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Best Applicant Tracking Systems

The 18 Best ATS Systems Reviewed & Compared by Experts

We've researched, reviewed, and compared hundreds of ATS since 2018. Here are the best applicant tracking systems to streamline your recruitment process.

Phil Strazzulla
Written by
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast
We are a reader supported site with strict editorial standards, clicks may earn a fee which supports our testing. Learn More
Last Updated: Mar 19, 2025
TOP
Best for in-house TAs with strong user-centric mentality
Pinpoint
4.6
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Best for in-house TAs with strong user-centric mentality
Pinpoint
4.6
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
ATS nested in HRIS, best for mid-sized businesses
BambooHR
4.5
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.4
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
ATS nested in HRIS, best for mid-sized businesses
BambooHR
4.5
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.4
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Best for collaborative hiring at midsized to large teams
Greenhouse
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Best for collaborative hiring at midsized to large teams
Greenhouse
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Learn More
Over 3 million HR leaders trust our advice

Best Applicant Tracking Systems

Pinpoint

: Best for in-house TAs with strong user-centric mentality

BambooHR

: ATS nested in HRIS, best for mid-sized businesses

Greenhouse

: Best for collaborative hiring at midsized to large teams

VidCruiter

: Ideal for large enterprises with at least 100 hires per year

Workable

: Scalable ATS with native AI-powered talent sourcing tool

Spark Hire

: Best for SMBs seeking video interview features besides ATS

ClearCompany

: Highly flexible for midsized and large teams

Trakstar Hire

: Great offer management tools, ideal for mid-sized teams

Manatal

: Very affordable ATS, works both for corporates and agencies

AvaHR

: Well-designed ATS, strong bet for mid-market orgs

JazzHR

: Ideal for organizations with 5 to 500 employees

Ashby

: Consolidated ATS, CRM, and sourcing for fast-growing teams

Recruit CRM

: Among best-priced ATS options for staffing agencies

Recruitee

: User-friendly applicant tracking system for SMBs

Teamtailor

: Affordable, employer branding focused ATS

iCIMS

: Excellent for multilingual orgs and high-volume agencies

Avature

: Customizable ATS & CRM for large enterprises

Lever

: Great for small teams seeking user-friendly ATS-CRM solution

SmartRecruiters

: ATS with built-in assessment and offer management

Rippling

: Highly scalable solution for fast-growing businesses

Introduction to Applicant Tracking Systems

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that automates the recruitment and hiring process. For companies that hire more than 20 employees a year, an ATS is an essential tool. On this page, you’ll find expert reviews and comparisons of the best ATS systems on the market.

We've been researching, reviewing and comparing ATSs since 2018 and update this article regularly. But we offer more than just research: Our writers have led recruiting operations and PeopleOps across industries. We combine our direct, hands-on experience with rigorous research, product demos, user reviews, and the input of impartial, third-party experts to provide consistent, reliable, and helpful advice. You can also book a free call with an HR tech expert who'll give you personalized help.

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Our Criteria: Here's How We Chose The Best Applicant Tracking Systems

To create and update our list of the best ATSs we regularly participate in product demos, gather user and expert feedback, and leverage in-house knowledge. We assess each product's performance on core functions, including job post distribution, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and analytics/reporting. In our view, the three most essential components that best-in-class ATS software must score highly on are UX/UI, candidate experience, and integration/compatibility.

  • UX/UI: Posting a job should take less than 30 seconds, syndicating this job to job boards should be a simple push of a button, and viewing applicants should be as intuitive as using platforms like Trello.
  • Candidate Experience: Features like personalized communication, easy interview scheduling, and self-service portals for application status updates all enhance the candidate experience. Your talent acquisition team is also part of your public relations team, so it is critical to equip them with tech to ensure you maintain a strong reputation among all candidates, regardless of your hiring decision.
  • Integration and Compatibility: We assess each platform’s ability to integrate with other tools in a typical HR ecosystem. Limited integrations can be a massive drag on ROI: manually entering data or downloading CSVs just to upload them to your ATS, for example, is suboptimal at best.

To address the needs of companies of any size, we've included a few all-in-one solutions. In our experience, many companies with lean HR/TA teams and fewer than 500 employees are better off with a platform that combines applicant tracking with other functions like CRM, HRIS, or payroll.

For more information on our methodology, read this article on how we evaluate HR tech vendors.

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Compare the Best Applicant Tracking Systems

Popularity Score
Best for
Key Differentiator
Pricing
Free Trial
Customers
Users Score
Product Score

Pinpoint

Trending Now
4.6
Teams conscious of candidate experience
Transparent pricing and great customer service
Starts at $345/mo
No
300+ companies
4.4
4.5

BambooHR

Trending Now
4.5
Hybrid and remote teams with high volume hiring needs
ATS built for volume hiring nested in popular HR suite
Custom Pricing
Yes
33,000+ companies
4.5
4.4

Greenhouse

Trending Now
4.5
Midsize and large teams focused on collaborative hiring
Feature-loaded ATS with onboarding component
Starts at $89/mo
Yes
1,000+ companies
4.4
4.6

VidCruiter

Trending Now
4.1
Large companies hiring 100+ people annually
Has video interviews, ATS, and Quick Apply
Custom Pricing
No
10,000+ companies
4.5
4.2

Workable

Trending Now
4.1
Teams wanting a high tech tool for volume hiring
Access to enormous talent pool of more than 400 million
Starts at $149/mo
Yes
30,000+ companies
4.5
4.5

Spark Hire

Trending Now
4.4
SMBs building headcounts
Strong collaboration and video screening features
Starts at $299/mo
No
7,000+ companies
4.8
4.8

ClearCompany

Trending Now
4.2
Enterprise-size with 1,000-10,000 employees
Best for enterprise, stand-alone ATS works well for mid-size
Starts at $7/mo
No
2,500+ companies
4.5
4.3

Trakstar Hire

Trending Now
4.0
Medium-sized companies optimizing for efficiency
Offer management tools, like e-signature, are built in
Custom pricing
Yes
3000+ customers
4.3
4.1

Manatal

Trending Now
4.2
Small and mid-sized teams wanting affordable AI tech
Cost-effective and AI-equipped
Starts at $15/mo
Yes
10,000+ companies
4.7
4.2

AvaHR

Trending Now
4.2
US-based mid-market companies
Remarkably good UX for the price
Starts at $89/mo
Yes
1,000+ companies
4.6
4.1

JazzHR

Trending Now
4.5
Startups and SMBs hiring frewer than 500 per year
Tailormade for SMBs
Starts at $49/month
Yes
9000+ companies
4.3
4.5

Ashby

Trending Now
4.0
SMBs with rapid growth and any orgs hiring consistently
ATS with CRM maintains and nurtures talent pools
Starts at $300/mo
Yes
1,000+ companies
4.4
4.1

Recruit CRM

Trending Now
4.1
Global recruitment staffing agencies
Good-priced ATS, generous free trial available
Starts at $85/mo
Yes
1,200+ companies
4.7
4.4

Recruitee

Trending Now
4.2
The best fit is small and medium-sized businesses
Leverages internal resources for collaboration
Starts at $269/mo
Yes
5000+ customers
4.4
4.5

Teamtailor

Trending Now
4.0
Startups and SMBs building brand alongside headcount
ATS with great employer branding
Custom Pricing
Yes
7,000+ customers
4.3
4.1

iCIMS

Trending Now
4.0
Global enterprises and recruiting agencies
Extra large scale can manage up to 50k candidates
Custom Pricing
No
4,000+ companies
3.9
4.0

Avature

Trending Now
4.1
Enterprise-scale companies exclusively
Combined ATS and CRM to improve user experience
Custom Pricing
Yes
1,900+ companies
4.4
4.2

Lever

Trending Now
4.0
Teams focused on maintaining talent pools
A single platform for ATS and CRM integration
Custom Pricing
No
5,000+ companies
4.3
4.3

SmartRecruiters

Trending Now
4.0
Mid to large-sized companies wanting an all-in-one HR tool
Candidate assessment, skill testing, and offer management
Custom Pricing
Yes
4,000+ companies
4.2
4.0

Rippling

Trending Now
4.2
Organizations looking for a comprehensive ATS + HR suite
Very scalable solution, well-suited for growing teams
Starts at $8/mo for the HCM suite
Yes
16,000+ companies
4.2
4.1
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

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Detailed Reviews of the Best Applicant Tracking Systems

Pinpoint

Visit Website
Pinpoint
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked Pinpoint

A lot of ATS platforms don’t deliver on their claim to be user-focused, but Pinpoint does. With a sophisticated, sleek look and an intuitive interface, they clearly know great software is a mix of form and function.

PROS

  • Best in class automations that will save your recruiting team time.
  • Highly customizable and values collaborative hiring.
  • Unlimited jobs and team members in all of its plans.
  • Career site builder helps teams find and convert the right talent.
  • Pinpoint is an agile ATS that is highly customizable and values collaborative hiring.
  • It’s got a simple and transparent pricing structure.
  • Pinpoint offers unlimited jobs and team members in all of its plans.
  • Their customer service team is highly praised by users.
  • The career site builder is very robust, allowing teams to attract and convert the right talent.
  • There are over 100 HR software integrations to choose from, and Pinpoint’s team is adding 3-5 every month.

CONS

  • The employee onboarding module costs extra
  • Cost prohibitive for budget-conscious teams
  • No free version or free trial offer
  • The employee onboarding module does cost extra.
  • It isn’t the best fit if you’re looking for the cheapest ATS.
  • There isn’t a free trial or free version at this time.
Screenshot of Pinpoint Applicant Tracking System Showing Latest Jobs and Candidates by Stage

Pinpoint Review

The career site builder is a big hit with our team, especially for our writers and editors with extensive experience on TA teams. They emphasized that the need to stand out among other companies is one of the most critical tasks they faced as recruiters, and this unique approach was compelling. 

We found the site builder feature to be so intuitive that a first-time user could complete the setup for a custom site in about 30 minutes. 

This ease of use is no coincidence: Pinpoint is known for its emphasis on user experience, so the visual clarity and sequential logic of workflows were designed with care. 

Users report attentive customer support via email, chat, or phone. 

The platform also considers the experience of employees who make referrals by offering a low-friction process. An automated email is sent to current employees informing them about open positions. The message includes a link to share with their network, and the platform keeps track of the referrals they have made so far. 

With an open API and more than 100 built-in integrations, Pinpoint plays well with others. However, bespoke integration is available exclusively for Enterprise plan users.

Pinpoint Customers

CoinShares, Pathways Global, Grant Thornton, Icario, Pivot Energy.

Pinpoint Pricing

  • Pinpoint pricing starts at $345 monthly when billed annually.
  • Enterprise features, such as multi-page career sites, multi-lingual support, custom integrations, and help on data migrations, start at $1,200 per month.
  • Discounts are available for startups with fewer than 50 headcount.

Best For

This ATS is best for in-house recruitment teams filling at least 30 openings annually, especially those with a strong, user-centric mentality.

Pinpoint in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10

We have configured a recruitment process and attached email templates to every stage of it, allowing us to rapidly communicate with candidates in a standard way, at all stages. We share CVs with management within the tool and capture feedback. We use the tool to invite candidates for assessments, and for booking the assessments in [usually via MS Teams which PinPoint integrates nicely with]. We upload interview notes to the candidate area in PinPoint, and sometimes make a phone interview guide within the tool, to enable us to use a more robust scoring mechanism if anticipating higher volumes of direct applications.

Pinpoint is also used to store/bank candidates for future roles. We have created and implemented a bespoke tagging approach to find people quickly. We have also tagged candidates for reasons not to progress, and can report on that. This gives an opportunity to fine-tune adverts for future positions if we uncover particular rejection themes. It is also used for reporting on things like the diversity of applicants and candidate volume.

What do you like about this tool?

It is very easy to use from a product owner and user perspective. Both management AND suppliers have happily adopted PinPoint and only have positive feedback about it. The PinPoint support staff/messaging tool is also fantastic, with immediate responses provided to any tickets raised.

I love the ability to make bespoke application form questions. Knowing clearly candidate availability, salary expectations, and right-to-work status from such questions saves the recruitment team countless hours.

With the right process and email template set, it gives a better candidate experience. Candidates receive rejection emails and will know clearly what to expect at the interview/assessment stages.

The reporting is wonderful. You simply cannot report on diversity matters without a system like PinPoint, which removes the candidate’s personal info from their actual job application.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Our global recruitment function was hiring around 60+ people a year, across multiple global locations. We used various channels and suppliers to generate candidates but had to manage everything via email and Excel trackers. We wanted a solution that was easy to use, configurable, and enabled HR and management to collaborate, in line with our values. We also wanted a solution that enabled blind CV applications to mitigate unconscious bias, plus diversity reporting. We have used it since April 2022.

What do you dislike about this tool?

You can't effectively share comms with recruitment suppliers about new openings or changes to vacancy briefs, so I am still relying on emails. There should be a ‘vacancy supplier’ area on each vacancy where we can communicate with agencies and also document any feedback from them from the market. Then we could have an option to share info with leaders.

How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • The way it can be configured to your needs is refreshing.
  • The general speed of moving candidates around within a process or into a new process is also different from other systems.
  • In a recruitment team, everyone can see what is going on with candidates and roles, so you remove bottlenecks and enhance efficiency when it comes to things like recruitment team absence.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • First, make sure you have an agreed recruitment process established in the business, then create a ‘shopping list’ of problems to solve or features you would like. Then review solutions.
  • Ensure you liaise closely with IT and/or infosec/GDPR managers around the idea and implementation.
  • Finally, these systems are priced based on an organization’s headcount, so that may come under consideration from a budget perspective.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

A few enhancements here and there, mostly around the reporting suite.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Firms recruiting high volume roles and varied roles, with many different managers/suppliers involved.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Pinpoint would be helpful for any business, regardless of size of industry.

BambooHR

Visit Website
BambooHR
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5

Why we picked BambooHR

We love how this ATS operates within Bamboo’s larger HR Suite. We found seamless workflows between the ATS and other core HR features. The simplicity makes for ease of use, and helps ensure compliance.

PROS

  • This is one of the few solutions that allow you to do month to month pricing, a nice option to have!
  • Free 7-day trials are available (and you can definitely extend these another week or so if needed).
  • The mobile app works well and offers built-in application review, communication, and collaboration features.
  • They have a ridiculously fast response time on customer success queries, less than 2 minutes in our experience.
  • Flexible packaging and custom pricing is the way they roll. You can pick out one or two packages and pick other modules as add-ons based on your needs. 
  • Very simple and straightforward tool, easy to use.

CONS

  • If you go over your allotted time for customer support, you will pay extra.
  • Customer support availability is restricted to U.S. business hours, potentially causing delays in addressing urgent concerns for international users.
  • Certain modules like time tracking, performance management, and surveys are only accessible as add-ons, requiring additional investment if you want more HR functionality.
  • Payroll is only available for US-based employees 
  • Customer support is only offered during US business hours.
  • Some modules like time tracking, performance management, and surveys are only available as add-ons.
Screenshot of BambooHR Applicant Tracking System Showing Onboarding Task, Monthly Headcount, Vacation

BambooHR Review

We’ve led TA teams, so we know the pressures growing orgs face. The fast pace can result in hasty decisions, which lead to problems down the road in terms of efficiency and compliance. 

