Best ATS For Small Business (2026)

Small businesses often hit hiring friction early. Applicant information gets scattered across inbox threads, job board dashboards, and ad-hoc tracking tools. As hiring volume grows, this causes feedback, follow-ups, and decisions to stall. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for small businesses solve this issue by centralizing applicants, adding structure to hiring workflows, and improving visibility, without the cost of enterprise systems. 

To identify the best ATS for small businesses, we tested several platforms, reviewed hundreds of verified user reviews, and spoke with small business operators about real hiring challenges. We assessed usability, pricing clarity, collaboration, sourcing effectiveness, and long-term scalability. This guide focuses only on practical, small-business-specific ATS solutions that reduce hiring friction and deliver value without heavy technical overhead. 

Breezy HR is a user-friendly, cloud-based applicant tracking system tailored to small businesses that need structured hiring. Breezy stands out on this list because it simplifies candidate outreach with one-click job posting to 50+ job boards, extending reach without manual distribution. For small businesses with limited hiring resources, Breezy makes organized hiring and broad candidate visibility more achievable. This is attributed to its visual drag-and-drop hiring pipelines, built-in candidate messaging, and automated interview scheduling, which keep hiring stages clearly defined as volume increases. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

Breezy HR works well for various sectors, including staffing and recruiting, telecommunications, and healthcare. 

Key Features 

• Advertise And Attract 
• Candidate Management 
• Automated Workflows 
• Interview Scheduling 
• Analytics And Reporting 

Pricing 

Breezy HR uses a flat, role-based pricing model with unlimited users and candidates across paid plans. The plans come with a 14-day free trial, and include: 

• Free Forever - $0 
• Startup - $189/month 
• Growth - $329/month 
• Business - $529/month 
• Custom Pro Plan - Custom pricing 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Breezy HR is a solid choice for small organizations that need structured, collaborative hiring over advanced analytics. It serves sectors like staffing, healthcare, and telecom, providing clear pipeline visibility and extensive multi-channel job posting with predictable, role-based pricing. While growing organizations may outgrow their reporting or advanced features, it remains ideal for budget-conscious small businesses seeking ease of use, simple deployment, and scalable hiring without per-user fees. 

User Ratings 

The software is rated 4.8/5 across multiple user reviews. Users say Breezy stands out for low pricing and flexible job posting, but the dated interface and lack of modern features limit its long-term appeal. 

JazzHR is an applicant tracking system built for small organizations that need to hire efficiently without enterprise overhead. Its standout strength includes collaborative features; real-time feedback, shared notes, and discussion tools, letting organizations review and evaluate candidates directly within the platform. This accelerates decision-making, reduces miscommunication, and provides clarity across hiring stages. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

JazzHR suits the needs of industries like business services, marketing, and manufacturing. 

Key Features 

• Compliance And Reporting 
• Applicant Tracking 
• Collaborative Hiring 
• Offers And E-Signatures 

Pricing 

JazzHR follows a tiered, job-based pricing model designed for small and growing teams. Costs scale with hiring volume, making it easier to start small and expand as hiring needs increase. The plans come with a 7-day free trial and include: 

• Hero - $110/month 
• Plus - $350/month 
• Pro - Custom pricing 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

JazzHR is a reliable option for small businesses seeking collaborative candidate review and hiring workflows, especially for business services, marketing, and manufacturing teams. Its job-based plans generally suit organizations with steady but not massive hiring volumes, offering reasonable value as demand grows. Overall, it is recommended for budget-conscious businesses seeking a focused ATS rather than an all-in-one Human Resources (HR) suite. 

User Ratings 

The software holds an average rating of 4.2/5 stars from verified users. Users find JazzHR easy to navigate and intuitive for everyday tasks, though occasional slowdowns and a clunky payroll experience affect overall smoothness. 

Workable equips small businesses with an ATS that uses AI to prioritize candidates, match skills to roles, and surface top applicants. This way, it simplifies collaborative hiring, especially for teams without a dedicated recruiter. For small businesses with distributed or non-HR-led workflows, its biggest advantage is seamless posting to over 200 job boards with one click. This pulls in candidates from multiple channels with minimal manual effort. Similarly, AI-driven candidate screening and reporting help small businesses quickly identify top talent as well as make data-backed hiring decisions across multiple roles. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

Workable is well-suited for diverse sectors such as manufacturing, hospitality, food and beverages, and information technology (IT). 

Key Features 

• Employee Onboarding 
• Time And Attendance 
• Payroll Processing 
• Performance Management 

Pricing 

Workable uses employee-based pricing with recruiting and HR bundled together. It comes with a 15-day free trial and include the following plans: 

• Standard - Starts at $420/month 
• Premier - Starts at $679/month (billed annually) 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Workable suits small businesses needing disciplined, centralized hiring for recurring multi-role campaigns across distributed teams and locations. Its employee-based pricing, combined with trial-based deployment, specifically works well for sustained recruitment pipelines. We recommend it for small businesses prioritizing unified hiring rather than fragmented point tools. 

