Best Bullhorn Alternatives in 2027: Compared & Ranked

Bullhorn is the default ATS and CRM for staffing and recruiting agencies, with more than 10,000 customers. It’s powerful, especially for larger firms that need back-office tools, but most of its tiers are quote-only and the AI features many agencies now want sit in the higher Pro and Max plans. Smaller and mid-sized agencies often find a modern alternative faster to set up and cheaper to run. This guide compares the main options for US recruiting firms in 2027.

Quick answer: Recruit CRM is the best Bullhorn alternative for most small and mid-sized agencies, with transparent per-user pricing, AI agents and a 30-day free trial. Spott is the pick for agencies that want an AI-first platform with generous data credits, and Loxo suits firms that live on outbound sourcing. Manatal is the budget choice, Crelate suits agencies that share progress with clients, JobAdder suits perm and contract desks, and Zoho Recruit works for firms already on Zoho.

Last updated November 2026. Prices checked on November 10, 2026; vendors change pricing often, so confirm before you buy.

Some links in this guide are partner links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It does not affect our rankings.

Quick comparison

Why agencies look for a Bullhorn alternative

We compared the alternatives against the reasons agency owners give for reviewing Bullhorn:

• Pricing. Bullhorn publishes only two prices: Starter at $99 and Core at $165 per user a month. Pro, Max and the larger-agency editions are quoted, so costs are hard to compare.
• AI behind higher tiers. Bullhorn’s Amplify AI search and matching starts on Pro, and its agentic workflows (screening, outreach and scheduling) are on Max.
• Complexity. Bullhorn’s depth is built for large staffing firms. Small desks can find configuration and day-to-day use heavier than they need.
• Sourcing data. Several newer platforms bundle contact enrichment and sourcing credits into the subscription.

If you also run in-house hiring, our guide to the best ATS for recruiting firms covers the wider agency market, and our Greenhouse vs Lever vs Workable vs Bullhorn comparison explains where Bullhorn differs from corporate ATSs.

The best Bullhorn alternatives in 2027

1. Recruit CRM: best overall for small and mid-sized agencies

Recruit CRM is an ATS and CRM built for recruitment agencies, with clear per-user pricing and AI agents included from the entry plan. It covers candidates, clients, jobs and placements in one system, and its Business plan adds multichannel outreach and white-labelled client reports.

Best for: growing agencies that want Bullhorn-style ATS and CRM depth without enterprise pricing.

Key features:

• AI agents for field parsing, candidate submission and candidate pitching on every plan
• Hiring manager portal, Chrome sourcing extension and two-way email and calendar sync
• Resume formatting agent with branding and redaction (Business)
• Multichannel sequences across email, LinkedIn and WhatsApp (Business)
• Job board aggregators including Broadbean and LogicMelon, open API and SSO (Business)

Pricing: Pro is $95, Business $135 and Enterprise $215 per user a month, with up to 17% off for annual billing. There’s a 30-day free trial.

Limitations: Pro is limited to one hiring pipeline, 15 custom fields and one outreach sequence, so most agencies will need Business. It doesn’t include the timesheet and pay/bill tools that Bullhorn One offers for contract staffing.

Skip it if: you run large-scale contract staffing that needs integrated payroll and invoicing.

2. Spott: best AI-first agency platform

Spott is a newer ATS and CRM for recruiting firms, built around AI search, matching and note-taking. Every plan includes a pooled 1,000 credits per seat a month for actions like email and phone enrichment, which reduces the need for separate data tools.

Best for: agencies that want a modern interface and AI baked into daily work.

Key features:

• AI search and matching, an AI note taker and “Ask Spott” assistant
• CRM with companies, contacts, opportunities and a weighted pipeline
• Outreach sequences, Chrome extension and mobile app
• Automations, API, webhooks and MCP integration on Pro
• Direct data migration included

Pricing: Core is $139 and Pro $199 per user a month billed annually ($169 and $249 billed monthly). Enterprise is a custom quote. Trials are set up after a demo.

Limitations: automations, integrations and advanced analytics need Pro, and SSO and multi-office management need Enterprise. It’s a younger product than Bullhorn, so check the integrations you rely on.

Skip it if: you need mature back-office tools for contractors.

3. Loxo: best for outbound sourcing

Loxo combines an ATS and CRM with a large talent database and outreach tools. Its Professional plan adds an 850M+ profile talent graph, multichannel outreach and AI agents, making it a strong fit for search firms that find most candidates themselves.

Best for: executive search and specialist firms that source rather than post.

Key features:

• Full ATS and recruiting CRM with unlimited jobs, candidates and companies
• AI search, reporting, email and calendar sync, and a Chrome extension
• Loxo Source talent graph and Loxo Outreach on Professional
• AI agents and AI chat, with 2,500 pooled credits per user a month on Professional

Pricing: Core starts at $149 per user a month, billed annually up front. Professional and Enterprise are quoted. Professional has a 7-day free trial with no credit card.

Limitations: the sourcing features that make Loxo distinctive are on the quoted Professional plan, and billing is annual and paid up front.

Skip it if: you mainly fill roles from job board applicants.

4. Manatal: best budget alternative

Manatal is a low-cost ATS and recruitment CRM used by agencies and in-house teams. It’s quick to set up and includes unlimited hiring managers on every plan.

