10 Best Applicant Tracking System Software (ATS) in 2026

Getting your hands on the best talent is critical to the success of your business—but sourcing and recruiting that top talent is incredibly time-consuming. To streamline the recruitment process, many Human Resources departments, recruiters, and hiring managers rely on applicant tracking software (ATS).

HR software can support you by formatting a job description, sourcing potential candidates from the wider talent pool, and managing job applications. The best ATS systems also use artificial intelligence and algorithms to automate resume parsing, helping you screen candidates to create a shortlist of those whose skill set and work experience stand out from the crowd. 

And some applicant tracking systems even help with scheduling interviews, creating assessments, emailing an offer letter, and onboarding your new staff member.

Let’s explore how recruitment tools like ATS software automate the hiring process, optimize your workflow, and make hiring decisions easy. We’ll also highlight the features and functionality you should be considering and look at some of the best ATS system options to help you find the right one for you. ✨

What Should You Look for in Applicant Tracking Systems?

Good recruiting software helps you manage the job application process from the beginning of your Recruitment Implementation Plan to the end.

These are some key ATS features and functionality to consider when you’re looking for the right talent acquisition system for your business:

• Simplified candidate sourcing through automated job posting to multiple career sites and online job boards
• A cloud-based, optimized system that you can access from anywhere on any device
• A searchable database so you can easily find the candidate you’re looking for
• Customizable options so you can see the data in the way you prefer
• A dashboard that helps you track how you’re doing against your recruitment goals

The 10 Best Applicant Tracking Software to Use

Thankfully there are plenty of top applicant tracking systems for different use cases. We’ve divided the providers into different categories, depending on what talent management capabilities—or combination of tasks—you need. 

Some recruiting tools are free, and if you’re a small business, they might be just what you need. Other applicant tracking software you’ll need to pay for, so you need to decide if that’s worth it for you. ?

Let’s break them down.

1. ClickUp

Best for applicant tracking with project management

ClickUp’s end-to-end HR management platform gives you everything you need to build your dream team, develop their talent, and manage their performance. 

Use this free applicant tracking software to get clear on the open positions you need to fill in your organizational chart. Then plan the recruitment process with a process mapping tool. You can create tasks for everything from posting jobs online and scheduling real-time video interviews to sending out an offer letter and onboarding your new hire.

The system helps you manage candidate profiles and their contact information. Plus, the built-in automation moves all the applicants through your pipeline so you can identify the best candidate for the job.  

With a range of free HR templates to support you—from a staffing plan, the ClickUp Recruitment Implementations Plan Template, company process documents, and Human Resources policies to employee engagement surveys and corrective action templates—every aspect of the hiring and management process is covered. ?

ClickUp best features

• Custom templates help you move through every stage of the recruitment life cycle
• Custom statuses show you at a glance where you are with each task
• ClickUp CRM to track applicants and organize their contact information
• Customizable views make it easy to see your progress and metrics in detail or as an overview
• Collaboration is simple, so the entire recruiting team can work together to find the right candidate
• The cloud-based system means you can access your application tracking system from anywhere

ClickUp limitations

• There’s such a wide range of features and customization options that getting to grips with them all can be a bit of a learning curve
• The mobile app doesn’t yet have all the functionality of the desktop version

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited: $7/month per user
• Business: $12/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

ClickUp ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (8,300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,700+ reviews)

2. Breezy HR

Best free applicant tracking system

This applicant tracking system works well for small to midsize businesses that hire throughout the year, like recruiters, brick-and-mortar stores, and franchises.

Breezy helps you create a careers page and posts your job openings on more than 50 top job sites around the world.

Each pricing tier of this ATS software offers more features. For example, while they all offer automated posting to job sites and resume parsing, the paid plans also help automate candidate prescreening, manage interview scheduling through video meetings, and deal with other repetitive tasks. 

The Business plan offers even more advanced features like candidate comparison, job approvals, and offer management. ?️

Breezy HR best features

• It’s simple and easy to use and customize the system
• The dashboard and analytics together give you plenty of information
• The system allows for collaborative hiring so all the hiring team members can get involved

Breezy HR limitations

• On the free Bootstrap version, you can only see candidates who applied in the last 30 days
• It doesn’t integrate with LinkedIn Recruiter, so you need to add profiles manually

Breezy HR pricing

• Bootstrap: Free
• Startup: Starts at $157/month
• Growth: Starts at $273/month
• Business: Starts at $439/month

Breezy HR ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (550+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (1,390+ reviews)

3. MightyRecruiter

Best free applicant tracking system

MightyRecruiter is one of the free application tracking systems designed to help the hiring manager source both active job seekers and more passive candidates. 

