An alternative to Lemonly
A flat fee per hire, or a search built on evidence.
[solved] is an alternative to Lemonly for consequential and leadership hires: one senior talent partner runs each search end to end, every shortlisted candidate is assessed on evidence of their work and identity verified with documents, a face match and a liveness check, at a fixed $10,000 for Specialist Search or $20,000 for Leadership Search. Lemonly charges a flat $8,000 per hire, due when the hire starts, and combines AI assessment of 15,000 to 30,000 candidates with a recruiter interview before each introduction.
Which fits this hire?
Five questions to think through this hire.
Is this a consequential hire, one that shapes what your company can do next?
A hire like this deserves someone accountable for the whole search.
Is this a leadership hire: an executive or head of function?
Leadership hires need every stakeholder aligned before outreach begins.
Does everyone who will interview agree on what this hire must accomplish in their first year?
When interviewers judge against different pictures of the role, good candidates get rejected.
Do you want each candidate's identity confirmed with documents, a face match and a liveness check?
AI now writes many applications, and some candidates are not who they claim.
Is the lowest flat fee, with nothing due until the hire starts, your top priority?
Price matters, and the right answer depends on what the hire needs.
Answer all five to see which fits. 0 of 5 answered.
Behind every [solved] search
- Replacement coverage of 90 days, or 180 with Exclusive Search
- The retainer returned in full if the shortlist misses the criteria you agreed
- Three-quarters of the fee due only when your hire signs
- Your own candidates assessed too: up to three in Specialist Search, five in Leadership
- A Candidate Evidence Brief with every shortlisted candidate
- A private Hiring Workspace, current as the search moves
Side by side
How each works
Lemonly
Lemonly takes a hiring brief for the role, uses AI to assess 15,000 to 30,000 candidates, and has its recruiters interview the strongest before introducing them, each with a fit briefing. The fee is $8,000 per hire, invoiced when the hire starts, on a non-exclusive agreement. Lemonly serves companies in Canada and the US.
[solved]
One of our senior talent partners defines the role with you in one working session and confirms the direction with a few calibration profiles before anyone is contacted. Each shortlisted candidate is assessed on the outcomes you approved, identity verified, and arrives with a Candidate Evidence Brief.
When Lemonly is the better choice
- You want the lowest flat fee, with nothing due until the hire starts.
- You are hiring for roles like operations or marketing.
When [solved] fits better
- The hire is consequential, and you want evidence before your team spends interview time.
- You want a fixed fee, known before the search begins.
- You want most of the fee tied to a signed hire. Three-quarters of the fee is due only when your hire signs, and the retainer is returned in full if the shortlist misses the criteria you agreed.
- You want to see the search as it moves, in one Hiring Workspace.
- The hire is a leadership role, and every stakeholder needs to agree on it first.
- You want one search partner, whether you are hiring for one role or many.
I'd reached the point where a polished application made me suspicious. The people they brought me could explain their work all the way down, including what went wrong and what they personally changed. That was a difference maker.
Questions
What is a good alternative to Lemonly?
For consequential and leadership hires, [solved] runs each search with one senior talent partner, assesses every shortlisted candidate on evidence of their work, and verifies identity with documents, a face match and a liveness check, at a fixed $10,000 or $20,000.
How much does Lemonly cost?
Lemonly charges $8,000 flat per hire, invoiced when the hire starts and due within 14 days, as listed on its pricing page. [solved] charges $10,000 for Specialist Search or $20,000 for Leadership Search.
Why does [solved] cost more than Lemonly?
The fee covers a search built on evidence: a Signal Spec agreed before outreach, calibration profiles, structured interviews and work-based exercises, identity verification with documents and liveness detection, a Candidate Evidence Brief and scorecards for your interviewers. Leadership Search adds stakeholder alignment, broader market calibration and leadership assessment.
How is [solved] different from Lemonly?
Lemonly combines AI assessment of 15,000 to 30,000 candidates with a recruiter interview before each introduction. [solved] maps the market for each role and assesses shortlisted candidates on evidence of their own work, with identity verified and a Candidate Evidence Brief for each.
What happens if a hire leaves early?
Lemonly runs a replacement search within 90 days, and its fee is not refunded. [solved] covers 90 days, or 180 days with Exclusive Search, and returns the retainer in full if the shortlist misses the criteria you agreed.
Is anything due before a hire?
A retainer begins the search: $2,500 for Specialist Search or $5,000 for Leadership Search. The balance is due when your hire signs. If the shortlist misses the criteria you agreed, the retainer is returned in full, and if you stop a search, the retainer carries over when the role reopens or a new search begins.
Tell us about the role. Within one business day, we confirm whether we are the right firm to lead the search.
Bring the job description you have, or the role in your head. We define the role with you.
Sources: Lemonly pricing page, updated September 12, 2026, and How it Works page, read October 2026. Last reviewed October 2026. Lemonly is a trademark of its owner. [solved] is not affiliated with Lemonly.