Compare/Head to head

Ashby vs Rocket

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

Starting price

Ashby

$400/mo

All-in-one ATS plus analytics for growth teams. Foundations starts at $400/month for up to 100 employees, with 10% off annual.

Where Ashby fits

Growth-stage talent teams
Companies that want analytics without a second tool
Desks that want MCP on hiring data
Teams comparing Ashby against Greenhouse

Rocket

Sales-quoted

Startup recruiting firm for contingency, executive search, and embedded desks. Fees are a quote on first-year compensation.

Where Rocket fits

Seed and growth startups hiring IC and GTM roles
Founders who need a VP or first finance hire
Companies that want an embedded recruiter, not an ATS
Teams willing to pay a retained or contingency fee

At a glance

Detail	Ashby	Rocket
Starting price	$400/mo	Sales-quoted
Free tier	–No	–No
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	ATS, Dashboards & leaderboards, CRM	Sourcing
Capterra	4.4 from 15 reviews	Not enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Ashby

Stands out: Scheduling, CRM, reporting and analytics in one ATS, with a hosted MCP.

Watch out: The $400/month floor is real, and the higher tiers go back to a sales conversation.

Not the right fit for

Agencies that need a staffing CRM
Buyers who cannot start at $400/month

Rocket

Stands out: Operator-led recruiters plus an internal AI sourcing model, sold as a service, not a self-serve login.

Watch out: This is an agency, not recruiting software. Contingency still takes a retainer. You pay a percent of first-year pay.

Not the right fit for

Buyers shopping for recruiting software
Teams that will not pay a percent of salary

Pros and cons

Ashby

Analytics inside the ATS rather than a separate product
Hosted MCP plus API
Published entry price

$400/month floor
Higher tiers are quote-only
Priced on headcount, not recruiter seats

Rocket

Contingency, search, and embedded models
Built for startup IC and exec hires
Internal AI used by human recruiters

Not software. You buy a recruiting firm
Fees are a quote on compensation
Contingency still has an upfront retainer

What each one costs

Ashby

$400/mo

Foundations is $400 a month for companies with up to 100 employees, billed monthly, with 10% off for an annual commitment. Plus (101 to 1,000 employees) and Enterprise are custom-priced. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Rocket

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. Fees are a percentage of first-year compensation with an upfront retainer. Contingency: retainer plus remainder on hire. Executive search: retained milestones. Embedded: monthly retainer by scope. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Ashby or Rocket for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Does Ashby or Rocket have an MCP server?

Ashby ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?