Recruitment Software: Free Plans & Free Trials
Every recruitment tool with a free plan or free trial, sorted by category and rating. 25 free plans and 41 free trials across 16 categories.
Key Findings
- • 25 tools offer a permanent free plan — not just a trial. ATS and Candidate Screening categories have the most free options.
- • 41 additional tools offer free trials (typically 7-30 days) without a permanent free tier.
- • Background Check and Recruitment Analytics tools rarely offer free access — these categories require paid commitments to evaluate.
- • The best-rated free-plan tools include Ashby (4.8), 7shifts (4.7), and Zoho Recruit (4.5) — free doesn't mean low quality.
Free Access by Category
| Category | Tools | Free Plans | Free Trials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant Tracking System (ATS) | 29 | 9 (31%) | 17 (59%) |
| Candidate Screening | 13 | 3 (23%) | 9 (69%) |
| Sourcing Tools | 13 | 3 (23%) | 6 (46%) |
| Video Interview Platforms | 6 | 3 (50%) | 5 (83%) |
| HRIS / HR Management | 23 | 2 (9%) | 5 (22%) |
| Interview Scheduling | 5 | 2 (40%) | 4 (80%) |
| Employer of Record (EOR) | 7 | 2 (29%) | 0 (0%) |
| Workforce Management | 4 | 1 (25%) | 4 (100%) |
| Payroll Software | 19 | 1 (5%) | 3 (16%) |
| Employee Referral Platforms | 4 | 1 (25%) | 3 (75%) |
| Onboarding Software | 6 | 0 (0%) | 6 (100%) |
| Recruitment CRM | 9 | 0 (0%) | 4 (44%) |
| Recruitment Marketing | 6 | 0 (0%) | 3 (50%) |
| Recruitment Analytics | 7 | 0 (0%) | 3 (43%) |
| Background Check Software | 6 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Job Board / Job Distribution | 6 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
Tools with Free Plans
These tools offer a permanent free tier — not just a trial. Sorted by rating.
| Tool | Rating | Also Has Trial | First Paid Plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hireflix | 4.9/5 | Yes | $75/mo | Video Interview Platforms |
| Deel | 4.8/5 | No | $29/mo | HRIS / HR Management |
| Ashby | 4.8/5 | Yes | Custom | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| 100Hires | 4.8/5 | Yes | $69/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| Calendly | 4.7/5 | Yes | $12/mo | Interview Scheduling |
| Willo | 4.7/5 | Yes | $75/mo | Video Interview Platforms |
| Homerun | 4.7/5 | Yes | $79/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| CharlieHR | 4.7/5 | Yes | $5/mo | HRIS / HR Management |
| 7shifts | 4.7/5 | Yes | $30/mo | Workforce Management |
| myInterview | 4.6/5 | Yes | $99/mo | Video Interview Platforms |
| Vervoe | 4.6/5 | Yes | $228/mo | Candidate Screening |
| Loxo | 4.6/5 | Yes | $119/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| ContactOut | 4.5/5 | Yes | $79/mo | Sourcing Tools |
| TestGorilla | 4.5/5 | Yes | $75/mo | Candidate Screening |
| HackerRank | 4.5/5 | Yes | $100/mo | Candidate Screening |
| Workable | 4.5/5 | Yes | $149/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| Breezy HR | 4.5/5 | Yes | $157/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| Zoho Recruit | 4.5/5 | Yes | $25/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| Cronofy | 4.4/5 | Yes | $15/mo | Interview Scheduling |
| Oyster HR | 4.4/5 | No | $599/mo | Employer of Record (EOR) |
| Boon | 4.3/5 | Yes | Custom | Employee Referral Platforms |
| Lusha | 4.3/5 | No | $49/mo | Sourcing Tools |
| SmartRecruiters | 4.3/5 | No | Custom | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| Freshteam | 4.3/5 | Yes | $1/mo | Applicant Tracking System (ATS) |
| SignalHire | 3.5/5 | Yes | $39/mo | Sourcing Tools |
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Methodology & Caveats
"Free plan" means the vendor offers a permanent free tier with limited features or usage — not a time-limited trial. "Free trial" means the vendor offers temporary full access (typically 7-30 days) before requiring payment.
Free plan limitations vary significantly. Some offer 1 active job posting, others cover a single location or small team. Always check the specific limitations on the vendor's website. This data is collected from vendor websites and updated regularly, but free plan availability and terms may change.