Crelate
Recruitment CRM and ATS built for staffing agencies and executive search firms, combining talent pipeline management with business development tracking.
Crelate is a purpose-built recruiting CRM and ATS for staffing agencies, executive search firms, and professional recruiters. It combines candidate relationship management, applicant tracking, business development pipeline, and back-office functionality in a single platform. Pricing starts at $69/user/month for the Recruit plan. Known for flexibility, strong search capabilities, and the ability to manage both candidate and client relationships. Competes directly with Bullhorn (enterprise) and Recruit CRM (mid-market). Best for boutique to mid-size staffing agencies.
Last updated: 2026-03-18
Crelate is a recruitment CRM and ATS built specifically for staffing agencies and executive search firms. Founded in 2012 in Bothell, Washington, it combines candidate relationship management, applicant tracking, client pipeline management, and back-office functionality in a single platform designed for professional recruiters.
Our Honest Take
Crelate occupies a valuable niche: it's the mid-market alternative to Bullhorn for staffing agencies. Where Bullhorn dominates the enterprise staffing space with deep customisation and a massive integration ecosystem, Crelate offers a cleaner, more affordable experience for boutique to mid-size agencies (1-50 recruiters). The combined ATS + CRM means you manage both candidate pipelines and client business development in one system, which eliminates the data fragmentation that comes from running separate tools.
The search and filtering capabilities are strong — Crelate handles large talent databases well, and the boolean search works reliably. Workflow customisation is flexible without requiring technical expertise. At $69/user/month for the Recruit plan and $89/user/month for Business (adds back-office and billing), pricing is competitive against Bullhorn's enterprise rates. Customer support is consistently praised in reviews.
The limitations are predictable for a mid-market tool. The interface is functional but not as visually polished as newer platforms. Reporting is adequate but won't satisfy agencies with complex analytics needs. Marketing automation and candidate engagement features are less developed than Bullhorn, Loxo, or even Recruit CRM. The integration ecosystem is smaller — if you need deep connections to VMS platforms or enterprise back-office systems, Bullhorn is the safer choice.
Who This Is Best For
- Boutique and mid-size staffing agencies (1-50 recruiters) that need combined candidate and client management without Bullhorn's complexity and cost
- Executive search firms that manage long-term candidate relationships and need CRM functionality alongside applicant tracking
- Agency recruiters who need strong search, filtering, and pipeline management for large talent databases
- Agencies evaluating alternatives to Bullhorn that want similar functionality with simpler setup and lower cost
- Staffing firms that do both temp and direct-hire placements and need workflow flexibility for different placement types
Who Should Look Elsewhere
- Large enterprise staffing agencies (100+ recruiters) that need Bullhorn's depth of customisation, VMS integration, and enterprise support
- In-house corporate recruiters — Crelate is built for agencies. Greenhouse, Lever, or Workable are better for in-house talent acquisition
- Agencies that need advanced marketing automation — tools like Loxo or Bullhorn's engagement modules are more capable
- Solo recruiters on a tight budget — Recruit CRM's lower entry point or even a spreadsheet-based system may be sufficient
Crelate Pricing
Recruit
$69/user/month. ATS + CRM for recruiting.
Business
$89/user/month. Adds back-office, billing, and reporting.
Contact vendor for current pricing.
UnverifiedCrelate Features
AI & Automation
Analytics
Communication
Compliance
Core ATS
Integrations
Marketing
Sourcing
Crelate Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Purpose-built for staffing agencies with both candidate and client management
- + Strong search and filtering capabilities for large talent databases
- + Flexible workflow customisation without code
- + Good value at $69/user/month for combined ATS + CRM
- + Responsive customer support with high satisfaction ratings
Cons
- - Interface is functional but less visually polished than newer tools
- - Reporting capabilities are adequate but not best-in-class
- - Limited marketing automation compared to Bullhorn or Loxo
- - Smaller ecosystem of integrations than enterprise competitors
- - Learning curve for advanced features like pipeline customisation
How we evaluate tools
Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crelate vs Bullhorn — when should I choose Crelate?
Choose Crelate if you're a boutique to mid-size agency (1-50 recruiters) that wants a capable ATS + CRM without Bullhorn's complexity and enterprise pricing. Choose Bullhorn if you're a large agency (100+ recruiters) that needs deep VMS integration, extensive customisation, or a massive app marketplace.
Crelate vs Recruit CRM — what's the difference?
Both are agency-focused CRMs. Recruit CRM is slightly more affordable and has a more modern interface. Crelate has stronger search capabilities, more workflow flexibility, and better back-office features for staffing agencies that do billing and time management. Recruit CRM is better for agencies that prioritise simplicity; Crelate is better for agencies with complex workflows.
Can Crelate handle both temp staffing and direct hire?
Yes. Crelate supports multiple placement types with configurable workflows. The Business plan ($89/user/month) adds back-office functionality including billing, timesheets, and invoicing specifically for temp and contract staffing.
Does Crelate integrate with LinkedIn?
Yes. Crelate offers LinkedIn integration for sourcing candidates, including LinkedIn Recruiter integration on higher plans. It also integrates with Indeed, Glassdoor, Gmail, Outlook, and Zapier for broader connectivity.
Crelate Integrations
Crelate connects with 10 tools and platforms.
Job Board
Communication
Calendar
Productivity
Payroll
Company Info
- Company
- Crelate
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Bothell, Washington, USA
- Deployment
- Cloud
Review Ratings
Buying Guides
Get the Shortlist Spreadsheet
130 tools compared — ratings, pricing, and free plans in one CSV. Plus weekly updates.