10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems for Startups of 2026

1. 1

   Workable

   Recruiting software with an optional HR suite, priced by company size with a listed price for the smallest band.

   8.6overall

   Recruiting software with an optional HR suite, priced by company size with a listed price for the smallest band.

   Best forstartups of up to 20 people hiring across many roles

   Adoption data

   35,000Workable says more than 35,000 teams worldwide use its hiring software.

   Workable, Workable homepage (2026): “Trusted by 35,000+ teams worldwide”

   Workable fits the startup that needs one system for hiring and for the people it hires. The pricing page lists Standard at $299 per month, or $3,588 per year, for companies with 1 to 20 employees, and the same plan includes an HR information system, employee onboarding, time off management, time tracking and e-signatures alongside the ATS. Recruiting features on Standard include a candidate sourcing suite, unlimited active jobs subject to fair usage, a hiring plan, nine native language options and a custom report builder. Job ads go out to more than 200 job boards. Each ATS plan comes with 3,000 AI credits for the Workable Agent, which can screen and source candidates, and more credits cost from $0.10 to $0.12 each. The add-on prices matter for a small team: texting is $89 per month, video interviews $109 and assessments $59. Workable says more than 35,000 teams use it. A 15-day trial needs no credit card.

   Strengths

   • +Price for 1 to 20 employees is shown on the pricing page
   • +15-day free trial with no credit card
   • +Largest published customer count on this list, 35,000+ teams

   Limitations

   • −Texting costs $89 per month extra on Standard
   • −Video interviews ($109) and assessments ($59) are paid add-ons on Standard
   • −Price rises with each employee band above 20

   SummaryWorkable is the best ATS for most startups because it lists a $299 monthly price for 1 to 20 employees and is used by more than 35,000 teams. Startups that need heavy outbound sourcing should compare Ashby or Gem.

2. 2

   Ashby

   An all-in-one recruiting product with ATS, sourcing CRM, scheduling and analytics, priced by company size.

   8.4overall

   An all-in-one recruiting product with ATS, sourcing CRM, scheduling and analytics, priced by company size.

   Best forventure-backed startups that source engineers and want hiring analytics

   Adoption data

   2,700Crunchbase News reported in July 2025 that Ashby said its customer base had grown from about 1,300 to more than 2,700 in one year.

   Crunchbase News, AI-Powered HR Platform Ashby Raises (2025): “As a testament to its growing popularity, Ashby says it more than doubled its customer base over the past year — from about 1,300 to more than 2,700 — and saw its ARR jump by 135%.”

   Ashby sells one recruiting product rather than an ATS with separate modules. Its All-In-One Foundations plan covers companies with up to 100 employees, and the pricing calculator shows $400 per month for the 1 to 10 employee band, with bands at 11 to 25, 26 to 50, 51 to 75 and 76 to 100. Ashby lists a 10 percent discount for annual commitments and emerging market pricing. The plan comparison includes interview scheduling on a visual calendar, scheduling keywords that flag soft conflicts, imported secondary calendars and candidate experience surveys with NPS questions. SSO through SAML or OIDC costs $100 per month and extra candidate texts cost $90 per 1,000. Companies that pass 100 employees move to the Plus plan, which is quote only. Crunchbase News reported in 2025 that Ashby had grown to more than 2,700 customers, up from about 1,300 a year earlier. For a startup with a technical recruiter who sources candidates, it puts outreach and reporting next to the pipeline.

   Strengths

   • +Monthly price is shown for each size band from 1 to 100 employees
   • +ATS, CRM, scheduling and analytics in one product
   • +Emerging market pricing and a 10 percent annual discount are listed

   Limitations

   • −Entry price of $400 per month is the highest verified price on this list
   • −SSO costs $100 per month extra
   • −Customer count of about 2,700 is smaller than Workable's or Greenhouse's

   SummaryAshby is the best ATS for startups that source their own candidates because Foundations bundles ATS, CRM, scheduling and analytics from $400 per month. It ranks second because its adoption base is smaller than Workable's.

3. 3

   Greenhouse

   A structured hiring platform with interview kits, scorecards and sourcing, sold in Core, Plus and Pro plans.

   8.3overall

   A structured hiring platform with interview kits, scorecards and sourcing, sold in Core, Plus and Pro plans.

   Best forfunded startups building a structured interview process early

   Adoption data

   7,500Greenhouse says more than 7,500 companies use its hiring platform.

