What is ATS software?

The purpose of an ATS or applicant tracking system is to create and maintain a living database of applicants not just for one particular position, but with a view to the full picture of a business’ talent acquisition needs. ATS tools can make all the difference to a start-up business looking to acquire the best possible team in the shortest possible timeframe. They can be equally important for a business at any scale that can expect to see high rates of turnover as a norm, such as high-volume retail or food service outlets.

Just getting started? Find Free Applicant Tracking Tools for Your Business.

Did you know? Indeed’s ATS Sync lets you seamlessly transfer job and candidate data between Indeed and your ATS. This helps simplify the hiring process for both you and your candidates.

Benefits of using an ATS

Businesses should focus on improving their hiring processes to stay competitive in an evolving job market. ATS platforms can help you consolidate talent acquisition strategies by integrating with job platforms like Indeed to reach potential candidates. By using an ATS, you and your hiring team can navigate the job market and attract top talent by having a central source of truth for all your jobs and candidates.

What to look for when choosing ATS software

ATS tools come in a wide variety of configurations, and some are aimed at different market niches. That said, there are certain features that the most competitive applicant tracking systems have in common.

1.Data integrations

To improve recruitment processes, it’s important to choose an ATS that can import and export data and work well with other software. These features help avoid manual data entry and keep information consistent across different systems. For example, tools like Indeed’s ATS Sync can save time by not having to re-enter applicant details. Indeed currently integrates with 300+ global ATS platforms. You can search for 300+ ATS platforms in the US in Indeed’s Integration Hub (sign in required).

2. Customization

Being able to customize an app to your needs adds considerable value to any software. Customization helps align the recruitment process with your company’s goals.

3. Aggregation

An advanced feature of modern applicant tracking, and one of the main reasons why users need an ATS, is its ability to aggregate applicant data from off-platform sources like social media. This can help provide a more comprehensive view of potential candidates.

4. Automation

Modern software solutions almost universally put at least some effort into automating repetitive tasks, but some implement these functions better than others. The better that implementation is done, the more time you can potentially save. Automation allows recruiters to focus on more engagement with top candidates. 

5. Tags

Tags allow users to segment applicant data according to whatever a company’s needs might be.

6. Interview management

ATS software can streamline the process of scheduling, recording and evaluating interviews, which is a key part of how they increase hiring efficiency.

7. Scoring, reporting and analytics

In an ATS, scoring, reporting, and analytics play a key role in evaluating applicants, improving recruitment processes and making better decisions. Scoring helps rank applicants based on their skills, making it easier to find the best candidates. 

Analytics goes beyond tracking data, giving valuable insights into how efficient the recruitment process is, such as time and cost per hire, where applicants come from and which job postings work best. Detailed source reporting lets you see how effective your recruitment investments are by tracking metrics like where applicants come from, how long it takes to hire them and how much it costs. 

Reporting then takes all this information and presents it in a clear way, helping organizations make smart choices based on thorough recruitment analysis. Together, these tools are a great way to improve recruitment strategies and spending.

20 ATS software tools

Many ATS software tools work seamlessly with job platforms like Indeed. Take a look at this list of applicant tracking software to see how these tools’ custom solutions meet the hiring needs of various industries.

What are Indeed’s ATS Platinum Partners? 

Indeed Platinum Partners are recognized as “best-in-class” for their fully optimized integrations with Indeed. These ATS software providers not only gain early access to new Indeed features (like ATS Sync, Indeed Apply Sync, Disposition Sync, Sponsored Jobs and more) but also incorporate them into their systems immediately. Users enjoy the latest advancements in job posting and application management technology. This integration represents a high level of commitment and performance. It means these partners have perfected their systems to match Indeed’s capabilities.

Quick Navigation:

• ApplicantPro
• Apploi
• Atomic Hire
• BambooHR
• Breezy HR
• HigherMe
• iCIMS
• Hireology
• Wizehire
• Recruitee
• Fountain Hire
• ADP Recruitment Cloud
• SmartRecruiters
• TalentReef
• Greenhouse
• TribePad
• UKG
• Workable
• Workday
• SAP SuccessFactors

ApplicantPro — Indeed’s 2023 and 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: ApplicantPro offers pricing plans for companies of different sizes and needs. It has three options (Standard ATS, Premium ATS and Full-Service Hiring). They offer a free trial and new customers can get 10% off an ApplicantPro annual plan. 

