David Mercer

Posted on Dec 16, 2025

Best AI applicant tracking systems

#ai

Are you hunting for the best AI applicant tracking systems to boost your hiring process in 2025? You’re in the right spot.

Disclaimer: Parts of this content were created using AI assistance and may include businesses I'm associated with.

I put in over 60 hours of hands-on testing and direct comparison of the leading AI-powered ATS platforms. My focus was on tools that really deliver value for fast-moving teams scaling up and aiming for smoother recruitment workflows.

With more than four years of working in HR tech and global workforce management, I have seen almost everything in this space. Some tools truly accelerate hiring, while others fall short and offer little but buzzwords. In this guide, I want to highlight only those ATS options that provide genuine automation, good compliance, and are scalable for growing organizations.

Have you tried a tool I missed, or have your own ATS story? Feel free to share-I’d love to hear about it.

How I Evaluated Each ATS

To keep things fair, I used the same approach when testing every AI applicant tracking system on this list:

Getting Started: I checked how quickly a recruiter or HR manager could create an account, set up, and post the first job.
Day-to-Day Features: I ran through common hiring tasks-posting jobs, parsing resumes, screening and shortlisting candidates (with AI help), interview scheduling, and team collaboration.
Ease of Use: I spent time navigating each interface, judging if everyday hiring tasks made sense without consulting help articles.
Performance: I watched for slow load times, errors, or crashes, especially while parsing large batches of resumes and matching candidates.
Customer Support: I tested how responsive the support channels were, and read through documentation and FAQs for clarity.
Pricing Approach: I looked at published prices, free trials, and any extra costs to get a sense of whether pricing was clear and fair.
Overall Experience: I stepped back to see if I could actually see myself using each platform every day in real hiring scenarios.

🏆 Best Overall: TFY

Effortless to use, smart, and really delivers on global hiring.

From signup, TFY grabbed my attention. It took hardly any time to get started, the interface was clean, and I quickly moved from testing to actually managing a hiring workflow. Many applicant tracking systems feel clunky or confusing. TFY finds a sweet spot between advanced features and ease of use.

TFY combines an AI-powered ATS, global contractor and vendor management, HRMS tools, and compliant hiring in 184+ countries-all in one central platform.

Try it out: TFY

Why I Like TFY

All-in-one system with AI-driven ATS, EOR, HRMS, and management for contractors and vendors
Makes onboarding and payments easy in more than 184 countries
Supports flexible payments in currencies and crypto (PayPal, Venmo, Payoneer, SEPA, SWIFT, OTC)
Bulk onboarding and management is straightforward
Predictive analytics help hiring teams collaborate
Pricing is transparent, no surprise fees, no annual lock-in
Support is responsive and the help documentation is clear

Where It Could Improve

There’s a 1.5% platform fee on payments, which may add up if your team has a high payment volume
Geared towards midsize and large teams-very small startups might not use all advanced features

Pricing Overview

Contractor and Vendor Management System (VMS) & Agent of Record (AOR) starts at £5 for each active contractor. A 1.5% platform fee applies on sent payments. It includes global onboarding, bulk payments, compliance, AI-powered ATS (which is free for charities and NGOs), multi-currency and crypto options, and more. No minimums. There’s a 7-day free trial with full access.

🥈 Greenhouse Software - Loads of Features, Steep Learning Curve

Great automation tools, but not beginner-friendly.

Greenhouse Software remains a popular name after many years, thanks to its rich features and integrations. You get advanced AI-powered features like Talent Filtering and full customization. Still, setting up can be tough, the UI looks outdated, and learning the system takes real effort. Teams that can dedicate time to setup will appreciate the customization, but smaller companies might feel like Greenhouse adds more work than help.

Check it out: Greenhouse Software

Standout Features

Strong for candidate sourcing, reporting, and hiring analytics
Integrates with lots of HR tools
Extremely customizable workflows
Well-established, known for working with large enterprises

Where It Needs Work

New users face a steep learning curve and little onboarding help
User interface feels old-fashioned and is tough to get used to
Customer support can be slow to respond
Annual, quote-based pricing limits access for smaller businesses
No free trial, and core features are locked behind demos

How Greenhouse Charges

No monthly payment plans here, only annual contracts. Pricing is quote-based, but you should expect to pay around $6,500 per year for small teams and at least $24,500 a year for big companies. Full-year commitment is required.

