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Candyfloss AI vs Hired
Hired is a tech-focused talent marketplace where candidates create profiles, set salary expectations, and receive interview requests from companies. Candyfloss AI is a sourcing and intelligence platform that lets recruiters proactively search for engineers using GitHub data, salary estimates, and natural language queries. Hired focuses on active candidates who opt in, while Candyfloss AI surfaces both active and passive talent.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Candyfloss AI | Hired |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub data integration | Full activity, repos, languages | Limited - linked profiles only |
| Salary estimates | p25 / median / p75 across all profiles | Candidate-set salary expectations |
| Natural language search | Yes - plain English queries | No - structured filters only |
| Job change signals | Real-time tenure and activity signals | Candidates are actively looking |
| Contact info aggregation | Email and social links | In-platform messaging only |
| Boolean search | Supported plus natural language | No |
| ATS integration | Coming soon | Yes - major ATS platforms |
| Pricing model | $99/mo per seat | From $995/mo or 15% per-hire fee |
| Free tier | Yes - limited searches | No |
| Best for | Proactive sourcing of passive engineers | Connecting with active job seekers |
Why teams switch from Hired to Candyfloss AI
Hired only surfaces candidates who have opted into the marketplace. Candyfloss AI lets you find passive engineers who are not actively looking but may be open to the right opportunity.
At $995/mo subscription or 15% per-hire fees, Hired can cost $25K+ per hire. Candyfloss AI is a flat $99/mo regardless of how many hires you make.
Candyfloss AI provides deep GitHub integration showing real code contributions, while Hired relies on self-reported skills and linked profiles.
Natural language search on Candyfloss AI lets you describe niche engineering roles in plain English, which is not possible on Hired's structured filter system.
Who should use Hired
Hired is a strong choice in certain scenarios. It may be the better fit if:
Companies that want pre-vetted, actively job-seeking engineers delivered to them without doing outbound sourcing.
Hiring teams with budget for per-hire fees who value speed and candidate intent over volume.
Organizations hiring for common engineering roles where Hired's marketplace has strong candidate supply.
Ready to try a better way to source engineers?
Candyfloss AI gives you GitHub data, salary estimates, and natural language search in one platform. Free to start.