You’ve done the legwork and researched your options to find the ideal ATS tool, and now it's decision time. 

But with so many applicant tracking systems on the market, how do you know which one is the right fit for your team and your budget?

Don't sweat it; I've got you covered. 

In this guide, we explore some prevalent pricing models, key features, and ROI of the top 15 ATS solutions out there. Let’s understand how pricing works and which tool would give the most bang for your buck. 

15 ATS pricing plans—a quick glance 

Factors affecting ATS pricing

Before starting, I wish I could hand you a simple checklist for figuring out the cost of an ATS, but the reality is that it's a bit more nuanced than that. The price tag depends on a whole bunch of factors that vary based on your specific needs and goals. 

But don't worry, I'm here to break down the most important ones for you:

Business size 

Since many ATS providers provide tiered pricing models, the size of your business plays a crucial role in determining ATS pricing. 

• Small businesses (typically under 50 employees) need more affordable, basic plans with essential features. At this point, though, I’d prioritize flexibility. You’re not going to be small forever, and you need a tool that can scale up with you without running into data import and integration issues. 
• Medium-sized businesses require more robust features and can expect to pay higher prices for additional functionality and more user seats.
• Large businesses and enterprises need comprehensive solutions with advanced features, customizations, and dedicated support, which come at premium prices.

Larger organizations generally require more complex systems to manage their hiring processes, handle a higher volume of applications, and integrate with other HR systems. Hence, the higher cost. 

Number of users/recruiters

Most ATS providers base their pricing on the number of users who will access the system. 

Keep in mind that you don’t only need to factor in recruiters when you’re doing the math on how many users this would be. The CEO/ founder should be able to pop in, as well as the hiring managers who are often involved, without having to ask other people to log out. Here are the different ways in which user-based pricing works:

• Some providers charge a flat fee for a certain number of users (for example, up to 5 users) and then an additional per-user fee beyond that
• Others may have different pricing tiers based on user ranges (for example, 1-10 users, 11-25 users)
• Enterprise-level solutions might offer unlimited users but at a higher overall cost

Number of job postings/vacancies

Not only does the number of users and the size of your team play a role, but how you actually use the tool matters, too. If you're posting tons of job descriptions or importing a mountain of candidate data, expect to pay a bit more. That's why it's awesome to find a tool that includes these features in their base plan (like Kula ATS does!).

Now, don't stress too much about this – it usually aligns with the size of your team and the number of job postings you'll need. The bigger your company, the more user seats you'll likely need and the more jobs you'll be advertising.

But here's the key takeaway: if you're dealing with high-volume hiring, pay close attention to how the tool prices those extra job postings or access to job boards. You don't want to get stuck with a basic plan and then end up shelling out a fortune for add-ons. 

So, remember:

• Basic plans might allow for a small number of concurrent job postings (e.g., up to 5 or 10)
• Higher-tier plans generally offer more or unlimited job postings
• Some providers might charge extra for posting to premium job boards or for promoting listings

Required features and functionality

The specific features and functionality you need will significantly impact the price of your ATS:

• Basic ATS functions (job posting, application tracking, basic reporting) are usually included in standard plans
• More advanced features like AI-powered candidate matching, video interviewing, advanced analytics, or customizable workflows often come at a premium
• Some providers offer à la carte pricing for certain features, allowing you to pay only for what you need

Carefully consider which features are essential for your recruitment process to avoid overpaying for functionality you won't use. Luckily, AI is increasingly being offered as part of basic plans now. 

Integrations 

Regardless of how end-to-end your solution is, you’re going to need to integrate with a few systems. Integrations with other HR systems and tools can affect your ATS pricing in the following ways:

• Basic integrations with popular job boards, email providers, and calendars are often included in standard pricing
• Integrations with HRIS systems, background check providers, or assessment tools might come at an additional cost
• Some ATS providers charge for API access, which allows for custom integrations with your existing systems
• Enterprise-level solutions often include more comprehensive integration capabilities but at a higher overall cost

Popular integrations that might impact pricing include:

• HRIS/HCM systems (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors)
• Background check services
• Assessment tools
• Video interviewing platforms
• Employee onboarding systems

When evaluating ATS options, consider your current tech stack and future integration needs to get an accurate picture of the total cost.

Takeaway: The size of your company, the number of users, the volume of job postings, and the required features and integrations influence how much you’ll pay for an ATS. 

Common ATS pricing models

Now, let's break down the different ways these ATS platforms charge you, so you can choose the most budget-friendly option for your company. 

Here are the most common pricing models you'll come across:

Flat-rate pricing

Flat-rate pricing is a straightforward model where companies pay a fixed fee for the ATS, regardless of usage.

When to get this 

In this model, you pay a set amount per month or year for access to the ATS. This typically includes a predetermined set of features and often allows for unlimited users or job postings. Flat-rate pricing is usually most suitable for you if you have stable hiring needs and predictable growth.

Pros and cons‍

Pros:

• Predictable costs, making budgeting easier
• Often more cost-effective for companies with high usage
• Typically includes a comprehensive set of features

Cons:

• May be expensive for smaller companies or those with lower hiring volumes
• Less flexibility to scale up or down based on changing needs
• Might include features you don't need

What flat-rate pricing tiers look like

• Basic Tier: $199/month—includes core ATS features, up to 5 job postings, and basic reporting
• Professional Tier: $399/month—includes advanced features, unlimited job postings, and custom workflows
• Enterprise Tier: $799/month—includes all features, priority support, and custom integrations

Pay-per-user pricing

This model charges based on the number of users who have access to the ATS.

