HR & People · 14 tools ranked
Best Recruiting CRM Software in 2026
Gem ranks first in recruiting CRM software, followed by Loxo and Recruit CRM. Recruiting CRM software keeps talent pools warm with sourcing, outreach sequences and nurture campaigns between open roles, for in-house teams and agencies.
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; how that works is explained in our disclosure, linked above every ranking. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
1. GemLeads because its candidate CRM, nurture sequences and rediscovery work with or without Gem's own ATS, and the startup tier has a published monthly price.
2. LoxoSecond because it joins a talent database, outreach campaigns, sourcing and an ATS in one product and publishes a per-user Core price for agencies and in-house teams alike.
3. Recruit CRMThird because it is an agency-first ATS and CRM with published prices on three tiers, outreach across LinkedIn, email and SMS, and a 30-day trial.What is recruiting CRM software?
Recruiting CRM software is a database and outreach layer for talent acquisition. It stores candidate profiles outside any single job, sends sequenced or nurture messages, and tracks sourcing and rediscovery. Some products also include an applicant tracking system; others sit on top of the one a company already runs.
How we ranked these
A recruiting CRM is the part of hiring that runs between vacancies. It keeps the people you found, the silver medalists and the passive candidates warm, so that the next opening starts with a list instead of a job ad.
Most buyers get stuck on one question: do we need a CRM, an ATS, or a platform that does both? We ranked these fourteen products on four things that an applicant tracking system is not judged on: talent pools, outreach sequences, nurture campaigns and sourcing.
Application workflow, offer stages and compliance reporting belong to the applicant tracking systems ranking, and we only mention them where they decide whether you need a second tool. The list mixes two buyer groups.
In-house talent acquisition teams want memory across requisitions. Staffing and search agencies also need client and business-development records next to the candidates.
Five products here are agency-first: Bullhorn, Crelate, Recruit CRM, Loxo and Recruiterflow. The rest serve in-house teams, or both.
Prices are quoted as the vendors show them, and where a page names no headquarters, we say so instead of guessing.
Setup: does it need a separate ATS underneath?
The first setup question is whether the CRM replaces your ATS or sits on top of it. Gem, SeekOut and hireEZ are built to run next to an existing ATS, and SeekOut names connections to Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and Lever. Bullhorn, Loxo, Recruit CRM, Manatal, Crelate, Recruiterflow and Zoho Recruit bundle an ATS with the CRM, so you adopt both. Jobvite and Avature place the CRM inside a larger suite.
Phenom and Beamery do not say on the pages we opened whether an ATS is included. Ask which of these you are buying before you plan imports, and test how candidate records sync between the two systems.
The real price: seats, credits and quote-only tiers
Nine of the fourteen products show some entry figure, and the gap between them is wide. Manatal starts at $15 per user per month, Crelate at $85, Recruit CRM at $95, Bullhorn at $99, and Loxo, Recruiterflow and SeekOut each at $149. Gem lists a flat $130 per month for companies of 1 to 10 FTE, and hireEZ lists $494 per month for solo recruiters. Phenom, Avature, Jobvite and Beamery are quote only, and Zoho Recruit shows tiers without amounts in the text we retrieved.
Watch for credits (Loxo), job and candidate caps (Manatal) and tiers that hide the CRM behind sales (Bullhorn Pro).
Getting your data out: candidate records and consent
A talent pool is personal data held without a live application, so its exit route and its consent trail matter more than in an ATS. Before signing, ask whether every profile, note, tag and sequence history can be exported, and in what format. Ask how the vendor handles the legal basis for storing people who never applied. Crelate, Recruiterflow and hireEZ publish GDPR material on their sites, and hireEZ also publishes a CRM data security FAQ.
None of that replaces a written export clause, so request one, and run a trial export before the contract starts.
Independence from the vendor: who owns the pipeline
Independence here means that your candidate pipeline survives a change of vendor, ownership or pricing. Open APIs help: Bullhorn and Recruiterflow advertise one, and Loxo and SeekOut offer MCP connections for AI assistants. Ownership matters too. Jobvite belongs to Employ Inc., whose footer also lists Lever and JazzHR, and Bullhorn's automation product was formerly named Herefish.
Suites such as Avature and Phenom tie the CRM to many other modules, which raises the cost of leaving. Prefer a product where contact data can move without a services project.
