Top 10 applicant tracking system for small businesses

If you're a small business owner who's been manually posting jobs, sorting through resumes, and scheduling interviews, you know hiring is a lot of work. You post on job boards, your website, social media...and the applications start flooding in. Spreadsheets, email chains, calendar invites flying everywhere. It's a lot to keep track of, especially when you're trying to actually run your business at the same time.

That's where an applicant tracking system comes in. An ATS is software that automates many of the repetitive administrative tasks in hiring. Post a job once and it goes out to multiple job boards. Resumes get parsed and sorted. Communication with candidates is templated and organized.

So instead of juggling inbox and excel chaos, you can actually focus on moving candidates through the pipeline and making great hires. For small businesses without a dedicated recruiter or HR team, an ATS is a must-have. But what are the best ATS for small companies out there and how do you select the right one for your needs? That’s what this article explores.

What is an applicant tracking system (ATS)?

An applicant tracking system is software employers use to recruit employees more efficiently. It's designed to automate and organize the end-to-end hiring process, from job posting through onboarding.

Typical features and functions of an ATS include:

• Posting jobs to your careers page and external job boards
• Collecting and sorting applicants and resumes
• Screening candidates with pre-set filters and knockout questions
• Messaging and engaging candidates
• Scheduling interviews and tracking feedback
• Managing job offers and onboarding tasks
• Providing data and reports on recruiting KPIs

In essence, it's a centralized hiring command center. Rather than managing the recruiting process through disconnected tools like email, spreadsheets and your calendar, everything is housed in a single system.

There are a range of ATS options on the market, from simple postings aggregators to robust talent management suites. The common denominator is that they consolidate and digitize the recruiting function. They bring structure and efficiency, reducing the manual effort for HR and hiring managers.

For small businesses, an ATS is often the first piece of HR software they adopt beyond payroll. It eliminates many of the time-consuming administrative aspects of hiring. This gives business owners and managers more bandwidth to interact with candidates and collaborate on hiring decisions.

4 benefits of ATS for small businesses 

Why should small companies consider investing in an applicant tracking system? Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Reduce time spent on manual recruiting tasks

The administrative aspects of hiring—posting jobs, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, etc.—can easily eat up hours each week. An ATS automates these tasks so you can fill roles faster. Without an ATS, screening applications take more time. Multiply that by hundreds of applicants across multiple roles and you're looking at days of lost productivity. An ATS can cut that time through one-click posting, automatic parsing, pre-set filters and bulk communication.

2. Provide a consistent, positive candidate experience

In a competitive job market, candidate experience is non-negotiable. Top talent will quickly move on from companies that leave them in the dark or treat them like a number. An ATS ensures a structured, professional process for every applicant. With all candidate information centralized in the ATS, you can send timely updates at each stage. You eliminate "black holes" where resumes seem to disappear into the ether. Candidates feel respected and informed, making them more likely to accept your offer or re-apply in the future.

3. Gain visibility across the hiring pipeline

One of the biggest challenges in a manual recruiting process is knowing where every candidate stands. Resumes, feedback and communication are scattered across inboxes and hard drives. Critical information falls through the cracks, slowing down decision-making. An ATS provides a real-time view of every applicant by stage, role and hiring manager. You can quickly see if candidates are stuck in a particular phase, or if a team member has pending feedback. Centralized record keeping keeps everyone accountable and aligned.

4. Continuously improve with data and reporting

As the saying goes, "what gets measured gets managed". An ATS captures data on all your key recruiting metrics—time to fill, candidate drop-off rates, source of hire, candidates experience, and more. You can see exactly where you're excelling and where you need to improve. For instance, ATS reports may reveal that it takes an average of 20 days to move from application to initial screen, causing you to lose many top candidates. Armed with that insight, you put an SLA in place to review applicants within 3 days. Data enables continuous optimization.

Best 10 applicant tracking system (ATS) for small businesses 

From comprehensive HR platforms to specialized recruiting tools, here are the top ATS solutions that can help small businesses streamline their hiring process while staying within budget:

1. Rippling

Rippling stands out as a comprehensive platform that unifies HR, IT, and finance systems. It's designed to scale with businesses of all sizes, offering extensive automation with payroll, benefits, time tracking, mobile device management, recruitment software, and more. The platform uniquely combines applicant tracking with broader HR functionalities, making it especially valuable for growing organizations.

Key features

• Single source of truth for all employee data with automatic syncing
• Customizable interview stages and pipeline management
• Automated offer letters and onboarding in 90 seconds
• Built-in compliance tracking across all 50 states
• Integration with 600+ third-party applications
• Advanced permissions and role-based access controls

Pros

• Proactive compliance monitoring with automated recommendations
• Automatic localization support for 185+ countries
• Pre-built workflow templates with 100+ recipes
• Superior automation capabilities across all HR modules

2. BambooHR

BambooHR is an HR platform focused on small to medium-sized businesses, offering hiring and onboarding tools alongside core HR functions.

