HR & People · 12 tools ranked
Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in 2026
Ashby ranks first in Applicant tracking systems, followed by Greenhouse and Teamtailor. Applicant tracking systems publish jobs, collect applications, move candidates through stages and keep the hiring record for offers, reporting and audits.
The top three
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
1. AshbyFirst because tracking, sourcing, scheduling and analytics sit in one product, with plans sized for companies from 1 to over 1,000 employees and a published entry price.
2. GreenhouseSecond for structured hiring at scale, with Core, Plus and Pro plans, scheduling and reporting, though pricing is custom and the AI additions are layered on top.
3. TeamtailorThird because it puts the careers site and employer brand at the center of an ATS, runs in 13 languages and is built in Sweden around GDPR.What is Applicant tracking systems?
An applicant tracking system, or ATS, is the system of record for hiring. It publishes jobs to a careers page and job boards, collects applications, moves each candidate through defined stages, schedules interviews, gathers structured feedback and produces offers. It also stores the history of every candidate and every decision. Some products add sourcing, a talent database, onboarding and light HR records on top of that core.
How we ranked these
A hiring process usually breaks before anyone buys software for it. Resumes sit in three inboxes, a hiring manager asks where a finalist stands, and nobody can say how many people applied last quarter.
An applicant tracking system exists to end that, and to keep a record you can defend if a rejected candidate or an auditor asks how a decision was made. This ranking is written for companies with 50 to 1,000 employees that hire steadily, in Europe, North America or both.
We compared twelve products on what happens after the demo. We looked at how quickly a recruiter and five hiring managers can run a real vacancy, what the contract costs once texting, assessments and AI credits are added, and whether the candidate history can leave with you.
We also weighed who owns the vendor and which kind of company each product suits. Where a vendor publishes no price we say so instead of estimating.
Setup: how fast can a real vacancy run through it?
The best setup is one where a recruiter posts a live job, five hiring managers score candidates, and nobody asks for a training day. We judged each product against that bar for a company opening 15 to 30 roles a year. The questions were practical.
Can job templates, stages and scorecards be built without a vendor consultant? Does the careers page go live from a template?
Do hiring managers get a plain interface, or a recruiter tool in disguise? Enterprise products with requisitions and approval chains score lower here because they need a project, while lighter products reach the first hire in days but can run out of structure once several teams recruit at once.
The real price: seats, job slots, credits and add-ons
Only five of the twelve products publish an entry price, and that figure covers less than it appears to. Texting, video interviews, assessments, background checks and AI usage are often separate lines. Workable, for example, bundles 3,000 AI credits and sells further packs, while Ashby lists candidate texting and single sign-on as paid extras.
Others, such as Greenhouse, Teamtailor, Lever and SmartRecruiters, give a number only after a sales conversation. We compared a realistic setup for a 300-person company with 20 hires a year, and we penalized pricing that changes with headcount at renewal, minimum terms that cannot shrink and add-ons needed for normal use.
Getting your data out: candidates, notes and consent records
You can leave a good ATS in a week if candidate records, notes and scorecards export cleanly. They rarely do by default. Before signing, ask in writing whether you can export every candidate with stage history, interviewer feedback, attachments and the consent record, not just a spreadsheet of names.
Ask whether the API and webhooks are included on your tier, because several vendors reserve them for higher plans. European buyers should also ask how long rejected candidates are kept, whether deletion can run automatically, and where the data is hosted.
A product that cannot answer these questions in one email is a risk in a GDPR audit.
Independence from the vendor: ownership, bundles and exit terms
Several of these products now sit inside larger groups, and that changes the renewal conversation. SmartRecruiters was acquired by SAP in September 2025, Lever and JazzHR both belong to Employ, and Recruitee is part of the Tellent group alongside Tellent HR. Workday Recruiting is a module of a suite, so leaving it means rethinking more than hiring.
Bundles can be convenient, since Workable, Homerun, Pinpoint and Teamtailor add onboarding or HR records. They also make switching harder later.
We favored products with open APIs, plain contracts and a monthly option, and we marked down contracts that renew automatically for a year with no headcount flexibility.
Who it's for: startups, mid-market, high-volume or enterprise
The right product depends on how many roles you open and how many people touch each one. Small teams that hire a few people a year are served by Homerun, Breezy HR and JazzHR, which publish prices and keep the interface light. Growing companies with a dedicated recruiter fit Ashby, Greenhouse, Workable and Teamtailor.
