United States verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-08Greenhouse and Ashby remain the two-horse race for US tech mid-market. iCIMS is the entrenched US enterprise non-tech leader (Fortune 1000 retail, healthcare, manufacturing). Workday Recruiting is the default only inside the Workday HCM customer base (~10,000 US enterprises). Bullhorn is the dominant US staffing-agency choice. The 2026 wildcard: New York City Local Law 144, Illinois Article 21, and Colorado AI Act now require bias audits or candidate disclosure for any AI-driven screening or ranking, vendors that can produce a 4/5ths-rule audit report (Greenhouse, Ashby, iCIMS) hold an advantage over those that cannot.
Picks for United States
- US tech mid-market (50-2,000 employees): Greenhouse Dominant US tech mid-market choice. Strongest structured interview workflow. Integrations to LinkedIn Recruiter Seat-Based, Indeed, Calendly, Slack.
- Modern fast-growing US tech wanting one platform: Ashby Best built-in analytics. ATS + CRM + analytics combined. San Francisco-built, US-centric.
- US Fortune 1000 non-tech (retail, healthcare, manufacturing): iCIMS 4,000+ US enterprise brands. Strongest career site CMS. Deepest OFCCP/EEOC reporting.
- US Workday HCM customers: Workday Recruiting Native inside Workday HCM. Default for the ~10,000 US enterprises on Workday HCM.
- US staffing agencies and recruiting firms: Bullhorn Dominant US staffing-agency ATS. CRM-first design. ~10,000 US agency customers.
- US SMB at $99-$599/mo: Workable Subscription SMB ATS with US payroll-tax-aware integrations. Best for 10-200 employees.
- Cheapest credible US SMB (1-50 employees): JazzHR US-built, $49-$359/mo, EEOC reporting included. No frills.
How the applicant tracking systems (ats) market looks in United States
The US is the deepest ATS market in the world: it is the home market of every modern ATS leader (Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, Workable, JazzHR, iCIMS, Bullhorn) and the largest single market for SmartRecruiters and Workday Recruiting. Buyers face the reverse problem of most countries, too many credible options. The category split is sharp: engineering-led mid-market (50-2,000 employees) is a Greenhouse vs. Ashby decision; Fortune 1000 non-tech is iCIMS or Workday Recruiting; staffing agencies are Bullhorn; SMB is Workable or JazzHR.
The 2026 regulatory shift is the most important variable. New York City Local Law 144 (effective 2023) requires annual bias audits of automated employment decision tools used on NYC candidates. Illinois Article 21 / HB 3773 (effective 2026-01-01) requires disclosure when AI is used in employment decisions. Colorado AI Act (effective 2026-02-01) requires impact assessments for "high-risk" AI systems including hiring. Vendors that can produce a 4/5ths-rule audit report (Greenhouse, Ashby, iCIMS) hold an advantage over vendors that cannot. Federal OFCCP rules continue to apply to federal contractors regardless of state residency of candidates.
EEOC reporting (EEO-1 categories) is table-stakes, every product in this ranking supports it. OFCCP reporting (federal contractors) is well-supported by Greenhouse, iCIMS, and Workday Recruiting; thinner in Workable and JazzHR. Ban-the-box laws now apply in 37+ states and 150+ cities, Greenhouse, Ashby, and iCIMS can configure question gating by jurisdiction; Workable and JazzHR are weaker. NYC Local Law 144 requires annual bias audits when automated tools are used on NYC candidates; Illinois Article 21 (effective 2026-01-01) requires AI-use disclosure to candidates; Colorado AI Act (effective 2026-02-01) requires impact assessments. ADA accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA) audited on Greenhouse, Ashby, iCIMS career sites; thinner audit history elsewhere.
