The 11 Best Applicant Tracking Systems of 2024 (Free & Paid)
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The 11 Best Applicant Tracking Systems of 2024 (Free & Paid)

Post Author - Elizabeth Thorn Elizabeth Thorn Last Updated:

Mountains of Excel spreadsheets used to be part of the recruitment experience as hirers juggled interview dates, assignment results, and job offer responses.

While some hirers still use these outdated methods, they can result in bad hires, wasted time, and endless headaches. Thankfully, an applicant tracking system (ATS) can address these issues—or at least it should.

The trouble is that not all ATS tools are equal. What works for one organization might not suit another. With this in mind, it’s time to explore the 11 best ATS options in 2024 and find the perfect fit for your organization:

11 best applicant tracking systems at-a-glance

  • Workable: Best for automating low-volume recruitment
  • Breezy HR: Best for small companies with tight budgets
  • Toggl Hire: Best for assessing talent and proving a great candidate experience
  • Greenhouse: Best for beautiful data visualizations
  • Zoho Recruit: Best for controlling costs and harnessing automation
  • JazzHR: Best for replacing spreadsheets quickly and affordably
  • Lever: Best for leveraging your talent pool
  • Manatal: Best for harnessing the power of AI searches
  • monday.com: Best for integrating hiring with other HR processes
  • GoHire: Best for simplifying SMB staffing
  • SmartRecruiters: Best for larger enterprises

Best applicant tracking systems pricing overview

  • Workable: $189, $313, or $628/mo
  • Breezy HR: $157, $273, or $439/mo
  • Toggl Hire: $20, $75, or $469/mo
  • Greenhouse: Pricing unavailable
  • Zoho Recruit: $25, $50, or $75/mo
  • JazzHR: $75, $269, or $420/mo
  • Lever: Pricing unavailable
  • Manatal: $15, $35, or $55 per user/mo
  • monday.com: $10, $14, or $23 per user/mo
  • GoHire: $99, $199, or $299/mo
  • SmartRecruiters: Pricing unavailable

What to look for when comparing applicant tracking systems

Applicant tracking systems are pretty diverse, so what works for one company won’t satisfy others. Your needs are unique, so take some time before choosing an ATS. As you decide, use these key factors to guide the process.

Ease of use

An ATS is no good if you can’t get to grips with the interface. Systems requiring lengthy adoption periods waste valuable time. Good solutions are both powerful and simple—and not all ATS providers strike that balance.

The best ATS systems have intuitive interfaces and great support. Navigation systems let you create multiple campaigns and manage candidates smoothly. There’s no loose ends or confusion—just clearly laid-out tools.

Candidate tracking

It should be obvious, but ATS tools must track individual candidates from sourcing to hiring. The best solutions let you analyze each candidate, including tests, resume information, and interview feedback.

Talent pool management is a bonus—making it easier to reach passive candidates and convert their interest with the right role.

Candidate skills assessments

A good ATS lets you discover what every candidate offers beyond their past work experience or academic qualifications. Look for extensive skills test libraries, home assignments, video interviews, and flexible data analytics to understand each metric.

Candidate relationship management

Your ATS should make each candidate feel valued and well-informed. Candidate relationship management (CRM) tools keep applicants in the loop about tests and interview scheduling. They also nurture strong connections outside the recruitment process—keeping your talent pool vibrant.

Automation tools

A high-quality ATS automates many traditional recruitment tasks, such as candidate scoring, resume checking, test feedback, and interview management. This is time efficient and limits human error, making recruitment more consistent.

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Choosing an applicant tracking system is a serious decision. Make the wrong move, and you risk confusion, poor recruiting, and excessive staffing costs. Pick wisely, and hiring processes will become smoother and more effective.

11 of the best applicant tracking systems of 2024

We’d obviously love you to choose Toggl Hire, but it’s always worth assessing your options to make a smart decision.

The list below includes 2024’s best applicant tracking solutions. We’ve investigated every option, picking out leaders for ease of use, candidate experience, and automation—the stuff that matters.

Workable

Workable hiring software
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Best for: Automating your small business recruitment process and tracking candidates efficiently

Workable is a simple and adaptable full-cycle ATS designed to cut recruiting times for small businesses. For instance, one-click automation features let you generate job descriptions and structure interviews quickly.