This ATS, built into the Bamboo suite, gets around the problem of siloed employee data. On top of this, we were also impressed with some specific features. 

We used the app version on Android and iOS devices and found it easy to navigate workflows like posting jobs, viewing resumes, communicating with candidates and hiring managers, and scheduling. We know that if you’re a recruiter, your job probably has you on the run, so the well-built app is a big plus. 

The cloud-based web version was also impressive. We were guided through each step of a standard hiring process without any confusion, and we found it easy to customize workflows when we tested the simplicity of creating our own. Ease of access to other elements of the suite highlights one of the biggest advantages: not only is it easier to be productive when all employee data is in one place, but it’s also much safer if you don’t have to move information across platforms manually. It’s more secure and less prone to human error.

BambooHR Customers

Among the 30,000+ companies who use BambooHR are names like Quora, Universal Group, Reddit, Asana, Change.org, University of Maryland, Grammarly, Stance, Postmates, Wistia, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and ZipRecruiter.

BambooHR Pricing

BambooHR pricing is based on a per employee per month (PEPM) model. There is a minimum charge of $3,000, that usually starts to increase once you hit 25 employees.

In general, we've seen companies pay as low as $8 PEPM, but $12-14 PEPM is a good range (assuming you are using the full HRIS with a few modules).

Best For

BambooHR is a great pick for SMBs who want an all in one suite that can take care of the entire employee lifecycle. If you're just looking for an ATS, there may be better standalone options.  But, if you are <500 employees, you are generally going to want an all in one anyways.

BambooHR in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

Key workflows I used in BambooHR included notifications and reminders to keep employees informed about birthdays and work anniversaries. I also used the policy acknowledgment feature, which allowed me to create documents and set up approval workflows when multiple employees needed to review and acknowledge them.

Employee changes were another commonly used feature, enabling updates to employee profiles, including personal and payroll information. Additionally, I used the system for onboarding new hires, sending out the employee handbook, and distributing required documents for signature or review.

Finally, I used BambooHR for performance reviews, conducting annual evaluations and 360-degree feedback, where managers could request feedback from an employee’s colleagues.

What do you like about this tool?
  • BambooHR is highly user-friendly, making it easy for organizations to integrate into their processes.
  • It offers customizable fields and charts, allowing organizations to tailor the system to their needs.
  • The platform receives frequent updates based on client feedback, continually improving the user experience.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

I used BambooHR in my previous organization, which chose to purchase it for its user-friendly design. The company needed an HR management system that could centralize all employee information while also supporting performance reviews and document storage.

BambooHR provided these features while maintaining a simple and intuitive interface. The platform allowed HR teams to manage employee data efficiently without the complexity of more advanced systems.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • While some customization options are available, they are relatively basic.
  • The performance review module only allows customization of questions but lacks options for adding charts or more detailed evaluations.
  • The cost can be high, especially when considering add-ons, making it less accessible for smaller companies.
  • Larger companies often require more customization, and while BambooHR may be more cost-effective, its limitations can be restrictive.
  • The system is more payroll-focused, which may be unnecessary for organizations looking only for HR management features.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

BambooHR is more affordable and easier to use than competitors like Paycom, Rippling, and ADP. While those systems offer more robust features, they are also more complex to set up and navigate. BambooHR’s simplicity makes it a strong choice for organizations that prioritize ease of use over advanced functionality.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

A company should consider cost and, based on its budget, determine which system best fits its needs. Customer support is another critical factor, as implementing a new system comes with a learning curve, making reliable support essential, particularly in the first 6–12 months.

Additionally, organizations should assess which modules they need most and how well those features integrate to ensure accurate and efficient data management.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

BambooHR has added more customization features over time to better meet user needs.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Small to medium-sized organizations can benefit from BambooHR.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Large companies may not feel that BambooHR is adequate for their needs.

Greenhouse

Visit Website
Greenhouse
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked Greenhouse

Greenhouse is a feature-rich ATS best suited for midsize and large teams. In addition to advanced scheduling, workflow customization, and numerous seamless HRIS integrations, the platform also includes a well-liked onboarding feature.

PROS

  • Onboarding module to ease the transition from candidate to new hire.
  • 300+ integrations with third-party solutions for numerous people ops needs.
  • Collaboration-enabling features distribute the hiring workload across multiple stakeholders. 
  • Customization options are plentiful, and template workflows are convenient.
  • Greenhouse's onboarding feature is built and executed well. New hires transition smoothly from candidate to employee.
  • iOS and Android apps work well for recruiters on the go. Users can review applications, schedule interviews, view candidates' profiles, and more.
  • 450+ third-party integrations.

CONS

  • Undisclosed prices, no free trial.
  • The reporting feature can be challenging to navigate.
  • Cost-prohibitive for budget-conscious teams.
  • A full focus on ATS and onboarding means it lacks core HR features.
  • Greenhouse’s pricing is undisclosed, and they do not offer a trial version.
  • Some users note that reporting customization is quite limited and difficult to navigate.
  • In-person/live support could be improved.
Screenshot of Greenhouse Applicant Tracking System Showing Jobs and Their Status

Greenhouse Review

Our editorial team has always had good things to say about Greenhouse. Several of us have used it extensively as members and leaders of TA teams, and our sentiments align with most of the users who tested the product for us: it’s easy to use, and it saves time.

The dashboard is reflective of the product’s name: greenhouse. It’s visually appealing and offers a clear view of the collection of candidates that need attention. The whole hiring team can see the upcoming interviews, applications to review, and task status overviews.

In our most recent experience using an updated version, we were impressed with the developments in the “interview kit”. The standardization of the interview process is a massive help in combating bias. Clear-cut qualification criteria for each interview stage result in employee confidence in decision-making and valuable insights for process improvement.

We like the pre-built templates for creating and posting jobs. We found that even users with minimal familiarity can post a job in about one minute.

For experienced users who have created their own hiring workflow, this task is reduced to seconds. Even the process of creating custom workflows is a drag-and-drop, super-streamlined affair.

Our writers with professional experience using this tool report that once you’re familiar with it, it basically runs itself. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but the sentiment stands: Greenhouse is a popular ATS because the product meets the needs of actual recruiting teams (and writers who used to be recruiters!).

With more than 300 partners, chances are good that they can connect you with any tool or service you need, and with their well-established place among top HR tech tools, you can count on a smooth, well-supported integration. However, some businesses prefer the simplicity and security of an all-in-one platform, which Greenhouse is not. There’s no right or wrong choice here, but we encourage you to evaluate what is right for your team carefully.

Greenhouse Customers

HubSpot, DoorDash, Dropbox, Wayfair.

Greenhouse Pricing

Pricing is unavailable online, but we found some information through our network.

Greenhouse offers tiered plans, and the pricing is based on the company’s total headcount.

  • Essential: Core features and one event.
  • Advanced: Everything from Essential, plus custom reporting, scalable workflows, and ten events.
  • Expert: Everything from Advanced, plus upgraded CRM, enhanced security, developer sandbox, DEI feature set, and unlimited events.

The standard contract is a one-year prepaid subscription, and discounts are available for two and three-year prepaid agreements.

Best For

Midsize to large enterprises who are ready to invest in the full feature set of a top-notch ATS platform.

Greenhouse in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10

Every company is different, but we typically approve the headcount outside of Greenhouse with finance and then use the greenhouse approval system to check that everything is correct before posting. From there, we use it as our central hub to post jobs, most are auto-linked to job boards, but I like that we can create custom links for unique situations like sharing a posting to a specialty board. From there, we can handle all resume reviews, scheduling and conducting interviews, offer approvals, and offer letter creation and sending. What is nice is Greenhouse integrates with our HRIS, so once an offer is accepted, we can export the candidate data directly to the HRIS.

What do you like about this tool?

Greenhouse is very customizable; I like that we can adjust our rejection reasons, scorecards, email templates, etc. I appreciate that it is very self-contained, meaning with the right integrations, you can pretty much do everything from within Greenhouse itself; you don't need to switch from different apps much. I also like their support; they have a robust self-help and self-guided support platform and very quick and helpful live support.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We had previously been using another ATS that did not allow for much customization of stages, rejection reasons, scorecards, etc. and did not have very robust reporting features. I like that Greenhouse has lots of integration partners, full customization options, and great pre-made reports with custom reporting options. I have been using it for over 5 years and have to say it is my favorite ATS.

What do you dislike about this tool?

There is not a lot I don't like about Greenhouse; I think it's a great ATS. One area I do prefer about some other ATS is the resume disposition flow; with Greenhouse, there is a pop-up every time you want to disposition a resume, and you have to select the reason every time from a dropdown, with some others, you can choose a reason for the first person and from there it just saves and stays the say unless you change it. While they do have a lot of integration partners, you are somewhat limited as well, for example with signatures, you only really have Docusign as a natural integration, so if you use anyone else then you are going to have to do offer letters manually outside the system.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Greenhouse is much more customizable. Some competitors don't allow you to make custom reports, custom rejection reasons, custom interview flows, custom approvals, etc. So for that reason, I much prefer Greenhouse whenever I enter a new Greenhouse environment. At the same time, it looks similar; it is entirely bespoke to the needs of that individual company.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Do you need an ATS yet? It is expensive, so I would consider how much hiring you are doing. Who will manage this and implement it? The implementation can be lengthy and requires a significant time investment; even afterward, you will need someone internally to work the system. Otherwise, it will quickly lose all order. Do I need all these features and customizations? If you don't, going for a cheaper alternative may make sense.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

They have added a nice self-scheduling feature; it replaces the need to integrate Calendly for interviews. They often send feedback requests and surveys, so it is nice to know they always look for ways to improve. They send newsletters out to update any changes.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Someone who wants a customizable ATS with lots of features. You likely need to be rather comfortable with using different software to be comfortable in Greenhouse, it can be easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of things you can do with it.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

If you do not have any dedicated recruiters or if you don't need lots of features or customization, then you likely don't need Greenhouse.

VidCruiter

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VidCruiter
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked VidCruiter

VidCruiter is known chiefly for video interviews, but the platform also offers a solid ATS solution and Quick Apply, a hit feature with both TA teams and candidates.

PROS

  • VidCruiter can be fully customized to meet specific recruiting needs.
  • Easy to use for both job seekers and recruiters.
  • Works on all devices. No app installation is needed.
  • Quick Apply feature lets candidates apply directly from Indeed and LinkedIn and auto-syncs the candidate's info to the user’s existing ATS.
  • Dedicated client success manager, 24/7 applicant support,  phone, email, and live chat.
  • Scalable and customizable — users pay for what they need and can purchase more features as they grow.
  • Robust pre-recorded and live video interviewing with advanced automation.
  • Browser-based, so it works across devices without installing apps.
  • Available for recruiters in eight languages and supports job seekers in dozens more.
  • 24/7 live agent support, assigned account manager, and on-demand training.

CONS

  • Some users reported that implementation was time-consuming
  • Advanced search and technical skills testing features within the assessment module leave room for improvement.
  • There is no trial version, and no price is listed on their site.
  • Screenshots of VidCruiter (one of the best ATS software) Showing Different Features of their ATS
  • Because the product is feature-rich and highly customizable, the implementation phase can be time-consuming.
  • Advanced search and technical skills testing features within the assessment module leave room for improvement.
  • No free or trial version.
  • Undisclosed pricing.
Screenshots of VidCruiter (one of the best ATS software) Showing Different Features of their ATS

VidCruiter Review

VidCruiter has been a significant player in the video interviewing software market for years, but the platform is less well-known for its ATS. However, our research proves the ATS is robust enough to be listed among other top vendors in the space.

The platform balances the needs of those on both sides of the interview pipeline. TA teams are well-equipped with highly customizable features like job posting, pre-screening, interview scheduling, and real-time reports, and applicants are met with a user experience that was clearly designed with them in mind.

For a glimpse of team culture, vision, and values, users can build a custom career site that delivers a branded digital experience to candidates. The site editor is simple to use, and in our in-house testing, we managed to set everything up without help from the IT or VidCruiter support team. One feature of note: when a candidate accesses a career page supported by VidCruiter, the platform automatically generates recommendations for jobs available near them.

Quick Apply benefits both employers and candidates. With this feature, TA teams can rev up the hiring process without implementing a new ATS, so it’s perfect for teams on a budget. It is also helpful for those counting down the hours left on an ATS contract they don’t plan to renew. The platform offers job seekers the convenience of applying directly from portals such as LinkedIn and Indeed.

VidCruiter Customers

VidCruiter is used by over 100,000 recruiters, including Lowe’s, Lionsgate, Samsung, Bears, US Foods, and the United Nations.

VidCruiter Pricing

The price varies based on company specifications, so contacting the vendor directly for a quote is best.

Best For

VidCruiter is a perfect ATS for large companies (U.S.-based and otherwise) hiring 100+ people annually. At the same time, the VidCruiter Quick Apply tool is an excellent pick for smaller companies that want to streamline their hiring process without going separate ways with their current ATS.

VidCruiter in action
Reviewer's Rating
7/10

We used VidCruiter daily to manage our recruitment process. The key workflows included conducting initial video interviews, which allowed us to screen a large number of candidates efficiently. We utilized its customizable interview templates to ensure consistency across different roles and departments. The platform's scheduling tools helped streamline interview coordination, reducing back-and-forth communication.

What do you like about this tool?

VidCruiter offered extensive customization options for interview templates, making it easy to tailor the process to specific roles. The platform included robust onboarding tools, which facilitated a smooth transition for new hires. VidCruiter's scheduling tools streamlined interview coordination, reducing the administrative burden on our team.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We initially purchased VidCruiter to streamline our recruitment process with video interviewing and onboarding tools. The platform's features for candidate management and scheduling were appealing as we needed an efficient way to handle the high volume of applications. VidCruiter helped us simplify and organize our hiring process. We used VidCruiter for about two years before transitioning to another solution that better aligned with our needs for advanced AI-powered candidate analysis and seamless HRIS integration.

What do you dislike about this tool?

The platform's AI capabilities were not as advanced as we needed for in-depth candidate analysis. We experienced some difficulties integrating VidCruiter with our existing HRIS and other systems. The user interface could be more intuitive, as some users found it challenging to navigate.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

VidCruiter stands out due to its extensive customization options and robust onboarding tools, which are ideal for organizations needing tailored interview processes and seamless new hire transitions. However, its AI capabilities are less advanced compared to competitors like myInterview, which excels in AI-powered video screening and detailed candidate analysis. Integration with existing HRIS systems can also be more challenging with VidCruiter.

We prefer myInterview because of its superior AI-driven insights into candidates' soft skills and its seamless integration with our HRIS. These features significantly enhance our hiring efficiency and decision-making processes, making it a better fit for our needs.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Ensure the platform is intuitive for both recruiters and candidates to avoid slowing down the hiring process. Look for tools with robust AI capabilities that provide valuable insights into candidates' soft skills and personalities. Check if the tool integrates well with your existing HRIS and payroll systems for efficient onboarding and seamless data management.

