Last updated: October 2026. Written by the Curriculo team.
ATS pricing is rarely one number. You'll see free plans, per user fees, caps on active jobs, and custom enterprise quotes, so compare the pricing model before the sticker price. Curriculo Starter is free forever, and Pro is $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100), with no per teammate fees (pricing).
Pricing Intelligence
ATS pricing in 2026 ranges from $0 per month to over Custom quote enterprise contracts per year, depending on team size, feature requirements, and pricing model. This comparison covers real costs for 12 platforms, including per-seat fees, implementation charges, and the hidden add-ons that can turn a published monthly sticker into a much larger annual bill once seats and add-ons are counted.
Pricing Models
Four Ways ATS Vendors Charge
Per-Seat Pricing
How It Works
You pay a monthly fee for each user who accesses the system. Typical range: Custom quote seat bands. Greenhouse, Lever, and BambooHR use variations of this model.
The Problem
Adding a hiring manager to review candidates increases your bill. A 10-person team paying Custom quote spends Custom quote, and that cost grows every time your team does. This model punishes the exact growth you are trying to achieve.
Per-Job Pricing
How It Works
You pay based on the number of active job postings. Workable charges $299/month Standard for 1 to 20 employees on Workable pricing, checked Oct 2026 for up to a certain number of active jobs, with additional jobs at extra cost.
The Problem
Hiring spikes are unpredictable. When you suddenly need to fill 8 roles instead of 3, your bill doubles at the worst possible time, when you are already under pressure.
Flat-Rate Pricing
How It Works
One price, unlimited users, unlimited jobs. Curriculo ATS uses this model: Pro is $50, no per-seat fees, no per-job fees.
The Advantage
Predictable costs regardless of team growth. Your CFO knows the number twelve months out.
Enterprise / Custom Pricing
How It Works
Custom quote. s based on company size, feature requirements, and contract length. Know the right questions to ask your ATS vendor. Greenhouse, iCIMS, Workday, and SAP SuccessFactors operate in this tier. Annual contracts starting at Custom quote and reaching Custom quote enterprise contracts for large organizations.
The Problem
No published pricing means no way to compare without sitting through sales calls. Multi-year lock-ins are standard. Switching costs are designed to be prohibitive.
The Numbers
12 ATS Platforms Compared
Prices checked as of Q1 2026. Enterprise pricing estimated from public sources, customer reports, and vendor disclosures.
Platform Starting Price Model Free Tier AI Screening Annual Est. (20-person team)
Curriculo ATS $0/mo Flat-rate Yes (unlimited jobs) Impact Score $0 to $600
Greenhouse Custom quote Per-seat + tier No Keyword-based $6,000 to $25,000+
Lever Custom quote Per-seat No Basic $3,500 to $12,000
Workable $299/month Standard for 1 to 20 employees on Workable pricing, checked Oct 2026 Per-job tier No (15-day trial) AI sourcing $1,788 to $6,000
Ashby Custom quote Tiered No Basic $3,600 to $10,000
Manatal $15/user/month billed annually on Manatal pricing, checked Oct 2026 Per-seat No (14-day trial) AI recommendations $3,600 (20 users)
JazzHR Custom quote Tiered No (21-day trial) No $900 to $3,600
Zoho Recruit $25/recruiter/month billed annually on Zoho Recruit pricing, checked Oct 2026 Per-seat Yes (1 job) Basic $6,000 (20 users)
BambooHR Custom quote. /mo Per-employee No No $3,120 (20 employees)
Breezy HR $157/mo annual on Breezy HR pricing, checked Oct 2026 Tiered Yes (1 position) Basic $1,884 to $5,400
iCIMS Custom Enterprise No Advanced $25,000 to Custom quote enterprise contracts
Workday Recruiting Custom Enterprise No Advanced $50,000 to Custom quote enterprise contracts
Hidden Costs
What the Landing Page Does Not Tell You
Implementation Fees
Enterprise ATS platforms routinely charge $1,000 to $10,000 for implementation, use our ATS evaluation checklist to compare total costs. This covers data migration, pipeline setup, training sessions, and a dedicated onboarding specialist. For small teams, this is often more than the first year of the subscription itself.
By contrast, self-serve platforms like Curriculo ATS, Workable, and JazzHR have no implementation fee, you set up the system yourself in minutes or hours.
A $299/month Standard for 1 to 20 employees on Workable pricing, checked Oct 2026 base plan sounds reasonable until you add 5 hiring managers at Custom quote each. That $149 is now $399/month, $4,788/year. And every new team member you bring into the hiring process increases the bill further.
Job Board Credits
Some ATS platforms include "free" job board credits that expire monthly. When they run out, posting a job on Indeed or LinkedIn through the platform costs $50 to $500 per posting. Over a quarter, this adds $500 to $2,000 that never appeared in the pricing comparison.
Premium Support Packages
Base plans often include email-only support with 24 to 48 hour response times. Faster support (chat, phone, dedicated CSM) costs $200 to $1,000/month extra. When your ATS breaks during a critical hiring push, that "optional" support tier suddenly feels mandatory.
Total Cost
Real annual cost for a 20-person team
$600Curriculo ATS Pro flat, no add-ons$6K+Greenhouse minimum annual$125K+Enterprise tier (iCIMS, Workday)
Recommendations
Which Plan for Which Team Size
1 to 10 Employees
Use a free plan. You are hiring 1 to 5 roles at a time. Curriculo ATS Starter gives you AI screening and unlimited job listings at no cost. At this stage, spending $3,500+/year on Lever makes no sense, that money is better spent on your product.
10 to 50 Employees
This is where flat-rate pricing matters. You are adding hiring managers and team leads to the evaluation process. Per-seat pricing starts to hurt. Curriculo ATS Pro at Pro is $50 ( $50/month) or Workable's Starter tier at $299/month Standard for 1 to 20 employees on Workable pricing, checked Oct 2026 are your best options. Avoid enterprise platforms, the implementation time alone will slow you down.
50 to 200 Employees
You need analytics, compliance features, and more integration depth. Ashby, Workable Growth, or Curriculo ATS Pro all work here. Greenhouse becomes a reasonable option if you have budget and need their deep ecosystem. Check our scaling teams guide for more detail.
200+ Employees
Enterprise requirements (security audits, OFCCP compliance, global payroll integration) push you toward Greenhouse, iCIMS, or Workday. Expect to spend $25,000 to Custom quote enterprise contracts/year. The ROI math works differently at this scale, a bad hire at $200K salary costs more than the entire ATS subscription.
FAQ
Pricing Questions
Related: pricing, best free ats, and small business ats cost comparison.
FAQ
How much does ATS software cost?
It depends on the pricing model. Some vendors publish free plans, others charge per user or per active job, and many enterprise tools only give custom quotes. Check each vendor's own pricing page and note the date you checked.
What is the average cost of an applicant tracking system?
There is no reliable single average, because pricing models differ by team size, number of users, and job volume. Compare published plan tables at your own team size instead of trusting an average nobody can source.
Does Curriculo charge per user?
No. No Curriculo plan charges per teammate. Starter is free forever with unlimited active jobs, unlimited teammates, and 1,000 ranked candidates. Pro is $50/mo early-bird (50% off $100), so you save $600 a year (pricing).