Best ATS for Startups: 7 Affordable Options for Growing Teams (2025)

Startups have a hiring paradox: you need great people to grow, but you can't afford enterprise recruiting tools that cost more than your entire tech stack. You're stuck choosing between expensive platforms designed for Fortune 500 companies or cobbling together Google Forms and spreadsheets.

There's a better way.

The best ATS for startups in 2025 combines professional features with startup-friendly pricing—typically $19-99/month instead of $500+. These tools are designed to grow with you: simple enough for your first hire, powerful enough when you're scaling to 100 employees.

This guide compares the 7 best applicant tracking systems specifically for startups, with honest pricing, setup times, and recommendations based on your stage and hiring volume.

TL;DR: For early-stage startups (seed to Series A), JuggleHire offers the best value at $19/month. For well-funded startups (Series B+) ready to build recruiting infrastructure, Greenhouse or Ashby provide enterprise features with startup-friendly support.

#Why Startups Need Different ATS Than Enterprises

Enterprise ATS platforms like Taleo, iCIMS, or Oracle are built for companies making thousands of hires per year. They include features startups don't need (compliance dashboards for 50+ countries, integration with legacy HRIS systems) and skip features startups do need (quick setup, founder-friendly workflows).

#What Startups Actually Need

#Signs You've Outgrown Spreadsheets

If any of these sound familiar, you need an ATS:

• You're losing track of where candidates are in your process
• Multiple team members are emailing the same candidate different things
• You can't remember which candidates you've already interviewed
• Candidates are falling through the cracks
• Your hiring process takes longer than your competitors'

Related: What is an Applicant Tracking System?

#7 Best ATS for Startups (2025)

#Quick Comparison

#1. JuggleHire — Best for Early-Stage Startups

JuggleHire is built specifically for startups and small businesses that are upgrading from spreadsheets or Google Forms. It's the simplest ATS on the market, with a learning curve of about 10 minutes.

#Why It's Perfect for Startups

You can start for $19/month—less than a team lunch. There are no annual contracts, no setup fees, and no hidden costs. When you grow, pricing scales reasonably.

The interface is designed for founders and hiring managers who aren't HR professionals. If you can use Gmail, you can use JuggleHire.

#Key Features

• Visual Kanban pipeline: See all candidates at a glance, drag-and-drop between stages
• Custom career pages: Professional careers site in minutes (supports custom domains)
• Team collaboration: Invite team members, leave notes, share evaluations
• Interview scheduling: Calendar integration with timezone support
• Email templates: Pre-built templates for every hiring stage
• Mobile-friendly: Full functionality on any device

#Pricing

14-day free trial available—no credit card required.

#Best For

Pre-seed to Series A startups making their first 1-50 hires who want simplicity over feature bloat.

Try JuggleHire Free →

#2. Ashby — Best for Data-Driven Startups

Ashby is the darling of well-funded startups who want deep analytics from day one. It's newer to the market but has quickly become popular with Series A+ companies.

#Why It's Great for Startups

Ashby was built by people who used (and got frustrated with) enterprise ATS at fast-growing startups. The analytics are exceptional—you can track anything and build custom reports without engineering help.

#Key Features

• Custom analytics: Build any hiring report you need
• Pipeline optimization: Identify exactly where candidates drop off
• Scheduling automation: Advanced calendar coordination
• Structured interviews: Built-in scorecards and feedback
• API-first: Easy to integrate with your existing tools

#Pricing

• Starting at $300/month
• Custom pricing for larger teams

#Best For

Series A to Series C startups with 50+ employees who want to build a data-driven recruiting function.

#3. Greenhouse — Industry Standard for Scaling

Greenhouse is what most startups "graduate" to when they reach Series B and need a more robust recruiting infrastructure. It's the most widely used ATS among well-funded tech companies.

#Why It's Great for Startups

Greenhouse has the most integrations (400+), the most structured hiring features, and the best reputation with candidates and recruiters. When you eventually hire professional recruiters, they'll already know how to use it.

#Key Features

• Structured hiring: Industry-leading interview kits and scorecards
• Extensive integrations: Connects with virtually any HR tool
• Compliance features: EEOC, GDPR, and global compliance built-in
• Advanced reporting: Deep analytics for recruiting teams
• Candidate experience: Best-in-class application flow

#Pricing

• Starting at $6,000/year
• Custom pricing based on company size and needs

#Best For

Series B+ startups building a professional recruiting team and hiring 50+ people per year.

#4. Lever — Best CRM + ATS Combination

Lever combines applicant tracking with candidate relationship management (CRM), making it ideal for startups that want to build talent pipelines before they have open roles.

#Why It's Great for Startups

Most ATS tools only track active applicants. Lever also helps you nurture passive candidates—people who might be great hires in 6 months. This is valuable for startups building relationships in competitive talent markets.

#Key Features

• Unified CRM + ATS: One platform for all candidate relationships
• Nurture campaigns: Automated email sequences
• Visual pipeline: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• Diversity insights: Track DEI metrics
• Referral management: Built-in employee referral tools

#Pricing

• Custom pricing (typically $3,000-10,000/year for startups)

#Best For

Series A+ startups in competitive markets who want to build long-term talent relationships.

