Hubspot as an ATS vs Greenhouse

Employee turnover is a big expense.

All-in costs for replacing former employees—when including interviewing, training, reduced productivity, etc—is at least 30% of their annual salary. 

No wonder companies are heavily investing in talent acquisition platforms—like applicant tracking systems (ATS). 

Bullhorn and Greenhouse spring to mind for seasoned hiring teams as reliable applicant tracking systems. Each recruiting platform improves how companies manage candidates and clients while fostering team collaboration. 

But what about HubSpot as an ATS?

In HubSpot vs Bullhorn, we broke down how HubSpot, commonly recognized as a CRM, is just as valuable as Bullhorn for applicant tracking system needs. We discovered that if you’re looking for all-in-one recruiting software with marketing, sales, and operational features—at no extra cost—HubSpot should be considered.

In this sequel, we’ll compare HubSpot as an ATS against Greenhouse. By evaluating both platforms for the core traits of what makes a good ATS—excellent client management, candidate management, and team collaboration features—we’ll find out where you should invest for better hiring outcomes. 

GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse is a powerful cloud-based software that refines your hiring workflow through features that improve every step of the hiring process. You can organize resume and candidate details with detailed analytics while managing job applications through a central platform. By offering custom workflows, Greenhouse allows you to share recruitment tasks exactly to fit your needs.

One standout feature is its ability to integrate with over 538 third-party tools and post to 1000+ job boards. You’ll find the application process efficient, with quick-fill forms that candidates complete in about 30 seconds. Once forms are filled, potential new candidates receive timely updates.

On the candidate evaluation side, Greenhouse has a scorecard system for multiple reviewers to independently score candidates, which removes bias when judging potential employees. Teams can stay confident that recruitment supports fair hiring practices with features like bias-free job descriptions and diversity reporting.

Technically, with Greenhouse, hiring professionals can make more data-driven decisions using detailed filters. Looking for hard skills? You can filter for key technical skills. Seeking higher experience levels? Zero in on senior-level requirements. With a plethora of data to sift through, recruitment efforts will be less error-prone when finding the right candidates.

Ultimately, Greenhouse serves mid-to-large companies best, where hiring is constant and processes are formalized. The platform's features are quite robust, and the collaboration toolset, especially for organizations that emphasize structured hiring and group decisions, is arguably the best investment for organizations with high volumes of recruitment. 

HUBSPOT

Traditionally a powerful CRM, HubSpot transforms into a high-performing ATS for small businesses by integrating HubSpot Marketing Pro with either Service Hub Pro or Sales Hub Pro. Together, the truly all-in-one platform equips hiring teams with a custom solution that can be tailored to diverse hiring needs.

You can take your recruiting workflow to the next level by utilizing HubSpot's service, sales, and marketing capabilities. This looks like efficiently tracking applicants throughout various hiring stages with features like pipeline management. You’ll experience fewer recruiting errors while making sure your candidates have positive morale with automated follow-up emails and updated application statuses.

All this is just the tip of the iceberg, too. With HubSpot as an ATS, you can stay confident that the perfect candidate isn’t overlooked by using features like personalized profiles, automated interview scheduling, and even resume parsing with an extra add-on.

Unlike Greenhouse which has recruiting and HR-specific integrations, HubSpot is an all-inclusive business tool with over 1500 app integrations that help companies align marketing, sales, and service. However, its vast functionality makes it an ideal ATS.  

By integrating Marketing Pro with Service or Sales Hub Pro, hiring teams can extend HubSpot's uses for custom recruiting campaigns that scale and streamline with existing marketing and sales departments. 

For smaller and medium companies that are operationally nimble and aggressive about growth and efficiency, HubSpot as an ATS offers an appealing option to improve recruitment outcomes in a significant way.

COST

The pricing structure differences between HubSpot as an ATS and Greenhouse are like night and day. Our research shows that Greenhouse’s subscription price is based on company headcount, while HubSpot follows a more traditional SaaS approach, basing its price on the number of users.

