10 of the best applicant tracking systems 

What is an applicant tracking system?

An applicant tracking system is a type of recruitment software used by HR and hiring team professionals to manage candidates’ journeys throughout the entire recruitment process. ATS software can be used to track applicants from their first interaction with a job ad, from the application stage through to screening, interview, background checks, offer, and onboarding. 

The purpose of an ATS is to streamline the recruitment process, reduce hiring admin, and improve overall efficiency, as well as key recruitment metrics, such as cost per hire and time to fill.

10 best applicant tracking systems

1. Talos360 
2. Greenhouse 
3. Talent Funnel
4. Pinpoint
5. Workable 
6. Breezy HR 
7. Zoho Recruit
8. Lever 
9. JazzHR 
10. Teamtailor

Applicant Tracking System	Best For	Key Features
Talos360	End-to-end recruitment for complex hiring organisations	AI-assisted job advertising AI-powered talent analytics Tali AI hiring assistant Automated reference checking Video interviewing functionality Built-in compliance tools AI reporting Unbiased recruitment
Greenhouse	Structured hiring	Advanced enterprise workflows Talent Funnel Candidate engagement Data-driven talent sourcing
Pinpoint	In-house recruitment	AI-supported candidate matching
Workable	Growing global teams	AI-powered sourcing
Breezy HR	Small businesses	Collaborative feedback tools
Zoho Recruit	Integration with the Zoho ecosystem	Customisable features
Lever	Building strong candidate pipelines	CRM-driven recruiting
JazzHR	Small and medium-sized businesses	Pre-built workflows
TeamTailor	Branding and customisation	Integrated application portals

How to choose the best applicant tracking system for your needs

Headline features might sound great when you’re looking at the best ATS, but if you want to hire right first time, you need a system that aligns with the nuances of your business. For some, employer branding and customisation might be key; for others, regulatory compliance may be a priority. You want a platform that can achieve the objectives of your hiring strategy, supporting your recruitment goals, improving efficiency and enhancing the candidate experience.

Here is the key criteria we used to determine what makes the best applicant tracking system, and the factors you should consider when choosing an ATS: 

• Ease of use: user experience matters. We looked for platforms offering an intuitive interface for recruiters and candidates that required minimal training and had a mobile-friendly portal
• Recruitment workflow management: we scored each system against the use of customisable pipelines, automation of repetitive tasks, and end-to-end lifecycle support
• Candidate sourcing and attraction: from job boards and social media integrations to AI-powered matching and employer branding tools, we checked how each platform approaches advertising
• Collaboration: communication is key. Shared dashboards, team feedback tools and automated candidate messaging all contribute to the best ATS experience
• Compliance and security: we looked at GDPR/local data compliance, audit trails, and bias-reduction features
• Reporting and analytics: turning raw data into actionable insights drives ongoing recruitment success. We identified the best ATS for KPI tracking, diversity metrics, forecasting, and workforce planning
• Integration capabilities: being able to use several pieces of hiring software together can be a huge bonus. We explored integration compatibility with HRIS, payroll, onboarding, and other third-party tools 
• Scalability and flexibility: an ATS that supports high-volume and complex HR challenges, configurable workflows, and multiple job types can make recruitment much easier
• Candidate Experience: a simple application process, timely communication, mobile-friendly, and accessible features give a great impression of your brand to candidates
• Cost-effectiveness: we analysed the best ATS for managing your hiring budget, looking at clear pricing, ROI through efficiency gains, and value-added features 

The best applicant tracking systems in detail

Discover the features to expect from each of the providers in our list of the 10 best ATS tools.

1. Talos360

Talos360 combines ease of use, end-to-end functionality, and compliance-focused hiring in a single, intuitive system. It’s suitable for organisations of all sizes, from fast-growing businesses to public sector bodies and enterprise organisations, but stands out as the best ATS for those in regulated industries or businesses with complex hiring requirements.

By integrating candidate attraction, applicant tracking, onboarding, and analytics, it streamlines the full recruitment lifecycle while maintaining GDPR compliance and audit trails. Features like AI-assisted job advertising, multiposting, structured interview tools, and mobile-friendly candidate portals improve the candidate experience, reduce administrative workload, and support better hiring decisions. 