Key Features:

• Comprehensive job distribution and employee referral automation
• Mobile-friendly recruiting and online applications
• Pre-hire assessments and skills tests
• Phone and video interview capabilities
• Background checks and drug testing integrations

ApplicantPro simplifies hiring from posting to onboarding. It integrates job distribution, mobile recruiting and pre-hire assessments. Indeed’s integration with ApplicantPro speeds up hiring by attracting qualified applicants, cutting costs and reducing manual tasks with features like ATS Sync, Sponsored Jobs Integration, Indeed Apply Sync and Disposition Sync to enhance the process. Candidate Sync, a new feature in development will optimize hiring even further.

Apploi — Indeed’s 2023 and 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: Pricing depends on the number of employees and locations. For a personalized quote, schedule a demo with their team.

Key Features:

• Streamlined candidate reach, review, communication, and onboarding
• Recruitment product suite for schools at no cost
• Recognized as a best-in-class integration and Platinum partner at Indeed

Apploi makes hiring in healthcare easier with user-friendly tools. It’s a Platinum partner with Indeed, offering special integrations. These include ATS Sync, Indeed Apply Sync, Disposition Sync, Sponsored Jobs and more. Apploi focuses on quality and aims to better match applicants with job requirements. 

According to Adam Lewis, CEO & Founder of Apploi: “The workflow when using ATS Sync for Apploi is very easy for our customers. They post a job on Apploi, the jobs are distributed to Indeed. Our clients see great value in Indeed’s organic as well as paid job postings. The applications and screener question responses sync back to Apploi, automatically.”

Atomic Hire

Price: Atomic Hire’s solutions are priced by custom quote from the vendor. Free versions and free trials are not available.

Key Features:

• Efficient filtering for role-specific hiring
• User-friendly presentation of recruiting funnel
• Useful scoring and screening tools

A cloud-based ATS platform that focuses on providing the fundamentals of applicant tracking in an easy-to-use form, Atomic Hire simplifies the process of prescreening and filtering applicants and offers a simple grid-based view of the hiring funnel for any particular position. It’s designed to be adaptable to the processes and tech stacks of specific businesses and to facilitate information sharing among users. Although it doesn’t support more advanced features like resume parsing, its solid delivery of the basics makes it popular with its client base. As one customer explains: “We’re a growth stage technology start-up, fighting hard to sign the best talent. [Since] we started using Atomic Hire, we have signed 5 world class candidates within 4 weeks, only conducting 15 face to face interviews.”

BambooHR

Price: BambooHR offers full solutions built for a business’ needs by custom quote.

Key Features:

• Available in mobile, desktop and cloud-based formats
• Integrates with the brand’s larger HR software package
• Automated alerts
• In-system messaging

BambooHR positions itself as a human resources software suite aimed specifically at growing businesses. Easy to customize for a team’s needs and built to make information easy to find by all stakeholders in the hiring process, the ATS tool component of BambooHR comes with the added advantage of potential integration with a much larger HR suite that handles compensation management, onboarding, time tracking and performance management. The software enjoys an enthusiastic customer base, with one user saying that, “BambooHR’s applicant tracking system (ATS) has given us the platform to compete for candidates who are not only more qualified but who also fit our company culture.”

Breezy HR

Price: Starts at $143 per month and offers flexible month-to-month pricing. A free demo version that features one active position and one candidate are available for testing.

Key Features:

• Simple implementation and friendly UI
• Strong support for communication within and beyond recruiting team
• Candidate tagging for certifications and skills
• Supports video interviewing

A player in the HR software market for more than a half decade, Breezy HR is built with a focus on automating tasks ranging from background screening, candidate scoring and messaging through interview scheduling and making official job offers. Noted for its user-friendly interface and ease of installation, Breezy is a cloud-based and mobile-friendly software that boasts powerful collaborative tools for recruitment teams of any size. It provides video interviewing functionality, a self-serve portal for applicants and resume parsing and workflow management tools. These features combine with a budget-friendly price point to make it a highly popular applicant tracking system.

HigherMe

Price: HigherMe invites you to book a demo to discover its full set of services.

Key Features:

• Applications dashboard
• Integrates with Indeed and other job boards
• FitScore for algorithm-based candidate rankings
• Automations for interview scheduling and candidate reminders

HigherMe specializes in ATS tools for restaurants. The platform has tools like automated interview scheduling to speed up hiring. Its user-friendly interface helps managers work together to create candidate lists and move candidates to digital onboarding. It offers a central dashboard, works with major job boards, sends reminders, customizes job applications and uses FitScore to rank candidates. It also provides video cover letters to understand candidates better and make hiring decisions easier.

iCIMS — Indeed’s 2023 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: iCIMS offers a free demo and custom quotes for paid solutions.