Employer-brand-led hiring suits Teamtailor and Pinpoint, whose careers sites are central to the product. Large organizations with several recruiting teams, approvals and an existing HR suite belong with SmartRecruiters or Workday Recruiting.
No single ranking position fits all four groups.
Compared at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Pricing | Free option | HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashby | Growing companies with in-house recruiters | Per company size / month | None | United States |
| 2 | Greenhouse | Mid-market teams that hire in volume | Quote only | None | United States |
| 3 | Teamtailor | Employer-brand-led hiring in Europe | Quote only | None | Sweden |
| 4 | Workable | Teams wanting published prices and quick start | Per company size / month | Free trial | United Kingdom |
| 5 | Tellent Recruitee | European teams hiring together | Per company size / month | Free trial | Netherlands |
| 6 | Lever | Relationship-led hiring teams | Quote only | None | United States |
| 7 | Pinpoint | In-house teams focused on employer brand | Quote only | None | Jersey |
| 8 | Homerun | Small teams hiring a few roles | Per plan / month | Free trial | Netherlands |
| 9 | Breezy HR | Small teams with many hiring managers | Flat monthly | Free trial | United States |
| 10 | JazzHR | Small businesses on a tight budget | Per plan / year | None | United States |
| 11 | SmartRecruiters | Large employers and SAP SuccessFactors users | Quote only | None | United States |
| 12 | Workday Recruiting | Large employers already on Workday | Quote only | None | United States |
The 12 tools, reviewed
How this list is ordered: by our editorial assessment of fit for organizations of 50 to 1,000 people. Vendors can pay for more visibility; paid placements are labeled and explained in our disclosure. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
-
US-basedAll-in-oneAnalytics
Why #1: First because tracking, sourcing, scheduling and analytics sit in one product, with plans sized for companies from 1 to over 1,000 employees and a published entry price.
- Best for
- Growing companies with in-house recruiters
- Pricing
- Per company size / month
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, CRM and sourcing, Interview scheduling, Analytics, Candidate texting
- Falls short
- Plus and Enterprise prices are not public, and texting, single sign-on, data enrichment and several sourcing features are separate paid add-ons.
- Wrong for
- Companies that hire two or three people a year should look at Homerun or Breezy HR, which cost less and need less setup.
Full assessment of Ashby
Ashby is the product we would shortlist first for a company of 100 to 1,000 people with at least one full-time recruiter. Its pitch is one integrated system instead of an ATS plus separate sourcing, scheduling and reporting tools, and its plans are split by company size, so the entry tier is built for small teams and the higher tiers for larger ones.
A published starting price makes early budgeting possible. Analytics can also be bought on top of another ATS, which is a rare option.
It ranks first for breadth and honest pricing.
Where it falls short
Plus and Enterprise prices are not public, and texting, single sign-on, data enrichment and several sourcing features are separate paid add-ons. Nothing on the pricing page mentions a free trial.
The breadth means more configuration for a team of two, who may never use the analytics or sourcing tools they pay for.
Wrong for
Companies that hire two or three people a year should look at Homerun or Breezy HR, which cost less and need less setup. Buyers who need EU-based contracting by default should start with Teamtailor or Recruitee.
-
US-basedStructured hiringAI add-ons
Why #2: Second for structured hiring at scale, with Core, Plus and Pro plans, scheduling and reporting, though pricing is custom and the AI additions are layered on top.
- Best for
- Mid-market teams that hire in volume
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Talent sourcing, Interview scheduling, Reporting and analytics, Onboarding
- Falls short
- Quotes are customized, so a mid-sized buyer cannot compare costs before a sales call.
- Wrong for
- Companies hiring a few roles a year, or those who want a published monthly price, should look at Workable or Homerun.
Full assessment of Greenhouse
Greenhouse is the established choice for companies that want every interview to follow the same rubric. The product covers sourcing, scheduling, reporting, onboarding and a growing set of AI tools, including an interview notetaker, voice interviews and fraud checks that flag fake applicants.
Its own site claims more than 7,500 customer companies. It sits second because it is the safest pick for a team with several recruiters and many hiring managers.
