30 Best Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) of 2025: Reviewed & Compared
10 Best Applicant Tracking Systems Shortlist
Here’s my shortlist of the 10 best applicant tracking systems out of the 30 ATS tools I reviewed:
Get free help from our HR software advisors to find your match.
ATSs are crucial tools in the hiring tool belt and choosing the right one is an important decision.
It's worth taking the time to put in the research and land on a solution that addresses your current needs with an eye on the future.
As someone who's navigated the complexities of recruitment firsthand, I understand your challenges and how these tools can help solve them.
Use this article to help you find your perfect ATS match by easily comparing features, pricing and USPs. I've also included tips and guidance for narrowing down your selection.
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Best Applicant Tracking Systems: Pricing Comparison Chart
This ATS comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top applicant tracking systems to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for sourcing many qualified candidates | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 2 | Best for in-house talent acquisition teams | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 3 | Best for automated offers and analytics | 7-day free trial | From $6.19/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 4 | Best for ease of use | 15-day free trial + free demo | From $169/month, with up to 20 seats | Website | |
| 5 | Best for combined ATS and CRM | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 6 | Best for staffing agencies | 15-day free trial + free plan available | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 7 | Best for AI recruitment and candidate sourcing | 14-day free trial | From $15/user/month | Website | |
| 8 | Best for small businesses | 7-day free trial | From $89/month | Website | |
| 9 | Best for pre-built pipeline templates | Free demo available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 10 | Best for its free plan | Free trial available | From $4.99/month (billed annually) | Website |
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Rippling
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Guru
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Absorb LMS
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Best Applicant Tracking System Reviews
Below are my detailed reviews of each applicant tracking system that made it into my top 10 list, including notes on why I picked them. Each review offers a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases for each ATS system to help you find the best option for you.
Greenhouse is a comprehensive ATS that helps you reach, classify, and nurture talent. You can use it to build a robust candidate pipeline and find the best candidates for each available position.
Why I picked Greenhouse: You can easily post on over 1,000 job boards through the software, including both niche sites and major job marketplaces. This helps you reach a large pool of candidates from the outset and you can be confident in where you decide to post because the platform makes recommendations based on historical and industry performance.
The software stores data for all of your candidates (compliantly of course) which you can use to automate personalized outreach and engagement messages at scale. When the applications stack up, you can screen and evaluate candidates anonymously and with pre-defined scorecards, helping you reduce unconscious bias in your hiring process and ensures a fair shot for all applicants.
Greenhouse Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature that really sets Greenhouse apart is its structured hiring capabilities. Their structured hiring workflow is designed to create a consistent and equitable interviewing experience by determining the requirements, experience, and attributes a successful candidate must have for an open role before the job is posted.
By setting these parameters up in advance, Greenhouse creates a scoring rubric you can use to assess all your candidates consistently and fairly. This process also ensures role requirements are linked to business decisions, and that hiring decisions are based firmly on data and not other potentially biased candidate details.
Other key features in Greenhouse's applicant tracking system include team collaboration tools, an internal job board to promote internal mobility, multichannel candidate sourcing, onboarding features to create a positive candidate experience, automated task management, core reports, and a mobile app.
Integrations include over 400+ applications, including Broadbean, Canditech, Calendly, Checkr, Cord, DocuSign, Dropbox, FlexJobs, GoodTime, Google Meet, Indeed, Microsoft Teams, Namely, Paradox, Seek, and many others. Greenhouse also has a Harvest API to support additional custom integrations as well.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- "Essential" (basic) plan offers good value for small businesses
- Tools to mitigate unconscious bias
- Ability to cast a wide net for all roles
Cons:
- Pricing details are not transparent
- BI tools only included in top-tier paid plan
Pinpoint's ATS software is a fast and flexible ATS with plenty of options to add new features as you need them.
Why I picked Pinpoint: Pinpoint is extremely powerful yet easy-to-use with an intuitive design and straightforward user experience. Recruiters and hiring managers can be onboarded and get up and running quickly, with additional customer support always available from their customer success team.
Pinpoint has core ATS and talent CRM features such as job board multiposting and social media advertising, unlimited customizable workflows, automated interview scheduling, and employee onboarding. Data protection and security features include single sign-on, two-factor authentication, and tools to help manage compliance with local regulations like the GDPR/CCPA.
Pinpoint Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features that make Pinpoint unique include blind screening to help reduce unconscious bias, candidate scorecards for gathering fast and objective hiring manager feedback, and a suite of reporting tools including a custom report builder. They also offer access for an unlimited number of users, since their software isn't priced per user, leading to a greater ROI for large-scale in-house recruiting teams.
Integrations are available natively with hundreds of other platforms, including ADP, BambooHR, Canditech, Certn, CodeSubmit, DocuSign, JotForm, Google Meet, Gusto, Microsoft Teams, Namely, Rippling, Sage People, SAP, UKG Pro, Workday, Zoom, and many others. In addition, their Zapier integration supports integration with over 3,000 other tools.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful automation and careful design for ease-of-use
- Focus on employer brand and candidate experience
- Exceptional customer success and support
Cons:
- Some features only available in the Enterprise tier
- Not suitable for most recruitment agencies due to lack of client management features
BambooHR is a well-known HR solution that offers core HR modules designed for small and medium businesses. Their software includes modules for hiring and onboarding, time off and benefits, HR data and reporting, and employee experience.