Who it's for: in-house talent teams versus agencies
In-house teams and agencies need different things from the same label. An in-house team wants candidate memory across requisitions, rediscovery of past applicants and a clean link to the ATS, which is Gem's and SeekOut's strength. An agency also needs client records, business development and placement tracking, which is where Bullhorn, Crelate, Recruit CRM, Loxo and Recruiterflow concentrate. Enterprises with workforce planning goals may accept the bigger scope of Phenom, Avature or Beamery.
Small teams on a tight budget should start with Manatal or Recruit CRM, which publish prices.
Compared at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Pricing | Free option | HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gem | In-house teams keeping their current ATS | Tiered by company size | Free trial | United States |
| 2 | Loxo | Search firms and in-house recruiters | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 3 | Recruit CRM | Recruitment agencies placing candidates | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 4 | Crelate | Search firms and corporate recruiters | Per user / month | Free trial | United States |
| 5 | Manatal | Small teams and agencies on a budget | Per user / month | Free trial | Not stated |
| 6 | SeekOut | Sourcing teams with an existing ATS | Per month, Core published | Free trial | United States |
| 7 | Recruiterflow | Executive search and staffing firms | Per user / month | None | Not stated |
| 8 | Bullhorn | Staffing and recruitment firms | Per user / month | None | United States |
| 9 | Zoho Recruit | Teams already running Zoho products | Per user, published tiers | Free plan | Not stated |
| 10 | hireEZ | Enterprise sourcers with an ATS | Quote only | Free trial | Not stated |
| 11 | Beamery | Enterprise talent and workforce teams | Quote only | None | United Kingdom |
| 12 | Phenom | Large employers running one talent suite | Quote only | None | United States |
| 13 | Avature | Large in-house teams and RPO firms | Quote only | None | United Kingdom |
| 14 | Jobvite | Mid-sized and enterprise high-volume hiring | Quote only | None | Not stated |
The 14 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; how that works is explained in our disclosure, linked above every ranking. No commission is earned on clicks or purchases, and we do not work as an affiliate.
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Talent CRMWorks with any ATSAI sourcing
Why #1: Leads because its candidate CRM, nurture sequences and rediscovery work with or without Gem's own ATS, and the startup tier has a published monthly price.
- Best for
- In-house teams keeping their current ATS
- Pricing
- Tiered by company size
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- CRM with always-on candidate profiles, Automated nurture sequences, AI Sourcing Agent, AI Rediscovery Agent, Talent Pipeline view
- Falls short
- Per-seat prices are not listed, and only the startup tier shows a number, so a 300-person company has to talk to sales before it can budget.
- Wrong for
- Agencies that need client and business-development tracking next to candidates should look at Bullhorn or Loxo.
Full assessment of Gem
Gem is the closest match to what a talent CRM should be for a company of 50 to 1,000 people with its own recruiting team. Candidate profiles stay live between searches, nurture sequences run on their own, and an AI Rediscovery Agent resurfaces people who applied before.
The vendor says the ATS is optional, so the CRM can sit on top of Greenhouse, Lever, Workday or iCIMS instead of replacing them. Sourcing reaches 800M+ searchable profiles, with one-click adds from more than 20 sourcing sites.
Pipeline memory plus outreach, without forcing an ATS swap, earns first place.
Where it falls short
Per-seat prices are not listed, and only the startup tier shows a number, so a 300-person company has to talk to sales before it can budget. Interviewer load balancing and advanced capacity management are add-ons.
The vendor pages we opened state no headquarters or legal address, which slows due diligence. Sourcing and AI agents come alongside the CRM, so a buyer who wants a quiet contact database buys more than that.
Wrong for
Agencies that need client and business-development tracking next to candidates should look at Bullhorn or Loxo. Teams that need a published price above the startup tier will also struggle to compare it.
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Talent CRMCampaign automationATS included
Why #2: Second because it joins a talent database, outreach campaigns, sourcing and an ATS in one product and publishes a per-user Core price for agencies and in-house teams alike.
- Best for
- Search firms and in-house recruiters
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Recruiting CRM talent database, Loxo Source Chrome extension, Loxo Outreach multichannel campaigns, Campaign Automation, Business Development Outreach
- Falls short
- Professional seats include 2,500 credits per month, and Boost adds 2x or 5x credits, so heavy sourcing teams can hit a ceiling and a second bill.
- Wrong for
- Teams that want unlimited credits without add-ons should check the credit model first.
Full assessment of Loxo
Loxo's recruiting CRM is a talent database built for nurturing candidates, with Campaign Automation for ongoing messages and Loxo Outreach for multichannel campaigns. Loxo Source, a Chrome extension, captures profiles while recruiters browse, and Sourcing Agents plus a Contact Info Finding Agent add AI-led search.