When to get this

Since companies pay for each user (typically a recruiter or hiring manager) who needs access to the system, this model is often suitable for companies with a clear idea of how many team members need to use the ATS. 

This is also a great option if you're scaling up gradually. You won't have to worry about new contracts or renegotiations–just add another user as your team grows. Many plans even offer a range of users, so you might not have to pay anything extra if you're still within your plan's limit.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Scalable and flexible as your team grows
• Can be cost-effective for smaller teams
• Often allows for role-based access control

Cons:

• Costs can increase rapidly as your team expands
• May discourage wider adoption across the organization
• Can be challenging to predict costs if team size fluctuates

What pricing levels based on user count look like 

• 1-5 users: $50/user/month
• 6-15 users: $45/user/month
• 16-25 users: $40/user/month
• 26+ users: Custom pricing

Pay-per-vacancy pricing

This model charges based on the number of active job vacancies or postings.

Definition and suitability

Companies pay for each active job posting in the system. This model is often suitable for companies with fluctuating hiring needs or those who hire sporadically.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Can be cost-effective for companies with low hiring volumes
• Allows for easy scaling during peak hiring periods

Cons:

• Costs can be unpredictable and may spike during high-volume hiring periods
• May discourage keeping positions open for passive candidate sourcing
• I can find no reason for companies with constant high-volume hiring to opt for this payment plan 

Examples of pricing ranges based on job postings

• 1-5 active jobs: $99/month
• 6-15 active jobs: $199/month
• 16-30 active jobs: $299/month
• 31+ active jobs: Custom pricing

Pay-per-module pricing

This model allows companies to pay for specific features or modules they need.

When to get this 

You have to choose and pay for only the features or modules you need. Get this when you have specific requirements or if you want to start with basic features and add more as you grow.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Allows for customization based on specific needs
• Can be cost-effective if you only need certain features
• Provides flexibility to add or remove features as needs change

Cons:

• Costs can add up quickly if many modules are needed
• May result in a less integrated solution if not all modules are chosen
• Can be complex to manage and budget for

What modular pricing for different features look like

• Core ATS Module: $99/month
• Advanced Reporting Module: +$50/month
• Video Interviewing Module: +$75/month
• AI Candidate Matching Module: +$100/month
• Onboarding Module: +$80/month

Now, if you're running a massive operation, these standard pricing models might not be the perfect fit. In that case, don't worry–there are plenty of ATS providers out there who offer a mix of these models or even create custom pricing packages specifically for enterprise clients. So, don't hesitate to reach out and explore your options if you need a more tailored solution.

Pricing comparison of leading ATS software

Here’s a detailed overview of what each software offers, along with their pricing:

Kula

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We’ve designed Kula ATS to be an all-in-one talent acquisition solution that simplifies the entire recruitment process. It offers a comprehensive set of features that cover every aspect of hiring, from sourcing to onboarding.

Key features

Candidate sourcing: In my nine years of dealing with the nitty-gritty of the full recruitment lifecycle, I can tell you firsthand that sourcing and screening candidates manually is the absolute worst. 

It's a slow, tedious process that's prone to mistakes, and let's be honest, it's not exactly the most rewarding part of the job.

That’s what we’ve aimed to solve with Kula: 

• It integrates with LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect, enabling easy import of candidate profiles. 
• It then (whether you’ve imported the data or already possess it) lets you organize candidates into consolidated talent pools based on skills, location, and experience. 
• The platform also offers advanced search capabilities across integrated resume databases, helping you quickly find the best candidates. This is especially useful if you’re looking for a niche candidate or hyper-specific skills. 

Recruitment marketing: Here's the thing, folks: serious job seekers are applying to multiple positions, not just yours. That's why Kula offers a fully mobile candidate experience for searching and applying for jobs. 

We're making it as easy and flexible as possible for top talent to complete their applications so you don't miss out on those perfect fits.

It automatically distributes your job ads to aggregators and search engines at no extra cost. This factor right here is vital — you’ll remember I mentioned that some providers will put a cap on this or charge you for add-ons if you post extensively. 

When you’re done posting on job boards,  you can easily sync ads to your career site or webpage using a widget, without any coding required, or share the vacancy on social media and Google Jobs Search for maximum exposure.

Referrals management: Kula's referral tools allow employees to submit referrals to specific jobs and track their progress. Employees can share unique referral links on social networks or via email. 

The system identifies referrals and attributes them to the right person, while also tracking top referrers on a dedicated dashboard. 

Just another way to gamify the process, reward considerate employees and make sure that referring great candidates becomes a no-brainer for your existing employees. 

Why do we stress this? Because referred employees stay 70% longer than non-referred employees.

Candidate management: Kula ATS keeps your entire candidate journey organized from start to finish. You can customize the application process with screening questions and assessments, making sure you're getting the right information upfront. 

And you can keep candidates engaged throughout the process with personalized messages at each stage. Plus, all communication history is stored in one place, so you have a complete picture of every candidate's interactions with your company.