Why I picked BambooHR: Efficiency and speed are two core elements of BambooHR’s applicant tracking system, which includes time-saving features like sending multiple email template responses at once, and branded digital offer letters that auto-populate candidate and job details. To improve the candidate experience, electronic signatures also make it fast and easy to accept a new position.
Automated reminders also ensure hiring managers communicate with applicants in a timely fashion, ensuring they feel acknowledged and informed throughout the hiring process.
BambooHR Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include automated emails, automated disqualifying questions, detailed candidate records, candidate keyword search, email and offer letter templates, connections with job boards, job pipelines, talent pools, and a full-feature mobile app so you can stay in touch with candidates from anywhere.
To help with your overall recruitment process, BambooHR also includes a useful birds-eye-view of applicant information. Their Applicant Sources Report parses out your candidate data to show you where your applicants are coming from, helping you focus your resources on what’s working the best, or address any shortcomings directly.
In addition, their Applicant Funnel Report digs deeper into your recruitment timeline to pinpoint the slower portions of your process so you can look at ways to speed up those steps.
Integrations are available 60+ common HR software solutions including job posting boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter, as well as social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offer letters with e-signature signing capabilities
- User-friendly interface, including on mobile apps
- ATS is connected to onboarding tools for hired candidates
Cons:
- Not a recruiting-first system
- Limited customization options
Workable is a recruitment software designed to simplify the hiring process for businesses of all sizes. Their ATS tool offers features that cover every aspect of recruitment, from posting jobs to tracking applicants and managing interviews.
Why I picked Workable: One of the reasons Workable stands out is its ease of use. The platform’s intuitive design ensures that even those with minimal technical expertise can navigate and utilize its features. Additionally, Workable’s robust job posting capabilities allow users to distribute job listings across hundreds of job boards and social media channels with a few clicks, attracting a diverse range of applicants.
Workable also has a comprehensive ATS that helps the recruitment process by organizing applications in a centralized dashboard, where recruiters can easily track candidate progress and status. Advanced features like resume parsing, candidate scoring, and automated workflows reduce administrative burdens and help recruiters focus on engaging with the most promising candidates
Workable Standout Features & Integrations:
Standout features include collaborative hiring tools for better team communication and shared evaluations, customizable templates for job descriptions and emails, and reporting and analytics tools for actionable insights into recruitment metrics. Furthermore, Workable includes an integrated video interview feature, allowing for more flexible and remote-friendly hiring processes.
Integrations include LinkedIn, Indeed, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Outlook, Zapier, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Zoom, Asana, Trello, DocuSign, G Suite, Office 365, Monster, Facebook, Twitter, and Glassdoor.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Reports and analytics for the recruitment process
- Automation features for recruitment tasks
- Easy to navigate, intuitive user interface
Cons:
- Initial setup can be complex, especially with data migration
- Some limits to customization
Tracker is a recruitment and staffing software that acts as a combined ATS and CRM (candidate and/or client relationship management) system. The tool is designed to help staffing and recruiting firms manage and optimize their candidate, client, marketing, and operational processes.
Why I picked Tracker: I selected Tracker because of its dual purpose as an ATS and CRM system, plus several unique features that make it a great choice for any organization with a heavy customer relations focus. This includes their back office functions that help with client onboarding, assignment management, and accounting, as well as their integrated vendor management system (VMS) that helps teams proactively source talent 24/7 thanks to their rules-based parsing engine and auto-match technology.
Tracker Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature that can save a lot of time is their AI-based candidate ranking feature. This feature uses machine learning to monitor candidate engagement and combines these details with existing candidate data already in Tracker from previous applications. By combining these data sources, their AI agent helps to rank candidates and present the best fits for your open positions using this proprietary ranking methodology.
Other key features worth noting include tools for sourcing candidates, nurturing and matching applicants, 1-way and 2-way video interviewing, a built-in team TrackerChat app, and a full-featured mobile app, plus tools for marketing vacant positions. You can also set up custom candidate portals, dashboards, workflows, and reports easily thanks to their user-friendly interface. Plus, Tracker also offers tools like resume parsing to remove resume formatting and help eliminate manual data entry.
Integrations include a wide variety of job boards, as well as third-party tools like Outlook, Gmail, Google Chrome, LinkedIn, Office 365, and QuickBooks through their RESTFul API. You can also connect Tracker to 30+ other software solutions using their Zapier API integration.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Highly regarded local support and success team
- Ability to customize views, fields, workflows, and more
- Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- No built-in payroll, but integration with QuickBooks and others
- No background check integration
Zoho Recruit is an applicant tracking system designed for recruiters and corporate hiring teams. The tool helps teams hire a workforce that is in sync with the changing talent demand, as well as hire more qualified candidates.
Why I picked Zoho Recruit: Zoho Recruit’s applicant tracking system caters to multiple hurdles faced by recruiters. The tool offers solutions for both in-house recruiters and staffing agencies, and helps users source, track, and hire the best candidates, without any juggling required across different media.
