Sensei AI vs Cluely comes down to focus: Sensei AI is an AI interview assistant that runs in your browser, while Cluely's homepage, as of October 22, 2026, presents it as an AI for meetings that takes notes and gives real-time answers. Sensei AI costs $89 a month or $24 a month billed annually, with free 15-minute sessions; Cluely Pro costs $19.99 a month or $11.99 a month billed annually, with a free Starter plan whose daily caps aren't published.
We make CoPilot Interview, a competing product, and cover it briefly at the end. Every Sensei AI and Cluely fact below comes from the vendors' own homepages, pricing sections, FAQs and policies, checked between October 20 and 22, 2026. We didn't buy either plan, and we left out the user counts and success claims on both sites. For the wider market, see the state of AI interview assistants in 2026.
How do Sensei AI and Cluely describe themselves today?
Sensei AI leads its homepage with "Real-time assistance for live interviews." Everything on its pricing card is about interviews: copilot sessions, an AI Resume Builder, an AI Story Editor, a Coding Copilot and an industry knowledge base. It says it works with almost all video call platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, and offers 30+ languages.
Cluely has moved away from interviews in its own words. On October 22, 2026, its homepage headline called it an AI for meetings, and the subheadline said it takes meeting notes and gives real-time answers. The homepage text we read didn't mention interviews at all. It names Zoom, Slack, Webex, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. Part of its marketing is about not being noticed by other meeting participants, and its top plan exists for that one feature; we don't repeat or test those claims.
So this isn't two versions of the same product. One is an interview copilot with prep tools. The other is a general meeting assistant that some people also use for interviews.
Sensei AI vs Cluely side by side
Disclosure: we make CoPilot Interview. It's listed first for reference; Sensei AI and Cluely figures are as each vendor publishes them, checked October 2026.
| CoPilot Interview | Sensei AI | Cluely | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Desktop interview assistant with practice, live help, Interviewer Mode and a Resume Builder | Browser-based interview copilot with résumé and story tools | General meeting assistant with notes and real-time answers |
| Free plan | Best choice: 15 minutes every day, sessions up to 15 minutes, all four modes, no card or account | As many 15-minute copilot sessions as you start; Coding Copilot not included | Starter: limited AI responses and notes each day (numbers not published), up to 3 files |
| Cheapest monthly price | Best choice: Standard $14.99/mo (sale; regular $19.99) | Pro $89/mo | Pro $19.99/mo |
| Annual billing | Pro Annual $199.99/year | $24/mo ($288 a year) | Pro $11.99/mo (about $143.88 a year) |
| Top plan | Pro+ $49.99/mo, adds Claude models | Pro is the only paid plan | $149.99/mo ($44.99/mo billed annually) for one extra feature |
| Where it runs | Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ desktop app | Web app in the browser; latest Chrome recommended | Desktop app for macOS 13+ and Windows 11; iPhone app priced separately |
| Interview-specific tools | Best choice: Mock Interview scored out of 10, coding mode, Interviewer Mode | Coding Copilot (Pro), Story Editor, Resume Builder | None published |
| Meeting notes | Not a focus | Not published | Live transcript, notes, recap, questions about past meetings |
| Refunds | Best choice: 14 days on a new subscription's first payment, if under 30 minutes of live session time was used | None on the current period; partial within 3 days after an annual renewal | 24 hours, only if the app doesn't work on your computer |
What AI interview assistant features does each one have?
Sensei AI
- Copilot sessions. It listens to the interview and suggests answers. Free sessions end after 15 minutes and you start a new one; Pro sessions are unlimited.
- Coding Copilot. Listed under Pro, not the free plan, on the pricing card we checked on October 20, 2026.
- Prep tools. The AI Resume Builder and AI Story Editor are on every plan, which helps you build STAR stories before the interview. Pro also lists a customization suite, industry knowledge base add-ons and an AI Playground.
What it doesn't publish: an operating-system list, a session length for Pro or any scored mock interview. Our Sensei AI review lists the other gaps.
Cluely
- Answers on request. You call up an answer with a keyboard shortcut rather than having text appear on its own, which keeps the screen calm while you talk.
- Context. Custom instructions and file uploads (3 files on Starter, unlimited on paid plans).
- The meeting record. A live transcript, notes, a recap after the call and the option to ask about past meetings. This is the part that keeps earning after a job search ends.
What it doesn't publish: anything shaped for interview rounds, such as STAR structure, coding modes or feedback on how you answered. Our Cluely review covers it in more detail.