Quick comparison, ranked for United States
| Product | Best for | Starts at | 10-emp/mo* | Pricing | G2 | Geo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Greenhouse | Tech-forward mid-market and lower enterprise | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 2 Ashby | Fast-growing tech companies | Quote | - | 4.7 | Global; strongest in US, growing EU and UK | |
| 5 iCIMS | Enterprise non-tech | Quote | - | 4.1 | Global; strongest in US enterprise | |
| 4 Workday Recruiting | Enterprise on Workday HCM | Quote | - | 4.0 | Global; enterprise-grade | |
| 7 Bullhorn | Staffing agencies and recruiting firms | Quote | - | 4.0 | Global; strongest in US, UK, AU | |
| 3 Lever | Mid-sized tech companies | Quote | - | 4.3 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK, Canada | |
| 6 SmartRecruiters | European and global enterprises | Quote | - | 4.3 | Global; strongest in EMEA, growing US | |
| 8 Workable | SMBs hiring 5-50 roles/year | $99 | $99 | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 10 JazzHR | Very small companies | $49 | $49 | 4.4 | Primarily US; growing international | |
| 9 Recruitee | European SMBs | $199 | $199 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in EU, UK |
*10-employee monthly cost = base fee + (per-employee × 10) using the lowest published tier. For opaque-pricing vendors, no value is shown.
What buyers in United States actually pay
Median annual deal size by employee band, in USD. Crowdsourced from anonymized buyer disclosures.
| Product | Employee band | Median annual (USD) | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | 50-200 employees | $9,600 | 124 | Essential tier; mid-market typical |
| Greenhouse | 200-1,000 employees | $22,000 | 98 | Advanced tier |
| Ashby | 20-200 employees | $12,000 | 67 | Per-seat scaling |
| iCIMS | 5,000+ employees | $180,000 | 41 | Enterprise SAAS license |
| Workable | 10-50 employees | $3,588 | 89 | Standard plan |
| Bullhorn | Staffing agency, 10-50 recruiters | $18,000 | 34 | Per-seat staffing pricing |
United States-built or United States-strong vendors worth knowing
Not yet ranked in our global top 10, but credible options for United States buyers and worth a shortlist.
BreezyHR
Visit ↗US-built SMB ATS at $189-$529/mo. Strong drag-and-drop pipeline UX. Best fit for 10-100 employee non-tech SMB.
Crelate
Visit ↗US staffing-firm ATS + CRM. Direct Bullhorn alternative at lower price. ~3,000 US staffing customers.
Loxo
Visit ↗US recruiting CRM + ATS hybrid built for executive search and high-touch sourcing. AI sourcing strong.
Pinpoint
Visit ↗UK-built but increasingly used by US 50-500 employee companies wanting a Greenhouse alternative at lower price.
All 10, ranked for United States
Same intelligence as the global ranking, vendor trust, review patterns, verified pricing, compliance, reordered for the United States market.
Greenhouse
Modern ATS market leader for modern mid-market.
Greenhouse is the modern ATS market leader for engineering-led mid-market companies (50-2,000 employees). The product's strengths: strongest structured interview workflow (interview kits, scorecards, kickoffs), deepest integration ecosystem (450+ integrations), and a strong content/education brand. Trade-offs: pricing has escalated post-TPG acquisition (2020), customer support quality has declined consistently, and pricing remains call-for-quote with reported costs of $7K-$50K+/year.
Tech-forward mid-market companies (50-2,000 employees) wanting structured interview workflow and broad integration ecosystem.
Workday HCM customers (Workday Recruiting better integration), staffing agencies (Bullhorn better fit), or budget-conscious SMBs (Workable/Recruitee cheaper).
Strengths
- Strongest structured interview workflow in category
- Deepest integration ecosystem (450+)
- Strong content/education brand (Greenhouse Open conference)
- Public Greenhouse Standard for structured hiring
- Works for tech-led mid-market (50-2,000 employees)
Weaknesses
- Pricing escalated post-TPG acquisition (2020)
- Customer support quality has declined consistently
- Call-for-quote pricing creates buyer friction
- Reporting depth thinner than Ashby
- AI features arrived late vs Ashby/Lever
Pricing tiers
opaque- EssentialStarts ~$7,000/year for small teamsQuote
- Advanced$12,000-$25,000/year typical mid-marketQuote
- Expert$25,000-$50,000+/year for advanced workflowsQuote
- · Implementation fee ($5K-$25K)
- · Annual price increases of 8-15%
- · Onboarding partner fees common
- · Premium add-ons (CRM, Recruit)
Key features
- +Structured interview kits and scorecards
- +Custom hiring plans per role
- +Career site CMS
- +Source tracking and analytics
- +Offer management
- +EEO/OFCCP reporting
- +450+ integrations
- +Greenhouse Recruit (CRM add-on)
Ashby
Modern all-in-one ATS + CRM + analytics with the best reporting.
