How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- BambooHR and Eddy bundle a genuine applicant tracking system into HR software small businesses can actually run. Eddy publishes its prices openly, while BambooHR quotes per company.
- Gusto and Rippling start from payroll and add hiring on top. Gusto is the simpler pick, while Rippling goes deeper but its modular pricing climbs as you switch modules on.
- Personio and Factorial bring European-bred HR with per-employee pricing that is easy to model, starting at 7.60 euros and $8 per employee per month.
- Paycor suits mid-size US companies that want talent acquisition inside a full HCM suite, and Freshteam is the value-priced option from the Freshworks stable.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Gusto | small businesses that start with payroll | $49 per month plus $6 per employee/month (Simple plan) | Free trial (pay nothing until you run payroll) |
 BambooHR | SMBs wanting one friendly HR hub | See website (quote-based) | No |
 Rippling | growing companies unifying HR, IT and finance | $8 per employee/month plus base fee (Unity platform) | No |
 Personio | European SMBs and mid-market companies | €7.60 per employee/month | No |
 Factorial | mid-market companies that want HR with AI baked in | $8 per employee/month (Core plan) | No |
 Eddy | small businesses that want HR without the learning curve | $50 per month plus $4 per person/month (Starter) | No |
 Paycor | mid-size US companies standardizing HR | See website (quote-based) | No |
 Freshteam | budget-conscious teams that hire steadily | See website | See website |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best HR software with ATS features
Starting price$49 per month plus $6 per employee/month (Simple plan)
Free planFree trial (pay nothing until you run payroll)
Gusto is the payroll-first platform most small businesses meet first, and its hiring tools are the reason it belongs on this list. You can post jobs, collect applicants, generate offer letters and run onboarding checklists, then the new hire flows straight into payroll and benefits without anyone retyping a W-4. For a company making its first few hires a year, that continuity matters more than advanced sourcing features.
The pricing is refreshingly transparent: Simple starts at $49 a month plus $6 per employee, and everything is month-to-month. The tradeoff is depth. If you run constant recruiting with scorecards, structured interview kits and nurture campaigns, Gusto's hiring side will feel light next to BambooHR or Rippling. But if payroll is the center of your HR world and hiring is occasional, Gusto keeps everything in one place for a fair price.
What we like- Payroll, benefits and HR in one polished interface
- Hiring tools cover job posts and offer letters
- Month-to-month billing with no annual lock-in
Watch out for- Deeper recruiting features are thinner than dedicated ATS platforms
- Per-employee fees add up as headcount grows
- Multi-state payroll needs the Plus tier
Starting priceSee website (quote-based)
Free planNo
BambooHR built its reputation on being the HR system a non-HR person can actually use, and its applicant tracking earns the same compliment. The Hiring dashboard lets you screen, filter and message candidates, publish to job boards, and move a hire straight into onboarding without switching apps or exporting files. For a small team without a dedicated recruiter, that simplicity is the whole argument.
The frustration is pricing opacity. BambooHR publishes no prices and asks you to request a quote, with Core and Pro tiers plus paid add-ons for payroll, time tracking and benefits. Expect per-employee pricing in the low tens of dollars once quoted, and budget the add-ons separately. If you value one vendor and one login over squeezing every dollar, the quote is usually worth getting.
What we like- Built-in applicant tracking with a clean hiring dashboard
- Hired candidates convert to employee records in one click
- Famously easy interface for non-HR users
Watch out for- No public pricing, you must request a quote
- Payroll, time tracking and benefits are add-ons with their own fees
- Advanced reporting costs extra
Starting price$8 per employee/month plus base fee (Unity platform)
Free planNo
Rippling is the only platform here that treats hiring as the first step of a fully automated employee lifecycle. Its Recruiting ATS feeds directly into onboarding: accept a candidate and Rippling can order a configured laptop, provision every software account, enroll benefits and set up payroll from the same trigger. Remote-first companies feel this most, since the "first week setting up" problem largely disappears.
The catch is the pricing model. The advertised $8 per employee per month covers only the Unity base platform, and payroll, benefits administration, device management and the ATS itself are separately priced modules. Realistic all-in costs land several times higher per employee, and you will not know the total until the quote arrives. For 50-plus-person companies that want HR and IT truly unified, it is worth it. For smaller teams, simpler tools cost less.
What we like- Rippling Recruiting ATS hands candidates straight to automated onboarding
- One employee record drives HR, payroll, IT provisioning and app access
- Powerful workflow automation
Watch out for- Modular pricing means the real bill is much higher than the $8 starting figure
- Implementation fees can run into five figures for larger setups
- Overkill for companies under 20 people
Starting price€7.60 per employee/month
Free planNo
Personio is the European answer to the all-in-one HR question, and its Recruiting module is a proper ATS rather than a checkbox feature. Job postings, candidate pipelines, interview scheduling and offer management live on the same employee data as time tracking and payroll, so nothing gets re-entered. Companies with European operations get compliance handling that US-built tools often bolt on late.
