Independent research on 266 HR & workforce products. Facts checked against vendors’ official documentation.

We may earn a referral fee. We may earn a referral feeHow we make money

Talent Acquisition

The Best Applicant Tracking Systems of 2026

A shortlist of applicant tracking systems ranked from verified product data, so you can compare workflow, job distribution, compliance features and real pricing instead of vendor claims. Every score traces back to a fact we checked against vendor documentation and public sources.

products compared
20
with a published score
13
last updated
facts checked
See the ranking

LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.

Top 10 by LeadChange Scoreof 20 compared · 7 not scored yet

  1. Workable9.5 out of 10, High confidence
  2. Breezy HR9.0 out of 10, High confidence
  3. Ashby7.7 out of 10, High confidence
  4. Recruitee (Tellent)7.2 out of 10, High confidence
  5. Crelate7.1 out of 10, High confidence
  6. Manatal7.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
  7. Greenhouse6.7 out of 10, High confidence
  8. Lever6.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
  9. SmartRecruiters6.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
  10. Teamtailor6.4 out of 10, Medium confidence

See all 20 rankedHighMedium confidence

Our top picks

  1. Best overall

    Highest LeadChange Score here (9.5/10), with 12 of 12 core applicant tracking capabilities verified.

    From $299/mo (up to 20 employees, billed annually)1

  2. Best for small businesses

    Breezy HR

    by Breezy HR, Inc.

    Highest score among products that list small businesses as a target segment, with pricing and fit weighted more (9.2/10), after Workable, already picked above.

    From $157/mo (Startup plan, billed annually)2

  3. Best value

    Ashby

    by Ashby, Inc.

    Lowest paid list cost at 25 employees ($400/mo) among top-ranked applicant tracking products at or above the median score, after Breezy HR, already picked above.

    From $300/mo (up to 10 employees)3

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

How many people work at your company?

Some products only serve certain team sizes: those that do not fit yours drop out.

Applicant Tracking Systems ranked by LeadChange Score

Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Scores are for applicant tracking systems, so a product's score or «not scored yet» here can differ from its own page, which scores its main category. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.

Filter by verified facts

  1. Workable

    Best for Small and mid-size teams that hire often and post to 200+ job boards at once

    Workable fits small and mid-size employers that hire often and want job posting, screening and AI sourcing in one tool, with prices published by company size, though its terms bar storing HIPAA-regulated health information in it. HR is a second product with its own price, or a bundle with Recruiting.

    Pricing model
    Tiered plans1
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes4

    From $299/mo (up to 20 employees, billed annually)1

    Workable ATS pricing
  2. Breezy HR

    Best for Small and midsize teams that hire regularly and want a flat monthly price

    Breezy HR suits small and midsize companies that want a full ATS at a flat monthly price, not per user. Bootstrap is free for one open role; Startup costs $157, Growth $273 and Business $439 a month billed annually, or $189, $329 and $529 billed monthly. Users are unlimited and jobs post to 50+ boards.

    Pricing model
    Tiered plans2
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes (company-level, product not named)5

    From $157/mo (Startup plan, billed annually)2

    What Breezy HR costs
  3. Ashby

    Best for Startups and scale-ups that hire continuously and source outbound

    Ashby suits fast-growing companies that want one recruiting system for applicant tracking, outbound sourcing, CRM, scheduling and analytics, priced by company size rather than per recruiter seat. Foundations costs $300 a month for 1–10 employees up to $900 for 76–100, with 10% off annual commitments.

    Pricing model
    Tiered plans3
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes6

