Recruit CRM vs. SmartSearch ATS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Recruit CRM
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Recruit CRM is an ATS+ CRM solution tailored for recruitment and executive search businesses, boasting users among recruitment firms in over 100 countries worldwide. The platform centralizes candidate, client, email, and job posting management. Its AI-powered features include resume parsing, targeted candidate matching, and built-in GPT capabilities. Its features also include automated workflows that eliminate repetitive tasks, no-code integrations with popular third…
$100
per month per user
SmartSearch ATS
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
SmartSearch is a web-based talent acquisition and staffing management software. Features include job posting to job boards and social media outlets, resume parsing, and automated workflow. SmartSearch advertises robust customer service and implementation assistance.N/A
Pricing
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Editions & Modules
Pro
$100
per month per user
Business
$125
per month per user
Business
$150
per month per user
Enterprise
$165
per month (billed annually) per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsUp to 20% discount for annual pricing on Pro and Business plans.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Considered Both Products
Recruit CRM
Chose Recruit CRM
It's crucial for every recruiting team to measure KPIs and performance metrics, and Recruit CRM makes reporting more detailed than ever. You can generate the following reports using the ATS + CRM: Team performance. Candidate lifecycle.A recruiting tech stack is a collection of …
Chose Recruit CRM
We selected this tool because it was easy to set up and use, and the customer support team is super helpful.
Chose Recruit CRM
We evaluated about 3-5 different vendors. The low barrier to entry made it an easy target to test out. Forcing an upfront annual fee was not in our interest without extensively testing the product. We also had a very basic requirement - an easy way to intake a large number …
Chose Recruit CRM
Every system has its pros and cons I believe that RCRM is very similar to Smartsearch.
Chose Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM has a better workflow and is easier to use than AkkenCloud. Akkencloud is more suited for Temp Agency. Bullhorn in my opinion is too complex and more suited for larger organizations. Recruit CRM in my opinion is the best ATS on the market and the Customer service …
Chose Recruit CRM
We use several different systems among all of our clients. We used Zoho Recruit ourselves for many years. We have found RCRM to be MUCH more user friendly and customizable. I can't speak on the customer service for the other systems, but Zoho customer service was awful. …
Chose Recruit CRM
Better functionality
Nicer people
Competitively priced
Chose Recruit CRM
I have not used very many other options, but we were drawn to this software because it was very visual and intuitive and would definitely reduce training time.
Chose Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM is our go-to tool for anything in the hiring process.
Chose Recruit CRM
It is a great tool because they are constantly updating things and creating more functionality.
SmartSearch ATS
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I did not choose to purchase this software.

If you are someone who wants to go back and forth with the rep and customize a tool and reports that match your business then you will like this tool.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We have looked at multiple alternatives over the years at both Gates and our collective experiences prior to joining Gates. In our opinion, SmartSearch is the right choice for our business today. We have been able to scale it globally and conduct all of our major requirements …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We really have not used any other products. We started with SmartSearch a very long time ago when the ATS business was in it's infancy and have never seen a demo or a recommendation that has convinced us to move elsewhere.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch is far, far, far better than our experience with any other system. It may not be as "pretty" but the technology and service blow away the competition.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We initially selected SmartSearch because it was more affordable than other options. Now, because we have invested so much in getting the reports and work flows to work, it is difficult to leave for another product. And yet, because SmartSearch is old and does not have all …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Functionally, SmartSearch is not on the same page as ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter as a platform is much more geared toward helping applicants and is essentially a glorified resume database. SmartSearch offers so much more in terms of features and abilities, that would not really …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I used the other products at other companies. I was not the decision maker in using SmartSearch. SmartSearch is great for customization and for keeping other vested parties in the loop.
Chose SmartSearch ATS

I have used many ATS. Some clients needed me to help them select their ATS. SmartSearch ATS (in my mind) kills many of the newer upstarts because they are a confident, mature ATS that focuses on the needs of their clients and provides unparalleled support.. Some ATS are …

Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch did more of what we needed it to do and did it better than any other product at an affordable price with excellent scalability. The staff is easy to work with and it wasn't a hard push to buy their product. It's web-based and has a pretty decent mobile application …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch is by far the easiest and most effective ATS that I have used. It is extremely user friendly and integrates well with other products to eliminate duplicate efforts.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Monster is used for people who you know are definitely in the market for a new job. SmartSearch is used to administer and maintain a database of members.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
We have looked at other ATS products such as BrassRing, Position Management, SilkRoad, and Taleo.