User Ratings 

The software earns a rating of 4.3/5 stars across multiple reviews. Users value Workable’s clear layout and time-saving automation for hiring but say reporting and template customization can be restrictive. 

Zoho Recruit stands out for small businesses as a versatile ATS within the Zoho suite. This is because it brings end‑to‑end recruitment capabilities, from job posting and candidate sourcing to automated screening and interview scheduling. Its job board integrations and resume parsing help businesses attract and manage applicants efficiently, while automation features reduce repetitive tasks that typically lag lean hiring ops.

Optimized for small businesses, its standout differentiator is Zoho CRM software integration that unifies candidate data with sales pipelines, which is critical for businesses where hiring fuels revenue growth. It also supports structured hiring pipelines along with real-time dashboards to help small businesses track progress easily. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For

Zoho Recruit meets the demands of industries such as education, manufacturing, and technology. 

Key Features 

• Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 
• Recruitment CRM 
• Analytics And Reporting 
• Job Posting 

Pricing 

Zoho Recruit offers user-based pricing with a free entry tier. Plans come with a 15-day free trial, making it flexible for small HR teams and growing recruiters. The plans include: 

• Forever Free - $0/user 
• Standard - $30/user/month 
• Professional - $60/user/month 
• Enterprise - $90/user/month 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Zoho Recruit is a solid, dependable option for small businesses already using other Zoho tools, especially in sectors where hiring feeds straight into revenue generation. Its user-based pricing offers good value as businesses grow without forcing businesses to overpay for unused features. In addition, integration with other Zoho apps limits the need for multiple logins, and allows shared data across HR, CRM, and finance functions.

In turn, hiring information flows seamlessly, and businesses spend less time on manual updates. That said, it’s recommended for businesses that want a scalable, integrated recruiting solution rather than a standalone ATS.

User Ratings 

Zoho Recruit scored 4.8/5 stars based on aggregated user feedback. Users appreciate the tool's intuitiveness; however, some wish for the capability to send bulk mass emails each day. 

Greenhouse offers early-stage companies an end-to-end hiring platform powered by AI to cut recruiting spend and drive strategic growth without enterprise complexity. Structured interview kits and scorecards help ensure consistent candidate assessment across interviewers, while reporting dashboards provide insights into pipeline health, recruiting efficiency, and key hiring metrics. It also includes seamless integrations with tools like Slack software, Zoom, and numerous global job boards. This creates a customizable tech stack that evolves with needs. For sub-50 employee companies, Greenhouse’s structured workflows and analytics justify its complexity by enabling repeatable, scalable hiring that lighter ATS tools can’t provide. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For

The tool aligns with the needs of companies in the technology and related industries. 

Key Features 

• Talent Sourcing 
• Candidate Experience 
• Scalable Workflows 
• Interviewing And Decision-Making 

Pricing 

Greenhouse offers custom-priced plans that can scale by hiring complexity and reporting needs. The plans include: 

• Essential 
• Advanced 
• Expert 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Greenhouse works well for small, fast-growing companies that need structured, repeatable hiring without dedicated HR teams. Its scorecards and structured interview kits prevent inconsistent evaluations, a common pain when multiple managers interview the same candidate. It further enhances efficiency with candidate self‑scheduling. This lets applicants pick their interview times directly, reducing back‑and‑forth coordination between recruiters and candidates. For organizations hiring across several roles per quarter, Greenhouse ensures every step - from sourcing to the final offer - is tracked, measured, and aligned with business priorities.

User Ratings 

Receives a combined rating of 4.4/5 stars. Users appreciate Greenhouse for its intuitive, user-friendly interface, though occasional display errors can disrupt the experience. 

Rippling fits small businesses by building ATS features right into its all-in-one HR, IT, and payroll platform. Its main advantage is automatic data sync; once someone is hired, their information flows straight into onboarding, payroll, and IT provisioning without manual transfers. 

Moreover, the recruiting command center gives hiring managers a personalized dashboard to manage pipelines and requisitions without manual HR intervention. Recruiters can also send texts directly and manage candidate actions in bulk, while candidate tagging and automated surveys help segment applicants and capture feedback efficiently. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

The tool is well-suited for diverse sectors, like manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services. 