    From $300/mo (up to 10 employees)3

    Ashby plans and prices
Show all 20 products
  1. Recruitee (Tellent)7.2/10 · High confidenceRecruitee (Tellent) plans and prices
  2. Crelate7.1/10 · High confidence · Scored 8.4/10 in Recruitment CRM on its own pageCrelate pricing
  3. Manatal7.1/10 · Medium confidence · Scored 8.3/10 in Recruiting Software on its own pageWhat Manatal costs
  4. Greenhouse6.7/10 · High confidenceWhat Greenhouse costs
  5. Lever6.7/10 · Medium confidenceLever plans and prices
  6. SmartRecruiters6.7/10 · Medium confidenceWhat SmartRecruiters costs
  7. Teamtailor6.4/10 · Medium confidenceTeamtailor pricing
  8. iCIMS6.2/10 · Medium confidenceiCIMS pricing
  9. Jobvite6.1/10 · Medium confidenceWhat Jobvite costs
  10. BambooHR6.0/10 · High confidence · Primarily HRIS software; applicant tracking module is secondary · Scored 9.3/10 in HRIS Software on its own pageWhat BambooHR costs
  11. JazzHRNot scored yet (15 of 26 facts verified)JazzHR pricing
  12. Zoho RecruitNot scored yet (14 of 26 facts verified) · Scored 9.0/10 in Recruiting Software on its own page; too few applicant tracking facts verified to score it hereWhat Zoho Recruit costs
  13. NetchexNot scored yet (13 of 26 facts verified) · Primarily payroll software; applicant tracking module is secondary · Scored 4.8/10 in Payroll Software on its own page; unscored hereNetchex plans and prices
  14. BullhornNot scored yet (12 of 26 facts verified) · Not scored yet in Recruiting Software on its own pageBullhorn pricing
  15. PaycomNot scored yet (12 of 26 facts verified) · Primarily HCM software; applicant tracking module is secondary · Scored 6.5/10 in HCM Software on its own page; unscored herePaycom pricing
  16. RecruiterflowNot scored yet (9 of 26 facts verified) · Not scored yet in Recruitment CRM on its own pageRecruiterflow pricing
  17. isolved People CloudNot scored yet (6 of 26 facts verified) · Primarily HCM software; applicant tracking module is secondary · Not scored yet in HCM Software on its own pageWhat isolved People Cloud costs

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

How the score works

Find your fit

Compare the top 8 side by side

Applicant Tracking Systems comparison: LeadChange Score, pricing and verified features
ProductScorePricing modelFree trialAPISOC 2 Type IIMobile appsCareer site builderISO 27001
Workable1,4,7–99.5Tiered plansYesYesYesiOS, AndroidYesYes
Breezy HR2,59.0Tiered plansYesYes, as an add-onYes: Yes (company-level, product not named)iOS, AndroidYesYes
Ashby3,6,107.7Tiered plansNot verifiedYesYesNot verifiedYesNot verified
Recruitee (Tellent)11,127.2Quote onlyYesYesYesTellent Recruitee mobile appYesStated, no certificate named
Crelate13–15Scored 8.4/10 in Recruitment CRM on its own page7.1Per userYesYesYesiOS, AndroidYesYes
Manatal16–18Scored 8.3/10 in Recruiting Software on its own page7.1Per userYesYesYesProgressive web appYesNot verified
Greenhouse19–236.7Quote onlyNot verifiedYesYesiOS, AndroidYesYes
Lever24–276.7Quote onlyNot verifiedYesYesNot verifiedYesYes

Not verified = we have no sourced value for it yet.

Applicant tracking system comparison

Pricing at a glance

Monthly cost from each vendor’s published base and per-employee prices for a plan sold at that size, at the annual-billing rate where one is offered, before add-ons.

  • 10 employees

    $157–$300/mo

    Median $275/mo

    Published list prices of 4 products at 10 employees

  • 50 employees

    $157–$513/mo

    Median $500/mo

    Published list prices of 3 products at 50 employees

  • 200 employees

    $157–$2,050/mo

    Median $1,104/mo

    Published list prices of 2 products at 200 employees

How the 5 pricing models work
Per user per month
A monthly fee for each recruiter or hiring manager seat. Costs rise as more managers need access.
Per job posting
A fee for each active job or posting, common for small employers with few openings. Costs rise with volume.
Tiered by company size
Plans tied to employee count or number of open jobs. Check where your headcount sits relative to tier limits.
Freemium
A free plan with limits on jobs, users or features. Paid job-board postings are usually separate.
Custom quote10 of 20 products
Enterprise pricing based on hires, modules and implementation scope.

Applicant tracking system pricing

How to choose applicant tracking systems

6 criteria · Requirements by company size · 5 red flags

An ATS is used daily by recruiters, hiring managers and candidates, so ease of use and process fit decide success. Choose for how well it models your hiring workflow and keeps a defensible record.

