The 6 best AI resume scoring tools for fairer, faster hiring

How I chose the 6 best AI resume scoring tools

I reviewed dozens of AI resume scoring tools and focused on those that help you find qualified candidates without creating new problems.

First, I looked at the must-have features:

• Scores resumes against job requirements, not just keyword matches.

• Handles lots of applications without getting slower or less consistent.

• Lets you stay in control, with the ability to review and override results.

I also made sure the software is:

• Designed to reduce bias instead of introducing new forms of it.

• Easy to get running without lengthy setup or training.

• Connected to other hiring tools, like assessments, interviews, or your applicant tracking system (ATS).

Finally, I checked for features that make AI resume scoring tools great:

• Explains scores with evidence from the actual resume.

• Removes personal details before scoring to reduce bias further.

• Compares candidates to broader benchmarks, giving you context beyond your current applicant pool.

Here are the six tools that best met these criteria.

The 6 best AI resume scoring tools for 2026

1. TestGorilla

Best AI resume scoring tool Platforms: Web, iOS, Android

Why I chose TestGorilla: TestGorilla is a talent assessment platform that offers AI resume scoring alongside skills tests and video interviews. The AI scores resumes against your job description and shows you exactly why each candidate got their rating. You can also change the score if you disagree with the AI’s reasoning.

Scoring criteria built from your job description

I like that you can paste your job description into TestGorilla, and the AI generates up to five unique scoring criteria based on what you're hiring for. 

However, you‘re not stuck with what the AI suggests. You can review the criteria before screening starts, edit them, delete them, or add your own and get specific. For example, “Experience working with Google Cloud Platform,” or “Skills for establishing and nurturing professional connections.”

You can see why every score was given

Each resume receives a score of 0-5 for each criterion. When someone scores a “4” on “proficiency in scripting languages used to automate tasks,“ you can see what the AI found in their resume that led to that number.

I much prefer this to opaque AI scoring that doesn’t tell you why one candidate is considered better than another. Instead of guessing, I can review the evidence and decide whether I agree. If I don‘t, I change the score, and TestGorilla updates the candidate‘s ranking automatically.

Personal details get stripped out before scoring

TestGorilla removes names, photos, email addresses, and locations before the AI looks at any resume. The scoring focuses on what people have done, not who they are or where they‘re from.

TestGorilla also runs fairness checks to ensure scores remain consistent across groups. No AI is perfect, but this is a real effort to make screening fair and accurate.

Percentile scores show you where candidates stand

Beyond the 0-5 ratings, you can see percentile scores comparing each candidate to thousands of other resumes on TestGorilla. For instance, a candidate in the 80th percentile scored higher than 80% of resumes TestGorilla has seen.

This helps when you‘re not sure if a score of 4 is actually good or just average. The percentile tells you how that person stacks up against a much bigger pool.

Resume scoring connects to skills tests

I think one of the biggest advantages of TestGorilla is that resume scores sit alongside TestGorilla‘s skills tests and AI video interviews. You‘re not screening resumes in a vacuum. You can see how someone‘s resume matches up, or send them an assessment to verify they can actually do what they claim.

Key features

• Scoring criteria generated from your job description

• 0-5 scores with written explanations for each rating

• Percentile rankings against thousands of resumes

• Personal details removed before scoring

• Edit or override any score

• Connects to hundreds of skills tests and AI video interviews

Pros & cons

• Shows exactly why each candidate got their score

• Lets you edit criteria before screening starts

• Strips personal details to reduce bias

• Links resume scoring to skills verification

• Works best with a detailed job description

• Still requires human oversight 

Pricing

• AI resume scoring is included on all plans, including the Free plan

2. Workable

Good for teams already using Workable‘s ATS

Why I chose Workable: Workable is an ATS that manages job postings and applications and includes a built-in AI candidate screening assistant. Its AI pulls skill requirements from your job description and matches candidates against them using meaning-based analysis rather than exact keyword matching.