   Greenhouse, Greenhouse homepage (2026): “Trusted by 7,500+ companies and millions of job seekers worldwide”

   Greenhouse is built around structured hiring: the same interview kit and scorecard for every candidate on a role. The pricing page splits it into three plans. Core is aimed at teams establishing a consistent process and includes sourcing and CRM, structured interview kits and scorecards, an AI Notetaker, scheduling, reporting and analytics, SSO and Real Talent talent matching. Plus adds AI-powered report filters, a business intelligence connector, sourcing automation, texting and fraud and spam detection. Pro adds unlimited CRM events, audit logs and a developer sandbox. No plan has a published price, so a startup must book a demo to get a number, which is why its value score is the lowest of the top three. On adoption it is strong: Greenhouse says more than 7,500 companies use it, and Jobscan found it in 19.0 percent of more than 13,000 companies where it could detect an ATS, the highest share in that study. It suits funded startups that want interview discipline from the first hire.

   Strengths

   • +SSO is part of the entry Core plan
   • +Most common ATS in Jobscan's study of more than 13,000 companies, at 19.0 percent
   • +Core already includes sourcing, CRM, reporting and an AI notetaker

   Limitations

   • −No price is published; every plan needs a demo
   • −No free trial is listed
   • −Texting and the BI connector start on the Plus plan

   SummaryGreenhouse is the best choice for startups that want structured interviews from day one because Core includes interview kits, scorecards and SSO. Its quote-only pricing keeps it behind Workable and Ashby on value.

4. 4

   Gem

   An AI-first recruiting platform that works on top of an existing ATS or as an all-in-one system with its own ATS.

   8.2overall

   An AI-first recruiting platform that works on top of an existing ATS or as an all-in-one system with its own ATS.

   Best forstartups under 30 employees that want a full platform free at first

   Adoption data

   1,200Gem says more than 1,200 talent acquisition teams use its platform.

   Gem, Gem homepage (2026): “Trusted by 1,200+ talent acquisition teams”

   Gem started as a sourcing and CRM tool and now sells two products: Gem plus your ATS, which layers sourcing, outreach, scheduling and analytics on an existing system, and Gem All-in-One, which adds a built-in ATS. Both are custom priced by FTE count, but the pricing page has a separate Startup Program. Companies under 30 employees get All-in-One free for six months and then 50 percent off a paid plan, and companies with 30 to 100 employees get reduced rates without a sales call. The startup calculator shows $130 per month for 1 to 10 employees on a yearly term, next to a $270 list figure. The ATS includes requisitions, posting to 100+ job boards, scorecards, offer management and candidate SLAs. Sourcing covers 800M+ profiles with AI agents on AI-Powered seats, plus unlimited email-finding and multi-channel sequences on Standard seats. Gem says 1,200+ talent acquisition teams use it, a smaller published base than Workable's or Greenhouse's.

   Strengths

   • +Companies under 30 employees get the All-in-One platform free for six months
   • +Startup price for 1 to 10 employees is shown without a sales call
   • +Can run on top of another ATS or replace it

   Limitations

   • −Standard pricing outside the Startup Program is custom, based on FTE count
   • −AI features need an AI-Powered seat rather than a Standard seat
   • −Smallest published customer count among the top five, 1,200+ teams

   SummaryGem is the best choice for startups under 30 employees because they get the All-in-One platform free for six months and then 50 percent off. Its smaller published customer base keeps it fourth.

5. 5

   Breezy HR

   A flat-priced ATS with unlimited users and positions on every paid plan.

   8.1overall

   A flat-priced ATS with unlimited users and positions on every paid plan.

   Best forsmall teams hiring regularly that want unlimited users at a flat price

   Adoption data

   17,000Breezy HR says more than 17,000 companies use it to hire.

   Breezy HR, Breezy HR Pricing (2026): “Breezy is built for growing and midsize companies, and more than 17,000 companies use it to hire.”

   Breezy HR names its entry plan Startup and prices it for small teams that hire regularly: $157 per month billed annually or $189 billed monthly, with unlimited users and unlimited positions. That flat price matters when founders and hiring managers all need logins. The Startup plan includes a branded, mobile-friendly career and referral site on a custom domain, candidate questionnaires that screen applicants, bulk candidate actions, stage-based automations that send messages or schedule interviews, a customizable pipeline and background screening integrations. Growth, at $273 per month annually, adds automated reference checking, and Business at $439 targets high-volume hiring. AI evaluation through Breezy Intelligence is sold as credits from $30 per 100,000, and SMS and onboarding are separate add-ons. Breezy has no free plan but offers a 14-day trial of every feature with no credit card. The company says more than 17,000 companies use it to hire.