COST OF GREENHOUSE 

Greenhouse takes a company-size approach to price, starting at roughly $6,500/year for small businesses of 10 and scaling to $24,500+/year for enterprises with a headcount of over 1000. For every given size range, teams can choose among Greenhouse's three tiers: Essential, Advanced, and Expert. 

Each tier includes unlimited users, making it especially appealing for collaborative hiring teams who want to leave excessive user-based costs behind. However, no standard public pricing is available for Greenhouse so what you’ll pay depends mainly on your employee headcount, hiring needs, and contract length—with pricing negotiated based on these factors.

While core functionality for an ATS is included in all Greenhouse plans, what matters to hiring teams may be quite different between the Essential, Advanced, and Expert plans. 

The Essential plan includes basic CRM functionality, one recruitment event, and standard multi-channel sourcing tools. Advanced takes these features up a notch to 10 events, internal job boards, and more complex career page configurations. For the Expert plan, teams have no limits on recruitment events, prospect posts, or advanced sourcing automation. 

For add-ons that incur extra charges, teams can receive features like messaging, sandbox syncing, and audit logs to get even more granular. Greenhouse currently offers no free plan, only a demo upon request, which hints at its target market of larger companies. 

With a pricing structure based primarily on company headcount and unique talent acquisition needs, Greenhouse is well-suited for medium-to-larger orgs that follow more established systems and have high-volume hiring needs.

COST OF HUBSPOT AS AN ATS

By contrast, pricing for HubSpot as an ATS is much more SaaS-traditional, with extra costs incurred per user. Starting at $990/month, you get four user seats, with one having access to the platform’s ATS features. Giving ATS access to two extra seats comes in at $90/per user, whereas anything beyond that requires a Marketing Hub Pro upgrade that charges more than $45 per user per month.

The user pricing scenario is tricky to follow, so we created a table to help you better understand:

While many other applicant tracking systems offer time and use-limited demos and trials, HubSpot stands out with its unique pricing tiers (Free, Starter, Professional, and Enterprise), which include a free plan for up to two users. Cautious businesses would benefit from the free plan's non-expiration date to test the platform's CRM capabilities while deciding whether to upgrade as an ATS.

When comparing Greenhouse and HubSpot’s pricing, HubSpot stands out because of its flexible entry points and pricing structure. The platform’s unique offerings allow you to experiment with building a truly custom ATS by integrating different hubs. At the same time, its SaaS user-based pricing helps you adjust seat counts without changing tiers. 

Ultimately, with cost control missing in Greenhouse’s company-size pricing, HubSpot is especially appealing for nimble small teams with less complex recruitment needs and lower hiring volumes.

However, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with our HubSpot experts to find out more accurate costs for Marketing, Service, or Sales Hub Pro and its related integrations. 

Changes in pricing are common occurrences in the industry, and directly reaching out ensures you’re up to date. 

RESOURCES AND SUPPORT

Making sure your team fully adopts a new ATS is a daunting task that intersects with company culture, human resource policies, and adequate training. Both HubSpot and Greenhouse offer different support approaches for training and implementation that make transitioning from one hiring software to another a breeze for any team.

GREENHOUSE SUPPORT

Greenhouse provides a multi-tiered approach to resources and support that enhances your ability to succeed with the platform. With access to technical specialists who can assist with integration and troubleshooting, along with ongoing training and development, there is an array of tools to help newcomers overcome adoption hurdles.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Support Teams: Receive assistance with integration and troubleshooting from technical experts at no extra cost
• Account Services: Looking for more strategic help for your recruitment efforts? Greenhouse’s very own Customer Success Managers can assist with system on-boarding and monitoring goals
• Practical Learning Resources: Become a Greenhouse expert at your own pace with unlimited access to articles, videos, and instructor-led tutorials
• Active User Community and Forums: Learn from other community members from all experience levels who may share the same goals and hiring obstacles
• Implementation and Ongoing Support: Feeling sidetracked? Experience check-ins and support to ensure you stay on top of your recruitment goals 

HUBSPOT SUPPORT

With HubSpot, you’ll have access to abundant training and support resources to ensure you get the most out of the platform’s varied features. From comprehensive onboarding resources, like guides, webinars, and instructor-led tutorials to HubSpot’s very own Academy that provides certification programs, hiring teams can become pro-HubSpot users that take their recruitment campaigns to new heights.

