Last updated: October 2026. Written by the Curriculo team.
Dover pairs a free ATS with a paid recruiter marketplace. Curriculo ATS is software-first: Starter free forever, unlimited jobs and members, 1,000 candidates ranked, and Curriculo supports 200+ languages and can read a resume in any language. Pick Dover for marketplace hours. Pick Curriculo for scored shortlists on the free plan.
A side-by-side comparison of two recruiting platforms: one a free ATS with a paid recruiter marketplace, one AI-screening-first with flat published pricing. Updated October 2026.
Comparison table (as of Oct 2026)
| Feature | Curriculo ATS | Dover | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Recruiters and small teams that want scored shortlists | Startups that want free tracking plus outsourced sourcing | Product positioning |
| Starting price | Free Starter; Pro $50 | Free ATS; marketplace recruiters set their own rates on Dover pricing | Curriculo pricing; Dover product materials |
| Free plan | Unlimited jobs and members, 1,000 ranked candidates | Unlimited jobs and seats, permanent | Same |
| Per seat fees | No per-seat fees on any plan | None on the ATS | Same |
| AI screening | 0 to 100 Impact Score plus written AI summary | AI applicant sorting | Same |
| Setup time | About 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes plus onboarding call | Same |
| Human recruiter marketplace | No | Yes, fractional recruiter marketplace | Same |
| Resume languages | Curriculo supports 200+ languages and can read a resume in any language. | English only on Dover materials | Same |
| Auth and mail | Sign in with Google or Microsoft; Gmail and Microsoft 365 | Built around Gmail and Google Workspace | Same |
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.
What is Dover
Dover is a recruiting platform that pairs a free applicant tracking system with a paid human-recruiter marketplace. The free ATS carries unlimited jobs, unlimited seats, AI applicant sorting, and connections to a large set of job boards, with white-glove onboarding for eligible startups. It runs on Gmail and Google Workspace and integrates with Slack and calendars, so teams already inside Google get going fast.
The money comes from the marketplace. When you need sourcing or screening done by a person, Dover connects you with fractional recruiters who set their own hourly rates, rates set by each recruiter on Dover pricing, with no placement fees. Total cost per hire swings widely depending on the role. The free software is the front door; the recruiter hours are the business.
What is Curriculo ATS, and how it differs from Dover
Curriculo ATS is a recruiter-side applicant tracking system for independent recruiters and small teams. Curriculo ATS scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against your job, with a written AI summary of the fit. Starter is free forever with unlimited jobs and members, and 1,000 ranked candidates. Pro is $50 with 10,000 ranked candidates. No per-seat fees on any plan.
Curriculo supports 200+ languages and can read a resume in any language. That matters if you hire across borders. Dover's resume parsing is English-only on materials checked for this page.
Curriculo also includes Gmail and Microsoft 365 work mailboxes, Google Calendar, CSV and bulk resume imports, drip campaigns on Starter, WhatsApp automated calling, Candidate Network access to 10,000+ pre-structured profiles from the Curriculo resume builder, six agents (calendar, email, daily briefing, chief of staff, resume screening, recruiting), AI Interview Taker, Works with Slack through MCP, and API access. Set up in about 15 minutes. No credit card.
Dover vs Curriculo ATS feature breakdown
Free plan and pricing model
Both publish a permanent free ATS lane. Dover's free plan is the front door to a paid recruiter marketplace. Curriculo's free Starter is the product: unlimited jobs, unlimited members, and 1,000 ranked candidates, with Pro is $50 when you need more ranked volume. There is no marketplace upsell inside Curriculo.
AI screening depth
Curriculo ATS scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against your job, with a written AI summary of the fit. Dover offers AI applicant sorting that recruiters often describe as basic relative to a scored shortlist. If ranking quality is the job, Curriculo is the deeper screening product of the two.
Sourcing and recruiter support
Dover wins when you want to buy fractional recruiter hours inside the same product story. Curriculo wins when your own team (or your agency bench) will run sourcing, and you need scored shortlists, drip campaigns on Starter, and Candidate Network profiles without buying marketplace hours.
Setup and stack fit
Dover is fastest if you already live in Google Workspace. Curriculo supports Sign in with Google or Microsoft, Gmail and Microsoft 365 work mailboxes, and Google Calendar, so non-Google teams are not locked out. Set up in about 15 minutes. No credit card.
Dover for agencies and independent recruiters
Independent and fractional recruiters often land on Dover because the ATS is free. The catch is that Dover's growth story is marketplace hours sold to startups, not a recruiter-owned desk that runs client searches day after day.
Curriculo is built for that desk. You get unlimited jobs and members on free forever Starter, ranked shortlists for every open search, and no marketplace take rate on your own placements. Candidate Network access to 10,000+ pre-structured profiles from the Curriculo resume builder Drip campaigns on Starter help you nurture pools between client briefs. WhatsApp automated calling and AI Interview Taker cover high-volume screens without buying Dover marketplace hours.
If you are a fractional recruiter who wants software you own, and you do not need Dover's marketplace to fill seats, Curriculo is the clearer fit. If your clients specifically want Dover's marketplace recruiters, stay on Dover for that motion and keep Curriculo for the searches you run yourself.
When Dover still wins
Choose Dover when your hiring plan depends on buying fractional recruiter hours from Dover's marketplace, and the free ATS is mainly the place those recruiters work. Choose Curriculo when you (or your agency) will run the search yourself and need ranked shortlists without a marketplace take rate. Both can be free at the software layer. The difference is whether marketplace hours are the product you are actually buying.
Who should choose Dover
Pick Dover if you want a free ATS plus the option to buy fractional recruiter hours from Dover's marketplace, and your team already lives in Google Workspace. Dover fits small teams who would rather outsource sourcing than run scored shortlists in-house.
Who should choose Curriculo ATS over Dover
You get a ranked shortlist on day one with no marketplace upsell, plus free forever Starter with unlimited jobs and members. Curriculo supports 200+ languages and can read a resume in any language. Choose Curriculo when scored shortlists and multi-language resume reading matter more than buying Dover marketplace hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dover's ATS really free
Yes. Dover's applicant tracking system is permanently free with unlimited jobs and seats, not a time-limited trial. Dover earns revenue from its separate paid recruiter marketplace, where marketplace recruiters set their own rates on Dover pricing.
How much does Dover cost per hire
There is no flat software fee for the free ATS. Cost depends on how much recruiter time you buy, since recruiters set their own hourly rates and total cost per hire varies by role. If you only use the free ATS and do your own sourcing, the software itself costs nothing.
Does Dover screen resumes in languages other than English
No. Dover's resume parsing is English-only on materials checked for this page. Curriculo supports 200+ languages and can read a resume in any language.
How good is Dover's AI screening
Dover offers AI applicant sorting, and recruiters often describe resume screening as basic. Curriculo ATS leads with Impact Scoring that ranks applicants 0 to 100 on role fit, with a written AI summary of the fit.
Do I need Google Workspace to use Dover
Effectively, yes for the smoothest path. Dover is built around Gmail and Google Workspace. Curriculo ATS does not require Google Workspace; Sign in with Google or Microsoft is supported.
Where is AI candidate ranking
Is there a free ATS roundup
Yes. Best free ATS.
Related pages
- Best free ATS
- Greenhouse alternatives
- Ashby comparison
- Workable comparison
- AI candidate ranking
- Curriculo pricing
- Agencies and independent recruiters
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Sources
- Dover product materials and marketplace positioning, checked Oct 6, 2026
- Curriculo pricing, checked Oct 6, 2026
- Best free ATS