One-way video interviews for small business
Comparison as of Oct 2026.
A one-way interview lets a candidate record answers for you to review later. It can replace the first scheduling step while keeping the final decision with a person.
Use it for a specific first-screen question
For a restaurant, ask how someone would handle a guest concern. For retail, ask what good customer service means. For home services, ask about communicating a delay. These are illustrative prompts, not validated hiring tests. Keep questions job-related and use a consistent review process.
Make participation practical
Tell applicants who will view the answers, how long recordings are retained, and how to request deletion. Offer a non-video alternative and accommodation route. Do not treat presentation style as evidence of job performance.
Keep answers short and review them yourself
ApplyReel suggests a 3 minute total response target. Its planned question limits are 30 to 120 seconds, with 3 to 8 questions available, so the actual interview length depends on your setup. No AI scoring or emotion analysis is planned.
Choose a price and workflow you can use
Compare live role counts, billing commitments, recording allowances, mobile compatibility, and deletion behavior. ApplyReel is new and payment opens soon; test an available vendor directly if you need a service today.
| Product | Starting option | Commitment and context |
|---|---|---|
| ApplyReel (proposed) | 39 USD per live role | 30 days, up to 150 candidate interviews. |
| Hirevire Essentials | 49 USD/month | 39 USD/month billed yearly. 1 active job, 1 user. |
| Spark Hire Video Interviews | From 299 USD/month | From 249 USD/month billed annually. |
| Willo | 49 GBP per live role | Pay as you go, no contract. Annual plans from 2,999 GBP/year. |
Different currencies, billing terms, and feature sets. No currency conversion or feature equivalence implied. Prices recorded in our October 2026 research; verify the linked vendor pages before choosing.
A simple next step
Ask for a demo or a free first role. No payment is needed.
Request a demoNo payment is collected on this page. Payment opens soon. All product and competitor figures are taken from the project research dated October 2026.