Where it falls short
Quotes are customized, so a mid-sized buyer cannot compare costs before a sales call. The newer AI features add to the product surface, which makes configuration heavier than in a lean tool.
Small teams will pay for structure they will not use, and the plan names do not reveal which features sit in which tier.
Wrong for
Companies hiring a few roles a year, or those who want a published monthly price, should look at Workable or Homerun. Buyers who need a dedicated careers-site builder first may prefer Teamtailor.
-
EU-basedCareers siteEmployer brand
Why #3: Third because it puts the careers site and employer brand at the center of an ATS, runs in 13 languages and is built in Sweden around GDPR.
- Best for
- Employer-brand-led hiring in Europe
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Candidate relationship management, Career site editor, Talent pool, Interview kits
- Falls short
- Prices are not published, so you cannot test the budget before a conversation.
- Wrong for
- Companies that want a purely transactional tracker with published prices should look at Homerun or Breezy HR.
Full assessment of Teamtailor
Teamtailor is the best fit when how candidates experience your company matters as much as how you process them. The drag-and-drop careers site, talent pool and employer-branding tools sit next to a standard tracking pipeline, with interview kits and automation on top.
The interface is offered in 13 languages, which helps multi-country teams. We placed it third because it is the strongest European option for employer-brand-led hiring, and because its single quote-based model makes it easy to compare against Greenhouse.
Where it falls short
Prices are not published, so you cannot test the budget before a conversation. Requisitions and approval flows, along with multi-brand management, are premium features, which matters for larger or multi-entity companies.
Its pages emphasize the careers site over detailed analytics or sourcing, so recruiting-heavy teams should test those areas.
Wrong for
Companies that want a purely transactional tracker with published prices should look at Homerun or Breezy HR. Large enterprises with strict requisition chains should compare Workday Recruiting or SmartRecruiters.
-
UK-basedTrialMultiposting
Why #4: Fourth for the shortest path from sign-up to first hire, with published prices from $299 a month, a 15-day trial and posting to over 200 job boards.
- Best for
- Teams wanting published prices and quick start
- Pricing
- Per company size / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Job multiposting, Careers page builder, Talent CRM, Scorecards and interview kits
- Falls short
- The headline price applies only to the 1 to 20 employee band, and the pricing page shows no amounts for larger companies.
- Wrong for
- Companies with a complex approval chain, many hiring managers per vacancy or strict EU contracting needs should look at Greenhouse, Teamtailor or Recruitee.
Full assessment of Workable
Workable is the one we would hand to a company that needs to be hiring by next week. It publishes prices, offers a 15-day trial without a card, posts to more than 200 job boards and covers offers, e-signatures and basic onboarding.
Texting, video interviews and assessments are included in the higher plans. It is fourth because first-time buyers can get started faster than with most products here, even though the structured-hiring depth does not match Greenhouse or Ashby.
Where it falls short
The headline price applies only to the 1 to 20 employee band, and the pricing page shows no amounts for larger companies. On the Standard plan, texting, video interviews and assessments are paid add-ons.
AI usage runs on credits, and the 3,000 included will not last a busy recruiter long.
Wrong for
Companies with a complex approval chain, many hiring managers per vacancy or strict EU contracting needs should look at Greenhouse, Teamtailor or Recruitee. Very low-volume hirers will find Homerun cheaper.
-
EU-basedTellent groupTrial
Why #5: Fifth because it offers collaborative hiring with three clear plan tiers, a free trial and a Dutch contracting entity, but publishes no amounts and caps AI use per plan.
- Best for
- European teams hiring together
- Pricing
- Per company size / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Netherlands
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Job posts, Referrals, Custom reports, AI screening assistant
- Falls short
- No amounts are on the pricing page, so the budget is unclear until you ask.
- Wrong for
- Teams that need SSO and an API on a small budget will pay for Optimize, so they should compare Workable or Ashby.
Full assessment of Tellent Recruitee
Recruitee, now sold as Tellent Recruitee, suits European companies where several people share responsibility for each hire. The plan ladder is easy to read: Start for early-stage teams with up to five active jobs, Advance with unlimited jobs, referrals and custom reports, and Optimize with single sign-on, API support and a dedicated success manager.
A no-card trial lets you test it. It lands fifth because the structure is clear and the contracting entity is Dutch, while pricing stays hidden, and Recruitee B.V. is the contracting entity for most regions outside the US, Germany and France.