A Sales CRM covers account-based prospecting, and Business Development Outreach runs nurture campaigns toward clients. The vendor names direct hire and executive search firms, staffing agencies, in-house recruiters and RPO firms as buyers, a wider net than most agency tools.
It sits second because that CRM depth comes with an included ATS and a public price.
Where it falls short
Professional seats include 2,500 credits per month, and Boost adds 2x or 5x credits, so heavy sourcing teams can hit a ceiling and a second bill. Only Core has a public price, while the seven-day trial covers the Professional platform.
The homepage mentions a Loxo Marketplace but names no specific integrations. The pages we opened state no headquarters.
Wrong for
Teams that want unlimited credits without add-ons should check the credit model first. In-house buyers who only need a nurture layer above an ATS they like are better served by Gem or SeekOut.
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Agency-firstOutreach sequencesPublished prices
Why #3: Third because it is an agency-first ATS and CRM with published prices on three tiers, outreach across LinkedIn, email and SMS, and a 30-day trial.
- Best for
- Recruitment agencies placing candidates
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- ATS and recruiting CRM, AI sourcing from LinkedIn filters, Sequences on LinkedIn, email and SMS, Chrome sourcing extension, Kanban pipeline
- Falls short
- Pro allows one hiring pipeline, 15 custom fields and one multi-channel sequence, so an agency with several desks outgrows it quickly.
- Wrong for
- In-house talent teams that do not want an agency-style pipeline and client model should look at Gem or SeekOut.
Full assessment of Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM is built for recruitment agencies and shows it. Candidate and client records share a Kanban pipeline, with a resume parser, AI candidate matching and a Chrome extension that captures profiles from LinkedIn, Xing, Gmail and Outlook.
Outreach sequences run across LinkedIn, email and SMS, and AI sourcing takes either LinkedIn-style filters or natural-language queries. Enterprise adds workflow automation and data enrichment, and Recruit Craft builds career pages and candidate portals.
Three public price points are rare in this category, and that clarity lifts it to third.
Where it falls short
Pro allows one hiring pipeline, 15 custom fields and one multi-channel sequence, so an agency with several desks outgrows it quickly. The table for higher tiers is unclear about sequence limits.
The vendor cites 1,000+ integrations and 5,000+ job boards without naming them. Automation and enrichment need the Enterprise tier.
Wrong for
In-house talent teams that do not want an agency-style pipeline and client model should look at Gem or SeekOut. Agencies that need more than one pipeline on the entry tier will also need a higher plan.
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Talent relationship managementSequencesATS included
Why #4: Fourth because it pairs sourcing, talent relationship management and an ATS with sequences, a published $85 entry price and a trial, though all three come bundled.
- Best for
- Search firms and corporate recruiters
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Discover Agent candidate discovery, Outreach and Sequences with automation, Talent Relationship Management, Applicant Tracking System, Co-Pilot AI
- Falls short
- The product is a bundle: in the pages we read, sourcing, CRM and ATS are not sold apart, so a CRM-only buyer carries the rest.
- Wrong for
- Buyers who want a pure candidate CRM on top of an ATS they already like will find Gem or SeekOut cleaner.
Full assessment of Crelate
Crelate describes one platform in which a Discover Agent finds candidates, Outreach and Sequences automate contact, Talent Relationship Management holds the pipeline and an applicant tracking system sits in the same product. The vendor lists in-house executive search, corporate recruiting, executive search firms, direct hire agencies and staffing firms as users, so the pitch covers both buyer groups.
Client and candidate portals, reporting and onboarding come with it. Published prices for the first two tiers and a trial that needs no sales call keep it near the top.
Where it falls short
The product is a bundle: in the pages we read, sourcing, CRM and ATS are not sold apart, so a CRM-only buyer carries the rest. Business Plus and Platform are custom, and per-hire and volume add-ons make the final bill harder to predict.
The homepage mentions back-office integrations without naming them. There is no free plan.
Wrong for
Buyers who want a pure candidate CRM on top of an ATS they already like will find Gem or SeekOut cleaner. In-house teams that need a fixed price for every tier should also look elsewhere.
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Lowest entry priceATS includedAI enrichment
Why #5: Fifth because its $15 entry price is the lowest we found and it covers sourcing, CRM and ATS, though tier limits arrive early.
