ATS ranking, checked 2026-10-28

Affordable ATS in 2026: Published Prices Under $150 a Month

Disclosure: Curriculo makes Curriculo ATS, ranked first below. Competitor prices come only from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on 2026-10-28.

Short answer

If your budget is a hard $150 a month, Curriculo ATS is our pick. Pro is $50 a month at the early-bird rate ($100 list), with no per-seat fees, so adding hiring managers doesn't move the bill. Every candidate gets a 0 to 100 score and a written AI summary of the fit.

Quick picks

  • Best affordable ATS overall: Curriculo ATS. Pro $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100), no per-seat fees.
  • Lowest per-user price: Manatal Professional, $15/user/month billed annually.
  • Best if you already run Zoho: Zoho Recruit Standard, $25/recruiter/month billed annually.
  • Best single annual bill: JazzHR Hero, $1,000/yr (about $83/mo).
  • Just over the line: Breezy HR Startup, $157/mo billed annually.

Comparison table

Affordable ATS software under $150 per month, published prices checked 2026-10-28
VendorPriceBest forKey featuresChecked on
Curriculo ATSStarter free forever; Pro $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100); Enterprise custom; no per-seat feesSmall teams adding hiring managers0 to 100 score with written AI summary, inbox intake, MCP on every plan2026-10-28curriculo.me/pricing
ManatalProfessional $15/user/month billed annually; Enterprise $35/user/month billed annuallyUp to 10 users paying per seatAI recommendations, public-profile details2026-10-28manatal.com/pricing
Zoho RecruitStandard $25/recruiter/month billed annually ($30 monthly)Teams already on ZohoCustom workflows, Zoho app connections2026-10-28zoho.com/recruit/pricing
JazzHRHero $1,000/yr (billed annually)One fixed annual billJob posting, careers page, applicant pipeline2026-10-28jazzhr.com/pricing
Breezy HRStartup $157/mo billed annually ($189 monthly)A visual pipeline, $7 over the lineDrag-and-drop pipeline stages2026-10-28breezy.hr/pricing
CrelateEssentials $85/user/month paid annuallyA single-user agencyATS plus recruiting CRM2026-10-28crelate.com/pricing
LoxoCore starts at $149 per user/month billed annuallyOne independent recruiterATS plus talent intelligence2026-10-28loxo.co/pricing
DoverFree ATS; Premium ATS $199/monthFree ATS now, recruiter help laterRecruiter marketplace2026-10-28dover.com/pricing

Affordable ATS software, ranked

  1. Curriculo ATS

    Best for small in-house teams that want a paid plan well under $150 and don't want the bill to grow when hiring managers join.

    Pro $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100), Starter free forever, Enterprise custom, no per-seat fees on any plan.

    Pro is $50 a month at the early-bird rate whether one person uses it or ten, because there are no per-seat fees on any plan. Even at the $100 list price, it's under the line. Each candidate gets a 0 to 100 score against the job and a written summary of the fit. You start at the top of the list and can see why each person ranks where they do. Connect your Gmail or Microsoft 365 inbox and applications that land there become candidates. Anything that doesn't match a job waits in Review needed.

    Pros

    • 10,000 ranked candidates on Pro, with no per-seat fees on any plan.
    • Agents for Email, Calendar, Daily briefing and Resume screening.
    • MCP is included in every plan. With your Google or Microsoft calendar connected, your AI assistant can schedule the interview through Curriculo MCP: it creates the event, sends the invites and adds the Meet or Teams link.
    • Reads resumes in 200+ languages. Set up in about 15 minutes.

    Cons

    • $50 is an early-bird price (50% off $100), so budget $100 if you want headroom.
    • Ranked candidates are capped by plan: 1,000 on Starter, 10,000 on Pro.
    • Interview scheduling through MCP needs a connected Google or Microsoft calendar.

    Price Starter free forever (unlimited jobs and team members, 1,000 ranked candidates, no credit card); Pro $50/mo early-bird; Enterprise custom. Source, checked 2026-10-28.

  2. Manatal

    Best for teams of up to 10 users who don't mind paying per seat.

    Professional $15/user/month billed annually; Enterprise $35/user/month billed annually.

    Professional is $15 per user per month billed annually, the lowest per-user rate on this page. Ten users come to exactly $150. Manatal works for in-house teams and agencies, and it adds AI candidate recommendations and public-profile details on top of a standard pipeline.

    Pros

    • AI recommendations suggest candidates for each job.
    • It can pull details from public social profiles into the candidate record.

    Cons

    • An 11th user pushes you past $150.
    • Enterprise is $35/user/month billed annually, more than double Professional.

    Price Professional $15/user/month billed annually; Enterprise $35/user/month billed annually. Source, checked 2026-10-28.

  3. Zoho Recruit

    Best for in-house teams that already pay for other Zoho apps.

    Corporate HR edition Standard $25/recruiter/month billed annually ($30 monthly).

    On the Corporate HR edition, Standard is $25 per recruiter per month billed annually, or $30 billed monthly. Six recruiters come to $150. Zoho Recruit makes the most sense if you already use other Zoho apps. If Zoho People or Zoho CRM runs part of your company, Recruit works alongside them.

    Pros

    • Connects with other Zoho apps.
    • Custom fields and workflows if you like to configure things.
    • Monthly billing is available at $30.

    Cons

    • There are a lot of settings, so expect setup to take a while if you're new to Zoho.
    • Enterprise jumps to $50/recruiter/month billed annually ($60 monthly).
    • Staffing agencies should check Zoho's agency edition pricing separately.

