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
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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.
Top 10 by LeadChange Scoreof 20 compared · 7 not scored yet
Workable9.5 out of 10, High confidence
Breezy HR9.0 out of 10, High confidence
Ashby7.7 out of 10, High confidence
Recruitee (Tellent)7.2 out of 10, High confidence
Crelate7.1 out of 10, High confidence
Manatal7.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
Greenhouse6.7 out of 10, High confidence
Lever6.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
SmartRecruiters6.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
Teamtailor6.4 out of 10, Medium confidence
See all 20 rankedHighMedium confidence
Our top picks
- 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
- 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
- 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.
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

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.

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.

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.
Show all 20 products
- Recruitee (Tellent)7.2/10 · High confidenceRecruitee (Tellent) plans and prices
- Crelate7.1/10 · High confidence · Scored 8.4/10 in Recruitment CRM on its own pageCrelate pricing
- Manatal7.1/10 · Medium confidence · Scored 8.3/10 in Recruiting Software on its own pageWhat Manatal costs
- Greenhouse6.7/10 · High confidenceWhat Greenhouse costs
- Lever6.7/10 · Medium confidenceLever plans and prices
- SmartRecruiters6.7/10 · Medium confidenceWhat SmartRecruiters costs
- Teamtailor6.4/10 · Medium confidenceTeamtailor pricing
- iCIMS6.2/10 · Medium confidenceiCIMS pricing
- Jobvite6.1/10 · Medium confidenceWhat Jobvite costs
- 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
- JazzHRNot scored yet (15 of 26 facts verified)JazzHR pricing
- 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
- 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
- BullhornNot scored yet (12 of 26 facts verified) · Not scored yet in Recruiting Software on its own pageBullhorn pricing
- 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
- RecruiterflowNot scored yet (9 of 26 facts verified) · Not scored yet in Recruitment CRM on its own pageRecruiterflow pricing
- 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.
Find your fit
By industry
By company size
By need
By integration
Compare the top 8 side by side
| Product | Score | Pricing model | Free trial | API | SOC 2 Type II | Mobile apps | Career site builder | ISO 27001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Workable1,4,7–9 | 9.5 | Tiered plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android | Yes | Yes |
Breezy HR2,5 | 9.0 | Tiered plans | Yes | Yes, as an add-on | Yes: Yes (company-level, product not named) | iOS, Android | Yes | Yes |
Ashby3,6,10 | 7.7 | Tiered plans | Not verified | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Not verified |
Recruitee (Tellent)11,12 | 7.2 | Quote only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Tellent Recruitee mobile app | Yes | Stated, no certificate named |
Crelate13–15Scored 8.4/10 in Recruitment CRM on its own page | 7.1 | Per user | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android | Yes | Yes |
Manatal16–18Scored 8.3/10 in Recruiting Software on its own page | 7.1 | Per user | Yes | Yes | Yes | Progressive web app | Yes | Not verified |
Greenhouse19–23 | 6.7 | Quote only | Not verified | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android | Yes | Yes |
| 6.7 | Quote only | Not verified | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Yes |
Not verified = we have no sourced value for it yet.
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.
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.
Workflow and stage configuration
Different roles need different stages, scorecards and approvals, and rigid pipelines push work back to spreadsheets.
Job distribution and sourcing
Posting reach drives applicant volume, and duplicate manual posting wastes time.
Candidate experience and mobile apply
Long or non-mobile applications lose candidates, especially for hourly roles.
Collaboration and scheduling
Hiring managers need to review candidates and book interviews without email chains.
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.
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.
Popular comparisons
Popular alternatives
Integrations for applicant tracking systems
Apps with documented integrations across the products ranked on this page.
Most integrated apps
- Indeed
- Checkr
- BambooHR
- HiBob
- Zapier
- ADP Workforce Now
- Gusto
Related subcategories
- Talent Acquisition Software
Suites that cover hiring end to end, from sourcing to signed offer and day one.
9 products ranked
- Recruiting Software
Hiring platforms for sourcing, screening and managing candidates.
21 products ranked
- Onboarding Software
New hire paperwork, tasks, training and first-day setup.
12 products ranked
- Background Check Services
Employment screening: criminal, employment, education and driving records.
23 products ranked
- Recruitment CRM
Talent pools and nurture campaigns for candidates you are not hiring yet.
10 products ranked
- Staffing Agency Software
Applicant tracking, placements and back office for staffing agencies.
5 products ranked
- HRIS Software
Systems of record for employee data, self-service, time off and HR workflows.
25 products ranked
- HCM Software
All-in-one suites that run HR, payroll, talent and workforce data on one platform.
14 products ranked
Learn
- GuideHow to Choose an Applicant Tracking System
A practical framework for choosing an applicant tracking system: requirements, scoring, compliance records, integrations, and vendor questions.
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
- 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”
- 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”
- 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.”
- 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”
- Learning Technologies Group (parent) ltgplc.com/trust-center“2026 SOC 2 Type II report” “ISO 27001:2022 Certificate”
- Ashby ashbyhq.com/resources/security“Ashby is SOC2 compliant and Type 2 audited annually.”
- 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.”
- Workable workable.com“Empower on-the-go managers and employees with a single, easy-to-deploy app for iOS and Android.”
- 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”
- Ashby Ashby integrations“Open API docs”
- Tellent Recruitee recruitee.com/pricing“Not ready for a demo? Start free trial”
- 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”
- 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.”
- Crelate crelate.com/support“Open RESTful API”
- 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.”
- Manatal manatal.com/pricing“$15/per user per month” “Open API access”
- Manatal manatal.com/features/compliance“Our 14-day free trial allows anyone to explore the platform without commitment”
- Manatal manatal.com/security“Manatal is SOC 2 Type II certified, verified by a top third-party auditor.”
- 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.”
- Greenhouse greenhouse.com/api“We designed our APIs to let our customers and partners access and update data from Greenhouse.”
- 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”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- Lever (Employ Inc.) hire.lever.co/developer/documentation“Webhooks allow you to build or set up integrations which subscribe to certain events in Lever.”
- 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.”
- Lever (Employ Inc.) lever.co/security“Employ's security programs and practices have been independently verified against the SOC 2 and ISO 27001 framework.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- JazzHR (Employ Inc.) marketplace.jazzhr.com“Greenshades”
- Lever (Employ Inc.) lever.co/marketplace“Indeed helps millions of job seekers and employers find the right fit for them every day.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- iCIMS icims.com/products/hiring-software/enterprise-applicant-tracking-system“Finally, an ATS made to support the needs of global enterprises”
- isolved isolvedhcm.com/companies/enterprise“isolved helps you unify systems, simplify compliance and elevate the employee experience with scalable technology”
- Workable workable.com/about“We help companies of all sizes and in any industry, from small businesses to name-brand enterprises.”
- law.cornell.edu 29 CFR 1602.14: Preservation of records made or kept
- law.cornell.edu 29 CFR 1607.4: Information on impact (Uniform Guidelines)
- nyc.gov NYC DCWP: Automated Employment Decision Tools
- dol.gov DOL Fact Sheet 43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations

