How to Find the Right Solution

As a small business, finding the right Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can be time consuming. You’re balancing limited resources, a lean team, and the need to compete for top talent—while also making sure you’re not overpaying for complex software that doesn’t fit your needs.

That’s why we created this guide. We’ll break down the best ATS options for small businesses in 2025, show you how they compare, and help you figure out which one actually matches your unique hiring process and budget.

Whether you’re looking for something easy to set up, flexible for your growing team, or affordable enough to not break the bank, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s dive in.

Why Small Businesses Are Turning to ATS Software

Small businesses today are juggling a lot. Between finding the right talent, managing busy teams, and staying competitive, the hiring process can feel overwhelming. That’s where an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) comes in.

Even if you’ve never used an ATS before, here’s why more and more small businesses are making the switch:

✅ Save time and reduce stress

Manual tracking of resumes and candidate communications is exhausting. An ATS keeps everything in one place so you don’t have to spend hours digging through email threads or spreadsheets.

✅ Improve candidate experience

A clunky hiring process can turn away great talent. An ATS makes it easier to respond quickly, schedule interviews, and keep candidates in the loop.

✅ Stay organized as you grow

Hiring one person might be simple. But what about five? Or ten? An ATS scales with your team, helping you manage hiring as your business grows.

✅ Compete with bigger players

You don’t need a huge HR team to look professional. An ATS helps even the smallest businesses streamline their hiring and impress top candidates.

For small businesses that want to grow, stay lean, and find the right people faster, an ATS is becoming a must-have. Want to see how our ATS stacks up? Start your free 30-day trial.

People Also Ask

Here are a few common questions small business owners have when exploring ATS solutions:

1. What is the best ATS for a small business?

We’ll cover the top 5 options below!

2. How much does an ATS for small business cost?

Pricing varies alot — some are as low as $29 per month and some several hundreds, while others charge per user, per job posting or per seat. We’ll highlight this in our comparison.

3. Can I use an ATS for free?

Yes, there are a few with free plans available (though often too limited). We’ll mention a few below that offers a free trial instead.

Top 5 ATS for Small Businesses

Here’s a breakdown of five top-rated ATS platforms that small businesses are loving in 2025. We’ll show what each tool does well, any potential downsides, and how to pick the one that best matches your unique needs.

1. Hirefly

✅ Why Small Businesses Love It:

Hirefly was built for small businesses that care about both usability and a modern candidate experience. It’s easy to set up, budget-friendly, and helps you create beautiful career pages that actually attract top talent.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Intuitive, clean interface – no learning curve

• Stunning, mobile-friendly career pages that showcase your brand

• Designed for lean teams who want hiring to be simpler

💰 Pricing: Starts at $29/month – flexible plans that grow with your team. Offers a generous 30 day free trial.

⚠️ Potential Downsides:

• Lacks some of the advanced analytics bigger companies might want

• Best suited for small and medium size businesses, not enterprise hiring

Best for: Small teams that want a sleek, modern ATS without the complexity or cost of enterprise tools.

2. Recruitee

✅ Why Small Businesses Love It:

Recruitee’s drag-and-drop hiring pipelines and team collaboration features are a hit with small businesses. But many users feel that its career pages are starting to look a bit outdated compared to newer options.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Collaborative workflows for small teams

• Visual pipelines keep you organized

• Solid balance of features and price

💰 Pricing: Starts at $199/month – a bigger upfront investment.

⚠️ Potential Downsides:

• Reporting tools are basic

• Limited design customization for career pages

Best for: businesses that need collaborative features but can live with simpler career page designs.

Review example from G2.

3. Manatal

✅ Why Small Businesses Love It:

Manatal’s simple interface and built-in CRM make it a solid choice for budget-conscious small businesses. But its career page designs are basic – not ideal if you want to stand out visually and strengthen your employer branding.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Social media search

• CRM-style candidate management

• Good value if you are only one/few users.

💰 Pricing: Per seat. Starts at $19/user/month, but can quickly become costly if you want to give access to multiple team members.

⚠️ Potential Downsides:

• inconvenient customer service experience

• Career page customization is minimal

• Price, if you want to give multiple team members access

Best for: Small businesses that want an ATS + CRM hybrid.

4. Workable

✅ Why Small Businesses Love It:

Workable is a robust, “all-in-one” ATS. It’s perfect for small businesses that want sourcing tools, job board integrations, and built-in video interviews in one place.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Post to 200+ job boards instantly

• Built-in sourcing tools

• Data-driven hiring insights

💰 Pricing: Starts around $169/month – more expensive but full-featured.

⚠️ Potential Downsides:

• Can feel overwhelming if you’re only hiring occasionally

• Career page templates can feel generic and dated

• Only 2 open jobs, and up to 20 employees in the Starter plan

Best for: Fast growing businesses with consistent hiring needs.