Consider features that improve the candidate experience, such as flexible recording times and user-friendly interfaces. Ensure the tool can scale with your company's growth and offers customizable options to meet specific hiring needs.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

VidCruiter has continuously evolved to better meet user needs by enhancing its video interviewing and onboarding tools. The platform has introduced more customization options, allowing companies to tailor the interview process more precisely to their needs. Improvements in user interface design have made it more intuitive for both recruiters and candidates.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

VidCruiter is good for medium to large organizations that require extensive customization in their hiring processes. It is ideal for companies with a complex recruitment process that benefits from tailored interview workflows and robust onboarding tools.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Small businesses with limited budgets may not need VidCruiter due to lower recruitment needs and higher costs.

Workable

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Workable
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked Workable

Workable is a robust and scalable recruiting solution. Their AI-powered sourcing tool integrates seamlessly with their ATS and other products and can provide over 400 million candidate records.

PROS

  • Straightforward pricing plans.
  • 15-day free trials with no card info required.
  • Post jobs with one click to over 200 sites and access its talent pool with over 400 million profiles.
  • Built-in features for cognitive and personality candidate assessment and management. No need for third-party tools.
  • The anonymized screening feature can help reduce unconscious hiring bias.
  • You can post jobs with one click to over 200 sites. You also get access to access to Workable’s talent pool with over 400 million profiles.
  • Workable has built-in cognitive and personality candidate assessment. The platform also has features for offer management, which means you can create offer letters and collect e-signatures without needing to use third-party tools
  • You can reduce unconscious hiring bias with Workable’s anonymized screening feature. It helps you hide identifying candidate information from the sourced and applied stages of the hiring process.

CONS

  • No automated reference checking and onboarding features.
  • Features like candidate texting, video interviews, and assessments are not included in plans but must be bought separately.
  • Workable could do better with duplicate candidate merging since one person will have numerous candidate records on the ATS if they apply for multiple positions.
  • The reporting feature needs to be more detailed and customizable.
  • The candidate search function could have more filters.
  • Workable doesn’t provide automated reference checking and onboarding features. 
  • Useful features such as candidate texting, video interviews, and assessments are not offered in any of Workable’’s plans and instead, sold separately.
  • Several users complained about the reporting feature not being detailed or customizable enough, and that the candidate search function could use more filters.
Screenshot of Workable ATS Showing Phone Screening Feature

Workable Review

Workable provides an applicant tracking system catering to medium and large businesses.

Besides covering the features expected from an ATS, like candidate sourcing and applicant organization, Workable integrates AI to suggest suitable candidates for posted jobs.

The ATS tries to foster a more structured and unbiased hiring process by providing anonymized screening, interview kits, and scorecards in all their plans. However, additional candidate evaluation tools like video interviews and assessments separately, as they’re not built within the ATS product.

Workable Customers

Workable has been used by over 20,000 organizations, including Sephora, Forbes, Bevi, Moodle, and Navarro.

Workable Pricing

Workable has three plans:

  • Starter costs $169 per month
  • Standard costs $299 per month
  • Premier costs $599 per month.
  • Bundles like HR + Recruiting are available, starting at $249 per month.

Best For

Workable’s  AI-powered sourcing tools suit medium- and large-sized businesses best.

Workable in action
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Spark Hire

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Spark Hire
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Popularity Score
4.4 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.8 / 5

Why we picked Spark Hire

Spark Hire has packed a massive analytics framework into a program that looks very simple. The ATS product, Spark Hire Recruit, is easy to navigate and appeals to hiring managers with scarce time and attention.

PROS

  • Data analysis dashboard and features are top-tier.
  • Efficiency-focused elements, like one-way video interviews, are great for busy TA teams.
  • Collaboration is enabled by features that offer pipeline transparency to multiple stakeholders.
  • Data analysis dashboard and features are top-tier. 
  • Efficiency-focused elements, like one-way video interviews, are great for busy TA teams.
  • Collaboration is enabled by features that offer pipeline transparency to multiple stakeholders.

CONS

  • Starting in 2025, the price will increase to $399 per month.
  • Some users require more customization than what is offered.
  • No caption or translation features in video limits access for some candidates
  • No free trial version.
  • Some users require more customization than what is offered. 
  • No caption or translation features in video limits access for some candidates
Spark Hire applicant tracking system dashboard

Spark Hire Review

Spark Hire Recruit enables truly collaborative hiring, and that's no easy task. All top-tier ATSs are equal parts powerful and pleasant to use. Spark Hire goes beyond that by providing features that appeal to the entire hiring team, encouraging collaboration across roles, and, ultimately, better hires.

One feature that demonstrates this is the interviewing interface, which provides an impressive amount of context at a glance. Without shuffling papers or trying to manage a dozen open tabs, the candidate’s information, including their position in the pipeline, is organized thoughtfully in a single dashboard. The interviewers can directly add their thoughts and impressions to the platform in real time.

We asked our colleagues with the most recruiting experience to weigh in, and they were most impressed with the analytics dashboard. Spark Hire stands out, with notable strengths in data quantity and quality. For example, if a candidate withdraws from the process, it records the point on the pipeline at which they dropped out. This may seem obvious, but it’s a rare find.

Recruiting empowerment was also emphasized during our demo. Our writers are all familiar with the relentless dedication it takes for TA teams to keep their heads above water, so we know the value of seamless automation. This applicant tracking software knows where digital assistance can help and where a human touch is needed.

Spark Hire Customers

7,000+ including Fiverr, Monday.com, Sodastream, Vimeo, and KPMG.

Spark Hire Pricing

Spark Hire Recruit’s pricing starts at $399 per month. They also provide a free trial, but it requires you to schedule a demo with their team.

Best For

We highly recommend Spark Hire Recruit to small and medium-sized companies (5-500 employees). The ATS is made to grow alongside scaling companies, but small teams holding steady with a minimal headcount are likely to pay for features they don’t use.

Spark Hire in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

I use Sparkhire whenever I am filling an open position. Sparkhire has been excellent because it allows collaboration between HR and hiring managers when finding new employees. Setting up initial interviews has been less time-consuming with Sparkhire. The hiring managers have been impressed with the ease of using Sparkhire. Everyone highly recommends Sparkhire.

What do you like about this tool?
  1. It helps keep track of interviews.
  2. The customer service is excellent.
  3. The platform is easy to understand.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

My organization purchased Sparkhire because we needed a virtual solution for hiring employees. We evaluated other programs similar to Sparkhire, but most of them did not meet our needs. We were looking for a program that could assist with scheduling interviews with qualified candidates in a timely manner. Additionally, we wanted software that was not cumbersome and that managers could easily understand. Sparkhire fit the criteria we were looking for at my organization.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  1. There’s nothing we dislike; we love it.
  2. We have no recommendations for improvement.
  3. We highly recommend Sparkhire for small to midsize companies.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

I haven’t used any other software that is similar to Sparkhire.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Sparkhire helps HR and hiring managers maintain important information from interviews, eliminating the need to write notes. All information on the candidate can be found in Sparkhire, making it easy to share information between HR and hiring managers.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Sparkhire has made tracking interviews easier than before. Other than that, I haven’t experienced significant changes to the platform.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Any company in need of large-scale hiring will find Sparkhire a good fit.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Companies that don’t need to hire many people at the same time will not require a tool like Sparkhire.

ClearCompany

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ClearCompany
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked ClearCompany

Launched in 2004, ClearCompany is an established platform that has kept pace with leading-edge HR tech. During our hands-on evaluation of the ATS, we found a comprehensive set of “talent management” features assembled into a logical and seamless workflow recruiting teams need.

PROS

  • Multiple pricing options and add-on features.
  • Intuitive UI across multiple HR modules.
  • Numerous reports of a smooth implementation and attentive customer support.
  • ClearCompany offers a host of HR solutions that work well with another. You can choose the solution you need or combine them all to have a comprehensive talent management platform in your stack. 
  • The majority of users find ClearCompany’s interface to be quite intuitive and easy to navigate. 
  • Many users have highly rated ClearCompany’s support team for speed and quality of response. Several users have also reported a smooth implementation experience.

CONS

  • Undisclosed pricing, no free trials.
  • Some users felt underwhelmed by the customization options of the reporting feature. 
  • The candidate search function is reported to be somewhat unreliable.
  • No mobile apps.
  • ClearCompany’s pricing is not readily available on their website. You also can’t create a trial account on your own from the website and have to go through the sales team for more info. 
  • Some users felt that the reporting feature is limited in customizations.
  • According to a few users, the candidate search function doesn’t always bring up the correct candidate(s) and could use some improvement.
  • ClearCompany doesn’t currently have a mobile app, but the platform is well optimized for mobile use both for hiring managers and candidates.
Screenshot of Clear Company Applicant Tracking System Showing Team Goals and ATS Features

ClearCompany Review

ClearCompany is a talent management suite with an ATS feature that can be purchased as a stand-alone product or as part of the comprehensive HR tech toolset. Numerous configurations and pricing options are available so companies can create a plan that meets their needs and suits their budget.

We review all types of HR tech, but our team has a lot to say about ATSs. In fact, during our in-house evaluation, we found that several of us had extensive professional experience using this platform in previous positions. The consensus: the ATS works best within ClearCompany’s suite, but it is a super-solid ATS on its own.

Some standouts include the user interface, uniquely modern for a company founded in 2004. We were specifically impressed with the onboarding workflows that transitioned candidates into new hires in just a few clicks.

ClearCompany Customers

Mitsubishi Electric, Chick-fil-A, Goodwill, Axiom Bank, Bios, FlixBrewHouse, and Halco.

ClearCompany Pricing

The software has custom pricing. Quotes are based on company size and customizations.

Best For

Large-size organizations with a budget that can cover paying for the whole suite are the best fit, but the ATS alone is excellent for mid-size teams.

ClearCompany in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

We use Clear Company for every new hire to get through all the communication and compliance portions with them. We send offer letters through Clear Company that are customizable, and we receive communication back from applicants via Clear Company as well. Once an applicant has accepted an offer, we also use Clear Company to streamline their background check. Clear Company provides a nice portal where we can clearly see where we are in the hiring process for an applicant.

What do you like about this tool?

The applicant tracking system works well for our small (less than 500 employees) business. It integrates well with our background check processes. It improves our communication with potential hires.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

My company started using Clear Company because we wanted to make the onboarding process smoother for new hires. Prior to using Clear Company, we had a disjointed process. We had to individually craft emails to applicants in the recruitment process, and check in constantly on where we were in the process of recruiting them and completing background checks. Clear Company allowed us to streamline the process. We were able to set up customizable templates for ongoing communication with new hires. We were also able to streamline the background check process.

What do you dislike about this tool?

It takes some time to learn how to use it. We have not tried integrating with our payroll/HRIS software because it doesn't seem like it will function that well. It doesn't integrate with our social media.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

I have not used other tools just like Clear Company, but we added Clear Company to our tool chest because it offers functionality that our HRIS software does not when it comes to applicant tracking and onboarding.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

If you're considering using Clear Company, think about what functionality it will add that you don't already have with your other HR software. In our case, it adds additional applicant tracking and background check integration functionality that we wouldn't otherwise have. I would also consider the price. It is well-priced for our smaller business where we only pay for the essentials for a few users each month. The price could add up quickly in larger businesses, so you need to consider if the value-add of the product is worth the price tag.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

I know they integrate with more payroll/HRIS systems than they used to (but still not with ours). They have improved the user interface over time as well.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

I think Clear Company is good for small to medium-sized businesses. It is right-priced for this size of business and adds functionality that most businesses this size might be lacking in their other HR software.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

I don't think Clear Company would be necessary or very useful for very small businesses who are not hiring very regularly. My business is smaller but experiences high turnover, so Clear Company is a good add for us. If you are not doing a lot of hiring, I don't think it would be much of a value add for the price.

Trakstar Hire

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Trakstar Hire
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Trakstar Hire

Trakstar Hire is highly customizable. The ATS provides a single plan that includes all its features without limits, making it an excellent choice for mid-sized businesses.

PROS

  • Highly customizable workflows that make navigating the hiring process easy.
  • Unlimited job posts.
  • Management must-haves are built-in, letting users create offer letters and collect e-signatures without integrating with other tools.
  • Trakstar Hire’s recruitment workflows are highly customizable. You can edit them as needed to reflect your company’s hiring process. 
  • You can post as many jobs as needed with Trakstar Hire without any limitation. 
  • Trakstar Hire has offer management tools built-in. Users can create offer letters and collect e-signatures within Trakstar Hire without needing to integrate it with third-party tools.

CONS

  • Limited integration options with third-party HRIS and payroll solutions.
  • All-or-none plan: customers may pay for features they don’t use.
  • No free trials. Undisclosed pricing.
  • Trakstar Hire has limited integration options with third-party HRIS and payroll solutions. 
  • Several users have complained about being unable to sort candidates and search results in an order other than displayed.
  • Trakstar Hire isn’t a scalable platform; they have a single plan, all features included, which means customers may end up paying for features that they don’t need. 
  • Trakstar doesn’t publically list their pricing nor allows visitors to create trial accounts directly from the website, which is unusual for a software solution aimed at mid-market companies.
Screenshot of Trackstar Hire (one of the best Applicant Tracking System) Showing Tasks on ATS Dashboard

Trakstar Hire Review

Trakstar Hire (formally RecruiterBox) is a web-based ATS for midsize companies. Our experience navigating the platform was quite positive. The platform supports unlimited job posting on multiple job boards and social media sites. Users can sponsor those listings for maximum visibility and receive resumes through customizable application forms.

We especially liked that customizing the workflow takes just a few clicks. They’ve done a great job balancing ease of navigation with numerous features and configurations available.

Trakstar Hire’s automation stood out as we tested the tool. Once resumes are in, the platform parser automatically extracts candidates’ details and creates profiles in seconds.

The offer management feature is well-made. We especially liked the offer letter templates that were ready to send after just a few tweaks for personalization: end-to-end, we created a mock template in less than 5 minutes. It also manages e-signatures without third-party integration.

However, when the need arises to connect to a third party, Trakstar Hire’s integration abilities are a relative letdown.

They have covered some of the critical basics with the following apps: Namely, BambooHR, Slack, Checkr, QuickBooks, PandaDoc, G Suite, and Outlook/Office 365 Calendar, but we hope more integrations are in the works!

Trakstar Hire Customers

Makita, Couchsurfing, Lonely Planet, Untappd, Quality Ironworks.

Trakstar Hire Pricing

Trakstar Hire has one plan that includes all of its features without any limits. The pricing is custom, depending on the headcount.

Best For

Trakstar Hire’s current feature set and pricing structure makes it best suited for medium-sized businesses that hire regularly.

