Quick Comparison
| Category | faFAANG | Cluely |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Native Windows desktop app | Desktop app (Mac + Windows) |
| Primary focus | Interview copilot | General meeting assistant |
| Stealth technology | WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE via koffi | Undisclosed (premium tier only) |
| Stealth included? | Yes — all plans, including free trial | No — $75/month add-on |
| Cheapest stealth plan | $9.99/week or $49.99 lifetime | $75/month |
| Local transcription | Yes — Moonshine, on-device | Unclear — claims local processing |
| AI model | Your own ChatGPT/Codex account | Cluely's own AI backend |
| Interview modes | Experience + Coding (dedicated) | General meeting mode |
| Screenshot grounding | Multi-shot coding capture | Screen capture |
| Resume/JD grounding | Deep — JD briefs, story seeding, ACK validation | File upload (up to 3 on free) |
| Keyboard shortcuts | 20+ remappable global shortcuts | Basic controls |
| Lifetime option | Yes — $49.99 | No |
The Stealth Gap
The biggest difference between faFAANG and Cluely is how they treat invisibility.
Cluely has three tiers: Starter (free), Pro ($20/month), and Pro + Undetectability ($75/month). On the first two tiers, Cluely is visible in screen shares. You're paying $20/month for a meeting assistant that your interviewer can see. To actually be hidden, you need the $75/month plan.
faFAANG includes stealth on every plan. The 1-day free trial? Invisible. The $9.99/week plan? Invisible. The $49.99 lifetime plan? Invisible. There is no tier where faFAANG is visible to screen sharing.
For the same $75/month that Cluely charges for undetectability, you could buy faFAANG's lifetime plan twice and still have money left over.
Meeting Assistant vs Interview Copilot
Cluely is designed as a general meeting assistant — it takes notes, drafts follow-up emails, researches participants before calls. It can help with interviews, but it wasn't built specifically for them.
faFAANG is built exclusively for interviews. This shows in features that Cluely doesn't have:
- Dual-mode architecture — separate AI sessions for behavioral (Experience) and coding (Coding) interviews, each with its own grounding context
- JD-aware brief generation — upload a job description and faFAANG generates mode-specific briefs covering likely questions, evaluation criteria, and risks
- Story-based context seeding — upload your STAR stories and resume, and the AI grounds every answer in your actual experience
- Coding language lock — set your language once and all generated code stays consistent
- Click-through overlay — coding mode defaults to read-only so your clicks go to your IDE, not the copilot
- Response history navigation — go back to previous answers mid-interview with hotkeys
The AI Model Question
Cluely runs its own AI backend. You don't choose the model. You don't know what model it uses. And Cluely bears the cost of running that model, which is why they charge $20-$75/month.
faFAANG uses your existing ChatGPT/Codex account. This means:
- You choose which model to use (auto or manual selection)
- New models are available immediately — no waiting for faFAANG to "support" them
- Your transcripts flow through your own OpenAI account, not a third party
- faFAANG doesn't pay for AI compute, so it can charge $49.99 lifetime instead of $75/month
When Cluely Might Be Better
We're not going to pretend faFAANG is better at everything. Cluely has advantages in specific scenarios:
- Mac support — Cluely works on macOS today. faFAANG is Windows-only (macOS is coming soon).
- General meetings — if you need a copilot for all meetings (not just interviews), Cluely's note-taking and follow-up features are broader.
- No ChatGPT account required — Cluely runs its own AI, so you don't need an existing OpenAI subscription.
When faFAANG Is Better
- You need stealth without paying a premium for it
- You're doing coding interviews (DSA, system design, live coding)
- You want deep resume/JD grounding for personalized answers
- You already have a ChatGPT subscription and don't want to pay for AI twice
- You want a lifetime plan instead of recurring monthly fees
- You operate primarily from the keyboard (20+ remappable shortcuts)
- You want local transcription (audio stays on your machine)
The Verdict
If you're on a Mac and need a general meeting assistant, Cluely is a solid choice. If you're on Windows, preparing for technical interviews, and want stealth without a $75/month premium, faFAANG gives you more interview-specific features at a fraction of the cost.
The math is simple: Cluely's stealth tier costs $75/month. faFAANG's lifetime plan — with stealth included — costs $49.99 once.