Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

Lever vs SmartRecruiters

Lever logo

Lever

Recruitment

Talent acquisition suite built for collaboration

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartRecruiters logo

SmartRecruiters

Recruitment

Talent acquisition suite for hiring success

From
$14995/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lever customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing; SmartRecruiters no native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution
  • They diverge on capability: Lever covers Candidate CRM, SmartRecruiters covers CRM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lever and SmartRecruiters actually diverge.

Attributes where Lever and SmartRecruiters differ
AttributeLeverSmartRecruiters
Starting priceOn request$14995/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Founded20122010

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Recruitment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Lever

  • Candidate CRM
  • Sourcing
  • Interview Management
  • Offer Management
  • Google Workspace

Only in SmartRecruiters

  • CRM
  • Recruiting Marketing
  • AI Matching
  • Onboarding
  • Marketplace
  • SAP

Both cover

  • Applicant Tracking
  • Analytics
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed
  • Slack
  • Microsoft 365
  • Workday
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lever

  • Applicant tracking from sourcing through offernot SmartRecruiters
  • Building and nurturing talent pipelines of passive candidatesnot SmartRecruiters
  • Automating interview scheduling, follow-ups and offer lettersnot SmartRecruiters
  • Reporting on hiring performance across sourcesnot SmartRecruiters
  • Screening at volume with AI ranking and recommendationsnot SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters

  • Reducing time-to-hire from 23 days to 9 daysnot Lever
  • Scaling high-volume hiring with 50% increase in velocitynot Lever
  • Engaging candidates with conversational AI chatbotsnot Lever
  • Automating interview scheduling reducing administrative work by 97%not Lever
  • Screening candidates with AI talent matching enginenot Lever

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lever

  • Customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing
  • Premium features like advanced CRM functionality require additional fees
  • Implementation requires some technical configuration

SmartRecruiters

  • No native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution
  • Reporting tools lack advanced customization; creating custom reports is difficult
  • Mobile app functionality is limited compared to desktop version
  • Integration with external HR systems can be unreliable with synchronization problems
  • Limited customization options to capture position-specific information
  • Subscription fees locked during contract term even if company headcount decreases

Pricing, plan by plan

Lever

On request
  • LeverTRM$undefined/month
    • ATS
    • CRM
    • Sourcing
  • LeverTRM for Enterprise$undefined/month
    • All LeverTRM features
    • Advanced Security
    • Dedicated Support

SmartRecruiters

$14995/year
  • Essential$14995/year
    • ATS functionality
    • CRM features
    • Onboarding
  • Professional$null/year
    • All Essential features
    • AI-powered Hiring Agent
    • AI Talent Matching Engine
  • High Volume$null/year
    • All Professional features
    • AI-powered Candidate Screening
    • Conversational AI Chat
  • Complete$null/year
    • Full suite with Advanced Analytics
    • Advanced Sandbox
    • Custom in-app guidance

Which should you pick?

Choose Lever if

  • You need candidate crm.
  • You also want sourcing.
Lever review

Choose SmartRecruiters if

  • You need crm.
  • You also want recruiting marketing.
SmartRecruiters review

Questions people ask

Is Lever or SmartRecruiters better?
Neither clearly leads. Lever starts at On request and SmartRecruiters at $14995/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lever or SmartRecruiters?
Lever starts at On request and SmartRecruiters at $14995/year.
Does Lever or SmartRecruiters run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Lever best used for?
Lever is most often used for applicant tracking from sourcing through offer, building and nurturing talent pipelines of passive candidates, automating interview scheduling, follow-ups and offer letters, reporting on hiring performance across sources. Of those, applicant tracking from sourcing through offer and building and nurturing talent pipelines of passive candidates are not what SmartRecruiters is typically brought in for.
What can Lever do that SmartRecruiters cannot?
Lever covers Candidate CRM, Sourcing, Interview Management, Offer Management. SmartRecruiters covers CRM, Recruiting Marketing, AI Matching, Onboarding. Both handle Applicant Tracking, Analytics, LinkedIn, Indeed.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lever: What is Lever used for?

Lever is modern recruiting software that centralizes recruiting into a single system for sourcing candidates, managing applications, scheduling interviews, collaborating with hiring managers, automating workflows, and measuring hiring performance.

Source
SmartRecruiters: Does SmartRecruiters have a free tier?

No. As of 2026, SmartRecruiters discontinued the free SmartStart tier. The platform requires a demo and evaluation call; entry-level Essential tier pricing starts around $15,000 per year.

Source
Lever: Does Lever include both ATS and CRM?

Yes. Lever integrates comprehensive Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) functionalities within a single offering called LeverTRM, with features like AI-powered screening and interview transcripts.

Source
SmartRecruiters: How does SmartRecruiters billing work?

SmartRecruiters charges by total company headcount, not by recruiter seats. Subscription fees cannot decrease during a contract term even if headcount shrinks mid-contract.

Source
Lever: What integrations does Lever support?

Lever integrates with 300+ tools including Slack for notifications, Zoom for interviews, calendar applications for scheduling, background check services, job boards, and leading HRIS platforms for talent management workflows.

Source
SmartRecruiters: What integrations does SmartRecruiters support?

SmartRecruiters integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and offers a Slack marketplace integration for sending interview notifications and scheduling updates directly to channels.

Source
SmartRecruiters: What are SmartRecruiters' core features?

SmartRecruiters offers end-to-end recruiting including Winston AI talent matching, job distribution, career site builder, applicant tracking, interview scheduling, analytics, and onboarding tools.

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