Last updated: October 2026. Written by the Curriculo team.
The best free ATS in 2026 has a permanent free plan, not a trial. Curriculo ATS Starter is free forever with unlimited jobs and members, 1,000 candidates ranked, and no per-seat fees on any plan. Dover, Breezy Bootstrap, and Zoho Forever Free are other free plans. Compare limits below.
Free ATS plans compared (as of Oct 2026)
| ATS | Free plan | Active jobs | Users | AI scoring on free | First paid price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculo ATS | Starter, free forever | Unlimited | Unlimited | Yes, up to 1,000 ranked | Pro $50 | Curriculo pricing |
| Dover | Free ATS | Unlimited | Unlimited | Deeper AI on paid plans, Custom quote | Premium ATS, Custom quote | Dover pricing |
| Breezy HR | Bootstrap, free forever | 1 active pool or position | Unlimited | Intelligence add-on (credits) | Startup $157/mo annual pricing | Breezy HR pricing |
| Zoho Recruit | Forever Free | 1 per recruiter license | Per recruiter license | Enterprise AI matching, see Zoho Recruit pricing | Standard per recruiter/month, see Zoho Recruit pricing | Zoho Recruit pricing |
| OpenCATS | Open source, self-hosted | Self-hosted | Self-hosted | Not listed | Hosting cost only | OpenCATS |
Prices and limits checked October 5, 2026 from each vendor's own page. Re-check the linked page before you buy.
Curriculo ATS scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against your job, with a written AI summary of the fit. Set up in about 15 minutes. No credit card.
Best free ATS for independent recruiters
If you hire for clients, a free ATS has to hold every search, add a coordinator with no per-seat fees, and open the pile in score order when hundreds of applications land in a week.
Curriculo ATS Starter is free forever: unlimited active jobs, unlimited team members, no per-seat fees on any plan, and up to 1,000 candidates ranked by Impact Score. Curriculo ATS scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against your job, with a written AI summary of the fit. Set up in about 15 minutes. No credit card. Pro is $50. See Curriculo pricing.
Free plans compared for recruiters, checked October 5, 2026:
| ATS | Free plan | What you pay next | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculo ATS | Unlimited jobs and members; 1,000 candidates ranked | Pro $50 | Curriculo pricing |
| Giig Hire | Free Forever, 1 user; unlimited candidates, CVs, jobs, clients; careers page 3 jobs | Paid from GBP 12.50 per user/mo +VAT | Giig Hire pricing |
| HireCade | Unlimited job posts and candidates at $0 | AI ranking $0.10/resume; AI interview $5 | HireCade pricing |
| KiteHR | Claims unlimited users, jobs, candidates free forever with AI scoring | No dated paid ATS price on the home page checked | KiteHR |
Giig free plan: one user. HireCade bills AI per resume. KiteHR markets free unlimited ATS without a dated paid price on the home page checked.
Client-search workflows: ATS for independent recruiters. Ranking depth: AI candidate ranking. Employer-side low-star reviews for free-plan vendors that publish them. Dover has no employer-side low-star sample in the public low-star samples used here, so it has no review block. Breezy HR is strong on a free forever one-role plan, and low-star reviews most often cite support delays and reliability gaps. No applicants and account terminated with no warning. We posted six open positions and after a full week, we received zero resumes. Zoho Recruit fits teams already in Zoho, and low-star reviews most often cite support gaps and a steep learning curve. We were oversold on on things that the system could do It's the most difficult software to navigate Individual opinions from a low-star sample, not a verdict for every buyer.What users complain about (free-plan vendors)
Breezy HR
n=38
Trustpilot review, Sep 2026
Trustpilot review, Aug 2025Zoho Recruit
n=14
Capterra review, Sep 2025
Capterra review, Jun 2024
Who should pick X, who should pick Curriculo ATS
Pick Dover for a free ATS plus optional marketplace hours.
Pick Breezy for one active role on Bootstrap free forever.
Pick Zoho Recruit if you already live in Zoho.
Pick OpenCATS if you want self-hosted open source and can run hosting yourself.
You keep unlimited jobs and members on a permanent free plan, with a ranked shortlist on day one. Breezy Bootstrap and Zoho Forever Free cap active jobs. Pro is $50 when you outgrow 1,000 ranked candidates.
FAQ
What is the best free ATS in 2026
Curriculo ATS Starter for most teams that need unlimited jobs, unlimited members, and ranked shortlists on a permanent free plan. Dover, Breezy Bootstrap, and Zoho Forever Free fit narrower free limits.
Is there a free ATS with unlimited jobs
Yes. Curriculo ATS Starter and Dover's free ATS both advertise unlimited jobs on free. Breezy Bootstrap and Zoho Forever Free cap active jobs.
Best free ATS for recruiters
See the independent recruiter section above. Curriculo ATS, Giig Hire, HireCade, and KiteHR are the free plans compared with sources.
Does free mean a trial
No. This page only lists permanent free plans. Starter is free forever. There is no Curriculo trial.
How does free AI scoring work on Curriculo
Curriculo ATS scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against your job, with a written AI summary of the fit. Starter ranks up to 1,000 candidates.
Where do I see paid Pro
Curriculo pricing. Pro is $50 with 10,000 ranked candidates.
Related pages
- Best ATS for small business
- Dover comparison
- ATS for independent recruiters
- AI candidate ranking
- Curriculo pricing
- JazzHR alternatives
- Workable comparison
Ready to try Curriculo ATS? Start free.
Sources
- Curriculo pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- Dover pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- Breezy HR pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- Zoho Recruit pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- OpenCATS, checked Oct 5, 2026
- Giig Hire pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- HireCade pricing, checked Oct 5, 2026
- KiteHR, checked Oct 5, 2026