Side by side
| ATS | Recruiting CRM | HRIS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manages | Applicants and candidates in process | Prospects who have not applied | Employees |
| Starts when | Someone applies or is referred | You find someone you would like to hire | The offer is signed |
| Core objects | Jobs, stages, interviews, scorecards, offers | Talent pools, sequences, campaigns | Employee records, contracts, leave, payroll |
| Used by | Founders, hiring managers, recruiters, interviewers | Sourcers and recruiters | HR, finance, every employee |
| Examples | Evander, Ashby, Greenhouse, Workable, Lever | Gem; CRM modules in Ashby and Lever | BambooHR, Personio, Rippling |
Where they overlap
- ATS with CRM. Ashby, Lever and Gem combine both. Useful when recruiters source many of the hires.
- HRIS with ATS. BambooHR, Personio and Rippling include a hiring module. It covers a simple pipeline; dedicated ATS products go deeper on screening, scheduling and automation.
- ATS to HRIS handover. When a candidate is hired, the ATS passes the name, role, start date and salary to the HRIS so nobody types it twice.
Which to buy first
| Company | Usually needs |
|---|---|
| Under 15 people | An ATS, often on a free plan. Payroll runs in a payroll tool. |
| 15–50 | ATS plus an HRIS for records, leave and onboarding. |
| 50–200, hiring fast | ATS, HRIS, and a CRM if a sourcing team approaches most hires. |
Evander is an ATS. It covers applications, screening, interviews and offers, and stops at the signed offer.
Questions
What is the difference between an ATS and a CRM in recruiting?
An ATS tracks people who applied or were referred through a hiring process. A recruiting CRM tracks people you want to approach before they apply, with outreach sequences and talent pools.
What is the difference between an ATS and an HRIS?
An ATS manages candidates until the offer is signed. An HRIS manages employees afterwards: records, contracts, payroll and time off.
Do I need both an ATS and an HRIS?
Under about 15 people an ATS and a payroll tool are enough. From roughly 15–50 employees most companies add an HRIS. The ATS hands new hires over to it.
Is BambooHR an ATS?
BambooHR is an HRIS that includes an applicant tracking module on every plan, with open jobs capped at 5, 25 or 50 depending on the plan.