Candidate tracking is a Workable specialty. Advanced search functionality makes it easier to sift talent pool members, while candidate information tags identify high-potential hires through the recruitment pipeline.

On the downside, Workable is limited unless you choose the expensive Premier package. You can buy extra features to beef up its capabilities, but it’s easier to source an ATS that’s already pre-equipped with the features you need.

🌟 Standout features

  • Talent pool management via the People Search tool
  • Simple CRM for smaller campaigns
  • AI-powered automation features
  • Integrations with HR workflows

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Automation tools save time for smaller companiesCRM can become confusing with larger applicant volumes
Talent pools are easily created from your existing resourcesAutomated job descriptions may dilute quality
Part of Workable HR solutions, allowing simple integrationAdd-ons come with extra costs

💰 Pricing

  • Starter: From $189/mo for two active roles. Enables all of Workable’s core applicant tracking system features. Add-ons like video interviews are available for a supplementary fee.
  • Standard: From $313/mo or $3,756/year for unlimited active roles. Extra fees are applicable for add-ons.
  • Premier: From $628/mo or $7,536/year, includes native language options and hiring plans. Video interviews and assessments are free of charge.

💬 Why users love Workable

“I like being able to manage multiple jobs and seeing them on one dashboard. I also like how easy it is to move candidates through the stages of the hiring pipeline, efficiently, and also customizing pipelines according to specific hiring needs. Email templates are also also a great tool, and I’m able to organize them according to departments.” —Charlotte D., a mid-market user

“Workable has a seamless design making it really easy to use and navigate. I like how it is consistently being updated too with tools such as AI generators—all of these, alongside the more traditional features, makes recruiting and improving candidate experience super forward-thinking. Blind hiring is also a great feature but you are not able to set it at certain stages which almost makes the feature a little redundant as shortlisting can be done at more than one stage.” —A mid-market user in marketing and advertising

Breezy HR

Breezy hiring software
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Best for: Improving small-scale recruitment while keeping costs low

Breezy HR impresses with its “bootstrap” free plan, which delivers a fully functional ATS for zero charge. Users can manage candidates and create a landing page for single job openings.

Paid packages expand capacity, adding more appealing features. Tutorials introduce the drag-and-drop interface, helping novices get up to speed. Users can automate job descriptions and postings, instantly zapping adverts to job boards.

There’s also an intelligent Candidate Match feature. This grades job applications according to role requirements and credentials. Easy-to-read scorecards and reports provide at-a-glance information about candidate strengths.

On the other hand, Breezy HR lacks in-depth skills testing and full CRM functions. It’s a simplified ATS that bridges the gap between old-style spreadsheets and in-depth applicant tracking.

🌟 Standout features

  • Powerful free package
  • Candidate Match to parse resumes and filter applicants
  • Automated job posting and descriptions

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Simple to learn, especially with help from tutorial wizardsBasic CRM functionality
Automation saves timeLimited skills testing features
Streamlined candidate assessment toolsConfusing at high volumes
Affordable (or free!) at low volumesPrices rise steeply for larger companies

💰 Pricing

  • Bootstrap: The free trial package includes basic ATS features, but users are limited to a single job.
  • Startup: From $157/mo for unlimited user numbers and candidates. Basic automation features are available.
  • Growth: From $273/mo for extra features like automated CV checking, customizable scorecards, and e-signatures.
  • Business: From $439/mo for more ATS integrations and talent pool management functions. Enhanced user support is also included.
  • Extras: Add SMS messaging for $41/mo and AI candidate matching for $137/mo. Anti-bias Incognito Apply tools also cost $137/mo.

💬 Why users love Breezy

“The set up was so simple and intuitive it made the transition to an ATS very very easy and digestible to co-workers who had never used it before. I was able to get the system almost in complete working order within a matter of days.” —Max S, Corporate Recruiter for a mid-market company

“I was looking for help with hiring an assistant, and BreezyHR was awesome! The platform is very intuitive, with lots of time-saving features that made the process smooth. Some features are only available with higher-tier subscription plans, which are beyond our company’s budget. It would be beneficial if there were options to access certain features for a smaller additional fee.” —Anja D, small business Managing Director

Toggl Hire

Toggl Hire applicant tracking system
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Best for: Skills-based hiring focused on delivering incredible candidate experiences

Toggl Hire is a full-cycle ATS that achieves two holy grails of modern recruiting: delivering exceptional experiences for every candidate and testing skills to choose the perfect hire.