Pricing starts at 7.60 euros per employee per month for the Core plan, which makes budgeting simple even if the euro denomination annoys US finance teams. The tradeoff is that Personio's center of gravity is Europe: US payroll and benefits depth trail Gusto and Rippling, and implementation follows a guided 10-week path that suits deliberate buyers more than impatient ones. For transatlantic small and mid-size companies, it is a natural fit.
What we like- Recruiting, core HR, payroll and time tracking on one data model
- Per-employee pricing is simple to forecast
- Strong GDPR and European compliance posture
Watch out for- Priced in euros, which complicates US budgeting
- US payroll depth lags US-native rivals
- Advanced features require higher tiers quoted by sales
Starting price$8 per employee/month (Core plan)
Free planNo
Factorial has repositioned itself as the AI layer for HR, finance and IT, and recruiting sits inside that story. Its ATS drafts job descriptions, surfaces top candidates and can even call them, with every action logged and permission-gated. Behind the marketing, the practical win is familiar: candidates move into employee records, documents, shifts and expenses without leaving the system.
The Core plan starts at $8 per employee per month, which undercuts most rivals on paper. The honest caveat is maturity: the AI capabilities are genuinely useful for drafting and screening, but teams buying Factorial mainly for a battle-tested ATS should trial the recruiting module hard before committing. For mid-market companies that like the all-in-one bet and want AI in the loop, the price is aggressive.
What we like- ATS recruiting module included in the platform vision
- AI assistant drafts job descriptions and screens candidates
- Per-employee pricing stays predictable
Watch out for- AI features are the headline but still maturing
- Smaller US presence than the American rivals
- Advanced bundles need a sales quote
#6
Eddy
Best for: small businesses that want HR without the learning curve
Visit eddy.com
Starting price$50 per month plus $4 per person/month (Starter)
Free planNo
Eddy is the small-business HR platform for people who do not think of themselves as HR people. The interface is plain, the setup is fast, and the hiring tools do the essentials well: publish a job to thousands of boards, run candidates through a customizable pipeline with automated messaging, and send templated offer letters. One customer review put it neatly, saying the applicant tracking sits right there so a hire's information moves over without retyping.
Pricing is public and modest: Starter is $50 a month plus $4 per person, Growth is $75 plus $8. Note that Hiring is an add-on to those tiers rather than included, so price the bundle you actually need. Eddy will not match Rippling on automation or BambooHR on ecosystem, but for a 20-to-100-person company that wants HR to just work, it is one of the easiest buys here.
What we like- Dead-simple interface owners love
- Hiring add-on posts to thousands of job boards with customizable pipelines
- Payroll, time tracking and PTO in the same system
Watch out for- The hiring ATS is an add-on, not included in base tiers
- Premium bundle pricing is custom quoted
- Fewer integrations than the big platforms
Starting priceSee website (quote-based)
Free planNo
Paycor plays a tier above most of this list: a full human capital management suite aimed at mid-size US employers. Its Talent Acquisition pillar includes recruiting with configurable hiring workflows, same-day hire options for high-volume roles like restaurants and healthcare, and background screening integrations. Candidates flow into onboarding, payroll, time and benefits inside one system of record.
Everything about Paycor says "talk to sales": pricing is quoted per company, and implementation is a real project rather than a signup form. That is the right tradeoff for a 200-person company standardizing HR, and the wrong one for a 15-person startup. If you are outgrowing the SMB tools on this list and want recruiting embedded in a serious HCM, Paycor is the natural next step.
What we like- Talent Acquisition suite covers recruiting, onboarding and background screening
- Deep HR, payroll, time and benefits in one HCM
- Strong industry-specific configurations
Watch out for- Pricing is entirely quote-based
- Implementation is heavier than SMB-first tools
- The breadth can overwhelm companies under 50 employees
Starting priceSee website
Free planSee website
Freshteam is Freshworks' answer to the hire-to-manage loop: an applicant tracking system with career site, interview scheduling and offer management, sitting next to employee information, time-off tracking and onboarding. For teams already using Freshworks products, the shared admin and integrations are a genuine convenience.
One caution on verification: Freshteam's site returned server errors when we tried to open it for this guide, so treat the listing as best-evidence and confirm the current plans on their site before buying. Historically it has been among the most affordable ways to get ATS plus basic HR in one subscription. If the pricing still holds, it is the value pick of this list.