For training specifics on using HubSpot as an ATS, you will need to hire a Solutions Partner who understands how to customize the platform to address applicant tracking needs.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Comprehensive Knowledge Base: Learn the ins and outs of HubSpots features and tools with a library of how-to articles, guides, and video tutorials
• Community Forums: Join the conversation in our forums and connect with other users. Share your insights, solve problems together, and tap into community-driven solutions.
• Support Channels: Need help? HubSpot provides live chat, email support, and dedicated phone lines so you’re never left in the dark when things go techy.
• Training & Certification: Use HubSpot Academy to upskill through courses and certifications so you can get the most out of HubSpot as an ATS
• Implementation Resources: 15-hour implementation guide with design, build, and test plans to help you set up your ATS quickly

CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT

Managing candidates throughout the hiring process is key to successful recruitment. Both platforms have tools to track applicants, yet they approach candidate management from different angles. 

CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT WITH GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse’s approach to organizing candidate information goes beyond basic applicant tracking, offering sophisticated features that streamline the entire hiring process. From initial application to final decision-making, Greenhouse’s candidate management system combines structured evaluation methods, collaborative tools, and automated workflows to create a cohesive recruitment experience. 

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Scorecards: Multiple team members can evaluate candidates based on predefined skills and qualifications for an objective assessment
• Interview Kits: Get standardized interview questions and preparation materials for each role so the whole hiring team evaluates candidates in the same
• Candidate Tracking: All applications, resumes, and candidate info are in one place so teams can track progress 
• Multi-Channel Sourcing: Integrates with over 1,000 job boards and posts to multiple channels to reach more candidates
• Task Automation: Creates and assigns recruitment tasks automatically so the process moves fast
• Candidate Feedback: Collects feedback from applicants about their hiring experience so teams can improve the process
• DEI Tools: Name pronunciation, preferred pronouns, unbiased job description tools to help with inclusive hiring
• Email Templates: Customizable templates for candidate communication so messaging is consistent throughout the process
• Advanced Search: Search candidates by location, salary expectations, qualifications, etc.
• Activity Feed: Maintains a comprehensive record of all candidate interactions and team communications, ensuring transparency throughout the hiring process

CANDIDATE MANAGEMENT WITH HUBSPOT AS AN ATS

HubSpot’s applicant tracking uses its CRM to make the process efficient and automated. The platform flips traditional candidate management on its head with its ticket-pipeline system so recruiters can track, sort, and monitor candidates throughout the hiring journey. No more candidates falling through the cracks or scattered communication and documentation.

The platform’s strength is its automation, which removes boring admin tasks and human error from the recruitment process. From automated follow-ups to centralized candidate information management, HubSpot simplifies the entire applicant tracking workflow.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Candidate-Ticket Pipeline: Track applicants through custom stages, hiring managers can sort, store, and collaborate on candidate progress

• Automated Calendar Scheduling: Schedules interviews by sending meeting links and allowing candidates to pick from available time slots
• Automated Email Updates: Sends emails to candidates at each stage of the hiring process so communication is consistent
• Custom Properties: Tracks candidate data like resumes, job positions, and interview statuses, all in one place
• Resume Management: Shows full candidate resumes in a CRM panel so hiring managers can review candidate info
• Pipeline Visualization: Creates custom hiring pipelines like deal or ticket pipelines so teams can see progress and open positions at a glance
• Automated Task Management: Create and assign recruitment tasks automatically to ensure candidates move through hiring stages without delays

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

Managing client relationships in recruiting requires a delicate balance between delivering results and maintaining clear communication—-whether you're an internal recruiter working with hiring managers or an agency partnering with client companies. HubSpot and Greenhouse offer distinct approaches to demonstrating value and managing expectations throughout the hiring process, though they tackle these challenges from different perspectives.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT USING GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse excels at managing stakeholder expectations through workflows and reporting. The visual pipeline and dashboard give recruiters visibility into candidate progress so results can be easily shown to hiring managers and stakeholders. With automated task management and approvals, everyone is informed and aligned throughout the process.