Run a trial with a real open role: post it, receive test applications, schedule an interview and generate a report of source and stage data.

  1. Workflow and stage configuration

    Different roles need different stages, scorecards and approvals, and rigid pipelines push work back to spreadsheets.

  2. Job distribution and sourcing

    Posting reach drives applicant volume, and duplicate manual posting wastes time.

  3. Candidate experience and mobile apply

    Long or non-mobile applications lose candidates, especially for hourly roles.

  4. Collaboration and scheduling

    Hiring managers need to review candidates and book interviews without email chains.

  5. Records, retention and audit trail

    Personnel and hiring records must be kept for one year, longer when a charge is filed, so the system must preserve and let you hold records.

  6. Adverse impact and EEO reporting

    Federal guidelines say users of selection procedures should keep information showing their impact by race, sex and ethnic group, and a selection rate below four-fifths of the highest group's rate is generally treated as evidence of adverse impact.

Requirements by company size

  • Small businesses

    • Free or low-cost job posting and a branded careers page
    • Simple pipeline and interview scheduling
    • Mobile-friendly apply flow

    Watch out for

    • Job-board costs billed separately from the subscription
    • Per-job pricing that rises with each open role
    • Limits on users, active jobs or stored candidates
  • Mid-sized companies

    • Requisition approvals and configurable workflows
    • Reporting on source, time to hire and stage conversion
    • Native HRIS, background check and onboarding connections

    Watch out for

    • Integrations gated by pricing tier
    • Rigid workflows that require vendor services to change
    • Candidate data trapped when you switch
  • Enterprises

    • Multi-country, multi-entity configuration and access controls
    • Compliance, audit and adverse impact reporting
    • High-volume handling and a mature API

    Watch out for

    • Long implementations tied to workflow design
    • AI screening features without audit documentation
    • Services fees for each change request

Red flags

  • The vendor cannot explain what its automated screening or ranking does with candidate data.
  • Self-identification data is visible to reviewers during screening.
  • No bulk export of candidates, notes and attachments is offered.
  • Job posting costs and per-job fees are not stated in writing.
  • There is no way to apply retention periods or place a hold on records.

All comparisons

Popular alternatives

Integrations for applicant tracking systems

Apps with documented integrations across the products ranked on this page.

Most integrated apps

Learn

Glossary

All buying guides

Frequently asked questions

What is an applicant tracking system?

An applicant tracking system is software that manages hiring from job posting to offer. It stores applications, moves candidates through stages, schedules interviews and keeps a record of decisions. Recruiters and hiring managers use it as a shared source of truth and for hiring reports.

Do I need an ATS if I only hire a few people a year?

Often not. A shared inbox and spreadsheet can work for occasional hiring if you keep records consistent. An ATS becomes worthwhile when several roles are open at once, many people review candidates, or you need reporting. Remember hiring records must be kept for at least one year.

How long do I have to keep applicant records?

Federal EEOC rules require employers to keep personnel and employment records, including hiring records, for one year from the date the record was made or the personnel action taken. If a discrimination charge is filed, relevant records must be preserved until final disposition. State or contractor rules may be longer.

Can an ATS cause discrimination problems?

Yes, if screening rules or automated ranking disadvantage protected groups. Federal guidelines treat a selection rate below four-fifths of the highest group's rate as generally evidence of adverse impact. Review selection rates by stage, and ask vendors how automated features work.

What is the difference between an ATS and a recruiting CRM?

An ATS manages active applications for specific openings. A recruiting CRM builds and nurtures talent pools before roles open. Many platforms offer both. Choose an ATS first if your problem is processing applicants, and add CRM features when proactive sourcing matters.

Is an applicant tracking system worth it?

It is worth it when you cannot track candidates, hiring managers wait on updates, or you need reporting and consistent records. It is less justified for rare hiring. Estimate recruiter hours spent on admin and applications lost, and compare against the subscription.

What is the best applicant tracking system?

Workable has the highest LeadChange Score of the 20 products in our ranking, 9.5 out of 10, ahead of Breezy HR (9.0) and Ashby (7.7). Workable's score rests on 24 of 26 checks verified from public sources. 7 more products are listed without a score until enough of their data is public.

