Head to head

Ashby vs SmartRecruiters

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

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

Global enterprise talent acquisition suite with a job-board marketplace and CRM. The published entry is $14,995, with no billing period stated and everything above it quoted.

Where SmartRecruiters fits

  • Global in-house talent teams
  • Teams that buy job-board marketplace access with the ATS
  • Enterprises running hiring programmes across countries
  • Buyers comparing enterprise suites

At a glance

DetailAshbySmartRecruiters
Starting price$400/mo$14,995
Free tier–No–No
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underATS, CRMATS, CRM, Recruitment marketing
Capterra4.4 from 15 reviews4.2 from 151 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

SmartRecruiters

Stands out: A marketplace of job boards plus CRM inside one enterprise suite.

Watch out: Five figures is the floor, the vendor does not say what period $14,995 covers, and SAP now owns the company, so licensing may shift.

Not the right fit for

  • Small businesses that need a three-figure monthly price
  • Agencies that want a staffing CRM

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

SmartRecruiters

  • Published entry price, unusual at this level
  • Job-board marketplace inside the suite
  • Public API
  • No MCP
  • Five-figure floor
  • Higher tiers are quote-only

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 19 Sep 2026

SmartRecruiters

$14,995

The Essential plan starts at $14,995; the vendor's pricing page does not state the billing period. Professional, High Volume and Complete are quoted on request. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 20 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Ashby cheaper than SmartRecruiters?
Ashby starts lower, at $400/mo against $14,995 for SmartRecruiters. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Ashby or SmartRecruiters for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Ashby or SmartRecruiters 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 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?