Compare/Head to head

Handshake vs TeamWork Online

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

Starting price

Handshake

Quote-based Free tier

University recruiting and early-career talent, with a free tier for employers.

Where Handshake fits

University recruiting teams
Early-career programmes at large employers
Talent teams filling intern and graduate roles
Campus teams already working in Handshake

Sports and live-events job board plus ATS for teams, leagues, venues, colleges and agencies hiring industry talent. Employers buy an annual license, sold by quote through a demo, and TeamWork Online says 85% of NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS and NHL teams recruit on it.

Where TeamWork Online fits

Sports teams, leagues and venues
Live-event employers hiring industry talent
Employers wanting a job board and ATS together

At a glance

Detail	Handshake	TeamWork Online
Starting price	Quote-based	Quote-based
Free tier	✓Yes	–No
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	–No	–No
Listed under	Job boards	Job boards, ATS

Where they pull apart

Handshake

Stands out: The campus network students already use, so the pipeline is there before you are.

Watch out: It is a supply channel, not a tracker, and it is weak for senior hiring.

Not the right fit for

Senior professional hiring only
Agencies buying contact data

TeamWork Online

Stands out: More than 1,500 organizations hire through it, drawing on 8.5 million specialized candidates, 600+ college partnerships and 100+ career events a year. It says 200,000+ people have been hired through it over 25 years.

Watch out: It only makes sense for sports and live-events hiring, and no public API is documented. The $5 a month MVP Access plan with a $59.99 activation fee is a job-seeker subscription, not the employer price.

Not the right fit for

Employers hiring outside sports and live events
Teams needing a published monthly ATS price
Buyers who need an open API

Pros and cons

Handshake

The default campus network
Early-career focus is the product
Free tier to start on

Not an ATS
Weak for senior hiring
Paid employer pricing is quoted

TeamWork Online

Pool of 8.5 million sports-industry candidates
Unlimited hiring-manager access
100+ career events a year

Annual license sold by quote only
Of little use outside sports and live events
No documented public API

What each one costs

Handshake

Quote-based

Quote-based. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

TeamWork Online

Quote-based

TeamWork Online does not publish an employer price. Employers get a quote for an annual license through a demo. The $5 a month MVP Access plan, with a $59.99 activation fee, is a job-seeker subscription and not the hiring product. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 27 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Handshake or TeamWork Online for free?

Handshake carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Handshake alternatives All TeamWork Online alternatives Every Job boards tool

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