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Recruiting and human resources (HR) teams can use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help make the hiring process more efficient. Instead of teams taking up a lot of time completing manual tasks, an ATS offers the opportunity to automate much of it by managing communications, job postings and applications in one place.

We evaluated over 50 ATSs. The best ones offered transparent pricing, integrations with third-party job boards, streamlined communication tools and integrated reports.

Best applicant tracking systems

Why trust our small business experts

Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

  • 25 companies reviewed.
  • 55 products reviewed.
  • 2,336 data points analyzed.

Best applicant tracking system comparison

WORKS WITH THIRD-PARTY JOB BOARDSCANDIDATE RECRUITING TOOLSBACKGROUND CHECK SOFTWAREINTEGRATED REPORTS AND ANALYTICS
Manatal
$19 per user
15
No
Yes
Workable
$149
2
Yes
Yes
RecruitCRM
$100 per user
Unlimited
No
Yes
Zoho Recruit
$0 per user
1
No
Yes
HiringThing
$73
5
Yes
Yes
Ceipal
$4 per user
N/A
No
Yes
JazzHR
$49 (billed annually)
3
No
Yes
100Hires
$99
3
No
Yes
iCIMS
N/A
N/A
No
Yes
PCRecruiter
$85 per user
N/A
N/A
Yes

Methodology

We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.

We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best applicant tracking systems.

The best applicant tracking systems have positive user reviews on customer review sites and app stores. Applicant tracking system companies should provide customers with fast and reliable support. Using a combination of phone support, live chat and knowledge bases, customers should be able to quickly resolve issues 24/7.

Applicant tracking systems should allow companies to integrate with job boards as well as allow job postings to be syndicated across multiple job boards. The software should have the ability to crawl resumes for keywords, include interview scheduling tools and allow recruiters to set up email or SMS templates to quickly communicate with candidates.

Applicant tracking systems should also include integrated reports and analytics, skill assessment options that can be sent to potential candidates and document management features. It can also have a mobile app and templates used for user customization.

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS) and how does it work?

An ATS is software used to help with tracking and managing job candidates. Features typically include automated emails and SMS messages, analytics, applicant tracking tools and resume parsing. The aim of an ATS is so that HR teams and recruiters can streamline their current workflows and make the hiring process more efficient. 

Some businesses also want to ensure they remain compliant when recruiting candidates, and an ATS can help. This type of software usually won’t help you create your own online platform. Businesses and recruiters who want to appear more legitimate to potential candidates should consider using a website creation platform. 

Benefits of applicant tracking systems

An applicant tracking system can do more than just save your company time. It can also help with resume parsing, which can help you find ideal candidates quickly. It also streamlines the recruiting process and gives you access to a larger talent pool. Additional benefits of ATS include:

  • Saves time. There are many tasks that can be automated, which can help streamline work for your recruiters. Things like automatic job postings to job boards and filtering out candidates can save a lot of time.
  • Resume parsing. An applicant tracking system will allow you to enter specific keywords that will show you potential candidates who might be more qualified than others. 
  • Streamlines process. Overall, an applicant tracking system does streamline the recruiting process. Between setting up automations and utilizing integrations, the process can take a much shorter amount of time. 
  • Talent pool. An applicant tracking system allows recruiters to post to multiple job boards at once. This can help your company access a larger talent pool.  

How to choose the best applicant tracking system

Applicant tracking systems can be extremely important when it comes to hiring for open positions. Choosing the best applicant tracking system will depend on your business’ needs, but some features you might want to explore include candidate tracking and software integrations.

Key features to look for

Knowing what you want to look for in an applicant tracking system is important, as it can make a huge difference in your workflow.

Some ATS features to consider include:

  • Candidate tracking. Robust candidate tracking can help make it easier to view and select qualified candidates more quickly. This will also help you keep track of all potential clients without losing any resumes or applications. 
  • Integrations. Being able to integrate the ATS with your existing internal software will streamline your workflows. Some integrations can help with job board distribution, video interviews and pre-hire assessments. 
  • Filtering candidates. Instead of looking at all applicants, you can filter candidates to make contacting viable candidates for the next steps a more efficient process.
  • Security. Protecting your sensitive data ensures your organization remains compliant, and it won’t be susceptible to hackers. This also helps protect the data of potential clients.

UX and ease of use

You will want to choose an applicant tracking system that is easy to learn, especially if you don’t have a lot of training time available. This will help your company and employees be more efficient. It can also help you hire employees quickly. If a system has too many components, it can become confusing. 

How much does an applicant tracking system cost?

STARTING MONTHLY PLAN PRICING
Manatal
$19 per user
Workable
$149
Recruit CRM
$100 per user
Zoho Recruit
$0 per user
HiringThing
$73
Ceipal
$4 per user
JazzHR
$49 (billed annually)
100Hires
$99
iCIMS
N/A
PCRecruiter
$85 per user

There is a wide range of pricing options for applicant tracking systems, including a monthly pricing tier for all users or per-user fees. When thinking about affordability, compare whether it’s better to pay a per-user fee rather than a flat monthly fee or a monthly fee plus a per-user fee. Also, consider the long-term benefits of choosing one type of ATS over another.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Yes, there are free applicant tracking systems available. Some offer free tiers (with limited features) or a free trial for you to test out their ATS. Examples include Zoho Recruit, which has a Forever Free plan and Recruit CRM, which has an unlimited free trial.

An ATS can be worth it for small businesses, especially if your staff is already stretched thin. Integrating an ATS into your workflow can help automate manual tasks that would have taken longer to complete, thereby helping you to cut down on labor and recruiting costs.

Some benefits of applicant tracking systems include:

  • Automating tedious tasks. 
  • Selecting candidates from a large pool of applicants.
  • Remaining in compliance with any applicable laws or regulations.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Sarah Li Cain

BLUEPRINT

Sarah Li Cain is a finance and small business writer currently based in Jacksonville, Florida whose articles have been published with outlets such as Fortune, CNBC Select, the Financial Planning Association and Zillow.

Alana Rudder

BLUEPRINT

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.