Pick interviewing.io if you want feedback from senior engineers who hire at big tech firms, anonymous sessions and company-specific coaching. Pick Pramp if you want free practice with another candidate and you're happy swapping roles. One thing to know first: new Pramp sessions now run on Aced Practice, so check that move before you rely on the old brand.
Practising with someone who's as nervous as you is a very different experience from being questioned by a staff engineer who makes hiring calls for a living. Both have their place. The useful question is which one you need at this stage of your search, and whether the second option is still what its name suggests.
Who sits on the other side of the call
This is the biggest difference, and it shapes everything else. On the senior-interviewer site, the vendor says your interviewers are Senior, Staff or Principal engineers who make hiring decisions at FAANG and similar companies. You're getting someone who's run real interviews, judging you the way they'd judge a real candidate.
The peer site works the other way round. Two users take turns interviewing each other, for 30 to 45 minutes. Your partner is another job seeker, so you'll spend half the session asking the questions. That's not a flaw. Playing interviewer teaches you what a good answer looks like from the other chair. But the feedback you get is from a fellow candidate, not from someone who's hired for a top firm.
Side by side on six points
| Point | interviewing.io | Pramp |
|---|---|---|
| Who interviews you | Experienced engineers and managers from top tech firms | A peer who's also practising; you swap roles |
| Anonymity | Fully anonymous, audio and chat, no video; you can unmask afterwards | Video between peers |
| Interview types | Coding, system design, machine learning, front-end, engineering management, behavioural | Data structures and algorithms, product management, behavioural, system design, frontend, data science |
| AI option | AI Interviewer for coding and system design, with feedback | None shown |
| Coaching | Multi-session coaching aimed at Amazon, Google and Meta | Peer feedback only |
| Platform status | Independent site with its own tooling | New sessions now hosted on Aced Practice |
A brand that now opens onto another one
Here's what changes the comparison. The peer site's own page says that since mid-2024 all new sessions are hosted on Aced Practice, and that they remain free. Aced's own site also says it was formerly Exponent. So the name you searched for is now, in effect, a front door to another brand.
That doesn't make it a bad choice. Free peer practice is still free peer practice. It does mean that older reviews and forum threads may describe a product that's since been re-homed, so read them with that in mind. The senior-interviewer site, by contrast, has kept one name and added an AI Interviewer on top of its human sessions.
Why the anonymity matters
Sessions on the senior-interviewer site are fully anonymous, run over audio and chat with no video, and you can choose to unmask afterwards. If you're nervous about being judged on how you look or sound on camera, or you'd simply rather your current employer never found out you're practising, that's a real plus.
Peer sessions on the other side run over video. That's closer to many real interviews, and some people find it more useful for that reason. It comes down to what you're trying to practise: the problem-solving alone, or the whole on-camera experience.
What each one covers
On the senior-interviewer site
It covers coding, system design, machine learning, front-end, engineering management and behavioural interviews. There's also an AI Interviewer for coding and system design that gives you feedback, which is handy for extra reps between human sessions, plus interview guides. And if you're aiming at one company, it sells multi-session dedicated coaching aimed at Amazon, Google and Meta.
On the peer site
It lists data structures and algorithms, product management, behavioural, system design, frontend and data science. That range is a point in its favour if you're not a software engineer: product managers and data scientists get practice too. Feedback comes from your peer, and there's no coaching on offer.
Honest advice for your next interview round
If you've got a FAANG-level interview coming up and you want feedback from someone who's sat on that side of the table, interviewing.io is the stronger fit, especially with the anonymity and the company-specific coaching. If you're early in your prep, want free reps, or you're interviewing for product or data roles, the peer route is a sensible place to start. Just know that new sessions now run on Aced Practice.
Plenty of people use both: peer sessions to get comfortable talking through problems aloud, then senior interviewers once the real thing is close. And if you're still drilling problems on your own, my list of coding practice sites beyond LeetCode is a good companion to either.
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If you'd like a third route
Hello Interview
Best for: Self-paced engineers who want learning tracks, company guides and system design content. It has a free tier and says 250,000+ engineers and managers use it.
InterviewBit
Best for: Learners wanting coding problems, courses and an online IDE, with free mock assessments and peer mock interviews on top.
Aced (formerly Exponent)
Best for: Candidates across product, engineering and data roles, with courses, question banks, mock interviews and coaching.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Pramp still free?
Its page says new sessions are now hosted on Aced Practice and remain free.
Who will interview me on interviewing.io?
The vendor says its interviewers are Senior, Staff or Principal engineers who make hiring decisions at FAANG and similar companies.
Are the sessions on video?
Senior-interviewer sessions are anonymous, with audio and chat but no video, and you can unmask afterwards. Peer sessions run over video.
Can I practise product management or data science interviews?
The peer site lists product management and data science. The senior-interviewer site focuses on engineering, including machine learning and engineering management.
Is there an AI mock interviewer?
Yes, on the senior-interviewer site, for coding and system design with feedback. None is shown on the peer site.
