How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Breezy HR is the best free start, with one active job and unlimited users on the free Bootstrap plan.
- Workable suits teams that want one tool for the whole hiring process, but video interviews and assessments are paid add-ons.
- JazzHR gives flat-rate pricing at $75 a month billed annually, while Manatal gives the lowest per-user price at $15 a month.
- Zoho Recruit suits teams already on Zoho, with a free plan covering one active job and one recruiter.
- Watch job-slot caps and add-ons: texting, e-signature, and assessments are usually extra, and they raise the real bill fast.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Breezy HR | Free start, unlimited users | Free | Yes |
 Workable | Whole hiring process | From $149 per month | Free trial |
 JazzHR | Flat-rate small teams | From $75 per month | Free trial |
 Zoho Recruit | Zoho ecosystem teams | Free | Yes |
 Manatal | Lowest per-user price | From $15 per user per month | Free trial |
 Recruitee | Fast-growing startups | From $99 per month | Free trial |
 Ashby | Funded startups, analytics | From $300 per month | Demo only |
 Homerun | Employer branding | From $89 per month | Free trial |
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The best recruiting software for small business
#1Breezy HR
Best for: Free start, unlimited users4.4/5 on
G2 (695 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit breezy.hr
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Breezy HR is the best free start for a small business hiring a few roles at a time. The Bootstrap plan covers one active job with unlimited users at no cost, and paid plans start at Startup, $157 per month billed annually or $189 monthly, with a 14-day free trial of paid plans and no credit card required.
The visual kanban pipeline is easy for managers to use, and job board reach is strong. The free plan limit is real: one active job only, so a team hiring three roles at once needs a paid plan. AI sourcing sits on higher tiers. For a first ATS, Breezy is the lowest-friction pick.
What we like- Free Bootstrap plan with 1 active job and unlimited users
- Startup $157 per month annual
- Visual kanban pipeline
Watch out for- Free plan caps at 1 active job
- Paid plans jump to $157 to $189 a month
- AI sourcing gated to higher tiers
#2Workable
Best for: Whole hiring process4.4/5 on
G2 (706 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit workable.com
Starting priceFrom $149 per month
Free planFree trial
Workable suits small teams that want one self-serve tool for the whole hiring process, from posting to offer, with 200+ job boards and a 15-day free trial requiring no credit card. Some guides list Starter at $149 a month, while the current Standard plan runs $299 a month billed annually for 1 to 20 employees, so confirm the tier that fits your headcount.
Add-ons raise the real bill: video interviews cost $109 a month on Standard, assessments $59, and AI matching runs on add-on credits. For a team running a full pipeline without a recruiter, Workable is still the most complete pick, provided the add-on budget is planned.
What we like- One self-serve tool for the whole process
- 200+ job boards
- 15-day free trial, no card
Watch out for- Standard $299 a month annual for 1 to 20 employees by guides
- Video interviews $109 add-on
- Assessments $59 add-on
#3JazzHR
Best for: Flat-rate small teams4.4/5 on
G2 (872 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit jazzhr.com
Starting priceFrom $75 per month
Free planFree trial
JazzHR suits small teams at 5 to 500 employee companies doing steady hiring, with flat-rate pricing that avoids per-user surprises. Hero costs $75 a month billed annually or $99 monthly, with a 21-day free trial, and collaborative hiring boards let managers weigh in without extra seats.
The Hero tier allows only 3 open jobs, so a team hiring more roles at once needs a higher tier, and texting and assessments are usually extra. For a team that hires steadily and wants predictable pricing, JazzHR is a strong, honest pick.
What we like- Flat rate $75 a month annual
- 21-day free trial
- Collaborative hiring boards
Watch out for- Hero tier allows only 3 open jobs
- Texting and assessments usually extra
- Monthly billing $99
#4Zoho Recruit
Best for: Zoho ecosystem teams4.4/5 on
G2 (1,867 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zoho.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Zoho Recruit suits budget-conscious small businesses and staffing agencies, especially teams already on Zoho. The Forever Free plan covers 1 active job and 1 recruiter, and Standard runs about $25 per user per month billed annually or $30 monthly, with a 15-day free trial.
The free tier limits resume parsing and other features a small team will want, and Standard caps active jobs per license, so growing teams need to watch slot counts. For a Zoho shop, the integration with Zoho Payroll and People makes Zoho Recruit the natural pick.
What we like- Forever Free plan with 1 active job and 1 recruiter
- Standard about $25 to $30 per user monthly
- 75+ job board syndication
Watch out for- Free tier limits resume parsing and features
- Standard caps active jobs per license
- AI matching limited on Standard
#5Manatal
Best for: Lowest per-user price4.8/5 on
G2 (147 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit manatal.com
Starting priceFrom $15 per user per month
Free planFree trial
Manatal gives lean recruiting teams and staffing agencies AI sourcing at the lowest per-user price here. Professional costs $15 per user per month billed annually or $19 monthly, with a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card, and AI recommendations come on the entry plan rather than gated behind a premium tier.
AI Interviewer needs extra credits, and assessments run via integration rather than built in. For a cost-conscious team under 10 seats, Manatal is the cheapest route to AI-assisted recruiting, and the per-user model stays fair as the team grows slowly.