Pricing, free plans and refunds compared
Sensei AI. One paid plan: Pro at $89 a month, or $24 a month billed annually, which is $288 up front. The yearly plan equals about 3.2 months of monthly billing, so it only pays off for a search of four months or more. The free plan is generous on count but short on length: a 45-minute interview would mean starting three sessions. Its homepage FAQ says, "We do not offer refunds." The refund policy in its app (app.senseicopilot.com/refund) adds that monthly refunds are generally not provided and that annual plans can get a partial refund within 3 days after renewal, with one month kept. Our Sensei AI pricing guide has the full breakdown.
Cluely. Starter is free, Pro is $19.99 a month or $11.99 a month billed annually, and the top tier is $149.99 a month or $44.99 a month billed annually, per its pricing page. The top tier adds exactly one feature over Pro, so for interview prep Pro covers everything that matters. The iPhone app is billed separately at $8 a week or $144 a year. Its refund policy offers a 24-hour window only if you can show the software doesn't work on your computer, and Windows 10 computers aren't eligible. Our Cluely pricing guide covers renewals and plan switching.
Two months of interviewing, by our arithmetic at the prices above: Sensei AI Pro costs $178 billed monthly, and Cluely Pro costs $39.98. On price alone Cluely wins, but you pay for a general tool, not an interview one.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Sensei AI if you want a tool built only for interviews, can't install software, and want résumé and story tools in the same place. Budget $89 a month unless you're sure your search will run four months or more.
- Choose Cluely if you sit in calls all week and would use the transcript, notes and recaps long after your job search. Check that your computer runs macOS 13+ or Windows 11 first.
- Choose neither yet if what you need most is practice with feedback. Neither publishes a scored mock interview.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Our verdict, with the obvious bias: Best choice: CoPilot Interview for candidates who want an interview-only tool at a lower price than Sensei AI and with more interview structure than Cluely. Disclosure: we make CoPilot Interview.
It's a desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ that runs in its own window beside Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. In live use it shows captions of the question, then a structured answer in about 2 seconds after the question ends. The free plan gives 15 minutes every day with all four modes, and Standard is $14.99 a month with 60-minute sessions and up to 100 minutes a day. Learn more about CoPilot Interview's AI interview assistant.
Its honest limits: it's desktop only (the Android companion is a beta outside Google Play), it has no meeting notes like Cluely's and no human coach, and the free plan is 15 minutes a day.
Practice it first
Start with Mock Interview: it builds questions from your résumé and the job description, reads each one aloud and scores your spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer. Or try the free browser AI mock interview, with nothing to install. Follow the rules of the employer or platform you're interviewing with — many people use it only to practice, which works on the free plan.
Still comparing? See the best Sensei AI alternatives, the best Cluely alternatives or our InterviewMan alternatives roundup.
Practice an interview before you pay for anything
CoPilot Interview's free plan gives you 15 minutes every day, with a Mock Interview that scores each spoken answer out of 10. No credit card and no account to start.
Download CoPilot Interview freeFAQ
What is the difference between Sensei AI and Cluely?
Sensei AI is an interview copilot that runs in your browser, with résumé and story tools. Cluely's homepage, as of October 22, 2026, presents it as an AI for meetings that takes notes and gives real-time answers, and it doesn't mention interviews.
Is Sensei AI or Cluely cheaper?
Cluely is cheaper. As of October 2026, Cluely Pro is $19.99 a month or $11.99 a month billed annually, while Sensei AI Pro is $89 a month or $24 a month billed annually.
Do Sensei AI and Cluely have free plans?
Yes. Sensei AI's free plan lets you start as many 15-minute copilot sessions as you like, without the Coding Copilot. Cluely's Starter plan is free but caps AI responses and notes each day, and it doesn't publish the numbers.
Do Sensei AI or Cluely give refunds?
Rarely. Sensei AI's FAQ says it doesn't offer refunds, with a partial refund only within 3 days after an annual renewal. Cluely refunds within 24 hours only if the software doesn't work on your computer, and not on Windows 10.
Does Cluely work on Windows 10?
No. As of October 2026, Cluely lists macOS 13 or later and Windows 11 as its system requirements, and its refund policy excludes Windows 10 computers.
Is there an alternative to both with scored practice?
CoPilot Interview, which we make, has a Mock Interview that scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer. Its free plan gives 15 minutes every day, and paid plans start at $14.99 a month.