- Best for
- Small teams and agencies on a budget
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Not stated
- Key features
- Candidate Sourcing, Recruitment CRM, Applicant Tracking System, AI Candidate Enrichment, AI Recommendations
- Falls short
- Professional is capped at 15 jobs per account and 10,000 candidates, a ceiling a growing agency reaches fast.
- Wrong for
- Teams that post more than 15 jobs on the entry tier will outgrow it.
Full assessment of Manatal
Manatal is the cheapest way into a recruitment CRM among the products we reviewed, and it still lists sourcing, an applicant tracking system, a recruitment CRM, AI enrichment and an AI interviewer. Enrichment pulls profile data from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, GitHub and Medium.
The vendor names HR teams, agencies and headhunters as users, and shows connections to LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, Zapier, Microsoft Teams and several AI assistants. It sits fifth because the pages we opened name no outreach sequences or nurture campaigns, which the products above it do.
The offices are in Singapore and Thailand.
Where it falls short
Professional is capped at 15 jobs per account and 10,000 candidates, a ceiling a growing agency reaches fast. The free trial removes job board posting, mass email and automations for non-subscribers, so outreach cannot be tested properly before paying.
Singapore GST applies on top for Singapore tax residents. The pages give offices but no headquarters or legal entity.
Wrong for
Teams that post more than 15 jobs on the entry tier will outgrow it. Buyers who want deep campaign tooling or a published enterprise price should compare Loxo or Recruiterflow.
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Sourcing-firstTalent poolsNeeds an ATS
Why #6: Sixth because sourcing, talent pools and rediscovery are strong and it plugs into an ATS, but it is neither an ATS nor a full agency CRM.
- Best for
- Sourcing teams with an existing ATS
- Pricing
- Per month, Core published
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Sourcing across 1B+ profiles, Outreach campaigns at scale, Talent pool management, Rediscovery of past applicants, AI applicant evaluation
- Falls short
- Most tiers are custom priced, so the $149 Core figure tells a mid-size buyer little about the real bill.
- Wrong for
- Agencies that need client management, placements and an ATS in one system should look at Recruit CRM or Loxo.
Full assessment of SeekOut
SeekOut starts from search: more than 1 billion profiles, outreach campaigns at scale, talent pool management and rediscovery of past applicants already sitting in your ATS. It has no ATS of its own and names connections to Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and Lever.
AI applicant evaluation sits alongside, and an MCP server lets AI assistants such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini call it. For a corporate team that already owns an ATS and needs a sourcing and nurture layer, it is a sharp fit.
Its CRM scope is narrower than the all-in-one options above it.
Where it falls short
Most tiers are custom priced, so the $149 Core figure tells a mid-size buyer little about the real bill. The AI Coworker is in early access, and the free trial lasts 14 days.
Sourcing is the core of the product, which means a buyer after a plain contact database pays for a search engine first.
Wrong for
Agencies that need client management, placements and an ATS in one system should look at Recruit CRM or Loxo. Teams without an ATS to connect it to will find half the value missing.
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Search firmsMultichannel sequencesAI sourcing
Why #7: Seventh because its integrated ATS and CRM, multichannel sequences and job change alerts suit search firms, while in-house teams are not its audience.
- Best for
- Executive search and staffing firms
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Not stated
- Key features
- Integrated ATS and CRM, Sequences on email, LinkedIn and phone, Workflow automations, AIRA Search and AIRA Source, AIRA Job Change Alerts
- Falls short
- No free plan or trial appears on the pricing page.
- Wrong for
- In-house talent teams that do not run search or staffing work are outside its target, and Gem or SeekOut fits them better.
Full assessment of Recruiterflow
Recruiterflow presents its ATS and CRM as one integrated product and aims at executive search firms, recruiting agencies and staffing agencies, citing 2,100+ search firms. Sequences run across email, LinkedIn and phone, workflow automations handle follow-ups, and the AIRA set adds AI search, AIRA Source, a call notetaker and job change alerts.
Goals, leaderboards and BI reporting give desk managers numbers to coach with. It ranks below the broader options because it addresses a single buyer group, though it serves that group closely.
Where it falls short
No free plan or trial appears on the pricing page. The AIRA plan, which carries the AI sourcing and note-taking, is custom priced.
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are claims on the homepage that we could not check against a report. The pages we opened state no legal entity or headquarters, and the MSA PDF could not be read.
Wrong for
In-house talent teams that do not run search or staffing work are outside its target, and Gem or SeekOut fits them better. Buyers who need a public price on the AI tier should also look elsewhere.