Which applicant tracking systems in our ranking integrate with Indeed?

12 of the 20 applicant tracking systems in our ranking document an integration with Indeed: Ashby, BambooHR, Breezy HR, Crelate, JazzHR, and 7 more.

How long does it take to implement applicant tracking systems?

Vendors in our ranking that publish a typical timeline: Ashby, data migration from Greenhouse or Lever in a day or two; BambooHR, 4–6 weeks; Crelate, most migrations complete in 2 to 6 weeks; Lever, within weeks, not months.

Which applicant tracking systems in our ranking are built for enterprises?

Ashby, Bullhorn, Greenhouse, iCIMS, isolved People Cloud, and 9 more list enterprises among the company sizes they serve.

How we research

Ranked by the LeadChange Score, computed only from verified facts: capability coverage (30%), pricing and value (20%), integrations and API (15%), security (15%), fit and support (10%) and data confidence (10%), times a category fit. Products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Payment never changes a score or a position.

Facts, not impressions · Missing data is never assumed · Independent of revenue
  • Facts, not impressions

    Every input is a fact verified against vendors’ official documentation, with the date we last checked it.

  • Missing data is never assumed

    Unverified items are left out of the score and lower its coverage; below 60% coverage a product is not scored yet.

  • Independent of revenue

    Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    83 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 4, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Our independent review of Nov 1, 2026 asked for changes. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

Get your applicant tracking systems shortlist

Tell us about your team and get a shortlist ranked without regard to who pays us.