To achieve this, users can customize tests using our library packed full of 19,000 expertly-curated questions across hundreds of skills. Templates radically speed this process up. To get to know your candidates inside out, video interviews and homework tasks add even more screening features.

Toggl Hire’s ATS also streamlines your recruitment pipeline. Instead of relying on standard resumes, you can assess candidates using single tests and then deliver personalized feedback, which adds value to the candidate experience. And if you want to save any high-potential candidates for a future role, Toggl Hire makes it easy to add pre-qualified candidates to your talent pool.

The intuitive candidate pipeline makes it easy to access your candidate management workflows at any time. If you need to integrate with the rest of your tech stack, recruiters can add numerous integrations, including BambooHR, Slack, and others.

🌟 Standout features

  • 180 skills test templates and 19,000 questions from experts
  • Automated test feedback
  • Interview scoring
  • AI-based resume parsing
  • Deep metrics to extract testing insights
  • Integrations with HR platforms and collaboration tools
  • Asynchronous video interviews
  • Homework assignments
  • Clear ATS dashboard

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Users report an 86% reduced time to hire, 10x more qualified candidates, and 93% predictive hiring confidenceWe are still building features to support more robust candidate sourcing needs
The only ATS on the market that combines skills test and full-cycle hiring featuresExpert-created homework assignments are only available on paid plans
Detailed feedback delights candidates and keeps them engagedLimited integrations with onboarding/employee management software (because we’re building our own 🤫)
Simple interface that’s easy to learn and customize
Free account includes all core features

💰 Pricing

  • Free: Our free account lets you sample Toggl Hire’s core applicant tracking system for up to five candidates
  • Basic: From $20/mo or $240/year for up to 20 candidates. Includes skills tests, assignments, video intros and more.
  • Premium: From $75/mo or $900/year, you can choose options for 45-300 candidates, plus anti-cheating tools, API integrations, and candidate email logins.
  • Business: From $469/mo or $5,628/year for unlimited candidates. Includes email templates, advanced customization options, and bulk candidate management.

💬 Why users love Toggl Hire

“I simply love Toggl Hire! The interface is beautiful and the user experience is super! Its also very agile and I can make out its because Toggl is known for their remote monitoring expertise way before Covid! Because its a skills first talent acquisition platform, that takes off a lot of pressure from my recruiters.” —Anupama K., a mid-market user

“I like how easy it is to navigate and generate tests. Additioanally, the ability to easily shortlist candidates and provide instant feedback is amazing. Their pricing is simple and has no hidden fees. The best part is that you are not capped at how many candidates you can receive. No extra cost per cluster of candidates. My previous platform made it difficult to customize tests and I needed to pay for add-ons all the time. I’m happy that I switched over to Toggl Hire. It has everything that I was looking for in such a platform and has most of the skills that I need. For the skills that they don’t have, I was able to easily generate my own custom questions.” —A small business user in the management consulting field

Greenhouse

Greenhouse recruiting tool
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Best for: Analyzing hiring data to derive valuable insights

Greenhouse seeks to enable data-driven and bias-free hiring decisions. That’s a big claim, but the ATS delivers on data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Greenhouse users can harness over 40 reporting templates, including metrics on candidate quality, time to hire, and more. There are many visualization options, making it easy to understand and act upon hiring data,

Greenhouse also features over 500 integration options. You should be able to blend the ATS and other human resources tools alongside social media channels and departmental workflows. The ATS features plenty of CRM options, too, including automated email look-ups and personalized communications.