🥉 Workable - All the Tools, a Bit Too Many Knobs

A comprehensive ATS, but not always intuitive.

Workable is trusted by more than 30,000 organizations for its detailed recruiting features. There’s built-in AI sourcing, easy posting to job boards, and HR management tools. But with all these features packed in, the interface gets busy and confusing fast. Setting up and finding the right workflow takes patience. Still, its automation and integrations do deliver for those who need a robust toolset.

Give it a try: Workable

What Makes Workable Strong

Advanced recruiting features like AI sourcing, assessments, and interview kits
Scales well with teams, with lots of HR management tools
Automates repetitive steps and connects to top job boards
Offers a 15-day free trial for early exploration

What Could Be Better

Prices jump as you grow-starts at $149/month just for two active jobs, and add-ons get expensive
Navigation is cluttered, making simple tasks take more time
Customization can be less flexible than advertised
Support is slow and online resources are fairly limited
Some users report glitches and sluggishness, especially on mobile

Plans and Pricing at Workable

Starter: $149/month (up to 50 employees, two active roles)
Standard: from $299/month (unlimited jobs, 1,000 AI profile views, onboarding; 15-day free trial)
Premier: from $599/month (adds assessments, texting, video interviews, SSO, priority support)

Add-ons: texting (+$79/month), video interviews (+$99/month), assessments (+$59/month). Pay yearly and get 20% off.

Lever - Strong CRM, Less Smooth for Regular Use

Excellent for pipeline management, but gets complex quickly.

Lever combines a full ATS with recruitment CRM capabilities. It helps companies run outreach, manage relationships, and get detailed reports. Once you get the hang of it, navigation is straightforward, and recruiting teams benefit from automations. However, the more you customize and try to automate, the harder Lever can get to use daily, especially when you want flexibility in reports or integrations.

Explore here: Lever

Things I Found Useful

Combined ATS and CRM makes for great talent relationship tracking
Once settled in, it’s straightforward for daily users
Advanced sourcing features for passive talent
Custom workflows and automated sequences available
Visual dashboards give helpful insights

Drawbacks I Noticed

Setup is intensive; new users may feel overwhelmed
Limited customization for advanced reports and automations
Search for candidates can be hit-or-miss
Not every integration digs deep-some manual workarounds needed
Mobile and scheduling tools aren’t as smooth as competitors
Pricing can get expensive, especially for smaller companies, and it isn’t very transparent

Lever Pricing Snapshot

Rates are quote-only, but plan for $6–8 per employee/month (annual billing) plus set-up costs-starting at around $3,500/year for the smallest teams. Large businesses might see rates of $63–$73 per employee/year, but it does depend on negotiation. There's no free trial, but you can book a brief demo.

iCIMS - Big Features, Heavier Feel

Built for huge organizations, not for the faint of heart.

iCIMS is a staple for enterprises. There are modules for everything: talent CRM, AI bots, onboarding, and more. The company keeps adding new tech, but every feature sits in its own module and sometimes even needs a separate login. The interface is dated, and even routine actions take too many steps. Overall, iCIMS is powerful but feels heavy to operate.

See more: iCIMS

iCIMS Highlights

Full suite: ATS, onboarding, CRM, and AI-driven tools
Wide automation for businesses hiring at scale
Deep integrations for those investing in the whole ecosystem
Easy choice for big-name enterprises

Where It Stumbles

Steep learning curve, outdated interface
Core features are divided into different modules
Analytics aren’t as deep as you’d expect from the price
Onboarding support is minimal; support is slow, especially for smaller users
More expensive than many all-in-one alternatives

Budgeting for iCIMS

Prices aren’t listed on their website. Most estimates put starting costs around $9,000 per year for small teams and up to $140,000 or more for enterprises. Implementation can cost an extra $5,000–$50,000. There is no free trial-only limited demos. (More info)

SmartRecruiters - Big Options, Steep Climb

Great for established HR departments, less so for everyday users.

