Compare/Head to head

ClearMatch ATS vs HireBuddy

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

Starting price

ClearMatch ATS

$49/role Free tier Free trial

ClearMatch ATS is a pay-per-role resume ranker for founders and small teams who hire a few times a year. You upload the whole applicant pile with your requirements and get back a ranked shortlist with a score for each requirement, from $49 a role, and the first role is free for up to 25 applicants.

Where ClearMatch ATS fits

  • Founders hiring without an HR team
  • Small teams that fill a role a few times a year
  • Roles that draw hundreds of inbound resumes
  • Developer hiring where fake candidates are a worry

HireBuddy

$119.95/mo Free trial

HireBuddy is an AI screening and sourcing tool for recruiters and in-house hiring teams. QuickScreen ranks every applicant by fit and explains the match, and Talent Scout finds passive candidates on LinkedIn, GitHub and the web from a plain-English query. Screening is priced by resume scan, from $119.95/month for 500 scans after a free 10-scan trial.

Where HireBuddy fits

  • Teams buried in inbound applications who want a ranked shortlist with reasons
  • Greenhouse users who want AI screening added on top
  • Recruiters who prefer plain-English search over Boolean strings
  • Buyers who want a per-scan price they can budget

At a glance

DetailClearMatch ATSHireBuddy
Starting price$49/role$119.95/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
Free trialYesYes
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underAI screeningAI screening, AI sourcing

Where they pull apart

ClearMatch ATS

Stands out: There is no subscription or seat fee: you buy a credit pack per role, credits never expire and a money-back guarantee covers the purchase. Each candidate gets a score and a plain-English note for every requirement, names, photos and graduation years are stripped before scoring, and a free GitHub profile fraud check sits alongside for developer hiring.

Watch out: Despite the name it is a screening step, not a full ATS: there is no pipeline, scheduling or job posting, so the shortlist goes into your existing process. No ATS integrations are named (custom integrations are listed on Pro only), resumes go in as uploaded files, and the site gives no company location or team details and there are no outside reviews yet.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need a full ATS with pipelines and scheduling
  • Recruiters who want scores synced into an existing ATS
  • Buyers who want an established vendor with outside reviews

HireBuddy

Stands out: Pricing is by the scan, so you can work out the cost per applicant up front (about $0.15 to $0.24 a resume), and candidate to job match analysis is unlimited on every plan. One customer quoted on the site uses QuickScreen to spot potential fake candidates.

Watch out: Talent Scout sourcing has no published price and is sold by demo. The site gives no company location or founding details, its customer logo strip shows placeholder logos, and there are no outside reviews yet.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need a published price for sourcing and outreach
  • Buyers who want an established vendor with outside reviews

Pros and cons

ClearMatch ATS

  • No subscription, and credits never expire
  • A score and note for every requirement
  • First role free for up to 25 applicants
  • Not a full ATS despite the name
  • No named ATS integrations
  • No company details or outside reviews yet

HireBuddy

  • Clear per-scan pricing from $119.95/month
  • Every ranking comes with the reasons for the match
  • Free 10-scan trial without a sales call
  • Talent Scout sourcing price is not published
  • Only Greenhouse and GitHub are named as integrations
  • No outside reviews and little company detail on the site

What each one costs

ClearMatch ATS

$49/role

ClearMatch ATS charges per role with credit packs, with no monthly subscription and no seat fees. The free plan covers one role with up to 25 applicants and needs no credit card. Starter is $49 for one role with up to 250 applicants, Growth is $99 for up to 1,000 applicants and Pro is $199 for up to 3,000 applicants and adds custom integrations. Credits never expire, and the vendor offers a 100% money-back guarantee. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 28 Oct 2026

HireBuddy

$119.95/mo

QuickScreen pricing is based on resume scans per month. Trial is free, one time only, with 10 resume scans. Pro is $119.95/month for 500 scans (about $0.24 a scan). Growth is $189.95/month for 1,000 scans (about $0.19 a scan). Scale is $299.95/month for 2,000 scans (about $0.15 a scan). Custom is quoted per seat with flexible scan volumes, and Enterprise is a custom quote with unlimited scans. Every plan includes unlimited candidate to job match analysis and role scope advice, and extra AI credits can be bought. The pricing page has a monthly and annual toggle and single and multi-user licences; annual prices are not shown. Talent Scout sourcing is sold through a demo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is ClearMatch ATS cheaper than HireBuddy?
ClearMatch ATS starts lower, at $49/role against $119.95/mo for HireBuddy. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try ClearMatch ATS or HireBuddy for free?
ClearMatch ATS carries a free tier on our listing. ClearMatch ATS offers a free trial. HireBuddy offers a free trial.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 28 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?