The Screening Assistant focuses on hard skills, grouping criteria into “Education,” “Experience,” “Skills,” and “Other.” Each candidate gets a percentage showing how many requirements they meet. Recruiters can choose which criteria matter and override the AI when needed.

I think the anonymized screening option is useful. It hides names, photos, and contact details to reduce snap judgments. But the tool only works well with English resumes. Accuracy drops with other languages, which limits its usefulness for global teams.

The scoring also feels surface-level to me. You see a percentage match, but there's limited detail on which parts of the resume contributed to that score, compared with tools like TestGorilla or Skima AI. Pricing starts at $299 per month, which may be steep for smaller teams.

Key features

• Meaning-based matching beyond keyword filters

• Percentage matching against job requirements

• Anonymized screening option

• Built into a full ATS platform

Pros & cons

• Recruiters can override AI decisions

• Anonymized screening available

• No separate tool to manage if you already use Workable

• English resumes only

• Less detailed scoring explanations

• Expensive for small teams

Pricing

• Standard: From $299/month

• Premier: From $599/month (Adds texting, video interviews, and assessments)

What users say about Workable

Reviews are mixed on the AI features. Users appreciate the time savings, with one noting that “the automated templates, integrated communication, and easy resume parsing save significant time and ensure a smooth candidate experience.“ But several reviewers want more depth. One G2 user wished for “more AI-driven candidate matching to quickly highlight applicants who best meet job requirements.” 

3. Zoho Recruit

Good for companies already using Zoho products

Why I chose Zoho Recruit: Zoho Recruit is an ATS that uses Zoho's AI, Zia, to match candidates to job requirements. It grades each skill based on proficiency level, years of experience with that skill, and how recently it was used.

First, it classifies skills as “common” or “rare.” If only 5 out of 50 candidates have a particular skill, Zia marks it as rare and gives those candidates higher scores. Second, it identifies related skills that often appear together (e.g., MS Excel and MS Office). Candidates with more relevant skills receive higher rankings. Finally, it factors in proficiency levels, experience duration, and recency of use for each skill.

The result is a ranked list of up to 20 candidates, ordered by match score from strongest to weakest fit.

You get strong parsing and matching capabilities, but I think the criteria for determining why one candidate scores higher than another are convoluted and lack transparency. The interface also feels dated compared to newer tools. That said, if your company already uses Zoho products, the integration is seamless. 

There’s also a free plan if you want to test other features before committing, but AI candidate matching requires the Professional plan at $50 per user per month, while advanced features like an “AI Profile Summary” and generative tools need the Enterprise plan at $75 per user per month. 

Key features

• AI matching with skill proficiency, experience, and recency analysis

• Fast resume parsing

• Ranked candidate lists (up to 20 matches per job)

• AI Profile Summary on higher plans

Pros & cons

• Resume parsing is fast and accurate

• Works well with other Zoho products

• Free plan available for testing other features

• Best AI features need expensive plans

• Interface feels old

• Match suggestions limited to 20 candidates

Pricing

• Professional: $50/user/month (includes AI matching)

• Enterprise: $75/user/month (adds AI profile summaries)

What users say about Zoho Recruit

Users consistently praise its resume parsing. One said Zoho “really stands out with its AI-powered features, automation, and excellent CV parsing, which save a huge amount of time when handling large numbers of candidates.“ The complaints focus on usability and pricing. Reviewers call the interface “outdated” and note that accessing the AI features you want requires top-tier plans.

4. Manatal

Good for recruiters who want control over scoring weights

Why I chose Manatal: Manatal is a recruitment platform that gives recruiters detailed control over how candidates get ranked. 

The AI reads your job description, identifies requirements, and scores candidates against them. Each person gets a percentage showing their match. Manatal also pulls data from LinkedIn and other public sources to fill out candidate profiles.