Trakstar Hire in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

In the HR department, Trakstar was used on a weekly basis. This was due to the oversight of monthly manager check-ins that were created in the software as customizable forms. These forms allowed managers to document discussions with employees, highlighting things going well and areas where improvement was needed. As a direct supervisor and direct report, all employees logged in to the software at least monthly to acknowledge their monthly reviews. All of these reviews were documented and accessible to both managers and employees during the annual review process, which was a major benefit of Trakstar.

What do you like about this tool?

The three main positive elements of Trakstar are its ease of use, the ability to customize, and the comprehensive administrative documentation.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

My current organization needed an online performance management software. The previous system was manual, using paper forms, which was very difficult to track from an administrative standpoint. As the HR Manager, I researched many potential solutions and eventually decided to select Trakstar. The key benefit it initially provided was its user-friendly and customizable online platform for all employees. We used Trakstar for performance reviews for four years.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I honestly did not have many dislikes about this software; however, I did receive feedback from managers that their user experience could be challenging when managing many employee reviews.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Trakstar has an advantage over competitors because it is a primary performance management software that focuses on employee reviews, whereas an HRIS only includes performance management as one of its available modules.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

When considering Trakstar, think about the number of employees, as this will affect the overall cost. Also, ensure the software aligns with leadership’s performance review objectives for the company. Finally, consider the HR department's need for frequency and oversight of the performance review process.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

While using the software, no updates were implemented to my knowledge.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Trakstar can be utilized by any type of organization that focuses on employee development.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Trakstar would not be a good fit for companies that do not have goals for performance management.

Manatal

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Manatal
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Manatal

Manatal made our top ATS list because it's budget-friendly, AI-equipped, and offers transparent pricing—no need to call a sales rep just for a ballpark figure.

PROS

  • Among the most affordable ATS options in the market.
  • Offers a 14-day free trial.
  • Easy to use with drag-and-drop enabled pipelines.
  • Native AI-based recommendations feature.
  • Web-based, so it works on multiple devices.
  • Free data migration from your existing hiring software.
  • Transparent and flexible pricing.
  • Manatal is quite affordable and offers a 15-day free trial for users to test it out before making commitments.
  • Manatal is fairly easy to use. It features drag-and-drop enabled pipelines for candidate organization.
  • Manatal’s AI-based recommendations feature can save hiring managers quite a bit of time. It’s able to scan job descriptions then search a users talent pool and bring up candidates most suited for the job.

CONS

  • The AI recommendations feature only works well in English.
  • There are no free plans.
  • ADP and Zapier integrations are restricted to top-tier plans.
  • Boolean Search and Advanced Search cannot be used together.
  • The AI recommendations feature works best with resumes that are in English, and doesn’t work as accurately with other languages according to several users’ feedback. Several users have also complained about Manatal’s interface only being available in English and that career pages cannot be published in languages other than English and Spanish. 
  • Manatal doesn’t offer a free plan. We mention this as a con as several SMB-geared ATSs do offer a free-forever verison, and that puts Manatal slightly behind competition. 
  • Manatal doesn’t offer prebuilt integration modules. They do have an open API that allows users to plug in third-party products and custom tools, but that required a bit more time and technical knowledge to accomplish. It’s also worth mentioning that only Custom plan customers can access Manatal’s API and Zapier integration. Customers on the Professional and Enterprise plan cannot.
  • Users can search for candidates via Boolean Search or Advanced Search, but cannot combine the two search methods together. E.g users cannot use the Boolean search operators (AND, OR and NOT) within Manatal’s Advanced Search tab.
Screenshot of ATS Manatal on candidate profile dashboard

Manatal Review

Manatal has earned a spot on our top ATS list. As HR professionals, we understand the importance of finding the right talent efficiently, and Manatal has proven to be a valuable tool in this regard.

The first on our thumbs-up list: it’s budget-friendly. We appreciate the transparency in pricing, as there is no need to go through the hassle of contacting a sales just to get a ballpark figure. The platform offers a 14-day free trial.

Using Manatal was straightforward, thanks to its user-friendly interface and the convenience of drag-and-drop-enabled pipelines. The AI-based recommendations feature is a time-saver. It compares job descriptions' language to skills listed by individuals in the talent pool.

Manatal is web-based, so it is compatible with multiple devices. The ability to migrate data from our existing hiring software was also a welcome feature that made for a smooth transition. Additionally, they recently started offering free, live training webinars.

We encountered a few limitations during our evaluation. The AI recommendation feature does not operate well in languages other than English, and Manatal lacks a free version. Integration is limited, and ADP and Zapier integrations are restricted to top-tier plans.

Manatal Customers

Unilever, Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Ogilvy, Toyota.

Manatal Pricing

Manatal has four plans. When billed annually:

  • Professional: This plan costs $15 per user per month for up to 15 jobs per account and 10,000 candidates. Customers on this plan can add unlimited guests.
  • Enterprise: This plan costs $35 per user per month for unlimited jobs per account and unlimited candidates and guests.‍
  • Enterprise Plus: This plan costs $55 per user per month and includes all Enterprise features, user groups, open API access, SSO log-in, priority support, and access to Beta features.
  • Custom: Pricing upon request. It is tailored for larger businesses requiring advanced functionalities and support.

Best For

Manatal is well-suited for companies of different sizes representing many industries but narrowed down to one, it’s SMBs who can use the 14-day free trial to explore the product before they buy.

Manatal in action
Reviewer's Rating
7/10

I used Manatal for creating webpages to attract candidates, posting jobs to multiple job boards and social media platforms from one location, and tracking candidates through the screening process. It facilitated communication and scheduling for team members involved in hiring, ensuring everyone was informed and coordinated. The analytics and reports feature was instrumental in evaluating hiring timelines and identifying the most effective sources for candidates. This functionality allowed us to refine our recruitment strategy and make informed decisions on where to invest in promoting positions.

What do you like about this tool?

The coordination of the hiring process among team members was significantly improved, reducing miscommunications and the hassle of scheduling. Manatal's candidate tracking and database features prevented delays in the recruitment stages and helped us avoid losing good candidates to human error.

The ability to create company showcase web pages was invaluable in attracting sought-after candidates for challenging positions. Additionally, the access to detailed reports and data supported our decision-making with evidence, optimizing our recruitment budget and strategies.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We adopted Manatal to address challenges in managing a high volume of recruiting, especially for hard-to-fill positions with lengthy recruitment processes. We found it difficult to efficiently find the right candidates, and the coordination of the recruitment process was hard, resulting in missed tasks and delays. Additionally, we sought a better way to showcase our company as an attractive place to work, as traditional job postings were insufficient. We experienced loss of good candidates due to protracted processes or confusion over contact points and screening stages. Manatal offered a solution to better coordinate hiring efforts, track candidate progress, and enhance our attractiveness to potential applicants. I personally have used it for about a year.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Some team members found the interface unintuitive, with key features like email templates being hard to locate. The lack of a standalone mobile app initially was a limitation (not anymore), and certain functionalities, such as self-scheduling for candidates and enhancing the focus on candidate relationship management, needed further development for a better candidate experience.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Manatal holds its ground as a competitive tool in the recruitment software market, offering a comprehensive set of features. However, it required a steeper learning curve compared to other tools I have used, although it also provided superior customer service, which added value to our experience.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Prospective buyers should weigh the cost against their specific needs. If your organization does not engage in frequent hiring or if the existing team efficiently manages recruitment, this tool might exceed your requirements. However, for businesses with high recruitment volumes and a collaborative hiring process, Manatal could streamline operations, enhance your company's appeal to candidates, and potentially lead to more successful hires.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Manatal has made significant improvements, including the development of a mobile app and enhancements to its user interface to be more intuitive. The dashboard has been upgraded for easier navigation, reflecting the company's commitment to evolving in line with user feedback.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Manatal is ideally suited for small to medium-sized companies engaged in frequent hiring. It is particularly beneficial for organizations with collaborative hiring processes and those needing to attract high-demand candidates through compelling career pages.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

For small businesses with minimal hiring needs, Manatal may not be cost-effective due to underutilization of its features. Conversely, very large companies requiring extensive customization and complex recruitment workflows might find Manatal's capabilities too basic for their needs.

AvaHR

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AvaHR
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked AvaHR

VIVAHR left a lasting impression on us with how much they care about making things easy for users and helping teams work together better. Their Pipeline Triggers take care of mundane tasks that come up during the hiring process, while the Shared Inbox keeps all the messages, questionnaires, and scorecards coming in safe and sound.

PROS

  • Intuitive UXUI with Pipeline Triggers that automate repetitive actions based on a candidate's stage, such as sending thank-you emails or requesting hiring team feedback.
  • Shared Inbox provides team access to incoming messages, questionnaires, and scorecards in one location.
  • Data migration service is available at no additional cost.
  • Transparent pricing, free trial available.
  • Culture Profiles let you add videos, photos, and text to showcase your company's work environment.
  • Pipeline Triggers automate repetitive actions based on a candidate's stage, such as sending thank-you emails or requesting hiring team feedback.
  • Custom questionnaire builder for candidate pre-assessments.
  • Data migration service is available at no additional cost.
  • Transparent pricing, free trial available.

CONS

  • A credit card is required to sign up for a free trial.
  • Some of the classic ATS features like resume parsing, interview scheduling, and custom search are currently unavailable.
  • Other features, like eSignatures and employee referrals, cost extra to use.
  • No free plan, a free trial requires a credit card.
  • Pricier than competitors like Loxo and Zoho Recruit.
  • Additional charges for features like eSignatures and employee referrals.
  • Interview scheduling feature is unavailable (still in development).

AvaHR Review

After testing VIVAHR, we were struck by its thoughtfully designed interface and how easy it made every step of the hiring process. From the moment we logged in, we could tell the team behind this tool had put serious effort into crafting a user experience that’s intuitive yet powerful.

VIVAHR-ATS-offers-customizable-pipeline-triggers

A standout feature right from the start was the Pipeline Triggers. Based on where an applicant is in the process, it can automate tasks like sending thank-you emails or requesting feedback from the team— to spare recruiters from the mundane, easy-to-miss details.

The design of the Candidates section is also really nice. It offers a bird' s-eye view of all applicants' key information, including their application dates, hiring stages, and contact details. During our tests, the filter function worked great for narrowing down candidates by job title, department, and other criteria. The only minus was that we couldn’t find any advanced options like Boolean searches.

On par with other robust ATS systems, VIVAHR's candidate communication features let us send emails and SMS messages directly from the platform. For these workflows, you can use templates and bulk actions to make things fasyer. Our favorite, though, was the Shared Inbox. It kept all incoming messages, questionnaires, and scorecards, which made it much easier to manage candidate interactions and keep the team aligned.

However, we noticed that the interview scheduling feature was absent at the time of this review. Thankfully, it’s already on the vendor’s roadmap. We’ll keep you posted on how this feature plays out once it’s released.

We think VIVAHR should also improve its integration capabilities a bit more since seven options are a modest number compared to other platforms we’ve evaluated.

And while the team offers free data imports if you’re migrating from another ATS (which we love), we can’t say the pricing is as competitive as some competitors like Zoho Recruit, considering there’s no free plan and some features, such as eSignatures and employee referrals, will come with extra fees.

AvaHR Customers

1,000+ companies, including Redirect Health, BuzzRX, and State Farm.

AvaHR Pricing

VIVAHR offers 3 pricing plans: Starter at $89 per month, Grow at $179 per month, and Pro at $279 per month (billed annually).

Best For

US-based companies with more than 100 employees.

AvaHR in action
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JazzHR

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JazzHR
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Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked JazzHR

This platform is built with the small business in mind. When testing it, our writers were impressed at how easy it was to set up and use “out of the box,” which is a clear sign of its simplicity, attention to user experience, and understanding of the down-to-business mentality of most SMBs.

PROS

  • Affordable pricing, no user limit, and a 21-day free trial. 
  • Built-in features for offer management, including templates and DIY options.  
  • Emphasis on automation for those in the pipeline shows dedication to candidate experience.
  • JazzHR is quite affordable and doesn’t place any limits on the number of users added. It also offers free, 21-day trials that anyone can sign up for. 
  • JazzHR has built-in features for offer management. You can choose from existing offer letter templates or create your own and share them with successful candidates
  • You can automate triggers for candidates to be automatically notified via email when their application has moved a stage further in the hiring process. Several other email responses can be automated.

CONS

  • No free version for orgs with minimal needs.
  • A few users thought reports could be more customizable and easier to create.
  • No mobile apps.
  • Some users reported a learning curve with JazzHR's UI and that it took them some time to get used to it
  • For a product geared towards SMBs, it lacks a free plan. We mention this as a con since other SMB-geared recruiting products do offer free-forever versions, which puts JazzHR slightly behind the competition.
  • Several users have mentioned that the reporting feature is difficult to use with very little room for report customizations. 
  • JazzHR currently lacks a mobile app, and the browser version isn’t well-optimized for mobile use.
Screenshot of applicant tracking system ATS JazzHR showing how to add interview questionnaire to send candidates

JazzHR Review

We like how simple it is to post and syndicate jobs across portals, and we love the upfront pricing on the website. Many customers start with JazzHR’s lowest-cost plan, and as their needs expand beyond basic features, they often upgrade incrementally. Being able to select features as needed keeps spending under control.

Because they do not offer mobile apps, our product testing included a considerable amount of time with our phones in hand, navigating the mobile web environment. We were impressed with how well it could manage the tasks a recruiter does on the go, like sending out a quick reply in the 15 seconds you have before your next meeting.

However, at least among our in-house recruiter veterans, the consensus was that complex tasks should be saved for the desktop version.

One of our writers shared this real-world story from a former job with a tiny company: they signed up for a free payroll software trial before they were actually ready to buy. They used the software for a couple of weeks just to get a sense of the basics of how to run payroll; then, they ended their relationship with the company.

Of course, we don't recommend this - but we know how hard it is to run an SMB. So, along with JazzHR, which we DO recommend, we suggest getting creative with your professional development!

JazzHR Customers

JazzHR is used by over 6,500 businesses, including the Seattle Seahawks, L'Occitane En Provence, TED Conferences LLC, and Chick-fil-A.

JazzHR Pricing

JazzHR has three plans. When paid annually:

  • Hero costs $75 per month.
  • Plus costs $269 per month.
  • Pro costs $420 per month.

Best For

JazzHR is built for organizations with 5 to 500 employees and works exceptionally well for TA teams with little to no experience.

JazzHR in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

We use JazzHR daily for posting job openings, managing candidate applications, and tracking the hiring process. Job listings are created frequently and automatically distributed to multiple job boards, saving significant time. The applicant tracking system (ATS) feature helps us screen and hire candidates efficiently. JazzHR plays a crucial role in our recruitment process.

What do you like about this tool?
  • JazzHR is intuitive compared to other tools we have used.
  • The job board integrations are helpful and time-saving.
  • The pricing of JazzHR provides great value for its features.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

The main reason we chose JazzHR was that we needed an affordable and user-friendly recruitment platform to streamline our hiring process. Like many other companies, we were relying on manual hiring processes, which were time-consuming, especially as our company grew.

