The Top Free Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - Updated 2019

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application designed to improve the recruitment process by making hiring simpler and more efficient. Applicant Tracking Systems allow companies of all sizes to stay organized and productive throughout the hiring process by managing job postings, filtering resumes, organizing applicant information, contacting applicants, and scheduling interviews.

With low unemployment in the U.S. today, it can be difficult for many companies to find the people they need. For companies who are trying to prioritize hiring, an ATS enables them to attract and acquire talented applicants.

For large businesses with extensive HR departments, purchasing a new ATS may be the best option to fit all your HR needs. If you’re considering purchasing a new ATS, check out our complete guide to the Best ATS solutions. If your business is small or has no budget, purchasing an expensive ATS may not be financially viable. However, there are many products that will offer the services you need for free. These free applicant tracking systems will help make the hiring process faster and simpler for you and your business.

Here is our list of the top free applicant tracking systems:

SmartStart from SmartRecruiters:

What’s Different?

Designed specifically for smaller businesses, SmartStart is the free version of SmartRecruiters talent acquisition service. It allows for an unlimited number of users as well as a variety of services including multi-board job posting, one-click apply, scheduling management tools, and candidate database management.

Pros:

While the number of users is often restricted for free ATS, SmartStart’s unlimited user accessibility enables many people throughout a company to take part in the hiring process. SmartStart also has a high focus on collaboration and offers one-click job postings on any of over 200 available job boards.

Cons:

SmartStart is limited to 10 active job postings at one time, but SmartRecruiters also offers paid upgrades for higher functionality.

Freshteam:

What’s Different?

With different packages depending on your business size, Freshteam offers an ATS with a variety of services. The free package of Freshteam’s ATS is called the Sprout and is intended for companies with around 50 employees. A more extensive list of the services provided by the Sprout package and details about Freshteam’s other packages for larger business can be found here.

Pros:

This free package helps you stay organized by presenting all recruiting and hiring operations on a single dashboard.It provides basic applicant tracking, interview scheduling, and integration with some Google services.

Cons:

The Sprout package only allows for 3 active job postings. It also does not have a resume parsing feature.

MightyRecruiter:

What’s Different?

Whereas many free products have a limit on what features they offer, MightyRecruiter is a completely free end-to-end ATS. It allows for unlimited job postings on a variety of job boards and social networks.

Pros:

MightyRecruiter’s candidate ranking feature helps you find the most relevant candidates with ease. With unlimited job postings on a variety of job boards, MightyRecruiter enables you to reach a wider array of potential candidates. It also allows you to choose your own screening questions if a position has certain predetermined requirements.

Cons:

MightyRecruiter includes a searchable database of over 21 million resumes. While this access to many candidates, it may make it more difficult to narrow down your search for the best talent.

Zoho Recruit:

What’s Different?

Zoho Recruit is easily integrated with Google applications. It also supports 26 languages, allowing you to reach a larger pool of applicants.

Pros:

Zoho’s free plan provides services for candidate management, email management, and interview scheduling. It allows for simple resume search and provides 5 email templates.

Cons:

Zoho’s free plan allows for only one active job opening. Overall, it’s free plan is much more limited in terms of available features than it’s paid plans. To see how the free plan compares with Zoho’s paid plans, click here.

Jobsoid:

What’s Different?

Designed for startups in their early stages, Jobsoid’s free Beginner package offers helpful services for organizing the recruitment and hiring process. For businesses interested in reaching potential applicants through social media, the free plan allows for integration with Facebook.

Pros:

This ATS includes custom email templates and simple one-click posting to job boards. It also supports website career page integration and offers a branded careers portal.

Cons:

Jobsoid’s free Beginner package allows for one user and one job posting which may pose an issue for businesses looking to fill many positions. While the free version does offer online help, it’s overall support is limited and does not include phone, email, or setup support. To access more features, Jobsoid does offer paid plans.  

Happo:

What’s Different?