Key Features 

• Benefits Administration 
• Global Workforce Management 
• Global Payroll 
• Rippling PEO 

Pricing 

Rippling HCM uses custom, modular pricing based on the workforce solutions you choose. It includes the following modules: 

• US And Global Payroll 
• Time & Attendance 
• Benefits Administration 
• Scheduling 
• Chat 
• Recruiting 
• Learning Management 
• Headcount Planning 
• Performance Management 
• Surveys 
• Global Employer of Record Services 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Rippling stands out for small to mid-sized businesses looking for a unified system that combines HR, IT, and payroll, especially where new hires need to integrate quickly into day-to-day operations. Its modular pricing structure works well for businesses that want to invest in a full end-to-end efficiency rather than just a lightweight, standalone ATS. We recommend it for small businesses focused on building scalable, integrated workforce systems. 

User Ratings 

Achieves an average score of 4.9/5 stars. Users praise Rippling for simplifying HR and payroll tasks, though workflow customization can be limited and less intuitive. 

BambooHR gives small businesses a unified HR platform with a built-in ATS. It lets recruiters post to major job boards and social channels. At the same time, it keeps applicants informed with automated, personalized communication, and collaborates with teams using comment notifications and shared reviews. Its also includes digital offer letters and e-signatures: customizable templates that automatically fill in candidate details, then let hires accept instantly with a click. These features of BambooHR’s ATS give businesses structured pipeline visibility, real‑time feedback, and measurable recruiting intelligence. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

BambooHR is well-suited for industries including healthcare, construction, and education. 

Key Features 

• Recruiting And Onboarding 
• Paid Time Off 
• Employee Records 
• Payroll Processing 
• Time Tracking 

Pricing

BambooHR uses per-employee, per-month pricing with flexible plan options and automatic volume discounts. Plans scale by features, from foundational HR to advanced employee experience tools. The plans come with a free trial and include: 

• Core - $10/employee/month 
• Pro - $17/employee/month 
• Elite - $25/employee/month 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

BambooHR performs best for small businesses where multiple managers review the same applicants but lack shared visibility, causing duplicate outreach and missed opportunities. Its per-employee pricing scales reasonably without enterprise complexity. While BambooHR’s ATS is basic rather than advanced, it remains effective for managing pipelines, tracking hiring stages, and facilitating team feedback. It’s a strong recommendation for small businesses that need smooth, automated transitions from applicant to active employee record. 

User Ratings 

Shows a consolidated rating of 4.3/5 stars. Users find BambooHR simple to navigate and easy to use, though sourcing tools and detailed analytics could be improved. 

Freshteam delivers small businesses an ATS with essential HR tools, ideal for startups and small businesses, streamlining recruitment without enterprise complexity. What differentiates it is the built-in job requisition process, where hiring managers raise requests with customizable forms, configurable approvers, and direct association to job openings. This automates approval workflows, reduces rogue hires, and provides visibility into open roles and pending requests. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

The tool caters to several industries, including civic and social organizations, information technology and services, and real estate. 

Key Features 

• Employee Offboarding 
• Job Fitment Rating (JFR) 
• Candidate Management 
• Organization Charts 

Pricing 

Freshworks products, including Freshsales, Freshsales Suite, and Freshmarketer, offer flexible plans to suit growing small businesses. New users can explore the platform with a 21-day free trial to test functionality and assess the right plan before committing. Here’s the detailed breakdown: 

Freshsales and Freshsales Suite 

• Growth - $11/user/month 
• Pro - $47/user/month 
• Enterprise - $71/user/month 

Freshmarketer 

• Free plan 
• Enterprise - $18/month 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Freshteam stands out as a reliable, cost-effective ATS with integrated HR basics for small businesses and startups. It performs best for growing businesses (typically under 200 employees) in industries needing straightforward recruitment and talent pipelines and faster approvals. Pricing starts at $11/user/month for the Growth plan and scales predictably with team size, making it accessible for budget-conscious organizations while supporting repeatable, organized hiring. We recommend it for operations professionalizing hiring as they scale. 

User Ratings 

Records an overall score of 3.6/5 stars. Users praise Freshteam for its easy setup and smooth automation but note limited customization for complex workflows. 

Lever performs best for small businesses and startups that need an ATS built for fast growth hiring. What really sets it apart is the ready-to-use talent analytics in its Visual Insights dashboard. Resource-strapped teams can easily monitor daily recruiting activity, diversity progress, and candidate experience. For small businesses, this turns basic tracking into actionable, data-driven hiring that supports scaling with confidence. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

The tool suits the needs of various sectors, including finance, IT, and healthcare. 

Key Features 

• Lever Candidate Management 
• Customizable Branding 
• Lever Talent Acquisition 
• Pipeline Management 

Pricing 

Lever uses a custom, usage-based ATS Platform plan that scales with team size and hiring needs. The plan offers ATS + CRM connections, and seamless integrations with numerous tools – such as Zoom, Slack and LinkedIn – for better connectivity across the organization. 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It

Lever proves a reliable ATS for small businesses and startups scaling rapidly, standing out from basic platforms with deeper talent analytics. It caters to clients like Samba TV and Autify with data-driven hiring insights without dedicated analysts. Lever’s built‑in AI‑powered candidate matching and interview summaries help small hiring teams quickly prioritize top applicants and reduce manual screening work. We recommended it for ambitious operations prioritizing strategic recruitment intelligence. 

