CoderPad vs HackerRank (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CoderPad and HackerRank share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan, and HackerRank starts cheaper, at $79 a month against $80 a month.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CoderPad
Coding assessments and live technical interviews with AI in the editor
HackerRank
Coding assessments, pair-programming interviews and an AI interviewer
Which one is for you
Pick CoderPad if
- Fits if you run live coding interviews with several interviewers
- Works for teams that want their candidates' AI use handled inside the editor
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you interview a lot: each plan has a set number, and extras cost $30 each
- Pricey if you want agentic interviews, which start at Frontier Lite, $1,000 a month
- Watch out: webcam proctoring and real-time cheating alerts aren't on the lower plans
- Watch out: monthly billing is offered only on Starter and Team
Pick HackerRank if
- Fits if you hire engineers and want tests plus live coding in one place
- Works for teams where many people interview, since every self-serve plan has unlimited users
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you test many candidates: 60 attempts a year on Starter, and extra ones are $20 each
- Pricey if you need integrations, because they start at Pro, $419 a month
- Watch out: certified assessments, leaked-question protection and API access are Enterprise only
- Watch out: the pricing page wouldn't show its prices to us, so the figures are from the listing and not rechecked
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACoderPadFair | 2.0GPAHackerRankFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $80 a month on yearly billing for 60 interviews a year, just above the category's cheaper quarter at $74. The tiers jump to $400, then $1,000. | CStarter is $79 a month on yearly billing for 60 candidate attempts a year, just above the category's cheaper quarter at $74. Pro is $419 for 360. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered on Starter, Team and Frontier Lite, but its length isn't stated. A trial with no terms is a D. | DA free trial is offered on Starter and Pro, but its length isn't stated. A trial with no terms is a D. |
| Features | CLive coding, take-homes, screens and AI in the pad. Agentic interviews and Claude Code in the editor start at Frontier Lite, and webcam proctoring isn't on lower plans. | CCoding assessments, pair-programming, an AI interviewer and proctoring. ATS integrations start at Pro, and certified assessments and API access are Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the listing shows question libraries and tests to set up. That puts it at C. | CNo store rating on record, and the listing shows tests and question libraries to set up. That puts it at C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb product connecting to Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and Workday. No desktop or phone app, so B. | BWeb product with ATS and calendar integrations from Pro and API access on Enterprise. No desktop or phone app, so B. |
| Best for | live coding interviews in a shared editor | coding tests and live coding interviews |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CoderPad and HackerRank. How we grade
Price against what you get
CoderPad starts at $80 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. HackerRank starts at $79 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and HackerRank starts $1 a month lower. Of the other hiring and applicant tracking tools on the chart, 3 score higher than CoderPad for less, and 2 score higher than HackerRank for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- CoderPad also covers video calls.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| CoderPad | HackerRank | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $80 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly) | $79 per month, billed annually ($948) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on Starter, Team and Frontier Lite; length not stated | Free trial offered on Starter and Pro; length not stated |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CoderPad | HackerRank |
| Price read from | coderpad.io | hackerrank.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CoderPad
- Each plan includes a set number of interviews; extra tests or interviews cost $30 each.
- Claude Code and Codex in the editor, and agentic interviews, start at Frontier Lite.
- Webcam proctoring and real-time cheating alerts are not on the lower plans.
- Monthly billing is offered only on Starter and Team.
HackerRank
- Plans cap candidate attempts per year (60 on Starter, 360 on Pro); extra attempts are $20 each.
- ATS and calendar integrations start at Pro, and the larger ATS set at Enterprise.
- Leaked question protection, certified assessments and API access are Enterprise only.
- The monthly-billing price was not shown on the page; the figures here are the annual rates.
Key features
CoderPad
- Collaborative coding interviews
- Live pair-coding in a shared editor supporting 40+ languages and frameworks, with a digital whiteboard and code playback.
- AI assistant in the pad
- An LLM runs inside the editor on every plan and each prompt is captured for playback. Higher plans add stronger models.
- Automated screens and take-homes
- Question libraries and auto-scored screening tests, with a Qualify product that runs automated pre-screens at scale.
- Agentic interviews
- Frontier Lite and above let candidates work with coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex side by side in a session.
- Integrity checks
- Session recording and code playback on all plans; webcam proctoring with AI behavior analysis and live cheating alerts on higher plans.
HackerRank
- Chakra AI interviewer
- Runs conversational screens with real-time follow-up questions, then produces a report with transcript, session replay and scores.
- Coding assessments
- Take-home tests built from a question library of 2,000+ to 7,500+ questions, with multi-file projects and custom questions.
- Pair-programming interviews
- Live collaborative coding with recording and playback, a full IDE, and scorecard assistance for interviewers.
- AI-aware editor
- Candidates can work with AI agents in the IDE, with a choice of Claude, Gemini or GPT; employers set guarded or unguarded AI.
- Integrity features
- Advanced proctoring on every plan, with leaked-question protection reserved for Enterprise.
Plans
CoderPad
Starter$80
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
60 interviews a year (5 a month when monthly). 400+ question library, 10 custom questions, unlimited users.
Team$400
per month, billed annually ($500 billed monthly)
360 interviews a year (30 a month). 1,400+ question library, 20 custom questions, take-homes and auto-scored screens.
Frontier Lite$1,000
per month, annual billing only
360 interviews a year. Adds agentic interviews, Claude Code and Codex in the pad, and top-tier AI models.
EnterpriseCustom
Sold through sales: agentic hiring at scale, dedicated customer success manager, advanced cheating detection.
HackerRank
Starter$79
per month, billed annually ($948 a year)
Unlimited users, 60 candidate attempts a year, 2,000+ library questions, AI interviewer and proctoring.
Pro$419
per month, billed annually ($5,028 a year)
360 candidate attempts a year, 4,000+ library questions, ATS and calendar integrations.
EnterpriseCustom
Sold through sales: custom users and attempts, certified assessments, API and MCP access, 7,500+ questions.
Ways to pay less
CoderPad
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page shows a Save 20% label on annual billing; Starter is $80 a month annually against $120 monthly.
HackerRank
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page toggle is labeled Save 20% annually; Pro attempts can also be pre-bought at $15 on annual plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CoderPad or HackerRank?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HackerRank is cheaper to start with: $79 a month, against $80 a month for CoderPad. CoderPad starts at $80 per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly), and HackerRank starts at $79 per month, billed annually ($948).
Which has a free plan, CoderPad or HackerRank?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither CoderPad nor HackerRank has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.