Compare/Head to head

CandidateIQ vs Spadework

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

Starting price

CandidateIQ

$200/mo Free trial

Data clean-up for staffing firms whose ATS is full of dead emails and stale records. CandidateIQ validates contact details, enriches records with titles, locations, social profiles and resumes, and gives each candidate a Trust Score so recruiters and automations work the reachable records first. Plans start at $200/mo or $2,500 per project, and Bullhorn users can run it as a managed sync from $1,000/mo.

Where CandidateIQ fits

  • Staffing firms on Bullhorn with large, ageing databases
  • Agencies preparing data before rolling out AI matching or automation
  • Ops teams fighting bounced emails and dead numbers
  • Firms that want a one-off database clean-up project

Spadework

€270/mo Free tier

Spadework is an Amsterdam based AI layer for recruitment agency ATS databases that keeps candidate and contact records up to date and alerts recruiters when candidates look ready to move, contacts change jobs or clients post vacancies. It suits staffing, secondment and search agencies with large databases going stale. It is free for 50 profiles, then €270/mo for 1,000 profiles or €890/mo for 10,000, on yearly terms.

Where Spadework fits

  • Agencies with 10,000+ candidate records that are out of date
  • Staffing and secondment firms in the Netherlands and Belgium
  • Recruiters who want warm contacts tracked when they change jobs
  • Teams that want new client vacancies filed in the ATS automatically

At a glance

DetailCandidateIQSpadework
Starting price$200/mo€270/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialYesNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underEmail finders, VerificationEmail finders, Lead generation, Workflow automation

Where they pull apart

CandidateIQ

Stands out: It treats your existing database as the asset: rather than buying new candidates, it scores, verifies and fills in the ones you already own, then writes the results back into Bullhorn fields. You can test it free on your own records before paying.

Watch out: Only Bullhorn gets a named, managed integration; other ATSs work through file uploads or the API on the Enterprise plan. The useful real-time sync starts at $1,000/mo, and it improves data rather than doing any outreach itself.

Not the right fit for

  • Small desks with a few thousand clean records
  • Recruiters who want an email finder for new prospects

Spadework

Stands out: A latent candidate detector reads profile changes, such as a new bio and expanded work history with no job change, as a sign someone may be getting ready to apply. A backdoor hire notifier flags candidates who may have been hired directly by a client after you introduced them.

Watch out: The product and most of the site are built for the Benelux market, with formal ATS partnerships with Dutch systems like OTYS, Carerix, Byner and Mysolution. Paid plans are a one year commitment, pricing is in euros, and US data coverage is unproven.

Not the right fit for

  • US agencies on US specific ATS platforms
  • Small teams that cannot commit to a yearly contract

Pros and cons

CandidateIQ

  • Free trial on your own candidate data
  • Trust Scores show which records to work first
  • Managed real-time Bullhorn sync
  • Only Bullhorn has a named integration
  • Real-time sync starts at $1,000/mo
  • Cleans data, does no outreach

Spadework

  • Free plan with every core agent on 50 profiles
  • Works inside your existing ATS, no new system to learn
  • Backdoor hire alerts help recover missed fees
  • Paid plans need a one year commitment
  • Euro pricing and a Benelux focused customer base
  • Formal ATS partners are mostly Dutch systems

What each one costs

CandidateIQ

$200/mo

Validation starts at $200/mo or $2,500 per project. Validation + Enrichment starts at $500/mo or $5,000 per project. Enterprise starts at $1,000/mo or $15,000 per project and adds unlimited records, API access and multi-ATS support. Managed Sync for Bullhorn starts at $1,000/mo and processes old and new Bullhorn records automatically. The vendor offers a free trial on your own candidate data. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 13 Oct 2026

Spadework

€270/mo

Spadework prices by the number of candidate and contact profiles its agents follow. Free covers 50 profiles with no credit card and every agent except the Daily Briefer. Launch is €270/mo for 1,000 profiles and adds the Daily Briefer. Scale is €890/mo for 10,000 profiles, can go up to 50,000, and adds custom agents. Enterprise is priced on request for larger volumes. Paid plans run for a year, paid monthly or up front with a 10% discount. Prices are in euros and no USD price is published. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

Common questions

Can you try CandidateIQ or Spadework for free?
Spadework carries a free tier on our listing. CandidateIQ offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All CandidateIQ alternatives All Spadework alternatives Every Email finders tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 13 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?