# Pay-per-candidate recruiting: what the credit actually buys

Canonical: https://metix.ai/compare/pay-per-candidate-recruiting

Pay per candidate is four different meters. Metix credit = booked interview-ready, $49–$299/mo. Picked $0.99/inbound vet. Recruo $300–$2,500. Hire22 INR unlocks. Only vendors we opened. Quote-only left blank.
Explainer of output meters from vendor pages opened 19 August 2026. Metix AI credit = booked interview-ready candidate ($49–$299/mo). Picked $0.99 per inbound AI-vetted completer. Recruo Performance $300–$800 Qualified / $1,000–$2,500 Interview-Ready. Hire22 INR unlock credits; no USD. Wellfound Autopilot $500/mo per role + 10%. Eightfold, Phenom, Leelu prices quote-only / not verified this pass. Not a clone of the per-seat blog.
## FAQ

**What does a pay-per-candidate credit actually buy?**

It depends on the vendor. On Metix AI a credit is a booked, interview-ready candidate: matches the bar, confirmed interest, calendar hold. On Picked, $0.99 buys a completed inbound AI vet, first 50 free per role, and you book. Recruo Performance prices a delivered scored engineer at $300 to $800 Qualified or $1,000 to $2,500 Interview-Ready, not contingent on hire. Hire22 unlocks a confirmed profile in INR credits. Those are four different meters.

**How much does Metix AI charge per candidate?**

Plans are $49, $89, $159, and $299 a month for up to 3, 12, 30, and 75 interview-ready candidates against 1, 3, 6, and 12 active roles, 10 percent off yearly. A credit is spent only when a qualified, interested, interview-ready candidate is booked. If nobody clears the bar, the credit is not spent. Volume and specialized hiring are quote-only.

**Is "interview-ready" a standard term?**

No. It is not a regulated term. Metix AI means a booked calendar slot after outbound and a delivery-lead review. Recruo means a delivered engineer at an agreed bar. Hire22 means a ranked, consent-ready profile you unlock. Picked means an inbound applicant who completed the vet; you book. Read the handoff, not the label.

**Do Eightfold, Phenom, or Leelu publish a per-candidate price?**

Not that we could verify this pass. Those three are quote-only or did not render a public dollar figure on the pages we opened in August 2026. SeekOut Spot is already priced as quote-only on Metix AI vs SeekOut; we do not re-price it here.