Interview scheduling: Kula simplifies interview coordination by allowing you to review interviewer calendars side-by-side, book rooms and resources, and sync with popular calendar tools. It also supports candidate self-scheduling and offers customizable interview types and structured candidate evaluations with scorecards. 

I find this to be particularly useful because I know the back-and-forth that goes into scheduling an interview with hiring managers and collecting feedback from them. 

You can also anonymize the whole recruitment process, keeping bias out of the equation.

Offer management: Kula ATS manages the entire offer process, from creating offer letter templates to generating and sending offers and tracking signature progress. You can automate new hire paperwork and sync data with your HRIS.

Reporting and analytics: Kula provides instant insights into key recruitment metrics and trends. You can build, schedule, and export custom reports with just a few clicks, and access pre-built reports on time-to-hire, sourcing performance, and more. 

Use your dashboards to look at upcoming interviews and other key metrics. What I like is that you can look at the dashboard and gather insights without setting up custom reports; Kula ATS displays the most vital metrics you’d need to excel. 

Automation: Finally, you can set up rule-based automation with Kula to handle candidate rejection and send assessments, notifications, and crucial reminders. 

Its AI and machine learning capabilities enable intelligent automation and decision support, advancing candidates based on your custom criteria.

Pricing 

Pricing is pay-per-user. Fill in the number of users and we’ll send you a detailed breakdown of your costs. 

You can also get started for free. 

Pinpoint 

Pinpoint is a comprehensive applicant tracking software designed to attract, hire, and onboard the right talent for your business. It offers a fast, flexible, end-to-end talent acquisition solution with unlimited support.

Key features

Pinpoint allows you to create a branded website where potential employees can explore your company culture before applying. This feature helps in attracting candidates who align with your organization's values and mission. 

Kula ATS offers an out-of-box career page builder that works the same way. 

What I like is that Pinpoint lets you publish jobs on multiple boards simultaneously, optimizing your recruitment budget, reach, and time. It also includes built-in tools that encourage employee referrals, so you have a vetted, relevant talent pool at your disposal. 

Pinpoint also includes a sourcing extension that helps you find passive applicants easily, expanding your reach beyond active job seekers.

Candidates can apply in different languages, making your hiring process more inclusive and accessible to a diverse talent pool.

Pinpoint centralizes all candidate data, making it easy to track and manage applicants throughout the hiring process. You can also establish talent pools. This saves time when you’re filling vacancies in the future. 

Pinpoint's interview scheduling tools make it easy to coordinate meetings with everyone involved in the hiring process. It provides detailed candidate profiles and supports video interviews and messaging right on the platform.

Pinpoint also offers blind recruitment features to reduce bias in the hiring process, promoting fair and equitable candidate selection. It offers more in the equitable department, with standardized scorecards for consistent and fair candidate evaluation across your hiring team.

Pinpoint allows you to create and send offer letters with just a few clicks and includes onboarding features to welcome and ramp up your new hire smoothly.

Pricing

Pinpoint does not have its pricing listed. 

My research shows Pinpoint has two pricing plans: Growth at $600 per month and Enterprise at $1,200 per month, both billed annually. 

• The Growth plan includes unlimited jobs, users, branding, a careers site, integrations, onboarding, and support. 
• The Enterprise plan adds advanced features like multilingual support, customization, and custom contracts.

GoHire 

GoHire is an applicant tracking system specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It aims to simplify recruitment processes and help SMBs attract more candidates efficiently.

Key features

GoHire allows you to post jobs to over 15 job boards with a single click, maximizing your reach to potential candidates. This feature saves time and ensures your job listings have wide visibility.

The platform offers over 700 job description templates—something for everything—so writing compelling job listings that attract the right candidates becomes easier. I’d say it’s much easier to start off with a template and then add your brand personality and unique details. 

The basic tenets of any job remain the same, and I don’t see why you have to repeatedly come up with new versions of them. 

Like most tools on this page, GoHire lets you create a branded careers page easily. This includes website integration and a job widget so you can showcase your employer brand and open positions directly on your company website. 

You can also promote jobs by posting on social media sites where candidates are actively looking, increasing your visibility and reach.

GoHire keeps your hiring process organized with unlimited hiring pipelines. You can link candidates to specific jobs and use bulk actions, tags, and smart search features to quickly identify the best fit. Coming to its other features:

• Automated nurturing — basically messaging a candidate periodically — keeps candidates engaged as they move through your pipeline.
• Candidates get to self-schedule interviews, eliminating the back-and-forth typically associated with scheduling that I so dislike. 
• Save time in mass messaging capabilities and email templates and create branded career pages, saving time in candidate communication while ensuring consistent messaging.
• Screen candidates with customizable questions and video questionnaires, helping to identify the most promising applicants early in the process.
• Custom scorecards allow for consistent evaluation of candidates across your hiring team, promoting fair and objective assessments.
• Advanced reporting and analytics give you insights to improve your hiring process over time, allowing data-driven decision-making in your recruitment strategies.
• GoHire integrates with popular tools like Slack and Zapier, allowing you to connect your existing workflow and tools with your recruitment process.
• Strong security measures, user permissions, reliable uptime, and customer support ensure a smooth and secure hiring process.

