- Recruiting tools compared in one table
- Ten hiring tools with AI, A to Z
- What the ICO found when it audited AI hiring tools
- Which part of hiring needs the help?
- Rolling out AI in your hiring, one step at a time
- Hiring tool traps worth avoiding
- My plain advice for small employers hiring with AI
- Frequently asked questions
The best AI recruiting software is the one that fixes your slowest hiring step, whether that's finding candidates, screening applications, running interviews or keeping track of everyone, without collecting more candidate data than you need. Some have free plans and others offer trials. This page lists ten in no particular order, then shows what to ask vendors.
Hiring rarely goes wrong at the offer stage. It goes wrong earlier, when a good applicant sits unread for a week, an interview slot gets lost in email, or nobody can remember why a candidate was turned down. AI recruiting tools promise to help with all of that, and each one tackles a different part of the process.
This list covers ten tools in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, from applicant tracking systems with free plans to AI sourcing, interview notetaking and one-way video interviews. Each description comes from the tool's own website, re-checked today. If you only need somewhere to track applicants, my guide to tracking systems for small firms goes into that side in more detail.
Recruiting tools compared in one table
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes an ongoing free plan, usually with limits, and Trial only means a free trial or free first month with no ongoing free version.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breezy HR | Applicant tracking system | Free-forever plan with one active job | Yes |
| Hireflix | One-way video interviews | Asynchronous video screening | Trial only |
| Homerun | Hiring tool for small teams | Simple pipeline and job publishing | Trial only |
| JobScore | Applicant tracking system | ATS sized by number of open jobs | Trial only |
| Juicebox | AI candidate sourcing | AI people search and outreach templates | Yes |
| Manatal | AI recruitment software | AI recruitment for agencies and in-house teams | Trial only |
| Metaview | AI notetaker and sourcing | Finding people and taking interview notes | Yes |
| Recruitee | Collaborative hiring platform | Collaborative hiring for growing teams | Trial only |
| Workable | Recruiting platform with AI agent | Full platform plus an AI agent | Trial only |
| Zoho Recruit | Applicant tracking system | Free plan with basic recruitment features | Yes |
Ten hiring tools with AI, A to Z
Breezy HR
Best for: Small teams starting out, with a free-forever plan that supports unlimited users and one active job or pool at a time.
Hireflix
Best for: Employers and agencies that want to screen candidates with one-way video interviews, with unlimited seats and a free first month.
Homerun
Best for: Small teams that want a simple way to organise hiring, publish jobs and manage candidates, with a 15-day free trial and no card.
JobScore
Best for: Aimed at HR professionals and hiring managers who want an applicant tracking system sized by number of open jobs, with a 30-day free trial.
Juicebox
Best for: Recruiters who want AI-powered people search and outreach email templates, starting on a free plan with limited searches.
Manatal
Best for: Recruitment agencies and in-house teams that want an applicant tracking system with AI features, with a free trial on each plan.
Metaview
Best for: Recruiting teams who want AI sourcing, application review and interview notetaking, with a free plan that includes the first 100 sourced profiles.
Recruitee
Best for: Growing teams that want collaborative hiring software with a free trial, now sold under the Tellent Recruitee name.
Workable
Best for: Teams that want a full recruiting platform plus an AI agent that runs on credits, with a 15-day trial and no credit card needed.
Zoho Recruit
Best for: Startups and small teams that want basic recruitment features on a free plan, with a 15-day trial of the extra features.
What the ICO found when it audited AI hiring tools
In the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office ran consensual audits of companies that make AI recruitment tools, and came back with almost 300 recommendations. Among them: process personal information fairly, keep it to the minimum you need, and explain clearly to candidates how an AI tool will use their information. The ICO also published key questions for organisations buying these tools.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
What that means for a small employer is simple. Before you switch on AI screening or sourcing, ask the vendor how it explains data use to candidates, what it collects that you don't need, and how long it keeps it. Then make sure your own job adverts and application pages tell people, in plain words, that AI is part of the process. Being upfront is good manners, and it saves awkward questions later.
Which part of hiring needs the help?
- Not enough good applicants: look at AI sourcing and people search.
- Too many applications to read: look at application review features, with a person making the final call.
- Interviews eating the diary: one-way video interviews let candidates record answers in their own time.
- Candidates falling through the cracks: an applicant tracking system keeps every stage and note in one place.
- Messy interview notes: AI notetakers capture what was said, so the panel compares like with like.
Rolling out AI in your hiring, one step at a time
- Map your current hiring steps and time how long each one takes.
- Choose the single slowest step to fix first.
- Ask each vendor the ICO's questions about fairness, keeping data to a minimum and explaining AI to candidates.
- Update your job adverts and privacy notice to say where AI is used.
- Run one live role through the tool with a person checking every AI suggestion.
- Review the shortlist for fairness before you widen it to more roles.
Hiring tool traps worth avoiding
- Letting AI reject people unseen. Keep a human in the loop for every decision that affects a candidate.
- Collecting everything because you can. Extra data is extra risk.
- Forgetting the candidate's side. Try your own application process on a phone.
- Buying for volume you don't have. A business hiring twice a year needs far less than an agency.
For the writing side of recruitment, my copy and paste prompts for recruiters help with job ads, outreach messages and interview questions.
Do you make AI recruiting software or hiring tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for small employers hiring with AI
If you hire a few people a year, start with an applicant tracking system that has a free plan or trial, and only add AI sourcing or video interviews if a specific step keeps slowing you down. Agencies and fast-growing teams will get more from tools built around sourcing and interview notes, because that's where their hours go.
Whichever route you take, keep a person responsible for every decision about a candidate, and work through the ICO's questions before you sign anything. Good hiring software should make you faster and fairer, not just faster.
Related: writing for us on recruitment.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI recruiting software?
It's hiring software that uses AI for jobs such as finding candidates, reviewing applications, taking interview notes or organising the pipeline.
Is there free recruiting software?
Yes. Some applicant tracking systems describe a free plan with limits, such as one active job, and some AI sourcing tools offer a free plan with limited searches.
Can I use AI to screen candidates in the UK?
You can, but data protection rules apply. The ICO's audit recommendations include processing data fairly, keeping it to a minimum and explaining AI use to candidates.
Should AI make hiring decisions?
No. Use it to save time on admin and keep a person accountable for decisions about candidates.
What's the difference between an ATS and AI sourcing?
An ATS tracks applicants through your hiring stages, while AI sourcing helps you find people who haven't applied yet.
Do one-way video interviews put candidates off?
Some people like the flexibility and others find it impersonal. Keep the questions short and tell candidates how the recordings will be used.