Sources

The 42 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. Workable Workable: Pricing“Standard BUNDLE RECRUITING AND HR TO SAVE UP TO 20% $299 /month $3,588 /year MONTHLY ANNUALLY - SAVE 20% 1 - 20 employees” “Pick your plan Fair, transparent, pricing for your complete Recruiting and HR solution. ... 1 - 20 employees 21 - 50 employees 51 - 100 employees 101 - 200 employees 201 - 400 employees 401 - 600 employees 601 - 800 employees 801 - 1000 employees 1000+ employees”
  2. Breezy HR Breezy HR: Pricing“Startup Built for teams that are hiring regularly and want a clean, easy process. $157/mo” “Simple, flexible pricing for teams of 10 to 10,000”
  3. Ashby ashbyhq.com/pricing“10% discount for annual commitments available.” “Our startup pricing model is based on the size of your organization at that point of purchase, not on a seat or talent team basis.”
  4. Workable workable.com/security“SOC 2 (Type II) Trust Services Principles Contact us for access” “ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) Download certificate”
  5. Learning Technologies Group (parent) ltgplc.com/trust-center“2026 SOC 2 Type II report” “ISO 27001:2022 Certificate”
  6. Ashby ashbyhq.com/resources/security“Ashby is SOC2 compliant and Type 2 audited annually.”
  7. Workable workable.com/developers“Use our API to show jobs on your website, get data from your Workable account, or bring in candidates from other systems.”
  8. Workable workable.com“Empower on-the-go managers and employees with a single, easy-to-deploy app for iOS and Android.”
  9. Workable Workable: Features“No-code careers page builder Create a branded, mobile-friendly careers page with built-in search, filtering, and auto-fill applications without coding skills.” “LinkedIn RSC integration ... Set up virtual interviews easily with Workable’s built-in Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams integrations. ... Sync with email and calendar apps such as Google and Microsoft Outlook ... Seamlessly connect with top payroll providers such as ADP Workforce Now and Xero”
  10. Ashby Ashby integrations“Open API docs”
  11. Tellent Recruitee recruitee.com/pricing“Not ready for a demo? Start free trial”
  12. Tellent Recruitee recruitee.com/all-features“Use our structured API to build custom integrations and transfer information securely and error-free from one application to another.” “Independently audited with a SOC 2 Type 2 report validating our controls for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy”
  13. Crelate crelate.com/pricing“Per user / month, paid annually” “Yes. You can start a free trial without talking to sales, and bring a sample of your own data to test the workflow you actually run.”
  14. Crelate crelate.com/support“Open RESTful API”
  15. Crelate crelate.com/security“Yes, Crelate’s ISMS is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and Crelate maintains a current SOC 2 Type II report.”
  16. Manatal manatal.com/pricing“$15/per user per month” “Open API access”
  17. Manatal manatal.com/features/compliance“Our 14-day free trial allows anyone to explore the platform without commitment”
  18. Manatal manatal.com/security“Manatal is SOC 2 Type II certified, verified by a top third-party auditor.”
  19. Greenhouse Greenhouse: Pricing plans“Greenhouse pricing is customized based on your company’s hiring needs. You choose a plan – Core, Plus or Pro – based on the level of structure, automation and governance your hiring organization requires. A Greenhouse expert can recommend the right plan and provide custom pricing based on your hiring needs.”
  20. Greenhouse greenhouse.com/api“We designed our APIs to let our customers and partners access and update data from Greenhouse.”
  21. Greenhouse greenhouse.com/security“Third-party audits – Annual audits against SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2” “ISO certifications - Certified for ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701:2019 and ISO 42001:2023”
  22. Greenhouse support.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/360000397992-Greenhouse-Recruiting-mobile-app“With the Greenhouse Recruiting mobile app, you can manage essential tasks using a simplified portal on your Android or Apple mobile device.”
  23. Greenhouse support.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/21270826058907-External-job-board-overview“Start here to customize your job board by adding your company's name, logo, description, and more.”
  24. Lever (Employ Inc.) Lever: Pricing“To get Lever pricing, you’ll need to contact Lever directly for a custom quote.” “We’re SOC 2 Type II certified and built to protect your data—so your team can work confidently, without disruption.”
  25. Lever (Employ Inc.) hire.lever.co/developer/documentation“Webhooks allow you to build or set up integrations which subscribe to certain events in Lever.”
  26. Lever (Employ Inc.) lever.co/solutions/career-site-builder“Showcase your employer brand and create a streamlined application experience for candidates with Lever's Career Site Builder.”
  27. Lever (Employ Inc.) lever.co/security“Employ's security programs and practices have been independently verified against the SOC 2 and ISO 27001 framework.”
  28. BambooHR bamboohr.com/integrations/listings/greenhouse-software“When integrated with BambooHR, Greenhouse helps recruiting and HR teams create a smoother handoff from candidate to employee by exporting key new hire information and documents into BambooHR once a candidate is hired.”
  29. Breezy HR breezy.hr/integrations“Integrate the tools you use most. From email, Slack, and your calendar to background checks, employment assessments, and HR systems, access it all right in Breezy.”
  30. JazzHR (Employ Inc.) marketplace.jazzhr.com“Greenshades”
  31. Lever (Employ Inc.) lever.co/marketplace“Indeed helps millions of job seekers and employers find the right fit for them every day.”
  32. BambooHR bamboohr.com/why-bamboohr/services“Implementation usually takes between 4–6 weeks, but the timeline can adjust based on complexity, size, and which products are being implemented. Some customers (usually those with lesser headcounts) are able to complete self set up within just a few days.”
  33. Crelate crelate.com/implementation“Most migrations complete in 2 to 6 weeks, depending on data volume, the number of source systems, and how quickly mappings are reviewed.”
  34. Bullhorn bullhorn.com/products/applicant-tracking-crm“Bullhorn is the ATS and CRM built for staffing agencies of any size, from solo recruiters to the world’s largest firms.”
  35. Greenhouse greenhouse.com/company“Greenhouse grows with you, from startup to enterprise – with the flexibility to utilize native platform tools and hundreds of pre-built integrations to build your preferred tech stack.”
  36. iCIMS icims.com/products/hiring-software/enterprise-applicant-tracking-system“Finally, an ATS made to support the needs of global enterprises”
  37. isolved isolvedhcm.com/companies/enterprise“isolved helps you unify systems, simplify compliance and elevate the employee experience with scalable technology”
  38. Workable workable.com/about“We help companies of all sizes and in any industry, from small businesses to name-brand enterprises.”
  39. law.cornell.edu 29 CFR 1602.14: Preservation of records made or kept
  40. law.cornell.edu 29 CFR 1607.4: Information on impact (Uniform Guidelines)
  41. nyc.gov NYC DCWP: Automated Employment Decision Tools
  42. dol.gov DOL Fact Sheet 43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.