Pricing 

GoHire offers a free plan and three paid plans: Starter ($89/month), Growth ($150/month) and Pro ($290/month). 

Plans are billed monthly and discounted annual options are available. The paid plans include increasing numbers of job slots and features like screening questions and reporting, with the Pro plan providing unlimited jobs and advanced tools.

Workable

Workable is a comprehensive recruiting and HR management platform that combines an applicant tracking system with AI sourcing capabilities and HR management tools.

Key features

Workable offers the usual features here: 

• It allows you to post jobs to over 200 sites with a single click, significantly expanding your reach to potential candidates. 
• It includes tools to leverage employee networks for referrals, helping you reach passive candidates and boost your referral program.
• Workable's mobile app allows you to manage your hiring process on the go, ensuring you can stay on top of your recruitment efforts from anywhere.
• Workable provides access to over 400 million candidate profiles, making it easier to find suitable candidates for your open positions.
• The platform includes built-in video interviewing capabilities, streamlining the interview process and reducing scheduling complexities.
• Workable integrates seamlessly with popular tools, including email, calendars, and CRMs like Salesforce, creating a more cohesive recruitment ecosystem.
• The platform is GDPR compliant, follows EEOC/OFCCP guidelines, and is ISO 27001:2013 certified, ensuring your recruitment practices meet necessary standards.

What stands out to me is their AI enablement. AI helps you with various tasks when you’re using Workable, including sourcing qualified candidates, writing job descriptions, generating interview questions, and crafting emails. 

It also automates time-consuming tasks like interview scheduling and approvals, freeing up recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of hiring.

Pricing 

Workable has three main plans with pricing based on employee count. 

The Starter plan is $189/month, the more efficient Standard plan is $313/month, and $628/month for the Premier plan, each for up to 20 employees. Bigger teams will need to pay more. 

Plans include features like job slots, a hiring plan, applicant tracking, sourcing tools, and reporting. Add-ons like texting, video interviews, and assessments are available for an additional monthly fee.

Greenhouse 

Greenhouse is an applicant tracking system designed to handle the entire hiring process, from collecting applications to making hiring decisions.

Key features

Greenhouse is a comprehensive platform, but not much differentiates it from the others on this list. Let’s quickly go through its features. 

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• Greenhouse collects and organizes applicant data in one place, making it easy to track candidates throughout the hiring process.
• The platform simplifies sharing jobs and collecting applications through its integrated job board.
• Greenhouse tracks key candidate information like source, role, and stage, providing a clear overview of where each candidate stands in the process.
• You can create structured assessments, helping ensure consistent and fair evaluations of candidates.
• Greenhouse centralizes feedback from assessments and interviews, saving hours in tracking down notes about candidates and making it easier to make informed hiring decisions.
• Greenhouse gives you a full view of your recruitment pipeline and helps you identify areas for improvement.
• The platform integrates with various tools for scheduling, video interviewing, and candidate assessment, creating a seamless workflow.

Pricing 

Greenhouse offers Essential, Advanced, and Expert plans. Pricing is not publicly available. The Essential plan includes core recruiting and interviewing features. Advanced adds automation, approvals, and reporting. 

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The Expert plan provides sophisticated analytics, DEI tools, and enterprise-grade security and support. Add-ons are available for capabilities like onboarding and advanced analytics.

Ashby

Ashby is an integrated recruitment system that combines an ATS, scheduling tools, CRM, and analytics capabilities into a single solution. 

Key features

Although Ashby is a great tool because of its end-to-end functionality. However, its feature set is commonplace, which is why we’ll go through it quickly:

• The platform includes scheduling tools to simplify interview coordination and other recruitment-related meetings.
• Ashby's CRM capabilities allow you to build and maintain talent pools for future recruitment needs.
• The platform offers powerful analytics tools that enable data-driven decision-making in your recruitment process.
• Ashby allows you to create custom reports that deliver insights tailored to your team's specific needs.
• The platform integrates smoothly with existing recruiting tools, allowing you to maintain your current workflow while enhancing it with Ashby's features.

Pricing 

Ashby offers an All-in-One Foundations plan starting at $400/month for up to 100 employees, with quote-based Enterprise options for larger companies. 

The Foundation's plan includes job posting, candidate management, reporting, integrations, and support. 

The Enterprise plan adds advanced features and customization. An analytics plan is also available to add advanced reporting to an existing ATS.

Lever

Lever, also known as LeverTRM, is a talent acquisition suite designed to help organizations convert qualified applicants efficiently and repeatedly.

Key features

Lever stands out by integrating various assessment platforms and background check software, creating a smooth end-to-end hiring process. Other than this:

• It offers powerful candidate engagement features and pre-set nurture campaign templates to build relationships with qualified candidates.
• Lever's native talent analytics tool provides actionable, data-driven insights to inform better decision-making.
• DEI/EEO surveys and dashboards help support diversity hiring goals.
• Customizable surveys allow you to gather feedback and improve your hiring process.
• With over 300 integration partners, Lever connects all your HR and recruiting systems seamlessly.
• The platform handles most tasks automatically, so you can focus on strategic work.
• Built-in nurture campaigns keep qualified candidates engaged until the right opportunity arises.

