Assistly vs LockedIn AI: which real-time copilot wins? (2026)
By The Assistly team ·
LockedIn AI markets itself as the "#1 real-time AI interview copilot," and its live coding support is genuinely one of the better ones out there. But it has a few well-documented weak spots — latency, a detectable browser extension, and billing friction — that are worth knowing before you commit. Here's how it stacks up against Assistly.
At a glance
| Assistly | LockedIn AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99/mo, unlimited | ~$49.99/mo (to ~$29.99 quarterly); lifetime up to ~$1,499 |
| Free plan | 5 full sessions/month | Limited trial / mock interviews only |
| Live latency | Real-time streaming | Reviewers report 4–5s lag ("latency stare") |
| Invisible to screen share | OS-level exclusion (all plans) | Desktop stealth mode; browser extension is visible |
| Multi-speaker context | Yes | Limited |
| Works with headphones | Yes (captures call audio) | Audio capture |
| Personas tuned to you | Yes | Reviewers cite generic, GPT-style answers |
| Beyond interviews | Meetings & sales calls too | Interviews, meetings, sales |
LockedIn's pricing is gated behind sign-up and changes often; figures are as reported by third-party reviews in 2026.
What LockedIn AI does well
Its strongest, most-praised feature is live coding/technical interview support — real-time problem breakdowns and code review that reviewers find genuinely useful. The desktop "stealth" app is more robust than browser-only competitors when configured correctly, development is active, and some Trustpilot users report landing offers. For technical-interview practice specifically, it's a credible tool.
Where users run into trouble
- The "latency stare." The most consistent complaint across Trustpilot and review blogs is a 4–5 second delay during live interviews — long enough to create the exact unnatural pause that interviewers are trained to notice, and it worsens when the overlay runs alongside a video call.
- The browser extension is visible. Reviewers describe the extension being spotted in the toolbar during screen share, leading to real interview failures. The safe path requires the desktop app and careful configuration.
- Generic answers + transcription misses. Reviewers report GPT-style, "LinkedIn-post" phrasing that doesn't match the candidate's voice, plus transcription that misreads the question and returns irrelevant answers, especially when résumé context is thin (it can invent team sizes or metrics).
- Refund and cancellation problems. Trustpilot reviewers report declined refunds — including same-day requests — and being told to troubleshoot a "broken" product instead of getting their money back.
- Detectable by proctoring. Process-list scans on HackerRank/Codility and behavioral-analysis tools are documented vectors.
How Assistly is different
- Make it yours — and harder to flag. Rename the app and swap its icon so it doesn't appear as a recognizable assistant in the process list or Activity Monitor, set custom knowledge modes for your own context, and bind your own hotkeys.
- Real-time means real-time. Guidance streams in token-by-token so you're not sitting in a four-second pause waiting for an answer.
- One invisibility path, included. OS-level screen-capture exclusion on macOS and Windows on every plan — no "use the desktop app but not the extension, and only share a window" dance.
- Persona-tuned, not generic. Build a persona from your CV and notes and answers reflect your real background instead of GPT-style filler.
- Speaker-level context + headphones. Tracks who said what and captures the call's own audio, so it keeps up on busy calls and works with earbuds in.
- Honest, flat pricing. $14.99/month unlimited, a genuinely usable free plan, and no four-figure "lifetime" tier.
- Broader by design. Meetings and sales calls, not just interviews — plus notes and action items after every session and configurable hotkeys.
Which should you choose?
If your single focus is technical-interview practice and you're willing to manage the latency and the desktop-only stealth setup, LockedIn AI is a capable coding copilot. If you want low-latency, persona-tuned guidance with invisibility included across interviews, meetings, and sales calls — at a flat $14.99/month — Assistly is the stronger all-rounder.
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