10 Best Zoho Recruit Alternatives (40+ Hours of Research)

Zoho Recruit is a popular applicant tracking system (ATS), but it may not suit every team’s requirements. Some users find its UI a bit complex, its customizations too limited, or its pricing less competitive.

Due to this, some users are looking for better ATS alternatives that offer better flexibility, deeper automation, stronger AI features, and smoother integrations.

Our research team spent 40+ hours evaluating the market to surface the 10 best Zoho Recruit alternatives. Our list is based on features, UI/UX, pricing, and clear pros and cons.

What is Zoho Recruit ATS?

Zoho Recruit is an ATS and recruitment software that aims to simplify hiring for staffing agencies, corporate HR teams, and temporary workforce management.

The software provides a complete solution, involving job posting, candidate sourcing, onboarding, and analytics, supported by AI features like resume parsing and candidate matching scores. 

Moreover, it effectively organizes the hiring process with customizable workflows, a centralized candidate database, and job postings to multiple boards.

Rankings: 10 Best Zoho Recruit Alternatives

Here are the top 10 Zoho applicant tracking competitors that excel in different areas:

Detailed Reviews: Top 10 Zoho Recruit Alternatives

We selected these Zoho Recruit competitors based on factors such as advanced hiring features, pricing, UI, UX, and verified user reviews.

1. Skima AI

Skima AI is an AI recruitment platform designed to solve problems teams face with Zoho Recruit. It tackles confusing interfaces, limited customization, and shallow automation. Skima AI integrates fast, explainable AI into recruitment workflows.

Skima AI can act as a drop-in intelligence layer or replace your ATS entirely. It speeds up time-to-shortlist, boosts match quality, and cuts down on the manual steps needed to move candidates through the funnel. Book a personalized demo today to see the difference from day one.

Key Features of Skima AI

• Natural-language AI search for role-based candidate discovery
• 200+ point resume parsing and structured candidate profiles
• Explainable match scoring with job-fit reasoning
• Automated multi-channel outreach (email, SMS, calls, LinkedIn) with response-adaptive sequences
• Prebuilt connectors to 130+ ATS and HR systems for quick adoption
• AI job-description generator and role optimization suggestions
• Centralized pipeline, collaborative scorecards, and interview orchestration
• Unified analytics dashboard for time-to-fill, sourcing ROI, and drop-off analysis

Free Trial: 14 days

Skima AI Pricing

Pros of Skima AI

According to users, here are the benefits of using Skima AI that make it one of the best Zoho Recruit alternatives:

• AI Search: Describe a role in simple terms. Get highly relevant candidates right away. This cuts out the guesswork that slows down many ATS searches.
• Cleaner, Actionable Data: Its parsing engine captures important details like skills, seniority, outcomes, and more. It turns messy CVs into clear profiles that recruiters can use immediately.
• Fast, Trustworthy Screening: Automated screening creates shortlists in minutes. It provides clear reasons for matches, which reduces bias and speeds up decisions.
• Plug-in Adoption: This tool adds AI capabilities to existing ATS setups. Teams can enhance their systems without needing to replace or rebuild workflows.
• Engagement that Scales: Smart sequences and follow-ups adjust to candidate actions. This boosts response rates and cuts down on manual outreach.
• Clear Hiring Analytics: A single dashboard combines sourcing, outreach, and funnel metrics. This helps teams identify bottlenecks and demonstrate ROI.

Cons of Skima AI

Based on reviews, these are the cons of Skima AI:

• Advanced AI Tools: Skima AI comes with modern AI recruitment tools that will take little time, like 1 or 2 days, to learn about them. However, they are worth learning as they will boost your recruitment process up to 2x.

2. iCIMS 

iCIMS is a talent acquisition software and ATS, simplifying high-volume hiring and filling specialized roles. AI-powered automation enhances productivity by minimizing manual tasks for recruiters.

Moreover, iCIMS' Candidate Experience Management (CXM) improves candidate engagement through behavior-based marketing automation and AI insights. It streamlines sourcing, interviews, and connects employees to opportunities based on skills.