Pricing 

Lever's pricing is not listed publicly, but their core LeverTRM platform starts around $800-900/month based on the latest available information. This includes ATS and CRM functionality, analytics, reporting, and basic support. 

Advanced capability packages like automation, nurture, and analytics are available for an additional cost, as are implementation and set-up services. Enterprise pricing is customized.

Zoho Recruit 

Zoho Recruit is a comprehensive recruitment platform designed to help manage and streamline the entire hiring process.

Key features

Zoho Recruit is a cost-friendly option—but only if you don’t require lots of users who need access. I’d say for vast teams, compare flat rates for tools that may seem more expensive with how much you’d be paying for multiple seats on Zoho.

Zoho Recruit has one feature that stands out: the AI-powered recruiting assistant. This feature helps identify top talent and maps behavioral assessments to find the right fit for each role. Let’s look at the other features

• Zoho Recruit helps you find top talent from various sources, expanding your candidate reach.
• The platform offers robust tools to keep the entire recruitment process organized, from application to hire.
• Zoho Recruit includes features designed to ensure fair evaluation of every candidate, promoting diversity and equality in hiring.
• The platform facilitates seamless communication and collaboration among recruiting team members.
• Zoho Recruit provides clear visibility into your recruitment process through detailed analytics and reporting.
• The platform automates repetitive tasks, saving time and reducing manual errors.
• Zoho Recruit's mobile app allows you to manage recruitment tasks on the go.
• You can easily create, set up, and publish job openings that attract candidates.

Pricing 

Zoho Recruit provides a free plan for basic needs and three paid subscription tiers: Standard at $30/user/month, Professional at $60/user/month, and Enterprise at a custom quote. 

Plans offer increasing capabilities like job slots, resume parsing, reporting, and automation. Add-ons are available for tools like client portals and video interviews. A 15-day free trial is offered on paid plans.

SmartRecruiters 

SmartRecruiters is a talent acquisition platform designed to optimize the hiring process for businesses of all sizes.

Key features

SmartRecruiters offers robust ATS capabilities to keep track of applicants and their histories with your organization. With this tool, you can manage approvals for various stages of the hiring process.

• Easily create and manage job requisitions within the platform.
• Post jobs to your career site, social media platforms, and job boards from a single interface.
• Tailor your hiring workflows to fit your specific needs and streamline pipeline management.
• Candidates can self-schedule interviews, reducing coordination efforts.
• Features like notes and feedback forms facilitate team collaboration throughout the hiring process.
• Integrate your email and Outlook directly with SmartRecruiters for seamless communication.
• Generate detailed reports to gain insights into your recruitment performance and identify areas for improvement.

Pricing 

SmartRecruiters does not publicize pricing, but their plans start around $10,000/year for small and midsize businesses based on available information. This includes core ATS and CRM features, job distribution, a mobile app, and standard support. 

Pricing increases with company size and complexity. Add-ons are available for advanced capabilities. Large enterprise pricing is customized.

Freshteam 

Freshteam is a comprehensive HR solution that covers recruiting, onboarding, management, and employee data management. 

Key features

I’d like to point out that talent pool management features are only available in higher-tier plans. The other features:

• Freshteam automatically parses resumes for quick candidate screening.
• The platform integrates with leading job boards for wider reach in job postings.
• Freshteam offers over 100 ready-to-use job description templates to help you get started quickly.
• All plans include a customizable career site to showcase your employer brand.
• Use interview prep kits, scheduling tools, and scorecards for a structured hiring process.
• The platform offers HR analytics tools to help you make data-driven decisions.
• Create and customize hiring pipelines to match your specific recruitment process.
• Pro and Enterprise plans offer onboarding features and e-signature integration.

Pricing

Freshteam provides a free plan for basic needs and three paid tiers: Growth at $59/month + $1/employee, Pro at $99/month + $2/employee, and Enterprise at $169/month + $4/employee. Pricing is based on a combination of flat rate and per-employee fees. 

Plans include increasing features like candidate screening, offer management, onboarding, and advanced security. A 21-day free trial is offered on all plans.

Manatal

Manatal is a cloud-based ATS that aims to simplify and enhance the hiring process. It leverages AI-powered features for candidate management and to improve hiring decisions.

Key features

Manatal offers an interactive pipeline that allows you to track candidates using both Kanban and list views. This flexible approach helps you visualize and manage your recruitment process more effectively. It also has a “candidate quick-screen” feature that enables faster application review by presenting important details in an easily digestible format. 

If you’re hiring globally, I’d recommend you only look at tools that support multiple languages. Kula ATS is a good option, and so is Manatal. Other than this, Manatal provides:

• Automated messaging capabilities and personalized email features. 
• Flexible and powerful search tools that work across the entire candidate database. It includes advanced boolean search options, allowing recruiters to create complex queries to find the most suitable candidates.
• AI-matching for candidates to fill job openings automatically. This feature helps recruiters identify the best fit more quickly and efficiently.
• Reformat resume features so you can insert your company branding in every application, ensuring consistency in how candidate information is presented internally.
• Options to hide personal details on resumes to maintain candidate privacy and reduce potential bias in the initial screening process.
• Integrations with popular email and calendar services like Outlook/Office365 and Gmail. This integration streamlines communication and scheduling tasks within the recruitment workflow.
• Customizable data fields and pipeline stages to tailor the system to your specific recruitment needs and processes.
• Onboarding milestone tracking for new hires, ensuring a smooth transition from candidate to employee.
• Integrates with assessment test platforms like Codility and connects with over 3,000 apps via Zapier for workflow automation. It also offers API integration with HRIS, payroll, and other HR tech solutions.
• E-signature requests through Adobe Sign integration, streamlining the offer acceptance process.
• SMS messaging capabilities for candidate engagement, providing an additional communication channel within the same system.