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Staffing incumbentATS and CRMOpen API
Why #8: Eighth because it is the staffing incumbent with ATS and CRM in one system, yet the CRM tier has no public price and nothing targets in-house teams.
- Best for
- Staffing and recruitment firms
- Pricing
- Per user / month
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- ATS and CRM in one system, Amplify Digital Workers, Amplify Search and Match, Automation, Reporting and Analytics
- Falls short
- The recruitment CRM sits in the Pro tier, which has no public price, so the number that matters is behind sales.
- Wrong for
- In-house HR teams that do not run a staffing business should skip it; Gem or Manatal match their work better.
Full assessment of Bullhorn
Bullhorn says it is built exclusively for recruitment and staffing firms, and it keeps the ATS and recruitment CRM in one system. The CRM tracks client relationships and business development, Amplify Digital Workers handle sourcing, screening and outreach, and Amplify Search and Match finds candidates.
Automation (formerly Herefish), reporting, onboarding and a Middle Office for North America widen the scope, and the Marketplace lists 300+ partners next to an open API. It is here for its depth in agency work.
Its mid-table rank reflects that the homepage names no talent pools or nurture campaigns.
Where it falls short
The recruitment CRM sits in the Pro tier, which has no public price, so the number that matters is behind sales. The homepage does not name talent pools or nurture campaigns as features.
The Marketplace is described by category, with no vendors named. Being built only for recruitment firms means in-house needs are not the design target.
Wrong for
In-house HR teams that do not run a staffing business should skip it; Gem or Manatal match their work better. Anyone who needs a published CRM price will not find one.
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Free tierATS includedZoho ecosystem
Why #9: Ninth because the free tier and posting to 75+ job boards are attractive, but we could not read paid prices and the nurture tooling is described in general terms.
- Best for
- Teams already running Zoho products
- Pricing
- Per user, published tiers
- Free option
- Free plan
- Headquarters
- Not stated
- Key features
- ATS and recruiting CRM, Posting to 75+ job boards, Candidate stage tracking, Per-stage automation, Advanced analytics
- Falls short
- Paid amounts did not appear in the text we retrieved, and add-ons are priced per license per month without amounts.
- Wrong for
- Teams that want a CRM without an ATS pay for both parts.
Full assessment of Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit combines an ATS and recruiting CRM, with one-click posting to more than 75 job boards, candidate stage tracking, relationship building and automation per pipeline stage. It targets staffing agencies and in-house HR teams and cites 50+ integrations, naming Zoho CRM, Slack, Zoho Sign, Zoho Analytics, Outlook and LinkedIn.
A client portal and video interview are add-ons, and Zoho Workerly covers temporary workers. A free tier and a 15-day trial of Enterprise features let a team test before paying.
It lands mid-table because no talent pools or sequences are named.
Where it falls short
Paid amounts did not appear in the text we retrieved, and add-ons are priced per license per month without amounts. The pages name no talent pools, sequences or nurture campaigns, so the CRM side reads as relationship tracking on top of an ATS.
The registered office for Zoho Recruit is not stated on the pages we opened.
Wrong for
Teams that want a CRM without an ATS pay for both parts. Buyers who need an exact price in one currency before signing up should look at Manatal or Recruit CRM, which show figures.
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Agentic AITalent CRMRuns on your ATS
Why #10: Tenth because EZ Agent adds sourcing, a talent CRM and screening on top of an existing ATS, but pricing is enterprise-led and a $494 solo tier is the only figure.
- Best for
- Enterprise sourcers with an ATS
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- Free trial
- Headquarters
- Not stated
- Key features
- Sourcing across 1B+ profiles, 45+ platforms, Talent CRM nurturing, Resurfacing past applicants, Conversational AI screening
- Falls short
- The enterprise price is not published, and the one visible figure, $494 per month for a solo recruiter, is high next to agency tools that list per-user prices.
- Wrong for
- Small in-house teams that want a flat published price for every tier should look at Manatal or Loxo.
Full assessment of hireEZ
hireEZ sells EZ Agent, which runs on top of an existing ATS and, per the vendor, moves nothing forward without approval. Sourcing covers 1B+ profiles across 45+ platforms, while the talent CRM nurtures pipelines and resurfaces past applicants.
Conversational screening by voice or chat, an AI interview scheduler, applicant ranking and career site pages complete the set. Teams without an ATS can use hireEZ's own hiring process management instead.
