ATS Pricing Guide 2026: What Applicant Tracking Systems Really Cost

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) pricing in 2026 ranges from low-cost SMB plans (for example JazzHR) to enterprise deployments that usually require custom quotes (for example Greenhouse and Workday). The three main pricing models are per-employee, per-recruiter seat, and per-job-post — and the right choice depends on your company size and hiring volume. Hidden costs including onboarding fees, SSO upgrades, and job board integrations can add 20-40% to the base price.

This guide breaks down what the major ATS platforms charge, which pricing model works best for different company sizes, and how to avoid common cost surprises.

How ATS Pricing Works

Before diving into specific tools, it's worth understanding the three main pricing models you'll encounter:

Per-Employee Pricing

You pay based on your total headcount, not just recruiters. Common for HR suites that bundle ATS with other features.

Best for: Companies with stable headcounts and high hiring volumes relative to size
Watch out for: Costs scaling unexpectedly as your company grows

Per-Recruiter/User Pricing

You pay for each person who needs access to the ATS. The most common model for standalone ATS tools.

Best for: Companies with dedicated recruiting teams
Watch out for: Costs when hiring managers need occasional access

Per-Job-Post Pricing

You pay based on how many active job postings you have at any time.

Best for: Companies with sporadic hiring needs
Watch out for: High-volume hiring periods driving up costs

ATS Pricing Comparison 2026

Here's what the major ATS platforms charge in 2026. Note that most enterprise-tier pricing requires direct quotes.

ATS	Starting Price	Pricing Model	Free Trial	Best For	Compare
Workable	£99/mo (2 active jobs)	Per job post	15 days	SMBs scaling hiring	vs Marxel
Recruitee	€199/mo (10 job slots)	Per job slot	18 days	Growing startups	vs Marxel
Teamtailor	Custom quote	Per employee	Demo	Employer branding focus	Alternatives
Greenhouse	Custom (est. £5k+/yr)	Per employee	Demo	Mid-market & enterprise	vs Marxel
Lever	Custom (est. £6k+/yr)	Per employee	Demo	Mid-market with CRM needs	vs Marxel
Ashby	From $300/mo	Per employee	Demo	Analytics-focused teams	Alternatives
JazzHR	$75/mo (3 active jobs)	Per job post	21 days	Very small teams	vs Marxel
BambooHR	Custom	Per employee	7 days	HR suite + ATS combo	vs Marxel
Personio	Custom	Per employee	Demo	European SMBs	Alternatives

Prices based on vendor pricing pages and public estimates reviewed in January-February 2026. Contact vendors for current quotes.

What Affects ATS Pricing

Beyond the base pricing model, several factors can significantly impact your total cost:

1. Number of Users

Most ATS tools distinguish between:

Full users (recruiters): Full access, higher cost per seat
Hiring managers: Limited access, often free or discounted
Interviewers: View-only access, usually included

Some tools charge extra for hiring manager seats, which can add up quickly if you have a distributed hiring model.

2. Job Posting Integrations

Posting to job boards often costs extra:

Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor: Many ATS tools charge premium tiers for these integrations
Aggregator credits: Some charge per-post credits for board distribution

Budget an extra 10-30% of your base ATS cost for job board integrations if they're not included.

3. Advanced Features

Features commonly locked behind premium tiers:

Candidate sourcing/CRM: Tools like Lever and Greenhouse charge more for proactive sourcing features
Analytics & reporting: Basic reporting is standard; custom dashboards cost more
Interview scheduling: Automated scheduling is increasingly premium
GDPR compliance tools: Essential for UK/EU hiring, not always included

4. Implementation & Training

Enterprise ATS deployments often require:

Implementation fees: £2,000-£10,000 for guided setup
Data migration: Importing from a previous ATS can cost extra
Training sessions: Some vendors charge for onboarding beyond basics

5. Contract Length

Annual contracts typically offer 15-25% discounts over monthly billing. Multi-year agreements can reduce costs further but limit flexibility.

ATS Costs by Company Size

Here's a realistic budget expectation for different company stages:

Startups (1-20 employees)

Budget: £100-£300/month

At this stage, you probably don't need a full ATS. Consider:

Workable (pay-per-job): Only pay when actively hiring
JazzHR: Low flat rate for occasional hiring
Notion/Airtable: DIY tracking for very low-volume hiring

Growing SMBs (20-100 employees)

Budget: £300-£800/month

This is where a proper ATS starts paying dividends:

Recruitee: Good balance of features and price for scaling companies
Workable: Scales with your hiring volume
Teamtailor: If employer branding is a priority

Mid-Market (100-500 employees)

Budget: £1,000-£3,000/month

You'll likely need:

Greenhouse or Lever: Full-featured platforms with good integrations
Ashby: If data/analytics are critical to your process

Enterprise (500+ employees)

Budget: £5,000+/month (custom quotes)

At this scale, you're negotiating custom contracts:

Greenhouse Enterprise: Most common for large US/UK companies
Workday Recruiting: If you're already in the Workday ecosystem
iCIMS: Traditional enterprise option

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Before signing an ATS contract, ask about these commonly overlooked costs:

1. Onboarding and Migration

"Free onboarding" often means self-service. If you need hands-on migration from Lever to Greenhouse, expect £2,000-£5,000 in professional services.