What we like- Combines ATS recruiting with employee records, time off and org charts
- From the Freshworks stable, so integrations with its CRM and support tools are natural
- Historically generous pricing for small teams
Watch out for- We could not load the homepage or pricing page during our check, so verify pricing directly
- Less payroll depth than the US payroll-first rivals
- Reporting is simpler than enterprise ATS tools
How to pick HR software that actually recruits
Check whether the ATS is included or an add-on
This is the most expensive misunderstanding on this list. BambooHR, Personio and Factorial include recruiting in the core platform story. Eddy sells Hiring as an add-on to its base tiers. Rippling prices its ATS as a separate module on top of the $8 platform fee. Always ask for the quote with the recruiting module switched on, because the headline price rarely includes it.
Match the platform to your hiring volume
Occasional hiring, a few roles a year, favors the simple end: Gusto or Eddy handle the job without a recruiter's toolkit gathering dust. Steady hiring across departments favors BambooHR or Personio, where pipelines, scorecards and approvals earn their keep. High-volume or multi-location hiring points to Rippling or Paycor, where automation pays for the complexity.
Count the total cost, not the starting price
Per-employee pricing looks cheap until headcount doubles. Gusto at $49 plus $6 per head, Eddy at $50 plus $4, and Personio at 7.60 euros per head all scale linearly with your team, which is honest but worth modeling at next year's headcount. Quote-based tools like BambooHR and Paycor hide the math entirely, so get the number in writing for your actual employee count, including every add-on you plan to use.
How we chose
We started from HR platforms where recruiting is part of the product, not a third-party integration, and verified the ATS claim on each vendor's own site. Pricing comes from vendor pricing pages where published, and from the vendor's own comparison pages or quoted starting figures where it is not. We read documentation on the recruiting workflow, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra and Software Advice, weighting ease of use for small HR teams, onboarding quality, and how cleanly a hired candidate becomes an employee record. Pure ATS products without HR depth were excluded, as were enterprise suites without transparent small-business fit.
Why HR-plus-ATS pricing is so confusing
HR vendors price like telecom companies: a low headline number with the real cost hiding in modules, add-ons and per-head fees. Rippling's $8 per employee is only the platform; payroll, benefits, devices and recruiting each add their own per-employee charge. Eddy splits Hiring and Payroll into add-ons above the base HR tiers. BambooHR and Paycor skip public pricing entirely and quote. The way through is to define your bundle first: HR core plus ATS plus payroll for your exact headcount, then ask every vendor to price that same bundle. Anything else invites a surprise at the quote stage. And watch the per-person escalator: a $6 per head fee is $720 a year per ten employees, which quietly dwarfs a $50 base fee.
Frequently asked questions
What does ATS mean in HR software?
ATS stands for applicant tracking system: the module that posts jobs, collects applications, moves candidates through interview stages and records hiring decisions. In HR software it matters because the ATS shares the employee database, so a hired candidate becomes an employee record with documents and onboarding already attached.
Is a built-in ATS as good as a standalone one?
For most small and mid-size companies, yes. Built-in options like BambooHR's or Rippling Recruiting cover posting, pipelines, scorecards and offers. Standalone ATS products still lead on sourcing automation, AI matching and high-volume agency workflows, so dedicated recruiting teams may outgrow the bundled version.
Do we need the ATS add-on, or is it included?
It depends on the vendor, and you must ask. BambooHR, Personio and Factorial treat recruiting as part of the platform. Eddy and Rippling sell it as an add-on or module with its own price. Gusto includes hiring tools in its plans but they are lighter than a full ATS. Never assume from the homepage.
Which option is cheapest for a 20-person company?
On published pricing, Eddy and Gusto are usually cheapest: Eddy Starter runs $50 plus $4 per person ($130 a month at 20 heads before the Hiring add-on), and Gusto Simple runs $49 plus $6 per head ($169 a month). Factorial at $8 per head ($160) is close. Quote-based vendors may beat these numbers, but you will only know by asking.
Can we migrate candidates from our current ATS or spreadsheets?
Most of these tools import candidates from CSV and connect to major job boards, and several offer guided migration. Ask specifically about pipeline stage mapping and historical notes, because those are the two things that tend to get lost in a move. Rippling and BambooHR both document ATS migration paths.
Sources we checked (14)
- https://www.gusto.com/pricing
- https://tanit365.com/en/blog/posts/best-payroll-software-small-business-2026/
- https://www.spotsaas.com/blog/gusto-pricing
- https://www.bamboohr.com
- https://eddy.com/article/eddy-vs-bamboohr/
- https://www.rippling.com
- https://www.pin.com/blog/ai-onboarding-tools/
- https://www.wisemonk.io/blogs/deel-vs-rippling
- https://www.personio.com/
- https://factorialhr.com/
- https://www.eddy.com/
- https://eddy.com/slp/eddy-vs-gusto/
- https://www.paycor.com/
- https://www.freshteam.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.