Zoho Recruit Standout Features & Integrations:
Features include the ability to post jobs to multiple job boards, and tools to automate and manage candidates, clients, & contacts so your team can spend less time on mundane processes. Users can also make use of customizations and automations for tasks like sending emails, updating interview status, and more. Zoho Recruit also provides reports and analytics for hiring strategies, plus 24/5 customer support.
Zoho Recruit integrates natively with other Zoho products such as Zoho Analytics, Zoho CRM and Zoho People. They also have native integrations with 30+ other tools, including Adobe Sign, Evernote, Checkr, Clickatell, DocuSign, HireRight, Mailchimp, Screen Magic, Slack, Sparkhire, and Verified First.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Enhances job opening visibility through candidate sourcing features
- Offers intelligent recruitment automation capabilities
- Reduces drop-off rates through continuous candidate engagement
Cons:
- Client and vendor portal access only available in the enterprise edition
- Mobile app does not allow users to manage hiring process on mobile
- Various features can be overwhelming
Manatal is a leading applicant tracking and recruitment software solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other unique and innovative features. The software helps in streamlining all recruitment operations from sourcing to onboarding, and is currently used by organizations in over 90 countries worldwide.
Why I picked Manatal: Their interface is both practical and intuitive, and as a result, little to no training is required and teams can quickly start leveraging its tools. Manatal also includes a complete CRM (customer relationship management) system and an easy-to-use, customizable career page builder so users can start showcasing openings.
Manatal Standout Features & Integrations:
Features The platform includes all the standard ATS features you'd expect, such as daily recruitment processing, drag-and-drop pipelines, compliance tools (i.e., GDPR, CCPA, & PDPA), a full analytics suite, a skill bank, candidate and job history, activities management, collaboration tools, a placement management system, and all main functions that relate to applicant information and employee records.
More innovative features include things like powerful search functions, AI-based recommendations, candidate scoring, and social media recruitment (LinkedIn, Facebook, GitHub, and more). These features have proven extremely valuable in streamlining activities like candidate sourcing and screening, as well as in helping leverage large existing candidate databases.
Integrations are available through Manatal's open API and include platforms like LinkedIn, Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Built-in CRM tools
- AI-based recommendation of candidates and social media recruitment
- Intuitive user interface
Cons:
- No payroll management system
- No free plan available
AvaHR is an all-in-one applicant tracking system for small businesses designed to make the whole recruitment process a lot easier. You can use it to help you manage your job postings, sift through resumes, and keep track of applicants.
Why I picked AvaHR: I included AvaHR in this ATS list because it's got all the features you need without being overly complicated or expensive. It's also very flexible, so you can adapt it to different hiring workflows as needed. You can use automations to post to 50+ job boards at once, share job openings over social media, create custom pipelines, and communicate with candidates through text messages.
AvaHR Standout Features and Integrations
One standout feature I really love about AvaHR is its collaborative hiring tools. You can involve your whole team in the hiring process, which can really help to ensure you're making the right decisions. It also has a great candidate ranking system, which makes it easy to see at a glance who your top applicants are, while also eliminating any unconscious biases.
Other key features include resume parsing, tools for collecting employee referrals, and the ability to send digital offers to top-tier candidates, which can be signed with e-signatures. AvaHR also supports bulk actions, which can save high-volume hiring teams even more time.
Integrations are available with over 860 apps, including CRM systems like Twilio, Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive, and with work operating systems like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365. It also integrates with numerous job boards, including LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter, which allows you to post jobs to multiple platforms with just a few clicks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Suitable for small businesses or enterprise organizations with multiple locations
- Numerous software integrations available
- Well-suited for hiring trade services, hospitality, and healthcare workers
Cons:
- Could use more job board integrations compared to other systems
- Starter package has limited features
Rippling is a SaaS product that offers a comprehensive suite of HR and IT solutions, including an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It's a tool that's designed to streamline the hiring process, making it easier for businesses to find, track, and hire top talent.
Why I picked Rippling: I chose Rippling as one of the best ATS systems for recruiting because of its functionality and user-friendly interface. It's a complete HR platform that integrates with your existing tools and systems. This means you can manage everything from job postings and applicant tracking to onboarding and employee management, all in one place.
What sets Rippling apart from other tools in the market is its ability to automate a lot of the tedious tasks involved in recruiting. For example, it can automatically post job listings to multiple job boards, screen resumes for keywords, and schedule interviews. You can also use pre-built pipeline templates for the hiring process or customize your own.
Rippling Standout Features & Integrations:
Features include payroll, time and attendance, learning management, benefits, talent management, PEO, pulse surveys, and workforce analytics.
Integrations are available with 1Password, Asana, Atlassian, BrightHire, Checkr, Databricks, DocuSign, Dropbox, GitHub, Google Workspace, LinkedIn, Microsoft 365, Netsuite, Sage Intacct, Slack, Typeform, QuickBooks, Upwork, Zendesk, Zoom, and hundreds more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Plenty of automation features
- Lots of native integrations
- Unique IT management features make it standout
Cons:
- Bit of a learning curve
- No free trial available
Unnanu Hire is an applicant tracking system that helps businesses manage their recruitment process from start to finish. It's a tool that's designed to make the hiring process more efficient, and it's particularly useful for small to midsize businesses who can take advantage of their free plan (unlimited job postings).