What we like- Professional $15 per user monthly annual
- AI recommendations on entry plan
- 14-day free trial, no card
Watch out for- Monthly billing $19 per user
- AI Interviewer needs extra credits
- Assessments via integration only
#6Recruitee
Best for: Fast-growing startups4.5/5 on
G2 (461 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit recruitee.com
Starting priceFrom $99 per month
Free planFree trial
Recruitee suits fast-growing startups and small businesses hiring across locations, with a full tiered ATS, automation, and API access plus strong employer branding. The free trial runs 18 days with no credit card, which is generous for a tool in this class.
Guides disagree on entry pricing, listing $99 or $270 per month depending on tier and billing, and some tiers need a sales call, which adds setup friction. Sourcing passive candidates is not a core focus. For a team that needs a full ATS with branding, Recruitee earns a shortlist spot.
What we like- Full tiered ATS with automation and API access
- Strong employer branding
- 18-day free trial, no card
Watch out for- Pricing varies $99 to $270 per month across guides
- Some tiers need a sales call
- Sourcing is not a core focus
#7Ashby
Best for: Funded startups, analytics4.7/5 on
G2 (212 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit ashbyhq.com
Starting priceFrom $300 per month
Free planDemo only
Ashby suits funded startups and tech scaleups up to about 100 employees that need powerful analytics without spreadsheets. Foundations costs $300 a month for 1 to 10 employees by current guides, though some list $400, and the reporting depth is the best in this comparison.
There is no free plan, only a demo, and the price is overkill for a team hiring one role a year. For a startup scaling fast and needing to prove hiring efficiency to investors, Ashby analytics justify the premium.
What we like- Foundations $300 a month for 1 to 10 employees
- Strongest recruiting analytics
- Structured hiring at scale
Watch out for- No free plan, demo only
- $400 a month by some guides
- Overkill for teams hiring rarely
Starting priceFrom $89 per month
Free planFree trial
Homerun suits companies that care about employer brand and candidate experience, with a career site builder inside the ATS and clean, branded application pages. Light costs about 89 euros a month billed annually, with a 15-day free trial requiring no credit card.
Video interviews and assessments are not offered, so teams needing those must add another tool. The ecosystem is smaller than Workable. For a small team where the career page wins candidates, Homerun is a distinctive, design-led pick.
What we like- Light plan about 89 euros a month annual
- Strong career pages and employer branding
- 15-day free trial, no card
Watch out for- Video interviews not offered
- Assessments not offered
- Smaller ecosystem than Workable
How we chose
We compared recruiting tools on free-tier quality, job-slot caps, pricing model, job board reach, collaboration, analytics, and add-on transparency, using vendor pages and October 2026 ATS guides. We favored tools with published pricing and real small-business use, and we left out enterprise-only suites that quote on request without a small-business tier, except where noted.
How to pick recruiting software for a small business
Start with hiring volume, not features. If you hire one role at a time, Breezy free or Zoho free covers you. If you hire steadily, JazzHR flat rate or Manatal per-user pricing keeps costs predictable. If you need one tool for everything, Workable is the most complete, provided you budget for add-ons.
Count jobs, users, and add-ons together
The headline price rarely tells the full story. Count open jobs against slot caps, count users against per-seat pricing, and list the add-ons you need: texting, video interviews, assessments, e-signature, and AI matching. A $75 flat-rate plan with 3 job slots can cost more than a $15 per-user plan once you add assessments and texting.
Run a real trial before you pay
Use the free trial to post a real role, move a real candidate through the pipeline, and collect interviewer feedback. A trial that only demos the dashboard hides the workflow pain: slow resume parsing, clumsy scheduling, and confusing feedback forms show up only with real candidates. Pick the tool your hiring managers actually open.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really free recruiting software?
Yes, with limits. Breezy HR Bootstrap and Zoho Recruit free each cover one open job. Free trials are more common, with 15 days on Workable, 14 days on Manatal and JazzHR, and 7 days on some rivals. Start free, and pay only when hiring volume demands a paid plan.
How much does an ATS cost for a small business?
Published entry prices here run from $15 per user a month for Manatal to $400 a month for Ashby. For a 20-employee company with 10 users, JazzHR works out at about $83 a month, Manatal $150, Breezy HR $157, and Workable $299 by current guides.
Do ATS platforms charge per user?
Some do, some do not. Manatal and Zoho charge per user, while Breezy, JazzHR, and Workable use flat monthly pricing. Flat pricing favors teams where many managers need logins, while per-user pricing favors small teams with few recruiters.
What add-ons should I budget for?
Texting, video interviews, assessments, e-signature, and AI matching are usually extra. Workable charges $109 a month for video interviews and $59 for assessments on Standard, so list your needs before comparing headline prices. A tool that looks cheap at signup can cost far more once those add-ons join the bill.
Which tool is best for a team hiring one role at a time?
Breezy HR free, since it covers one active job with unlimited users at no cost, which suits teams where every manager needs a login. Zoho Recruit free is the alternative for teams already on Zoho, with one active job and one recruiter.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://breezy.hr
- https://www.workable.com
- https://www.jazzhr.com
- https://www.zoho.com/recruit/
- https://www.manatal.com
- https://recruitee.com
- https://www.ashbyhq.com
- https://www.homerun.co
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 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.