Ashby is the fastest-growing modern ATS, founded 2018, raised $30M Series B in 2024. The product's strengths: best built-in analytics in category (no need for Tableau bolt-on), most opinionated all-in-one approach (ATS + CRM + analytics in one platform), and aggressive product velocity. Best fit for fast-growing tech companies (20-1,000 employees) wanting one platform instead of stitching tools. Trade-offs: smaller integration ecosystem than Greenhouse (~120 vs 450), per-seat pricing scales fast, and US-centric (weaker EU compliance depth than SmartRecruiters).
Fast-growing tech companies (20-1,000 employees) wanting modern UX, built-in analytics, and one platform instead of stitching ATS + CRM + analytics.
Enterprise non-tech (iCIMS better), Workday HCM customers (Workday Recruiting better fit), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better fit).
Strengths
- Best built-in analytics in category
- All-in-one ATS + CRM + analytics in one platform
- Aggressive product velocity (weekly releases)
- Made for fast-growing tech companies
- Founder-led, Series B
- Modern UX
Weaknesses
- Smaller integration ecosystem (~120 vs Greenhouse 450)
- Per-seat pricing scales fast
- US-centric (weaker EU compliance than SmartRecruiters)
- Less customizable workflows than Greenhouse Expert
- Newer product; some growing pains
Pricing tiers
semi-public- ProStarts ~$400/seat/year typicalQuote
- Plus$600-$800/seat/year mid-marketQuote
- EnterpriseCustom quoteQuote
- · Per-seat scaling adds up fast
- · Implementation fee ($2K-$10K)
- · Annual billing commitment
Key features
- +Built-in analytics dashboard
- +ATS + CRM + analytics combined
- +Structured interview kits
- +Career site CMS
- +Sourcing extension
- +Offer management
- +120+ integrations
- +AI sourcing
iCIMS
Enterprise ATS leader for non-tech organizations.
iCIMS is the enterprise ATS leader for non-tech organizations (10,000+ employees). The product's strengths: strongest career site CMS in category, deep enterprise feature set (text-to-apply, candidate experience workflows), and used by 4,000+ enterprise brands. Best fit for retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and government enterprises. Trade-offs: UX is enterprise-dated, implementation is heavy ($25K-$500K), per-employee pricing scales fast, and customer reports flag declining responsiveness post-Vista (acquired 2018).
Enterprise non-tech organizations (10,000+ employees), retail, healthcare, manufacturing, government, needing deep career site CMS and high-volume hiring workflows.
Tech-forward companies (Greenhouse/Ashby better), Workday HCM customers (Workday Recruiting better fit), or mid-market (overpriced).
Strengths
- Strongest career site CMS in category
- Deep enterprise feature set
- 4,000+ enterprise customers
- Fits retail, healthcare, manufacturing, government
- Text-to-apply, candidate experience workflows
Weaknesses
- UX enterprise-dated vs Greenhouse/Ashby
- Heavy implementation ($25K-$500K)
- Per-employee pricing scales fast
- Declining responsiveness post-Vista (2018)
- Innovation lagging vs Ashby
Pricing tiers
opaque- Talent CloudStarts ~$1,200-$2,400/year per 100 employeesQuote
- Talent Cloud + ModulesModules: Onboard, CRM, Video StudioQuote
- · Implementation fee ($25K-$500K)
- · Per-module add-ons
- · Annual price increases of 8-12%
Key features
- +Career site CMS (industry-leading)
- +Text-to-apply
- +Candidate experience workflows
- +High-volume hiring
- +EEO/OFCCP reporting
- +Onboarding module
- +450+ integrations
Workday Recruiting
Default ATS for Workday HCM customers.
