If you've started shopping for video interview software, you've probably hit a wall: most vendors hide their pricing, use "contact sales" gatekeeping, or bury the real costs in annual contract minimums and per-seat fees.
This guide cuts through it. Here's what Willo, Spark Hire, HireVue, and Yelm actually charge -- and what you're getting for the money.
Why Video Interview Software Pricing Is So Confusing
Most recruitment tech vendors price for enterprise buyers: annual contracts, volume minimums, custom quotes. That's great if you're a 5,000-person company with a dedicated procurement team. It's useless if you're a 50-person business that just needs to screen 20 candidates a month without spending $400 on a tool you barely use.
The pricing models you'll encounter:
- Per user/seat (charged per recruiter using the platform)
- Per interview (charged per candidate session)
- Flat monthly (fixed fee regardless of volume)
- Annual contract minimum (you pay for the year upfront, use it or not)
Here's how the main players stack up.
Willo Pricing (2026)
Starting price: ~$249/month (Essential) Mid tier: ~$409/month (Professional) Enterprise: Custom quote
Willo targets SMBs and is probably the most direct competitor to Yelm in this space. Their pricing is relatively transparent.
What you get:
- Candidates record video responses to preset questions
- Recruiters review recordings asynchronously
- Basic ATS integrations at higher tiers
- No AI scoring at entry tier -- you watch the videos yourself
The catch: At $249/month, you're paying for passive video recording. There's no AI conducting the interview or generating a ranked shortlist. You still spend hours watching recordings and making judgment calls.
Spark Hire Pricing (2026)
Starting price: ~$299/month (Starter) Growth tier: ~$499/month Enterprise: Custom
Spark Hire has strong brand recognition in the US and decent ATS integrations. Their pricing reflects their mid-market positioning.
What you get:
- One-way video interviews (candidate records, recruiter reviews)
- Live video interview scheduling at higher tiers
- Panel interview features
- Employer branding customisation
The catch: Like Willo, Spark Hire is fundamentally a recording platform. The AI features are minimal -- some sentiment flags, no real scoring. You're still doing the screening work yourself. And at $499/month for a growing team, costs compound fast.
HireVue Pricing (2026)
Starting price: ~$35,000/year (enterprise minimum) Typical deployment: $50,000-$150,000+/year depending on volume
HireVue is the enterprise incumbent. If you're an ASX 200 company hiring at scale, HireVue might make sense. If you're a 100-person SMB, it's completely out of reach.
What you get:
- Video interview platform with AI analysis
- Game-based assessments
- Enterprise security and compliance
- Dedicated implementation and support
The catch: The price. $35,000/year minimum is simply not accessible for SMBs. HireVue knows this -- they're not trying to serve your market.
Yelm Pricing (2026)
Free tier: 10 interviews, no credit card required Paid tiers: Starting from competitive monthly pricing -- see app.yelm.com.au for current plans
But here's what makes Yelm different from a pricing perspective: you're not just paying for a recording platform. You're paying for an AI that conducts the interview.
What you get:
- AI avatar interviewer asks questions, listens to responses, asks follow-up questions
- AI-generated scoring and ranked shortlist
- Full transcripts with key insight highlights
- Shareable candidate links for hiring managers
- No scheduling coordination -- candidates complete on their own time
The key difference: With Willo or Spark Hire, you pay $250-500/month and still spend hours watching recordings. With Yelm, the AI does the screening work -- you review a ranked list and watch only the candidates worth your time. You're buying back recruiter hours, not just storage for video files.
Real Cost Comparison: What Does It Take to Screen 50 Candidates?
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Time Still Spent by Recruiter | Effective Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willo (Essential) | $249 | 8-10 hrs watching videos | $249 + opportunity cost |
| Spark Hire (Starter) | $299 | 8-10 hrs watching videos | $299 + opportunity cost |
| HireVue | $2,900+/mo (annual) | 3-5 hrs (AI assist) | Not viable for SMBs |
| Yelm | Starts free | 1-2 hrs reviewing shortlist | Lowest total cost |
The "cheapest" tool isn't always the one with the lowest subscription. If you're paying $250/month to save zero hours, you've bought a problem, not a solution.
What to Ask Before Signing Up
Before committing to any video interview platform, ask:
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Does the AI conduct the interview or just record it? Recording platforms and AI-conducted platforms are fundamentally different products. Know which you're buying.
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What happens at volume? If you hire in bursts (seasonal roles, rapid growth), does the pricing model punish you?
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What do you actually get at the starting tier? Many platforms strip key features (AI scoring, ATS integration, branded experience) from entry-level plans.
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Is there a free trial with real AI features? If you can't test it before paying, that's a red flag.
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What does indexing/indexing look like? Some platforms charge per interview session in addition to the monthly fee. Get the real per-candidate cost.
The Bottom Line
If you're an Australian SMB hiring 10-100 people per year, the smart buy is a platform that reduces recruiter time spent, not just one that digitises your existing process.
Willo and Spark Hire are solid recording tools. If you want to watch candidate videos yourself and find the right person manually, they'll do the job at a fair price.
If you want an AI to conduct the interview, score the candidates, and hand you a ranked shortlist -- that's a different category of product. That's what Yelm does.
Start free. No credit card required.
Try Yelm at app.yelm.com.au -- 10 free interviews, AI-conducted, results in hours.