Compare/Head to head

ClearMatch ATS vs SquarePeg

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

SquarePeg

Pay as you go Free tier

SquarePeg is an AI screening layer that sits on top of your ATS and ranks every applicant with the resume evidence behind each score. It suits lean teams with high applicant volume or a fake-candidate problem, and you can test it on a live role with 2,000 free credits.

Where SquarePeg fits

  • High-volume applicant pipelines
  • Lean recruiting teams on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby or Workable
  • Teams seeing fake or misrepresented candidates
  • Companies hiring tech, finance and healthcare knowledge workers

At a glance

DetailClearMatch ATSSquarePeg
Starting price$49/rolePay as you go
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
Free trialYesNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underAI screeningAI screening, Candidate fraud & AI detection, 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

SquarePeg

Stands out: Scores are glass box: every criterion shows a subscore, a written reason and the exact resume lines, and rescoring is free. Eligibility rules run before scoring so ineligible applicants are never charged, and an authenticity check combines LinkedIn, phone, email and resume signals.

Watch out: The per-credit price is only shown in an estimator, not as a list price, so budget from a quote. It is built for resume-based knowledge-worker hiring, and it does not write scores into ATS fields; you see them in SquarePeg or its Chrome extension.

Not the right fit for

  • Hourly or no-resume hiring
  • Teams that want an all-in-one ATS
  • Buyers needing a published price list

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

SquarePeg

  • Every score shows its resume evidence
  • No seat or platform fees, free rescoring
  • Built-in fake candidate checks
  • No published per-credit price
  • Resume-based roles only
  • Scores do not write into ATS fields

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

SquarePeg

Pay as you go

SquarePeg charges by credit, with no platform fee and no seat fees. One credit scores one applicant, and rediscovering a past candidate also costs one credit after a one-time indexing fee. New accounts get 2,000 free credits to use within two months, with no credit card. More credits are bought one-time, monthly or yearly, with volume discounts; the per-credit price is shown in an estimator on the pricing page rather than published as a list price. Rescoring and the agent are free, and applicants who fail eligibility rules are never charged. A 90-day paid pilot is also offered. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 20 Oct 2026

Common questions

Can you try ClearMatch ATS or SquarePeg for free?
ClearMatch ATS and SquarePeg carry a free tier on our listing. ClearMatch ATS offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All ClearMatch ATS alternatives All SquarePeg alternatives Every AI screening tool

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