The data-driven approach strengthens recruiter stakeholder relationships by giving them concrete metrics and customizable reporting dashboards to show progress and success with initiatives. Standardized interview kits and scorecards give consistency across hiring teams, build trust in the decision-making process, and provide valuable insights for continuous improvement. Recruiters can maintain credibility with stakeholders while delivering results that justify their recruitment strategy and decisions.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Customizable Dashboards: Keep all stakeholders informed about upcoming interviews, applications to review, and task statuses.
• Structured Hiring Templates: Pre-built templates for job creation and posting.  Deploy new jobs fast while keeping postings consistent.
• Analytics and Reporting: Detailed metrics and custom reports to track hiring and show value to stakeholders.
• API-Driven Job Boards: Add custom brand styling to your job boards that are easy to update and maintain.
• Custom Application Questions: Customize job application questions to gather specific information from applicants. This way, you can drill down to the details that matter most to you.
• Automatic Candidate Responses: Set up automatic responses to let candidates know their application has been received. This keeps candidates in the loop and improves their application experience.
• Auto-Tagging Candidates: Greenhouse makes it easy to auto-tag candidates based on your criteria. This way, you can manage large applicant pools efficiently.
• Workflow Customization: Create custom hiring stages and permissions that fit your organization’s needs
• Task Management: Assign and track tasks across the hiring team, accountability
• App Integrations: 538+ integrations with third-party tools, the entire recruitment process
• Collaborative Feedback: Share feedback and notes with all stakeholders for more transparent decision-making.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT USING HUBSPOT AS AN ATS

HubSpot’s CRM is great for managing stakeholder relationships and expectations. Its ticketing system gives recruiters a centralized, shared inbox to prioritize requests and keep hiring managers informed. This means high-priority roles get the attention they need, and all recruitment activity is tracked.

With automation features like automatic follow-ups, status updates, and candidate tracking, you’ll find it easier to communicate with clients about your progress, and your admin tasks will be less tedious. The system keeps a full history of each candidate—from application to interview notes—so all stakeholders can stay informed.

What’s unique about HubSpot’s ATS capabilities is relationship management. The CRM allows recruiters to build and maintain relationships with candidates and hiring managers. Customized workflows and automation tools mean recruiters can be responsive to stakeholder needs while keeping processes efficient and showing value and progress throughout the hiring journey.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Deal Pipeline Visualization: Show the financial performance of your recruitment efforts to departments and recruiting agencies so you can measure ROI and make data-driven decisions
• Automated Notifications: Internal updates when new applications are ready for review so hiring managers don’t need to be updated manually
• Centralized Dashboard: One place for all applicant information and status updates so no need to follow up with multiple departments
• Custom Properties Tracking: Track candidate information and interview statuses so you can keep stakeholders informed
• Workflow Automation: Automate communication both internal and external to reduce time delays and loss of good candidates
• Meeting Scheduling: HubSpot meetings link for automated interview scheduling so candidates and hiring managers can coordinate easily
• Reporting Analytics: Recruitment metrics and analysis tools to show progress and results to stakeholders

TEAM COLLABORATION

Collaboration in recruitment isn’t just about sharing information–it’s about a collective approach that brings together different perspectives to make better hiring decisions. Whether you’re part of an in-house recruitment team working with department heads or an agency working with client hiring managers, the ability to collaborate with ease can make or break the hiring process. 

Let’s look at how these platforms compare on collaboration features and how their different approaches impact team dynamics throughout the hiring process.