🌟 Standout features

  • Reporting metrics and visualizations
  • Talent pool management
  • Over 500 integrations and customization options

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Integrates well with other HR systemsGreenhouse’s pricing is not transparent
Great for data analysisThe ATS may be challenging for new users
Good for analyzing hiring at low volumes

💰 Pricing

Greenhouse does not publish a fixed roster of prices. Instead, prices are “tailored” to different company sizes. You can choose between three tiers:

  • Essential: Covers core Greenhouse ATS features for a single event
  • Advanced: Covers 10 events. Adds more customization options including bulk candidate management and custom reports.
  • Expert: Unlimited events. Includes candidate prospecting, take-home tests, and in-depth reports

💬 Why users love Greenhouse

“Greenhouse was a comprehensive ATS that had everything we needed from job postings and job boards, tracking applicants through the hiring process, scheduling interviews, gathering feedback and sending offers.” —Alina, a recruiting supervisor

“Greenhouse is an essential part of the recruiting process. From keeping our pipelines healthy, dispositioning candidates in a timely fashion, and all other important functions, Greenhouse helps us grow!” —Rebecca A, Event Marketer for a large software company

Zoho Recruit

Zoho Recruit hiring software
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Best for: Exploring AI and automation at your own pace

Zoho Recruit is a great option for startups with big ambitions but limited budgets. The ATS works on a per-recruiter model, and customers add extra users as required. This makes it easy to optimize costs and needs as you scale. The Forever Free option means you can try Zoho thoroughly before committing.

The ATS itself is simple but effective. The AI assistant provides candidate recommendations, and you can automate rejections or add failed candidates to email lists. There’s also a career site builder and tools to customize job listings. Overall, Zoho’s features offer good value for companies with modest needs.

Beware though. Zoho Recruit is built to integrate with other Zoho products (like the CRM app). It works well as part of a Zoho implementation but is less useful as a standalone ATS.

🌟 Standout features

  • Zero code career site builder
  • Source Boosters AI-powered candidate search
  • Social sourcing and one-click multiple job board posting
  • Predictive data analytics
  • 48-hour background checks

⚖️ Pros & Cons:

ProsCons
Affordable and flexible pricingRequires other Zoho products to work effectively
Time-saving AI toolsPoor integrations with popular collaboration tools
ATS essentials includedNo skills testing or in-depth assessments

💰 Pricing

  • Free: The ATS free forever plan covers one active job and includes core Zoho features
  • Standard: From $25/mo for up to 100 active roles. The package includes core features like interview feedback and candidate sourcing.
  • Professional: From $50/mo, including AI-assisted recruiting for 250 active roles. Features candidate portals and deeper analytics.
  • Enterprise: From $75/mo for up to 750 roles, including more customization functionality and integrations with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

💬 Why users love Zoho Recruit

“Overall experience with Zoho Recruit is excellent. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about building a team and tracking all the candidates passing through their system.” —Jaideep, Head of Product for a financical services company

“The tool is so easy to learn and use. It is cost-effective as compared to its return on investment. I have been able to integrate it with other tools hence making work easier.” —Cybele, Human Resources Manager for a medium-sized US company

JazzHR

JazzHR software
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Best for: Sourcing a cheap alternative to spreadsheet recruiting

Known for its easy-to-use interface, JazzHR is a sleek ATS that lets you post job ads, track candidates, and integrate recruiting with other HR tasks. It’s also affordable—but cheaper packages have far fewer features to work with.

The cheapest JazzHR tier lets you automate job posts to 18 popular boards but limits users to three active roles. It also lacks full-cycle ATS features like interview scheduling and screening assessments. There’s no skill testing either, making it tough to assess candidate abilities.

As you pay more, JazzHR becomes more powerful. Pro packages include detailed reporting functions, more automation features, and unlimited active roles. But the price rises sharply from Hero upwards, excluding many small businesses.

🌟 Standout features

  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Automated candidate tracking and job posting to 18 boards
  • Knockout questions to screen applicants
  • Multi-task management for bulk actions
  • Data visualizations (Plus and Pro tier)

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Free and Hero packages provide a good foundationCheaper packages are not full-scale ATS tools
Easy to use and learnExpensive as you add functionality
Good reputation for customer supportSome reviewers mention buggy integrations

💰 Pricing

  • Free trial: A 14-day access to Pro tier ATS functions
  • Hero: From $75/mo for basic job posting and management tools. Includes 3 active roles, then charges $9/job every month.
  • Plus: From $269/mo for unlimited active roles, assessment features and bulk management tools
  • Pro: From $420/mo for bundles in e-signatures, visual reporting, enhanced support, and more integrations
  • Extras: Users can add ATS features like Zoom Integration for $29/mo or SMS for $39/mo