Where it falls short
No amounts are on the pricing page, so the budget is unclear until you ask. The one-year minimum commitment applies, even though monthly payment is possible.
Single sign-on and API access only arrive in the top plan, and AI use is limited by monthly credits and searches. The product name has changed with the Tellent group branding.
Wrong for
Teams that need SSO and an API on a small budget will pay for Optimize, so they should compare Workable or Ashby. Companies wanting a month-to-month deal with no commitment should consider Breezy HR.
-
US-basedTalent CRMEmploy group
Why #6: Sixth as a combined ATS and CRM with AI screening, held back by quote-only pricing, add-ons sold separately and its place inside the Employ group.
- Best for
- Relationship-led hiring teams
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Talent CRM, Reporting, AI screening, Interview transcripts and summaries
- Falls short
- Pricing is available only on request, and the page names no plans, so features are hard to compare with competitors.
- Wrong for
- Teams that want published prices or a trial before talking to sales should look at Workable, Homerun or Breezy HR.
Full assessment of Lever
Lever suits teams that treat hiring as relationship work, with a talent CRM built into the same platform as the applicant pipeline. Its current core platform includes reporting, AI screening, unlimited interview transcripts and summaries, and fraud prevention signals.
Candidate insights, an AI screening add-on and onboarding are priced separately. It ranks sixth because the concept is sound and the product is mature, but the buying experience offers little transparency and the vendor is now one brand among several at Employ.
Where it falls short
Pricing is available only on request, and the page names no plans, so features are hard to compare with competitors. Candidate insights, AI screening by a partner and onboarding each need their own quote.
Lever now appears as a brand within Employ, alongside JazzHR and Jobvite, so the product roadmap is shared with sister products.
Wrong for
Teams that want published prices or a trial before talking to sales should look at Workable, Homerun or Breezy HR. Companies that need a European contracting entity should begin with Teamtailor or Recruitee.
-
Jersey-basedCareers siteAI filters
Why #7: Seventh for a branded careers site, CRM and AI candidate filters in one product, held back by priced-on-request plans and a lack of public detail.
- Best for
- In-house teams focused on employer brand
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Jersey
- Key features
- Flexible hiring workflows, Approval workflows, Interview management, Offer management, Branded careers site
- Falls short
- There are no published prices, plans or trial, and the pricing page directs you to a call.
- Wrong for
- Buyers who want a self-serve trial and a published price should look at Workable or Breezy HR.
Full assessment of Pinpoint
Pinpoint packages the whole hiring path into one product: workflows with approvals, interview and offer management, a branded careers site, a talent pipeline CRM and an onboarding step with background and reference checks. Its AI features include candidate filters, a match score, a criteria checklist and an interview notetaker.
It ranks seventh because the scope is wide and suits in-house teams, but the vendor offers nothing public to compare on price.
Where it falls short
There are no published prices, plans or trial, and the pricing page directs you to a call. The legal entity is registered in Jersey, which may not suit every procurement team.
Several AI tools are listed by name only, so you cannot judge their depth without a demo,.
Wrong for
Buyers who want a self-serve trial and a published price should look at Workable or Breezy HR. Companies that need a contracting entity inside the EU should compare Teamtailor, Recruitee or Homerun.
-
EU-basedSmall teamsTrial
Why #8: Eighth because it is the cheapest published option for small teams, with euro prices from 89 a month and a trial, though job slots and structure are limited.
- Best for
- Small teams hiring a few roles
- Pricing
- Per plan / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Netherlands
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Hiring automations, Structured hiring, Career page, Leave and sick-day management
- Falls short
- Job slots are capped at 3 to 10 depending on the plan, which restricts any company opening many roles at once.
- Wrong for
- Companies running ten or more vacancies at once, or needing approval chains and deep analytics, should look at Ashby or Greenhouse.
Full assessment of Homerun
Homerun is the product for a company of 20 to 150 people that hires a few times a year and wants a tool the whole team can use without training. Prices are published in euros, a 15-day trial includes almost all ATS and HR features, and SEPA payment is supported.
Plans are limited by the number of live job slots, which keeps the interface simple. It ranks eighth because it does one narrow job well and is unsuited beyond it.
