The short list by situation
| Your situation | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First hires, no budget | Dover, Evander, Zoho Recruit | All three have a free plan. Dover's is unlimited; Evander's includes AI screening for 50 applicants a month; Zoho's allows one active job per recruiter. |
| Funded startup, want the standard choice | Ashby | ATS, CRM, scheduling and the deepest analytics in one product. From $300 a month for 1–10 employees. |
| Too many applicants, no recruiter | Evander, Kula, Ashby | All three score applicants with AI. Evander includes it in every plan, Kula includes it unmetered on an annual contract, Ashby meters it by credits. |
| You mostly source candidates | Gem, Dover | Gem has sourcing agents and a CRM; Dover adds fractional recruiters. |
| Many roles, job boards matter | Workable, Breezy HR | Broad job-board distribution; Breezy has flat pricing with unlimited users and positions. |
| You want HR and hiring in one tool | BambooHR | An HR system with applicant tracking included, from $250 a month for 25 or fewer employees. |
| You run hiring from Claude or ChatGPT | Evander, Ashby, Dover, Workable | All have an official MCP server. See which ATS products have an MCP server. |
| You will be 500+ people soon | Greenhouse, Ashby | Built for recruiting teams, approvals and procurement. |
Nine startup ATS products side by side
Prices are list prices from each vendor's website on November 11, 2026.
| Product | Starting price | Free plan | AI | Official MCP server |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashby | From $300/month | No | AI-assisted application review, metered by credits (1,500 a month on Foundations); AI Notetaker is a paid add-on | Yes, open beta since June 29, 2026, on all plans |
| Dover | Free, Premium $199/month | Yes: unlimited users, jobs and candidates | AI job descriptions and interview questions on Free; AI resume review (applicant scoring) and AI notetaker on Premium | Yes; a monthly request allowance on Free, unlimited on Premium |
| Evander | Free, then from $79/month | Yes: unlimited jobs and teammates, 50 AI resume scorings a month | Every applicant scored against a written brief, with the evidence for each requirement. 500 scorings a month on Startup | Yes. Every action in the app is a tool; sensitive actions wait for a person's approval |
| Workable | From $299/month | No | Screening, sourcing and engagement agents metered by credits (3,000 included; 5,000 more for $600) | Yes, on all plans |
| Gem | Custom; startup program | No (six months free under 30 employees) | Sourcing agents, ranking and AI application review on the AI-powered seat | Yes (GeMCP) |
| Kula | From $5,120/year | No | AI scoring, notetaker, writing assistant and scheduling included with unlimited usage | Yes, as a package run with a Kula API key |
| Breezy HR | From $157/month | No | Breezy Intelligence is an optional add-on billed in credits, from $30 per 100,000 | Yes |
| Greenhouse | Quote only | No | AI notetaker and suggestions for scorecards, interview questions and job posts; sourcing automation from Plus | Yes; announced May 7, 2026, rolling out to customers from June 2026 (plans not stated) |
| Lever | Quote only | No | AI screening, interview transcripts and summaries in the core platform; agent-based screening by VONQ as a paid add-on | Announced; we could not confirm general availability |
Each product in one paragraph
Ashby
The ATS most venture-backed startups pick today. It combines applicant tracking, a sourcing CRM, interview scheduling and analytics, and its reporting is a real strength. Foundations costs $300 a month for 1–10 employees and rises to $900 for 76–100. There is no free plan, and AI application review is metered by credits. Evander vs. Ashby.
Dover
A free ATS with unlimited users, jobs and candidates, plus a marketplace of fractional recruiters. AI resume review is part of the $199 Premium plan. A good first ATS when the budget is zero. Evander vs. Dover.
Evander
Our product: an AI-native ATS. You describe a role in one sentence and it writes the post and sets up the stages. Every applicant is scored against your written brief with the evidence shown, automations are written in plain English, and every action is available to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor over MCP. Free plan, then from $79 a month billed yearly. Evander launched in 2026 and is invite-only; it has fewer integrations and lighter reporting than Ashby or Greenhouse, and no sourcing.
Workable
An all-rounder for companies hiring many roles, known for job-board distribution. Standard is $299 a month for 1–20 employees; texting, video interviews and assessments cost extra on that plan, and AI agents use credits. Evander vs. Workable.
Gem
A recruiting platform that started with sourcing and CRM and added an ATS. Companies under 30 employees get it free for six months, then 50% off. Pricing is otherwise by quote. Evander vs. Gem.
Kula
An all-in-one AI recruiting suite with unmetered AI scoring and an AI notetaker. Its pricing page shows $5,120 a year on annual billing, with no free plan. Evander vs. Kula.
Breezy HR
A visual pipeline at a flat price: $157 a month billed yearly with unlimited users and positions. AI is an add-on billed in credits. Evander vs. Breezy HR.
Greenhouse
The structured-hiring standard for mid-size and large companies, with a very large integration marketplace. Quote only; third-party buyer data puts the average contract near $27,000 a year, which is more than most early startups need. Evander vs. Greenhouse.
Lever
An ATS with a built-in candidate CRM for mid-size companies. Quote only. Evander vs. Lever.
How to choose
- Count what it costs in a year, with add-ons. SSO, texting, AI credits and extra seats change the total. Compare using ATS pricing compared.
- Check how AI is charged. Included, limited per month, or metered by credits are three different bills.
- Try the first hour. Post a real job and move a real candidate. Tools with a free plan or trial let you do this without a sales call.
- Check the way out. Confirm you can export candidates, notes and emails before you put them in.
More detail in how to choose an ATS for a startup.
Questions
What is the best ATS for a startup?
It depends on the stage. Ashby is the most common choice for venture-backed startups that want one mature suite, from $300 a month. Dover has the most generous free plan. Workable suits teams hiring many roles through job boards. Evander suits teams that want AI to screen every applicant and handle the admin, with a free plan and paid plans from $79 a month.
How much does an ATS cost for a startup?
Between $0 and about $400 a month for a team of ten. Dover, Evander and Zoho Recruit have free plans. Paid list prices for a ten-person company are $79–99 a month at Evander, $157–189 at Breezy HR, $299 at Workable and $300 at Ashby. Greenhouse and Lever are quote only, typically five figures a year.
Is there a free ATS for startups?
Yes. Dover's free plan has unlimited users, jobs and candidates. Evander's free plan has unlimited jobs and teammates and 50 AI resume scorings a month. Zoho Recruit's free edition allows one active job per recruiter.
When does a startup need an ATS?
When more than one person is involved in hiring or more than about 20 people have applied. Before that a spreadsheet works. After that, candidates get lost, replies are late and nobody knows who is waiting on whom.
Which ATS do most startups use?
Among venture-backed startups Ashby is the most frequent pick today, followed by Greenhouse, Lever and Workable at larger companies. Newer AI-first options include Evander, Dover, Kula and Gem's ATS.
What is the best ATS for a startup with 10 people?
At ten people, look for a free plan or a low published price, a careers page and help with screening. List prices for 1–10 employees: Dover free (Premium $199 a month), Evander free or $79 a month billed yearly, Breezy HR $157 a month billed yearly, Workable $299 and Ashby $300. Ashby is the most complete; Dover and Evander cost least; Evander screens every applicant with AI on every plan.
What ATS should a founder use to hire the first engineer without a recruiter?
One that screens applicants for you and needs no setup project. Dover is free and can add a fractional recruiter later. Evander scores every applicant against your written brief with the evidence shown, on a free plan. Ashby suits founders who want a full suite from $300 a month. Whatever the tool, write a screening brief first: see the founding engineer hiring kit at getevander.app/blog/hire-founding-engineer.