💬 Why users love JazzHR

“I’ve been using Jazz HR for our hiring needs, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The customizable workflow feature allows me to tailor the recruitment process to our specific needs, making it easy to add personalization at every stage.” —Natalie C, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at a small business

“JazzHR is easy to use. I find the ability to sort applicants with star ratings or by their status in the hiring process really useful when trying to higlight appicants for review by other team members. Its ability to integrate with other tools is also very useful. I have had a couple instances when JazzHR has kicked my personal account out of the businesses wider team. This meant I have had issues logging in and accessing applications. I did go to the customer support who were helpful and rectified the issue but it did cause some lost time during the hiring process.” —Ethan W, Operations Manager at a mid-market US company

Lever

Lever hiring software
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Best for: Getting the most out of your talent pool and engaging passive candidates

Branded as a “talent acquisition suite”, the Lever ATS is great at attracting hard-to-find passive qualified candidates, but you may prefer a different solution for general recruiting, candidate experience, and talent assessment.

Lever offers user-friendly candidate sourcing and tracking. Users can integrate the ATS with Google Chrome via a well-designed talent dashboard, and users find it easy to learn the system without much outside help. Automation tools save time, and users report good experiences hiring at volume.

On the negative side, critical users mention a lack of reporting functions. Also, Lever’s software solutions do not include a high-quality mobile app, and many users mention performance issues.

🌟 Standout features

  • Integrated tracking and CRM
  • Smooth interview scheduling
  • Over 300 app integrations
  • DEI and compliance dashboards
  • E-signatures for secure onboarding

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Good customer supportNot transparent about pricing
Works well when hiring at volumeSome users report slow performance
Strong reputation for scheduling and collaborationSetup can be complex

💰 Pricing

Lever does not provide transparent prices on its website. You’ll need to contact the company for a quote. Users can pick from two packages:

  • Lever: Core features, including DEI solutions, analytics, single sign-on, and some API integrations.
  • Lever for Enterprise: Enhanced ATS functions include offer management and requisition management. Features integrations with Slack and more automation options.

💬 Why users love Lever

“Lever allows for a great amount of customization, which is why we chose it over other out of the box solutions. We are over a year into our contract, and it gets better with each new release. You do need to have a good idea of what you want to accomplish with it in order to use it to it’s maximum potential.” —Geoff P, Talent Acquisition Director for a medium-sized company

“I like that there are more report insights than our previous ATS where reports were very manual and often times not detailed. I also like that we were able to create automation workflows for our process to save us a step in the process. It seems to be organized well and user friendly.” —Kelsey M, Senior Recruiter for a mid-sized company

Manatal

Manatal applicant tracking system
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Best for: Laser-guided talent pool searches

Manatal’s per-user pricing is transparent and cost-effective for smaller organizations. With AI assistance, time-poor HR teams can create job descriptions, while automated candidate matching saves time.

Another standout area is managing your candidate database. Manatal enables AI-enhanced Boolean searches to pinpoint potential hires. Customizing searches for open positions is easy and intuitive.

Despite these strengths, there are some things Manatal cannot do. For instance, assessment systems are a little simplistic. You can’t use Manatal to deep-dive into Python skills, but you can use it for basic hiring on a budget. That could suit many smaller businesses.

🌟 Standout features

  • In-depth candidate searches
  • Candidate matching
  • User-based pricing model
  • Automated job description tools

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Transparent and affordable pricesPoor candidate assessment tools
Uses AI well to save time and find candidatesBasic CRM features
Smart candidate profiling gets more from your talent pool

💰 Pricing

  • Professional: From $15/user/mo. Limited to 15 users and up to 10,000 applicants.
  • Enterprise: From $35/user/mo. There are no job limits. Adds workflow automation.
  • Enterprise Plus: From $55/user/mo. Includes user groups, report building, SSO, and priority support.
  • Custom Plan: Provides a dedicated account manager and additional ATS customization options.

*Customers can access a free trial for professional, enterprise, or enterprise plus packages.

