Before you compare hiring tools, decide whether you want a standalone applicant tracking system or hiring bundled with your HR records. That one choice splits the field. Small teams usually do well with a lightweight tool, firms wanting one login look at HR-suite vendors, and busier multi-team hiring suits a structured ATS.
Recruitee's own homepage now carries the Tellent name and links to an all-in-one HRIS, so the hiring tool you signed up for now sits inside a wider HR suite. If that's prompted you to look around, here are eight alternatives for small and mid-sized employers and recruiters, in no particular order.
Standalone ATS or hiring bundled with HR?
Decide this before anything else, because the tools below split along exactly that line. A standalone applicant tracking system does one job: it gets people from job ad to offer. A bundled tool keeps hiring in the same system as employee records, leave and payroll, so a new starter's details carry straight over.
- Choose standalone if you've already got an HR system you're happy with, or if recruiting is run by a separate team.
- Choose a bundle if you're a small business that wants one login for hiring and people records.
- Either way, check what data moves between hiring and HR, and how.
There's no wrong answer here, only a wrong order. Pick the model first and the shortlist almost writes itself.
Eight hiring tools at a glance
| Tool | Type of hiring tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Ashby | All-in-one recruiting platform | ATS, CRM, sourcing, scheduling and analytics together |
| Cezanne Recruitment | ATS inside an HR suite | Hiring inside the same system as core HR |
| HireHive | Recruiting software | Running the whole hiring process in one place |
| Homerun | Simple ATS and HR tool | Branded job posts plus leave and team data |
| JOIN | ATS for SMB hiring | Writing job ads and multiposting them |
| Spark Hire Recruit | ATS for hiring managers | Getting hiring managers involved in the process |
| TalentLyft | Recruitment marketing and ATS | Recruitment marketing alongside pipeline and interviews |
| Teamtailor | ATS with AI | Each hiring stage, with AI built in |
Light, suite-based or built for structure
Lightweight tools for small teams. Homerun pairs branded job posts with leave tracking and employee data. JOIN helps you draft job ads and post them to many job platforms. HireHive keeps the whole hiring process in one place for teams and agencies. TalentLyft adds recruitment marketing to applicant tracking. Several of these come from small vendors, which tends to mean a product shaped for teams your size.
ATS from HR-suite vendors. Cezanne Recruitment is a module of Cezanne HR, which also covers onboarding, core HR, performance and payroll. If the reason you're leaving is that you don't want a bundle, skip this group. If a bundle is what you want, it's the place to start.
ATS built for structured or multi-team hiring. Ashby combines ATS, CRM, sourcing, scheduling and analytics. Teamtailor runs AI through the hiring process. The ATS built around hiring managers, covered in the renames section below, belongs here too.
All eight in brief
In no particular order, sorted A to Z.
Ashby
Best for: Hiring teams who want ATS, CRM, sourcing, scheduling and analytics in one platform, which the vendor says covers the whole recruiting workflow from startups to enterprises.
Cezanne Recruitment
Best for: Employers who want recruitment in the same HR system as onboarding, core HR, performance and payroll, all from Cezanne HR.
HireHive
Best for: Teams and agencies that want their full recruitment process in one place, as the vendor puts it.
Homerun
Best for: Growing teams after branded job posts with leave tracking and employee data alongside; the vendor promises hiring and team management in one simple tool.
JOIN
Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses that want help drafting job ads and posting them to many job platforms at once, which the vendor says takes one click.
Spark Hire Recruit
Best for: Recruiters who need hiring managers to take part, with task automation, interview scheduling and pipeline visibility; the vendor calls it the first ATS designed to empower them.
TalentLyft
Best for: Employers who want recruitment marketing next to applicant tracking, pipeline management and interview scheduling, in what the vendor calls one tool.
Teamtailor
Best for: Companies that want AI running through the hiring process, pitched by the vendor as everything you need to make every hire count.
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.
Names change, so check the one in the trial
The vendor pages show renames along the way. Spark Hire Recruit, for example, is the name now shown at the web address that used to belong to Comeet. So when a colleague recommends a tool by an older name, or an old review compares products that have since been renamed, the software you end up trialling may not be the one you read about.
The fix is simple: check that the product name your team will see in the trial matches what you're comparing. It saves a confusing week of reading about the wrong software.
Advice for a small hiring team
Start from how often you hire. If you hire a handful of people a year, a lightweight tool with good job posts will do the job, and anything heavier will gather dust. If several teams hire at once with interview panels and structured feedback, a structured ATS earns its place.
And settle the standalone-or-bundle question first. It halves the shortlist before you've booked a single demo. For more choice, see my applicant tracking systems for small businesses, and the HR software for small businesses guide if a bundle appeals.
Rules on how long you keep candidate data vary by country, so check your data protection regulator's guidance and make sure whichever tool you pick lets you delete records when you need to.
Do you make an applicant tracking system? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an ATS and an HRIS?
An applicant tracking system manages hiring, from job ads to offers. An HRIS holds records for people you've already hired, such as leave, performance and payroll. Some vendors sell both together.
Is Recruitee part of a bigger HR suite now?
Its homepage carries the Tellent name and links to an all-in-one HRIS, so it now sits inside a wider HR suite rather than standing alone.
Do small businesses need an applicant tracking system?
If you hire rarely, email and a spreadsheet can cope. Once you've got several roles open or more than one person reviewing candidates, an ATS stops applications getting lost.
How long should candidate data be kept?
Rules vary by country, so check your data protection regulator's guidance and make sure your ATS lets you delete records when you need to.
Can I post jobs to several boards from one tool?
Some applicant tracking systems do this, often called multiposting. Check which job boards are covered in your country during the trial.
Should hiring managers have their own logins?
It helps when they review candidates and give interview feedback, because nothing gets lost in email. Check how simple the hiring manager view is before you roll it out.