2. SSO and Security

Enterprise security features (SSO, audit logs, advanced permissions) are frequently locked behind top-tier plans—sometimes doubling the base price.

3. API Access

If you need to integrate with other tools (HRIS, background checks, assessments), check whether API access is included or premium-only.

4. Overage Charges

Per-job and per-candidate models often have soft limits. Going over can trigger per-unit charges or automatic tier upgrades.

5. Offboarding

What happens when you want to leave? Some ATS vendors charge for data export, and contract exit terms vary widely.

How to Evaluate ATS ROI

An ATS should pay for itself through:

Time Savings

CV screening: AI-powered filtering (like Marxel) can reduce time-to-shortlist by 70%
Scheduling: Automated interview scheduling saves 30+ minutes per candidate
Admin work: Centralised candidate management eliminates spreadsheet chaos

Quality Improvements

Consistent evaluation: Structured scorecards reduce bias and improve hire quality
Better candidate experience: Faster response times improve offer acceptance rates
Data-driven decisions: Analytics highlight what's working in your hiring funnel

Cost Avoidance

Reduced agency spend: Better direct sourcing reduces reliance on expensive recruiters
Faster time-to-fill: Empty roles cost money—every week shaved off the process has value

Quick ROI Calculation

For a company hiring 20 people per year:

Time saved: 5 hours/hire × 20 hires × £50/hour = £5,000/year
Better hires: Even 1 avoided bad hire saves £20,000+ in turnover costs

A £500/month ATS (£6,000/year) easily pays for itself.

Our Recommendation by Scenario

"We hire occasionally and want to keep costs low"

Go with Workable at £99/month for 2 active jobs. Only pay when you're actively hiring. See our detailed Workable comparison to understand how it pairs with AI screening tools.

Consider Workable alternatives if you need different pricing models or specialized features.

"We're scaling fast and need to build a recruiting team"

Consider Recruitee or Ashby. Good feature sets at mid-range pricing, with room to grow. See how Recruitee compares with Marxel for screening efficiency.

For analytics-focused teams, review Ashby alternatives to understand all your options.

"We need enterprise features but aren't enterprise-sized"

Look at Lever (if CRM is important) or Greenhouse (if structured hiring is the priority). Negotiate hard—mid-market companies can often get enterprise features at reduced rates.

Compare Marxel vs Lever and Marxel vs Greenhouse to see how specialist screening tools complement enterprise ATS platforms.

"We're UK-based and need GDPR compliance out of the box"

Personio or Teamtailor are designed for European compliance requirements. Most US-based ATS tools now support GDPR, but native support reduces risk.

Explore Personio alternatives to find the best UK-focused solution for your needs.

"We just need to screen CVs faster"

This is where most ATS solutions fall short. Traditional platforms focus on workflow management, not screening efficiency.

The bottleneck isn't tracking candidates—it's identifying qualified ones from hundreds of applications. See how long it actually takes to screen 100 resumes and compare manual vs AI screening approaches.

Start with specialist CV screening, then integrate with any ATS. Use our CV screening calculator to see potential time savings before choosing an ATS platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an ATS cost for a small business?

For small businesses (under 50 employees), expect to pay £100-£500 per month depending on features and hiring volume. Pay-per-job models like Workable can be more economical for occasional hiring.

Is there a free ATS?

Some ATS tools offer free tiers with limitations (OpenCATS is open-source, some tools offer free plans for very small teams), but they typically lack key features. Most companies find that paid tools pay for themselves quickly.

What's the difference between ATS and recruiting software?

An ATS focuses on managing applications and tracking candidates through your hiring pipeline. Recruiting software is a broader category that might include sourcing tools, CRM, interview scheduling, and assessment platforms.

Should I choose an ATS with built-in job board posting?

It depends on your posting volume. If you post to the same boards frequently, built-in integrations save time. For occasional posting, direct posting to boards might be more cost-effective.

How long does ATS implementation take?

Simple tools (Workable, Recruitee) can be set up in a day. Enterprise implementations (Greenhouse, Lever) typically take 4-8 weeks with proper configuration, integrations, and training.

Can I integrate an ATS with AI screening tools?

Yes—this is increasingly common. Tools like Marxel can integrate with most major ATS platforms, adding AI-powered screening on top of your existing workflow.

Conclusion

ATS pricing varies dramatically based on your company size, hiring volume, and feature requirements. The key is matching the pricing model to your actual usage pattern:

Sporadic hiring: Pay-per-job (Workable, JazzHR)
Steady growth: Per-employee (Greenhouse, Lever)
Enterprise scale: Custom negotiations

Whatever you choose, remember that the ATS is just one part of your hiring stack. Most platforms excel at workflow management but struggle with the biggest time sink: initial CV screening.

The real efficiency gains come from solving the screening bottleneck before candidates enter your ATS pipeline. Learn how to screen 200 CVs efficiently or explore automated solutions.