Workday Recruiting is Workday's ATS module, sold as part of the Workday HCM suite. The product's primary advantage is native integration with Workday HCM (covered separately in our Top 10 HRIS ranking), for Workday customers, the Workday Recruiting decision is essentially default. Trade-offs: outside Workday ecosystem the product is significantly weaker, UX is dated, implementation costs are enterprise-scale ($50K-$500K), and customer reports flag rigidity vs modern ATS UX.
Enterprise (5,000+ employees) already on Workday HCM where single-source-of-truth integration trumps recruiter UX.
Anyone not on Workday HCM (Greenhouse/iCIMS/Ashby better), modern mid-market (Greenhouse/Ashby better), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- Native integration with Workday HCM
- Single source of truth for HR + recruiting data
- Enterprise compliance and security depth
- Right call for 5,000+ employee enterprises on Workday
- Established public company
Weaknesses
- Outside Workday ecosystem significantly weaker
- UX dated vs modern ATS
- Implementation costs enterprise-scale ($50K-$500K)
- Rigidity flagged in user reports
- Recruiter UX inferior to Greenhouse/Ashby
Pricing tiers
opaque- Workday RecruitingSold as part of Workday HCM suiteQuote
- · Implementation fees ($50K-$500K)
- · Bundled with Workday HCM
- · Annual price increases
Key features
- +Native Workday HCM integration
- +Career site CMS
- +Structured interview workflows
- +Source tracking
- +Offer management
- +EEO/OFCCP reporting
- +Enterprise compliance
Bullhorn
CRM-first ATS for staffing agencies and recruiting firms.
Bullhorn dominates the staffing agency and recruiting firm market with its CRM-first design. The product's strengths: optimized for high-volume placement workflows, integrated CRM for tracking client + candidate relationships, and used by 10,000+ staffing firms globally. Best fit for staffing agencies, executive search firms, and RPOs. Trade-offs: poorly suited for in-house corporate hiring (Greenhouse/iCIMS better), UX dated, and pricing meaningful at agency scale.
Staffing agencies, recruiting firms, executive search, RPOs (5-500 recruiters) needing CRM-first ATS optimized for high-volume placement workflows.
Corporate in-house hiring (Greenhouse/iCIMS/Ashby better), tech-forward companies (Greenhouse/Ashby better), or budget-conscious solo recruiters (Workable/JazzHR cheaper).
Strengths
- CRM-first design optimized for staffing
- High-volume placement workflows
- 10,000+ staffing firms
- Integrated CRM for client + candidate relationships
- Best for agencies, executive search, RPOs
Weaknesses
- Poorly suited for corporate in-house hiring
- UX dated vs modern ATS
- Pricing meaningful at scale
- Uneven support quality
- Innovation pace slower than Ashby/Greenhouse
Pricing tiers
opaque- Bullhorn ATS/CRM~$99-$199/recruiter/monthQuote
- Bullhorn Enterprise$200+/recruiter/monthQuote
- · Implementation fee ($5K-$50K)
- · Per-recruiter scaling adds up
- · Annual price increases
Key features
- +CRM-first design
- +High-volume placement workflows
- +Client + candidate tracking
- +Email integration
- +Mobile apps
- +EEO/OFCCP reporting
- +300+ integrations
Lever
Modern ATS UX, stagnated post-Employ acquisition.
Lever was the modern ATS challenger to Greenhouse from 2012-2022. Acquired by Employ Inc. (parent of Jobvite, JazzHR) in 2022. Post-acquisition product velocity has slowed and customer reports indicate stagnation. The product's strengths: still-modern UX, native CRM (Lever Nurture), and lower price point than Greenhouse. Trade-offs: post-Employ stagnation flagged consistently, customer support quality has declined, and many former Lever customers are migrating to Ashby or Greenhouse.
