Head to head

Dover vs Zoho Recruit

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

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

Zoho Recruit

$25/mo Free tier 15 day free trial

ATS for teams already inside Zoho. Free tier, with paid plans from around $25/user/mo on annual billing.

Where Zoho Recruit fits

Companies already paying for Zoho
Small in-house talent teams
Small agencies that want a free tier
Teams that need parsing and job boards without enterprise pricing

At a glance

Detail	Dover	Zoho Recruit
Starting price	Free ATS, paid sourcing	$25/mo
Free tier	✓Yes	✓Yes
Free trial	Not on record	15 day free trial
MCP server	–No	✓Yes
Public API	✓Yes	✓Yes
Listed under	ATS	ATS, CRM
Capterra	Not enough reviews	4.5 from 1,282 reviews

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

Zoho Recruit

Stands out: Zoho CRM sync plus a genuine free tier at a low per-user price.

Watch out: Employee licences are sold in separate packs, so the recruiter seat is not the whole bill.

Not the right fit for

Enterprises outside the Zoho estate

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

Zoho Recruit

Genuine free tier
Low annual per-user price
Zoho CRM sync for companies already in-suite

Employee licences sold separately
Weaker fit outside the Zoho estate

What each one costs

Dover

Free ATS, paid sourcing

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

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Zoho Recruit

$25/mo

From ~$25/user/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Dover or Zoho Recruit for free?

Dover and Zoho Recruit carry a free tier on our listing. Zoho Recruit offers a 15 day free trial.

Does Dover or Zoho Recruit have an MCP server?

Zoho Recruit ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Dover alternatives All Zoho Recruit alternatives Every ATS tool

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