Hiring developers can be tricky. Developing code is a skill that can’t be reflected in resumes or interviews alone. That’s why many organizations use technical skills tests to evaluate candidates’ abilities. In this article, we’ll be putting some of the most talked-about skills test platforms up against each other in the battle of Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire.
Specifically, we’re going to compare each platform on three vital technical skills screening tool attributes, as well as balancing the pros and cons of their performance.
By the end of this article, you’ll know the major differences between the three tools and be well informed to decide which one is for you.
Not got time for the full article? Use the Quick Links below to find what you need!
Quick Links:
- What Makes a Great Technical Skills Screening Tool?
- Intro to Hackerrank
- Intro to LeetCode
- Intro to Toggl Hire
- Summary – Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire: The Major Differences
What Makes a Great Technical Skills Screening Tool For Recruiters?
There’s a range of technical skills testing tools on the market, all with different features sets. Whilst individual features may appeal to you and your business needs, there’s a few core attributes to consider when deciding which tool is for you:
- The Skills Testing. Ultimately, to understand if a candidate has the skills you need, you need to ask the right questions. Skills testing tools need to strike the right balance between having a library of stock questions whilst enabling you to create from scratch. The best tools nail that mix whilst making the experience quick and easy to set up to deliver great testing.
- The Candidate Experience. Your technical screening tool is an extension of your business. It may be one of the first touchpoints with future employees, and as such, you want it to be an engaging experience. Excellent skills test platforms create a rich user experience, offering the perfect environment for candidates to showcase their skills and receive feedback to learn from.
- The Price. When we look at testing tools for recruiting, the cost to hire is an important measurement. From a hiring perspective, skills test tools set their pricing up either on the number of users (typically recruiters) or the number of candidates tested. Depending on the number of roles or candidates you’re expecting, the tool needs to be correctly priced to make your hiring process cost-effective.
We’ll use these three factors to compare Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire.
Introduction to Hackerrank
Hackerrank is one of the most popular technical screening and interview platforms on the market. They pride themselves on helping over 2000 companies make great hires and have big names such as LinkedIn, PayPal and Vanguard on their books.
Hackerrank’s recruitment platform helps teams across the entire acquisition journey, all the way from planning a vacancy to offering a candidate the role. As the name suggests, the platform exclusively targets those recruiting developers, with skills testing centred around live coding environments and solution design whiteboards.
On the candidate side, Hackerrank has a large community of developers all working to prepare for their next interview. Developers can become part of an interactive coding community, with hundreds of example tests from real organizations.
Hackerrank – The Skills Testing
Hackerrank gets straight to the point when evaluating whether your candidates can code. You can lean on a bank of over 2,100 pre-built questions, alongside getting support from Hackerrank if you need something custom.
Whether it’s asking your candidates to build a web application, fetch API data, or debug a codebase, you’ll have the opportunity to test across 40 different coding languages, all within a fully managed development environment.
If you’d like to test candidates live in an interview, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tool allows you to do so, with built-in audio, video and chat available alongside a private scorecard for recruiters to take notes.
Out the back of this, you’ll receive detailed analytics on each candidate’s performance as well as access to their submitted code.
Pros:
- Detail functionality to manage the entire hiring journey
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to test candidates’ coding skills
Cons:
- Lengthy test setup process
- Custom tests are difficult to create and often require Hackerrank support.
Hackerrank – The Candidate Experience
Outside of the official testing process, Hackerrank’s community of developers is impressive. Regardless of whether a candidate is interviewing, it gives talent acquisition teams an insight into the top developers on the market.
Hackerrank’s testing process is similarly engaging for candidates, providing a bespoke experience to showcase their skills. Especially during the interview section, Hackerrank’s live testing allows candidates to engage 1-2-1 with recruiters for a more personable experience.
Hackerrank tests are, by their nature, quite long, although that is dependent on the test an organization creates. The system also doesn’t give instant feedback, meaning some candidates feel they invest a lot of time testing to get nothing back.
Pros:
- The coding community allows developers to hone their skills and learn
- IDE gives candidates a rich environment to showcase their skills
- Live interviews allow for a personal testing experience with recruiters
Cons:
- Tests sometimes require a lot of investment for little in return
- Candidates report Hackerrank tests don’t feel like ‘real life’ scenarios
Hackerrank – The Pricing
Whilst Hackerrank doesn’t offer a free plan, they do offer a 14-day free trial to test out their tool.
If you want to run live interview tests, prices start at $25/month for a single user when billed annually. If you want to run candidate-led skills tests (i.e. not within an interview), you’ll need the ‘Individual Platform’ subscription, starting at $249/month for a single user when billed annually.