Pricing

Manatal offers four subscription tiers: Professional ($15/user/month), Enterprise ($35/user/month), Enterprise Plus ($55/user/month), and a customized plan. 

Plans include core ATS and CRM features, with increasing capabilities for AI matching, automation, reporting, and support at higher tiers. 

A 14-day free trial is available, and some add-ons are offered for additional fees.

Recruitee

Recruitee is a collaborative hiring software designed to help companies build winning teams. It focuses on bringing hiring teams together, enhancing sourcing efforts, and automating manual tasks.

Key features

Recruitee allows you to create custom pipelines with stages, filters, and views that fit your specific hiring process. This flexibility ensures the platform adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. The tool reminds me of Notion in a sense because it provides a template for pipelines, emails, and other recurring elements in the hiring process. Also:

• Automates manual tasks like disqualification emails and evaluation requests, saving time and ensuring consistency.
• Roles and visibility settings make team collaboration seamless, allowing you to involve the right people at the right stages of the hiring process.
• CareersHub lets you build a great careers site without coding. Multi-language support and targeted landing pages help you reach a diverse candidate pool effectively.
• Multi-posting & smart campaigns make it easy to post jobs and optimize your budget across various job boards. With access to 1,450+ job boards and a Chrome extension for adding candidate info, sourcing becomes more efficient.
• ReferralsHub launches employee referral programs, helping you tap into your employees' networks for quality candidates.
• Screening questions help you filter candidates quickly, ensuring you focus on the most promising applicants.
• Recruitee offers both quick and regular evaluations, allowing you to track candidate progress effectively. Tags, notes, and tasks keep everyone on the same page throughout the process.
• The Recruitee mobile app keeps you on top of candidates and tasks on the go, ensuring you never miss important updates or actions.
• The Event Scheduler feature takes the hassle out of interview scheduling. Video interviews with Google Meet, Teams, and Zoom, plus meeting room booking right in the platform, streamline the interview process.
• Recruitee includes features designed to reduce bias in the hiring process, promoting more equitable and diverse hiring practices.
• Custom dashboards and reports let you track key metrics, providing insights to optimize your hiring process over time.
• Built-in security and legal features help maintain compliance with relevant regulations, protecting both your company and your candidates.
• Recruitee offers extensive integrations to connect your tech stack effortlessly, ensuring smooth data flow between your various HR and recruitment tools.

Pricing 

Recruitee offers tiered pricing with Start, Grow, and Optimize plans. 

• The Start plan at $199/month includes five job slots, multi-job posting, CV parsing, and basic reporting. 
• The Grow plan at $249/month offers unlimited job slots, multi-language support, and custom reporting. 

• The Optimize plan provides enterprise features like onboarding support, requisition approvals, and API access. Recruitee emphasizes collaborative hiring, with features like team evaluations and automated workflows across all plans.

BambooHR

BambooHR is a modern HR platform that includes robust recruiting tools designed for the hiring and onboarding process.

Key features

BambooHR offers a set of standard features. Definitely a good tool to get versatile hiring tasks done. 

• It organizes applicant information efficiently, allowing you to focus on sourcing top candidates.
• The platform facilitates communication with applicants at every stage of the review process, keeping them engaged and informed.
• Features like custom permissions and shared candidate data promote effective collaboration. BambooHR simplifies offer letter creation with customizable templates that auto-populate candidate information.
• It supports e-signatures for offer letters, streamlining the acceptance process.
• They have a mobile app for iOS and Android that helps you manage new hire onboarding tasks from anywhere.
• You can post jobs on various platforms, including Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
• It offers reporting features that allow you to analyze time-to-hire, identify bottlenecks, and spot inconsistencies in your process.
• The platform provides tools to create customized new hire packets that transition smoothly from recruiting to onboarding, all within the same system.

Pricing

BambooHR provides two main plans: Essentials and Advantage. Both include core HR features like employee records, time-off tracking, and reporting. 

The Advantage plan adds hiring and onboarding tools, performance management, and advanced workflows. BambooHR also offers add-ons for payroll, time tracking, and performance management. 

Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales for a quote based on company size and needs.

Loxo

Loxo is an AI-powered recruitment platform that combines ATS, CRM, outbound recruitment, data, and sourcing tools into one solution.

Key features:

I’d say this is a pricier option on this list, but the features it offers are powerful. 

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Keep in mind that most of the options I have listed here are tools that enable AI use, and some at a much lower cost. So while Loxo offers many AI features (not available for the basic plan), you’ll find lower-priced alternatives above. 

One aspect of Loxo that stands out to me is its sales CRM, which makes this a great option for solo recruiters and staffing agencies. You can manage your sales processes and client interactions with this feature, and it definitely makes negotiation easy if you can do it within the platform. 