Why I picked Unnanu Hire: I picked Unnanu Hire because it's a comprehensive tool that covers all aspects of the hiring process. It's not just about tracking applicants but also about managing job postings, scheduling interviews, video interviews, offer paperwork, and even onboarding new hires.
Unnanu Hire Standout Features & Integrations
Features include its AI-powered candidate matching capabilities and integrated video interviewing functionality. By leveraging AI algorithms, Unnanu Hire accurately analyzes job requirements and candidate profiles, optimizing the matching process and saving valuable time and effort for employers, resulting in connections with the most suitable candidates. The platform's seamless video interviewing feature empowers employers to conduct remote assessments, facilitating informed hiring decisions and enhancing the overall hiring experience, all within a unified platform.
Integrations are not currently listed on their site.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Can come with a pre-populated talent database
- Mass email response distribution
- Free plan with unlimited job postings
Cons:
- Limited customer support on lower plans
- AI evaluations cost extra
Other Applicant Tracking Systems
Here are a few more recruitment ATS tools that didn’t make the top 10 applicant tracking systems list:
- Gem
For unified recruitment pipeline views
- Freshteam
For growing businesses
- Recruitee
For automated candidate reminders
- JazzHR
For customizable recruiting solutions
- PCRecruiter
For detailed recruitment analytics
- Eddy
For those with little technical expertise
- Bullhorn
For integrations
- TalentReef
For recruiting, hiring, and onboarding
- Recooty
For resume parsing
- SAP SuccessFactors
For data analytics and reporting
- Journeyfront
For data-driven hiring practices
- Oracle Taleo
For large enterprises
- JobAdder
For built-in job posting
- iCIMS Talent Cloud
For mobile accessibility
- Avionté
For attracting quality candidates
- GoHire
For industry-specific customizations to help businesses scale
- VidCruiter
For high-volume recruiting
- Recruit CRM
For recruiting firms and enterprises
- monday.com
For creating customized workflows
- ClearCompany
For streamlined hiring automation
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Selection Criteria for Applicant Tracking Systems
My approach to choosing the best applicant tracking software is based on my personal experience managing hiring processes and extensive research into how these software systems address the needs, pain points, and goals of recruiters and hiring teams in real, day-to-day scenarios.
Core ATS Functionalities (25% of total score): For an applicant tracking system to land a place in my initial list, it needed to fulfill the following basic functionalities:
- Job posting tools to help you advertise positions across multiple platforms
- A customizable dashboard where you can track job applications for each open position
- Tools to streamline communication with candidates through automated emails and notifications
- Candidate screening tools, including side-by-side comparisons, skill-based comparisons, and resume screening to speed up candidate selection
- Interview scheduling tools to automate the booking process
- Collaboration tools to make it easier for internal teams to discuss hiring decisions as a group
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score): To help me hone in on the best applicant tracking software on the market, I also took note of any unique features, including:
- AI-driven analytics tools that offer deeper insights into the recruitment process
- Innovative candidate engagement tools like video interviewing or AI-driven chatbots for pre-screening
- Enhanced mobile applications or dedicated ATS apps that provide a full range of ATS functionalities for recruiters communicating with candidates on the go
Ease of Use (10% of total score): To evaluate the usability of each applicant tracking system, I considered the following:
- An intuitive user interface that minimizes the learning curve
- Clear and logical menu structures that lend quick access to essential features
- Visual recruiting pipelines, color-coding, or visual status flags that make it easy to digest information at a glance
- Drag-and-drop functionalities for ease of scheduling interviews and organizing candidate profiles
- Role-based access controls that are straightforward to configure
Customer Onboarding and Customer Support (10% of total score): To get a sense of each software provider's customer onboarding process and the level of customer support each vendor offered, I considered the following factors:
- Quick setup processes with clear guidelines for new users
- Comprehensive ATS training materials such as videos, templates, and interactive product tours
- Data migration support for transferring existing candidate information into the new system
- Availability of customer support during the onboarding phase to address any issues
- The availability of multiple support channels, including email, phone, and chat
- The existence of a self-service knowledge base or other self-help resources to speed up troubleshooting
- The overall quality, responsiveness, and helpfulness of the support team during customer onboarding and post-purchase, as inferred from customer reviews
- Regular updates regarding new features of system-wide changes
Value for Price (10% of total score): To gauge the value of each software, I considered the following factors:
- The availability of free trials or demos to test the software before purchasing
- Transparent pricing models that clearly explain which features are included at each level, without hidden fees
- Tiered pricing plans that cater to different business sizes, from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) up to enterprise-level organizations
- Comparable pricing to other applicant tracking system examples
Integration capability (10% of total score): Evaluating the integration capabilities of applicant tracking systems (ATS) is crucial for understanding their usability and functionality. Here are the factors I considered:
- Advanced integration capabilities with social media for a broader reach in sourcing candidates
- Seamless integration with internal HR tools such as HR Information Systems (HRIS), payroll systems, and onboarding platforms that are essential for efficient HR operations
- The system's ability to connect with external resources like recruiting platforms and job boards to enhance the recruiting reach and efficiency
- Assessing integration with advanced tools such as assessment platforms and video interviewing capabilities, which are critical for a comprehensive evaluation of applicants
- Whether the ATS system offers direct, first-party integrations or relies on third-party APIs, with a preference for systems that provide more reliable, easy, and smooth direct integration options
- A high score is given to systems that offer a wide range of robust integration options that improve overall system usability and performance
Customer Reviews (10% of total score): Evaluating customer reviews is the final element of my selection process, which helps me understand how well a product performs in the hands of real users. Here are the factors I considered:
- Whether a product has consistently high ratings across multiple review platforms, indicating a broad level of user satisfaction
- Specific praises, criticisms, or trends in customer feedback that indicate the software's strengths or areas for improvement
- Whether customer feedback specifically mentions issues with ease of use, customer support responsiveness, or lacking features
- Testimonials that highlight specific features that users found beneficial for their recruitment needs
By using this assessment framework, I was able to identify applicant tracking systems that go beyond basic requirements to offer additional value through unique features, intuitive usability, smooth onboarding, effective support, and overall value for price.