Additional features such as creating bespoke projects, benchmarking results against the Hackerrank community, and detailed reporting are all included in the $599/month ‘Team Platform’ subscription.
Is Hackerrank The Right Technical Screening Tool For You?
In the battle of Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire, Hackerrank makes a strong start with its wide range of features delivering an all-in-one solution.
If you’re serious about hiring the best developers by testing them on their live coding ability, Hackerrank’s robust feature set could be for you. If you’ve got the time to invest in setting up the right tests, conducting live interviews and reviewing benchmark data, you’re bound to find great developers to add to your team.
You’ll also benefit from access to a community of proactive talent, all looking to be the best developers they can be. Overall, the developer community looks favourably on Hackerrank even if there is an element of ‘playing the game’ when it comes to their interviews.
Where Hackerrank may not be for you is in the price. To run stand-alone tests, you’re going to need the ‘Individual Platform’ plan, meaning, at a minimum, you’re paying $249/month. For many small businesses, this price may be unrealistic, with functionality far beyond what you need.
We’d recommend Hackerrank for – Large organisations with dedicated hiring teams that need to test the best talent on the market.
Introduction to LeetCode
Let’s clear one thing up right from the start, LeetCode isn’t a tool for direct hiring. Whilst LeetCode is great for testing technical skills, it focuses on helping the developer community boost their skills and prepare for interviews, not helping recruiters test candidates.
Significantly, those looking to interview for a FAANG role (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) come to LeetCode to brush up on the types of problems these companies test against at interview.
For recruiters, there are opportunities to partner with LeetCode to test talent. LeetCode claims to offer several business solutions, including sponsoring custom contests, but these are on an enquiry-only basis rather than as a core service.
LeetCode – The Skills Testing
If you want to test your skills, LeetCode is a great place to go. LeetCode offers a range of tests over 14 different programming languages within its own Integrated Development Environment. There are no other types of tests here, all practical coding tests.
Candidates will get the opportunity to submit their solutions for ‘judging’, with a member of the LeetCode team assessing answers for competence as part of a queue. Premium users can see question solutions straight away and get priority assessment from the judging team.
As a recruiter, whilst the services aren’t fully advertised, you’ll be able to set up your own coding contest as well as have access to the community of developers. LeetCode isn’t technical skills testing as you know it and may be a better platform for the talent acquisition team to network rather than recruiters working to identify instant hires.
Pros:
- Great tests for candidates looking to prepare for interviews
Cons:
- Not exclusively a technical skills test and screening service
- Limited ability to create your own skills tests to find candidates
LeetCode – The Candidate Experience
Again, candidates don’t come to LeetCode to apply for jobs, they come to LeetCode to prepare for interview skills tests. LeetCode has a great community of developers, providing advice on solutions, best practice, and individual job interview experiences.
It’s an excellent place for aspiring and improving developers to learn and grow. Those who invest in the premium subscription will receive additional features such as access to coding playgrounds, instant problem solutions and access to company-specific skill test examples.
As with Hackerrank, some candidates suggest the types of questions found on LeetCode don’t mirror real-life work tasks. Despite this, it’s universally accepted within the developer community that if you have an interview that requires a skills test, it’s wise to invest some time into ‘Leeting’.
Pros:
- Skills test examples from top tech companies
- Great network of talented developers to learn and grow from
Cons:
- Candidates report LeetCode tests don’t feel like ‘real life’ scenarios.
LeetCode – The Pricing
LeetCode doesn’t openly advise their prices for getting a test in front of their development community if you’re business looking to hire. You’ll need to enquire directly to hear more about the opportunities to sponsor contests or set up your own online assessment.
If you want to take a longer-term approach to identifying and networking with top talent, it’s free to become part of the LeetCode community. Recruiters may also benefit from insight into competitor’s job interview process and offers they’ve made via the LeetCode forums.
Is LeetCode The Right Technical Screening Tool For You?
If you’re looking to screen candidates for a specific role, when you compare Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire, LeetCode is almost definitely not for you. LeetCode’s core business is focused on the developer community and providing them with a platform to learn and prepare for skills tests.
Whilst LeetCode offers some bespoke services for recruiters, the immediate benefit of the platform will come from networking with top talent and insights into the job market.
If you’re reading this as a candidate, LeetCode is an excellent repository for technical skills tests and essential for perfecting your interview performance.
We’d recommend Hackerrank for – Talent acquisition teams looking to network with top talent, not recruiting teams looking to test candidates.
Introduction to Toggl Hire
Toggl Hire specializes in quick and easy skills tests for recruiters looking to screen candidates. Through a crowd tested library of questions, creating a skills test across a range of different development languages is as easy as three clicks.
Create custom questions specific to your business and ensure that every candidate receives a unique question set to avoid cheating. Instantly report on your top-performing candidates to take only the top talent forward in your process.
