Best ATS for Startups on a Budget in 2026

The best ATS for startups on a budget, ranked

1. 1

   Curriculo ATS

   Best for founders making first hires who want $0 to start and a flat price after.

   Best for founders making first hires who want $0 to start and a flat price after.. Starter free forever; Pro $50/month early-bird; Enterprise custom.

   Curriculo ranks first because the free plan isn't a teaser. Starter is free forever with unlimited jobs and team members and 1,000 ranked candidates. Pro is $50 a month early-bird (50% off $100) with 10,000 ranked candidates. Enterprise is custom. How it works: connect your Gmail or Microsoft 365 inbox, and applications that land there become candidates. Unmatched ones wait in Review needed. Each candidate gets a 0 to 100 score against the job and a written AI summary of the fit, so you read the strongest resumes first. It reads resumes in 200+ languages. Set up in about 15 minutes.

   Pros

   • No per-seat fees on any plan, so cofounders and interviewers join at no extra cost
   • 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.

   Cons

   • Starter caps at 1,000 ranked candidates, so a high-volume role can push you to Pro
   • $50 is early-bird pricing (50% off $100), so check the current rate before you upgrade
   • It's newer than Workable, JazzHR or Greenhouse, so the track record is shorter

   Price Starter free forever; Pro $50/month early-bird; Enterprise custom.

2. 2

   Dover

   Best for startups that want a free ATS now and the option of an outside recruiter later.

   Best for startups that want a free ATS now and the option of an outside recruiter later.. Free ATS; Premium ATS $199/month.

   Pros

   • Free ATS listed on the official pricing page
   • A recruiter marketplace for roles you'd rather hand off

   Cons

   • Premium is a jump from $0 to $199 a month
   • Marketplace recruiters set their own rates, so outside help is a separate cost that varies

   Price Free ATS; Premium ATS $199/month.

3. 3

   Zoho Recruit

   Best for small teams already paying for other Zoho apps.

   Best for small teams already paying for other Zoho apps.. Corporate HR edition: Forever Free (1 active job); Standard $25/recruiter/month billed annually ($30 monthly); Enterprise $50/recruiter/month billed annually ($60 monthly).

   Pros

   • Forever Free plan for 1 active job
   • Standard is a low price for one to three recruiters
   • Connects with other Zoho apps, and monthly billing ($30) means no forced annual prepay

   Cons

   • Per-recruiter pricing climbs as more teammates need per-seat licenses
   • Deep settings mean more setup time than lighter tools

   Price Corporate HR edition: Forever Free (1 active job); Standard $25/recruiter/month billed annually ($30 monthly); Enterprise $50/recruiter/month billed annually ($60 monthly).

4. 4

   Breezy HR

   Best for startups hiring for one role at a time.

   Best for startups hiring for one role at a time.. Bootstrap free; Startup $157/month billed annually ($189 monthly); Growth $273/month annual; Business $439/month annual.

   Pros

   • Bootstrap is free for 1 active position
   • Visual drag-and-drop pipeline a founder can pick up fast
   • Monthly billing is published on paid plans

   Cons

   • A second open role means paying, and Startup is $157 a month billed annually
   • Tiers climb fast, with Growth at $273 and Business at $439 a month (annual)

   Price Bootstrap free; Startup $157/month billed annually ($189 monthly); Growth $273/month annual; Business $439/month annual.

5. 5

   Manatal

   Best for a solo founder or a pair who want a low paid entry price.

   Best for a solo founder or a pair who want a low paid entry price.. Professional $15/user/month billed annually; Enterprise $35/user/month billed annually.

   Pros

   • Low starting price for one or two users
   • AI candidate recommendations built in

   Cons

   • Per-user pricing grows with every teammate who needs access
   • No free plan on its pricing page, so you pay from the first user

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

6. 6

   JazzHR

   Best for founders who'd rather pay one predictable annual bill.

   Best for founders who'd rather pay one predictable annual bill..

   Pros

   • Hero works out to about $83 a month on annual billing
   • Every tier has a published price
   • Long-running ATS aimed at small businesses
   • Annual billing takes $1,000 out of your account up front
   • Plus is $3,480 a year, a big step if you outgrow Hero
7. 7

   Workable

   Best for seed-funded teams with steady hiring and room in the budget.

   Best for seed-funded teams with steady hiring and room in the budget..

   Pros

   • Mature, well-known ATS with a broad feature set
   • $299 a month may break a tight budget before you raise
8. 8

   Ashby (skip until funded)

   Best for funded startups scaling past first hires with a dedicated recruiter.

   Best for funded startups scaling past first hires with a dedicated recruiter..

   Pros

   • ATS, CRM, scheduling and analytics in one product
   • Priced by company size, with no public dollar figure for Foundations
9. 9

   Greenhouse (skip until funded)

   Best for funded companies running structured hiring across many roles.

   Best for funded companies running structured hiring across many roles..

   Pros

   • Structured interview kits and scorecards
   • No public dollar price for Core, Plus or Pro, so cost waits on a sales call