Key Features of iCIMS

• Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
• Candidate Experience Management (CXM)
• Career Site Builder
• Onboarding
• iCIMS Digital Assistant
• Video Interviewing
• Analytics and Reporting
• Text Engagement
• AI-Powered Hiring Solutions
• Personalized Candidate Experiences
• iCIMS AI
• Global Recruitment

Free Trial: iCIMS offers a 30-day free trial

iCIMS Pricing

The price of iCIMS is hidden on its official website. Hence, you need to contact their sales team for more information.

Pros of iCIMS

According to verified user reviews, these are the benefits of using iCIMS:

• Adaptable for High-Volume Hiring: iCIMS uses automation to help large organizations manage recruitment more efficiently, reducing time-to-hire.
• Comprehensive Talent Acquisition Suite: iCIMS provides text recruiting, video interviewing, and recruitment marketing services for talent acquisition.
• AI-Powered Candidate Matching: iCIMS uses AI to improve hiring by providing smart candidate recommendations for faster recruitment. 

Cons of iCIMS

According to the customer reviews, these are the drawbacks of iCIMS:

• Limited and Complicated Reporting Tools: iCIMS has strong analytics, but users find custom report generation difficult and time-consuming.
• Synchronization Issues: Users have faced issues with interview scheduling tools and integrations with platforms like Microsoft Teams. CRM, ATS, and text engagement tools often work as separate systems, needing individual logins and lacking smooth synchronization.

3. Breezy HR

Breezy HR is a modern applicant tracking system that simplifies and streamlines the hiring process for businesses of all sizes. It offers automation tools, collaborative features, and seamless integrations with tools like ZipRecruiter, Google Workspace, and LinkedIn.

You can automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups and interview scheduling, saving valuable HR time. Furthermore, its diversity-focused features help ensure fair hiring practices across the board.

Key Features of Breezy HR

• Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
• Employee Referrals
• Customizable Career Sites
• Candidate Management
• Automated Workflows
• Collaborative Hiring Tools
• Interview Scheduling and Video Interviews
• Diversity and Inclusion Tools
• Reporting and Analytics
• Offer Management
• Reporting and Analytics

Free Trial: Breezy HR offers a 14-day free trial.

Breezy HR Pricing 

Breezy HR provides two plans: Hire and Perform, each designed for specific needs.

Hire:

Perform:

Pros of Breezy HR

According to the customer reviews, here are the advantages of using Breezy HR:

• Powerful Automation Features: The platform saves time by automating tasks like resume parsing and interview scheduling.
• Seamless Integration Capabilities: Breezy HR works with tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and LinkedIn for better teamwork.
• Customizable Career Sites: Users can create career sites that show their company’s identity for candidates.

Cons of Breezy HR

Based on users' feedback, these are the drawbacks of Breezy HR:

• Limited Free Plan: The free Bootstrap plan allows only one active position, which may be insufficient for growing companies.
• Basic Reporting Features: Breezy HR's reporting and analytics capabilities are relatively basic compared to other applicant tracking systems.

4. Workable

Workable is a comprehensive HR platform and ATS that redefines human resources with intelligent tools designed to streamline hiring, employee data management, time tracking, and automation.

It offers candidate database management, AI recommendations, and automation tools for easier hiring. It has a candidate sourcing suite that posts to over 200 job boards, using various sourcing methods. Furthermore, Workable integrates with over 270 tools like LinkedIn, Indeed, Google for Jobs, etc.

Key Features of Workable

• Application Tracking System (ATS)
• Multi-Language Support
• AI-Powered Candidate Sourcing
• Customizable Hiring Pipelines
• Candidate Database Management
• Employee Referral Program
• Recruitment Marketing
• Referral Management Dashboard
• Interview Tools
• AI-powered Candidate Screening
• Collaboration Tools
• Time and Attendance Tracking

Free Trial: Workable offers a 15-day free trial program.