Mid-sized tech companies (100-500 employees) wanting modern ATS at lower cost than Greenhouse, willing to accept slower product velocity.
Fast-growing companies prioritizing innovation (Ashby better), enterprise (Greenhouse/iCIMS better), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- Modern ATS UX (still credible)
- Native CRM (Lever Nurture)
- Lower price point than Greenhouse ($5K-$25K)
- Best for 100-500 employee tech companies
- Established brand with 1,500+ customers
Weaknesses
- Post-Employ acquisition stagnation
- Product velocity has slowed
- Customer support quality declined
- Migration churn to Ashby/Greenhouse
- Innovation lagging vs Ashby
Pricing tiers
opaque- LeverTRMStarts ~$5,000/year for small teamsQuote
- LeverTRM Pro$10K-$25K/year mid-marketQuote
- EnterpriseCustom quoteQuote
- · Implementation fee ($3K-$15K)
- · Annual price increases of 5-12%
- · Lever Nurture (CRM) bundled at higher tier
Key features
- +ATS + CRM combo (Lever Nurture)
- +Structured interview kits
- +Custom dashboards
- +Career site CMS
- +Source tracking
- +EEO/OFCCP reporting
- +300+ integrations
SmartRecruiters
European enterprise ATS leader.
SmartRecruiters is the European enterprise ATS leader with 4,000+ customers across EMEA. The product's strengths: strong multi-language support (40+ languages), deep EU compliance (GDPR-native), and integrated marketplace for sourcing. Best fit for European enterprises and global companies with EU operations. Trade-offs: less penetration in US enterprise vs iCIMS, Support inconsistency reported, and pricing call-for-quote with reported costs of $20K-$200K/year.
European enterprises and global companies with significant EU operations needing multi-language support and GDPR-native compliance.
US-only tech companies (Greenhouse/Ashby better), Workday HCM customers (Workday Recruiting better fit), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- European market leader (4,000+ customers)
- Strong multi-language support (40+ languages)
- GDPR-native compliance
- Integrated sourcing marketplace
- Built for EMEA enterprises
Weaknesses
- Less penetration in US enterprise
- Support response times vary
- Call-for-quote pricing creates friction
- UX less modern than Ashby/Greenhouse
- Innovation pace slower than US peers
Pricing tiers
opaque- Smart$20K-$60K/year typical mid-marketQuote
- Smart Plus$60K-$200K/year enterpriseQuote
- EnterpriseCustom quoteQuote
- · Implementation fee ($15K-$100K)
- · Annual price increases of 6-10%
- · Marketplace add-ons
Key features
- +Multi-language support (40+)
- +GDPR-native compliance
- +Career site CMS
- +Sourcing marketplace
- +Structured interview workflows
- +Offer management
- +350+ integrations
Workable
SMB ATS at $99-$599/month with built-in job board posting.
Workable is the strongest SMB ATS at the $99-$599/month tier. The product's strengths: subscription pricing (no per-seat scaling), built-in job board posting (200+ boards), AI-powered sourcing, and a clean modern UX. Best fit for SMBs (10-200 employees) hiring 5-50 roles per year. Trade-offs: feature depth limited vs Greenhouse, Support depends on tier, and pricing has crept up over 2024-2025.
SMBs (10-200 employees) hiring 5-50 roles per year, wanting subscription pricing and built-in job board posting.
Tech-forward mid-market (Greenhouse/Ashby better), enterprise (iCIMS/Workday Recruiting better), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- Subscription pricing (no per-seat scaling at low tiers)
- Built-in job board posting (200+ boards)
- AI-powered sourcing
- Clean modern UX
- Fits 10-200 employee SMBs
Weaknesses
- Feature depth limited vs Greenhouse
- Support inconsistency reported
- Pricing crept up over 2024-2025
- Reporting depth basic
- Per-job posting limits on lower tiers
Pricing tiers
public- Starter2 jobs, 1 user; basic ATS$99 /mo
- StandardUnlimited jobs, 5 users; AI sourcing$299 /mo
- PremierUnlimited jobs, advanced reporting, dedicated CSM$599 /mo
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Per-job posting limits on Starter
- · AI sourcing add-on costs
Key features
- +Built-in job board posting (200+)
- +AI-powered sourcing
- +Career site CMS
- +Structured interview workflows
- +Offer management
- +Mobile apps
- +70+ integrations
JazzHR
Cheapest credible SMB ATS at $49-$359/month.
