If you've been looking for AI interview tools, you've probably come across Interview Coder. It's the most well-known tool in the space — and it charges $299/month.
That's $3,588/year. For a tool you might use for 2-3 months while job hunting.
I built an alternative that does the same thing (and more) — starting at $0.
What Interview Coder Does
Interview Coder is a desktop-based AI tool that helps with coding interviews. You share your screen, and it provides real-time coding solutions. It works with:
- LeetCode-style problems
- System design discussions
- Technical coding rounds
It's good at what it does. The AI is solid. But there are problems.
The Problems with Interview Coder
1. The Price ($299/month)
This is the elephant in the room. $299/month is:
- More than most people's monthly internet bill
- More than Netflix, Spotify, and ChatGPT Plus combined
- Completely inaccessible for job seekers in emerging markets
If you're a developer in Nigeria, Kenya, India, or the Philippines — where remote developer salaries might be $1,000-2,000/month — spending $299/month on an interview tool is insane.
2. Limited to Coding Only
Interview Coder focuses on coding problems. But modern hiring has way more than just coding:
- MCQ assessments (aptitude, logic, domain knowledge)
- Proctored exams (Turing, TestGorilla, Crossover)
- Cloud certification exams (those online-proctored certification tests from major cloud providers? Yeah, those too)
- Take-home assignments
- AI video interviews
If you're studying for a cloud certification and facing an online-proctored exam, or applying to companies that use Turing or Crossover (which millions of remote developers do), Interview Coder won't help you.
3. Open Source = Detectable
Interview Coder is open source. That means:
- Proctoring companies can study exactly how it works
- They can build detection specifically for it
- Your risk of getting caught increases over time
4. Heavy Desktop App
Interview Coder does have a desktop app — but it's a heavy Electron app that eats memory and disk space. If you're on a budget laptop or an older machine, performance matters.
5. Security Concerns
Interview Coder has had documented data security issues. When you're sharing your screen with a tool during a sensitive interview, you want to trust that your data is safe.
The Alternative: Interview Buddy
I built Interview Buddy to solve all of these problems:
| Interview Coder | Interview Buddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299/month | Free (20 credits) / $20/month |
| MCQ Support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Cloud Cert Exams | ❌ No | ✅ Online-proctored certs |
| Proctored Exams | ❌ Often detected | ✅ Tested & working |
| Coding Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (all languages) |
| Desktop App | ✅ Yes (~200+ MB) | ✅ Yes (~40 MB, way lighter) |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows | Mac, Windows, Linux |
| Open Source | Yes (detectable) | No (harder to detect) |
| Data Breaches | Has had issues | Zero incidents |
How It Works
- Download the desktop app (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
- Screenshot any question on your screen
- Get an instant AI-powered answer
It costs 1 credit per question. Free users get 20 credits. The Pro plan ($20/month) gives you 500 credits — enough for dozens of assessments.
What Makes It Different
Cloud Certification Exams: Preparing for a cloud certification? Those online-proctored certification exams are stressful. Interview Buddy works alongside your exam window — take a screenshot, get the answer. It's been tested with the major online-proctored certification platforms.
MCQ + Aptitude Support: Most AI interview tools only handle coding. Interview Buddy handles multiple choice, logical reasoning, numerical aptitude — the exact formats used by Turing, TestGorilla, Crossover, and enterprise hiring platforms.
Lightweight Desktop App: Both Interview Coder and Interview Buddy are desktop apps — but ours is built with Tauri (Rust-based), not Electron. That means our app is roughly 5x lighter in download size and uses significantly less RAM. Your computer won't slow down during the exam.
Emerging Market Pricing: $20/month instead of $299/month. That's 93% cheaper. And the free tier with 20 credits lets you test it thoroughly before committing anything.
Who Should Use What?
Use Interview Coder if:
- You only do coding interviews
- Budget isn't a concern
- You don't face proctored exams or cloud certs
Use Interview Buddy if:
- You face MCQs, aptitude tests, or proctored exams
- You're taking online-proctored cloud certification exams
- You want something more affordable
- You're applying to Turing, Crossover, TestGorilla roles
- You want a lightweight desktop app that won't slow your machine
- You're in an emerging market
Try It Free
No credit card. No commitment. 20 free credits.
Full disclosure: I built Interview Buddy. But I also used Interview Coder before building it — and the limitations I describe are from first-hand experience. I'm not here to trash a competitor, just to show there's a better option for most people.
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