We moved off of SmartSearch ATS since we outgrew the system capabilities and needed to implement robust reporting and a manager portal.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
SmartSearch was already in place before I started. Compared to other programs I have worked with, it is much nicer. It is streamlined, easy to use, good user interface, compatible with Outlook, has the ability to export and much more!
Chose SmartSearch ATS
Taleo, UltiPro, Oracle, - smart search is user friendly and has great tools for searching candidates.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
The only other like system that I have used was PipelineDeals, and that was more for sales, versus recruiting. So my answer can't be applicable to this question.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have used Pointwing, Ultra-Staff, and SmartSearch. Of the 3 SmartSearch was the fastest and the smoothest to use. It was more customizable and caused less issues when used. While I am not familiar enough with the reporting end of things, I would say that may be where it may …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I love Adobe Echosign for what it is designed to do - secure signatures electronically. It's very convenient to be in one state and be able to do business nationally by getting documents and contracts signed electronically. It's so much faster than faxing or scanning used to …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I would rate iCims as #1, Newton #2, and Smart Search #3
Chose SmartSearch ATS
It is day & night when compared to other available products. However I would say sales support and customer service were significant in our decision making process.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have not used any other similar products.
Chose SmartSearch ATS
i think they are very different systems and i would say i like smartsearch better. i did not select the system, the company was already utilizing it when i started. The other company I used ss at already had it in place as well but I believed used more aspects of it then my …
Chose SmartSearch ATS
I have not used other or similar products.
Features
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Recruit CRM
8.7
Ratings
8% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
3.4
Ratings
81% below category average
Job Requisition Management9.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting8.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Customized Application Form10.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Resume Management8.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Candidate Search10.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Collaboration9.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Task Creation and Delegation8.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Email Templates9.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
User Permissions8.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.00 Ratings5.50 Ratings
Reporting8.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Small Businesses
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
3.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.5
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Recruit CRMSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
Recruit CRM is would make a great choice if you are looking for a CRM/ATS partner. Their training and support make it impossible to not have the tools necessary for success from the first sign-on. They continue to improve their product by soliciting direct feedback and suggested features from users. Their customer support is live 24-7 and the response time for any questions or issues is outstanding which is critical for a company with employees in different time zones or one without on-site technical support.
Read full review
If you have a recruiting organization that needs flexibility and a wide range of options to address an ever changing landscape than this is your system. It does not try to pigeon-hole recruiters into a single recruiting model. It allows you to customize how your organization does things but also allows you to control where you need to control. We have been using SmartSearch for more than 24 years. We started out on one of the first versions because we liked the company and the direction they were taking. SmartSearch has not always been the tool with the flashiest features.... but it has always had some of the best features. They have always been of the cutting edge of the next technology and have the tools and features that make SmartSearch a complete solution. We have not seen anything else out in the marketplace that has encouraged us to change.
Read full review
Pros
  • Easy parsing Resume
  • Adding contacts, Companies, candidates with ease from Linkedin
  • setting tasks and calendar invites
  • Advanced boolean search of candidates
  • reports on Activities
  • Fully Customize system
  • Email triggers
  • contact stages
  • Hiring pipeline
  • Deals pipeline
  • Phone calling & Recording Settings
  • Deal Pipeline
Read full review
  • Customization - the team at SmartSearch always tries to find a solution that works for our company specifically.
  • Customer Care - the team actually cares and is concerned about the well-being of our business. They help us solve issues as if they worked for us and this feeling is felt at every level of the organization beginning with their President.
  • Technology - I have used multiple ATSs and demoed many, many more. SmartSearch has superior technology for staffing firm; the technology that helps us recruit and fill jobs faster.
  • Listening - the team at SmartSearch actually listens to us and our concerns whether it's regarding a feature for an upgrade or simply solving an issue we are facing.