Key Features:

• Real-time reporting tools
• Mobile-friendly access
• Extensive customization

Built for enterprise-scale businesses, iCIMS is a centralized recordkeeping system advertised as being among the largest stand-alone talent acquisition platforms on the market. It integrates seamlessly with Indeed (Indeed Apply Sync with screener questions and Candidate Sync) and includes features like a centralized system of record, automated bulk actions, real-time reporting and a mobile-friendly interface that makes it possible to manage the recruitment pipeline from anywhere and at any time. 

“Indeed is the go-to place for many job seekers. For an employer, investing in Indeed

and in iCIMS together results in getting a high volume of candidates faster, with a

simplified process.”

Charles Mah, Chief Customer Officer, iCIMS

Hireology – Indeed’s 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: Hireology provides services starting at $249 per month as well as all-in-one custom solutions.

Key Features:

• Job postings
• Automated candidate communication, reminders and job description writer
• User-friendly mobile application
• Electronic document collection

Hireology provides a range of tools to help make hiring easier. The platform supports referral programs, creates eye-catching career sites to boost employer branding and posts job openings on top job boards like Indeed. It also offers features for improving job ads, communicating through email and text and using a mobile app for recruitment on the move. Hireology digitizes onboarding processes for quicker employee readiness and can even link hiring with payroll systems. Through data analysis, Hireology offers valuable insights into the recruitment process, highlighting trends and areas for enhancement. 

Wizehire – Indeed’s 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: Pricing for Wizehire starts at $249 monthly. Custom pricing is available for mid-sized businesses with complex needs

Key Features:

• Industry-specific job templates
• Expert coaching
• Advanced application filtering
• Customizable hiring stages

Wizehire offers a comprehensive hiring platform designed to streamline the recruitment process with industry-specific job templates, expert coaching and support. The platform allows posting to over 100 job boards, including major ones like Indeed, with a single click. Its features include advanced applicant filtering, data-driven candidate recommendations, customizable hiring stages and detailed candidate profiles with resumes, cover letters and assessment results. Wizehire provides DISC+ personality insights to assess candidate compatibility and integrates with various tools for skill assessments, background checks, salary benchmarking and digital signing.

Recruitee

Price: Pricing starts at $99 per month, and Recruitee offers both a free version and a free trial.

Key Features:

• Automations for scheduling, messaging and candidate scoring
• Custom automations
• Supports multilingual career sites
• Time-to-hire and candidate source reports

Billing itself as software for recruitment firms and hiring managers alike, Recruitee is a data-driven ATS tool with a strong focus on automation, reporting and analytics. It makes it easy to assess and tweak workflows for greater efficiency and improved ROI. The platform generates a clear picture of time-to-hire, enhances candidate sourcing and automates many daily tasks while providing tools for customization in case the platform’s prebuilt automation options aren’t enough. 

Further features include resume parsing and a function for self-serve career sites with options designed for international and multilingual businesses. The software draws praise from clients for being easy to use, one of whom notes: “Recruitee seems to have been [built] with the [end user] in mind.”

Fountain Hire

Price: Fountain is priced by custom quote and offers a free demo.

Key Features:

• Recommended hiring strategies with predicted sourcing spend
• Automations for interview scheduling, communications, and assessments 
• Editable templated offer letters

Fountain Hire tailors hiring workflows operating like an extension of talent acquisition teams. With a blend of AI and sourcing experts it offers support when making data-informed hiring decisions when hiring frontline workers. Features include customizable qualification skills assessments, interview scheduling, offer acceptance, employee onboarding and compliance management. Fountain Hire can be added to a current tech stack, where custom hiring experiences can be created for each job and location and workforce compliance can be managed in one comprehensive platform. Fountain enables enterprise companies to hire frontline workers at scale utilizing automation, customizable hiring workflows and integrations tailored to workforce management with Fountain Onboard and Compliance offerings.

ADP Recruitment Cloud

Price: ADP offers self-guided demos and customized demos that are available upon request. 

Key Features:

• Recruitment management
• Compensation management
• Integrated background, drug test and medical screening
• Digital onboarding experience

ADP Recruitment Cloud tackles key talent acquisition challenges. It supports creating competitive compensation packages and uses branded career sites and talent communities to reach the right candidates. ADP’s suite includes tools for compensation, screening, onboarding and recruitment training. Features include mobile-friendly career sites for a strong first impression, analytics for recruitment efficiency and tools for creating equitable compensation strategies. With extensive experience in pre-employment screening across various countries, ADP offers reliable hiring with built-in compliance and integrated background checks. The digital onboarding experience creates a smooth transition for new hires.

SmartRecruiters

Price: SmartRecruiters provides solutions by custom quote that are tailored for each client’s needs. It also offers a free demo.