TEAM COLLABORATION USING GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse is well-suited for team collaboration through its suite of purpose-built recruitment tools. The platform’s structured approach includes shared application reviews, interview kits, and scorecards to ensure consistent evaluation criteria across all interviewers. Automated task management and @mentions keep the process moving quickly and communication clear between team members.

Along with its shared recruitment features, the platform’s strengths are its integrations—it connects with over 538+ third-party solutions to create a collaborative hiring ecosystem. 

Whether through mobile apps for on-the-go management or centralized feedback systems to eliminate scattered communications, Greenhouse keeps recruitment structured and distributes the workload across multiple stakeholders.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Shared Application Reviews: A streamlined view of candidate reviews and status updates so all team members can see where candidates are at
• @Mentions: Team members can tag and notify specific colleagues within the platform so important updates aren’t missed
• Mobile Apps: iOS and Android apps to review applications, schedule interviews and manage processes on the go
• Interview Scorecards: Multiple team members can evaluate candidates independently based on the same criteria for objective assessment
• Task Assignment: Create and assign specific tasks for each stage of the hiring process to ensure clear ownership and accountability
• Centralized Feedback: Stores all candidate feedback, notes and evaluations in one place to eliminate scattered comms
• Integration Ecosystem: Connects with over 538 third-party solutions for seamless collaboration with other HR tools
• Workflow Customization: Customizable hiring workflows to fit your team’s needs and processes
• Job and Offer Approvals: Streamlines the approval process within the system so stakeholders can collaborate quickly
• Interview Scheduling: Candidate self-scheduling and calendar coordination between team members to reduce admin back-and-forth

TEAM COLLABORATION USING HUBSPOT AS AN ATS

HubSpot’s approach to team collaboration uses its CRM as the foundation to create a single automated hiring experience. The platform allows team members to interact with one another through automated workflows that connect applicants and hiring managers while storing data in a single location.

The platform's strength is interconnecting all recruitment tools with the CRM so teams can work from the same records. This means end-to-end automation of the hiring process, from job posts and application submissions to interview scheduling and onboarding. 

What HubSpot does particularly well is that it improves both the candidate experience and hiring manager’s workflow. By having all recruitment activities in one place, teams can focus on evaluating candidates and making decisions, while the system handles the admin and process management automatically.

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Automated Workflows: Connects applicants and hiring managers through automated reminders and status updates, reduces manual admin work
• Centralized CRM: Keeps all candidate information and interactions in one place, so teams can work from the same source of truth
• Smart Content: Delivers content and communications to different stakeholders in the hiring process, increases engagement
• Meeting Links: Automates interview scheduling and coordination between candidates and hiring team members
• Service Hub: Ticketing system for candidate communications and internal requests
• Data Migration Tools: Consolidates information from multiple systems into one platform
• Reminders: Sends interview and follow-up notifications to all team members

SUMMARY:

Both Greenhouse and HubSpot cover all the important use cases for what makes a good ATS. From simplifying processes to creating pipelines that don’t let candidates fall through the cracks, here’s how both platforms help your hiring outcomes:

• They streamline processes with automated workflows, structured evaluation systems, and communication tools that align entire teams throughout the hiring journey.
• Their tracking systems keep detailed candidate histories and give clear visibility into application statuses so the candidate’s experience is professional and responsive.
• They allow teams to demonstrate value and transparency when managing relationships with stakeholders using automatic updates, custom dashboards, and detailed analytics.
• They eliminate scattered interactions by serving as a single source of truth for all recruitment activity with shared feedback systems and integrated communication tools, meaning teams can stay connected and responsive wherever they are

However, choosing both platforms isn’t a practical hiring solution for most companies. If you’re stuck deciding, read further to consider the most critical factors.

SUMMARY OF GREENHOUSE

Greenhouse is a purpose-built recruiting platform with pricing based on company size, starting at roughly $6,500/year. The employee-based pricing and tiered feature system (Essential, Advanced, Expert) means you can invest in more advanced recruitment tools as you grow.

