Compare/Head to head

Hireserve vs Workable

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

Starting price

Hireserve

Quote-based

UK applicant tracking system for in-house recruiting teams in education, charities and the public sector. It is sold by quote on an annual license tied to organization headcount, with unlimited users, vacancies and candidates, plus a one-off implementation fee in year one.

Where Hireserve fits

  • UK universities and colleges
  • Local authorities and public bodies
  • Charities with many hiring managers

Workable

$299/mo 15 day free trial

Mid-market ATS with sourcing, assessments, AI ranking and a hosted MCP. Standard is $299/month with a 15-day trial.

Where Workable fits

  • Mid-market in-house talent teams
  • Teams that want sourcing inside the ATS
  • Desks connecting Claude or ChatGPT via MCP
  • Buyers who want assessments on the pipeline

At a glance

DetailHireserveWorkable
Starting priceQuote-based$299/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on record15 day free trial
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API–No✓Yes
Listed underATS, SchedulingATS, Employee referrals, CRM, Recruitment marketing, AI screening, Sourcing
CapterraNot enough reviews4.4 from 662 reviews

Where they pull apart

Hireserve

Stands out: Users, vacancies and candidates are all unlimited under the annual headcount license. Hireserve says its interview scheduler, which lets candidates pick slots and join by Teams, Google Meet or Zoom, saved customer StepChange 20,000 pounds a year.

Watch out: There is no public price, and year one adds a one-off implementation fee on top of the annual license. Hireserve lists no AI screening or matching and no public API, and it is built around UK sector hiring rather than US employers.

Not the right fit for

  • US employers wanting self-serve signup
  • Teams shopping for AI matching
  • Buyers who need a public price

Workable

Stands out: A hosted MCP at mcp.workable.com, with sourcing and assessments inside the ATS.

Watch out: Texting and video interviews are add-ons on the entry plan rather than included.

Not the right fit for

  • Agencies that need a staffing CRM
  • Enterprise HCM selections

Pros and cons

Hireserve

  • Unlimited users, vacancies and candidates
  • Interview scheduling with Teams, Meet and Zoom
  • CV parsing and redaction built in
  • No public price, demo needed for a quote
  • One-off implementation fee in year one
  • No AI screening or matching listed

Workable

  • Hosted MCP on the vendor's own domain
  • 15-day free trial
  • Sourcing and assessments inside the ATS
  • Texting and video cost extra on Standard
  • Not an agency staffing CRM
  • Price steps up sharply to Premier

What each one costs

Hireserve

Quote-based

Hireserve does not publish prices. Buyers book a demo to get a quote. The annual license is based on organization headcount and includes unlimited users, vacancies and candidates, and implementation is a one-off fee in year one. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 27 Sep 2026

Workable

$299/mo

Standard is $299/mo for 1-20 employees ($3,588/yr), Premier $599/mo and Enterprise $719/mo, each bundling recruiting and HR. Texting, video interviews and assessments are paid add-ons. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 21 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Hireserve or Workable for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Workable offers a 15 day free trial.
Does Hireserve or Workable have an MCP server?
Workable ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Hireserve alternatives All Workable alternatives Every ATS tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 27 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?