💬 Why users love Manatal

“At the end of each month, it used to take us hours to find out things like the best time to hire or how well each channel did. We can now make those reports with just a few clicks. Overall, the platform is easy to use, and the team picked it up very quickly.” —Osbert N, Recruitment Consultant at a mid-market firm

“Setup is easy, and you can start using it right away. Excellent support is offered both through live chat and through an unlimited number of training sessions. Some of our suggestions, such as introducing a certain job board, have been implemented, showing that they are listening to our suggestions.” —Yanik S, Head of HR for a small business

monday.com

monday.com Jobflows
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Best for: Integrating hiring with other HR processes

monday.com is a flexible work management platform you can customize to function as an ATS. For example, you can use the monday.com boards to house your candidate data, automate emails and notifications, or communicate with your in-house hiring teams.

If you prefer not to set up your own ATS from scratch, you can also use JobFlows, a dedicated recruiting software built on top of the monday.com Work OS.

Note that JobFlows doesn’t work as a standalone product which could complicate matters for some buyers, as you’ll need to sign up for both monday.com and JobFlows plans. Of course, if you already use monday.com in your tech stack, this won’t be an issue.

JobFlows integrates with talent pool resources like LinkedIn and includes a “no code” career site builder to capture attention. Automation tools include resume parsing from emails, which reduces screening time. Customizable dashboards profile every candidate, staying on top of the recruitment process.

The main downside to using JobFlows or monday.com is the lack of skills testing—you’ll need to integrate with another third-party software to assess top talent before progressing them through your hiring funnel.

🌟 Standout features

  • No code career site-building
  • Seamless integration with other key tools like Zoom and Google
  • Automated screening
  • Hundreds of email and job description templates
  • Customizable dashboards

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
JobFlows slots into existing monday.com implementationsLimited skills assessments
Either JobFlows or the monday.com Work OS store candidate infoNeither offers a full-cycle applicant tracking system unless you’re willing to build it yourself
Both tools offer tons of customization optionsIntegrating with third-party tools to gain the functionality you need may be too complex

💰 Pricing

  • A free monday.com plan covers up to two users and three boards, while premium plans start from $9 per seat/mo
  • An Unlimited JobFlows plan costs $125/mo paid annually

💬 Why users love JobFlows on monday.com

“My favorite use for monday.com has been to create our applicant-tracking system during a hiring process.” —Stephen J, Director of Growth at a US small business

“Jobflows helps me to manage a very fast communication flow, avoiding bounces between mailing lists and much more, allowing me to speed up my recruiting work.” —Bruno, CEO in Italy

GoHire

GoHire ATS
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Best for: Bringing simplicity to chaotic SMB recruitment

GoHire is a less well-known ATS but well worth a look. Its mission is to save SMBs time (and money) by simplifying complex hiring processes. The ATS software combines job sourcing, job descriptions, branded landing pages, applicant tracking, and job offers. Users can master the full recruitment cycle from end to end.

Every GoHire package includes a streamlined careers page to list openings. Starter users can search candidate data. Automated emails also enable personalized candidate communication. Scheduling interviews is also a breeze.

So what’s the catch? Simplicity has its problems. GoHire isn’t great for understanding candidate personalities and skills. Reporting is fairly basic, and HR teams rely on CVs or questionnaires to filter applications.

🌟 Standout features

  • Careers page for every user
  • Applicant tracking from start to finish
  • AI-assisted sourcing and assessment
  • Searchable candidate databases

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Simplicity ensures a strong user experienceGoHire has speed issues
Affordable ATS for unlimited rolesSimplistic candidate assessments
Users report customer service issues

💰 Pricing

  • Starter: From $99/mo for all standard ATS features but limited to three active roles
  • Growth: From $199/mo covering 10 active roles, with screening questions, activity feeds, pipeline customization, and enhanced collaboration.
  • Pro: From $299/mo for unlimited roles. Adds video questionnaires, scorecards, reporting functionality, and advanced automation.

💬 Why users love GoHire

“This job board is easy to manage & the features are so simple to learn. It took me less than a day to get all our features set up & jobs posted. I really appreciated that they offered a free trial period.” —Denise, Company Director from New Zealand

“Great! We used a much bigger (more expensive) platform previously and down scaled for a number of reasons—this provider has delivered exactly what we needed.” —Victoria, Head of People for a UK company

SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters hiring software
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Best for: Managing staffing at larger businesses

So far, most of the applicant tracking software listed has been pitched at smaller or medium-sized companies. That’s not the case with SmartRecruiters, which appeals to larger enterprises and more experienced HR teams.