Key features of Talos ATS

• AI-powered, custom reporting functionality
• Self-service careers page built with integrated career site builder
• Built-in compliance tools for regulated and audit-heavy hiring environments
• AI-powered interview insights to ensure consistent, fair, data-driven evaluations
• Automated recruitment processes for different hiring workflows
• AI-powered reporting to gain deeper talent insights and more accurate board-level reporting
• AI hiring agent Tali, to facilitate faster, smarter hiring

Pros

• Designed to support complex hiring, including multi-brand, multi-location and franchise structures 
• Unbiased recruitment tools to reduce unconscious bias
• Flexible, automated workflows suitable for specialist or high-volume recruitment
• Built-in onboarding suite to handle everything from background checks to seamless data transfers from ATS to HRIS
• Advanced AI recruitment analytics, giving real-time visibility on hiring performance

Cons

• May be more feature-heavy than smaller organisations require
• More configuration than other applicant tracking systems, with a heavier onboarding process 
• Less brand recognition compared to global ATS providers

2. Greenhouse 

Greenhouse is a leading ATS known for its focus on structured, data-driven hiring that helps organisations make consistent, objective recruitment decisions. By standardising interviews and aggregating feedback, it aims to reduce bias and improve coordination across hiring teams.

Key features of Greenhouse:

• Structured interview kits and scorecards for consistent candidate evaluation
• Collaborative feedback frameworks to align hiring teams
• Customisable workflows for different hiring processes, from high-volume to executive searches
• Integration with job boards, assessment tools and background check services

Pros

• Reduces hiring bias with structured evaluation tools
• Promotes team collaboration and consistent decision-making
• Flexible workflows suitable for varied recruitment needs
• Strong analytics for data-driven hiring improvements

Cons

• May require significant set-up time for smaller organisations
• Pricing may be higher than more basic ATS alternatives

3. Talent Funnel

Talent Funnel streamlines the recruitment journey and is one of the best applicant tracking systems for prioritising long-term candidate relationships. Unlike traditional systems that focus solely on processing applications, Talent Funnel helps organisations build and nurture talent pipelines, keeping potential candidates engaged for future roles.

Key features of Talent Funnel

• Candidate relationship management tools to maintain long-term talent pipelines
• Automated communication workflows for proactive engagement
• Quick candidate segmentation by skills, experience and engagement history
• Targeted email campaigns and social media outreach integration
• Reporting dashboards tracking pipeline health and sourcing effectiveness

Pros

• Proactively nurtures talent, reducing time-to-fill for frequent roles
• Simple, user-friendly interface, without sacrificing core functionality
• Effective candidate segmentation and outreach tools

Cons

• Limited advanced compliance tracking compared to enterprise ATS
• May not meet the needs of highly complex hiring environments
• System built specifically for hiring in the hospitality sector

4. Pinpoint 

Pinpoint uses automation and AI-powered candidate matching to help organisations quickly identify the most qualified applicants while maintaining high hiring standards. It focuses on efficiency and candidate experience, making it a strong choice for teams looking to reduce manual screening without compromising quality.

Key features of Pinpoint

• AI-powered candidate matching to identify top talent efficiently
• Automated communication to keep candidates informed and engaged
• Customisable career pages for employer branding
• Integrated interview scheduling syncs with calendar applications

Pros

• Reduces manual screening and administrative workload
• Enhances candidate experience through automated updates
• Centralises data for consistent hiring decisions across teams
• Intuitive interface suitable for multi-location organisations

Cons

• Templated workflows may limit extensive customisation
• May not suit organisations with highly complex recruitment processes

5. Workable 

Workable is an all-in-one recruitment platform that combines applicant tracking with proactive candidate sourcing and broader HR functionality. It’s one of the best applicant tracking systems for companies that need a unified hiring solution with less focus on specialisms or complex sectors. Its intuitive tools help recruiters manage the full recruitment process, while expanding candidate reach efficiently.

Key features of Workable

• Proactive candidate sourcing across multiple channels
• One-click job posting to over 200 job boards
• Mobile-optimised career pages for improved candidate experience
• Seamless transition of sourced candidates into the ATS workflow
• Automation tools to streamline recruitment tasks

Pros

• Comprehensive all-in-one platform reduces need for multiple tools
• Expands candidate reach efficiently across channels
• Intuitive interface suitable for teams of all sizes
• Mobile-friendly design improves candidate engagement

Cons

• Steep learning curve due to the broad feature set
• Limited ability to build custom reports and performance dashboards
• Smaller teams may not use all available functionality
• Higher cost that may not be necessary for organisations with simple hiring needs

6. Breezy HR 

Breezy HR is the best ATS for small to mid-sized organisations seeking a simple, visually oriented recruitment platform with good core functionality. Its intuitive drag-and-drop pipeline and collaborative features help teams manage candidates efficiently, while reducing administrative workloads.