Greenhouse’s strength is its systematic approach to recruitment, having dedicated features that address all parts of the hiring process—from candidate evaluation to stakeholder management. You get interview kits, shared scorecards, and robust Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) tools to ensure consistency across your teams. 

Through its central feedback system and 538+ integrations, Greenhouse creates a specialized recruiting ecosystem that transforms traditional hiring into streamlined, data-driven processes that result in successful hires.

ADDITIONAL TAKEAWAYs

User Experience

• Not as user-friendly as some others, but the depth of features is worth spending a bit of time getting to know the interface

Recruitment-Built-Features

• Structured interview kits and scorecards for reducing bias and consistency across teams
• Onboarding module for a smooth transition from candidate to employee
• 538+ recruitment-focused third-party integrations
• Interestingly, Greenhouse and HubSpot can be integrated, which means application tracking is enhanced as data flows from HubSpot CMS to Greenhouse
• iOS and Android apps for recruiters
• Supports diversity and inclusion goals
• Post to more than 1000 job boards
• Well-suited for companies who experience higher volume hiring needs

Workflow Optimization Features

• Drag-and-drop workflow creation for experienced users
• Scheduling and automation for hiring processes
• Collaborative features to distribute hiring workload across stakeholders

WHEN TO CHOOSE GREENHOUSE OVER HUBSPOT

We recommend choosing Greenhouse over HubSpot as an ATS in the following scenarios:

• When you prefer a dedicated ATS, and the seamless alignment of a built-in CRM is not a priority.
• When you are okay with adopting Greenhouse’s hiring processes so that you don’t have to create your own.
• When you want a proven ATS for midsize to large companies, given its 93% user satisfaction score and 98% user adoption rate

SUMMARY OF HUBSPOT AS AN ATS

HubSpot’s recruiting features use its CRM as the foundation to create a flexible and scalable solution for hiring teams. With a free CRM and modular pricing tiers, you can test the platform before deciding to invest more. 

The user-based pricing—starting at $990/year—includes ATS, Sales, and Service Hub Pro access for 1 user and Marketing Hub Pro access for 3 users. This allows you to adjust your spending as you grow, making it perfect for small to medium businesses or those with variable hiring needs.

The platform automates recruitment workflows while maintaining strong relationships with candidates and stakeholders. The ticketing system provides centralized candidate tracking and communication, with customizable workflows for everything from application processing to interview scheduling. 

Marketing tools and automated communications maintain engagement throughout the hiring process. Detailed analytics and reporting mean you can show value to stakeholders. With its suite of collaboration tools, automated task management, and mobile access, HubSpot takes traditional recruitment to another level.

ADDITIONAL TAKEAWAYS

Flexibility and Scalability Advantages

• ATS functionality requires Marketing Hub Pro with either Sales or Service Hub Pro
• Well suited for small to medium-sized businesses
• Free CRM to start
• Modular pricing to add features as you need them
• Customizable workflows to fit your hiring process
• Over 1500+ app integrations; you can even connect Greenhouse to HubSpot for more customized applicant tracking

Marketing Differentiations

All in one platform for marketing, sales, operations, digital content, and recruitment
Built-in email marketing and social media for employer branding
Landing page builder for career sites

Cost Effective

• User-based pricing, not employee-count pricing
• $990/year entry point for small teams that gives 1 user access to Marketing Pro Hub and either Sales or Service Pro Hubs to customize ATS workflows.
• Leverage your existing HubSpot investment for recruitment

Business Benefits

• Recruitment connected to other business functions
• Contact management beyond just candidates

WHEN TO CHOOSE HUBSPOT OVER GREENHOUSE

We recommend choosing HubSpot over Greenhouse in the following scenarios:

• When you already use HubSpot for other business functions
• When you would benefit from having marketing, sales, and recruitment in one place
• When you want a custom hiring process that includes more automation and provides a better brand experience
• When you want a flexible and scalable toolset that can adapt to your company's growth

To learn how you can use HubSpot’s CRM features to improve your hiring needs, read “Using HubSpot as an ATS.”