TestGorilla Alternatives (2026): 10 Assessment Tools by Style

A test library checks whether someone can do a task today; a predictive or game-based assessment tries to forecast how they'll perform and behave once they're in the job.

That difference shapes everything else, from what candidates go through to who reads the results. The ten tools below are listed in no particular order and grouped by assessment style, with a closing check on how each kind fits the hiring software you already run.

Assessment styles and the tools in each

Tool	Style	Good for
Alva Labs	Science-led, agent-run	One hiring system run by an AI agent
Criteria	Test library plus video	Tests, video interviews and talent tools together
Equalture	Game-based	Measuring candidate behaviour through games
eSkill	Skills test library	Pre-employment skills tests to screen applicants
Glider AI	Agent-led screening	Identity checks, skills checks and AI role play
Harver	Enterprise predictive	Assessments, automation and talent insights for big hiring teams
Maki	Workflow layer over your ATS	Running hiring on top of your current ATS
Mercer Mettl	Enterprise assessments	Online assessments for hiring and staff development
Vervoe	Role-based tests	Job-specific tests with explainable results
Wonderlic	Cognitive and personality	Science-backed tests across the employee lifecycle

Skills test libraries you plug in

Two tools here are the closest swaps if you liked having a library of tests to send to candidates. eSkill is classic pre-employment testing for screening applicants. Vervoe builds assessments around the role itself and stresses that each result can be explained, which helps when a hiring manager asks why someone was ruled out.

A third library vendor goes further and adds video interviews and talent management, covered in the ATS section below. Libraries work best when you hire for many similar roles and want quick, comparable results without a long setup.

Predictive assessments for enterprise volume

Two tools in this list are aimed at larger organisations. Harver combines predictive assessments with automation and talent insights for teams processing a lot of applicants. The other covers online assessments for both hiring and employee development, and its page offers a free demo.

Expect a longer setup and more people involved in the decision. In return you get assessments built to predict job performance across large applicant pools, rather than a pass or fail on a single skill.

Game-based and science-led measurement

Equalture uses games to measure how candidates behave, which can feel less like an exam to the person taking it. Wonderlic sells science-backed assessments for hiring, developing and keeping staff, so the same measures can follow someone after they join.

Both approaches ask you to trust the science behind a result more than a visible skills test does. Ask each vendor what their assessment predicts, how they validated it and for which roles, and read the answer carefully before you roll it out.

AI agents that screen candidates for you

Alva Labs describes its software as one hiring system run by an agent trained on assessment science. This group is the newest, and it changes who does the work: instead of a recruiter sending tests and reading results, an AI agent handles parts of the screening. Two more tools in this list belong here too, and both come up again below, because how they connect to your current setup matters more than the agent itself.

If you go this way, agree who reviews the agent's decisions before anyone is rejected. Rules on automated hiring decisions vary by country, so check the requirements where you hire. My guide to AI recruiting software covers more tools that work this way.

The ten assessment tools from A to Z

Alva Labs

Best for: Companies that want one hiring system run by an agent trained on assessment science, which is how the vendor describes its own software.

Criteria

Best for: Hiring teams that want pre-employment assessments, video interviewing and talent management tools together; the vendor says it helps organisations make evidence-based talent decisions.

Equalture

Best for: Employers curious about game-based assessment, using a platform that measures behaviour through games and calls itself behavioural intelligence for hiring.

eSkill

Best for: Recruiters who want straightforward pre-employment testing and skills assessments to screen candidates; the vendor calls itself the market leader in pre-employment testing.

Glider AI

Best for: Recruiting and learning teams that want AI agents to screen candidates, verify identity, assess skills and run AI role play for staff development.

Harver

Best for: Enterprise hiring teams that want predictive assessments, automation and talent insights in one place, plus what the vendor calls AI readiness tools.

Maki

Best for: Teams happy with their applicant tracking system who want a hiring workflow layer on top, which the vendor says brings five capabilities together as one system.

Mercer Mettl

Best for: Large organisations running online assessments for hiring and employee development, including what the vendor calls remote assessment for talent mapping.

Vervoe

Best for: Hiring managers who'd rather see candidates do the work, with role-based skills assessments the vendor says are explainable and based on evidence, not CVs.

Wonderlic

Best for: Employers who want science-backed assessments to hire, develop and keep staff, covering what the vendor calls the whole employee lifecycle.

Plain advice for HR and hiring leads

Work out what you're measuring before you choose how. If the job needs a specific skill on day one, a test library or a role-based assessment shows you that directly. If you're hiring at volume and care most about who'll stay and perform, predictive or science-led tools are built for that question. Mixing the two is fine; buying both by accident isn't.

Treat every claim about being science-backed, predictive or the market leader as the vendor's own description. Ask for a sample candidate report and show it to the hiring manager who'll use it. If they can't explain what it tells them, it won't change a decision. For the wider process around any test, my guide on how to hire the best people is a useful companion.

Will it sit beside your ATS or replace part of it?

Many assessment vendors now sell more than tests, and that changes what you're buying. Criteria lists pre-employment assessments, video interviewing and talent management tools on its own page. Maki runs the hiring workflow on top of your existing applicant tracking system rather than replacing it. Glider AI adds identity checks and AI role play to its screening agents.

Before you compare, decide whether you want a test library that plugs into your current hiring flow or a wider system that takes over more of it. Otherwise you can end up with modules nobody ever switches on. Run each shortlisted tool through these questions:

• Does it connect to the applicant tracking system you already use, and do results flow back into the candidate record?
• Which steps would it take over: sourcing, screening, interviews, or only the test?
• Does it add video interviewing or identity checks you'd otherwise run in a separate tool?
• Who owns it day to day, HR or the hiring managers?
• What happens to candidate data if you switch tools again later?

Do you make pre-employment assessment software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a skills test and a predictive assessment?

A skills test checks whether someone can do a specific task now. A predictive assessment uses cognitive, personality or behavioural measures to estimate how they're likely to perform and fit in the role over time.

Are game-based assessments reliable?

They're built on behavioural science, but how well any assessment predicts performance depends on how it was validated. Ask the vendor for their validation work and try it on roles you already know well.

Can AI agents screen candidates on their own?

Some tools now use AI agents to screen, assess and even verify identity. Keep a person responsible for final decisions, and check the rules on automated decisions where you hire, as they vary.

Do I need a new ATS to use an assessment tool?

Usually not. Many assessment tools connect to the applicant tracking system you already have, and some are built to sit on top of it. Check the connection works before you sign.

How many tests should a candidate take?

As few as you need to make the decision. Long test batteries put good candidates off, and one role-relevant assessment plus an interview is often enough.

Should I tell candidates how they'll be assessed?

Yes. Explaining the format, how long it takes and how results are used makes for a fairer process, and it tends to improve completion.