Let’s look at the other features:

• Loxo Source helps you efficiently find candidates by searching a vast database of professional profiles.
• Loxo Connect enriches candidate data and finds their contact information.
• Loxo Outreach & Outreach GPT helps with personalized candidate engagement and outreach campaigns.
• Loxo's ATS offers thorough tracking capabilities for managing candidates throughout the hiring process.
• Provides a centralized database for managing both candidate and client relationships.
• Offers automated performance reports and analytics to track and improve your recruitment efforts.
• Loxo's AI capabilities automate many manual tasks, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Pricing 

Loxo offers a free plan with basic ATS and CRM features and paid plans starting at $119 per user/month. 

• The Basic plan includes 500 sourcing results per query and 100 monthly contact credits. 

• Professional and Enterprise plans add AI-powered features, specialty datasets, and advanced automation. 

Loxo emphasizes cost savings by consolidating multiple HR tools into one platform, potentially saving up to 90% on tech stack costs for recruiters.

Gem

Gem is a scalable all-in-one recruiting platform that integrates sourcing, CRM, ATS, analytics, scheduling, and e-signature functionalities.

Key features

The features listed below are some of what Gem offers. Bear in mind that Gem is meant for larger enterprises. 

• With multi-board job posting, you can post jobs across over 25,000 job boards to maximize your reach.
• Use advanced filters, Boolean search, and resume highlights to quickly review applications.
• Get a visual overview of your candidate pipeline with their dashboard. 
• Robust reporting capabilities help you optimize your recruitment strategies over time.
• Gem integrates with your calendars and video conferencing tools for smooth interview scheduling.

Pricing 

Pricing is not publicly listed. Gem provides a CRM platform with three tiers: Starter, Standard, and Advanced. 

• The Starter plan includes advanced search, talent pools, and hiring manager access. 
• Standard adds ATS integration and enriched profiles. 
• Advanced offers candidate rediscovery, nurture campaigns, and enhanced security. 

Gem focuses on full-funnel analytics and workflow automation. 

Tips for choosing the right ATS solution

When I'm helping organizations choose an ATS, I always stress the importance of a thorough evaluation process. Here are some essential tips to help you make an informed decision:

1. Before you start evaluating ATS options, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of your organization's unique needs and requirements. This will help you focus on solutions that align with your specific situation and avoid paying for unnecessary features.

2. You need to determine how many team members will need access to the ATS. This will probably be your recruiters, hiring managers, HR team members, and executives who need reporting access.
3. Consider your potential growth over the next 1-3 years. I always advise clients to think ahead to avoid outgrowing their chosen solution too quickly.

Tip: Look for ATS providers offering unlimited users if you're a larger organization or expecting rapid growth. This can save you money in the long run.

4. Focus on features that are critical to your hiring process. Don't be swayed by nice-to-have extras that you may never use. Ask yourself, "What features do we absolutely need to improve our hiring process?" Essential features may include:

• Job posting and distribution
• Candidate sourcing tools
• Application tracking and management
• Interview scheduling
• Collaborative hiring tools (e.g., team feedback, scoring)
• Reporting and analytics

Tip: Create a prioritized list of features, distinguishing between "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves." This will help you evaluate ATS options more effectively.

5. You should consider which existing systems your ATS needs to integrate with:

• Your HRIS or HCM systems
• Payroll software
• Background check services
• Assessment platforms
• Video interviewing tools
• Job boards and career sites

Tip: I always recommend prioritizing ATS solutions that offer pre-built integrations with your existing HR tech stack. This can significantly reduce additional integration costs and effort.

6. Different pricing models suit different organizational needs. Consider which model aligns best with your hiring patterns and budget.

7. Utilize free trials and demos to evaluate the software. Don't just rely on sales pitches and feature lists. During your trial, I always recommend that you:

• Test the features you've identified as essential
• Evaluate the user interface and ease of use
• Check how well the ATS integrates with your existing systems

Tip: Create a scorecard to objectively compare different ATS solutions based on your key criteria. This can help you make a data-driven decision rather than relying on gut feelings or impressive sales presentations.

Calculating the ROI of an ATS

When I'm helping organizations evaluate the potential return on investment of an ATS, I always emphasize the importance of considering both quantitative and qualitative benefits. 

Here's how you can approach calculating the ROI of an ATS:

Reduced time-to-hire

One of the most significant benefits of an ATS is the reduction in time-to-hire. To calculate this:

• Measure your current average time-to-hire
• Estimate the potential reduction (often 20-30% with an effective ATS)

Calculate the cost savings

Consider the salary of open positions and factor in lost productivity costs

Example: If you're filling a $70,000/year position and reduce time-to-hire by ten days, you could save approximately $1,900 in salary alone.

Tip: Don't forget to factor in the cost of your recruiting team's time saved as well.

Simpler processes

An ATS can make your hiring processes more cohesive and repeatable. To quantify this:

• List all the manual tasks in your current hiring process
• Estimate the time spent on each task
• Calculate the potential time saved with ATS automation
• Multiply by the hourly cost of your recruiting team

Example: If you save 2 hours per hire on manual tasks, and you make 100 hires per year, that's 200 hours saved. At $30/hour, that's $6,000 in productivity gains.