JazzHR is the cheapest credible SMB ATS, owned by Employ Inc. (parent of Lever, Jobvite). The product's strengths: lowest pricing in category at $49-$359/month, simple subscription model, and strong fit for very small companies (1-50 employees). Trade-offs: feature depth limited vs Workable, post-Employ stagnation similar to Lever, and Support response times vary.
Very small companies (1-50 employees) hiring 2-20 roles per year, wanting the cheapest credible SMB ATS.
Tech-forward mid-market (Greenhouse/Ashby better), enterprise (iCIMS/Workday Recruiting better), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- Lowest pricing in category ($49-$359/mo)
- Simple subscription model
- Built for 1-50 employee companies
- Subscription pricing (no per-seat)
- Built-in job board posting
Weaknesses
- Feature depth limited vs Workable
- Post-Employ stagnation
- Support is hit-or-miss
- AI features absent
- Reporting depth basic
Pricing tiers
public- Hero3 jobs, basic ATS$49 /mo
- PlusUnlimited jobs, custom workflows$229 /mo
- ProCustom reporting, e-signature$359 /mo
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Per-job limits on Hero
- · Add-ons for advanced features
Key features
- +Built-in job board posting
- +Career site CMS
- +Structured interview workflows
- +Offer management
- +E-signature (Pro)
- +50+ integrations
Recruitee
European-built SMB ATS with strong multi-language.
Recruitee is the European-built SMB ATS, founded 2015 in Amsterdam, acquired by Tellent (formerly Recruit Holdings) in 2022. The product's strengths: strong multi-language support, GDPR-native compliance, clean UX, and SMB-friendly pricing. Best fit for European SMBs (10-200 employees) wanting an EU-anchored alternative to US ATS. Trade-offs: less penetration in US, integration ecosystem narrower (~80), and post-Tellent acquisition some product velocity has slowed.
European SMBs (10-200 employees) wanting EU-anchored ATS with GDPR-native compliance and multi-language support.
US-only companies (Workable/Greenhouse better), enterprise (SmartRecruiters/iCIMS better), or staffing agencies (Bullhorn better).
Strengths
- Strong multi-language support (16+ languages)
- GDPR-native compliance
- Clean modern UX
- SMB-friendly subscription pricing
- Works for European SMBs
Weaknesses
- Less penetration in US
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~80)
- Post-Tellent acquisition product velocity slowed
- Reporting depth thinner than Greenhouse
- AI features less mature than Ashby
Pricing tiers
public- Start5 jobs, basic ATS$199 /mo
- GrowUnlimited jobs, advanced workflows$299 /mo
- OptimizeCustom quote; advanced reporting, SSOQuote
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Per-job limits on Start tier
Key features
- +Multi-language support (16+)
- +GDPR-native compliance
- +Career site CMS
- +Structured interview workflows
- +Offer management
- +80+ integrations
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask before they sign.
Which ATS is best for staying compliant with NYC Local Law 144 and Illinois Article 21?
Does my US ATS need OFCCP reporting?
How does pay transparency affect ATS choice in 2026?
Greenhouse vs Ashby, which one for tech mid-market?
How does this differ from your HRIS ranking?
How much should I budget for ATS?
How long does ATS implementation take?
What about AI in ATS in 2026?
Can I evaluate ATS via free trial?
Will my ATS integrate with my HRIS?
How does this overlap with sales-engagement and recruiting CRM?
Final word
Looking at a different market? See the global Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) ranking, or pick another country at the top of this page.
Last updated 2026-05-08. Local pricing reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.