I like that you can set skills as “Required” (must appear), “Preferred” (boosts ranking), or “Must Not” (excludes automatically). You can filter out candidates who lack certain qualifications while still boosting those with extra relevant experience.

Manatal doesn’t rank higher on this list because the core accuracy of the AI matching engine is in question. Users often report that the AI struggles to identify good talent for complex roles, mostly due to the basic nature of the search and filtering tools. 

But for straightforward hiring, Manatal works, and at $15 per user per month, it's also one of the more affordable options.

Key features

• Three-tier criteria weighting (Required, Preferred, Must Not)

• Profile enrichment from social platforms

• Percentage-based match scores

• Breakdown showing criteria met/missed

Pros & cons

• Control over how criteria affect rankings

• Profile enrichment adds context

• Affordable starting price

• AI struggles with complex roles

• Search and filtering feel basic

• Matching accuracy varies

Pricing

• Professional: $15/user/month

• Enterprise: $35/user/month

• Enterprise Plus: $55/user/month

What users say about Manatal

Reviews highlight both flexibility and frustration. One user appreciates that it‘s “flexible for collecting and managing applications,“ but they “find the application filtering and search capabilities of Manatal quite limited. Specifically, there's no effective way to assess applications based on custom criteria directly from the curriculum or application data.”

Accuracy is a recurring concern. One reviewer warned that the “built-in AI fails to properly identify talent especially for complex roles,“ and that “AI suggestions often miss the mark.“

5. Skima AI

Good for detailed, explainable scoring

Why I chose Skima AI: Skima AI is a recruiting tool focused specifically on resume screening. Every candidate gets a score from 0-100, and the “Match Reasons“ feature cites specific parts of the resume that led to each rating.

This focus on explainability is what I find most useful. When someone scores 82/100, you can see which sections of their resume contributed to the score. The system evaluates resumes against thousands of data points covering skills, experience, and proficiency.

Hiring managers can mark shortlisted candidates as “Approve” or “Skip,” with that feedback syncing back to your ATS. Every action creates an audit trail, which is helpful if you need to demonstrate compliance or defend hiring decisions. You can use custom AI matching models to fine-tune how the AI selects candidates, though this is reserved for the bespoke Enterprise plan.

The downside is usability. Users mention needing several days to learn the platform. Documentation is thin, so you have to figure things out yourself. I think once you know the system, it‘s powerful, but getting there takes effort that some teams won‘t want to invest.

Key features

• 0-100 matching score with cited evidence

• “Match Reasons” shows which resume sections contributed

• High parsing accuracy

• Sync feedback to your ATS

Pros & cons

• Transparent scoring with specific citations

• Strong audit trail for compliance

• High data extraction accuracy

• Takes time to learn

• Documentation is sparse

• Custom AI matching models only on Enterprise plan

Pricing

• Premium: $49/user/month

• Enterprise: Custom pricing

What users say about Skima AI

Users praise its speed and transparency. One said, “The AI screening is the best feature I have seen. It is very easy and fast to screen and rank applicants.“ Another mentioned it “saved 4-5 hours a day.“ The main complaint is onboarding. A reviewer said getting comfortable with the platform required “3-4 days of training.“

6. HiPeople

Good for teams that want screening, assessments, and references together

Why I chose HiPeople: HiPeople is an all-in-one hiring platform that bundles AI resume screening with skills assessments and automated reference checks. The AI uses contextual understanding rather than keyword matching, designed to recognize relevant experience even without exact keyword matches.

I think the fraud detection is increasingly useful. It catches resumes stuffed with keywords or heavily polished by AI tools. Language support is also broad, with screening working in 113 languages.

The trade-off is that HiPeople is a generalist platform. There‘s less control over screening criteria than dedicated tools offer, and users find the reference-check questions too rigid. I’d also like to see how test scores are validated for cheating, as some users report false flags.