Workable Pricing

Pros of Workable

As per the user's reviews, here are the top advantages of Workable that make it one of the Zoho Recruit competitors:

• Extensive Talent Pool: Access a large database of over 400 M+ candidate profiles, using filters and AI search tools.
• Comprehensive Automation: Workable offers automation features for recruitment, including job postings, self-scheduled interviews, and AI screening tools.
• Global Hiring Support: It facilitates international recruitment by offering localization, multiple language options, and access to global job boards.

Cons of Workable

According to the reviews given by users, these are the cons of Workable:

• Expensive Pricing: The per-job pricing model may not be cost-effective for high-volume hiring. Companies on tight budgets should consider alternative pricing plans.
• Less Configurability for Complex Workflows: The platform has fewer customization options than some enterprise ATS, limiting suitability.

5. Manatal

Manatal is a modern ATS designed to make recruitment fast and simple for businesses of all sizes. It uses AI to match candidates to jobs and streamlines the hiring process from sourcing to onboarding.

Manatal ATS combines AI candidate sourcing with recruitment features, helping HRs and businesses access advanced AI tools. Recruiters can manage candidates, publish job ads, and track pipelines effectively, saving time and enhancing hiring decisions. Furthermore, Manatal integrates with platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Google Calendar, and Microsoft 365.

Key Features of Manatal

• AI-powered candidate recommendations
• Drag-and-Drop Recruitment Pipelines
• Social Media Enrichment
• Job Posting
• Customized Career Pages
• Collaboration Tools 
• Advanced Reporting and Analytics
• Resume Parsing 

Free Trial: Manatal offers a 14-day free trial.

Manatal Pricing

Pros of Manatal

As per the reviews given by users, here are the benefits of using Manatal:

• AI-Powered Features: The AI candidate matching system quickly finds top talent, reducing manual screening time.
• User-Friendly Design: Manatal has a simple and user-friendly design, allowing easy use for recruiters without much training.
• Extensive Integrations: Manatal connects with over 2,50 job boards, increasing visibility and improving candidate sourcing.

Cons of Manatal

Based on users' reviews, these are the drawbacks of Manatal:

• Limited Career Page API: Career page customization options are limited, restricting branding flexibility and personalization tools.
• Dashboard Customization: Some users feel the dashboard is inflexible with personalized widgets and views, which can hinder data-driven recruiters.

6. Greenhouse 

Greenhouse is an ATS and hiring platform designed for enterprise-level hiring. It provides a structured recruitment process, helping companies make more data-driven hiring decisions.

Additionally, Greenhouse includes an all-in-one HRIS, easy onboarding, ATS, CRM, talent rediscovery, and job ad market. It uses embedded AI and machine learning to improve hiring. Greenhouse also integrates with over 500 pre-built applications, such as BambooHR, BrightHire, Calendly, etc.

Key Features of Greenhouse

• Application Tracking System (ATS)
• Candidate Experience
• Structured Hiring Workflows
• Customizable Interview Kits
• Reporting and Analytics
• Onboarding
• Compliance and Data Management
• DE&I Tools

Free Version: No free version, only a demo is available.

Greenhouse Pricing

Greenhouse ATS offers three plans: Essential, Advanced, and Expert, which can be customized as needed. You can contact their sales team to get a quote for your business.

Pros of Greenhouse

As per the reviews given by users, here are the advantages of using a Greenhouse:

• Streamlined Hiring Process: Greenhouse ATS automates job postings, interview scheduling, and candidate tracking, making recruitment efficient.
• Diversity & Inclusion Features: Greenhouse provides structured hiring to reduce bias. Standardizing interview processes helps in making unbiased decisions. 
• Deep Analytics: It offers reporting tools for recruitment insights. HR teams can create custom reports and track hiring metrics.

Cons of Greenhouse

Based on user feedback, these are the cons of Greenhouse:

• Complex Setup: Users say the Greenhouse needs time, expert guidance, and effort to set up. 
• Expensive for Small Businesses: Pricing is better for large companies. Startups and small businesses may find it expensive, so alternative ATS options could be cheaper.

7. SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters offers AI-driven recruiting tools, automated workflows, recruitment software, integrated candidate messaging, and tools for collaboration and evaluation.

Additionally, SmartRecruiters can handle multi-language job postings, compliance across various regions, and built-in collaboration tools for hiring teams.

Besides this, it integrates with SmartJobs, SmartCRM, and SmartAssistant, and offers resources like webinars and eBooks, and other 247 platforms such as Zoom, LinkedIn, Peoplein, CoderPad, XOR,

Key Features of SmartRecruiters

• Applicant Tracking System 
• CRM
• Recruiting Software
• Chatbot Recruiting
• AI Recruiting
• Text Recruiting
• Onboarding
• Job Advertising
• Text Recruiting
• Collaboration Tools
• Offer Management
• AI Profile Matching

Free Trial: SmartRecruiters provides a free version called SmartStart, designed for small businesses with up to 250 employees.

SmartRecruiters Pricing

SmartRecruiters' pricing is hidden on its official website. If you are interested, you have to contact their sales team.

Pros of SmartRecruiters

Based on user reviews, here are the advantages of SmartRecruiters:

• Flexible Options: Users appreciate plugging in extra tools to meet their hiring needs perfectly, creating a flexible custom setup.
• Great Candidate Experience: The career pages engage applicants from the beginning, enhancing the company's appeal and attracting more talent.
• Scalability: Reviewers say it effectively handles many hires easily and remains steady, even with many applications.

Cons of SmartRecruiters

Here are the cons of SmartRecruiters highlighted by the users:

• Customer Support Challenges: Some users report challenges in getting prompt and effective support from SmartRecruiters. Hence, noting delays and the need for in-house problem resolution, especially for smaller businesses.
• Integration Complexities: SmartRecruiters has integration options, but connecting with other systems can require custom setups, causing delays and disruptions for users.

8. Bullhorn

Bullhorn is a staffing software that integrates Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionalities. It seamlessly integrates with 300+ platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, ADP, Aircall, QuickBooks, etc.

Leveraging automation and artificial intelligence, Bullhorn accelerates talent acquisition, and its dashboards provide a holistic view of recruitment metrics. Besides this, Bullhorn’s AI-powered search and match quickly find the best talent. Easily connect candidates to job openings and increase placements.

Key Features of Bullhorn

• Applicant tracking system
• CRM
• Automation and AI
• Reporting and Analytics
• Onboarding

Free Trial: Bullhorn does not offer a free trial.

Bullhorn Pricing

The plans and pricing of Bullhorn are not transparent on its official website. Therefore, you have to contact their sales team for the quote.

Pros of Bullhorn

These are the advantages of using Bullhorn, as per the users, which make it one of the Zoho Recruit alternatives:

• Effective Applicant Tracking and Reporting Tools: Bullhorn offers robust applicant tracking and reporting features. It helps recruiters to monitor candidate progress.
• Customization Options: The platform enables customization of workflows and dashboards, allowing agencies to tailor the system to their specific needs.
• User-Friendly Interface: Users appreciate Bullhorn's user-friendly interface, which allows for efficient management of recruitment tasks. 

Cons of Bullhorn

Based on the reviews, here are the cons of Bullhorn:

• Performance Issues: Some users have reported slow loading times and performance lags. It can thus hinder productivity during recruitment activities.
• Limited Customer Support: Users are unhappy with Bullhorn's customer support due to slow responses.

9. Crelate

Crelate is a combination of an ATS and CRM built for staffing agencies and recruiters who want to streamline hiring. It’s designed to manage candidates, clients, and jobs all in one easy-to-use platform.

The drag-and-drop interface of Crelate allows you to easily monitor candidate progress. In addition, built-in tools simplify recording interactions, managing tasks, and communicating directly from your pipeline screen.

Crelate integrates with tools like LinkedIn, Microsoft Outlook, Hirelogic, Leoforce, Lonsetr, etc, for seamless workflows.