Key features of Breezy HR

• Drag-and-drop pipeline for visual candidate management
• CV parsing to quickly create structured candidate profiles
• Collaborative feedback directly within candidate profiles
• Automated interview scheduling to reduce coordination time
• Core analytics and reporting to track recruitment progress

Pros

• User-friendly, intuitive interface
• Streamlines candidate management and team collaboration
• Automated scheduling saves time and reduces friction

Cons

• Limited integration options with specialised HR systems
• May lack advanced customisation for complex workflows

7. Zoho Recruit 

Zoho Recruit is a scalable ATS designed for both in-house HR teams and staffing agencies, offering separate product tiers that adapt to different recruitment needs. Its integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem provides a unified workflow, while candidate-focused features keep applicants engaged throughout the hiring process.

Key features of Zoho Recruit

• Branded career sites and mobile-responsive application forms
• Automated email communications and candidate portal for status tracking
• CV parsing across multiple formats and languages
• Customisable workflows for permanent and contract staffing
• Integration with Zoho ecosystem for CRM, analytics, and project management

Pros

• Scalable solution suitable for both HR teams and staffing agencies
• Enhances candidate engagement with portals and automated communication
• Flexible workflows accommodate diverse hiring scenarios

Cons

• May be overwhelming for organisations not already using Zoho products
• Less specialised for companies seeking highly custom ATS solutions

8. Lever  

Lever combines applicant tracking with a recruitment CRM, focusing on building and maintaining relationships with candidates throughout the hiring journey. Its relationship-centric approach makes it the best ATS software for organisations looking to nurture talent pipelines, particularly for hard-to-fill or specialised roles.

Key features of Lever

• Unified tracking of active and passive candidates from sourcing efforts
• Automated ‘nurture campaigns’ to engage candidates over time
• Interview scheduling automation with self-service time selection
• Analytics dashboards tracking key metrics

Pros

• Strong focus on candidate relationship management
• Consistent evaluation process with structured feedback templates
• Data-driven insights to refine recruitment strategies

Cons

• Advanced CRM features can require training to use effectively
• Higher cost compared to more basic ATS platforms
• Lacks the advanced capability of dedicated applicant tracking systems 

9. JazzHR 

Jazz HR is an ATS used primarily by small to mid-sized businesses seeking enterprise-grade recruiting tools without the complexity of larger systems. Its focus on guided automation and flexible workflows helps growing organisations standardise hiring processes, while retaining control over candidate evaluation.

Key features of Jazz HR

• Pre-built workflows to automate routine hiring tasks
• Multi-channel job posting for broader candidate reach
• Templated candidate communications to streamline engagement
• Collaborative hiring tools for team feedback and decision-making

Pros

• Balances automation with manual control for recruiters
• Transparent pricing and modular feature access
• Easy to implement for organisations transitioning to structured recruitment

Cons

• May lack advanced features of enterprise-focused ATS platforms
• Limited integrations compared to larger systems
• Best suited for small to mid-sized organisations rather than high-volume enterprise hiring

10. Teamtailor 

Teamtailor came up as the best applicant tracking system for branding and customisation. It combines recruitment functionality with visually engaging, personalised career sites, with a focus on creating a compelling hiring experience. This makes it particularly valuable for organisations competing in markets where talent is scarce.

Key features of Team Tailor

• Visual career page builder for branded, candidate-focused sites
• Integrated application portals combining marketing and recruitment
• Structured evaluation frameworks for consistent candidate assessment
• Transparent dashboards to track recruitment progress and outcomes

Pros

• Enhances employer branding and candidate experience
• Simple, intuitive interface suitable for non-technical users
• Structured evaluation ensures fair and consistent hiring decisions

Cons

• Requires ongoing content maintenance to maximise branding impact
• Less well-suited for organisations prioritising complex workflow customisation

Transform the recruitment journey with Talos ATS

Revolutionise your hiring process with Talos360’s leading applicant tracking system. Designed to help hospitality employers secure top talent quickly, this award-winning ATS offers a comprehensive suite of features, including:

• Automated CV screening to efficiently manage high-volume applications
• Multi-job board posting to increase the visibility of your vacancies
• Employer branding tools to define and promote your company culture
• Intuitive career site builder to showcase your brand and attract candidates
• AI-powered job ad assistant for optimised role descriptions
• Automated DBS and reference checks to streamline compliance
• Video interviewing to make the hiring process faster and more flexible
• Intelligent interview insights for better decision-making
• AI-driven talent analytics to monitor and improve recruitment performance
• Employee onboarding tools to ensure a smooth transition for new hires

Take control of your recruitment journey today by booking your free demo and discover how Talos 360 can save time, improve hiring outcomes and transform your organisation’s talent management.