Recruitment & ATS · head to head
Lever vs SmartRecruiters
Lever
Recruitment & ATS
Talent acquisition suite built for collaboration
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
SmartRecruiters
Recruitment & ATS
Talent acquisition suite for hiring success
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lever and SmartRecruiters actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lever | SmartRecruiters |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Recruitment & ATS).
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
- 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
No use cases recorded yet. See the SmartRecruiters review.
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
On request- SmartRecruiters$undefined/month
- ATS
- CRM
- Recruiting Marketing
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Lever or SmartRecruiters better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lever starts at On request and SmartRecruiters at On request, 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 On request.
- 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.
SourceSmartRecruiters: 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.
SourceLever: 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.
SourceSmartRecruiters: 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.
SourceLever: 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.
SourceSmartRecruiters: 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.
SourceSmartRecruiters: 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.