Head to head

Clockwork vs Crelate

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

Clockwork

$149/user/mo

Executive search CRM for retained desks, at $149 per user/month.

Where Clockwork fits

  • Retained executive search firms
  • Desks that run on relationships rather than requisition volume
  • Teams that want a search CRM with a published seat price
  • Firms working in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365

Crelate

$85/user/mo Free trial

Boutique agency recruiting CRM built around notes, hotlists and email sync. Essentials is $85 per user/month paid annually, with a free trial.

Where Crelate fits

  • Boutique staffing agencies
  • Desks that live in email and hotlists
  • Small teams that want a recruiting CRM rather than a corporate ATS
  • Buyers comparing CATS and Recruit CRM

At a glance

DetailClockworkCrelate
Starting price$149/user/mo$85/user/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on recordYes
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underCRMATS, CRM
Capterra4.4 from 51 reviews4.5 from 443 reviews

Where they pull apart

Clockwork

Stands out: A relationship CRM built for search firms rather than a high-volume tracker.

Watch out: Wrong shape for volume hiring, and it is not an ATS.

Not the right fit for

  • In-house high-volume talent teams
  • Agencies running hourly hiring

Crelate

Stands out: Desktop-class notes, hotlists and email sync for small agency desks.

Watch out: No MCP, and the published price is annual billing rather than month to month.

Not the right fit for

  • Corporate in-house talent teams
  • Teams that need MCP

Pros and cons

Clockwork

  • Published per-user price
  • Built for retained search specifically
  • Connects to the executive-search toolchain
  • Wrong tool for high-volume hiring
  • Not an ATS

Crelate

  • Hotlists and email sync built for boutique desks
  • Public API
  • Free trial available
  • No MCP
  • Published price is annual billing
  • Not a corporate hiring platform

What each one costs

Clockwork

$149/user/mo

One plan with every feature: $149 per user per month when paid annually. Monthly billing is offered at a higher rate. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 20 Sep 2026

Crelate

$85/user/mo

From ~$55/user/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 17 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Clockwork cheaper than Crelate?
Crelate starts lower, at $85/user/mo against $149/user/mo for Clockwork. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Clockwork or Crelate for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Crelate offers a free trial.
Does Clockwork or Crelate have an MCP server?
Clockwork 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 20 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?