JazzHR provided a more efficient solution, reducing the time spent on recruitment tasks. The platform also offers enhanced collaboration, allowing our teams to work together effectively.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • JazzHR lacks some advanced features, such as AI-powered candidate assessments.
  • While the platform is user-friendly, it offers fewer customization options for branding and job listing design compared to some competitors.
  • JazzHR does not have a mobile app.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

JazzHR is simple and affordable. It is straightforward and provides essential recruitment features, including an ATS, job board integrations, and other useful tools. The pricing is lower than that of competitors because it has fewer advanced capabilities.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Consider ease of use, feature requirements, pricing, and scalability. Pricing is a key factor for many organizations, and JazzHR’s competitive cost makes it an attractive option. Additionally, depending on your company size, you should determine whether the tool meets your long-term needs.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

JazzHR has continuously improved by adding more integrations and enhancing its job posting capabilities. The user interface has also been updated to make it more accessible for new users. Additionally, its reporting tools have expanded to provide deeper insights into the recruitment process.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

JazzHR is ideal for small businesses and startups that need a simple and affordable recruitment tool. It is easy to use, offers essential functionalities, and gets the job done without unnecessary complexity.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

JazzHR may not be ideal for larger companies with complex hiring processes. If your organization requires AI-driven results, advanced workflows, or highly customizable features, a different HR software solution may be a better fit.

Ashby

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Ashby
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Ashby

Ashby offers the entire TA tech stack: ATS, CRM/Sourcing, Scheduling, and Analytics—an excellent recruiting solution for fast-growing companies.

PROS

  • Analytics dashboard with crucial statistics on all aspects of your hiring process.
  • Flexibility and ability to customize across almost all aspects of the platform.
  • Consolidated ATS, CRM, Scheduling, and Analytics.
  • Fast data migrations, no setup fees.
  • Your TA team can have one system that truly has best-in-class options for ATS, CRM, Scheduling, and Analytics.
  • Flexibility and ability to customize across almost all aspects of the platform
  • Their analytics dashboard is great to understand weaknesses in your hiring process, conducting capacity planning, or determining which teams are running suboptimal hiring processes.

CONS

  • This is a powerful product, and understanding all the different features can take some time.
  • No multi-lingual support.
  • Your company must use G Suite in order to make the most of Ashby
  • No multi-lingual support
  • This is a powerful product, and it can take a bit of time to understand all the different features
Screenshot of applicant tracking system Ashby showing its interview plans

Ashby Review

Ashby is an all-in-one TA solution that combines your recruiting CRM, ATS, sourcing, scheduling, and analytics into one platform.

We recently met with Ashby’s to look at recent product developments, and what stood out is how easy they have made it to re-engage with former applicants. If our experience working in recruitment positions has taught us anything, it is that efficiency is essential.

We see it like this: you’re wasting time and effort if you don’t maintain a connection with former candidates because these folks are primed, familiar, and pre-vetted members of your talent pool.

Some are “silver medalists” or applicants who made it to the offer stage, and others may possess a unique skill or trait that your current team is lacking. Ashby can create custom attributes to filter your talent pool, so you’ll never lose touch with “good fit, bad timing” candidates.

We would recommend this ATS to TA teams seeking powerful reporting capabilities. Ashby’s reports are highly customizable, track all data points throughout your hiring process in real-time, and are easy on the eye.

We also noticed that Ashby has consistently worked hard to improve its product based on user feedback. Check out their blog page, and you’ll see that the ATS literally rolls out new features every month.

Regarding implementation, it takes SMBs a few days and larger organizations 6-8 weeks to get Ashby up and running. The ATS doesn’t charge for data migrations and system setup, and according to our research, Ashby’s customer support and success teams have been immensely helpful in making the switch a seamless experience.

Ashby Customers

1,000+ customers, including Quora, Deel, and Ramp.

Ashby Pricing

Ashby offers two core plans for its All-in-One platform and a 3rd option for connecting Ashby Analytics to your existing ATS.

  • All-In-One Foundations: Ranges from $300/month to $900/month depending on company size. 10% discount for annual commitments and emerging market pricing available.
  • All-In-One Plus: Contact for a quote.
  • Ashby Analytics for your existing ATS: Contact for a quote.

Best For

Ashby works for early-stage startups, SMBs, and large enterprises, but those who make the most of this recruiting software are companies at the hyper-growth stage.

Ashby in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

I use Ashby to build out the interview process, track applicants, post jobs, hiring manager feedback. Ashby has provided me with a single source of truth for all hiring metrics and data. As a talent leader it is important to understand key metrics such as time to fill, offer acceptance rate and pass through ratio. Being able to identify gaps in your hiring process is crucial for high volume growth.

What do you like about this tool?
  • I love how user friendly it is for anyone to hop in and utilize.
  • Top notch reporting and accuracy.
  • We like the candidate interview workflow and the ability to contact candidates directly from the ATS and create templates as necessary.
  • It integrates with key background check companies.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We bought Ashby to be our single source of truth for all things related to hiring. We wanted to track our candidate experience, interview progress and hiring manager feedback in a safe space. The benefits of Ashby is the reporting metrics, ease of use and the ability to integrate with other day to day platforms. I have used Ashby for over 3 years now.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • For first time users it can take a little getting used to especially if you have never used an ATS system before
  • It can be confusing to set up calendar links for scheduling with candidates.
  • It would be great to include a post interview survey or some form of onboarding feature that automates steps from a signed offer until the first day.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

Ashby is certainly in the top 5 of ATS systems out there. It is reliable, it has the necessary reporting that a leader would need and it point blank, just gets the job done.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Buyers should understand the reason behind it. How many roles are you looking to fill, how many hiring managers will need to be involved, what type of reporting will be critical to understand and share with leaders.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Ashby does a great job of providing monthly or bi-monthly newsletters to users about features and changes to the platform. They have a great CS team responsible for showing everyone the ropes.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Anything from small business to large enterprise. Ashby can hold its ground with any size.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Tough to tell but probably a company that doesn’t have high growth hiring targets.

Recruit CRM

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Recruit CRM
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5

Why we picked Recruit CRM

Recruit CRM is priced at $85 per user per month for unlimited open jobs, Chrome sourcing extension, AI resume parsing, advanced search, deal pipelines, client portal, and invoicing—just about everything one would need for their staffing firm.

PROS

  • Multi-lingual, agency-oriented ATS and recruiting CRM tool.
  • Transparent, scalable pricing structure. Generous free trial offerings.
  • Zapier and Integrately integrations enable access to 5,000+ third-party tools.
  • Live chat support, unlimited training, and dedicated account manager for all plan users.
  • No extra fees required for basic data migration that includes importing Excel/CSV files with candidates & clients. During the implementation process of this software, the customer service personnel will help transfer your data for free.
  • Great customer service. Their average response time is under two minutes.
  • Powerful Linkedin Integration & Executive/Recruitment Report PDF Generator to save time
  • Tons of resources made available to users including blogs and articles that give you all the information you need to know about how the software works, job description templates to help you get acquainted with all the possible job openings you will be looking to close, and a glossary that gives you the A-Z of recruitment practices.

CONS

  • Native AI candidate matching limited to 2 matches per candidate for Pro plan users.
  • Not the best fit for in-house recruiting.
  • No referral management system.
  • Limited native integrations. Recruit CRM only integrates natively with LinkedIn, Zapier, Logic Melon, some email apps, and Google and Outlook calendars. If you want to run background checks, for example, using Checkr or other background verification platforms, you won’t be able to do that unless you use Zapier’s API extension.
Recruit-CRM-dashboard

Recruit CRM Review

If we were seeking potential candidates within our large internal talent database, we'd turn to Recruit CRM once again. This feature lets you combine text filters, Boolean, and radius search to get the best results. You can even mark unavailable talent (e.g., those currently hired by other clients) as “off limits” so your team won’t find them and communicate with them by mistake.

One common approach we see in most ATS to keep candidate data fresh and accurate is the use of Social Enrichment—the software auto-enriches candidate profiles with their available social media accounts. Recruit CRM does not offer such a feature. Yet, it allows users to bulk or individually email candidates to update their application info. Once candidates submit the form, the data is auto-pulled into the ATS. While this process may not be entirely automatic, it does simplify the work of maintaining talent data and, just as importantly, ensures GDPR compliance.

Recruit CRM knocked it out of the park on its recruitment agency tools. It lets you send certain candidate data to clients in a few clicks. Plus, the client portal is interactive—clients can choose between Kanban and list view, move stuff around, and give feedback on each profile—then all of which are logged into the system for tracking purposes.

Automation-wise, Recruit CRM offers GPT features for crafting job postings, emails, notes, and even call and candidate profile summaries. What particularly sticks out to us, though, is how this vendor partners with Workato to enable some real convenient 3rd-party automation for users. For example, your TAs get Slack notifications for every new candidate added to Recruit CRM. Additionally, the vendor will jump in to solve arising automation issues, so you don’t have to seek Workato’s support yourself.

Our primary issue with Recruit CRM is the limited number of in-system profiles matching the user ideal candidate it provides: 2 matches per candidate for Pro and 50 for Business and Enterprise. Lastly, designed with staffing firms in mind, this vendor doesn’t do employee referrals and is not ideal for corporate recruiters.

Recruit CRM Customers

Recruit CRM’s clients include global staffing firms like Cooper Coleman, Zeren, and Avizio.

Recruit CRM Pricing

Recruit CRM has three plans: Pro is $85 per user per month, Business is $125 per user per month, and Enterprise is $165 per user per month when billed annually. A free trial is also available, no credit card is required.

Best For

Recruit CRM works best for recruiting and consulting agencies.

Recruit CRM in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

As a Manager of Talent Acquisition, I use Recruit CRM in various ways. It helps me track the number of employees in our pipeline accurately. I also create Candidate Lifecycle Reports for senior team review and decision-making. The tool assists in creating job listing pages, posting jobs, and managing online application procedures. This comprehensive functionality supports my workflow and enhances our recruitment process.

What do you like about this tool?

The professional user interface and advanced search features allow candidates to filter jobs by location, date, and interest. The pricing is favorable, making it accessible for smaller businesses. Integration with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams is straightforward, and the customizable email templates save time.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

It has been three years since we started using Recruit CRM. Our company needed a solution to communicate with employees without relying on separate emails and to enhance our HR management capabilities. Recruit CRM has streamlined remote interviews, eliminating the need for physical offices. The integration with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams has made it easy to conduct 1:1 online meetings with candidates, interns, and employees. This tool has significantly improved my efficiency as a Human Resource professional.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Integrating with a custom email for sending emails from our job email requires knowledge of SMTP integration. The tool lacks Zoom and Webex integrations, which we often use, forcing us to switch to supported tools. Creating employee reports requires skill, as there are no templates available for this module.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Recruit CRM offers job listing, deal-making, online meeting integration, and document management at the same price, while competitors charge extra for these add-ons.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Consider the size of your HR needs and the team you will manage with this tool to ensure it remains cost-effective in the long run. Assess the tool’s features against your organization's requirements to determine its suitability.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

While there haven't been many changes, new features like job listing and online interview modules have been added.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Recruit CRM is ideal for recruiting companies and Human Resource departments.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

It may not be suitable for smaller businesses with few team members.

Recruitee

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Recruitee
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked Recruitee

Recruitee emphasizes user experience and collaboration, and we’ve seen firsthand how much impact these two factors can have on recruitment efficiency and effectiveness. Coupled with other solid product choices and month-to-month pricing, this platform is an excellent option for SMBs.

PROS

  • Transparent, month-to-month pricing and unlimited seats. 
  • Features that control for bias in interviewing.
  • Built-in AI to job descriptions to target ideal candidates.
  • Pro: Recruitee is highly rated by customers for its ease of use. The majority of them are able to implement and get on with the software without much hassle. 
  • Pro: Recruitee features a customizable, kanban-like recruiting pipeline. Companies can add as many stages as needed to the pipeline and move candidates easily as they progress through the stages. 
  • Pro: Recruitee incorporates some measures to reduce hiring bias. For example, you can adjust the permission level for your interviewers and prevent them from seeing the scores each of them are assigning to the same candidate. This way, they won’t be influenced by each other's evaluations.

CONS

  • Recruitee relies on third-party integrations for some essential functions like skill assessments, onboarding, video interviewing, and e-signatures.
  • Our user researchers ran into data accuracy issues with the reporting function.
  • Some users noted Recruitee’s support team was hard to reach.
  • Con: Several functions that are advertised on Recruitee’s feature list, including skill assessments, onboarding, video interviewing, and e-signatures are not actually built into Recruitee and are only possible through integration with third-party tools, which can be misleading to potential users, especially if it’s their first ATS. 
  • Con: Several users noted that the Recruitee’s reporting function is limited and at times, doesn’t retrieve data accurately. 
  • Con: Several users have complained about Recruitee’s support team being slow in responding, and at times, not able to solve issues. 
  • Con: For a product that’s geared towards SMBs, it lacks a free plan that businesses who are just getting started with ATSs can use for as long as they need, without any time constraints. We list this as a con as several solutions in this space do offer free-forever plans and similar feature sets as Recruitee, which puts it slightly behind the competition to users.
Screenshot of Recruitee ATS Software Showing Active Talent Pool

Recruitee Review

Recruitee knows SMBs and designed a tool for this market. The most apparent SMB/ bottom-line-focused elements are transparent pricing, month-to-month options, and unlimited seats. There is no mystery there: SMBs tend to be budget-conscious.

However, what might be less obvious is what a small TA team can accomplish with unlimited seats, user-focused design, and factors that facilitate collaboration. Recruitee’s feature set represents a clever strategic insight: if the tool is easy to use and designed to distribute the workload among everyone involved in the interview process, the result will be increased efficiency and effectiveness.

We’ve seen it firsthand (several writers here have backgrounds in SMB recruitment), and our user research has confirmed it.

When we test-drove the tool, we were disappointed to note the absence of some features we consider standard. Video interviews, skills assessment, offer management, and onboarding are ubiquitous in modern ATSs, but none are built into the platform.

Recrutiee leans into integrations with Recruitee Marketplace, a collection of preferred third-party tools prepped for ease of integration.

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to built-in vs. add-on. It’s a matter of personal preference and what works best for your business. For those who prefer add-ons, Recruitee is a great choice: you’ll find what you need, and the integration process will be seamless.

Recruitee Customers

Vice, Greenpeace, Autodesk, Tide, Mollie

Recruitee Pricing

Recruitee offers tiered and custom plans based on the number of active jobs and other particular needs. The three tiers are:

  • Start starts at $199 per month
  • Grow starts at $249 per month
  • Optimize has custom pricing.

Best For

Budget-conscious orgs who prefer customized feature sets over all-in-ones and SMBs and who want to leverage the power of collaboration to boost the effectiveness of TA efforts.