SmartRecruiters gives you all the applicant tracking, AI matching, and onboarding tools you could want. Its feature set is wide, but users quickly discover that the interface is hard to navigate. Actions are buried, and unless you’re a dedicated HR pro, you could get lost. The system is built to handle complexity, but most teams will find it a bit too much.

Learn more: SmartRecruiters

What Works Well

Expansive set of features: AI matching, chatbots, analytics
Handles scale, well-suited for organizations with many locations
Customizable for complex recruitment needs
Constantly adding innovations, with upcoming SAP integration

Challenges with SmartRecruiters

Steep learning curve and hard-to-follow workflows
Dated, crowded interface makes basic tasks tricky
Can run slowly, support is mainly focused on admins
Candidates may need to repeat data entry
Minimal onboarding support; lots of training required
Minimum contract costs are high, while many advanced features are only in the upper price tiers

Cost Details

The Essential plan starts at $14,995 per year (about $1,250 per month) and goes up for more features. There’s no free trial, and many core AI tools are only in higher-level packages. Expect setup and integration fees.

Breezy HR - Simple for Small Teams, But Not Perfect

Automated features help, but navigation and support fall short.

Breezy HR is centered on automating the simple stuff in recruiting. The system speeds up resume screening, lets you post to many job boards, and has tools for video interviewing and team collaboration. You can customize hiring pipelines and set up branded career sites too. The catch is, the platform sometimes feels old and support isn’t always reliable.

Check out the platform: Breezy HR

Where Breezy HR Shines

Fast candidate screening using AI
Allows custom pipeline and workflow setups
Has a free plan for smaller organizations
Connects with a good range of HR tools and offers reporting

Areas for Improvement

Customer support can be slow or inconsistent
Key features sometimes buried in the menus
Mobile app is less capable than the desktop version
Onboarding is mostly do-it-yourself, and the UI feels dated
Some users have problems with glitches or data importing

Plans and Pricing

Bootstrap: Free for one open role
Startup: $83/month (10–49 employees)
Growth: $129/month (50–99 employees)
Business: $249/month (99+ employees)

If you pay annually, you save two months. A 14-day free trial is available (no card needed). Full pricing info.

Jobvite - Deep Features, Steep Learning

Versatile AI tools, but complex for new users.

Jobvite brings AI-based sourcing, interview scheduling, and analytics in a powerful package. The tool aims at large and sophisticated recruiting teams who have time to learn the ins and outs. There’s real potential for teams that want a fully automated workflow, but the platform feels overwhelming for anyone not fully trained.

Try it here: Jobvite

Where Jobvite Delivers

Covers the whole hiring process: sourcing, onboarding, analytics
Built-in recruiting automations
Solid HRIS integrations and customization options
Support staff are helpful and knowledgeable
Known as a top solution for big organizations

Weak Spots I Saw

Intimidating at first-onboarding is not super friendly
User interface can feel cluttered, even after spending weeks learning it
System slowness and unexpected glitches sometimes appear
Candidates report trouble logging in and wish for better language support
No upfront pricing-you’ll need to reach out for a quote

How Jobvite Prices Access

Most plans start at $400 per month (annual billing; see Capterra). You must contact sales for a specific quote. There’s a free trial, but it’s limited.

Bullhorn, Inc. - Trusted for Agencies, Needs a Refresh

Deep tools for recruiters, but the platform is showing its age.

Bullhorn, Inc. is a classic choice for staffing and recruitment agencies. It brings ATS and CRM together and in 2024 added several AI features for matching and recommendations. Unfortunately, while the tech is solid, the experience feels stuck in the past-navigating Bullhorn and onboarding new users is tough.

Get more info: Bullhorn, Inc.