    Price Standard $25/recruiter/month billed annually ($30 monthly); Enterprise $50/recruiter/month billed annually ($60 monthly). Pricing page and Corporate USD price sheet, checked 2026-10-28.

  4. JazzHR

    Best for small businesses that want one fixed annual bill instead of per-user math.

    Hero $1,000/yr billed annually, about $83 a month.

    Hero is $1,000 a year, about $83 a month, published as a plan price rather than per user.

    Pros

    • Easy to budget: one plan price and one invoice a year.
    • Covers the basics small businesses use most.

    Cons

    • Billing is annual, so you pay the full $1,000 at once.
    • Hero is the entry plan, so check its limits on the pricing page first.

    Price Hero $1,000/yr; Plus $3,480/yr; Pro $5,508/yr (billed annually). Source, checked 2026-10-28.

  5. Breezy HR

    Best for teams that want a visual pipeline and can stretch $7 past the line.

    Startup $157/mo billed annually ($189 monthly), just over the $150 line.

    Startup is $157 a month billed annually, or $189 billed monthly.

    Pros

    • Visual drag-and-drop pipeline that's quick to learn.
    • Annual and monthly rates are both published.
    • Bootstrap is free for 1 active position, so you can test the interface first.

    Cons

    • Over the $150 line on both annual and monthly billing.
    • Growth is $273/mo and Business $439/mo billed annually, so the next step up is steep.

    Price Startup $157/mo billed annually ($189 monthly); Growth $273/mo annual ($329 monthly); Business $439/mo annual ($529 monthly). Source, checked 2026-10-28.

  6. Crelate

    Best for a single-user agency or independent recruiter that needs an ATS and a recruiting CRM together.

    Essentials $85/user/month paid annually; fits under $150 for one user.

    Essentials is $85 per user per month paid annually. - ATS and recruiting CRM in one, with client and contact records. - Fits agency work like client pipelines and placements. - In-house teams may pay for client features they won't use.

  7. Loxo

    Best for an independent recruiter who wants talent intelligence and an ATS in one per-seat license.

    Core starts at $149 per user/month billed annually; fits under $150 for one user.

    Pros

    • ATS, CRM and talent intelligence in one product.
  8. Dover

    Best for teams that want a free ATS now and the option of recruiter help later.

    Free ATS; Premium ATS $199/month, over the $150 line.

    Pros

    • A free ATS tier.
    • Premium ATS is over the $150 line.

Also considered: over the $150 line

- Workable: Standard is $299/month for 1-20 employees ($3,588/year). Higher employee bands cost more. - BambooHR: an HR platform with an ATS module. With 25 or fewer employees, the floor is $250/mo on Core, $425/mo on Pro and $650/mo on Elite.

How we ranked these tools

Who should pick what

  • Small in-house team with hiring managers involved: Curriculo ATS Pro.
  • Up to 10 users, fine paying per seat: Manatal Professional.
  • Already on Zoho: Zoho Recruit Standard.
  • One invoice a year: JazzHR Hero.
  • Solo agency recruiter: Crelate Essentials, or Loxo Core if talent data matters more.
  • No budget yet: see best free ATS.

Frequently asked questions

What is an affordable ATS in 2026?

An affordable ATS is an applicant tracking system with a published price a small team can pay without a sales call, usually under $150 a month. Examples on this page include Curriculo ATS Pro at $50/mo early-bird, Manatal at $15/user/month billed annually and JazzHR Hero at $1,000/yr.

Which ATS stays under $150 a month with a published price?

Curriculo ATS Pro ($50/mo early-bird, $100 list) and JazzHR Hero ($1,000/yr, about $83/mo) stay under $150. Manatal Professional stays at or under $150 for up to 10 users, and Zoho Recruit Standard for up to 6 recruiters. Crelate and Loxo fit for one user. Breezy HR Startup is $157/mo billed annually, just over.

Looking for an affordable ATS for a small in house team?

Start with Curriculo ATS. Pro is $50/mo early-bird with no per-seat fees, so hiring managers can join without raising the bill. Every candidate gets a 0 to 100 score and a written AI summary of the fit, and applications that land in your connected Gmail or Microsoft 365 inbox become candidates.

Affordable ATS vs free ATS: which page should I read?

Read this page if you can spend up to about $150 a month and want more room than a free plan gives. If your budget is zero, read our best free ATS guide at https://curriculo.me/best-free-ats/ for free plans such as Curriculo Starter, Breezy HR Bootstrap, Zoho Recruit Forever Free and Dover's free ATS.

Does per-user pricing stay affordable as the team grows?

Only up to a point. At published annual rates, Manatal Professional reaches $150 a month at 10 users and Zoho Recruit Standard at 6 recruiters, while Crelate and Loxo pass it at 2 users. Curriculo ATS has no per-seat fees on any plan, so adding people doesn't change the price.

Is Workable affordable under $150?

Not by published price. Workable Standard is $299/month for 1-20 employees ($3,588/year), about double a $150 budget, and higher employee bands cost more. It's a mature all-round ATS, but it sits over the $150 line, so we list it under also considered.

Is a low-cost ATS good enough for a small business?

Often, yes, if it handles intake, screening and scheduling. Before you buy, check what the plan caps (jobs, users or candidates), what the next tier costs and whether hiring managers need paid per-seat licenses. Those three things decide whether an affordable ATS stays affordable.

How much does Curriculo ATS cost?

Starter is free forever with unlimited jobs and team members, 1,000 ranked candidates and no credit card. Pro is $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100) with 10,000 ranked candidates. Enterprise is custom, and no plan has per-seat fees.

Sources

Start hiring with Curriculo

Starter is free forever. No credit card.

Unlimited jobs. Unlimited teammates. Space to hire your way.

en