SmartRecruiters vs. SmartSearch ATS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
SmartRecruiters
Score 9.7 out of 10
N/A
SmartRecruiters’ Talent Acquisition Suite is a cloud-based recruitment marketing and collaborative hiring platform. It features an open marketplace for third party recruitment services. SmartRecruiters also offers talent sourcing and screening as add-on features.N/A
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
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Editions & Modules
Corporate
Varies, per FTE
Billed annually
Global
Varies, per FTE
Billed annually
SmartStart
Free
up to 10 active job postings
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup Fee$1,000 No setup fee
Additional DetailsThe software subscription is determined by the number of a company's full time employees. There is a one time cost to set up software, including customizations, integrations, data migration and training.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Considered Both Products
SmartRecruiters
Chose SmartRecruiters
In terms of functionality and product development - SmartRecruiters is leaps ahead of other ATS platforms I've reviewed. The real differentiator for me is the ability to really customise the system and workflows for your needs and that the backend can be managed by a Recruiter …
Chose SmartRecruiters
We chose SmartRecruiters because we didn't have an ATS. We were looking for a tool that allowed multicasting but also responses to candidates automatically and deferred. We were also looking for a tool allowing the centralization of data with fluid and accessible collaboration …
Chose SmartRecruiters
Price, configurability, automation capability. At the top with Teamtailor and Workable IMO.
Chose SmartRecruiters
Smartrecruiters matches all request from our recrutement team, specially about the fact that this is easy to use as we wanted managers to have the hand on the tool. This is also easy to train them with Smartrecruiters and wuth the help center, better than some other tools. It …
Chose SmartRecruiters
We previously used SnapHire which required a different account for each of our brands, and SmartRecruiters has been a vast improvement for our business in integrating our brands onto one applicant tracking site. This improves both the recruiter and hiring manager experience, …
Chose SmartRecruiters
I really don't know this one. I am a franchise and our home office said SmartRecruiter is preferred.
Chose SmartRecruiters
All in one solution with enterprise capabilities and a brilliant UI.
Chose SmartRecruiters
I have used several recruiting platforms during my career and every one has its pros and cons. SmartRecruiters is extremely helpful with cross-team collaboration and interview scheduling, however I think needs strong resume searching capabilities. I am overall satisified with …
Chose SmartRecruiters
Much better features and support
Chose SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters is connected with LinkedIn and it is very user friendly. I can even reply from my email account to the candidates and the conversation is saved in SmartRecruiters, which makes a recruiter's life easy. We can add reviews and ratings for candidates so it helps our …
Chose SmartRecruiters
I selected SmartRecruiters in just first go in its demo itself as I liked [its] features very much. The major thing is that I don't need to make now excel to store Data. Plus communication is also going smooth. [In the end,] I can track every [recruiter's] data how much work …
Chose SmartRecruiters
Overall, SmartRecruiters is more modern, cutting edge and has an easier learning curve than the others we evaluated.
Chose SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters was a good fit at the time of purchase. The price was competitive and the features were exactly what we needed to move as a blended company with multiple locations, brand names, and a large employee base. The company really did a good job of helping us get …
Chose SmartRecruiters
I have only used our previous tool, which was an in-house development.
Chose SmartRecruiters
We used Qandidate before it was bought out by SmartRecruiters. We liked Qandidate, but features were very basic. SmartRecruiters has more features and the online application looks more professional.
Chose SmartRecruiters
SmartRecruiters is fully functional for recruiting and hiring. It eliminates tedious manual data entry and automate processes, so there's no need to chase interviewers down to get feedback and make sure all relevant information is available in one system.
Chose SmartRecruiters
We actually use both. The Applicant Manager (TAM) is more expensive but also more thorough. We like TAM and SmartRecruiters more than ZipRecruiter and Google Hire.
Chose SmartRecruiters
I have not used or evaluated others.