For candidates, Toggl Hire makes the screening process seamless. Skills tests are engaging whilst providing the perfect platform to showcase development skills. Candidates receive instant feedback on their performance vs other applicants and advice on where they went wrong.
Toggl Hire – The Skills Testing
Setting up a bespoke skills test can be completed in the blink of an eye with Toggl Hire. Drawing upon a library of over 7,000 quality assured questions (and counting!) alongside the ability to add bespoke tests, Toggl Hire makes it easy for recruiters to create instant tests.
Thanks to that array of questions, no two tests are ever the same, helping you to avoid leaks and cheating between candidates. Unlike other platforms, there’s a range of different question types, meaning you can test developers on their coding skills as well as softer attributes of leadership, management and communication.
Managing candidates results is easy with instant reporting on the top performers and automated templates for arranging the next steps. Ultimately, this helps recruiters cut their time to hire while ensuring candidates can actually code and not just write a good resume.
Pros:
- Create skills tests in just three clicks from a library of over 7,000 questions
- Add bespoke questions to tailor skills tests to your business
- No two tests are the same – unique tests for each candidate prevents cheating
Cons:
- No in-interview skills testing
- Only available in English
Toggl Hire – The Candidate Experience
Candidates love Toggl Hire as a quick and easy platform to showcase their skills. Whereas other tools require a high input, Toggl Hire tests are enjoyable to complete thanks to the engaging setup and experience.
All candidates receive instant feedback on their skills test performance. Not only will candidates get advice on the questions they failed, but they’ll also see how they fared against other applicants who took a similar test.
Where Toggl Hire differs from both Hackerrank and LeetCode is there’s no candidate practice area. Toggl Hire focuses on technical screening for recruiters, meaning candidates will need to hone their skills elsewhere.
Pros:
- Tailored candidate experience for your business brand
- Candidates can showcase their skills quickly and easily
- Candidates receive instant feedback on their performance
Cons:
- No features for candidates to practice their code.
Toggl Hire – The Pricing
Toggl Hire’s free forever plan gives one user the ability to build three bespoke skills tests and invite an unlimited number of candidates to showcase their knowledge. You’ll be able to dive into the detail of your top 5 candidates through detailed reporting.
The ‘Standard’ package comes in at $99/month, when billed quarterly, for those looking to expand their skills testing capabilities. Here, you’ll also get deeper access to an unlimited number of candidates and advanced analytics.
Access to the entire test library, API integrations, and dedicated account management all come with the ‘Premium’ package, billed at $199/month when paid quarterly.
Is Toggl Hire The Right Technical Screening Tool For You?
If you need access to quick and easy skills tests to assess developers on their knowledge, Toggl Hire could be the tool for you. Tests can be set up and put live in a matter of minutes across a range of programming languages. Detailed analytics and reporting mean you can identify your top-performing candidates quickly and easily and get on with hiring great people.
Candidates also love Toggl Hire’s straightforward approach to showcasing their skills, with instant feedback on their performance making it feel like an excellent investment of their time.
Price-wise, you can get started with Toggl Hire for free and upgrade to additional features for a very cost-effective price. Especially when comparing Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire, with Toggl Hire small businesses can get on with hiring quickly and easily without needing to break the bank!
We’d recommend Toggl Hire for – Teams that want to ditch resumes and get on with hiring skilled developers in just three clicks!
Summary – Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire: The Major Differences
When it comes to comparing Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire, it all depends on your requirements.
Hackerrank is a fantastic, enterprise-level tool for managing the entire development journey. Right from planning to making an offer, Hackerrank’s solution will guide your hiring process whilst removing admin and cutting time to hire. Smaller businesses may find it too complex and struggle to justify the high costs.
When comparing Hackerrank vs LeetCode vs Toggl Hire, it’s clear to see that LeetCode isn’t a skill-testing platform as we know it. With its primary objective is to offer a platform for candidates to improve their technical skills, LeetCode’s biggest advantage to recruiters is its access to a network of highly skilled developers. LeetCode does offer custom services to businesses for assessments, but they’re on an enquiry-only basis.
Toggl Hire makes skills tests a piece of cake. In just three clicks, you can access a bank of over 7,000 questions across 30 programming languages to build the perfect test for your next hire. Candidates love the instant feedback and simple interface, meaning businesses create a great first impression. You can get started on a free forever plan and access a range of superb features across the ‘Standard’ and ‘Premium’ packages.
James Elliott is a Strategy Manager and Writer from London, UK. When not working on the day job, James writes on a variety of business and project management topics with a focus on content that enables readers to take action and improve their ways of working. You can check out James’ work on his website or by connecting on LinkedIn.