Where it falls short
Job slots are capped at 3 to 10 depending on the plan, which restricts any company opening many roles at once. The pricing page uses inconsistent plan names across its cards, table and FAQ.
Reporting and automation are lighter than in Greenhouse or Ashby, and extra employee seats cost 4 euros each per month.
Wrong for
Companies running ten or more vacancies at once, or needing approval chains and deep analytics, should look at Ashby or Greenhouse. Buyers who want a US-dollar contract should compare Breezy HR.
-
US-basedFlat pricingTrial
Why #9: Ninth for unlimited users and open positions at published monthly prices from $157, with a 14-day trial, but thin AI detail and add-ons priced extra.
- Best for
- Small teams with many hiring managers
- Pricing
- Flat monthly
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Candidate management, Job advertising, Career sites, Employee referrals, Interview tools
- Falls short
- Texting from $41 a month, Onboard from $49 and AI credits at $30 per 100,000 are extra, and several add-ons such as Perform and Interview Analysis have no listed price.
- Wrong for
- Companies that need deep analytics, approval chains or a European contracting entity should look at Greenhouse, Ashby or Teamtailor.
Full assessment of Breezy HR
Breezy HR is worth a look if hiring managers outnumber recruiters, since every plan includes unlimited users and open positions, and the page says prices do not rise as the company grows. Job advertising reaches 50 or more sites, and the Onboard product and offer management extend the process.
A 14-day trial runs without a card and monthly billing is allowed on every plan. It ranks ninth because pricing is simple and fair, but the depth is below the top eight.
Where it falls short
Texting from $41 a month, Onboard from $49 and AI credits at $30 per 100,000 are extra, and several add-ons such as Perform and Interview Analysis have no listed price. The AI description is vague.
The page says little about reporting depth, and nothing about contract terms or payment methods.
Wrong for
Companies that need deep analytics, approval chains or a European contracting entity should look at Greenhouse, Ashby or Teamtailor. Very small teams that hire rarely will find Homerun cheaper.
-
US-basedBudgetEmploy group
Why #10: Tenth as a low-cost ATS with published yearly prices from $1,000, held back by usage-based add-ons, size limits on standard pricing and no stated trial.
- Best for
- Small businesses on a tight budget
- Pricing
- Per plan / year
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Job postings, Email templates, LinkedIn Recruiter integration, AI candidate matching
- Falls short
- Standard pricing does not apply to organizations above 250 employees, to agencies or to franchises, so mid-sized buyers must negotiate.
- Wrong for
- Companies above 250 employees, or with several recruiters, should look at Ashby or Greenhouse.
Full assessment of JazzHR
JazzHR is the lowest published yearly sticker price on this list, which suits a company with a handful of vacancies and no recruiter. The Hero plan covers tracking, email templates, premium job listings and LinkedIn Recruiter integration, Plus adds AI matching and structured interviews, and Pro adds offers, e-signatures and visual reporting.
It ranks tenth because the price is sensible for small businesses, though the plans and limits clearly work against larger buyers.
Where it falls short
Standard pricing does not apply to organizations above 250 employees, to agencies or to franchises, so mid-sized buyers must negotiate. Some add-ons are billed by usage, and the pricing page does not mention a free trial.
Offers and advanced reporting appear both as plan features and as add-ons, which is confusing.
Wrong for
Companies above 250 employees, or with several recruiters, should look at Ashby or Greenhouse. Teams that want a trial before paying should compare Workable, Homerun or Breezy HR.
-
US-basedEnterpriseSAP-owned
Why #11: Eleventh as an enterprise ATS now owned by SAP, with strong scale and agency features but no published prices and a changing product direction.
- Best for
- Large employers and SAP SuccessFactors users
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Applicant tracking, Candidate CRM, AI talent matching, Dynamic scheduling, Job distribution
- Falls short
- There is no published pricing, and the product is aimed at enterprise recruiting rather than a 200-person company.
- Wrong for
- Mid-sized companies without an enterprise recruiting team should look at Ashby, Workable or Teamtailor.
Full assessment of SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters is built for organizations that recruit at scale and for agencies, with an agency portal, dynamic scheduling, job distribution and analytics. SAP completed its acquisition on September 11, 2025, and the site now promotes a version for SAP SuccessFactors customers while still selling the product on its own.