What Bullhorn Does Well

Combines ATS and CRM for a full recruitment suite
AI-enhanced job matching and recommendations
Tailored for complex and established workflows
Scales up for everything from small firms to enterprise users

Drawbacks I Noticed

The design feels crowded and hard to navigate
You’re left to figure out onboarding mostly alone
Mobile performance isn’t great
Prices go up every year and you may need to pay for user seats you don’t use
Analytics sometimes produce errors or missing insights

Pricing Details

Team plans start at $99 per user each month for essential ATS tools.

Corporate, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus packages cost more, based on needs and features.

There’s no free trial, just a limited demo with restricted access. Final price depends on negotiation and team size.

Taleo - Big Feature List, Old-School Feel

Widely used by enterprise, but hard for new users to master.

Taleo has one of the broadest feature sets for applicant tracking and talent management. It lets you tweak every part of your recruiting process and runs deep analytics. Many big organizations depend on it, but for those new to Taleo, the workflow is confusing and the UI makes things harder than they should be.

See Taleo in action: Taleo

Taleo Strengths

Advanced recruitment and onboarding features
Custom workflows for different business needs
Strong when plugged into larger Oracle HR environments

Weak Points

Dated interface and confusing navigation
Frequent login and password reset frustrations
Almost no onboarding assistance-most learning is up to you
Users routinely mention bugs and technical issues

Taleo Pricing

Pricing isn’t published. Taleo is usually sold within wider Oracle packages, and costs reflect that scale. There’s no free trial, only limited demos.

Other Tools I Explored (Quick Thoughts)

Here’s a quick rundown on other platforms I tried:

Deel – Great for global hiring, not strong in ATS features
Papaya Global – Excels in payroll, but lacks real applicant tracking
Paycom Software, Inc. – Well-rounded HR, but clunky ATS module
Remote – Made for distributed teams, but ATS is bare-bones
Pebl – Strong EOR focus, not much ATS development
Workday, Inc. – Top-tier enterprise solution, but steep learning required
Safeguard Global – Great for compliance, applicant tracking takes a back seat
Dayforce – Rich for HR, but ATS feels outdated
G-P – Excellent onboarding, minimal recruitment automation
Multiplier – Smooth hiring, but not heavy on AI features
Atlas – Focused on international HR, ATS not a priority
GeoHR Solutions – Simple option, but lacks AI power
Omnipresent – Outstanding for compliance, weak ATS
Global PEO Services – International EOR edge, limited AI
SAP SuccessFactors HCM – Rich HR tools, complex and high-cost ATS
Oracle Human Capital Management – Enterprise scale, but AI in ATS is limited
ADP Workforce Now – Payroll leader, recruitment module is basic
BambooHR – Great for HR, but doesn’t stand out in applicant tracking
Rippling – Modular, but ATS features need work
Paycor – Good for HR overall, ATS could be better
Gusto – Excellent for payroll, little ATS strength
Namely – Strong HRIS, minimal ATS AI
SAP Fieldglass – Great for contractors, not meant for regular recruiting
Gatekeeper – Focuses on contracting, not hiring
Precoro – Procurement platform, not designed for recruiting
Tipalti – Best for finance, lacks ATS
JAGGAER – Supply chain solution, irrelevant for hiring
Kissflow Procurement Cloud – Built for procurement, not applicant tracking
VenLink – Vendor management only
Aptean – ERP platform, no real ATS
Deltek – Project management focus, ATS isn’t strong
IBM Procurement Solutions – Procurement for large companies, not for recruiting

Wrapping Up

Many AI applicant tracking systems miss the target in one of three ways:

Overly complicated: Too hard for anyone but engineers and dedicated admins
Too simple: Nice look and feel, but missing real depth or automation
Unreliable: Either still under heavy development or lacking support

What stood out for me after all this testing is that TFY offers a rare mix of real AI-driven automation, compliance in over 184 countries, fast setup, and user-friendly workflows. It keeps things simple for small teams but scales with your business, making it a strong choice for hiring, managing, and paying talent globally-without complicated contracts or surprise fees. Whether you’re handling bulk global onboarding or just want better insight into your recruitment pipeline, the best ai applicant tracking systems are those that work for you, not against you.