Why? SmartRecruiters has plenty of functionality but a steep learning curve. It’s not for businesses that are shifting spreadsheets to talent pipelines or have lower-volume hiring needs.

The main platform includes core ATS functions like reporting, job board integration, candidate assessment, managing job offers, and scheduling interviews. You can instantly post to social media channels or even create internal recruitment pipelines for targeted staffing and employee referrals.

SmartRecruiters excels in talent pool management. Branded career pages and tailored ad campaigns help you reach potential candidates (and wider applicant pools). The system is dynamic, too, adapting to customer suggestions—always good vendor practice.

On the negative side, expect costs to be high, even though they’re not transparent on the vendor website.

🌟 Standout features

  • Full-cycle ATS features
  • Post to 200 job boards
  • Social media integration
  • Branded career pages
  • Intuitive dashboard

⚖️ Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Streamlined ATS guides recruitment from start to finishExpensive solution
Instant job posting and targeted adsNot simple to configure
Good customer supportRelatively small skills test library

💰 Pricing

Companies must contact SmartRecruiters for a quote, and the company does not advertise fixed prices. The pricing model features a Core package. Users can add extras according to their needs.

  • Core: Functionality includes the ATS, reporting dashboards, and integration with over 200 job boards.
  • Extras: Users pay for each add-on separately. Modules include CRM functions, conversational AI bots, SmartJobs to advertise roles, and SmartAssistant’s AI-powered candidate scoring.

💬 Why users love SmartRecruiters

“Very robust and inclusive software. It has a wide coverage and deeper functionalities, which makes it unique.” —Georgina, Talent Acquisition Leader in Australia

“As a new manager, I find SmartRecruiters an easy system to use to research and contact applicants. I like that applicants can post multiple resources to their profile and I can easily access them (there’s no need for me to save their resume on my computer).” —Sarah, Director of Lower School Literacy, Grades 3-4 in the US.

Our methodology for selecting the best recruitment software

Transparency about features and pricing is important when sourcing an ATS. In the spirit of full disclosure, we thought we’d finish with a quick explainer about how we rate applicant tracking software.

Our rankings are based on extensive research and testing. Here’s what we consider when selecting the best ATS systems in the market:

  • Core recruiting features for SMBs—Elite tracking systems must include core features small businesses need. Job posting to many platforms, CRM databases, interview scheduling, candidate scoring, and career site development are essentials.
  • Simplifying the recruiting process—A great ATS makes life easier by removing clutter and streamlining hiring. We look for workflow automation, plenty of integrations, and mobile apps.
  • Ease of use—If we can’t understand how to use an ATS, we relegate it to the also-rans. Interfaces must be easy to use and fully functional. Users need a clear dashboard and talent pipeline customizations. We’d expect intuitive access controls as well.
  • Customer support—We know that users may need access to reliable support during setup and beyond. Good vendors offer phone, email, and even in-person help. They provide clear tutorials on critical subjects and respond quickly to every query.
  • Price—We consider quality more important than value, but price matters. We assess free trials, differences between subscription tiers, and transparency. There should also be ways to scale implementations without any nasty financial surprises.
  • Customer reviews—Active users are best placed to grade ATS performance. We look for consistently high ratings on reputable sites, along with trending complaints or strong points.

Try Toggl Hire as your ATS

Phew! We’ve covered a lot of ground and hopefully highlighted a few additions to your ATS shortlist.

Every business has different needs, but we’d love Toggl Hire to be part of the mix. Our free account offers a fully featured taste of our full-cycle recruiting platform, and users love what they find.

Take it from Riotly Social, which skyrocketed candidate numbers 10x once it switched to Toggl Hire. The social media agency identified 37 highly qualified potential hires in just three weeks.

Ready to achieve similar results? Create a free Toggl Hire account and give our ATS a try today.

Elizabeth Thorn

Elizabeth is an experienced entrepreneur, writer, and content marketer. She has nine years of experience helping grow businesses, including two of her own, and shares Toggl's mission of challenging traditional beliefs about what building a successful business looks like.

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