Recruitee in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10
  • We use Recruitee as an Application Tracking System on a daily basis.
  • We have five job openings right now, and each one of them has distinct pipelines, responsibilities, and workflows.
What do you like about this tool?
  • Email tracking. All emails are tracked within the tool, making it easy to manage and understand all communications made by our employees and applicants.
  • Questionnaires. We can create custom questionnaires and send them to applicants. Their answers are collected and kept automatically on their profiles.
  • Interview scheduling. It's easy to send a link to users so they can schedule their interview directly within the app.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We've been looking for an ATS (Application Tracking System) for a long time, and we've been using Recruitee for about 3 years. As a small game development studio, handling the dozens of applications we receive daily takes time. By using Recruitee, we're able to properly categorize, evaluate and keep records for every applicant.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • Pricing. It's one of the most expensive ATS in its category.
  • It's not trivial to change the pipeline steps. If we could change the pipeline steps directly on the pipeline screen, it would be awesome.
  • Mobile application is still far from ideal, and has some bugs.
How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • We've tried many other ATS systems, but Recruitee was the best I could find in this price range.
  • The best parts of it are the application workflow and how easy is to keep all information we have on an applicant on his profile.
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

I recommend keeping an eye on how the communication between the applicants is handled within the app. When trying ATS tools, make sure to apply with another email so you can evaluate the whole pipeline.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

The tool hasn't changed significantly over the last 3 years, so I can't speak a lot about this.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

It fits companies that need to be more efficient in it's hiring processes, normally larger than 20 people.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Budget is an issue, so if you have a really small company with a tight budget, you might need another solution.

Teamtailor

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Teamtailor
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Teamtailor

Known for ease of use and exceptional customer service, this platform is excellent for startups and SMBs looking to create custom career pages that make a strong impression on candidates. It supports anonymous hiring and internal referral programs and streamlines nurture campaigns to meet current and future hiring needs.

PROS

  • iOS and Android apps.
  • Simple and quick drag-and-drop features to build custom sites.
  • Features anonymous recruitment and EEO surveys to support DEI.
  • Responsive and knowledgeable customer support team.
  • Free trial and unlimited job postings, candidates, and seats for all plans.
  • Teamtailor’s ATS comes with a robust career site builder that’s also easy to use. It works with drag and drop - no coding knowledge necessary.
  • Teamtailor backs several features that support diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), including anonymous hiring, equal employment opportunity (EEO) surveys, etc..
  • ‍Teamtailor is highly rated for their ease-of-use. It’s quite simple to post and promote jobs through their platform.
  • ‍There is really in-depth and intuitive help documentation for this solution

CONS

  • The analytics function could be more customizable.
  • Limited to ATS-specific features with no tie-ins to other core-HR functions. 
  • The customization and video interview features are limited.
  • Undisclosed pricing.
  • Teamtailor’s analytics are good, but enterprise clients need to use BI Connectors to build the reporting they need.  Right now, you can’t sport data from the system.  This is particularly important for companies with 500+ employees, or those who have many different locations or franchises.
  • ‍Analytics doesn’t allow recruiters to see their cost per hire, which is a really impactful metric
  • ‍While they offer integrations with HRIS, onboarding, etc - they have focused on just being a really good ATS now.
  • There are predefined user access levels, but you cannot define your own user access levels which is important, especially for the largest companies.
Screenshot of Teamtailor Applicant Tracking System Showing My Jobs, To Do List and Other Updates.

Teamtailor Review

Teamtailor stands out for its affordability and built-in employer branding features. This makes it an excellent fit for startups and SMBs trying to build their brand and headcount.

Most small teams need some help making themselves stand out to attract talent. There are countless approaches to this, but we like in-house custom career sites because they serve two essential purposes: they introduce the brand and can be fine-tuned to appeal to the talent demographic you’re hoping to hire. That is a win/win without allocating funds to marketing!

When assessing the platform, we especially liked the drag-and-drop features. Specifically, we were impressed with how quickly we could mock up a career site using super-intuitive workflows. It took less than five minutes from start to finish. That’s not bad for someone with zero technical experience!

The free trial is also a highlight, and we were impressed with the simplicity of setting up a nurture campaign to keep the talent tool engaged.

Some users experienced technical hiccups with integration, but most reported that customer support was able to address the issue quickly.

Teamtailor Customers

Kry, Goodbye Kansas, Vitamin Well, Ponsse, Daniel Wellington.

Teamtailor Pricing

Teamtailor’s pricing is custom-based on business size and requirements, but users report a base plan of around $3,000 annually.

Best For

Teamtailor works best for startups and SMBs (50-400 employees) that need a straightforward ATS coupled with employer branding functions.

Teamtailor in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

We used TeamTailor for all our hiring needs. The platform streamlined our entire hiring process and saved recruiters significant time. TeamTailor enabled us to post job openings across various job boards and sites efficiently. One of the most helpful features was its automated workflows, which were not available before implementing the platform.

These improvements encompassed everything from tracking applicants to streamlining internal workflows and communications with hiring managers.

What do you like about this tool?
  • It seamlessly integrated into our recruiting process, from job boards to our HRIS.
  • It improved the candidate selection process, saving recruiters time searching through job boards.
  • The platform significantly streamlined our hiring and recruitment processes.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We needed an improved ATS to streamline the hiring process. Before implementing TeamTailor, we struggled with tracking candidates and maintaining clear communication with hiring managers. TeamTailor provided a centralized, user-friendly platform that simplified hiring and improved communication with both candidates and hiring managers.

The tool reduced our time-to-hire and improved candidate engagement. The company has been using TeamTailor for over five years now, and it continues to deliver value.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • There were initial challenges in setting up user and admin rights, which led to some dissatisfaction among hiring managers.
  • Customer support lacked a single point of contact, and resolving issues sometimes required going through several representatives.
  • There were occasional issues with candidate rating functionality, although this might have been an internal process issue.
How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • TeamTailor stands out as an "all-in-one" ATS platform compared to others with more limited capabilities.
  • It is more user-friendly than other systems I’ve used and has a visually appealing design.
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • People considering TeamTailor should first check if it integrates with their HRIS or other onboarding systems.
  • It’s important to determine whether all its features will be utilized to ensure value for money.
  • Securing buy-in from internal stakeholders and preparing them with proper training during implementation is critical for success.
How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

It has been several years since I actively used TeamTailor, but I understand it has evolved with AI technology and now integrates with more HRMs than before.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

I recommend TeamTailor for mid-sized to large organizations with active and continuous hiring needs that require streamlined processes.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

TeamTailor may not be ideal for small businesses or organizations without a dedicated HR department.

iCIMS

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iCIMS
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
3.9 / 5
Product Score
4 / 5

Why we picked iCIMS

iCIMS, is a massive, global presence serving large companies with high-volume talent managemt needs, so isurprise it operates in more than 70 languages. Still, we are impressed with the attention to user needs demonstrated by the massive toolset.

PROS

  • A powerful recruiting solution that can handle high-volume hiring of up to 50,000 candidates.
  • The reporting feature is robust and retrieves data accurately.
  • iCIMS is constantly expanding its roster of integrations with third-party products. Currently, 300+ and rising, including Workday, SAP, SuccessFactors, ADP, Oracle, and UKG.
  • iCIMS is a powerful recruiting solution that can handle high volume hiring of up to 50,000 candidates.
  • The platform is constantly evolving through developments and acquisitions, giving users more features.
  • The reporting feature is robust and retrieves data accurately. 
  • iCIMS has a growing marketplace of over 300 integrations with third-party products.

CONS

  • The UI is complex and dated compared to other cloud-based recruiting products.
  • Customer support is sometimes slow and only available by phone or ticket—no live chat support.
  • Though packing many features, it lacks automated reference checking.
  • No transparent pricing and no free trial.
  • The cost of implementation and integration is relatively high compared to other recruiting solutions.
  • A significant number of users complained about the UI’s complexity and that it looks dated compared to other cloud-based recruiting products.
  • Customer support is slow at times and only available through phone and by creating a support ticket online - no live chat support yet 
  • The platform packs an overwhelming amount of features yet still lacks some useful capabilities such as automated reference checking.
  • No transparent pricing or free trials, and according to several users, the cost of implementation as well as integrations is high compared to other recruiting solutions.  
Screenshot of iCIMS Applicant Tracking System Showing Candidate Scores, Hiring Manager Feedback and Job Report

iCIMS Review

iCIMS ATS is feature-rich and well-suited for large, multilingual organizations and high-volume agencies. Users can create custom-branded career sites, employee-generated testimonial videos, and personalized email or text campaigns through the platform.

In addition to externally-focused features,iCIMS facilitates users in promoting existing employees through internal mobility programs. This is especially relevant in the context of enterprise scale, as is their global support and industry versatility. This platform is used by businesses operating in healthcare, manufacturing, technology, retail, and more.

The takeaway from our demo and hands-on testing is that although this tool offers an astonishing number of features, it’s somewhat difficult to operate. This is reflected in user reviews, too. Remember that our writers scrutinize HR tech all day, so we tend to be sticklers for good design and intuitive UI. However, for some, no sacrifice is represented using a tool that looks and feels a little clunky.

iCIMS Customers

iCIMS has over 4,000 customers, including Ulta, Target, Microsoft, PwC, Uber, and UPS.

iCIMS Pricing

Pricing is undisclosed – custom quotes only.

Best For

iCIMS is best for global enterprises and recruiting agencies with high-volume hiring needs.

iCIMS in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10

Our HR team uses iCIMS daily. Hiring managers regularly use iCIMS within our organization as well when they have an open role they are recruiting  and screening applicants for. We use iCIMS for posting our roles, screening applicants, processing pre-employment checks, offers, onboarding and more. We also heavily use the functionality to create recruitment campaigns right from iCIMS. Reporting another feature we use frequently and there is a lot of customization in that area.

What do you like about this tool?
  • Moving from a 100% paper process, iCIMS allowed my team to collect applicant information and respond to them (advancing/declining) efficiently and fully electronically.
  • The user experience for our HR team and other staff has been great. It’s very easy to navigate.
  • The continuous improvements done to their offering.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Our organization bought iCIMS to move from a paper-based process to one that is electronic and all online. We did not have an ATS until iCIMS. When looking at vendors, we were seeking a robust offering that could help us elevate our recruiting efforts. We loved the ability to customize the business processes to our company’s needs and that we can do outreach campaigns right from the software.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • It can be difficult to create custom reports and find them easily when trying to quickly pull information. You have to know very specific prompts and is not very intuitive.
  • The cost of the iCIMS offering.
  • When creating targeted recruitment campaigns, we wish we could incorporate more of our own branding and formatting.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

Overall, it’s an offering that will easily support most organizations recruiting efforts from start to finish. iCIMS focuses on recruiting and onboarding as its primary focus rather than trying to support all areas of HR like many of its competitors. They specialize instead and do it very well!

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

First, evaluate when your organization needs are for a vendor. If you need a vendor to support your recruitment efforts, iCIMS is a wonderful offering! If your company needs a more complex system that provides a full HRIS offering, you may then want to consider alternatives.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

One of the biggest benefits of iCIMS is that they are always looking for ways to innovate and be better. For example, after we partnered with iCIMS they launched a feature to be able to text candidates, which really elevated our experience working with candidates.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Medium and large organizations needing a solution to support recruitment and onboarding efforts.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Smaller organizations or those looking for a more complete solution for a full HRIS.

Avature

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Avature
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Avature

We’re big fans of customized workflows and attention to user experience, and Avature’s platform is a blend of ATS and CRM that strikes the right balance between both.

PROS

  • A full-fledged ATS with built-in video interviewing, management features, and onboarding solutions.
  • It also has a CRM, allowing TA teams to increase candidate engagement and plan for future hiring.
  • Avature leverages AI with talent matching and candidate ranking.
  • The recruiter mobile app supports offline use.
  • Avature’s solution is quite comprehensive. They have a full-fledged ATS with built-in video interviewing, offer management and onboarding solutions. They also have a CRM, allowing TA teams to amp up candidate engagement and plan for future hiring. 
  • Avature leverages artificial intelligence with features of automatic talent matching and candidate ranking. 
  • Avature comes with a recruiter mobile app that allows key stakeholders to perform several recruiting tasks while on the go. The app also supports offline use, and syncs with the system the next time it’s connected to the Internet.

CONS

  • Undisclosed pricing. No free trials.
  • The UI can be confusing and takes some time to get used to.
  • The assessment feature is quite elemental compared to other similar platforms.
  • It lacks a built-in reference-checking feature, so users must pay for and integrate third-party solutions.
  • Avature’s pricing is not readily available on their website. They also do not offer a free trial.
  • Several users noted that the UI isn’t intuitive and takes some time to get used to.
  • Avature’s assessment feature is quite basic and isn’t built out enough compared to point solutions in that space. So if you want to test the skills and cultural fitness of candidates, you’d need a third-party solution.
  • Avature doesn’t have an automated reference checking feature built-in. The platform does integrate with third-party solutions that facilitate reference checking, but you’ll have to purchase those solutions too separately.
Screenshot of Avanture Applicant Tracking System Dashboard Showing Active Jobs and New Candidates

Avature Review

The Avature platform allows users to customize dashboards set up automated workflows, and leverage the power of an all-in-one ATS + CRM.

We got some hands-on experience with the tool, so we asked our colleagues with the most recruiting experience to test the limits of its purported customizability.

The results? This tool is easy to tailor to your company’s processes and goals. During our test run, we quickly built unique recruiting workflows for individual roles or entire departments.

The platform operates through a no-code interface that allows non-technical users to modify the system (with lots of permissions in place). While this level of detail may be overkill for smaller organizations with simple needs,

This is a premium tool for large teams. Those that operate at a global enterprise scale will get the most out of Avature.

Avature Customers

More than 6,500 companies use Avature. This includes Shell, Cisco, L'Oréal, Mondelez, Siemens, and KPMG.

Avature Pricing

Avature pricing is custom, so contact their team for a quote.

Best For

Avature best serves enterprise-scale companies, especially those that operate across international borders.

Avature in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

I have used Avature daily. I have used it as a Recruiter and as a Recruiting Manager. As a recruiter, the workflow is very easy from requisition inception to offer stage. It breaks down candidate statuses into their own buckets. As a leader, creating the job requisition was a bit challenging. The reason is the levels of approvals it needed to go through before reaching the assigned recruiter. The levels of approval can be altered to fit the needs of the company.

What do you like about this tool?

It is user-friendly for all stakeholders using the system. We very seldom had system outages. It is cost-efficient as many other Applicant Tracking Systems are much more expensive. Data analytics reporting was very easy for tracking recruiter KPIs.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

My organization has been utilizing Avature for years. I have used it strictly as an Applicant Tracking System for recruiting efforts. One of the top benefits is that it is easily integrated into another HRIS such as Oracle. Another top benefit is that it is extremely user-friendly. It also has the capability to work globally as well as in the US to streamline recruiting processes.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Depending on the format a candidate submitted a resume, it could look distorted, making a strong resume appear elementary. I did not see a place to submit a ticket if there was a glitch in the system. There was no Q/A section.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Avature is a cheaper alternative to more robust Applicant Tracking Systems. While it can be used in larger global organizations, the reporting features have been more detailed in other systems. For a smaller organization, Avature is the way to go.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Cost-effectiveness is particularly important for a startup company. The ability to run large complex data reports is still lacking a bit. User-friendliness is a key component; if you have a small team of recruiters, they will be able to navigate Avature with very little direction.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Avature doesn't give the best updates for system changes.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Smaller organizations or startup companies will fine Avature the best fit.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

While Avature can be used for mid-sized or larger companies, I do not recommend it. There are more robust systems out there that will also have a higher price tag attached.