Use your ATS and sourcing tools strategically. Leverage AI to help with baseline screening, but always make room for the human touch to evaluate culture fit and adaptability.
How to Choose an Applicant Tracking System
Applicant tracking systems can help you find better candidates faster, move them through your process more efficiently, and create a better hiring experience for everyone involved.
But as you can see, there are lot of vendors to choose from. To help you figure out which applicant tracking system software is the best fit for your needs, keep the following points in mind:
What hiring challenges are you trying to solve?
Identifying your current recruiting challenges will guide you in selecting an ATS system with the features and functionalities you need to overcome them.
For example, if communicating with candidates to schedule interviews is taking too much time, then calendar integrations and interviewing scheduling features will be lifesavers.
Who will be using it?
When choosing an ATS, consider how many users can access the system and whether pricing is based on per-user, per-job, or flat-rate models.
Look for role-and/or location-based permissions that allow different access levels for recruiters, hiring managers, and external collaborators while ensuring compliance with data security.
What software integrations do you need?
Look for an ATS system that offers direct integrations with the key systems you're already using, including your HR management systems or onboarding software.
If you're using separate tools for resume screening or background checks, can you replace multiple tools with one consolidated recruiting ATS platform?
Can the ATS scale with you?
Consider your long-term hiring needs and look for an ATS with flexible plans that allow for expansion as your business scales.
If you plan to hire globally, the ATS should support multi-country compliance, language localization, and international job postings.
How would the new ATS fit into your existing workflows?
Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and any problem areas that need to be addressed.
Remember, every business is different—don’t assume that a system will work for your organization just because it's a popular ATS.
Instead, focus on your specific challenges, user needs, and technical requirements to find the best fit for you.
Trends in Applicant Tracking Systems for 2025
The race for top talent is fast-paced, and recruitment software is evolving just as quickly. Here are several key trends shaping applicant tracking systems to meet the needs of modern recruiters.
Most Important Evolving Features
AI-driven screening and skill matching
Managing large volumes of applications efficiently is a major challenge for many recruiters.
AI integration into ATS software is streamlining this process by using machine learning to quickly scan resumes and identify candidates with the best skill matches for your job requirements.
This significantly speeds up screening and adopts a skills-first approach, reducing potential hiring biases. AI also helps automate tasks like writing job descriptions and creating email templates, cutting down time-to-hire.
If this resonates with you, check out our best AI recruiting software for some cherry-picked options.
Always check the source of the data feeding your AI. If it’s biased, the outcomes will be biased too. Transparency about algorithms and their impacts is essential to building trust in HR processes like recruitment.
Hiring Bias Reduction Tools
As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continue to grow in importance, many ATS tools are adding features to reduce unconscious bias.
These tools can anonymize applications by removing personal details like names, gender, age, and ethnicity, allowing recruiters to focus solely on skills and qualifications, fostering a more equitable hiring process.
Want to learn more? Explore tips for identifying and tackling bias in hiring.
Mobile accessibility and optimization
With mobile usage continuing to rise, ATS systems are increasingly optimized for mobile recruiting.
According to Appcast's 2022 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report, 67% of job applications are now completed on mobile devices. Key mobile-friendly features include:
- Mobile-friendly job applications
- Career pages with SMS alerts or notifications for new postings
- Applications via text
- Texting candidates directly from your ATS
- Dedicated mobile ATS apps to speed up recruiting from anywhere.
Unique and Unusual Functionality
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Integrations: Some ATS companies are experimenting with VR and AR for immersive job previews and interviews, offering a novel way to engage candidates and provide a realistic job preview.
- Blockchain for Candidate Verification: The use of blockchain technology for verifying candidate credentials and work history is emerging as a novel application, ensuring authenticity and transparency in the recruitment process.
What Is An Applicant Tracking System?
