Compare/Head to head

Dover vs Elly

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

Starting price

Dover

Free ATS, paid sourcing Free tier

Genuinely free startup ATS with job distribution and a modern interface. Premium ATS is $199 a month if you outgrow the free tier.

Where Dover fits

  • Early-stage startups
  • Teams that need a free tracker today
  • Founders posting a handful of roles
  • Buyers who will add sourcing later

Elly

$5,000/yr

Elly is an AI-native ATS and recruiting service from New York that pairs AI interviews, AI sourcing and scorecard automation with optional recruiter-run searches. The self-serve Platform plan is $5,000/yr, and a Full Search costs 10% of first-year salary per hire. It suits early-stage companies whose founders still run hiring.

Where Elly fits

  • Early-stage startups with founder-led hiring
  • Teams that want software and recruiter help from one vendor
  • Companies filling a few critical roles per year

At a glance

DetailDoverElly
Starting priceFree ATS, paid sourcing$5,000/yr
Free tier✓Yes–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underATSATS, AI interviewing, AI screening, AI sourcing

Where they pull apart

Dover

Stands out: A real free tier rather than a countdown trial, with job distribution included.

Watch out: Sourcing is sold separately, and there is no MCP.

Not the right fit for

  • Agencies
  • Enterprises
  • Teams that need MCP

Elly

Stands out: The same account works as software or as a managed search, and everything learned during a Full Search stays in the platform afterward. Its AI candidate matching has been audited for bias by Warden AI on more than 13,000 interview samples, with results published. The AI Interviewer asks real-time follow-up questions instead of recording one-way answers.

Watch out: The company's messaging has moved toward recruiter-led searches since a September 2026 launch, so buyers who only want software should confirm the product roadmap. No free trial or free plan is listed on the pricing page. Integrations are described only as connections to your ATS, with no named partners.

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers who want a free trial before paying
  • High-volume hourly hiring on a small budget
  • Teams that need a named integration list

Pros and cons

Dover

  • Real free tier, not a trial
  • Job distribution without a contract
  • Public API
  • No MCP
  • Sourcing costs extra
  • Not built for agencies

Elly

  • Published pricing for all three options
  • Independent bias audit by Warden AI
  • Search history and scorecards carry over to future roles
  • No free trial or free plan listed
  • No named integrations
  • Focus is shifting toward recruiter-led service

What each one costs

Dover

Free ATS, paid sourcing

Free ATS, paid sourcing. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Elly

$5,000/yr

Elly sells three options. Platform costs $5,000/yr and covers AI application review and scoring plus the AI Interviewer for teams that run hiring in-house. Candidates costs $10,000 for one batch of sourced, screened and scorecarded candidates, with no subscription. Full Search costs 10% of first-year salary per hire, paid when the hire starts, with a minimum fee that applies on salaries under $80,000 and an optional 90-day replacement guarantee for an extra 4% of salary. No free trial is listed. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 28 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Dover or Elly for free?
Dover carries a free tier on our listing.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?