Lever

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Lever
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Lever

We like Lever’s focus on engaging passive candidates. Candidate nurturing is a critical recruiting strategy that deserves the spotlight it’s been given with this platform. In addition to solid product decisions, the execution is excellent. Put more simply, Lever put together a collection of well-thought-out features, and they’ve succeeded in making them all work together.

PROS

  • The simple interface is easy to use and requires little training or experience.
  • A unified recruiting platform combines elements of ATS and CRM. 
  • Diverse external sourcing channels and low-friction internal referral process. 
  • According to most users, Lever's UI is very intuitive and easy to learn.  
  • Lever combines the capabilities of an ATS and a CRM into a single platform that not only supports your current hiring needs but allows you to actively engage and nurture prospective qualified candidates for future roles.
  • Lever takes diversity hiring into consideration with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) surveys that help you collect diversity data from applicants, sourced candidates, and referrals regardless of whether they applied to an open position or not.
  • Lever provides role-based visual analytics with over 20 key TA metrics in its basic TRM package.

CONS

  • Undisclosed pricing and no free plan or trial version.
  • 3rd party integrations in place of features that could be built in.
  • No mobile apps.
  • Lever doesn't disclose their pricing on their website. Interested users are also not able to create trial accounts on their own. 
  • The platform doesn’t have features for background or reference checking but they do integrate with third-party solutions that specialize in those checks. 
  • Lever currently lacks a mobile app, but the platform is optimized for mobile use.
Screenshot of Lever Applicant Tracking System Showing Job Applications Received in Customer Success Department

Lever Review

From our collective in-house experience, we know that the right approach to recruiting is full-cycle. Lever leans into the CRM mentality with functions that attend to potential candidates, current candidates, and (ideally) current employees who used to be candidates.

This may seem like an obvious strategy, but it’s genuinely (and surprisingly!) unique among ATS platforms.

Users can source candidates from multiple channels, including numerous career sites, social media, and internal referrals. Connecting with potential hires is streamlined with automated workflows that include the sophisticated nurture campaigns mentioned above. Regardless of where they end up in the hiring pipeline, these campaigns keep talent engaged with your company.

The video interview integration with Zoom stands out. In addition to synchronizing seamlessly with scheduling features, it allows for customization of interview type between live, structured, and asynchronous, or some mix of the two.

Another highlight is the range of industries and company sizes that Lever can serve. This platform works for any user with consistent hiring needs, whether a tiny but rapidly growing tech start-up or an established business in a field with high turnover rates (think retail or hospitality).

Our testers found some shortcomings in line with other reviews you might read: resume parsing, and report generation features could be improved.

Lever Customers

Lever is used by over 5,000 companies, including Netflix, Shopify, Eventbrite, Cirque du Soliel, and Reddit.

Lever Pricing

Lever offers custom pricing, so users must contact Lever for quotes.

Best For

Excellent for any org that needs to maintain a connection and easy access to a particular candidate pool, including tech startups, healthcare, and retail.

Lever in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

Lever is an everyday tool we use on the Talent Acquisition and HR side. It's the introductory portal for interview candidates and eventual employees. We've used Lever for managing job postings, hiring, managing the hiring process, collaborating on jobs, getting recruiting metrics, organizing communication and scheduling, and overall making the interviewing process more streamlined. The key workflows we utilize it for are around job board management, interviewing, interview scheduling and management, communication management between hiring managers & recruiters, resume screening, reporting, and onboarding. It's most vital in providing key diversity, equity, and inclusion stats to monitor the equitability of our interview processes.

What do you like about this tool?
  • Lever's interface is clean, intuitive, and easy to use.
  • It's very collaborative and allows you to tag hiring managers and recruiters, and write notes around resumes and candidates for quick highlights.
  • It has robust reporting capabilities to get the reports and metrics showing how well your team is doing, or where the funnel is catching for a job.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We were originally doing and organizing interviews via Excel and Google Docs, and were getting to a point where that was not the best solution. Initially, we utilized Lever as our main ATS to build out more optimized interviewing and recruiting processes. I've personally used it at 2 separate companies for a total of about 2.5 years. The key benefits it provides are the easy-to-use interface, the customizability of the user interface for applications, the easy-to-use screening tools and notes section, the privacy settings, and the affordability. It's an affordable ATS that helps you organize, understand recruiting metrics, and recruit easily.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • Lever’s integration options with third-party HRISs were not great, specifically with Paylocity or Rippling. It would be nice to see a more robust integration in which candidates would only have to input important contact information once throughout the whole process.
  • Technical bugs/issues would happen specifically with the scheduling tool, so manual back and forth was usually the most reliable way to set the scheduling. It would be nice for them to partner with a great scheduling vendor.
  • Lack of customizability. There wasn't a lot you could do around customizing the look and logo of job boards and such, it was very minimal. It would be nice to be able to customize a bit more.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

Overall, Lever is definitely high up there. I would rate it second to Greenhouse. It's a much more affordable option with similar functionalities. Lever is the best for an up and coming start-up that values collaboration and has multiple people working on roles.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • Budget - Your budget is definitely important in making the decision. Lever is probably the best choice in the affordability category.
  • Integrations - It's important to think about what you want your ATS to integrate into ( Usually an HRIS or payroll system). Lever may not integrate with all, so it is definitely important to take a look to make sure that it does.
  • Reporting - Know what metrics are important to your team and org. Lever can help build the reports you need.
  • Customization - If you want to customize the look of your job boards, you'll have very limited customization. but for the price, it's not too shabby!
How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Their customer service wait times have gotten significantly better. Also their user interface and usability evolves pretty quickly.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

If your requisition load for roles does not exceed 50, Lever is a great fit. Most companies probably won't hit 50 until down the road. Until then, it's a great tool!

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

It would not be great for requisition loads that are over 100 and organizations with HRISs that aren't included in the current integration partners list. I imagine that would be difficult in the onboarding process.

SmartRecruiters

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SmartRecruiters
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.2 / 5
Product Score
4 / 5

Why we picked SmartRecruiters

Encompassing solutions beyond the standard candidate sourcing, assessment, and engagement features, SmartRecruiter is an enterprise-grade talent acquisition suite that provides native collaboration and AI-driven functionality.

PROS

  • Candidate assessment, skill testing, and offer management are built-in, so need for add-ons or integrations.
  • Enables easy posting to multiple job boards, integrating social media tools, and facilitating internal recruits.
  • Friendly with mobile devices.
  • SmartRecruiters has a built-in candidate assessment and skill testing module that allows you to predict cultural fit, future performance and retention, without needing to integrate third-party solutions. 
  • SmartRecruiters provides features for offer management. You can create offer letter templates, share them with successful applicants, and collect their e-signatures from any device using SmartRecruiters’ DocuSign integration.
  • Speaking of integrations, SmartRecruiters has pre-built integrations with over 500 HR solutions and job boards. You can also ask SmartRecruiters’ team to build additional integrations for you if it doesn’t integrate with products in your tech stack.

CONS

  • Undisclosed pricing.
  • No free trials.
  • Users have reported a steep learning curve and that the UI takes time to get used to.
  • Features like candidate filtering, report customizations, and KPI tracking are limited.
  • SmartRecruiters’ pricing isn’t transparent. Interested users have to go through the sales team to receive a quote. Users are also not able to create trial accounts on their own. 
  • Users have reported a steep learning curve and that the UI takes time to get used to. Some users have also reported that the system can be slow and glitches at times.
  • The reporting feature doesn’t always retrieve data accurately. Some users have also complained that report customizations and KPI tracking capabilities are limited.
  • Candidate filtering is quite limited. As it stands, only basic options such as degree, location, gender etc are provided.
Screenshot of SmartRecruiters Applicant Tracking System Showing Candidate Applications and Their Status

SmartRecruiters Review

SmartRecruiters ATS is built to serve mid-size and large businesses. The platform allows you to cast a wide net with customizable career pages, targeted ad campaigns, and job post distribution to multiple job boards. It also provides features for candidate assessment and offer management.

One unique fact our evaluation uncovered is that SmartRecruiters encourages customer feedback and rapidly integrates suggestions into the product. That’s an excellent reputation to have, and it’s in keeping with a key element of their business model: SmartRecruiters aims to enable their customers to attract talent. It follows that they would want direct feedback from their users on how to do that best.

The downside of this platform applies mostly to smaller businesses. It’s not cheap, and the scope of its feature set means that it’s complex to set up and use. These factors are less relevant to larger businesses, which are more likely to use all the features and have time and money to spare for integration and implementation.

SmartRecruiters Customers

More than 5,000 companies, including Ikea, Visa, LinkedIn, Equinox, and Skechers

SmartRecruiters Pricing

SmartRecruiters ATS has custom pricing, and so do the other products of the system.

Best For

SmartRecruiters works best for medium and large-sized businesses.

SmartRecruiters in action
Reviewer's Rating
6/10

We used SmartRecruiters every day. The key workflows are as follows,

1) Managing pipeline (reviewing applications, etc.)

2) Interview scheduling (self-scheduling and automatically booking recruiters’ and candidates’ calendars)

3) Candidate scorecards (create forms to put the evaluations of the interviewers more standard, however, that slows down the process and Hiring Managers are late with leaving feedback)

4) Simple data analysis, customized (for example: which sourcing platforms lead to the quickest hiring for some jobs)

5) Job posting and advertising are not really used every day and depend on the hiring needs.

What do you like about this tool?
  • Integration with Office 365 gives an opportunity to connect to Outlook Calendar, which is useful for quickly scheduling the interviews.
  • You can see upcoming interviews on your ATS home page! Quite neat.
  • It is quite easy to build the hiring team of other recruiters and hiring managers that will be involved in the recruitment.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

For many years my organization has been using another ATS. However, it has been significantly increasing the price every year. The new goal was to reduce yearly subscriptions by at least 30%. The main benefit that attracted my organization was the possibility to integrate a lot of other business software with ATS. More precisely, having the option to generate a unique link that candidates can use to self-schedule interview time slots, connected with MS Teams link for that call, plus automatically booking Recruiters' Outlook calendars and making it visible on SmartRecruiters candidates' profiles.

At first glance, it seemed that SmartRecruiters offered more features for less price. Unfortunately, the data migration we performed later added a lot to the price.

What do you dislike about this tool?

The price of data migration from other ATS is tremendously high (some scripts had to be written by internal software engineers). It also might take a few months and be incomplete.

To post the job you need to fill in two separate fields: the name of the brand and the name of the company, plus it’s a must to enter the address of the workplace. This I find sometimes inconvenient, especially if a company has many brands, and the position has responsibilities for more than one brand, plus if there are multiple locations for that position.

How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • It is less user-friendly than Recruitee, for example.
  • However, SmartRecruiters automatically generates useful data analytics and visualization.
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Will you need to migrate a lot of data from previous ATS? (better not)

Will you need the package that allows many jobs to be posted at the same time (100+?) (in that case, yes)

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Creating jobs was relatively slow and had many steps; it was simplified after some time.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

It might be better for startups than for corporations.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

If the organization doesn’t have a team of backend software engineers who will support data migration, or hires a lot, SmartRecruiters isn’t a good option.

Rippling

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Rippling
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.2 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Rippling

Rippling is known for its uniformly solid platform, so after test-driving their newly updated ATS module, we weren’t surprised to discover it’s intuitive to use, intelligently built, and succinctly integrated with their HRIS environment.

PROS

  • The transition from candidate to employee is nearly seamless, with minimal manual data transfer.
  • Mobile app for recruiters on the move.
  • Candidate-friendly with no account creation required.
  • Intuitive UI and intelligent workflows.
  • Job board integration.
  • All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products 
  • With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
  • Operates globally with any currency
  • Workflow automation
  • Analytics opportunities
  • Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included

CONS

  • Not offered as a standalone product
  • US-centric but globally focused-updates are in the pipeline.
  • Users report occasional issues with the mobile apps.
  • Some users report that customization options are limited.
  • Total buy-in to Rippling is essential 
  • Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company. 
  • New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Screenshot of ATS Rippling showing its new hire onboarding feature

Rippling Review

Ripplings ATS offers intelligent, intuitive workflows built into dozens of features and automation.

Typically, when an HRIS adds an ATS to their suite, it’s a half-hearted afterthought. Many are perfunctory, underpowered, and easily out-classed, even by mediocre standalone ATS platforms.

But Rippling has built a reputation based on solid product choices, and this one is no exception.

Their ATS is fully built out and offers a feature set that would be a viable standalone product if it weren’t so nicely intertwined with the rest of the Rippling platform.

Based on what’s included, it is clear that they’ve considered the candidate's experience. Little touches, like text messages to connect with candidates, show they know that personal preferences matter.

Another nod to the candidate experience (and what you can learn from it) is the abundant, customizable, anonymous surveys. Rippling recognizes the connection between their public reputation and their candidate experience.

Even with all these candidate-focused features, Rippling hasn’t lost touch with the needs of the people who will use their product most: busy TA/HR teams hiring for SMBs and startups.

Though demand generation is still on the roadmap, elements of their recruiting feature are laudable. It automatically integrates job boards like LinkedIn, Monster, and Zip Recruiter.

Finally, mobile access is a nice touch for busy recruiters, and their open API partnerships with vendors outside their platform leave little to be desired.

For years, companies have had to choose between the superior performance of standalone ATS solutions and the efficiency and security of all-in-one platforms. With Rippling’s ATS, companies who chose the all-in-one solution no longer have to rely on an external ATS.

Rippling Customers

Bank of America, Motorola, Citigroup, Inc., Dwell, Superhuman, Expensify, Checkr

Rippling Pricing

Rippling pricing starts at $8 per user per month for HR Unity, but the ATS is made available on a higher tier plan (HR Cloud) with undisclosed pricing.

Best For

Though the platform itself and the ATS module are used most by companies with 25 to 150 employees, it can support the needs of much larger teams.

Rippling in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

Rippling acts as a central hub for all things HR, IT, and Finance for our company. I use Rippling for HR management, improving the employee experience, and streamlining management. Overall, Rippling allows me to work smarter, not harder. It simplifies HR processes, improves the employee experience, and frees up valuable time for more strategic work.

What do you like about this tool?