Best for: small agencies and solo recruiters moving off spreadsheets or a costly contract.

Key features:

• ATS and CRM with unlimited hiring managers
• Unlimited jobs and candidates from Enterprise
• Workflow automations on Enterprise
• Advanced report builder, LLM integration, open API and SSO on Enterprise Plus

Pricing: Professional is $15, Enterprise $35 and Enterprise Plus $55 per user a month billed annually ($19, $39 and $59 monthly). There’s a 14-day free trial with no credit card.

Limitations: Professional caps you at 15 jobs and 10,000 candidates per account, and lacks automations and API access.

Skip it if: you need deep outreach sequences or contractor management.

5. Crelate: best for agencies wanting client portals

Crelate is an ATS and CRM for staffing and search firms that includes client and team portals, an AI assistant and business development workflows on its higher plans.

Best for: mid-sized agencies that share shortlists and progress with clients.

Key features:

• ATS, recruiting CRM, job portal, resume parsing and sourcing
• AI Assistant, client and team portals and reports on Business
• Automation, sequences, business development workflows and full API on Business Plus

Pricing: Essentials is $85 per user a month billed annually (up to two users), and Business is $119 per user a month. Business Plus and Platform are quoted. A free trial is available without a sales call.

Limitations: Essentials is limited to two users and 20,000 contacts, and automation and sequences need the quoted Business Plus plan.

Skip it if: you need published pricing for advanced automation.

6. JobAdder: best for perm and temp agencies

JobAdder is a recruitment ATS and CRM with strong multi-posting and talent pools for both permanent and contract roles.

Best for: agencies placing both permanent and temp or contract candidates.

Key features:

• ATS and CRM with multi-posting and a branded careers page
• Temp and contractor talent pools and third-party data enrichment (Essential)
• Adder Intelligence, marketing campaigns, analytics dashboards and open API (Essential)
• Roi-AI automation, custom analytics and a sandbox on Recruiter Pro

Pricing: Quote on request. Annual contracts are standard, payable monthly or yearly.

Limitations: no published prices, and several useful tools (hiring manager portal, Broadbean, advanced analytics) are paid add-ons.

Skip it if: you want to compare prices before a demo.

7. Zoho Recruit: best for agencies already on Zoho

Zoho Recruit has a dedicated Staffing Agency edition alongside its Corporate HR edition, with client portals and per-recruiter pricing. It connects naturally to Zoho CRM, Books and other Zoho apps.

Best for: small agencies that already run their business on Zoho.

Key features:

• Candidate sourcing, resume parsing and job board posting
• Client and candidate portals and AI candidate matching on higher plans
• Blueprint workflow automation and custom reports

Pricing: a forever-free plan covers one active job. Paid plans are priced per recruiter per month, with up to 16% off for yearly billing; Zoho shows the exact rate in your currency. There’s a 15-day free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Limitations: the interface feels busier than newer agency tools, and the best integrations are within the Zoho ecosystem.

Skip it if: you want an AI-first, outreach-led platform.

When to stay on Bullhorn

Bullhorn is still the safest choice for large staffing firms. Stay if you rely on its 300+ marketplace partners, run contract staffing that needs timesheets, invoicing and pay/bill (Bullhorn One), or want Amplify Digital Workers to automate screening, outreach and scheduling at scale. If price is the issue, get a quote from Recruit CRM or Spott and use it in your renewal conversation, or check whether Bullhorn’s Starter ($99) or Core ($165) plan covers what your desk needs.

How to choose a Bullhorn alternative

• Map your desk types. Perm-only agencies have far more options than firms running contractors, which need timesheets and pay/bill.
• Count the data costs. Compare included enrichment credits (Spott, Loxo, Recruit CRM) against what you pay for separate contact data tools today.
• Plan the migration. Ask what moves across: candidates, contacts, placements, notes, emails and attachments. Spott and Loxo include migration on some plans.
• Check job board and Broadbean support. Agencies that multi-post heavily should confirm their job board connections before switching.
• Trial it on a live desk. Recruit CRM, Manatal and Loxo offer self-serve trials; run one real search through it before you commit.

For related guides, see the best recruitment CRM software, candidate sourcing tools and LinkedIn Recruiter alternatives.

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Bullhorn?

Recruit CRM is the best Bullhorn alternative for most small and mid-sized agencies, thanks to its published pricing, built-in AI agents and 30-day free trial. Spott suits agencies that want an AI-first platform, and Loxo suits firms focused on outbound sourcing.

How much does Bullhorn cost?

Bullhorn’s Starter plan is $99 per user a month and Core is $165 per user a month. Its Pro and Max plans, larger-agency editions and Amplify AI products are priced by quote.

What is the cheapest agency ATS?

Manatal is one of the cheapest, starting at $15 per user a month on annual billing, and Zoho Recruit has a forever-free plan for one active job. Both are better suited to small agencies than large staffing firms.

Which Bullhorn alternative is best for contract staffing?

JobAdder is a good fit for small and mid-sized firms, with temp and contractor talent pools alongside perm workflows. For large contract staffing operations that need integrated timesheets and pay/bill, Bullhorn One is still hard to replace.

Can I migrate my data from Bullhorn?

Yes. Most agency ATS vendors offer data migration, and Spott and Loxo include migration on some plans. Ask exactly which records, notes and attachments move across, and export your data before your Bullhorn contract ends.