Applicant tracking systems are a type of HR software that helps you organize all aspects of your recruiting process, from sourcing candidates to comparing their skill sets to making them an offer.
The main aim is to help make your hiring process more efficient by reducing manual work and improving your time-to-hire.
Applicant tracking systems can also improve the quality of your hires and support better data-driven decision-making due to their advanced filtering and screening capabilities.
They're designed for both professional recruiters and in-house talent acquisition specialists.
Features of Applicant Tracking Systems
As you might have noticed, no two systems are quite the same with each vendor focusing on slightly different aspects of hiring or taking a unique approach to something standard like applicant tracking.
That being said, here are the most important ATS features to look for:
- Candidate tracking: The bread and butter! I'm a personal fan of the Kanban style, drag and drop interface to help you easily visualize which stagecandidates are at.
- Job posting and distribution: This refers to tools that automatically post job openings to multiple job boards and social media platforms, increasing the visibility of your job postings, and attracting a larger and more diverse candidate pool.
- Talent pools: A talent pool is a feature that lets you build a pool of potential candidates for each position, or future positions.
- Collaboration tools: To make team-based hiring easier, applicant tracking systems include collaboration tools such as comments, tags, and feedback tools. This fosters a collaborative hiring environment, ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered during the decision-making process.
- Customizable automations and workflows: More advanced ATSs allow you to set up workflow automations to take care of menial tasks like sending out interview reminders, following up on references, or sending bulk rejection emails.
- Candidate screening tools: This refers to incorporated ATS tools to assess candidates on specific skills resume parsing, skill assessments, or other ranking tools. This helps to compare qualified candidates side-by-side before deciding who should advance.
- Analytics and reporting tools: Built-in recruitment analytics tools can help you gain deeper insights into your hiring process to make better data-driven decisions to improve it.
- Mobile accessibility: This is an important feature because 89% of job seekers use their mobile devices to apply for jobs. Top ATS systems offer mobile accessibility through a mobile-friendly interface or a dedicated mobile app to increase the speed and convenience of communications, ensuring that the recruitment process keeps moving forward, even on the go.
- Candidate relationship management: CRM features sit on top of your candidate database and include automated job alerts to help keep potential candidates updated on new roles and relevant development.
- Software integrations: The best ATS software should offer integrations with human resources information systems (HRIS), email providers, and digital calendars, improving productivity and transparency for team-based hiring.
Strong ATS tools should track metrics like offer acceptance rates, scorecard completion rates, and salary averages to provide actionable insights.
Benefits of Applicant Tracking Systems
"Once hiring gets over a certain threshold, an ATS will help you create a more efficient hiring process and provide a better candidate experience."—Mariya Hristova, People and Operations Lead.
Depending on the size of your hiring volume, you're likely dealing with a handful of positions that you’re scouting for simultaneously, all with distinct candidate skills and requirements.
On top of that, you have candidates submitting their applications around the clock, vying for your attention and time.
Without the right tools, juggling all that information can be overwhelming. Here are the key benefits of using an applicant tracking system:
- Improved recruitment efficiency: Since an ATS automates many time consuming activities, recruiters can focus more on value add activities like providing interview feedback.
- Enhanced candidate experience: By streamlining the application process and providing timely communication, an ATS helps create a positive experience for applicants and a favorable brand perception among potential new employees.
- Increased quality of hires: With advanced filtering and matching algorithms, an ATS can help identify the most suitable candidates based on the job requirements and organizational fit. This leads to a higher quality of hires, directly impacting your company's success.
- Improved scalability: An ATS allows organizations to easily scale their recruitment efforts up or down based on their current needs without compromising the quality of the hiring process. This adaptability is crucial for businesses experiencing rapid growth or seasonal fluctuations in hiring.
- Data-driven insights: By offering detailed analytics on various aspects of the recruitment process, an ATS enables organizations to make better data-driven decisions. Insights on performance metrics and hiring trends can help in refining recruitment strategies and improving future outcomes.
In short, by automating routine tasks, enhancing the candidate experience, and providing valuable insights, the best ATS platforms not only save time and resources but also empower more informed hiring decisions.
Costs & Pricing for Applicant Tracking Systems
ATS platforms typically offer a range of plans to suit different organizational sizes and hiring needs, from free versions designed for small businesses or startups to more comprehensive, feature-rich packages for large enterprises.
Understanding these options will help you select a plan that aligns with your recruitment goals, budget, and the scale of your hiring operations.
In general, applicant tracking systems tend to cost between $10 to $100 per user, per month, though some systems do operate on a flat fee model instead. Some systems do include a one-time set-up fee too.
However, most recruiting software providers are happy to offer you a free demo or free trial so you can get a first-hand feel for their ATS system before signing up.
Pricing & Plan Comparison Table for Applicant Tracking Systems
| Plan Type | Average Per User Fee | Average Flat Fee | Common Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Basic job posting, limited candidate tracking, email notifications, and simple reporting |
| Basic | $10 to $20 per user, per month | $50 - $100/month | Enhanced job posting on multiple platforms, resume parsing, basic CRM, email integration, and basic analytics |
| Professional | $50 to $100 per user, per month | $200 - $500/month | Advanced CRM features, bulk email sending, advanced analytics, integration with HR systems, and customizable workflows |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing | Full suite of features including AI-driven analytics, dedicated support, enhanced security, and unlimited job postings |
Note that the free option typically offers a taste of the system's capabilities, making it ideal for very small businesses or those in the initial stages of scaling their operations.