   Strengths

   • +Flat price does not rise with recruiter seats
   • +Annual billing includes 2 months free
   • +14-day trial of every feature without a credit card

   Limitations

   • −No free plan
   • −Breezy Intelligence AI credits are bought separately, from $30 per 100,000
   • −Automated reference checking starts on Growth at $273 per month

   SummaryBreezy HR is the best choice for startups that want every teammate in the ATS because its $157 Startup plan includes unlimited users and positions. Its AI and texting cost extra.

6. 6

   Manatal

   A per-seat ATS with AI candidate recommendations, used by companies and recruitment agencies.

   8.0overall

   A per-seat ATS with AI candidate recommendations, used by companies and recruitment agencies.

   Best forstartups with one or two recruiters paying per seat

   Adoption data

   10,000Manatal says it works with more than 10,000 companies and has reached over 135 countries.

   Manatal, About Manatal (2026): “Since inception, Manatal has reached over 135 countries and partners with over 10,000+ companies.”

   Manatal is the per-seat option for a startup whose hiring is run by one person. The Professional plan costs $15 per user per month billed annually, or $19 monthly, and covers up to 15 jobs and 10,000 candidates with unlimited hiring managers, so interviewers do not add to the bill. A startup with one recruiter pays $180 a year on that plan, the lowest verified entry cost on this list. Features include posting to free and premium job channels, bulk resume upload and creating candidates by forwarding emails. Enterprise, at $35 per user, removes job and candidate caps and adds workflow automation, and Enterprise Plus, at $55, adds an advanced report builder, LLM integrations and the open API. Manatal says it partners with more than 10,000 companies in over 135 countries, and many of them are recruitment agencies, so some features lean toward agency work. A 14-day trial needs no card.

   Strengths

   • +Lowest verified per-seat price on this list, $15 per user per month
   • +Hiring managers do not need paid seats
   • +14-day free trial with no card

   Limitations

   • −Professional caps active jobs at 15
   • −Workflow automation starts on Enterprise at $35 per user
   • −Open API needs Enterprise Plus at $55 per user

   SummaryManatal is the best budget ATS for startups with one or two recruiters because Professional costs $15 per user per month with unlimited hiring managers. Startups with more than 15 open roles should price the $35 Enterprise plan.

7. 7

   Lever

   An ATS and CRM in one platform from Employ, priced by custom quote.

   7.8overall

   An ATS and CRM in one platform from Employ, priced by custom quote.

   Best forstartups that nurture candidate pipelines over months

   Adoption data

   15.6%Jobscan found Lever in 15.6 percent of more than 13,000 companies where it detected an applicant tracking system.

   Jobscan, Fortune 500 use applicant tracking systems (2026): “15.6% of analyzed companies use Lever”

   Lever, part of Employ alongside JazzHR and Jobvite, combines an ATS and a CRM in one platform so a startup can keep in touch with candidates it is not ready to hire yet. The pricing page lists the core platform as ATS and CRM, out-of-the-box dashboards with customizable reports, AI-powered screening and matching, unlimited AI interview transcripts and summaries, and AI fraud prevention signals. Add-ons include Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ for high application volume and an onboarding module. Lever says its pricing scales with team size and hiring needs, and every price is a custom quote, so a startup cannot compare it on cost before a sales call. On adoption, Jobscan found Lever in 15.6 percent of more than 13,000 companies where it detected an ATS, third after Greenhouse and Workday. It fits a startup that hires the same kinds of roles repeatedly and wants to nurture a talent pool, but the quote process is slower than self-serve options.

   Strengths

   • +CRM for nurturing candidates is built in, not a separate product
   • +Unlimited AI interview transcripts are part of the core platform
   • +Third most common ATS in Jobscan's study, at 15.6 percent

   Limitations

   • −No published prices; every plan is a custom quote
   • −Onboarding is a separate add-on
   • −No free trial is listed

   SummaryLever is the best choice for startups that nurture talent pools because its core platform combines ATS and CRM with unlimited AI interview transcripts. Its quote-only pricing ranks it below self-serve tools for early teams.

8. 8

   Teamtailor

   An all-in-one recruitment platform with career sites, employer branding and candidate CRM, priced by quote.

   7.8overall

   An all-in-one recruitment platform with career sites, employer branding and candidate CRM, priced by quote.

   Best forstartups competing for candidates on employer brand

   Adoption data

   13,000Teamtailor says more than 13,000 companies worldwide use its recruitment software.