It is aimed at talent leaders, sourcers and recruitment marketers at enterprise and Fortune 500 firms.
Where it falls short
The enterprise price is not published, and the one visible figure, $494 per month for a solo recruiter, is high next to agency tools that list per-user prices. Plan names are not shown in the pricing text.
The pages we opened state no legal entity or headquarters, and the positioning leans toward very large employers.
Wrong for
Small in-house teams that want a flat published price for every tier should look at Manatal or Loxo. Buyers who want only a CRM, or have no ATS to run on, get less from it.
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Talent CRMEnterpriseDemo only
Why #11: Eleventh because the Execution Suite and Ray fit enterprise talent CRM work, yet the pages show no price, no ATS statement and a demo-only path.
- Best for
- Enterprise talent and workforce teams
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Key features
- Data Platform, Workforce Intelligence Suite, Ray agentic AI talent advisor, Execution Suite for sourcing and matching, Engagement campaigns
- Falls short
- No price or plan names appear on the pages we opened, and the route to a quote is a demo.
- Wrong for
- Teams that want a price before a demo, and small in-house teams with a single ATS need, should look at Gem or Manatal.
Full assessment of Beamery
Beamery presents an AI platform for workforce transformation: a Data Platform, a Workforce Intelligence Suite, Ray (an agentic talent advisor) and an Execution Suite for sourcing, matching and engagement. The Execution Suite is where the talent CRM work happens, and the vendor focuses on enterprise workforce and talent teams.
A Trust Center and a bug bounty program are published. It suits a company that treats talent pools as a shared data asset rather than a recruiter's address book, and it ranks eleventh because a buyer cannot see a price or packaging.
Where it falls short
No price or plan names appear on the pages we opened, and the route to a quote is a demo. The pages do not say whether an ATS is included, so a buyer cannot tell if a second system is needed.
The London address is the contact address in the privacy policy, not a stated headquarters. Workforce intelligence modules sit next to the recruiting ones.
Wrong for
Teams that want a price before a demo, and small in-house teams with a single ATS need, should look at Gem or Manatal.
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EnterpriseTalent CRM moduleRFP pricing
Why #12: Twelfth because Talent CRM is one module among a career site, scheduling and workforce modules, sold by RFP to enterprise teams.
- Best for
- Large employers running one talent suite
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United States
- Key features
- Talent CRM, Intelligent Career Site, Automated Interview Scheduling, Onboarding, Talent Marketplace
- Falls short
- Pricing is by RFP or expert contact only.
- Wrong for
- Small teams that want a published price should look elsewhere.
Full assessment of Phenom
Phenom calls itself a Talent Intelligence Platform built around AI agents for hiring, development, retention and workforce planning. Its Talent CRM is named as the closest recruiting CRM module, next to an intelligent career site and automated interview scheduling.
Onboarding, a talent marketplace, career pathing, workforce intelligence and agents for voice screening, fraud detection and career coaching round out the catalog. The page is built around large-company HR transformation.
For a CRM-focused buyer it ranks low because the CRM is one slice of a much wider purchase.
Where it falls short
Pricing is by RFP or expert contact only. The homepage does not say whether an ATS is included and names no integrations.
Modules span hiring, development and workforce planning, so a recruiting-only team pays for scope it may not use, and nothing on the pages suggests a light entry route.
Wrong for
Small teams that want a published price should look elsewhere. Agencies looking for a staffing-first CRM are better served by Bullhorn or Recruit CRM.
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Enterprise suiteCandidate Relationship ManagementAgency Management
Why #13: Thirteenth because its Candidate Relationship Management module sits inside a large enterprise suite with no published price.
- Best for
- Large in-house teams and RPO firms
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Key features
- Candidate Relationship Management, Applicant Tracking System, Career Sites, Interview Scheduling, High-Volume Recruiting
- Falls short
- No pricing page was found, and the /pricing address returned a 404.
- Wrong for
- Small teams that want a published price should look elsewhere.
Full assessment of Avature
Avature splits its AI recruitment platform into a Talent Acquisition Suite and a Talent Management Suite. Candidate Relationship Management is one acquisition module beside an applicant tracking system, career sites, interview scheduling, video interview, high-volume recruiting, agency management, executive search, employee referrals and recruiting events management.
The London headquarters at 25 Wilton Road and the list of offices point to a global enterprise buyer. It can serve large in-house teams, RPO firms and agencies, but the CRM is a module in a big catalog.