Recognizing the inefficiencies of siloed HR systems, we implemented Rippling to centralize payroll, benefits, onboarding, and even IT management. This user-friendly platform automates tasks, boosting departmental efficiency. Employees are empowered through a self-service portal, freeing up HR time for strategic initiatives. Rippling prioritizes security, giving us peace of mind. Overall, it streamlines processes and empowers our workforce.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Before implementing Rippling, we juggled multiple siloed systems for payroll, benefits administration, and onboarding. It was time-consuming and error-prone to manage everything separately. Rippling offered a single platform to manage everything in one place, allowing for a more efficient and centralized approach. This has not only saved my client a significant amount of time but also improved the employee experience by providing a user-friendly portal for them to access their benefits information, make changes, and complete onboarding tasks.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Rippling isn't without limitations. Extensive customization for unique needs might require extra development work. Some reviews suggest scalability limitations for massive enterprises. Thankfully, these haven't been dealbreakers for us, and the overall benefits outweigh the downsides.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Unlike competitors with clunky interfaces, Rippling prioritizes user-friendliness for both HR and employees. It goes beyond just payroll or benefits, offering a single platform for HR, IT, and some finance needs. This centralization eliminates juggling multiple systems and fosters smoother workflows. Rippling's focus on automation frees up HR from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on bigger picture initiatives. Ultimately, Rippling stands out for its user experience, comprehensive approach, and focus on streamlining HR processes.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Selecting HR software requires introspection. Identify your core needs - is it strong payroll, benefits, or something else? Prioritize user-friendly interfaces for both HR and employees. Finally, decide if a one-stop-shop like Rippling suits you, or if best-in-breed solutions for specific areas are preferable.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Rippling keeps evolving to meet user needs. They've expanded beyond core HR functions, offering features like bill pay. Automation is increasing, freeing up HR professionals. User experience remains a focus, with ongoing improvements based on feedback.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Rippling shines for SMBs - easy to use and centralizes HR for them. Fast-growing companies benefit from its scalability and automation for a growing workforce. It also excels for those seeking streamlined workflows and a user-friendly experience for both HR and employees.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Rippling isn't ideal for all. Highly customized needs of massive enterprises might exceed its current customization options. Additionally, organizations prioritizing best-in-breed point solutions for specific HR functions, like payroll, might prefer separate, specialized tools for maximum control.

What are the Benefits of an Applicant Tracking System?

The primary benefit of an ATS is that it increases the efficiency of your talent acquisition team through streamlined, automated workflows. These tools can also be quite impactful: 94% of recruiters believe using ATS software has positively impacted their company's hiring processes.

Other benefits include improved employer branding, access to detailed analytics, and smooth engagement of managers & employees outside of HR/TA teams.

  • Customized workflows: An ATS that can customize and automate tasks like application processing, screening, and collecting feedback can dramatically improve hiring efficiency. This benefit is especially significant to organizations hiring from very different candidate pools. If, for example, your team is hiring both truck drivers and software engineers, you can bet these workflows won’t be interchangeable.
  • ‍Improved employer branding: A top ATS will help your organization create and manage a custom career site to help your company stand out. Showcasing your best features will make it easier to attract top talent, and with integrations with networks like LinkedIn, reaching a wide audience is easy. ‍
  • Better quality talent pools: The best ATS software can save time and money by maintaining already-sourced candidates. If you maintain occasional contact with a pool of qualified candidates, your recruiting process doesn’t start from zero each time you open a new role.‍
  • Wider internal engagement: Rather than relying exclusively on your HR/TA teams for recruiting, the best ATS software will also include your hiring managers and employees as part of the process. Employee referrals, feedback on job candidates, and social media can all be leveraged to fill open positions.‍
  • Streamlined hiring and onboarding: An ATS can do more than streamline recruiting; it can work wonders for onboarding. A good first impression sets the stage for employee engagement and, ultimately, retention, so it’s critical to make the onboarding process employee-focused, timely, and effective.‍
  • More effective recruitment strategies: An effective hiring process is data-driven. Any good ATS software dashboard will put recruiter productivity, cost per hire, cost for job boards, cost for paid media, time to hire, and other data at your fingertips.

Pro Tips on Applicant Tracking Systems

How To Choose The Best ATS System for Your Business?

Any business choosing any type of ATS should aim to get the maximum functionality for its price point (while ensuring key functions for its specific business are best-in-class), focus on potential long-term benefits rather than short-term costs, and understand the software vendor's product roadmap.

  • ‍What do you want to achieve with the ATS?: Depending on your business, you can have one person or multiple teams across your company branches interacting with the ATS day-to-day. Each may have a different pain point they want the recruitment tool to tackle. Knowing the center goals of these stakeholders and the importance of each can equip you with a list of features ranking from most to least desired.
  • What can you afford?: An ATS that can schedule interviews, manage employee referrals, and parse resumes will lighten the load on your HR/TA team, leading to increased efficiency. That said, investing in a feature-rich ATS could mean more complexity, steeper learning curves, and higher costs to the system. So, besides the feature list, you’d need to note down your allowed budget and the human resources involved in onboarding and maintaining the ATS system.
  • Focus on individual features during your vendor research: Evaluate precisely what you need. The feature list and resource note that you have prepared in the earlier steps will help you stay focused on options that truly matter.
  • Think long term: Trying to anticipate the future is critical given how hard these tools are to replace over time (migrating tons of candidate data, different workflows for different types of job, etc.). Beyond the capacity for the platform to scale up as you grow, you should pay attention to how this growth will affect product pricing and, therefore, the ATS ROI.‍
  • Understand the road map: A tool with no future plan for improvements may cause trouble for future software switches, but a vendor with an ambitious list of feature enhancements announced yet a very humble track record of delivery is not any better. Ask the sales rep specific questions relevant to your business needs and review content published on company channels for more information.

ATS Pricing

Below are the most common ATS pricing models.

  • Flat rate: This pricing model offers a fixed monthly or annual fee for unlimited usage of the ATS and hence, is ideal if you’re a large enterprise and prefer long-term contracts.
  • Pay per user: This model is best suited for small teams with limited recruiter usage (like us!). It charges a monthly fee for each active user of the ATS.
  • Pay per vacancy: Designed for small businesses with low hiring volumes, pay-per-vacancy charges a fee for each job you post using the ATS.
  • Pay per module: This model is suitable for companies with an existing HR platform that includes ATS as an add-on. It allows companies to pay for only the ATS module they need, rather than the entire platform.

Keep in mind that:

  • Additional costs may apply for selective integrations, premium support, and advanced features.
  • Prices can be negotiable: Some ATS offer discounts for early-stage startups, non-profits, and buyers willing to sign multi-year contracts.

How Much Do Applicant Tracking Systems Cost?

Here are some guidelines on pricing based on company headcount. This information is intended to help you get a general sense of ATS pricing. Keep in mind that ATS software comes in all shapes and budget sizes. Here we provide mid-range samples for reference.

  • Small business (<100 employees): $250 up to $12,000 USD per year.
  • Medium-sized business (100-500 employees): $3,000 to $25,000 per year.
  • Large business (501-5,000) employees): $15,000 to $50,000+ annually.‍
  • Enterprise (5,000+ employees): From $125,000 per year.

What Are the Key Features of a Top ATS?

The best ATS features include automated resume parsing, reliable data security, and great analytics.

  • Third-party integrations: Almost without exception, the top ATSs are built with robust integration capabilities and a substantial network in their “partner ecosystem”. You should aim for seamless ATS integrations, meaning the ATS should be ready to interface (connect to, plug in to, play nice with) with whatever software you use for hiring.
  • Talent sourcing: The top ATSs include dynamic features like Google Chrome extensions that allow you to source candidates directly from the web. You’ll also find databases of job seekers that you can query for specific skills and outreach tools that will enable you to build sequences that engage candidates through email and texting.‍
  • AI recruiting assistant: It’s hard to find an applicant tracking system that doesn’t offer at least one form of AI-powered recruiting feature nowadays. So the more valuable question now is whether an ATS has a legally and ethically helpful AI feature. For example, many offer job description generators, but few allow for tone adjustments the way Workable does. Similarly, when a candidate deletes their data, Pinpoint is one of the few that also automatically deletes their email history to prevent customers from compliance issues.
  • Candidate relationship management (CRM): Recruiting CRM nurtures your relationship with your entire job-seeker ecosystem, whether active or passive. It helps your TA keep leads warm by setting reminders to ping individual candidates (“silver medalists”) or to check in periodically with larger candidate pools. Structured communications and automated workflows help maintain good relationships and free up your TA team’s time.
  • Blind screening: This is an effective method for controlling hiring bias, which is a foundational element of all D&I initiatives. ATSs with a blind screening feature obscure the candidates' names, photos, addresses, and other demographic identifiers to prevent assessments based on non-relevant characteristics.
  • Employer branding and career site: Modern applicant tracking systems are built with the candidate experience in mind. Making a good first impression is critical, so top ATSs include no-code features that recruiters and hiring managers can use to build and maintain a professional, bespoke career site by themselves without having to trouble marketers and developers.
The Importance of a Landing Page for Recruitment

  • Data and analytics: Any ATS worth its salt has a basic analytics dashboard. The best (and often the most expensive) ATS also incorporates a powerful analytics engine to make light work of your heaviest statistical loads.
  • Interview scheduling: ATS software that is focused on recruitment process automation will include scheduling for everything from phone screens to final-round interviews. Some enterprise options, such as SparkHire and VidCruiter, even have a video interview tool built in so you don’t have to rely on a third-party app for such use. 
  • Offer letters: Automated distribution of offer letters is a standard ATS feature. Most platforms offer templates that can easily be customized for each offer presented to each new hire.‍
  • Onboarding: A smooth onboarding process helps ensure that the transition from candidate to colleague is as smooth as possible, so it’s not surprising to see most applicant tracking platforms now offer some sort of this capability, natively or via integrations with third-party employee onboarding tools.

The above features are highly specific and intended to help buyers and decision-makers make swift, categorical decisions. However, some critical aspects of ATS performance and functionality can’t be summed up so easily.

Our guest expert, Zach Larson, suggests buyers consider the following three basic elements:

  • First, consider how well the product will respond to market challenges.
  • Second, estimate the quality of candidates based on the ATS's sourcing methods.
  • Last but not least, involve your TA team in the process. Your internal stakeholders must be on board with your choice.

How to Choose an ATS

Beyond key features and pricing, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), scalability, and customization are also critical factors when selecting an applicant tracking system to support your organization's growth and operational needs.

  • User Experience and Interface: When looking at well-known platforms like Greenhouse, BambooHR, and Pinpoint, it’s easy to see that a well-designed interface partly contributes to higher adoption rates and, consequently, the growing popularity of these platforms. A great UX/UI enhances user satisfaction, reduces training time, and improves recruitment processes. It also benefits job applicants, as a smooth and intuitive application process helps improve the candidate experience and increase the likelihood of successful hires.
  • Customization and Scalability: An applicant tracking system that seems ideal for your 20-person team today may become inadequate if it cannot support your international hiring needs as your team scales globally. Be sure to assess how customizable the system is to meet both your current and long-term needs. Oftentimes, seeking advice from HR tech experts results in faster and more accurate ATS shortlists, as they provide candid insights that a vendor’s sales team might not disclose.

ATS Demo Questions: How Many, and Which to Ask?

The questions should all be about your specific requirements for an ATS, but the following can offer some ideas and inspiration on what to ask during your ATS vendor demo.

  • Is there a bi-directional API to share information between this system and my HRIS?
  • How does this ATS help my recruiting efforts beyond capturing candidate information? For example, will it allow me to pipeline candidates, source, boost referrals, etc.?
  • How does this system improve the candidate experience?
  • What is your partner strategy, and do I have to pay to integrate my other recruiting tools?
  • What metrics do you focus on to prove the effectiveness of this solution, and where can I see these in my analytics dashboard?
  • Can I speak to my future customer service rep about implementation and how exactly your organization will be involved?
  • Walk me through the candidate experience.
  • Can I store candidate profiles in this system in a way that is searchable for future candidate sourcing?
  • Walk me through how recruiters post jobs, vet applicants, and leave feedback.
  • How do employees outside of HR interact with this ATS?
  • Do you have social recruiting capabilities?
  • We use {{XYZ indispensable recruiting tool}}, do you integrate with it? If yes, how?
  • What is the onboarding process after we buy this solution? Ask for specific steps and who in your org needs to be involved.

For those wondering what’s the right number of questions to bring to a demo, here is a piece of advice: ask as many as you can. If a vendor doesn’t have time to help you understand their product from the ground up, they are probably the wrong vendor.

FAQs

What is ATS?

ATS stands for applicant tracking system, a type of recruitment software designed to make it easier for companies to find, organize, and keep track of people who apply for jobs.

Read more: What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

How do applicant tracking systems work?

Applicant tracking systems act as a liaison between an employer and an applicant. Once an application is submitted, the ATS extracts and stores the candidate’s work experience, education, and contact information in a database. HR teams use the database to review applications, communicate with applicants, schedule interviews, and sometimes administer skills tests.

What is the difference between an ATS and an HRIS?

An ATS (applicant tracking system) is the core operating software for your recruiting team that deals with hiring records. In contrast, your HRIS (Human Resource Information System) is the core operating system of your human resources team and deals with employee records.

What is the difference between ATS and CRM?

ATS focuses on streamlining application logistics, while CRM (candidate relationship management system) builds relationships with potential candidates early on through engagement activities. ATS is used in the later hiring stages, and CRM is used in the early stages of candidate attraction and engagement.

Why is ATS software used in recruitment?

An ATS is used in recruitment to make the end-to-end hiring process easier. ATSs were initially designed for large corporations managing thousands of job applications every week. The use of software dedicated to specific purposes has become part of our everyday lives, and so has the ubiquity of the ATS in small and medium businesses. Teams of all sizes, with various hiring needs, can benefit from a tool that increases efficiency by streamlining tasks.

Is there a free applicant tracking system?

Yes, there are. Some of the best applicant tracking systems we've tested that offer free editions are Manatal, which offers a free trial; Dover, which has a free-forever plan; and Recooty, which is free for one user. Check out our free ATS buyer guide for more options.

What is the best ATS for startups and SMBs?

Startups and small businesses tend to have a tight budget for recruitment tech, so the above free ATS could be a good starting point for such companies. Additionally, Workable, Zoho Recruit, and Recruit CRM are among other top SMB-focused ATS systems we tested that offer a good range of features at an affordable price.

What is the best ATS for recruitment and staffing agencies?

Recruit CRM, Manatal, and Zoho Recruit provide comprehensive features tailored to the needs of smaller agencies. On the other hand, larger firms with increased volume and complex recruitment processes may find Bullhorn and Avionté to be more suitable.

Final Advice on Buying ATS Software

  • ‍Know your needs: Get clear on the specific needs your ATS must satisfy. Meet with vendors and watch demos only after you are absolutely sure of your current ATS requirements and confident of your future forecast. Don’t agree to anything less (or more) than exactly what you need.
  • ‍Two-for-one ROI analysis: Being CFO-ready with an ATS ROI calculation will refine your thoughts on why and how an ATS is an essential purchase for your team, which will lead to more clarity on which features to prioritize.
  • Consider the context: As ATS platforms have become more sophisticated, their cost has decreased. This means capabilities like sourcing, recruitment CRM, talent re-discovery, and even top-rate analytics are readily available to most.

Watch this video for insights from our experts on selecting the right applicant tracking software for your needs.

Expert Buying Advice on Buying Applicant Tracking Software

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