Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Two months ago, I was mass-applying to jobs and bombing interviews left and right. My technical skills were fine, but I'd freeze up the moment someone asked me a behavioral question. That's when I started looking into AI interview copilots.

I tried LockedIn AI first because it kept showing up in my searches. Then I tested a few alternatives. Here's what I actually learned - not the marketing fluff, but the real stuff.

My Experience with LockedIn AI

So LockedIn AI has this dual-layer system thing going on. One layer gives you quick answers, the other does deeper coaching. Sounds cool on paper. In practice? It took me a good hour to figure out how everything worked.

The 10 free credits they give you upfront are nice, but here's what I didn't realize - those go fast. Like, really fast. I burned through them in two practice sessions because I was still figuring out the interface.

The response time is actually impressive though. They claim 116ms and honestly, it felt pretty instant during my mock interviews. No weird delays.

What I Liked:

• Fast response time - answers pop up quick
• Works with Zoom, Teams, Meet - all the usual suspects
• The coding copilot is solid for technical interviews
• 42 languages if that matters to you

What Bugged Me:

• The pricing is confusing - there's like 5 different tiers
• Learning curve is steeper than I expected
• 10 free credits aren't enough to properly evaluate it
• Desktop app setup was a bit of a hassle

Then I Found LastRound AI

A friend who just landed a job at a Series B startup mentioned LastRound AI. I was skeptical at first - another interview tool, great. But the 15 free credits per month thing caught my attention. That's not a one-time trial. That's every single month.

I signed up on a Tuesday night. No credit card needed. Had the desktop app running in maybe 10 minutes. The interface just... made sense? I didn't need to watch a tutorial or anything.

Real Talk: The Pricing Difference

Let me break down what you're actually looking at:

I'm not saying LockedIn AI is bad. It's not. But when you're already stressed about finding a job and probably watching your bank account, the pricing structure matters.

Who Should Use What

After messing around with both for a few weeks, here's my take:

Go with LockedIn AI if:

• You need it for meetings too, not just interviews
• You want access to multiple AI models (they use GPT, Claude, etc.)
• You're cool with spending time learning a more complex system

Go with LastRound AI if:

• You want something that works out of the box
• Free monthly credits matter to you (they add up)
• You don't want to pull out your credit card just to try it
• AI mock interviews with detailed feedback are important to you

Did It Actually Help Me Get a Job?

Yeah, actually. I landed an offer three weeks ago. Was it all because of the AI practice? No, obviously. I still had to know my stuff. But the mock interviews helped me get comfortable with behavioral questions like "tell me about a time when..." that used to trip me up.

The mock interview feature is what I used most. Just practicing with AI feedback helped me get more comfortable with the whole interview format. By the time I had real interviews, I'd already answered most common questions a dozen times.

Bottom Line

Both tools work. Both can help you interview better. The question is really about what fits your situation. If you're like me - job searching on a budget, wanting something simple that just works - LastRound AI made more sense.

If you've got specific needs around multiple AI models or you use it for work meetings too, LockedIn AI might be worth the extra cost.

Whatever you pick, just start practicing. The best interview tool in the world won't help if you don't put in the reps.

Last updated: January 2025. Prices might have changed - check the official sites.