The right replacement depends on which half of the job you're replacing. If hiring is the main job, an applicant tracking system built for small teams will feel familiar quickly. If you also rely on leave tracking and employee records, look for an all-in-one HR platform, or plan a second tool for the people side.
Is it the hiring side or the HR side you'd miss most? That one question sorts this list faster than any feature grid. Below are eight options for small and growing companies, in no particular order, each described from what the vendor says about its own product.
What Homerun bundles that most recruiting tools don't
Homerun's own homepage pitches it as applicant tracking and HR management for growing teams: job posts, leave tracking, employee data and team insights in one place. That bundle is the thing to protect when you switch. Most of the tools below start from hiring, and they're good at it, but a hiring-first tool won't always hold the holiday calendar or the employee file.
So the test isn't which one has the nicest job posts. It's which people jobs a replacement covers end to end, from records and hiring through reviews and time off, and what still ends up in a spreadsheet. Write those jobs down before you book a single demo, and tick them off as you go.
Hiring-first tools for small teams
Breezy HR, JazzHR and Manatal all put the applicant tracking system at the centre. One speaks directly to small businesses, one leads with advertising roles and attracting applicants, and one pitches AI sourcing to in-house HR teams and recruitment agencies alike. If you hire a handful of people a year and want something you can learn in an afternoon, start here.
Hiring platforms for scaling teams
Greenhouse, Lever and Pinpoint aim at companies that hire often and across several kinds of role at once. One combines tracking with a candidate CRM, one describes itself as built for multi-stream hiring, and one calls itself a full hiring ecosystem rather than a plain ATS. These suit a business with a dedicated recruiter or a hiring manager who lives in the tool every day.
Platforms that reach past hiring
Teamtailor and Workable are the two to look at if you want more than recruitment behind one login. The second describes itself as a system of record for everything HR, which makes it the closest match here to the bundle you're leaving. The first keeps its focus on hiring, with AI features layered on top.
Eight hiring and HR tools, A to Z
Alphabetical, with no ranking. Each line reflects how the vendor describes its own tool.
Breezy HR
Best for: Small and mid-size employers who want job advertising and applicant tracking together; the vendor pitches it as improving the whole hiring process.
Greenhouse
Best for: Companies hiring often that want one structured process for every role; the vendor calls it a hiring ecosystem rather than a plain ATS.
JazzHR
Best for: Owners of small businesses doing their own recruiting, which is the audience the vendor names on its homepage, with ease of use as the main promise.
Lever
Best for: Scaling teams that want to nurture relationships with past and future candidates, since the vendor combines applicant tracking with CRM features.
Manatal
Best for: HR teams, recruitment agencies and headhunters who'd like AI help with sourcing candidates; the vendor's site names a free option.
Pinpoint
Best for: Teams running several hiring streams at once, which the vendor names as its focus, with automation and AI working from clean candidate data.
Teamtailor
Best for: Growing companies whose main people job is hiring; the vendor's pitch is everything you need for hiring, with AI features layered on.
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.
Workable
Best for: Employers who'd like hiring and HR records under one roof; the vendor calls it a system of record for everything HR and names a free trial.
Side by side: what each is built around
| Tool | Built around | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Breezy HR | Applicant tracking | Advertising roles and tracking applicants |
| Greenhouse | Hiring platform | One structured process across many open roles |
| JazzHR | Recruiting software | Small businesses hiring without an HR team |
| Lever | ATS plus candidate CRM | Keeping in touch with candidates for future roles |
| Manatal | AI recruitment software | Agencies and in-house teams sourcing candidates |
| Pinpoint | Applicant tracking | Running several hiring streams in parallel |
| Teamtailor | Hiring platform with AI | Recruiting with AI help built in |
| Workable | All-in-one HR software | Hiring plus HR records in one system |
My advice before you move your hiring
Don't switch on the strength of a homepage. Take one live role, post it in two or three of these, and walk a real candidate from application to offer. Notice how many clicks it takes to move someone forward, how interview feedback is collected, and whether a hiring manager who isn't in HR could use it without a training session.
Then ask the quieter question: where do leave requests and employee details live now? If the answer is a spreadsheet, plan for that second tool before you cancel, not after. It's also worth reading how hiring process software helps an HR department and how payroll software can help with retention, because the people side rarely stops at hiring.
Records to export before you cancel
- Your live candidate pipeline, including notes, scorecards and the stage each person is at.
- The copy of every open job post, so you can republish it without rewriting.
- Leave balances and any approved time off still to come.
- Employee details and documents such as contracts and right-to-work records.
- Past review notes and team insight reports you'll want for comparison later.
Rules on how long you keep candidate and employee data vary by country, so check your data protection regulator's guidance before you delete anything from the old system.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Homerun used for?
Its own site describes applicant tracking and HR management for growing teams, covering job posts, leave tracking, employee data and team insights in one place.
Do I need a separate HR tool if I switch to an applicant tracking system?
Often, yes. Many recruiting tools stop at the hire. If you track leave or keep employee files in your current system, check the new one does too, or plan a second tool for that work.
Can a small business run hiring without an HR team?
Yes. Several tools on this list are pitched at owners who hire for themselves. Keep the process simple: one job post, one pipeline, and one person who owns each decision.
How long does a move to a new ATS take?
It depends on how many open roles and past candidates you carry over. Exporting your pipeline and recreating job posts is usually the slowest part, so start there.
Is it safe to use AI to screen candidates?
Use it to sort and summarise, and keep a person on every decision. Rules on automated hiring decisions vary by country, so check your regulator's guidance first.
Which is the best Homerun alternative?
None is right for everyone, which is why this list is unranked. Match a tool to the people jobs you need covered, then trial it with a live role.
