or behavioral science background.	• Limited free features: Offers basic functionalities which may not be sufficient for comprehensive analysis.

Pricing

• Free trial: $0 per month; includes basic assessments and limited profile views.
• Premium: $49 per month (billed annually); offers advanced features like premium profile content, personalized communication advice, and 200 new profile credits annually.
• Business: Custom pricing for teams and organizations, including shared profile libraries, team assessments, CRM integration, and a dedicated success manager.
• Enrichment: Custom pricing for high volume profile credits, access to Crystal API, CRM integration, and direct CSV enrichment.

12. Plum

Plum is a comprehensive talent management platform designed for HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers seeking to optimize their workforce strategies.

The platform offers a holistic approach by integrating talent acquisition, management, and culture analysis into a single platform, providing deeper insights into both candidates and existing employees.

Key features

• 360° talent insights: Uses advanced psychometric data and analytics to understand workforce talents and potential comprehensively.
• Tailor-made role fit: Matches candidates to roles they are naturally suited for, aiming to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction.
• Culture gap analysis: Assesses and identifies gaps between current and desired company culture, facilitating targeted improvements.
• Leadership potential identification: Recognizes and nurtures future leaders through data-driven insights.
• Integration capabilities: Integrates with popular Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Greenhouse and SAP SuccessFactors.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Comprehensive talent management: Provides deep insights into both candidates and existing employees, helping with effective talent utilization. • Improved employee retention: Offers a role matching feature that may contribute to higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover rates. • User-friendly interface: Is accessible for users without extensive technical backgrounds.	• Customization challenges: Can be difficult to create custom tests, according to some reviewers.

Pricing plans

Pricing is available on request.

13. iMocha

iMocha is a pre-employment skills assessment platform tailored for HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers aiming to evaluate candidates effectively. Compared to Mercer Mettl, iMocha offers a more extensive library of skill tests and emphasizes emerging tech skills, providing a broader range of assessment options.

Key features

• Extensive skills library: Provides access to 2,500+ tests covering IT, finance, language proficiency, and cognitive abilities.
• AI-driven assessments: Offers adaptive skill tests that adjust based on candidate responses.
• Live coding interviews: Includes real-time coding assessments with whiteboarding tools for technical roles.
• Customizable assessments: Delivers the ability to create tests tailored to specific job roles and requirements.
• Proctoring and anti-cheating measures: Includes features like webcam monitoring, plagiarism detection, and browser restrictions to maintain test integrity.

Pros and cons

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
• Comprehensive skill coverage: Offers an array of available tests to support the candidate screening process. • Responsive customer support: Delivers prompt, helpful feedback. • Effective cheating prevention: Maintains test authenticity with robust proctoring features.	• Complex customization: May require a learning curve to adopt the customization options. • Data analysis limitations: Lacks intuitive data analysis features, according to some users.

Pricing

• Basic: $400 per month for five recruiters and 600 candidate assessments per year
• Enterprise: Custom pricing is available on request.

Combine skills assessments with full-cycle hiring features for better results

AI-based skills tests are a great start, but true hiring efficiency comes from integrating assessments into a complete workflow. Pre-employment testing shouldn’t exist in isolation. Ideally, it should connect the dots between assessments and the rest of your hiring workflows.

While tools such as Mettl are functional, they only cover one stage of the hiring process. That means extra manual work — like transferring candidate data, updating your ATS, and communicating results — all of which wastes time and risks losing top talent to faster-moving companies.

For example, if you use Mettl to screen a candidate, you may still need to add them manually to your ATS and follow up on their performance. By the time you do, they may have accepted another offer elsewhere.

That’s where tools like Toggl Hire make a difference. They allow you to test, filter, and shortlist candidates while keeping communication smooth.

Get a personalized demo of Toggl Hire’s skills assessments

Skills tests are a great start to a hiring journey, but you have to take the candidate all the way to accepting an offer, the onboarding, and their first days in your company. And unfortunately, Mettl won’t get you there, but we have something that will.

Ready to save time and money and make your applicants fall in love with your employer brand? Book a personalized demo of Toggl Hire today to explore our full-cycle hiring options.