Workable alternatives: picking an ATS by how you hire
Short answer: The main Workable alternatives for in-house hiring are Breezy HR, JazzHR, Ashby, Zoho Recruit and Greenhouse. Breezy HR and Zoho Recruit have free plans for one open job at a time. JazzHR sells yearly plans with set job limits, and Ashby prices by company size. Workable is still a good fit if you want hiring and HR tools in one bill. Staffing agencies should look at agency tools such as Bullhorn instead.
Workable Alternatives is one option among several, and you want a fair, current comparison before you commit to any of them.
I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.
Why do people look for a Workable alternative?
Workable is a full tool, and many teams are happy with it. Here is what its pricing page shows, and why some teams compare it.
- Price grows with headcount: Workable sets its price by your number of employees, in bands from 1 to 20 up to more than 1,000. A growing company pays more, even if it hires the same number of people.
- HR comes in the bundle: For a company of 1 to 20 employees, Standard costs $299 a month, or $3,588 a year. It includes recruiting and HR tools together. The page lists no recruiting-only plan, so a company with its own HR system still pays for both.
- Some tools cost extra on Standard: Texting costs $89 a month, video interviews $109 and assessments $59. Premier, at $599 a month for the same company size, includes all three.
- AI uses credits: Each plan includes 3,000 free AI credits. Screening one candidate uses 1 credit, and one candidate chat uses 10. Extra packs start at 5,000 credits for $600, and credits expire after one year.
Workable lists unlimited active jobs under a fair use limit. It also posts to more than 200 job boards and offers a 15-day free trial with no card needed. For a company that needs a new HR system too, the bundle can save money.
Which pricing model fits the way you hire?
ATS vendors charge in four main ways. The right one depends on your company size and how many people you hire each year.
- By company size: Workable and Ashby charge more as your headcount grows. This suits a company that hires a lot for its size.
- By plan, with job limits: Breezy HR and JazzHR charge a set price for a plan. Lower plans limit how many jobs you can post or keep open. This suits a large company that hires only a few people a year.
- By recruiter seat: Zoho Recruit charges for each recruiter license, and each license allows a set number of open jobs. This suits a company with one or two people doing all the hiring.
- By quote: Greenhouse prices each company by plan, hiring volume and complexity. This suits larger firms with many teams and hiring stages.
Here is a simple test. A 300-person company that hires 5 people a year pays for its size under a headcount model. A plan with a job limit may cost much less. A 40-person startup that hires 30 people a year may find the headcount model cheaper.
What are the best Workable alternatives?
The prices here come straight from each vendor's pricing page.
Blur Studio (best value)
A ready-built, well-tested core with a different pricing model: no per-seat fees, and it covers almost all the features you'd actually need, usually working out to the best value for money. On top of that, Blur Studio builds owned customizations, meaning you can ask for it to be modified to your exact specifications, and you own those modifications outright. Learn more over a quick call with me, Ranjit.
- Best for: Businesses that need software that works without barriers, no unnecessary fees and options to customize it to their needs.
Breezy HR
Breezy HR has a free Bootstrap plan with one open job or talent pool at a time and unlimited users. Paid plans start with Startup, at $157 a month billed yearly or $189 monthly, which allows unlimited open jobs. Growth costs $273 a month billed yearly and Business costs $439. Yearly pricing includes 2 months free. Its AI, Breezy Intelligence, runs on credits that start at $30 for 100,000. Breezy offers a 14-day trial of every feature.
- Best for: Small companies that want a free start and many hiring managers in the tool.
JazzHR
JazzHR bills yearly. Hero costs $1,000 a year and starts at 3 job postings a month. Plus costs $3,480 a year and allows up to 200 active jobs. It adds AI candidate matching, structured interviews and task automation. Pro costs $5,508 a year and adds offers, e-signatures and custom reports.
- Best for: Companies that hire steadily and want one yearly bill they can plan for.
Ashby
Ashby sells an all-in-one recruiting plan with detailed reports. Its Foundations plan shows a base price of $400 a month for companies of up to 100 employees. The price changes with company size, and a yearly plan saves 10%. Foundations includes 1,500 AI credits a month. Plus and Enterprise are for larger companies and need a quote.
- Best for: Growing companies that want detailed hiring reports.
Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit charges per recruiter license. Its free plan allows one open job per license. Standard allows 10 open jobs per license and adds a branded careers site, job boards and AI features. Enterprise allows 20 open jobs per license and adds AI candidate matching. Zoho shows paid prices in a price calculator on its page. It gives a 15-day free trial and a 45-day money-back promise.
- Best for: Companies with one or two recruiters, or teams that already use other Zoho apps.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse does not list prices. Its page says pricing depends on the plan, your hiring volume and how complex your company is. All plans include structured interview kits, scorecards, scheduling and reports. Plus adds texting and fraud and spam checks. Pro adds an audit log and extra security.
- Best for: Mid-sized and large companies that want the same interview process across many teams.