If your business takes a team approach to hiring, then Happo’s ATS may be right for you. With a focus on collaboration, this ATS has a variety of tools that make it easy for you to communicate with other members of your team about a potential candidate.

Pros:

Offering unlimited usage in its free version, Happo allows you access to unlimited job postings and candidate evaluation.

Cons:

Happo’s free version lacks access to many valuable features offered by the paid version including bulk actions and customized pipeline and interview templates

iKrut:

What’s Different?

Whereas some free ATS are limited in terms of number of job postings, iKrut’s free version offers an unlimited number of users and applications.

Pros:

The free version of iKrut also boasts mobile compatibility, online interview scheduling, and mass emailing capability. The free version also includes some bulk functions such as a mass email rejection tool. The free system provides an iKrut powered careers site with all your businesses job postings as well.

Cons:

Onboarding and adjustable workflow features are only included in paid versions of iKrut’s ATS. Overall, there is a significant difference in the number of features offered by iKrut’s free system its cheapest paid system.

JobScore:

What’s Different?

For small businesses looking for an affordable ATS with basic features, JobScore’s free version is great option. It offers Job SEO Optimization and analytics reports that can be easily exported to Excel.  

Pros:

Featuring interview scheduling with calendar integration, this ATS helps businesses stay organized through the recruiting process. The free version also allows employers to design unique job application forms where candidates can create profiles and submit a resume.

Cons:

If your business is on the medium side or is growing rapidly, the free version may not provide the services you need. Designed for small businesses hiring less than 5 people at a time, JobScore’s free system only allows for one active job posting.  

RecruitEze:

What’s Different?

While many free ATS require an upgrade for unlimited job postings, the free version of Recruiteze offers an unlimited number of jobs per month.

Pros:

One of the main benefits of this product is that there is no contract and so you can upgrade or downgrade at any time. There is also no fee for setup.

Cons:

Recruiteze’s ATS is specifically targeted toward small businesses. Even its most elaborate package is limited in terms of the number of users who can access it and the free version only permits one user. The free version also does not include a custom careers page, candidate workflow, or bulk resume upload features. It also is limited to 500 total applications.

Osclass:

What’s Different?

Osclass is an entirely free and online applicant tracking solution, allowing you to manage job openings and track potential candidates from anywhere – no downloading required. Osclass also offers its services in multiple languages including English, Spanish, and Polish.

Pros:

With multiuser functionality, Osclass is a great solution for businesses who have many employees participating in the hiring process. Osclass also allows you to receive CV’s even if you don’t currently have any active job postings. You can also automatically connect with Facebook or Twitter and spread your ads through social media.

Cons:

While Osclass does offer unlimited job postings to multiple job boards, it does not post to many main stream job sites. This limits the number of people who may see your job posts, thus placing a barrier on the kind of talent you are able to recruit.  

Open Source and Downloadable Applicant Tracking Systems:

There are also many open source ATS products that are available for free download. Open source software means that the source code is accessible to the public and can be freely modified. With open source ATS, you can modify the code however you want. However, modifying the code may require some base level of technical skill and if you run into trouble, it may be difficult to find tech support for your issue. That being said, open source applicant tracking systems are entirely free and can thus affordably provide the services your company may need.

OpenCATS:

OpenCATS is a completely free open source ATS. Designed for recruiters, OpenCATS provides basic ATS services such as candidate tracking, resume parsing, and job requisition and posting.

A list of OpenCATS key features can be found here.

CandidATS:

Created by Aueio, CandidATS is another free open source ATS. Its features include a centralized candidate management tool, an easy to search database for resumes, email templates, and interview scheduling capabilities.

We hope this listing of free applicant tracking systems was useful for your recruiting team as they look to bring on a new ATS.  This list was updated as of May 2019.  If you have any additions, please send us a note, or leave a comment, and we’ll be happy to update the list!

Lastly, if you have the budget to use a paid ATS, we recommend checking out our page on the best applicant tracking systems, complete with questions to ask on demos, ROI calculations, etc.  Enjoy!