Where it falls short
No pricing page was found, and the /pricing address returned a 404. The suite reaches into HR case management, performance and succession, which a recruiting CRM buyer may not need.
The homepage names no third-party integrations, and the vendor does not say how the ATS and CRM modules are packaged.
Wrong for
Small teams that want a published price should look elsewhere. Teams that only want a candidate CRM without an enterprise suite will find Gem or Manatal lighter.
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ATS-firstCRM add-onQuote only
Why #14: Fourteenth because CRM is an add-on module to a core ATS, sold by quote with no public prices, for mid-sized and enterprise teams.
- Best for
- Mid-sized and enterprise high-volume hiring
- Pricing
- Quote only
- Free option
- None
- Headquarters
- Not stated
- Key features
- Applicant Tracking System core, Source and CRM with multi-touch outreach, Candidate messaging by text, Recruitment marketing, Careers site
- Falls short
- The pricing page shows no prices or plan names.
- Wrong for
- Small teams that want a price up front should look at Manatal or Recruit CRM.
Full assessment of Jobvite
Jobvite, which the page labels Jobvite by Employ, is a recruiting suite with an applicant tracking system at the core and add-on modules around it. The Source and CRM module offers multi-touch outreach, and candidate messaging by text, recruitment marketing, a careers site, employee referrals, onboarding and internal mobility come as further modules.
AI Companion and AI Interview Companion are listed. The site footer names Employ Inc. as holder of the Jobvite, Lever and JazzHR trademarks.
It ranks last here because the CRM cannot be bought alone.
Where it falls short
The pricing page shows no prices or plan names. Modules are sold on top of the core ATS, so a CRM-only buyer ends up with an ATS too.
The product is aimed at mid-sized and enterprise organizations, and the pages we opened state no headquarters or legal address for the company.
Wrong for
Small teams that want a price up front should look at Manatal or Recruit CRM. Buyers who only want a talent CRM over an ATS they already use should compare Gem or SeekOut.
What the data says about this market
This market splits into agency-first systems and talent-acquisition layers that sit over an ATS. Of the fourteen products listed, nine include an ATS in the same product, Gem offers one as an option, two (SeekOut and hireEZ) run on top of an existing ATS, and two (Phenom and Beamery) do not state it on the pages we opened. The agency-first group, Bullhorn, Crelate, Recruit CRM, Loxo and Recruiterflow, adds client and business-development tracking. The in-house group, led by Gem, concentrates on rediscovery and nurture.
AI agents have become the default pitch, but they differ in what they do. Gem lists sourcing, rediscovery, fraud detection and app review agents. Bullhorn sells Amplify digital workers for sourcing, screening and outreach, and Loxo lists sourcing agents and an AI notetaker. Recruiterflow bundles AIRA tools, Crelate has a Discover Agent, hireEZ has EZ Agent and Beamery has Ray.
SeekOut and Loxo also expose MCP connections to AI assistants. Treat these as features to test on your own roles, not as a ranking signal on their own.
Pricing transparency is uneven, and it is a fair way to separate vendors. Nine products show a dollar figure, four are quote only, and Zoho Recruit shows tiers without amounts in the text we retrieved. Several figures are for the entry tier only, so a team of 100 recruiters needs a quote anyway. Currency labels are often missing: most pages show a dollar sign without naming the currency, so confirm it before comparing offers.
How to choose
1. Decide whether you are an agency or an in-house team
Start with who pays for the hire. If you place candidates for clients, you need client records, business development and placement tracking next to the talent database, so shortlist Bullhorn, Crelate, Recruit CRM, Loxo and Recruiterflow. If you hire for your own company, shortlist Gem, SeekOut and hireEZ for an ATS layer, or Loxo and Manatal if you also want an ATS included. Write down how many recruiters will use it, because per-seat tiers and credit caps change the ranking quickly once you pass ten users.
2. Settle the ATS question before the demo
Decide whether you keep your ATS, and say so at the start of every demo. If you keep it, ask the vendor to show a live sync of candidates, stages and notes with your ATS, and ask what happens to a record edited in both places. If you switch, ask for the CRM and ATS prices together, since several vendors price the CRM tier higher than the entry plan. Jobvite and Avature need a full-suite conversation, while Phenom and Beamery need an answer to whether an ATS is included at all.
3. Run a two-week pilot on a real talent pool
Test with a pool you already have, not with the vendor's sample data. Import 500 to 1,000 past candidates, run one outreach sequence, and measure replies and rediscovered matches. Check the export before you sign: pull the same records back out and confirm tags, notes and consent fields survive. Trials differ, since Manatal's removes mass email and automations for non-subscribers, so ask for a full-feature pilot where the trial is limited.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best recruiting CRM software in 2026?