Key Features:

• Real-time reporting and analytics
• Over 350 plug-and-play third-party integrations
• International compliance management tools
• Automated job board distribution
• Branded career pages

SmartRecruiters combines two major talent acquisition roles. Its recruitment marketing features would normally be associated with a candidate relationship management (CRM) platform, and it also functions as a full-featured ATS software. The latter offers its own API for facilitating integration into a company’s tech stack. The software includes prebuilt plug-and-play integrations with over 350 third-party vendors, compliance management tools valid in over 100 countries, customizable workflows and real-time reporting and analytics. 

It offers direct candidate sourcing as well as application tracking, including information about which channels and sources yield the best ROI. It also automates job postings on multiple boards, supports branded career pages and features integrated resume parsing technology. 

TalentReef — Indeed’s 2023 & 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: TalentReef offers paid solutions by direct custom quote only. A demo is available upon request. 

Key Features:

• Simplifies recruiting, hiring, and retention for the hourly workforce
• Provides fast, intuitive application processes and automated systems for hiring managers
• Offers mobile-optimized tools and experiences for employees

TalentReef transforms how HR pros and business owners manage talent. It’s tailored for the hourly workforce, streamlining hiring with simple applications, automated processes, and mobile-friendly tools. Plus, TalentReef links up with Indeed for seamless ATS Sync, Apply Sync and more, boosting recruitment as one of Indeed’s top partners. 

According to Danielle Greak, VP Sales, Strategic Accounts, TalentReef: “Indeed Integrations have proven instrumental in boosting our clients’ success in hiring. By leveraging Indeed’s diverse range of features, from targeted job promotion to streamlined application processes, our clients experience improved candidate quality and faster, more efficient hiring outcomes.”

Greenhouse

Price: Greenhouse offers demos by request only.

Key Features:

• Custom automated campaigns
• Automated interview reminder
• Drag-and-drop visual editor for recruitment funnels
• Score cards
• Offer forecast and recruitment analytics 

Greenhouse’s features make job hunting easier and help companies hire faster. You can create automated campaigns with fun videos and job details. Greenhouse also sends reminders for interviews, making it easier to stay on track and not miss any meetings. It shares job updates and sends emails about job opportunities within the company. For growing teams, tools like Offer Forecast and quick approval processes help predict who will accept job offers and make approvals easier. New features in onboarding and recruitment analytics, like scorecard views and better reports, offer improved tools for decision-making and understanding operational insights.

TribePad

Price: TribePad is priced by custom quote from the vendor, and it offers a free demo on request.

Key Features:

• Advanced vacancy creation and role segmentation
• Real-time downloadable reporting
• Sophisticated screening and compliance tools
• Automated interview scheduling
• Supports video interviews

TribePad positions itself as a forward-thinking, feature-rich ATS software tool designed specifically for mobile friendliness, customizability and detailed real-time reporting and analytics. It provides a vacancy creation system with specialized tools for role segmentation and cross-department or inter-regional information sharing. It automates candidate communication and interview scheduling, including video interviews, supports a wide range of screening tools, such as aptitude and psychometric testing, and offers anonymous applications for hiring diversity. 

Its talent pool features are aimed at segmenting and nurturing talent for future advancement, and its web search function allows HR personnel to search through candidate profiles. TribePad’s reporting includes cost of acquisition, hiring timelines and diversity compliance metrics with downloadable and easy-to-read visualizations.

UKG – Indeed’s 2024 Gold ATS Partner

Price: UKG offers a live demo that is available upon request.

Key Features:

• Streamlined performance management 
• Succession planning
• Automated compensation management
• Comprehensive position management
• Self-service mobile application

UKG, a leading cloud company in human capital management (HCM), supports over 80,000 organizations globally with a comprehensive suite of services including recruiting, talent management and payroll. UKG Pro, their enterprise-ready HCM suite, integrates seamlessly with Indeed to enhance recruitment efficiency. UKG empowers organizations by aligning job requisitions with the employer brand, engaging applicants swiftly and facilitating communication within hiring teams. 

Their offering includes intuitive recruiting tools, comprehensive position management, automated compensation, streamlined performance management, modern learning management and simple succession planning. All accessible anytime, anywhere, to promote compliance and self-service capabilities for employees.

Workable — Indeed’s 2023 & 2024 Platinum ATS Partner

Price: Pricing starts at $149 a month. A free demo is available to potential partners.