Key features

• Contextual AI resume screening

• Fraud detection for keyword stuffing

• 113-language support

• Integrated assessments and reference checks

Pros & cons

• One platform for screening, testing, and references

• Catches AI-polished resumes

• Works in many languages

• Less control over screening criteria

• Reference checks feel rigid

• Less focused than dedicated scoring tools

Pricing

• Free plan: 5,000 credits (500 resume screens)

• Paid plans: Contact sales

What users say about HiPeople

Users appreciate having everything in one place. One said, “The app streamlines everything into a quick, structured process that guides me to provide clear, useful feedback without needing to overthink it.“ 

But customization is a weak spot. A user said HiPeople needs “more customisation options for feedback and reports” and that “additional flexibility in how insights are displayed or filtered could further enhance the experience.”

What is an AI resume scoring tool?

An AI resume scoring tool reads candidate resumes and scores them based on how well they match your job requirements. Instead of filtering by keywords, the AI evaluates what candidates have actually done and ranks them by fit.

These tools don‘t make hiring decisions for you. They handle the slow work of comparing resumes to job requirements so you can focus on the most suitable candidates. You still review the shortlist, run interviews, and make the final call.

How do AI resume scoring tools work?

The process starts with your job description. The AI reads it and identifies what you‘re looking for: skills, experience levels, qualifications, and responsibilities. Some tools, like TestGorilla, let you edit these criteria before scoring starts.

When resumes come in, the AI parses each one to pull out relevant information: work history, skills, education, certifications. Good tools use meaning-based analysis, so they understand that “led a development team“ and “managed software engineers“ describe similar experiences.

The AI then scores each resume against your criteria. Better tools show you why each score was given, pointing to specific parts of the resume. Finally, candidates get ranked from the strongest to the weakest match.

The benefits of AI resume scoring tools

You gain a lot when AI handles the initial resume review:

• You stop losing qualified candidates to keyword filters. Traditional filters reject people who phrase their skills and experience differently. Much like a human reader, AI scoring understands meaning, so candidates don‘t get rejected for word choice.

• Screening gets consistent across high volumes. When you‘re manually reviewing 200 resumes, the last ones often don‘t get the same attention as the first. AI applies the same criteria to every application.

• Your shortlist matches the actual job. AI scoring focuses on whether skills and experience match requirements, not on formatting or company names. You end up with candidates who fit the role.

• High application volumes become manageable. AI scores hundreds of resumes in minutes, ranking everyone so you start with the strongest matches.

• You can explain your decisions. Tools with explainable scores let you show hiring managers exactly why someone made the shortlist. This transparency also matters for compliance because it allows you to document the job-relevant reasons for every screening decision.

• Skills get checked earlier. Tools that connect to assessments, like TestGorilla, let you verify abilities before investing interview time.

FAQs

Can AI evaluate resumes?

Yes. AI resume scoring tools analyze resumes against job requirements and produce ranked shortlists. They use natural language processing to understand experience in context rather than relying on keyword matching. TestGorilla‘s AI creates criteria from your job description and explains why each candidate received their score.

Are AI resume scoring tools accurate?

Accuracy varies by tool. The best ones use meaning-based analysis and clear evaluation criteria. TestGorilla pairs AI scoring with skills assessments, so you can verify that resume claims match actual abilities.

Do AI resume scoring tools replace recruiters?

No. These tools handle the repetitive work of comparing resumes to requirements. You still review shortlists, conduct interviews, and make hiring decisions.

The bottom line on AI resume scoring tools

You‘ve probably got better things to do than scan 300 resumes looking for the right matches. AI resume scoring tools handle that work and intelligently give you a ranked list of candidates who actually fit the role you‘re hiring for.

TestGorilla shows you why every score was given, lets you change anything you disagree with, and connects resume screening to skills assessments. You stay in control. The AI just does the tedious part.

Book a demo or sign up for free to try TestGorilla’s AI resume scoring for yourself.