Gem is first in our ranking, followed by Loxo and Recruit CRM. Gem keeps candidate profiles live, runs nurture sequences and rediscovery, and works with or without its own ATS. Loxo is better if you want an ATS, sourcing and outreach in one product, and it publishes a per-user Core price. Recruit CRM is the pick for an agency that wants three published tiers.
Bullhorn is the staffing incumbent but sits eighth because its CRM tier has no public price.
What is a recruiting CRM?
A recruiting CRM is a database of candidates, and the outreach tools around it, that exists apart from any one job. It holds profiles gathered through sourcing, past applicants and referrals, then lets recruiters send sequences or campaigns to keep people engaged. The goal is a ready pool when a vacancy opens. Some products also include an ATS, and agency tools add client and business-development records.
What is the difference between a recruiting CRM and an ATS?
An ATS manages applications to a specific job, while a CRM manages relationships with people before and after a job. The ATS moves an applicant through stages toward an offer and keeps compliance records. The CRM holds talent pools, outreach sequences and nurture campaigns. Many products here bundle both, and our applicant tracking systems ranking covers the ATS side.
Do I need an ATS as well as a recruiting CRM?
It depends on the product, not the category. Gem, SeekOut and hireEZ run on top of an existing ATS, so you keep it. Loxo, Recruit CRM, Manatal, Crelate, Recruiterflow, Bullhorn and Zoho Recruit already include one. Jobvite sells the CRM as an add-on to its ATS.
Ask each vendor in writing whether the ATS is included in the quote.
Which recruiting CRM is best for staffing agencies?
Bullhorn, Loxo, Recruit CRM, Crelate and Recruiterflow are the agency-first options. Bullhorn is the staffing incumbent with ATS and CRM in one system, but its CRM tier is behind sales. Recruit CRM and Loxo publish prices and add outreach sequences or campaigns. Crelate and Recruiterflow also serve search firms.
Pick on the number of desks and pipelines you run.
Which recruiting CRM is best for an in-house talent team?
Gem is our first choice for an in-house team that wants to keep its ATS. SeekOut is a strong second option for sourcing and talent pools when you already have an ATS to connect it to. If you want one product with an ATS included, Loxo, Manatal and Zoho Recruit cover that. Enterprises that want a wider platform can look at Phenom, Avature or Beamery, at quote-only prices.
How much does recruiting CRM software cost?
Published entry prices in this ranking run from $15 to $494, and the real bill depends on seats and tier. Manatal starts at $15 per user per month, Crelate at $85, Recruit CRM at $95 and Bullhorn at $99. Loxo, Recruiterflow and SeekOut start at $149 on their entry tiers, and Gem lists $130 per month for 1 to 10 FTE. Phenom, Avature, Jobvite and Beamery are quote only.
Which recruiting CRM has the lowest price?
Manatal is the lowest we found, at $15 per user per month billed annually. Zoho Recruit has a free tier, though we could not read its paid amounts. Manatal's Professional tier caps jobs at 15 per account and candidates at 10,000, so check those limits against your volume. Recruit CRM at $95 and Crelate at $85 cost more but list more outreach tooling.
Can a recruiting CRM work on top of my existing ATS?
Yes, three of the listed products are designed to. Gem works with Greenhouse, Workday, Lever and iCIMS. SeekOut names Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS and Lever. hireEZ's EZ Agent runs on top of an existing ATS. Ask each vendor how candidate records and stages sync, because a one-way sync leaves recruiters editing in two places.
What should I check about data protection before buying?
Check consent, export and sub-processors before you import a talent pool. People in a pool never applied, so ask how the vendor supports the legal basis and deletion requests. Crelate, Recruiterflow and hireEZ publish GDPR material, and hireEZ has a CRM data security FAQ. Ask for a written export clause, and verify any certification claims, such as the SOC 2 and ISO 27001 claims on Recruiterflow's homepage.
How long does a pilot of a recruiting CRM take?
Two weeks is enough to judge sync, sequences and reporting if you use a real pool. Trial lengths vary: Recruit CRM offers 30 days, Manatal 14, SeekOut 14, hireEZ 7 and Loxo 7. Short trials mean you should prepare imports in advance. Zoho Recruit offers a 15-day trial of Enterprise features, and Gem has no free plan listed.