Key features

• Mobile hiring app for on-the-go recruitment
• Electronic signatures for documentation
• Employee satisfaction measurement with eNPS

Pros

• Automated onboarding capabilities
• Customizable offer letter templates
• Provides employee record management

3. Zoho Recruit

Zoho Recruit is a database-driven candidate tracking system that helps manage job applications and candidates through the recruitment process.

Key features

• AI-powered recruiting assistant
• Mobile recruitment capabilities
• Multi-channel candidate sourcing

Pros

• Available career portal
• Extensive reporting and analytics
• Custom workflow automation

4. Workable

Workable is another hiring platform that combines applicant tracking with broader HR functionalities.

Key features

• 200+ job board integrations
• AI-powered candidate screening
• One-way video interviews

Pros

• Passive candidate sourcing tools
• Customizable career sites
• Mobile-optimized application forms

5. JazzHR

JazzHR is a recruitment platform designed to help teams collaborate on hiring decisions.

Key features

• Recruiting workflow management
• Team feedback collection tools
• Email template management

Pros

• Automated task management
• Email sync capabilities
• Custom reporting functionality

6. Lever

Lever is an ATS with CRM (candidate relationship management) capabilities focused on talent acquisition.

Key features

• Visual insights for pipeline management
• 300+ integrations with other HR and recruitment tools
• Custom hiring workflows

Pros

• Strong candidate relationship features
• Detailed analytics capabilities
• Extensive integration option

7. Greenhouse

Greenhouse is a hiring platform that offers end-to-end recruitment solutions.

Key features

• Structured hiring processes
• Interview scheduling tools
• Candidate experience survey

Pros

• Structured hiring approach
• Extensive integration marketplace
• Customizable interview kits

8. Recruitee

Recruitee is another collaborative hiring platform focused on team-based recruitment.

Key features

• Career site builder
• Candidate sourcing tools
• Team collaboration features

Pros

• Multi-language support
• Workflow templates and job schedulers
• Mobile app to track candidate interactions

9. Pinpoint

Pinpoint is an end-to-end talent acquisition platform with emphasis on candidate experience.

Key features

• Branded careers website builder
• Interview scheduling system
• Blind recruitment tools

Pros

• Employer branding features
• Comprehensive onboarding tools
• Mobile-friendly application process

10. Recooty

Recooty is an AI-powered ATS focused on simplifying the hiring process.

Key features

• AI-powered job description generator
• Integration with 250+ job boards
• Candidate evaluation tools

Pros

• Automated candidate screening
• Customizable career page builder
• AI talent matching and resume parsing

6 key features of applicant tracking systems for small businesses 

Here's what you should look for in an ATS for your small business:

1. Streamlined job posting

The system should make it easy to post jobs to multiple places at once—your website, popular job boards like Indeed, Linkedin, and employee referral programs. Good systems track where your applications come from so you know which job sites work best for you. While premium job board integration is nice to have, focus first on reliable free posting options.

2. Smart resume screening

Look for an ATS that can read resumes and pull out important information automatically. The best systems can scan for key requirements you set (like years of experience or specific skills) and help sort candidates into "yes," "no," and "maybe" piles. While AI screening sounds fancy, make sure the basic sorting features actually work well for your needs.

3. Team collaboration tools

Your ATS should make it simple for everyone involved in hiring to review candidates and share feedback. Key features include the ability to see where each candidate is in the process, add notes and ratings, and schedule interviews without endless email chains. Mobile access is especially helpful for busy small business teams.

4. Candidate database management

A searchable database of all your past applicants is essential. You should be able to easily find candidates from previous job openings, tag promising people for future roles, and keep track of communication history. This saves you from starting from scratch with every new position.

5. Basic recruitment analytics

While you don't need complex reporting, your ATS should at least show you basic metrics like how long it takes to fill positions, where your best candidates come from, and what percentage of offers are accepted. This helps you spot bottlenecks and improve your hiring process over time.

6. Simple onboarding integration

Once you've chosen a candidate, your ATS should help smooth the transition from applicant to employee. Look for features like offer letter templates, basic document collection, and the ability to transfer candidate information to your other HR systems. 

The key is finding a system that's powerful enough to help but simple enough to actually use. Don't get distracted by fancy features you'll never use. Focus on the basics that will save you time and help you hire better.