As I mentioned above, when considering an ATS platform, it's important to assess not just the current size of your recruitment team but also anticipate future growth. This approach ensures that the selected plan not only meets your current needs but is also scalable to adapt to your organization's evolving requirements.
If your hiring needs are minimal, you may be able to start with a free or basic plan initially. However, there are many reasons why you may want to opt for a more advanced plan, including:
- Increased hiring volume: If your company experiences a surge in job openings, a more advanced plan can help you handle the higher volume of applicants through advanced features like AI resume screening.
- Advanced analytics: If you need deeper insights into your recruitment metrics, advanced plans provide robust analytics tools to track and optimize your hiring strategies.
- Employer branding: To help you stand out in a competitive job market, advanced plans often include recruitment marketing features that enhance your company's visibility and attractiveness to top talent.
- Integration capabilities: Basic plans often lack integration abilities, so you'll need to scale up to unlock this feature. Advanced plans generally offer seamless integration with other HR tools and systems, allowing for a unified workflow.
Ultimately, it's important to secure a plan that offers the features you require to satisfy your current needs and solve your challenges without exceeding your budget.
New & Noteworthy Product Updates
Below, I've summarized the most recent release notes and product updates for my top ATS recommendations.
Discover what’s now possible through new feature releases, improvements, and updates for web, desktop, and mobile apps. Learn what’s new, if it’s hot—or not, and why it matters for recruiting.
2025 Q1 ATS Software Product Updates
Workable
So far this year, Workable has introduced a raft of new hiring-focused updates aimed at enhancing recruitment efficiency and data-driven decision-making.
For example, the scheduled report delivery feature allows users to automate the sending of saved reports to key stakeholders on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, ensuring timely dissemination of crucial recruitment metrics.
With the LinkedIn profile export enhancement, recruiters can now transfer candidate information from the LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect to Workable with a single click, streamlining the sourcing process and maintaining up-to-date candidate records.
The introduction of automatic signature dates in offer letters eliminates manual date entries by automatically recording signature dates for both candidates and company representatives, reducing errors and expediting the offer process.
Furthermore, the enhanced disqualifications report provides deeper insights into candidate drop-off points by displaying disqualifications across pipeline stages and detailing rejection reasons, enabling recruiters to refine their hiring strategies.
Lastly, the flexible candidate surveys feature allows for the distribution of surveys at any stage of the hiring process, facilitating continuous feedback collection and improving the overall candidate experience.
Verdict: Hot! These updates significantly enhance Workable's functionality, offering tools that streamline recruitment operations, improve data accuracy, and foster a more engaging candidate journey.
Greenhouse
In March 2025, Greenhouse introduced several updates designed to improve the flexibility, efficiency, and personalization of its recruiting platform.
The new features aim to streamline tasks for hiring teams and enhance the candidate experience—key areas of focus for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working to scale effectively.
Highlights include the launch of Design Studio, which allows teams to visually customize job boards without engineering help—ideal for SMEs looking to maintain brand consistency.
Report Builder now features AI-powered filter suggestions, speeding up report creation.
Sourcing Automation campaigns can now include resume-based sentence personalization, making outreach more engaging. Lastly, recruiters and coordinators can now be assigned at the application level, giving more control over workflows.
Verdict: Hot! These updates bring helpful efficiency and customization improvements, especially for smaller teams with limited technical resources. They meaningfully support more agile and branded hiring.
Manatal
In Q1 2025, Manatal introduced several enhancements to its recruitment platform focusing on integration capabilities, job management, and performance tracking
For example, The Open API search endpoints enhancement allows users to efficiently retrieve data on candidates, jobs, contacts, and organizations, facilitating seamless integration with other systems and enabling more customized workflows.
The addition of the "Planning" job status provides recruiters with the ability to categorize jobs that are in the preparatory stages, enhancing pipeline organization and strategic planning.
Lastly, the weekly account summary emails feature delivers automated reports to administrators every Monday, summarizing key recruitment activities and metrics from the previous week, aiding in performance tracking and informed decision-making.
Verdict: Hot! These updates significantly enhance Manatal's functionality, offering users improved integration, organization, and performance monitoring capabilities within their recruitment processes.
Pinpoint
In February 2025, Pinpoint introduced several enhancements aimed at streamlining the hiring process and improving collaboration.
These updates include a new Kanban-style 'Board View' for candidate tracking, AI-generated summaries of scorecard feedback, tailored notifications for Recruitment Managers, and simplified tools for agency collaboration.
The 'Board View' offers a visual representation of candidates' progression through the hiring stages, allowing users to drag and drop candidates between stages or manage multiple candidates simultaneously.
Pinpoint AI now also provides concise summaries and sentiment analysis of scorecard feedback, enabling quick assimilation of key insights.
Additionally, Recruitment Managers receive notifications pertinent to their roles, and the platform's agency collaboration features have been refined for more straightforward interaction with external partners.