How do Workable alternatives compare?
| Tool | Starting price, as of October 2026 | How it charges | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workable | $299 a month, or $3,588 a year, for 1 to 20 employees | Company size, recruiting and HR bundled | No | 15 days |
| Breezy HR | Startup $157 a month, billed yearly | Plan price, job limits on free plan | Yes, 1 open job | 14 days |
| JazzHR | $1,000 a year | Plan price, job limits | No | Not listed |
| Ashby | $400 a month base, up to 100 employees | Company size | No | Not listed |
| Zoho Recruit | Price calculator on its page | Per recruiter license | Yes, 1 job per license | 15 days |
| Greenhouse | Quote | Plan, hiring volume, complexity | No | Not listed |
As of October 2026, independently verified pricing: Workable runs $299 a month on monthly billing or $3,588 a year annually (Standard), with price scaling by headcount regardless of how many roles you are actually hiring for. JazzHR's Hero plan runs $1,000 a year for unlimited users but caps you at 3 open jobs at a time. Breezy HR runs free for one active job up to $157, $273 and $439 a month flat-rate with unlimited users. Zoho Recruit runs free to about $25 a recruiter a month on its Standard annual plan. Greenhouse does not publish pricing; verified buyer reports put its Core tier at $6,000 to $10,000 a year for companies under 50 employees, climbing to $50,000 to $70,000 or more a year at enterprise scale.
What is a good Zoho Recruit alternative?
Teams outgrow Zoho Recruit when more people join the hiring process, or when the job limit per license starts to pinch. Breezy HR's free plan allows unlimited users. Workable suits a company that also wants HR tools in the same place. Greenhouse suits a company that needs the same interview process across many offices.
What if you need a Bullhorn alternative?
Bullhorn sells to staffing and recruiting agencies. Its Starter plan lists client management, and Bullhorn One adds timesheets, invoicing and billing. Those are agency jobs, and Workable's plans focus on hiring for your own company. Bullhorn Starter costs $99 a user a month, and Core costs $165. Its bigger plans need a quote. If you run an agency, compare it with other agency tools in my recruitment CRM guide. For the wider tool set an agency runs on, see my guide to staffing agency software.
How do you choose an ATS for your company?
Pick two or three tools and test them with one real job. Check each of these.
- Your yearly cost: Work out the price for your headcount, your number of open jobs and your recruiters.
- Hiring managers: Make sure managers can review candidates and leave scorecards easily.
- Careers page: Check how your jobs look on your own site and on job boards.
- Your HR system: If you already have one, check that new hires move across without retyping.
- AI and credits: Ask what AI features cost in a normal month, and keep a person in charge of each decision.
- Your data: Ask how you export candidates and notes if you leave.
When does custom hiring software make sense?
Most companies should buy an ATS. They are mature and fairly priced for small teams.
A custom tool can be worth it in a few cases.
- High-volume hiring across sites: A restaurant group or retailer hires hundreds of seasonal staff across many locations every year.
- Candidates apply by text: Your applicants do not use email or desktop forms, so you need short text or WhatsApp flows.
- Hiring is tied to scheduling: A new hire must pass checks and then appear on the rota on day one.
- Data sits in many tools: Your ATS, HR system, payroll and scheduling app each hold a copy of the same person.
Often the better plan is to keep your ATS and add automation around it. An AI helper can answer candidate questions, book interviews and send reminders. My guide to HR automation shows more ways to link hiring with the rest of HR.
How does Blur Studio approach hiring tools?
I start with your last few hires. How did each person apply? Who reviewed them? Where did the process slow down, and what did someone copy by hand? If Workable or one of these tools fits, I tell you which one and why. If there is a gap, I build the part you need and connect it to the tools you keep. Your company owns the result, including the code. My guide on build vs buy software walks through the wider choice.
Need something completely custom?
Everything above is a path to get it running quick and cheap. But sometimes none of those quite fit, and what you need is something custom that you own, built uniquely for your business from the ground up, with AI thoughtfully designed into the parts of it that your processes actually benefit from. An asset that grows in value, not a generic, one-size-fits-all boilerplate that's an expense with a lock-in. This is a complete bespoke build, and it's something I do very well. Get in touch to know more.
Questions people ask
How much does Workable cost?
As of October 2026, Workable Standard costs $299 a month, or $3,588 a year, for a company of 1 to 20 employees. Premier costs $599 a month at that size. The price goes up with your company's number of employees.
Is there a free alternative to Workable?
Breezy HR and Zoho Recruit both have free plans, as of October 2026. Breezy's free plan allows one open job with unlimited users. Zoho Recruit's free plan allows one open job per recruiter license.
Can I use Workable just for recruiting?
Workable's pricing page lists recruiting and HR bundled together on each plan, as of October 2026. It does not list a recruiting-only plan, so ask Workable sales if you only need the ATS.
Is Workable good for staffing agencies?
Workable's plans pair recruiting with HR tools for your own employees. Agencies also need client records and billing, which agency tools such as Bullhorn list on their plans.
Which ATS is best for a small company?
A small company that hires a few people a year can start on a free plan from Breezy HR or Zoho Recruit. A company that hires often may get better value from JazzHR or Workable.
What is the real difference between an ATS and a recruitment CRM?
An ATS like Workable is built to move a candidate through stages for a specific open role, application to offer. A recruitment CRM is built to maintain relationships with people over time, including candidates you are not actively hiring yet. My recruitment CRM guide covers that side in depth.
Why does Greenhouse not publish its pricing?
Greenhouse prices deals individually based on company size and modules, which is common for tools aimed at larger, more complex hiring teams. Verified buyer reports put its Core tier at $6,000 to $10,000 a year for companies under 50 employees, climbing to $50,000 to $70,000 or more a year at enterprise scale, so get a real quote before assuming it fits a small team's budget.
Roughly what does this cost?
As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.
Is my project too small for this?
No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.
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