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Manatal is a budget ATS, listed from $15, but low cost is not much help if the workflow does not match your hiring process. A commenter on r/recruiting says Manatal’s flow is geared toward agencies, is not customizable and handles candidate matching poorly. That is one user’s view, not a universal verdict. We’d shortlist CATS or Bullhorn for agency operations, and look at Lever or Ashby if customization, analytics or consolidating recruiting tools matters more than a public price.
01Why people leave Manatal
Your workflow does not fit
A commenter on r/recruiting says Manatal centers on clients, jobs and placements rather than in-house job requisitions.
You need more flexibility
One commenter calls Manatal’s recruiting flow noncustomizable. Teams with different stages or processes may want to compare other options.
Matching and reporting matter more
A commenter criticizes Manatal’s candidate matching. Reddit users also note that larger ATS products can help with automation and recruiting data.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- ATS and CRM
CATSCATSCATS is the closest fit if you want an ATS and recruiting CRM together, with candidate-stage workflow automation and tools for tracking clients and applicants. That makes it worth comparing with Manatal if your agency needs more workflow automation. The listed starting price is $95, so weigh the per-user cost against Manatal’s $15 starting price.
Trade-off: The listed starting price is higher, and pricing is per user.
6.5/10from
$95/mo - Staffing agencies
BullhornBullhornBullhorn is aimed at staffing firms that want ATS and CRM coverage, recruiting workflow automation and back-office tools. It is a stronger shortlist candidate if your agency needs more than Manatal’s client-and-placement-oriented flow. The listing starts at $99, but it advises getting a quote before budgeting for AI or front-to-back operations.
Trade-off: AI and front-to-back operations need a quote.
7.2/10from
$99/mo - ATS and CRM
LeverLeverLever combines an ATS and recruiting CRM, with coverage for passive-candidate pipelines, hiring analytics and AI. Consider it if Manatal’s workflow feels too fixed or you need a broader recruiting toolkit. Lever does not publish a price on the pricing page, so you will need to get pricing before comparing its cost with Manatal’s $15 starting point.
Trade-off: No public price is listed.
6.2/10from
Custom - Analytics and consolidation
AshbyAshbyAshby suits teams trying to consolidate recruiting tools or add built-in recruiting analytics, including organizations that already have an ATS and want analytics. It may be a better fit than Manatal when reporting and a bundled recruiting stack matter more than a low entry price. The listing says larger-plan prices are not public, so ask what your required plan includes.
Trade-off: Larger-plan pricing is not public.
6.0/10from
$360/mo - Hiring automation
ParadoxParadoxParadox is worth considering if your main reason for leaving Manatal is the desire to automate recruiting tasks across multiple hiring stages. It is positioned to work alongside an existing system of record, so it may suit teams that want to change their automation layer without replacing that system. Pricing and limits are not published on the vendor's site.
Trade-off: It is designed to keep an existing system of record.
6.2/10from
Custom - Recruiting tool consolidation
GemGemGem targets teams replacing several recruiting tools or keeping their current ATS while adding recruiting coverage. Its listing also identifies startups with 1–10 FTE as a fit. Consider it if leaving Manatal is part of a wider tool cleanup, not just an ATS swap. The listed price starts at $130, with a free plan; custom pricing is not transparent.
Trade-off: Custom pricing is opaque.
7.0/10from
$130/mofree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Manatal Manatal (current) | 6.5 | $15/mo | No | Small teams replacing spreadsheet hiring |
| CATS CATS | 6.5 | $95/mo | No | Recruiters needing ATS and CRM together |
| Bullhorn Bullhorn | 7.2 | $99/mo | No | Staffing firms consolidating ATS and CRM |
| Lever Lever | 6.2 | Custom | No | Teams combining ATS and recruiting CRM |
| Ashby Ashby | 6.0 | $360/mo | No | Teams consolidating recruiting tools |
| Paradox Paradox | 6.2 | Custom | No | Organizations automating hiring tasks |
| Gem Gem | 7.0 | $130/mo | Yes | Startups with 1–10 FTE |
Questions people ask
Why do recruiters leave Manatal?
One commenter on r/recruiting says Manatal’s workflow is geared toward agencies, is not customizable and has weak candidate matching. Those are individual user complaints, not proof that every team will hit the same limits. The pricing page describes Manatal as a budget ATS for straightforward hiring workflows.
Which Manatal alternative has a published price?
The pricing page show CATS starting at $95 and Bullhorn at $99. Gem is listed from $130 with a free plan. Lever and Paradox do not have public prices in the published material, and Ashby’s larger-plan pricing is not published.
Should I switch to a more expensive ATS?
Not automatically. In one Reddit discussion, commenters say higher-priced ATS products can pay off when teams run many hiring processes, involve multiple interviewers and rely on recruiting data. The same thread suggests smaller organizations may be fine with a cheaper system. Compare the workflow you need with the price and migration effort.