For an existing SAP shop that is convenient, but we placed it eleventh because mid-sized buyers will find it heavier and less transparent than the products above.
Where it falls short
There is no published pricing, and the product is aimed at enterprise recruiting rather than a 200-person company. Following the SAP deal, its direction is tied to the SuccessFactors suite, which adds uncertainty for independent buyers.
Wrong for
Mid-sized companies without an enterprise recruiting team should look at Ashby, Workable or Teamtailor. Buyers who want a vendor independent of the large HR suites should avoid it.
-
US-basedSuite moduleMajor vendor
Why #12: Twelfth because it fits only organizations already on Workday, with requisitions, interview scheduling and internal mobility in the suite but no stated pricing.
- Best for
- Large employers already on Workday
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Requisition management, Candidate engagement, Interview scheduling, Hiring team collaboration, Reporting and analytics
- Falls short
- Pricing is not published, and the module is bought as part of the wider Workday relationship, which makes a standalone comparison hard.
- Wrong for
- Companies of 50 to 500 people not already on Workday should start with Ashby, Greenhouse or Workable.
Full assessment of Workday Recruiting
Workday Recruiting covers the full path from sourcing to offer, plus internal mobility that matches employees to open roles by skills. Scheduling handles multi-person, multi-room interviews, and AI summarizes interviewer feedback.
The strongest argument is a shared record: candidates become employees without re-entry. It ranks last because a major vendor's suite module only makes sense for large organizations already on Workday, and it cannot take a top place under our rules for dominant incumbents.
Where it falls short
Pricing is not published, and the module is bought as part of the wider Workday relationship, which makes a standalone comparison hard. Setup is a project, not a sign-up.
Hiring managers outside the HR team often find suite interfaces heavier than a dedicated recruiting tool. Leaving later means rethinking more than recruiting.
Wrong for
Companies of 50 to 500 people not already on Workday should start with Ashby, Greenhouse or Workable. Buyers who want a trial or a published price will find nothing equivalent here.
What the data says about this market
Twelve products is a fair sample of where the market sits, and its geography is lopsided. Seven are headquartered in the United States, three in the European Union (Teamtailor in Sweden, Recruitee and Homerun in the Netherlands) and two in Britain or its crown dependencies (Workable in London and Pinpoint in Jersey). The three EU products are the natural starting point for buyers whose works council or data protection officer wants a contracting entity inside the EU.
Pricing is still opaque. Five of twelve publish an amount on their own pricing pages: Ashby, Workable, Homerun, Breezy HR and JazzHR. The other seven (Greenhouse, Teamtailor, Recruitee, Lever, Pinpoint, SmartRecruiters and Workday Recruiting) ask for a conversation first, although Recruitee publishes plan names and a 20 percent discount for annual payment.
Four offer a free trial (Workable and Homerun for 15 days, Breezy HR for 14, Recruitee without a stated length), and none of the twelve offers a permanent free plan.
Consolidation is the other pattern. SAP's completion of the SmartRecruiters deal on September 11, 2025 was announced in SAP's own news release. Employ owns Lever, JazzHR and Jobvite, and Tellent combines Recruitee with its HR product.
For a buyer this means more bundles and fewer independent vendors, so ownership belongs on the shortlist checklist next to price and features. Every vendor in this list is current and operating as of November 2026.
How to choose
1. Count your hires and your hiring managers
Start with two numbers: how many people you hire in a year, and how many different managers take part. A company that hires eight people a year with one recruiter needs a light tool with a careers page and a clean inbox, and can pay a flat monthly price. A company that hires sixty people across five departments needs scorecards, approval flows and reporting that a department head can read.
Write both numbers down before any demo, and refuse to look at products far above or below them. This one step removes about half the market from consideration.
2. Run one real vacancy in a trial or sandbox
Pick a role you are about to open and run it end to end in each of your final two products. Build the job, publish the careers page, import five real candidates, schedule two interviews, collect scorecards from a hiring manager who has never seen the tool, and draft an offer. Time each stage and note every moment someone asks for help.
Workable, Recruitee, Homerun and Breezy HR offer trials, and the others will usually provide a sandbox on request. A demo shows the product at its best, while a live vacancy shows what daily use costs.