User Ratings 

Rated 4.5/5 stars based on numerous user reviews. Users value Lever’s responsive support team but say setup and portal navigation can be confusing without clearer guidance and training. 

10. Recruitee 

Recruitee positions itself as a collaborative ATS tailored for small businesses and startups struggling with fragmented hiring processes. Its core strength is company-wide collaboration: it lets everyone - from hiring managers to department leads - review candidates, share feedback, and move forward directly on the platform. The platform also supports bulk candidate actions and customizable candidate profiles, making segmentation and follow-ups easier for small businesses. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For 

Recruitee caters to the needs of several industries, including consulting, staffing and recruiting, and information technology. 

Key Features 

• Reporting And Analytics 
• Collaborative Hiring 
• Talent Pool Management 
• Customizable Pipelines 

Pricing 

Recruitee uses tiered, flat monthly pricing based on hiring needs. Plans are designed to scale as teams grow, with an 18-day free trial available. The plans include: 

• Start - €301/month 
• Advance - €384/month 
• Optimize - €1,416/month 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

Recruitee works best for small businesses with multiple hiring managers across locations who need real-time collaboration on candidates. It centralizes feedback, maintains alignment across teams, and speeds up decision-making without adding HR complexity. Tiered pricing grows with the organization, making it suitable for small businesses scaling their hiring efforts while keeping all stakeholders connected. 

User Ratings 

Reflects an average of 4/5 stars across user submissions. Users like Recruitee for its easy setup and clear hiring visibility but find mobile login and interface design cluttered. 

11. ClearCompany 

ClearCompany equips small businesses with an ATS that reduces reliance on expensive job boards thanks to its AI Sourcing Engine, which taps into a database of over 800 million global profiles. It quickly pulls up qualified candidates who match the exact hiring needs. For small businesses under 100 employees, this results in faster pipeline building and lower overall recruitment costs. It also gives access to a more diverse talent pool without external advertising. 

Pros And Cons 

Best For

ClearCompany suits the needs of several sectors, including franchise, finance, and technology. 

Key Features 

• Talent Acquisition 
• Employee Engagement 
• Performance Management 
• Applicant Tracking 

Pricing

ClearCompany offers numerous plans to help hiring managers streamline sourcing, hiring, and recruitment of better talent across the company. For this purpose, the tool offers three separate modules with customized plans that cater to different recruitment stages. The modules are: 

Talent Acquisition (Pre-hire) 

• ClearRecruit 
• ClearTalent 
• TotalTalent 

Performance and Learning (Post-hire) 

• ClearLearn 
• ClearGrow 
• TotalTalent 

Unified Talent Management (Full cycle) 

• TotalTalent 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Why We Like It 

ClearCompany works well for small businesses that handle high-volume or seasonal hiring on tight budgets. It outperforms job board-dependent ATS by sourcing from a massive built-in global talent pool. Cost-conscious businesses build pipelines faster and avoid advertising expenses during peak periods. We recommend it for standardized, high-turnover recruiting small businesses where efficient sourcing matters more than deep customization. 

User Ratings 

Earns a rating of 4.6/5 stars based on multiple reviews. Users praise the clear purpose and well-organized website but note distracting pop-up ads. 

Buying Guide For Best Applicant Tracking Systems For Small Businesses 

The main challenge for small businesses is selecting an ATS that balances affordability, ease of use, and scalability without overwhelming limited HR resources. Many organizations struggle with overspending on job boards and manual tracking, which slows hiring and creates inefficiencies. When evaluating solutions, factors like collaboration tools, sourcing depth, integrations, and predictable pricing become critical to avoid wasted time and budget. 

Invest in an ATS when hiring 2–5 roles monthly with multiple stakeholders needing visibility and collaboration. Organizations hiring fewer than 10 per year may rely on free tools, but small businesses with 10–50 employees should focus on platforms offering structured analytics, reliable integrations, and flat-rate or role-based pricing for predictable costs. Basic ATS often falters as hiring scales, so solutions with end-to-end workflows and performance management help avoid replacements later. 

What Not to Overlook 

• Test multi-user collaboration and team feedback capabilities 
• Verify job board posting and email automation function correctly 
• Ensure sourcing depth and integration with existing tools 
• Check reporting dashboards provide actionable insights 
• Confirm scalability and total cost beyond per-user pricing 

For small businesses, choosing an ATS means more than tracking applicants - it’s about structured pipelines, consistent feedback, and automated follow-ups. Ultimately, opting for the right system centralizes candidate data, enforces stage-based workflows, and automates follow-ups, making small business recruiting faster, consistent, and error-free.