If you're a startup or scale-up comparing applicant tracking systems in 2026, you've probably noticed a problem: every ATS claims to use AI, every pricing page hides the real number behind a "contact sales" button, and every G2 review reads like it was written by the vendor's marketing team.
This guide is different. We compared the five most popular ATS tools for growing teams — Workable, Greenhouse, Lever, Breezy HR, and Rekvo — on the criteria that actually matter when you're hiring your 10th to 100th employee.
What to look for in an ATS as a startup
Before comparing tools, get clear on what you actually need. Most startups need:
- CV library — a searchable place to store all incoming applications
- Job posting — publish open roles and collect applications
- Pipeline management — move candidates through stages (Screening → Interview → Offer)
- AI screening — rank candidates against a job description without reading 200 CVs manually
- Team collaboration — invite colleagues to review candidates and add notes
- Reasonable pricing — not $500/month before you've made your first hire
What most startups do not need: workflow automation for 10,000 applicants per year, HRIS integration, onboarding modules, or a dedicated ATS admin to configure the system.
The shortlist
Greenhouse
Greenhouse is the gold standard for mid-market and enterprise hiring. It has excellent structured interviewing tools, deep integrations, and a strong track record.
The problem: It's built for companies with a dedicated HR team. Setup takes weeks. Greenhouse does not publish pricing — you must contact sales for a quote. Third-party estimates place entry-level contracts at $6,000–$10,000/year, rising substantially with headcount. The AI features are add-ons. If you're hiring fewer than 50 people a year, you're paying for complexity you don't need.
Best for: Series B+ companies with a full HR function.
For a deeper look at why growing teams commonly switch away from Greenhouse, see Greenhouse Alternatives for Small Teams in 2026.
Workable
Workable is the most popular ATS for SMEs. It covers the basics well: job posting, pipeline, email templates, one-click job board posting.
The problem: The AI matching is keyword-based, not semantic. It ranks candidates by how many words from your JD appear in their CV — not by whether they're actually qualified. Pricing starts at $299/month (Standard) and rises to $599/month (Premier) — higher than many comparable tools. The UI feels dated.
Best for: Teams that want a reliable, established tool and don't need strong AI screening.
Lever
Lever positions itself between Workable and Greenhouse. Good CRM features, solid pipeline view, strong collaboration. Acquired by Employ in 2022.
The problem: Pricing is opaque (always contact sales). Implementation requires an onboarding call. The AI features are limited to basic sourcing suggestions. Not the right fit if you want to move fast.
Best for: Teams with a recruiter on staff who needs a full-featured CRM+ATS.
Breezy HR
Breezy is the most affordable traditional ATS. Unlimited users on paid plans, clean UI, decent job board integrations.
The problem: Very limited AI capabilities. No semantic search. The "AI" features amount to basic auto-scoring by keyword match. Fine for a small team that just needs basic pipeline management.
Best for: Teams on tight budgets who need a simple, functional ATS without AI.
Rekvo
Rekvo is built specifically for the gap the others leave: companies of 20–200 people who want real AI, without enterprise pricing or complexity.
You upload CVs to a searchable library, post a job description, and ask the AI who to hire. Within 2 minutes, every candidate in your library is scored and ranked against the role — with a hire recommendation (Strong hire / Consider / Pass), matched skills, experience fit score, and gap analysis.
You can also ask conversational questions in plain language: "Who has 5 years of Python experience and has worked at a Series A startup?" The AI searches your entire talent pool and returns matching candidates.
Pricing: Free forever (25 CVs, 2 jobs). Starter $79/month. Team $149/month. Business $499/month. No contact-sales gate.
Best for: Growing teams who want AI that actually works — not keyword search dressed up with an AI label.
Head-to-head comparison
| Rekvo | Workable | Greenhouse | Lever | Breezy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0 | $299/mo | Contact sales | Contact sales | $0 / $157/mo paid |
| Real AI matching | Semantic | Keyword-only | Keyword-only | Basic | Keyword-only |
| Conversational search | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Setup time | Minutes | Hours | Days/weeks | Days | Hours |
| CV library | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (1 active job) |
| GDPR compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which ATS should you use?
- Just started hiring (under 10 roles/year): Rekvo Free plan. No cost, no commitment.
- Growing fast, need real AI screening: Rekvo Starter or Team.
- Large team, need deep integrations and enterprise support: Greenhouse.
- Simple pipeline, tight budget, no AI needed: Breezy.
- Recruiter on staff who wants a CRM: Lever.
The bottom line
Most ATS tools were built before AI existed and have bolted on "AI" as a marketing label over keyword search. If you're a growing team and you want to stop reading CVs manually, Rekvo is the only tool on this list built from the ground up around real AI matching.
Want to understand how AI screening actually works under the hood? Read How to Use AI for Candidate Screening.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free ATS for startups? Rekvo offers a free plan with 25 CVs, 2 active jobs, and AI matching — no time limit, no credit card. Breezy HR also has a free Bootstrap tier limited to one active position. Workable, Greenhouse, and Lever do not have free plans.
Is there an ATS that uses real AI — not just keyword matching? Rekvo uses RAG-based semantic matching that understands context, infers seniority, and recognises equivalent skills expressed with different words. Most established ATS tools (Workable, Greenhouse, Lever) use keyword or rules-based scoring and label it as "AI." The practical difference: semantic matching is significantly more resistant to keyword stuffing and better at surfacing strong candidates who wrote their CV differently from your job description.
How much does an ATS cost for a startup hiring under 50 people a year? The range is wide. Rekvo starts free and scales to $79–$499/month. Workable starts at $299/month. Greenhouse and Lever require contact-sales quotes — third-party estimates place entry-level contracts at $6,000+/year. For a startup hiring fewer than 50 people per year, the cost-to-value ratio of enterprise tools is hard to justify.
Which ATS is easiest to set up? Rekvo and Breezy HR are both operational in minutes. Workable takes a few hours. Greenhouse and Lever require an onboarding process measured in days to weeks.