MightRecruiter posts job openings on more than 29 job boards, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and CareerBuilder. It also searches through your social media networks to identify potential candidates, helping you leverage your network. 

Then when applications start coming in, it uses AI to identify the most qualified job applicants and take them all the way to the hiring stage. 

MightyRecruiter best features

• Source both active and passive candidates from many different platforms
• Extract candidate information directly from social profiles
• Integrate MightyRecruiter with your existing ATS
• Send custom, automated messaging to candidates from within the system, keeping everything in one place

MightyRecruiter limitations

• Some users would like to see more detailed reporting
• There isn’t much customization available on emails to applicants

MightyRecruiter pricing

• Free

MightyRecruiter ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.1/5 (25+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1/5 (60+ reviews)

4. Greenhouse

Best applicant tracking system for midsize-large companies

Greenhouse provides a structured hiring process that improves efficiency and effectiveness so you hire the right people to help you build your business. Reducing bias and fostering inclusion ensures more diversity—and more creativity and business impact too.

This applicant tracking system has a strong focus on fairness and collaboration in the hiring process. It also considers candidate experience, all the way through from interviewing to onboarding, helping them to quickly integrate into their new team.  

Greenhouse best features

• The software is very straightforward to use, even if you’re not an experienced recruiter
• The system helps you set up tasks for every step of the process and measure your success at the end
• You can create scorecards based on candidate experience as well as other factors like soft skills, so you can easily identify the best people for different job descriptions
• Reports and analytics keep everyone in the loop during the hiring process

Greenhouse limitations

• The reporting functionality could be improved, and you may need to use a third-party integration to get the data you want in the way you want it
• The user interface—especially the dashboard—isn’t as intuitive as it could be

Greenhouse pricing

• Contact for pricing

Greenhouse ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (1,500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (650+ reviews)

5. BambooHR

Best applicant tracking system for midsize-large companies

BambooHR is a complete human resources system that includes applicant tracking software. Working from a single, secure source of data within the system, it supports hiring and onboarding as well as employee performance, payroll, and benefits. 

During the hiring process, this application tracking system manages all the candidate’s data, including their contact information. It also keeps track of the particulars of the role, like job title and job description. 

Status updates tell you exactly where that candidate is in the process and their current rating in line for the job. And as an extra reminder of the progress of their application, it’s easy to refer back to the last communication with that candidate. ?

BambooHR best features

• Automates tracking and managing candidate information, saving you time
• Helps you communicate with the candidate at every stage of the process, creating a great experience for them
• Opens up collaboration with stakeholders by allowing custom permissions
• Integrates with other Bamboo apps as well as ATS-friendly external ones, like Indeed, Greenhouse, and Breezy

BambooHR limitations

• Some users have reported that the support provided is slow and not always very helpful
• BambooHR doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks Online, so if that’s your accounting system, you’ll need to enter data manually or use an intermediary to transfer employee information to QuickBooks

BambooHR pricing

• Contact for pricing

BambooHR ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (1,450+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (2,500+ reviews)

6. Rippling

Best applicant tracking system for startups

Rippling helps you source talent from multiple platforms and then set up hiring processes and workflows to manage the process seamlessly from beginning to end. 

This applicant tracking software makes every step easier, from customizing interview stages according to seniority to scheduling those interviews in calendars like Outlook, Google, and iCal. 

Then once you’re ready to hire, it helps you send offer letters and all the relevant paperwork, like job titles and job descriptions, to your new staff member. It also registers the new hire in all the necessary systems, like payroll and health insurance. ?

Rippling best features

• It automatically adds job postings to platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed
• You can customize reports to give you the data you want—for example, the time available to fill a position or feedback from candidates
• The applicant tracking systems work to integrate learning management so you can quickly get your new hires up to speed

Rippling limitations

• Some customers have complained that support during implementation could be improved
• You’ll need to use a third-party app for performance management

Rippling pricing

• Contact for pricing

Rippling ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.8/5 (2,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9/5 (2,700+ reviews)

7. JazzHR

Best applicant tracking system for midsized businesses

Aimed at midsize and enterprise-level businesses, JazzHR helps you source from multiple job sites with a single click. Then it uses assessments and interviews to help rank the candidates according to your own criteria. 

You can also use the platform to get input on the candidates from everyone on the hiring team for a truly collaborative process. 

A digital offer management feature automates and speeds up onboarding, while clear employer branding helps to ensure that the candidates’ experiences are consistent and positive at every touchpoint. ?