Improved candidate experience

While harder to quantify, improved candidate experience can lead to:

• Higher offer acceptance rates
• Better employer branding
• Increased referrals

You can measure this by:

• Tracking changes in offer acceptance rates
• Monitoring employer review sites
• Surveying candidates about their application experience

Tip: A 5% increase in offer acceptance rate can lead to significant savings in extended search times and lost productivity.

Potential revenue gains

For roles directly tied to revenue (like sales positions), faster hiring can lead to direct revenue gains. Calculate this by:

• Determining the average revenue per employee in revenue-generating roles
• Multiplying by the number of days saved in the hiring process

Example: If a sales rep generates $1,000 per day on average, and you reduce time-to-hire by ten days, that's $10,000 in potential additional revenue per hire.

Better quality hires

An ATS can help you make better hiring decisions through standardized processes and data-driven insights. While challenging to quantify directly, you can look at:

• Improvement in performance ratings of new hires
• Reduction in early turnover rates
• Increase in hiring manager satisfaction with candidates

Tip: Even a small improvement in the quality of hires can have a significant impact on your organization's overall performance.

Increased productivity

An ATS can boost your recruiting team's productivity. To calculate this:

• Estimate the number of additional candidates your team can process
• Determine the value of these additional candidates 
• Factor in the reduced administrative burden on hiring managers

Example: If your recruiters can handle 20% more candidates, and this leads to even one additional quality hire per year, the impact could be substantial.

Employee retention

Better hires often lead to improved retention. To factor this in:

• Calculate your current cost of turnover (including recruiting costs, training, and lost productivity)
• Estimate potential improvement in retention rates
• Multiply the number of retained employees by your turnover cost

Example: If your turnover cost is $10,000 per employee and you improve retention by just five employees per year, that's $50,000 in savings.

To calculate the overall ROI:

• Sum up all the quantifiable benefits
• Subtract the total cost of the ATS (including implementation, training, and ongoing fees)
• Divide the net benefit by the cost and multiply by 100 for a percentage

ROI = (Total Benefits - Total Costs) / Total Costs x 100

Remember, some benefits of an ATS are hard to quantify but still valuable. When you're presenting the ROI to stakeholders, I always suggest including both the hard numbers and the qualitative benefits to give a complete picture of the potential impact.

Negotiation strategies and tactics

Here are a few ways to negotiate a better deal:

1. Before you enter into any negotiation, it's crucial to do your homework. I always advise my clients to:

• Research at least 3-5 different ATS vendors that meet your core requirements.
• Compare their features, pricing models, and customer reviews.
• Look for case studies or testimonials from companies similar to yours.

Tip: Knowledge is power in negotiations. The more you understand about the ATS market, the stronger your position will be.

2. Don't be shy about requesting detailed quotes from multiple vendors. When you're gathering this information:

• Ask for a breakdown of all costs, including implementation, training, and any potential add-ons.
• Inquire about different pricing tiers or plans they offer.
• Request information about any current promotions or discounts.

Remember, you're not just collecting numbers — you're also gathering insights into each vendor's pricing flexibility and negotiation style.

3. It's essential that you fully grasp how each vendor structures their pricing. Ask yourself:

• Is it a flat-rate, per-user, or per-vacancy model?
• Are there any usage limits or thresholds that could trigger additional fees?
• How does the pricing scale as your company grows?

Tip: If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask the vendor for clarification. The better you understand their model, the more effectively you can negotiate.

4. Based on your research and the quotes you've received, identify areas where there might be room for negotiation. These could include:

• Base subscription costs
• Implementation fees
• Training and support costs
• Add-on features or modules
• Contract length and terms

Look for areas where vendors differ significantly — these can be key points for negotiation.

5. Remember, as a potential customer, you have leverage. Here are some tactics I've found effective:

• Highlight your growth potential: If you're a growing company, emphasize the potential for increased business over time.
• Mention competitor offers: If you've received a better offer from a competitor, don't be afraid to mention it (without disclosing specific details).
• Offer to be a case study or reference: Some vendors may offer discounts in exchange for your agreement to serve as a reference customer.
• Timing can be everything: Vendors may be more flexible at the end of their fiscal quarter or year when they're trying to meet sales targets.

With that being said, don't focus solely on price. Consider the total value proposition, including the quality of the product, the level of support, and the vendor's track record for innovation and customer satisfaction.

Maximizing value in your ATS investment

Ultimately, the best ATS for your organization will depend on your specific needs, budget, and hiring goals. I encourage you to carefully evaluate your options, leverage the negotiation strategies we've discussed, and choose a solution that will best support your organization's growth and success.

When you consider the potential return on investment with Kula ATS, it's not just about the cost of the platform. We're talking about reducing your time-to-hire, getting better quality candidates through the door, boosting your recruiters' productivity, and creating a candidate experience that people actually rave about. All of that translates to a more efficient, effective, and ultimately more successful hiring process.

In my experience, companies that fully embrace a powerful ATS like Kula see a major difference in their hiring outcomes. And trust me, when you're bringing in the right people faster and more efficiently, it has a ripple effect across your entire organization.

Kula's feature-rich platform, coupled with its potential to streamline your entire recruitment process, presents a compelling value proposition that can justify its pricing for many organizations.

Schedule a demo now!