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
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
SmartRecruiters
8.6
Ratings
7% above category average
SmartSearch ATS
3.4
Ratings
81% below category average
Job Requisition Management9.80 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.90 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.50 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting8.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Customized Application Form9.70 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Resume Management5.60 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Candidate Search8.10 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.90 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Collaboration9.60 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Task Creation and Delegation9.90 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Email Templates9.70 Ratings1.00 Ratings
User Permissions9.70 Ratings1.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.90 Ratings5.50 Ratings
Reporting1.70 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch 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
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.0
(0 ratings)
3.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
SmartRecruitersSmartSearch ATS
Likelihood to Recommend
SmartRecruiters has allowed us to enable our hiring managers to self-service their requirements for recruitment, simplifying our internal processes. We have visibility of recruitment requirements and significantly improved our approvals process using the software. We have been able to configure our hiring processes relevant to different areas of the business. Collaboration for our hiring teams (managers and business partners) is simple and effective. Candidate experience is enhanced and engaging. The platform has brought many benefits to our Resourcing business partners and hiring managers. We have visibility and insightful data which has integrity, allowing us to make informed business decisions. Our offer process has seen significant improvements and provides an engaging candidate experience, previously this was a labour-intensive process that is now streamlined and automated. The recently launched Community for collaboration amongst customers is very helpful and insigtful for how other people are using the software and exploring ideas with each other
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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.
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Pros
  • Job Referrals - can easily refer others to a job posting and view the status
  • Job Postings - can easily search for job openings and read job description and criteria
  • Application online - Can easily apply for the job directly and see who the hiring manager and hiring recruiter is
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  • 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.
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Cons
  • Not having feature of referral data, who has referred
  • Another problem is that in [the] emails section it shows 'company name' field will show as Smartrecruiters vs. the name of our agency that will make confuse to [candidates]
  • Major problem of this is that it does not support api in the free version
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  • 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.
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Likelihood to Renew
I thoroughly enjoy using SmartRecruiters and have shared this feedback with those responsible, however I am not a decision maker in the process. I understand that at the moment there are lots of factors affecting the economy and business outcomes, so I cannot comment with certainty on the renewal of SmartRecruiters at this time, not involved in the confirmation of renewal.
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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.
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Usability
I would give this rating as overall it a great combo of all your problems. With just one click you can get away with all your problems such as recruitment, candidate update, Interview scheduling, updating candidates, reports of a job perspective, and recruiters perspective. Usability is worth of SmartRecruiters. The dashboard is also very attractive and once you open you will love working on this platform again and again. I would say it is the best platform to use once for smooth work in your organization.
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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.
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Reliability and Availability
Rarely is there an issue and if the product is down, it typically is restored quickly.
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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.
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Performance
I have no complaints about performance. The system works virtually flawless.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Response is normally very fast. There are times, however, when the response is not useful. It is difficult to work with the reporting and the offer letter templates, and the front line support agents usually are not very knowledgeable. Second, if there are any issues with integrations, the regular support agents will not be able to help you. You'll have to create that ticket and ask them to escalate it to an integration specialist.
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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
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In-Person Training
Quick and easy to learn.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
It really was a painless and easy process to switch to SmartRecruiters.
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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.
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Alternatives Considered
We previously used SnapHire which required a different account for each of our brands, and SmartRecruiters has been a vast improvement for our business in integrating our brands onto one applicant tracking site. This improves both the recruiter and hiring manager experience, and is much more user-friendly for tracking job approvals and postings, and tracking candidates through their applications.
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.
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Scalability
No explanation really, just a great product.
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • SmartRecruiters has unified the approach of my recruiting team, so everyone is processing their jobs the same way, which gives me the confidence that my payroll system will be loaded correctly.
  • SmartRecruiters has offered me integrations with electronic signatures, background checks, and job boards so that I don't have to manage multiple platforms to see recruitment/hiring information.
  • SmartRecruiters has given me the ability to see at-a-glance how we are doing in recruiting and our application volume to see how well our efforts are working.
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  • 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.
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ScreenShots

SmartRecruiters Screenshots

Screenshot of a candidate experience to  reach, engage, and connect with talent wherever they are.Screenshot of engaged hiring managers empowered by collaboration tools and applicant tracking to drive better hiring decisions.Screenshot of digital offer management, onboarding, and reporting deliver a seamless journey for new hires and recruiters.Screenshot of how SmartRecruiters eases the burden of juggling multiple open roles and hiring large volumes.Screenshot of an example of the routine task automation that frees up hiring teams to focus on making great hires and delivering a better candidate experience.Screenshot of where to find and discover qualified talent while getting the most from the advertising budget.