#5. Workable — Best AI-Powered Hiring

Workable uses AI to help startups find candidates faster, with automated sourcing and smart recommendations that save hours of manual searching.

#Why It's Great for Startups

Workable's AI can source candidates from 200+ sites automatically. For startups without dedicated recruiters, this automation is invaluable—it's like having a sourcing assistant for a fraction of the cost.

#Key Features

• AI Recruiter: Automatically finds and ranks candidates
• One-click posting: Post to 200+ job boards instantly
• Video interviews: Built-in live and async video
• Mobile app: Full-featured iOS and Android apps
• Assessment tools: Skills tests and evaluations

#Pricing

#Best For

Seed to Series B startups who want AI to accelerate sourcing without hiring dedicated recruiters.

Related: Workable Alternatives

#6. BreezyHR — Best for Video-First Hiring

BreezyHR includes video interviewing natively, making it ideal for remote-first startups who conduct most interviews via video.

#Why It's Great for Startups

Most ATS tools require you to pay separately for video interview software (Zoom, HireVue, etc.). BreezyHR includes this built-in, which can save $100+/month on additional tools.

#Key Features

• Built-in video: Live and async video interviews included
• Visual pipeline: Beautiful Kanban board interface
• Automation: Trigger actions based on candidate stage
• Career site builder: Create branded pages without code
• Affordable pricing: Lower than most competitors

#Pricing

#Best For

Remote-first startups who want video interviewing without additional tools.

Related: BreezyHR Alternatives

#7. JazzHR — Best Budget Option

JazzHR provides solid ATS fundamentals at the lowest price point among full-featured options—great for bootstrapped startups watching every dollar.

#Why It's Great for Startups

At $75/month, JazzHR costs less than most competitors while still providing real ATS functionality. It's not as pretty or powerful as alternatives, but it gets the job done for budget-conscious teams.

#Key Features

• Affordable pricing: Lowest cost full-featured ATS
• Job syndication: Post to multiple boards
• Candidate management: Basic pipeline tracking
• Interview scheduling: Simple calendar tools
• Custom workflows: Adapt to your process

#Pricing

#Best For

Bootstrapped startups who need real ATS features on a minimal budget.

Related: JazzHR Alternatives

#How to Choose the Right ATS for Your Startup

#By Funding Stage

#By Hiring Volume

#By Team Expertise

#Startup Hiring Best Practices

Having the right ATS is only part of the equation. Here's what high-growth startups do differently:

#1. Move Fast

Top candidates get multiple offers. Your hiring process should take days, not weeks:

• First response within 24 hours
• Complete process in 1-2 weeks
• Decision within 48 hours of final interview

#2. Sell the Opportunity

Startups can't compete on salary alone. Emphasize:

• Equity and growth potential
• Impact and ownership
• Learning opportunities
• Team and culture

#3. Standardize Early

Even with just 2-3 hires, use structured interviews:

• Same questions for all candidates
• Clear evaluation criteria
• Multiple interviewers when possible

#4. Track Your Metrics

Know your numbers from day one:

• Time to hire
• Source effectiveness
• Conversion rates by stage
• Offer acceptance rate

Related Reading:

• 8 Hiring Strategies for Small Businesses
• How to Reduce Cost Per Hire
• Remote Hiring Tips

#Frequently Asked Questions

#What's the best free ATS for startups?

JuggleHire offers a 14-day free trial. For permanently free options, BreezyHR has a free Bootstrap plan (very limited) and Zoho Recruit offers a free tier. However, free ATS tools typically have significant limitations—most startups find $19-75/month well worth the investment.

#When should a startup switch from spreadsheets to ATS?

Switch when you're:

• Hiring more than 2-3 people per quarter
• Multiple people involved in hiring decisions
• Losing track of candidate status
• Missing follow-ups with candidates
• Taking too long to fill roles

#How much should a startup spend on ATS?

Budget 0.5-2% of your first-year salary for a role on recruiting tools. For a $100K hire, that's $500-2,000/year. Most early-stage startups do well with $200-600/year ($19-50/month).

#Can I migrate from one ATS to another?

Yes, most ATS tools allow you to export candidate data. The bigger challenge is re-training your team and updating your workflows. Choose an ATS you can grow into for 2-3 years to minimize switching costs.

#What's the difference between ATS and recruiting software?

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) specifically tracks candidates through your hiring pipeline. "Recruiting software" is a broader term that might include sourcing tools, CRMs, assessment platforms, etc. For most startups, a good ATS is all you need.

#Conclusion

The best ATS for startups balances features with simplicity and enterprise power with startup-friendly pricing. You shouldn't need a 6-month implementation or $10K/year budget to hire your first employees.

Our recommendations:

• Early-stage (Pre-seed to Series A): JuggleHire at $19/month—simple, affordable, grows with you
• Growth-stage (Series A to B): Ashby or Workable—more analytics and automation
• Scale-stage (Series B+): Greenhouse or Lever—enterprise features for professional recruiting teams

Ready to upgrade from spreadsheets? Try JuggleHire free for 14 days—no credit card required, setup takes 10 minutes.

#More Startup Hiring Resources

• Best Applicant Tracking Systems for Small Businesses
• Free Applicant Tracking Systems
• Google Forms for Job Applications: Why It Fails
• Best Recruitment Software for Small Businesses
• Remote Hiring Software: Complete Guide