Compare/Head to head

JOIN vs softgarden

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

Starting price

JOIN

€17/job/mo 14 day free trial

European job distribution plus a lightweight ATS, priced per open job at €17 a month on annual billing, with a 14-day trial on the Advanced plan.

Where JOIN fits

  • European small businesses that need multi-posting
  • Teams that think in roles rather than seats
  • Hiring panels that want every interviewer in the tool without buying seats
  • Buyers who want a 14-day trial before committing

softgarden

€199/mo

German-market in-house ATS with career sites and multi-posting, from €199/mo.

Where softgarden fits

  • German in-house talent teams
  • Austrian in-house talent teams
  • German-speaking mid-market employers
  • Teams that need multi-posting plus a career site

At a glance

DetailJOINsoftgarden
Starting price€17/job/mo€199/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underATS, Job boardsATS, Recruitment marketing
Capterra4.5 from 112 reviews4.6 from 124 reviews

Where they pull apart

JOIN

Stands out: Multi-posting priced by the job rather than by the seat, so every interviewer can sit in the tool at no extra cost.

Watch out: Paid board placements are bought on top of the plan, self-serve tiers stop at 15 active jobs, and the API, Zapier and Make are Advanced only.

Not the right fit for

  • US staffing agencies
  • Enterprise HCM selections
  • Teams running more than 15 roles at once on a self-serve plan

softgarden

Stands out: The German and Austrian in-house default, with a published euro starting price.

Watch out: Anything beyond the core plan moves to custom pricing, and there is no MCP.

Not the right fit for

  • US agencies
  • Teams that need MCP

Pros and cons

JOIN

  • Per-job pricing with unlimited users on every plan
  • Over 250 paid boards and 10 organic from a single post, at no markup
  • 14-day trial on the Advanced plan with no card
  • EU primary hosting, GDPR tooling and ISO 27001:2022
  • The bill scales with the number of roles open at once
  • Paid board placements cost extra on top of the plan
  • Self-serve plans cap out at 15 active jobs
  • API, Zapier and Make need Advanced, and there is no MCP

softgarden

  • Published €199 core price
  • Career site plus multi-posting
  • Public API
  • No MCP
  • Custom pricing above core
  • Not a US agency tool

What each one costs

JOIN

€17/job/mo

Standard is €17 per job per month and Advanced €34 per job per month, both billed annually with two months free; monthly billing costs more. Both tiers include unlimited users and up to 15 active jobs, and paid job-board placements are bought separately as an add-on at no markup. Enterprise is volume priced from 15 open roles. Prices exclude VAT. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

softgarden

€199/mo

From €199/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try JOIN or softgarden for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. JOIN offers a 14 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?