Key Features of Crelate

• Applicant tracking system
• CRM
• Onboarding
• E-Signature
• Contact Data Enrichment
• Recruiting CRM
• AI Recruiting Co-Pilot
• Recruiting Analytics
• Sequencing
• Job and Client Portal

Free Trial: Crelate does not offer a free trial.

Crelate Pricing

Crelate offers plans according to business types. Standard pricing for recruiting, staffing, and consulting agencies is provided. However, in-house recruiting teams can get customized pricing by contacting the sales team.

Pros of Crelate

According to user reviews, these are the benefits of Crelate:

• Advanced Reporting: Crelate tools help agencies improve reporting, make more placements, win business, and grow their teams by providing insights into recruitment.
• Intuitive and Customizable Interface: Crelate provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface that makes recruitment simpler and customizable for users.
• Comprehensive Candidate Tracking: Crelate offers a complete view of candidate profiles and tracking history.

Cons of Crelate

As per the reviews given by customers, here are the cons of using Crelate:

• Limited Advanced Search Capabilities: Some users feel Crelate lacks advanced search and sorting features, making client or candidate searches difficult.
• Performance Issues with Large Data Imports: Importing many resumes from a local system can slow down processing times and efficiency.

10. Lever

Lever combines an applicant tracking system with candidate relationship management tools. This helps companies build strong talent pipelines and improve hiring efficiency.

Lever’s automation and AI insights streamline recruitment, making hiring quicker and easier. It also supports diversity hiring with built-in DEI tools. Lever integrates with popular platforms like Criteria, Wedge, BambooHR, and UKG Onboarding.

Key Features of Lever

• Application Tracking System (ATS)
• Recruitment Automation
• Career Site Builder
• Recruitment Marketing
• High Volume Hiring
• Recruitment Analytics
• DEI Hiring

Free Trial: No, Lever does not offer a free trial.

Lever Pricing

Lever pricing is hidden on its official website. Hence, you need to contact their sales team to get more information.

Pros of Lever

According to the users, these are the advantages of Lever:

• Extensive Integration Capabilities: Lever supports many integrations with HR technologies like HRIS, assessment tools, and video interviewing platforms for customization.
• Customizable Interview Scorecards: The software creates custom scorecards for standardized evaluations and objective decisions.
• User-Friendly Interface: Lever has an easy-to-use and clean design that recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates can all understand.  

Cons of Lever

As per the ratings and reviews given by users, these are the drawbacks of Lever:

• Limited Customization: Customization options are limited in enterprise-focused ATS platforms, which may hinder unique hiring needs.
• Scalability Challenges for Larger Organizations: Lever's features and customization options may not fully meet the needs of larger, more complex organizations.

How to Choose the Best Zoho Recruit Alternatives?

The best Zoho Recruit competitor for your team will depend on your specific needs, budget, and hiring goals. To make an informed decision, follow this quick and easy 5-step guide:

Step 1. Identify Your Requirements

• Team Size and Scale: Small teams may prioritize simplicity and affordability. Whereas enterprises need robust features like advanced analytics or multi-user support.
• Key Features: Determine must-haves, such as AI-driven candidate sourcing, seamless integrations, customizable workflows, etc. For example, check how well the ATS integrates with HRIS or famous job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. 
• Pain Points with Zoho Recruit: Address specific issues like complex UI, limited customization, or slow customer support.

Step 2. Evaluate Core Features

• Ease of Use: Look for user-friendly interfaces to reduce the training time of your team members.
• Automation: Prioritize platforms with have AI resume parsing, candidate matching, or email workflows to save time.
• Analytics: Choose tools with strong reporting capabilities for data-driven hiring decisions.

Step 3. Compare Pricing and Scalability

• Pricing: Check for transparent pricing that fits your budget. There are many ATS that come with cost-effective solutions for small businesses and tailored solutions for enterprise-level organizations.
• Scalability: Ensure the tool you select can scale with your growth, supporting increased hiring volume or additional users without steep cost jumps.
• Free Trial: Look for free trials or demos to test functionality before committing.

