Head to head

SmartRecruiters vs Workable

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

Global enterprise talent acquisition suite with a job-board marketplace and CRM. The published entry is $14,995, with no billing period stated and everything above it quoted.

Where SmartRecruiters fits

  • Global in-house talent teams
  • Teams that buy job-board marketplace access with the ATS
  • Enterprises running hiring programmes across countries
  • Buyers comparing enterprise suites

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

DetailSmartRecruitersWorkable
Starting price$14,995$299/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on record15 day free trial
MCP server–No✓Yes
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underATS, CRM, Recruitment marketingATS, Employee referrals, CRM, Recruitment marketing, AI screening, Sourcing
Capterra4.2 from 151 reviews4.4 from 662 reviews

Where they pull apart

SmartRecruiters

Stands out: A marketplace of job boards plus CRM inside one enterprise suite.

Watch out: Five figures is the floor, the vendor does not say what period $14,995 covers, and SAP now owns the company, so licensing may shift.

Not the right fit for

  • Small businesses that need a three-figure monthly price
  • Agencies that want a staffing CRM

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

SmartRecruiters

  • Published entry price, unusual at this level
  • Job-board marketplace inside the suite
  • Public API
  • No MCP
  • Five-figure floor
  • Higher tiers are quote-only

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

SmartRecruiters

$14,995

The Essential plan starts at $14,995; the vendor's pricing page does not state the billing period. Professional, High Volume and Complete are quoted on request. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 20 Sep 2026

Workable

$299/mo

From ~$249/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 17 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is SmartRecruiters cheaper than Workable?
Workable starts lower, at $299/mo against $14,995 for SmartRecruiters. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try SmartRecruiters or Workable for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Workable offers a 15 day free trial.
Does SmartRecruiters 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 SmartRecruiters alternatives All Workable alternatives Every ATS tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 20 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?