JazzHR best features

• All pricing plans allow unlimited users
• The system allows you to create customized solutions to match your hiring needs
• JazzHR integrates with several other related systems, like JobTarget, Criteria, and Recruiting.com

JazzHR limitations

• It doesn’t integrate with remote services sites like Fiverr or Upwork, so you won’t easily find remote contractors
• Support doesn’t always respond quickly when you report technical issues

JazzHR pricing

• Free trial
• Hero: $49/month
• Plus: $239/month
• Pro: $359/month

JazzHR ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (450+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (450+ reviews)

8. Recruitee

Best for recruiting applicants

Recruitee starts by helping you create a careers site with your employer brand using an easy-to-use editor. Then it uses multiple sourcing tools, including job sites, shareable social media links, and employee referrals to source qualified candidates.

The scheduler takes the hassle out of interview scheduling, and interview templates and notes in the system ensure consistency and transparency. This also keeps everything in the same place for easy access and supports collaboration within the hiring team. ?

Recruitee best features

• Automation and templates help to ease your workflow and save you time
• You can customize your reports and dashboards to track the process and easily see where optimization might be needed
• This applicant tracking software integrates with many other platforms, including Google, Teams, Indeed, and Zapier

Recruitee limitations

• The mobile application isn’t as fully developed as the desktop one
• The functionality caters to the needs of the U.S. market and is not easily customizable to differing needs of hiring processes in other countries

Recruitee pricing

• Free trial
• Launch: $224/month
• Scale: $399/month
• Lead: Contact for pricing

Recruitee ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (400+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (180+ reviews)

9. Bullhorn

Best for recruiting applicants

Bullhorn focuses on the candidate experience and creating high-touch relationships. This is paired with high-tech automated solutions to help get the right candidates in the right positions. 

Aimed at staffing firms, this applicant tracking software supports recruiters through the entire recruitment process, from sourcing candidates to billing clients. Its goal is to streamline your operations and help you place more candidates, thus making more sales. ?

With a centralized system that manages jobs, candidates, and tasks, you can always see exactly where you are in the process. You can also set up reminders to complete tasks at certain times, so you’re always on track toward your recruitment goals.

Bullhorn best features

• The cloud-based system is secure and accessible wherever you are
• The integrated CRM tool helps you stay on top of the changing needs of your clients
• There’s a strong focus on customer support and helping clients get the best from the system

Bullhorn limitations

• The interface isn’t very user-friendly compared to other applicant tracking systems on this list
• There are so many features that it can be overwhelming, especially for new ATS users

Bullhorn pricing

• Contact for pricing

Bullhorn ratings and reviews

• G2: 4/5 (500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1/5 (1,000+ reviews)

10. Recruit CRM

Best for recruiting applicants

Also designed for staffing and recruitment agencies, Recruit CRM automates your recruiting workflow, making you that much more effective. 

This applicant tracking software sources potential candidates directly from platforms like Outlook, Gmail, and LinkedIn. Once they’re in the system, those new candidates can update their own profile information at the click of a button. Recruit CRM then uses AI to sift through their resumes, screening for the top candidates. ?

Each successive pricing plan gives you the ability to track more applicants. The Business plan offers API access and an Executive Search Report. And the Enterprise plan allows for custom branding and SLAs, unlimited live training, and a dedicated account manager.

Recruit CRM best features

• The applicant tracking system is intuitive and simple to use
• Drag-and-drop Kanban boards make it easy to visualize your candidate pipeline
• The software is 100% customizable, with more than 5,000 integrations available
• The support and development teams are extremely helpful and responsive

Recruit CRM limitations

• Some users would like to see more automation and integration options
• The reporting functionality could benefit from a few more features

Recruit CRM pricing

• Free trial
• Pro: $85/month per user
• Business: $125/month per user
• Enterprise: $165/month per user

Recruit CRM ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (45+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9/5 (330+ reviews)

Make Hiring Easy With Applicant Tracking Software

When you regularly recruit new staff, it makes sense to find the most efficient and effective way. An applicant tracking system helps you manage your hiring process from start to finish. 

It keeps all your candidate information in one place, helps you sort through their profiles, and facilitates collaboration with other stakeholders. An ATS also automates tasks, eases your workflow, and helps you make exceptional hiring decisions for your business. ✨

When you’re looking for an ATS that meets all your hiring needs, you can’t do better than ClickUp. With a vast range of templates and information at your fingertips, it helps you with every aspect of your business from hiring to onboarding. ?

Sign up for ClickUp today!

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