Step 4. Assess Customer Support and Training

• Customer Service: Choose platforms with responsive support such as live chat, dedicated account managers, a chatbot, and email support.
• Tutorials and Training Guides: Check for onboarding resources, such as tutorials or training sessions, to ensure smooth adoption.

Step 5. Read Reviews and Test Options

• Real User Reviews: Explore user reviews on platforms like G2 or Capterra to get real-world performance reviews.
• Final Test: Shortlist 2-3 tools and test them via trials to compare usability. After that, you can choose the best one that suits your requirements.

Why Skima AI Is the Best Zoho Recruit Alternative?

Skima AI is the best Zoho Recruit alternative because it delivers the speed, accuracy, and intelligence that today’s hiring teams need. Plus, it avoids the complexity and workflow limits that users often experience in Zoho.

Skima AI automates the most time-consuming steps like screening, enriches candidate data instantly, and improves the hiring cycle with its secure AI models. It also integrates effortlessly with existing systems, allowing teams to upgrade their recruiting capabilities while keeping their current ATS in place.

This combination of flexibility, automation depth, and powerful search makes Skima AI a clear step up for teams that want predictable, scalable hiring results.

Key reasons Skima AI is a top Zoho Recruit alternative:

• Instant AI Search & Matching: Natural-language role search surfaces top candidates in seconds.
• 200+ Point Resume Parsing: Deep structure normalizes titles, skills, dates, and achievements.
• Explainable Screening: Match scores include clear reasons, improving trust and decision speed.
• Adaptive Multi-channel Outreach: Email, SMS, calls, and LinkedIn sequences change based on candidate behavior.
• Plug-and-Play Integrations + Analytics: Works with existing ATSs and provides full-funnel metrics (time-to-fill, sourcing ROI, drop-offs).

Why Trust Our Review? - Research Methodology

To rank the top 10 alternatives to Zoho Recruit, careful research is essential. We explore real user challenges and highlight where Zoho Recruit may not meet modern recruitment needs. This helps recruiters choose the best options.

Here are the parameters we use to list the top 10 Zoho Recruit ATS alternatives:

• Market Analysis: We reviewed different recruitment software solutions by looking at their features, user reviews, and performance to understand their pros and cons.
• User Experience Evaluation: To ensure a smooth experience for hiring managers and recruiters, we examined the user interface, navigation, and usability of each platform.
• Features and Pricing Comparison: Compare features such as AI tools, reporting capabilities, and pricing among Zoho Recruit alternatives to determine the best one.

Summary: Is Zoho Recruit Right for Your Company?

Zoho Recruit may fall short in 2025 due to its limited customization, lack of advanced AI features, and high pricing compared to newer or better recruitment platforms. It didn’t meet evolving hiring expectations for companies seeking scalable, data-driven, and automation-friendly tools.

Therefore, Zoho Recruit alternatives like Skima AI stand out as the best option due to their advanced AI-driven features, competitive pricing, user-friendly interface, and robust integrations.

Its ability to handle high-volume hiring with precise resume parsing, conversational search, and AI-powered matching scores makes it ideal for modern recruitment challenges. Hence, for teams seeking a faster, more efficient, and scalable ATS, Skima AI is the best choice.

Boost your recruitment up to 5x with Skima AI. Start your Free Trial or Book a Demo today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is the competitor for Zoho Recruit?

The top Zoho Recruit competitor of Zoho Recruit is Skima AI. It offers modern AI tools for recruitment, starts with $49 annual plan pricing, and offers a free trial of 14 days.

2. What is the difference between Zoho Recruit and Manatal?

Zoho Recruit provides more customization and integration with Zoho apps for in-house recruiters and agencies. Manatal excels with AI features, social media enrichment, and ease of use. Zoho is suitable for scalability, while Manatal is best for fast, AI-driven hiring.

3. Is Zoho Recruit free?

Yes. Zoho Recruit offers a 15-day free trial having features of its enterprise plan.

4. What is Zoho Recruit used for?

Zoho Recruit is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that simplifies hiring. It aids recruiters in posting jobs, managing candidates, scheduling interviews, and automating workflows.