   Teamtailor, Teamtailor Pricing (2026): “Companies worldwide 13,000+”

   Teamtailor sells one package by quote rather than tiers on a price list. Its pricing page says every customer gets unlimited job postings and unlimited users, support for all users, more than 250 features and integration with existing HR tools. Included features cover Teamtailor AI with unlimited usage, automated triggers and workflows, structured interviews and evaluations, smart scheduling, advanced analytics and custom reports, talent pools and a candidate CRM, internal mobility and referrals, career sites and employer branding, candidate NPS surveys, SSO and user provisioning, and 550+ integrations with an open API. Requisitions and approval flows, plus multi-brand management, are marked Premium. The career site tools are the reason a startup might choose it: a young company with little name recognition can build a branded jobs page that looks like its own product. Teamtailor says more than 13,000 companies use it. Without a public price, a startup cannot compare it with Workable or Breezy HR before a sales call.

   Strengths

   • +Unlimited users and job postings in every quote
   • +SSO and user provisioning are included
   • +13,000+ companies, the third largest published count on this list

   Limitations

   • −No price on the website; a quote is required
   • −No free trial is listed
   • −Requisitions, approval flows and multi-brand management are Premium features

   SummaryTeamtailor is the best choice for startups that hire on employer brand because career sites, candidate CRM and AI are included for unlimited users. Quote-only pricing keeps its value score low.

9. 9

   Tellent Recruitee

   A collaborative hiring ATS from Tellent with a Start plan for early-stage teams.

   7.4overall

   A collaborative hiring ATS from Tellent with a Start plan for early-stage teams.

   Best forEuropean startups that want a dedicated early-stage plan

   Adoption data

   7,000Tellent Recruitee says it has served more than 7,000 companies in more than 120 countries.

   Tellent, Tellent Recruitee homepage (2026): “7,000+ Companies served”

   Tellent Recruitee, formerly sold as Recruitee, offers three plans and names the first one for startups: Start is described as being for early-stage teams building their hiring foundation. It includes 5 active job posts that publish to a branded careers site, and CareersHub, a single-page, no-code careers site. Advance, for growing teams, removes the job post limit, adds a multi-page multilingual careers site on a branded URL, referrals and hiring insights. Optimize adds SSO, onboarding support and a dedicated customer success manager. Texting, WhatsApp hiring, requisition approvals and the Tellent HR HRIS are add-ons. Tellent says more than 7,000 companies in more than 120 countries have used Recruitee. Plan prices did not appear in US dollars on the page as fetched for this list, so the price is pending and value is scored conservatively. A free trial without a credit card is available, which lets a startup test the Start plan before talking to sales.

   Strengths

   • +Has a plan designed for early-stage teams
   • +Free trial with no credit card
   • +Can extend into the Tellent HR suite later

   Limitations

   • −Prices were not shown in US dollars when checked
   • −Start plan allows only 5 active job posts
   • −SSO starts on the top Optimize plan

   SummaryTellent Recruitee is a good fit for European startups because its Start plan is built for early-stage teams with 5 active jobs and a no-code careers site. Startups with more open roles will need Advance.

10. 10

    JazzHR

    A low-cost ATS for small businesses from Employ, billed per year with flat plan prices.

    7.3overall

    A low-cost ATS for small businesses from Employ, billed per year with flat plan prices.

    Best forbootstrapped startups with a few open roles

    JazzHR is the cheapest flat-priced ATS on this list for a startup with a few roles open at a time. Hero costs $1,000 per year billed annually and includes the applicant tracking system, email message templates, the LinkedIn Recruiter integration and premium job listings, with job postings starting at 3 per month. Plus, at $3,480 per year, raises the limit to up to 200 active jobs and adds AI-powered candidate matching, structured interviews and assessments, task automation and standard reporting. Pro, at $5,508 per year, adds offers and eSignatures, advanced visual reporting and a custom report builder. JazzHR says it integrates with over a dozen free job boards. Its standard pricing does not apply to organizations with more than 250 employees, staffing agencies and some other businesses. JazzHR does not publish a customer count we could cite, so its adoption score is conservative, which pulls it to last place despite the low price.

    Strengths

    • +Lowest flat annual price on this list, $1,000 per year
    • +Posting to more than a dozen free job boards
    • +Monthly billing option alongside annual

    Limitations

    • −Standard pricing excludes organizations with more than 250 employees
    • −Offers and eSignatures need the $5,508 Pro plan
    • −No citable customer count published, so adoption is scored low

    SummaryJazzHR is the best choice for bootstrapped startups because its Hero plan costs $1,000 per year for a full ATS with LinkedIn Recruiter integration. Startups that need offers and eSignatures should price Pro.

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