Core people systems · Applicant tracking
Best applicant tracking systems: ATS options by hiring volume and process
The job: Post jobs, collect and screen applicants, coordinate interviews and feedback, and move offers to the HR system.
Short answer. For a small company hiring a few roles at a time, JazzHR and Workable get jobs posted and candidates tracked without much setup. Teams that hire continuously and care about consistent interviews choose Greenhouse for structured hiring or Ashby for an all-in-one ATS with scheduling, sourcing and analytics. Lever suits recruiting teams that nurture talent pools over time.
Headcount changes the shortlist
Posting to many job boards and a simple pipeline matter more than analytics.
Structured interviews, scheduling automation and reporting start to pay off.
Permissions, approvals, sourcing CRM and HRIS integration become requirements.
Write these requirements down first
- How many roles you hire per year, and how many people interview.
- Whether you need structured scorecards and interview kits.
- Sourcing: inbound applicants only, or outbound outreach and talent pools.
- Which HR system receives hires.
Shortlist, by situation
Structured, consistent hiring
Greenhouse
Interview kits and scorecards on every tier, with native reporting for metrics such as time to hire.
Trade-off: Quote-based and aimed at mid-market and enterprise.
All-in-one for growing teams
Ashby
ATS, scheduling, sourcing and analytics in one product, with a published entry plan for companies up to 100 employees.
Trade-off: Larger tiers and add-ons are by quote.
Recruiting teams that nurture talent
LeverTRM
Combines an ATS with a recruiting CRM for nurture campaigns and rediscovering past candidates.
Trade-off: Prices are not published.
Fast posting for small teams
Workable
Posts to many job boards in one click, with AI job descriptions and screening included in recruiting plans.
Trade-off: The full AI agent is a paid add-on.
Small teams on a budget
JazzHR
Unlimited users on every plan; unlimited open jobs from Plus.
Trade-off: The entry tier caps open jobs at three.
Coverage matrix
| Product | Recruiting | Core HR | Headcount | Pricing model | Implementation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | ● | · | 50–499, 500–4,999, 5,000+ | Quote-based | Guided onboarding |
| Ashby | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499, 500–4,999, 5,000+ | Mixed | Guided onboarding |
| LeverTRM | ● | · | 50–499, 500–4,999, 5,000+ | Quote-based | Guided onboarding |
| Workable | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499, 500–4,999 | Plan tiers | Self-serve |
| JazzHR | ● | · | 1–49, 50–499 | Plan tiers | Self-serve |
● included · ◐ higher tier · ○ add-on · ↔ via integration · · not stated in the sources we checked (not proof it is missing). Headcount is the range the vendor targets.
| Product | Strength | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | Structured hiring with interview kits and scorecards on every tier, plus native reporting. | Pricing is by quote and Greenhouse itself describes its segment as mid-market to enterprise. |
| Ashby | ATS, scheduling, sourcing and analytics in one product, with a published entry plan for companies up to 100 employees. | Larger tiers and add-ons are by quote. |
| LeverTRM | Applicant tracking and a recruiting CRM in one product for nurturing and rediscovering candidates. | Prices are not published. |
| Workable | Posting to many job boards in one click with AI job descriptions and screening included in recruiting plans. | The full AI agent is a paid add-on; pricing details differ across its pages. |
| JazzHR | Unlimited users on every plan; unlimited open jobs from the Plus tier. | The entry tier caps open jobs, and published prices vary across its pages. |
Volume decides more than features
An ATS earns its keep through volume and consistency. If you hire fewer than ten people a year, simple posting and a shared pipeline are enough. If you hire every week, interview structure, scheduling and reporting are where time is saved.
Before you choose
Run one live role through the trial, including scheduling and an offer, and check the hire lands in your HR system correctly.
Sources
| Source | Used for | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | Greenhouse: tiers | |
| Greenhouse | Greenhouse: ATS | |
| Ashby | Ashby: plans | |
| Ashby | Ashby: plan contents | |
| Lever | LeverTRM: ATS + CRM | |
| Lever | LeverTRM: pricing model | |
| Workable | Workable: plans | |
| Workable | Workable: AI agent | |
| JazzHR | JazzHR: product | |
| JazzHR | JazzHR: plan limits |
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