Affordable recruiting software compared, with published prices.
Affordable recruiting software for a small business usually costs between nothing and a few hundred US dollars a month, as at October 2026. Free plans exist but are limited to a single role. Per-user ATS pricing suits teams with one recruiter. And careers page tools with a built-in talent pool suit small teams that hire a few times a year and want every visitor to count. This guide compares published prices and explains where the hidden costs sit.
Three kinds of affordable recruiting software
1. Free or freemium ATS plans
Good for trying an ATS or hiring one role at a time. Expect limits on active jobs, branding and features. As at October 2026, Breezy HR and Zoho Recruit both offer free plans limited to one active job.
2. Budget ATS priced per user or per job
Good when one or two people do the hiring. Costs rise with each extra recruiter or job slot, so check the limits against your plans.
3. Careers page and talent pool tools
Good for small businesses whose real problem is attracting and keeping candidates rather than managing a high-volume process. You get a branded careers page, a talent pool and shared application review, and you can add an ATS later if you need one.
Published prices compared
| Product | Pricing basis | Cheapest published paid price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spacewalk | Per company, by active jobs, unlimited admins | £10 (US$13, A$19) per month billed yearly, £13 (US$17, A$24) month to month | 14-day trial, no card |
| Manatal | Per user | US$15 per user per month billed yearly | 14-day trial |
| Breezy HR | Per company | $157 per month billed yearly | Free plan for one position |
| JazzHR | Per company, annual | $1,000 per year | Free trial |
| Homerun | Per company, by job slots | From €89 per month billed yearly | 15-day trial |
| Workable | By company size | US$299 per month | 15-day trial |
| BambooHR | HR suite, per employee | US$250 per month flat for 25 or fewer employees | Not published |
Teamtailor, Recruitee, Pinpoint and JobAdder price on request. In Australia, Employment Hero bundles hiring tools with its HR plans.
Hidden costs to check
- Per-user fees. Cheap for one recruiter, expensive when every hiring manager needs access.
- Job slot limits. A low price that covers three active roles may not cover a busy month.
- Annual contracts. Monthly prices often assume a yearly commitment.
- Add-ons. Branding, custom domains, integrations and job board posting can cost extra.
- Setup and onboarding fees. Some vendors charge, others do not.
- Job board spend. Software rarely includes paid advertising on the big job boards.
How to keep recruiting costs down
- Own your careers page. It is the one channel with no per-ad cost.
- Build a talent community so each new role starts with people who already asked to hear from you. See what is a talent community?
- Ask for referrals from staff, customers and your network.
- Use paid job boards selectively for hard-to-fill roles.
- Do not pay for ATS features you will not use. Read do small businesses need an ATS? first.
Where Spacewalk fits
Spacewalk's careers page software is priced per company, not per user, so every manager who helps with hiring can have access at no extra cost. Plans start from £10 (US$13, A$19) a month billed yearly, with no setup fees, free onboarding, no charge to post roles, a 30-day money-back guarantee and month-to-month billing if you prefer. Starter covers up to 10 active jobs, Growth 50 and Business 100, and every plan includes the talent community. Your careers page is live on your own website in about 10 minutes. Full details are on the careers page pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest recruiting software for a small business?
Free plans from Breezy HR and Zoho Recruit cover one active job. Among paid tools with published pricing as at October 2026, Spacewalk starts at £10 (US$13, A$19) a month per company and Manatal at US$15 per user per month, both billed yearly.
Is there a cheap ATS with unlimited users?
Some tools price per company rather than per user. Spacewalk includes unlimited admins on every plan. Teamtailor advertises unlimited users but prices on request.
How much should a small business spend on recruiting software?
Match the spend to how often you hire. If you hire a few times a year, a careers page and talent pool tool is usually enough. If you run several roles at once all year, a full ATS is worth the higher cost.
Is free recruiting software good enough?
For one role at a time, often yes. Free plans tend to limit active jobs and branding, so most growing businesses outgrow them quickly.
Prices were checked on each vendor's website in October 2026 and may have changed since.