These updates enhance user experience by providing intuitive tools that facilitate efficient candidate management and decision-making.
Verdict: Hot! The new updates bring useful enhancements to candidate tracking, feedback analysis, and collaboration, making recruitment more efficient.
Workable product update notes
In early 2025, Workable introduced several recruitment-focused enhancements to improve efficiency and insights in the hiring process.
These updates include automatic signature dates for offer letters, deeper analytics in the Disqualifications report, a new candidate database filter, greater flexibility in sending candidate surveys, and the addition of Workable Assistant, an AI-powered recruiter support tool.
The automatic signature dates feature simplifies offer management by ensuring that offer letters always reflect the correct signing date, reducing manual adjustments.
Further, enhancements to the Disqualifications report provide more granular insights into why candidates are removed from the pipeline, helping recruiters refine their hiring strategies.
Their new candidate database filter makes it easier to search and segment candidates based on specific attributes, improving sourcing efficiency.
Workable also introduced the ability to send candidate surveys at any stage of the hiring process, allowing teams to gather feedback beyond just post-interview stages.
Lastly, Workable Assistant offers real-time AI-powered guidance, surfacing best practices and recommendations to help recruiters optimize job postings and candidate interactions.
Verdict: Warm! These updates add useful automation and analytics capabilities, particularly for recruiters focused on refining their hiring processes and improving the candidate experience. While not game-changing, they contribute to a smoother, more data-driven recruitment workflow.
Greenhouse product update notes
In February 2025, Greenhouse released several updates to enhance the recruitment process, focusing on efficiency, customization, and data management.
Key updates include:
- AI-powered interview questions: Leveraging artificial intelligence, this feature generates interview questions based on job descriptions and titles, streamlining the preparation process for recruiters.
- Calculated custom fields and default options: Users can now set default values or create calculated fields using formulas in custom fields, reducing manual data entry and ensuring consistency in offer details.
- New filter options in Talent Filtering: Enhanced filtering capabilities allow recruiters to exclude candidates based on specific keywords in resumes and remove those previously rejected for a job, refining candidate searches.
- Reject candidates while closing a job: A new prompt ensures that active candidates are systematically rejected when a role is closed, maintaining data integrity and providing closure to applicants.
Verdict: Hot! These updates significantly enhance the recruitment workflow by introducing AI-driven tools, improving data accuracy, and offering greater customization, thereby streamlining processes and enhancing the candidate experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Applicant Tracking Systems
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions you may have about applicant tracking software and how it works:
How do applicant tracking systems work?
Are there different types of ATS I should consider?
Why use an applicant tracking system?
How do ATS platforms handle data privacy and security?
How customizable are ATS solutions for different industries?
What kind of customer support do ATS providers offer?
What's the difference between an ATS and a CRM?
What's the difference between an ATS and talent acquisition software?
What are the challenges and limitations of using an ATS for recruiting?
How does resume scoring work in an ATS?
Is it true that an ATS might automatically reject qualified candidates?
It’s possible that an applicant tracking system may mistakenly reject qualified candidates, but this typically happens when the system relies too heavily on automated keyword matching.
If a candidate’s resume lacks certain keywords or phrases specified in the job description, the ATS might exclude them, even if their skills and experience are a strong match.
To minimize this risk, recruiters should fine-tune their ATS settings and supplement automated processes by periodically reviewing resumes flagged for rejection.
Encouraging candidates to tailor their resumes to match the job posting’s language can also improve the accuracy of ATS filters, ensuring that top talent doesn’t slip through the cracks.
Are there tricks candidates can use to beat an ATS?
There are some strategies candidates can use to improve their chances of passing an ATS screening, often referred to as “beating the ATS.”
The most effective approach is tailoring their resume to match the job description by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases that reflect the required skills and qualifications.
Using a clean, standard resume format without complex designs, graphics, or columns also helps ensure the ATS can accurately parse the information.
While these tricks can optimize a resume for ATS screening, they work best when paired with genuine qualifications and experience.
Recruiters should be cautious of resumes that appear keyword-stuffed or overly generic, as they might signal candidates focusing more on passing the system than being a good fit for the role. A well-configured ATS can help identify resumes that balance both keyword relevance and substance.
While some keyword optimization can help, focusing solely on tricking the ATS often creates generic résumés that lack impact. A strong résumé should be tailored to the specific job description and showcase the applicant’s unique value proposition.
Other Software Reviews
As you can see, there are a lot of options to consider when it comes to the best ATS systems to source candidates for your open positions.
And, the fact that 98.9% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS is also a strong indication of just how important these software systems are.
However, your journey doesn't have to stop here. If you're looking for a different type of application tracking system or specialty recruiting software, please take a look at these other lists too:
- Cloud Recruitment Software for Hiring Teams
- Enterprise Recruitment Software for High Volume Hiring
- Recruitment Automating Software for Hiring
- Recruiting Database Software for Hiring Teams
- Recruitment Software for Small Businesses
- Recruiting Agency Software for Recruitment Firms
- Video Interviewing Software for Virtual Interviews
- Background Check Software
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