Key Features:

• Advanced candidate sourcing and screening with predictive algorithms
• Interview scheduling and communication tools
• Global ATS tool with significant presence in the US, UK, Greece, Australia and expanding into Asia

Since starting in 2012, Workable has grown rapidly and now helps over 27,000+ companies and facilitated the hiring of 1.5 million candidates. This SaaS firm provides an ATS for SMEs. It automates hiring and boosts candidate suggestions using predictive analytics. Workable is a Platinum partner of Indeed, combining various tools like ATS Sync, Sponsored Jobs, Indeed Apply, Disposition Sync and Candidate Sync to enhance recruitment. 

According to Trevor Schueren, Senior Product Partnerships Manager at Workable: “Our clients are looking for quality candidates for their open roles. Having Indeed Apply Sync integration, along with screener questions helps our mutual clients filter and find those qualified candidates amongst general applicants very efficiently.”

Workday

Price: Pricing varies based on business growth and a custom quote is available upon request. Workday offers a free 30-day trial with no obligation.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive financial management and human capital management
• Cloud-based platform for robust, on-demand access
• ATS Sync, Indeed Apply Sync with screener questions, Disposition Sync, Candidate Sync for streamlined recruitment processes

Workday is an all-in-one cloud platform with financial, HR, and IT software. Ideal for businesses looking for an integrated approach, it excels in integrating with platforms like Indeed for smooth recruitment processes. For example, key integrations like ATS Sync and Indeed Apply Sync streamline recruitment and enhance candidate management and the overall application processes. Learn more about Indeed’s Workday integrations.

SAP SuccessFactors

Price: SAP SuccessFactors offers a demo of its products and services upon request.

Key Features:

• Automated processes
• Targeted landing pages
• Instant feedback
• Global support in 46 languages

SAP SuccessFactors provides cloud-based solutions for managing human resources by blending HR tasks with payroll, talent management and workforce planning. By focusing on flexibility and personalized AI tools, SAP SuccessFactors prioritizes people in company operations. Its talent management suite uses smart software to address skills gaps. This makes hiring, onboarding, performance reviews and compensation planning more efficient. The platform also promotes ongoing employee growth and involvement through AI-guided learning, succession planning and a talent marketplace that connects career goals with company needs.

The impact of an ATS integration on hiring outcomes

Integrating an ATS with platforms like Indeed improves hiring outcomes by:

• Speeding up hiring: Integrations reduce time-to-hire by automating candidate screening and sourcing.
• Enhancing candidate quality: Employers can receive quality applicants by leveraging Indeed’s talent pool.
• Boosting employer brand: A seamless application process can make your company more appealing to top talent.

Choosing the right ATS software for your business

Choosing the right ATS software impacts hiring and talent strategies. ATS tools are getting better to meet employers’ and the job market’s changing needs. Employers now have advanced tools to improve hiring, such as AI-driven analytics to find candidates, automation to reduce manual work and easy connections to job boards and social media. 

A good ATS software can improve hiring by helping recruiters connect with talent faster, in order to meet your company’s hiring goals. It’s not just about tracking applicants. It’s also about finding the best talent in a tough job market. And it’s about communicating well with them and working smoothly with platforms like Indeed to reach more people. Employers should select ATS software that aligns with their goals and offers strong integration features. Choosing a robust integration can enhance your recruitment efforts and outcomes.

Looking ahead

ATS software plays a key role in hiring practices. Integrating ATS software with platforms like Indeed helps widen the talent pool and simplify hiring. This partnership improves the candidate experience and boosts job posting visibility. Employers should choose ATS software that works well with Indeed to optimize recruitment and attract top talent. By using an ATS that aligns with Indeed, businesses can stay competitive and meet job market demands.

ATS software FAQs

What companies use an ATS?

ATS tools have become close to ubiquitous in the job marketplace. They’re used by start-ups, large-scale enterprises and widely recognized brands. Any company that hires more than a few people in any given year can derive value from an applicant tracking system.

How does ATS software work?

An ATS is a liaison between a company’s hiring team and its active pool of potential talent. Plenty of applicants think of ATS as a resume checker, and indeed, parsing resumes and CVs for key details is one of its functions. More than that, it also helps with communication, interview scheduling, skills testing and candidate assessments.

What is the difference between a CRM and an ATS?

In the context of HR tools, CRM means candidate relationship management. CRM systems are proactive and concerned with the big picture. In other words, they’re designed for recruitment marketing, attracting passive candidates, building positive and exciting relationships with a workforce and supporting employees who choose to move on. An ATS is focused on the hiring funnel and provides a single platform with workflow tools for screening, evaluating and selecting prospective talent.

What is Indeed’s role in enhancing ATS utility?

Indeed works with ATS tools to help employers hire better by improving job postings and applications. They partner with top ATS providers to simplify hiring processes and reach more candidates. This makes applying for jobs easier for candidates and helps employers find the right people faster.