  • Common Sense - there have been many times in our relationship when we have asked about a feature and we hear "that makes sense, we will make that change for all of our customers"...listening is rare and they do it well.
Read full review
Cons
  • They are adding a lot of features all the time which can be annoying
  • They are usually catching up with features that other programs have rather than being more innovative
  • Other than this, I do not really have any complaints about this software
Read full review
  • There's some room for improvement with candidate status. If you change a status, you have to refresh your screen for that to appear. It's a minor thing.
  • It would be nice to hide certain bits of information on the web posting, but keep that information in the requisition for our records, ie, salary range, etc.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
While I do not have experience with SmartSearch's competitors, I would renew my use of SmartSearch simply based on the up-front costs of implementing the program. It would be better to continue with a program that is sufficiently meeting my needs than it would be to incur the same up-front costs to implement something else.
Read full review
Usability
There is always room for improvement and I believe RCRM is a great system that is adapting to what it's users want and need. The system suits our needs and is a huge improvement from our previous system. I can't say enough good things about the customer service. They have great follow up and always get back to me within the same day. If there is ever an unknown, there is a timeline given for follow up and a promise to get it resolved. They always come through. It's important to have a team behind your software that listens and adapts.
Read full review
There are so many facets of SmartSearch, that to know everything about it is nearly impossible. While it is mainly straight forward, there is a lot. After using the program for a while, you become pretty comfortable with the basics and can start adding some of the other features.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
My license for SmartSearch goes back to 2004. It has always been available for me - don't remember a single time it was not available in all of those years.
Read full review
Support Rating
Again, the customer service team is awesome. They always respond in the same day and have resolved any issue I have ever had. They have made improvements to the system on a weekly basis, always improving for their users. There is a forum where you can leave your feature suggestions and vote on ones left by other users. The reps will jump on a call or screen share with you if you need to be walked through anything. They go above and beyond.
Read full review
Once you get the 1 person on the phone they are very knowledgeable and tend to solve the problem. The issue is there are not enough resources to handle all the clients. Their primary clients are "recruiting firms" and I think that is where most of the their support resources go
Read full review
Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Using the basic functions of SmartSearch is an easy implementation. But consider carefully what your organization needs to really drive placements. Because we only did a basic implementation first, we were caught off guard when later trying to implement more functions and realizing that the capabilities were limited or were difficult to learn and implement and realizing that tech support was not going to be consistent.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
It's crucial for every recruiting team to measure KPIs and performance metrics, and Recruit CRM makes reporting more detailed than ever. You can generate the following reports using the ATS + CRM: Team performance. Candidate lifecycle.A recruiting tech stack is a collection of different tools that staffing firms and recruitment agencies use to find and engage candidates and clients. Connecting these tools, or "stacking" them together is called building a recruitment tech stack.
Read full review
We have looked at multiple alternatives over the years at both Gates and our collective experiences prior to joining Gates. In our opinion, SmartSearch is the right choice for our business today. We have been able to scale it globally and conduct all of our major requirements for our applicant tracking system and that works for Gates. We also feel like we are an important partner to SmartSearch and they work with us and we feel like our feedback is important to them. I have worked with a number of ATS vendors prior to SmartSearch and pre-Gates. That is not a universal approach in this space and is a unique value prop from SmartSearch.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Huge Impact on ROI (This is going from having no ATS to having an ATS)
  • Allowed us to focus more work on our user experiences rather than building our own tool to manage recruitment operations
  • Has allowed us to maintain a relatively low cost in our tooling
Read full review
  • I am not involved in the budgeting or finance for recruiting software, so cannot speak directly to any numbers for ROI. However, SmartSearch personally saves me several hours a day in organizing candidates, thus saving my company substantial amounts in productivity.
  • The lacking ability to tag additional recruiters throughout the hire track process means whoever onboards the hire has to ensure that a "split" is marked when completing the NHS. Failure to do so can result in quite a lot of lost time from HR to get the mistake fixed.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Recruit CRM Screenshots

Screenshot of the dashboardScreenshot of Candidate List PageScreenshot of AI Workflow automationsScreenshot of the AI candidate matching featureScreenshot of the AI assist toolScreenshot of AI Candidate Summary