Head to head

Appcast vs CareerArc

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Appcast

Sales-quoted

Programmatic job-ad buying on a pay-per-applicant model. Pricing is sales-quoted; media spend sits on top of the platform.

Where Appcast fits

  • High-volume TA teams spending serious job-ad budget
  • Companies already in Greenhouse or iCIMS that want programmatic inside the ATS
  • Recruitment-marketing leads who want PPA instead of CPC
  • Employers that need coverage across many job boards from one buyer

CareerArc

$167/mo 30 day free trial

CareerArc HireSocial turns jobs into branded social posts. Starter is $167/mo billed annually ($196/mo month to month) for 10 jobs and one user. A 30-day trial needs no credit card.

Where CareerArc fits

  • TA teams that want jobs auto-posted to company and recruiter social profiles
  • Retail, healthcare, and hospitality brands hiring where candidates already scroll
  • Recruiters who will approve AI-generated captions instead of writing every post
  • Teams that can live on Starter's 10-job cap or will jump to Growth for unlimited jobs

At a glance

DetailAppcastCareerArc
Starting priceSales-quoted$167/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on record30 day free trial
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underRecruitment marketingRecruitment marketing
Capterra4.4 from 31 reviews4.7 from 15 reviews

Where they pull apart

Appcast

Stands out: It buys sponsored jobs across a large publisher network and bills against delivered applicants, then feeds those applicants back into the ATS, which is why high-volume desks use it instead of clicking Boost on each board.

Watch out: You are buying media plus software. Campaign budgets are the real cost; a Greenhouse in-ATS campaign has been documented with a $200 minimum. The platform fee is sales-quoted. If the career site convert rate is weak, you will still pay for applicants who bounce.

Not the right fit for

  • Desks posting a handful of professional-hire jobs a month
  • Buyers who need a public self-serve rate card

CareerArc

Stands out: Unlimited publishing to LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram from ATS or career-site sync. AI generates the posts. Growth at $834/mo annual adds unlimited jobs, unlimited profiles, and ATS/XML autosync.

Watch out: Starter is one user, one profile, and 10 jobs. This is organic social recruiting, not programmatic media buying. Enterprise campaigns and a dedicated CSM are custom and annual-commit.

Not the right fit for

  • Enterprises that need a full career-site CMS, CRM, and programmatic stack (see Radancy)
  • Buyers who want pay-per-applicant job-board media rather than organic social

Pros and cons

Appcast

  • Pay-per-applicant optimization rather than raw clicks
  • Named ATS partnerships including Greenhouse and iCIMS
  • Broad publisher network for high-volume reqs
  • Sales-quoted platform plus media spend
  • Overkill for low-volume professional hiring
  • No published rate card, so every budget starts with a sales call

CareerArc

  • Published Starter at $167/mo billed annually with a 30-day no-card trial
  • AI post generation plus unlimited publishing on Starter
  • Growth adds unlimited jobs, profiles, and ATS/XML autosync at $834/mo annual
  • Starter caps 10 jobs and one user/profile
  • Organic social, not programmatic job-ad bidding
  • Enterprise is custom with an annual commitment

What each one costs

Appcast

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. Contact the vendor for current terms. No public starting price on the vendor site as of the verification date.

Checked 12 Sep 2026

CareerArc

$167/mo

HireSocial Starter is $167/mo billed annually or $196/mo billed monthly (10 jobs, one user, AI posts, unlimited publishing). Growth is $834/mo annual or $959/mo monthly (unlimited jobs and profiles, ATS/XML autosync). Enterprise is custom on an annual commitment. Annual billing saves 15%. 30-day trial, no credit card. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Appcast or CareerArc for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. CareerArc offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 12 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?