The HackerRank Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HackerRank in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HackerRank
The Insider’s Guide
Coding assessments, pair-programming interviews and an AI interviewer
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among hiring and applicant tracking tools, read from HackerRank’s own pages.
Made by HackerRank · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HackerRank’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HackerRank’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade
HackerRank is a technical hiring platform with take-home coding assessments, live pair-programming interviews and an AI interviewer called Chakra that runs conversational screens. Plans are priced by the number of candidate attempts a year, with unlimited users on every self-serve plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HackerRank, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It caps how many candidates you can test a year, and integrations and certified tests sit well up the price ladder.
- 1
Best for coding tests and live coding interviews
HackerRank has take-home coding tests, live pair-coding interviews and an AI interviewer, with unlimited users.
- 2
Paid plans start at $79 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $79 per month, billed annually ($948).
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial offered on Starter and Pro; length not stated
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Chakra AI interviewer
Runs conversational screens with real-time follow-up questions, then produces a report with transcript, session replay and scores.
- 6
Coding assessments
Take-home tests built from a question library of 2,000+ to 7,500+ questions, with multi-file projects and custom questions.
- 7
Pair-programming interviews
Live collaborative coding with recording and playback, a full IDE, and scorecard assistance for interviewers.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 54 of 101
That is against the other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace HackerRank you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
HackerRank at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $79 per month, billed annually ($948)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial offered on Starter and Pro; length not stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- HackerRank
- Category
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for coding tests and live coding interviews
HackerRank has take-home coding tests, live pair-coding interviews and an AI interviewer, with unlimited users. It caps how many candidates you can test a year, and integrations and certified tests sit well up the price ladder.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter 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 | D | A free trial is offered on Starter and Pro, but its length isn't stated. A trial with no terms is a D. |
| Features | C | Coding 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 | C | No store rating on record, and the listing shows tests and question libraries to set up. That puts it at C. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web product with ATS and calendar integrations from Pro and API access on Enterprise. No desktop or phone app, so B. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HackerRank is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Engineering teams that want one tool for screens and live interviews
- Companies assessing how candidates work with AI coding tools
- Large employers that need certified assessments for specific roles
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$79
A month to start
HackerRank is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $79 per month, billed annually ($948).
A free trial is offered on Starter and Pro, but its length isn't stated.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
Sold through sales: custom users and attempts, certified assessments, API and MCP access, 7,500+ questions.
Trying it first
Free trial offered on Starter and Pro; length not stated
Read from hackerrank.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on hackerrank.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Coding assessments, pair-programming interviews and an AI interviewer. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, AI agents, reports, skills tests.
Coding assessments, pair-programming, an AI interviewer and proctoring.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
HackerRank is made by HackerRank.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
54/101
Other hiring and applicant tracking tools it is graded above
HackerRank's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 39 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 64).
Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $99 for the category: 12 of the 42 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HackerRank’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 12 of 101
- DFree plan and trialAbove 64 of 101
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 101
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 43 hiring and applicant tracking tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HackerRank is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace HackerRank you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $948 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- A library of tested questions with scores to compare candidates by.
- An API that other software can build on.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. HackerRank’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
CoderPad, CodeSignal, Codility, TestDome and Karat
The 5 tools HackerRank is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
CoderPad
Free trial · from $80/mo
Coding assessments and live technical interviews with AI in the editor.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents.
- CoderPad also covers video calls.
- 1.6GPA
CodeSignal
From $79/mo
Coding and skills assessments with AI interviewers.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents.
- CodeSignal also covers applicant tracking.
- 1.6GPA
Codility
Free trial · from $800/mo
Technical screening and live coding interviews.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents and reports.
- Codility also covers applicant tracking.
- 1.8GPA
TestDome
Free trial · from $7
Skills tests and live coding interviews, paid per candidate.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents.
- TestDome also covers video calls.
- 1.6GPA
Karat
Paid
Expert-run technical interviews for hiring and contractor vetting.
- HackerRank also covers AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HackerRank free?
No, HackerRank is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial offered on Starter and Pro; length not stated.
How much does HackerRank cost?
HackerRank lists 3 plans. Starter: $79 per month, billed annually ($948 a year).
What platforms does HackerRank work on?
HackerRank is available on Web.
Does HackerRank offer any discounts?
HackerRank publicly lists the following: Save 20% with annual billing.
Does HackerRank have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. HackerRank is listed for Web.
Does HackerRank have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. HackerRank is listed for Web.
Is HackerRank open source?
HackerRank is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does HackerRank have an API?
Yes. HackerRank offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes HackerRank?
HackerRank is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to HackerRank?
The closest alternatives to HackerRank in our directory are CoderPad, CodeSignal, Codility, TestDome and Karat.
How does HackerRank compare with other hiring and applicant tracking tools?
HackerRank's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 21.
Is HackerRank good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HackerRank C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $99 for the category: 12 of the 42 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HackerRank?
To replace HackerRank you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HackerRank’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HackerRank's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. The pricing page did not show its prices when we read it, so those come from the listing.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HackerRank. Prices change, so check hackerrank.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HackerRank, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hackerrank
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HackerRank: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hackerrank
Know someone choosing between hiring and applicant tracking tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hackerrank/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded hiring and applicant tracking tools after HackerRank, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, compared
- Manatal Insider's GuideLow-cost per-user ATS and recruitment CRM with AI candidate matching2.8 GPA
- Breezy HR Insider's GuideFlat-priced applicant tracking with a free one-job plan2.6 GPA
- JOIN Insider's GuideMultiposting and applicant management priced per open job2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HackerRank’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HackerRank is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HackerRank. Prices and plans change: check hackerrank.com before you buy.