5. Recooty

✅ Why Small Businesses Love It:

Recooty is all about simplicity and low cost. It’s great for very small teams just starting to formalize their hiring process.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Simple, no-frills interface

• Quick setup

💰 Pricing: Paid plans start at $99/month (up to 20 employees).

⚠️ Potential Downsides:

• Career page design is basic and lacks customization

• Limited feature set for teams that plan to grow

• Pricing tied to number of employees can get expensive

Best for: Micro teams taking their first step in structured hiring.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an ATS

Choosing the right ATS isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about finding a tool that actually works for your team. Here are a few features to pay special attention to when you’re deciding which ATS to go with:

1. Easy collaboration—no logins required. Small businesses move fast. When you need quick input from a team member or manager, you don’t want to force them to create an account just to share their thoughts. Look for an ATS that lets you share a candidate profile via a secure link—so anyone can review and leave feedback in seconds.
   
   

2. Time-saving email templates. Following up with candidates can eat up your day. A good ATS should include customizable email templates for interview requests, follow-ups, and rejections—so you can spend less time rewriting the same email over and over and more time connecting with the best people.
   
   

3. Customizable application forms. Your hiring needs are unique. Make sure your ATS lets you customize your application forms to ask the right questions for your roles—whether that’s specific certifications, work samples, or just the basics. A streamlined application form means better candidates and a smoother hiring process.
   
   

4. Unlimited team access. As your team grows, you don’t want to worry about hitting “user limits” or paying extra just to loop in another manager. Choose an ATS that lets you invite as many team members as you need—without added costs. This way, you can bring in the right people to make the best hiring decisions—no compromises.
   
   

5. Effortless career page design to boost your employer brand.

   Your career page is your chance to make a great first impression. With the right ATS, you can create a beautiful, mobile-friendly careers page that reflects your brand’s style—no coding or design skills needed. A modern, visually appealing page helps you stand out from the competition and shows candidates why your small business is a great place to work.

💡 Why These Features Matter for Small Teams

When you’re a small business, every minute counts. An ATS that makes it easy to share, customize, and collaborate means you can hire faster—without adding complexity or unnecessary costs.

In fact, many small business users mention in their reviews that larger, enterprise-level ATS products often feel overwhelming and hard to navigate. They’re built for bigger teams with dedicated HR staff and complex processes—not for lean, fast-moving small businesses.

By choosing an ATS that’s purpose-built for small businesses you’re avoiding the “feature bloat” and steep learning curves of bigger systems. Instead, you get:

A system that’s easy to adopt right away

Tools designed to help your team collaborate quickly

A smooth, modern interface that’s actually enjoyable to use

No need to waste hours figuring out advanced features you’ll never use. With the right ATS, you can get back to what matters: finding and hiring the best people for your small business.

✨ Want to see how these features work in practice? Sign up for our 30 day free trial.

FAQs: Your Top Questions Answered

We know choosing an ATS can feel overwhelming—especially for small businesses. Here are a few of the most common questions we hear from small teams weighing their options:

❓ What’s the best value-for-money ATS?

When budgets are tight, you want an ATS that punches above its weight. The best value-for-money solutions give you the core features you need—like candidate tracking, easy collaboration, and professional career pages—without forcing you to pay for extras you’ll never use.

❓ Why is self-service so important?

The majority of small business buyers tell us they don’t want to go through a long, drawn-out sales process just to see how the tool works. That’s why self-service matters:

✅ You can try the product on your own schedule

✅ No high-pressure sales calls

✅ A chance to actually use the tool in your real-world hiring process

In fact, most surveys are clear. A survey by TrustRadius from 2021 showed that over 87% of B2B decision makers prefer self-service onboarding over traditional sales demos. It’s faster, simpler, and puts you in control.

❓ Can I really skip the sales process?

If you choose an ATS built for self-service, you can skip the usual back-and-forth of sales calls and demos—and just start using the tool right away. With modern platforms like Hirefly, you can:

✅ Get up and running in minutes – no technical headaches, no waiting around.

✅ Quickly create a beautiful, branded career page that matches your company’s style—no design or coding skills required.

✅ Start tracking and managing candidates the same day you sign up.

It’s never been easier for small businesses to take control of their hiring—no gatekeepers, no barriers, just a simple, self-serve experience that’s designed to work for you.

Try Before You Buy

We get it—switching to a new ATS is a big decision. That’s why we offer one of the most generous free trials in the market: 30 days.

✅ Test-drive all the core features

✅ See how it fits your real hiring process

✅ Almost enough time to run your first actual hire!

We believe you shouldn’t have to take our word for it—you should be able to see exactly how Hirefly can simplify your recruiting and help you find better candidates, faster.

💡 Next Step?

Experience the difference for yourself—no credit card required, no sales calls, no commitment. Start a 30 day free trial 👇🏼