How to choose the best ATS software for small business: 4 tips 

So you're ready to streamline your recruiting with an applicant tracking system. How do you cut through the noise and find the best fit? Here are some key considerations:

1. Understand your hiring process and priorities 

Start by mapping your current recruiting workflow from job requisition through onboarding. Note the biggest opportunities to save time through automation. Outline what an ideal hiring process looks like for your team. With those needs and goals defined, you can look for an ATS that has the features and capabilities to support them. For instance, if you're a remote company, self-scheduling and video interview integrations are a must. If employer brand is a priority, premium career site options will be key.

2. Determine your ATS budget and predicted ROI 

Applicant tracking systems range from a few dollars per employee per month up to enterprise plans in the thousands. Much depends on the size and hiring volume of your business. To build the business case, consider what you're spending on recruiting today—job board fees, referral incentives, recruiting hours. Then estimate the value of a faster hiring process, better candidate experience and more proactive recruiting enabled by an ATS.

3. Evaluate ease of use and end user experience 

An ATS is only as powerful as your hiring team's willingness to use it. Make sure to evaluate each option from the perspective of your key stakeholders. Recruiters and HR should find it intuitive to configure job reqs, message candidates and advance them through stages. Hiring managers need visibility into their open roles and a frictionless way to give feedback. Executives will want succinct data on pipeline health and hiring goal progress. And don't forget the candidate view—how easy is it to search jobs and apply?

4. Prioritize must-have integrations and reporting 

Very few ATS exist in a vacuum. The most robust options sync with your other HR systems, like onboarding, performance management and HRIS. Integrations with business-critical tools are also advisable for seamless workflows. Equally important is the ability to report on and slice recruiting data. At minimum, your ATS should offer visual analytics on pipeline speed and composition. More advanced solutions add on CRM capability for proactive talent relationship management.

Streamline your hiring process with Rippling

If you're looking for an ATS that checks all the above boxes and then some more, consider Rippling. Rippling offers a best-in-class applicant tracking system as part of a unified workforce management platform.

Rippling's ATS enables you to:

• Post open reqs to a network of up to 25,000 job boards in one click
• Sync your ATS with every other application to automate changes and eliminate data discrepancies
• Let every team customize their hiring process while safeguarding data integrity
• Automate actions like interview scheduling and background checks based on recruiting triggers
• Build powerful, custom reports that tie hiring efforts to every other step of the employee lifecycle
• Create multi-stage interview plans with automated notifications and team visibility

The platform keeps all your data—from open headcount to new hires—up to date, with changes syncing across applications. Upon hire, one click triggers automated offer letters and onboarding, eliminating manual data entry. This integration extends across payroll, benefits, and other HR functions, making it a comprehensive solution for growing organizations.

Rippling scales with you as you grow, with the tools to run end-to-end workforce management for teams from 2 to 2,000+. It's an ATS that supports recruiting efficiency and impact for the long haul.

Applicant tracking system for small business FAQs

Do small companies use ATS?

Yes, lots of small companies now use ATS software to make hiring easier. While these systems used to be mainly for big companies, there are now plenty of simple options designed specifically for small businesses. Having an ATS helps smaller companies stay organized when hiring and saves them from drowning in resumes and emails, especially when they don't have a dedicated HR team.

Is an ATS expensive for small businesses?

Most ATS systems are affordable these days. While a basic paid plan typically starts from $100 per month, pricing depends on how many jobs you're posting and how many people need to use it. Many providers let you try the system for free first, and you can always upgrade later if needed. When you consider how much time it saves sorting through applications and keeping track of candidates, most small businesses find it’s worth the cost.

Can an ATS help eliminate hiring bias?

An ATS can help reduce bias in hiring, but it's not a magic solution. The main benefit is that it helps you focus on actual qualifications instead of making snap judgments. You can set up specific requirements for each job and screen all candidates the same way. Some systems even let you hide personal details like names and photos during the initial review. But remember: the system will only be as fair as the criteria you set up, so you still need to think carefully about your hiring requirements and process.

Is it difficult to implement an ATS?

Setting up a modern ATS is usually quite straightforward. Most systems are designed to be user-friendly, and you can be up and running in a few days. You'll need to spend some time setting up your company information, creating templates for your job postings, and getting your team familiar with the system. The companies that provide these systems usually have good support and training materials to help you get started. The biggest challenge is usually just getting your team used to using a new system instead of their old way of doing things.

What are some common applicant tracking system examples?

There are many types of candidate tracking systems available today. Some popular examples include comprehensive platforms like Rippling that combine ATS with broader HR functions, specialized recruiting software like JazzHR, Recruit CRM and Lever, and SMB-focused solutions like BambooHR and Zoho Recruit. The best choice depends on your specific hiring needs and budget.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of March 10, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.