Softwr

Recruitment · head to head

SmartRecruiters vs Workable

SmartRecruiters logo

SmartRecruiters

Recruitment

Talent acquisition suite for hiring success

From
$14995/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workable logo

Workable

Recruitment

Recruitment and employee engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Workable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SmartRecruiters no native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution; Workable the Standard plan is $299 a month and still charges separately for texting at $89, video interviews at $109 and assessments at $59 a month
  • They diverge on capability: SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking, Workable covers Job posting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SmartRecruiters and Workable actually diverge.

Attributes where SmartRecruiters and Workable differ
AttributeSmartRecruitersWorkable
Starting price$14995/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
Founded20102012

Identical on both: 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 SmartRecruiters

  • Applicant Tracking
  • CRM
  • Recruiting Marketing
  • AI Matching
  • Marketplace
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed
  • SAP

Only in Workable

  • Job posting
  • Applicant tracking
  • Candidate management
  • Employee engagement
  • Mobile app
  • Integrations
  • Microsoft Teams
  • BambooHR

Both cover

  • Onboarding
  • Analytics
  • Workday
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

SmartRecruiters

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

Workable

  • Posting jobs and tracking candidates through an applicant tracking systemnot SmartRecruiters
  • Running structured interviews, assessments and offers in one placenot SmartRecruiters

Where each one falls short

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

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

Workable

  • The Standard plan is $299 a month and still charges separately for texting at $89, video interviews at $109 and assessments at $59 a month
  • Reaching a plan where those three are included means Premier at $599 a month
  • Unlimited active jobs is qualified by a fair usage limit rather than being an actual cap
  • AI features run on credits, and credits expire one year from purchase
  • Published plan prices cover 1 to 20 employees, so larger headcounts are quoted separately

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Workable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic recruitment
    • Limited hires
    • Basic tracking
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Advanced recruitment
    • Engagement tools
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose SmartRecruiters if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You also want crm.
SmartRecruiters review

Choose Workable if

  • You need job posting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want applicant tracking.
Workable review

Questions people ask

Is SmartRecruiters or Workable better?
Neither clearly leads. SmartRecruiters starts at $14995/year and Workable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SmartRecruiters or Workable?
Workable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14995/year for SmartRecruiters and Free for Workable.
Does SmartRecruiters or Workable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Workable for free?
Yes. Workable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartRecruiters starts at $14995/year.
What is SmartRecruiters best used for?
SmartRecruiters is most often used for reducing time-to-hire from 23 days to 9 days, scaling high-volume hiring with 50% increase in velocity, engaging candidates with conversational ai chatbots, automating interview scheduling reducing administrative work by 97%. Of those, reducing time-to-hire from 23 days to 9 days and scaling high-volume hiring with 50% increase in velocity are not what Workable is typically brought in for.
What can SmartRecruiters do that Workable cannot?
SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking, CRM, Recruiting Marketing, AI Matching. Workable covers Job posting, Applicant tracking, Candidate management, Employee engagement. Both handle Onboarding, Analytics, Workday, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Workable: What does a Workable subscription cost and how is it billed?

Workable offers three pricing tiers: Standard at $299/month ($3,588/year with 20% discount), Premier at $599/month ($7,188/year), and Enterprise at $719/month ($8,628/year). Annual plans save 20% compared to monthly billing.

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
Workable: Does Workable offer a free trial?

Yes, Workable offers a 15-day free trial that requires no credit card.

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
Workable: What happens to AI credits if I don't use them before they expire?

AI credits are non-refundable and expire 1 year from purchase. If you purchase additional credits beyond the 3,000 included with your plan, unused credits will be forfeited after 12 months.

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.

Workable: Do I get support included with my Workable subscription?

Workable includes priority support for advanced features, and the pricing page mentions GDPR automation tools for compliance, though specific support response times are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on SmartRecruiters

More on Workable

Keep looking

Other head to heads