3. Price the third year and test the exit
Ask each finalist for a written quote covering three years at your expected headcount, including texting, assessments, AI credits, single sign-on and API access. Then ask for a sample export of a test account, with candidate notes and stage history, and check what is missing. Read the renewal clause for annual price caps and the notice period for cancellation.
If a vendor will not put any of this in writing before signature, that tells you how the relationship will go after it. The cheapest first-year offer is often the most expensive over three.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best applicant tracking systems in 2026?
Ashby is our top pick for mid-sized companies, because it combines tracking, sourcing, scheduling and analytics in one product aimed at teams of 100 to 1,000 employees. Greenhouse ranks second for structured hiring at scale, and Teamtailor third for companies where the careers site matters most. Pick Workable if you want published prices and a fast start, or Homerun if you hire only a few people a year and want a small monthly bill.
What does an applicant tracking system do?
It keeps every candidate and every hiring decision in one place. It posts jobs, collects applications, moves people through stages, schedules interviews, gathers scorecards and produces offers. It also reports on sources and time to hire.
Without one, those steps live in inboxes and spreadsheets, and nobody can reconstruct why a candidate was rejected.
How much does an applicant tracking system cost?
Published entry prices in this list run from 89 euros per month (annual rate) for Homerun to around 400 dollars per month for Ashby's smallest plan. Workable starts at 299 dollars per month for 1 to 20 employees, Breezy HR at 157 dollars on annual billing, and JazzHR at 1,000 dollars per year. Greenhouse, Teamtailor, Lever and Workday price by quote, so expect a sales call before any number.
Is an ATS the same as a recruiting CRM?
No, they solve different problems. An ATS manages people who have applied to a specific job, while a recruiting CRM manages people you want to hire later, such as past candidates and prospects. Most products here include both.
Lever, Pinpoint, Workable and Ashby describe a CRM or talent pool as part of the platform, so check whether it is included in your tier.
Do small companies need an applicant tracking system?
A company hiring a handful of people a year can manage with a shared spreadsheet, but problems appear quickly. Resumes get lost, candidates are not answered, and two managers contact the same person. Homerun, Breezy HR and JazzHR are priced for small teams.
A free-trial product such as Workable or Homerun lets you test whether the process improves before paying.
Which applicant tracking system is best for European companies?
Teamtailor, Recruitee and Homerun are the three EU-based options here, headquartered in Sweden and the Netherlands. Teamtailor is built around the careers site and GDPR, Homerun suits small teams, and Recruitee, part of Tellent, offers published plan tiers. US vendors can also serve European buyers, so ask for the contracting entity, data hosting location and the data processing agreement in writing.
Can an ATS be used for high-volume hiring?
Yes, but the product has to be built for it. High-volume hiring needs fast screening, automated scheduling and messaging channels such as SMS. SmartRecruiters describes both skilled and high-volume roles, and Workday Recruiting offers evergreen pipelines.
Smaller products can cope with bursts, but a recruiter handling thousands of applicants at once will want automation and reporting beyond what a basic plan provides.
What happens to candidate data when we change systems?
You can usually export it, but not always completely. Most vendors offer CSV exports and an API, while stage history, interview feedback and attachments are the parts that go missing. Ask for a sample export during the trial.
Also settle how long each vendor keeps your data after cancellation, and get the deletion confirmation in writing.
How does AI change applicant tracking systems?
AI now shows up in most products as screening, candidate matching, interview notes and drafted messages. Greenhouse lists voice interviews and fraud signals, Workable sells AI credits, and Breezy HR bills for its scoring by the credit. Treat these as extras with their own price and test them on your own roles.
Keep a human decision in the loop, because several jurisdictions regulate automated hiring.
Should the ATS come from our HR software vendor?
It is worth asking, since a shared record removes re-keying at hire. Workday Recruiting and SmartRecruiters through SAP SuccessFactors are the clearest examples in this list. The trade-off is that recruiting modules inside HR suites are often less flexible for hiring managers than a dedicated product.
Compare both against your own vacancy before assuming the suite is cheaper.
How long does it take to switch to a new ATS?
A small team can switch in a week or two, and a larger company should plan for one to three months. The work is not the software. It is moving open vacancies, rebuilding stages and scorecards, redirecting the careers page and training hiring managers.
Choose a quiet hiring period, run the old system read-only for a month, and export before the old contract ends.