The best ATS for a new recruitment agency

The best ATS for a new recruitment agency is one you can set up in an afternoon, that costs little or nothing while you win your first clients, and that holds your whole database from day one. It should cover jobs, candidates, clients and placements together, with no consultant needed to configure it, and a price that does not climb with every person you hire.

I built recruitment software for more than 20 years before starting Lovelio, so I have seen agencies pick their ATS well and badly. A new agency has very different needs from a 200-person staffing firm. This guide covers what matters when you are starting out, and how the main options compare. For the rest of the set-up, see how to start a recruitment agency.

What a new agency needs from an ATS

1. Set up in an afternoon. You have clients to call. Pick a system that works the day you sign up, with sensible stages and templates already in place.
2. Jobs, candidates and clients in one place. An agency ATS holds both sides of the market. Your client contacts, your roles, your shortlists and your fees belong together.
3. A price that suits year one. Your first fee might be three months away. Look for a free start or a low monthly price with no annual contract.
4. A price that grows sensibly. Per-user pricing means every hire raises your software bill. Per-agency pricing lets you grow the team without doing the maths each time.
5. The admin done for you. Reading CVs, writing job ads, chasing interview times and logging calls. The less of that you type, the more time you spend placing.
6. Your data is yours. You should be able to export everything, any time. That database is what makes your agency worth something one day.

How the main options compare

These are the systems new agency owners ask us about most often. All of them are solid products. The question is which one fits a brand-new agency.

• Lovelio: built for new and growing agencies that want the admin done for them. Priced per agency, with unlimited users and the AI included. Free for 2 months on Lovelio Launch.
• JobAdder: a popular choice for established agencies in Australia and the UK. Priced per user.
• Bullhorn: built for large agencies and staffing firms with large contractor teams. Priced per user, usually on an annual contract.
• Vincere: for mid-size agencies, strong in the UK. Priced per user.
• Recruit CRM: for small agencies that want a simple CRM. Priced per user.
• Manatal: for small teams on a tight budget. Priced per user.
• Recruitly: popular with UK start-ups. Priced per user.

Why per-agency pricing matters when you are new

On day one you are a team of one, so per-user pricing looks cheap. It changes the day you hire. Add a consultant, a resourcer and a part-time admin, and a per-user system has quadrupled your bill before the new people have made a single placement.

With per-agency pricing, your software cost follows the agency, not the headcount. You can bring in a resourcer for a busy month, give your accountant a login, or add a contractor without asking what it costs. That is why we price Lovelio per agency, with every user included.

Why the admin matters more than the features

Every ATS has a long feature list. The question that matters for a new agency is simpler: how many hours a week does it give you back?

When you are solo, every hour of admin is an hour off the phone. An ATS that reads each CV for you, writes the job ad in your client's voice, drafts the shortlist email and logs your calls is worth more than one with a hundred settings. Lovelio does all of that out of the box, with nothing to configure.

Five questions to ask before you choose

1. Can I start using it today, without a set-up call?
2. What will it cost when I have three people, and when I have ten?
3. Is there an annual contract, and what happens if I leave?
4. How much of my admin does it do for me, day to day?
5. Can I export all my data whenever I want?

If you plan to place contractors

Many new agencies add contract work in year one, because weekly margin smooths the months between perm fees. If that is your plan, check that your ATS handles contractors as well as perm placements: start and end dates, extensions, check-ins and the documents each contractor needs. Lovelio covers contractors and perm in the same system, so you never run two.

Your first week on a new ATS

A good ATS earns its keep in the first week. This is what a strong first week looks like for a solo owner.

• Day one: add your company details and your fee terms, then import the contacts you are allowed to bring with you.
• Day two: add your first two or three roles. Let the ATS write the job ads and post them to the free boards.
• Day three: load your CVs. Let the ATS read each one, tag the skills and suggest who fits which role.
• Day four: send your first shortlists to clients, straight from the system, so every send is logged.
• Day five: book interviews and log every call. By Friday your database has started working for you.

If an ATS needs a week of configuration before you can do day one, it was built for a bigger agency than yours.

Moving later is easier than you think

Some owners start on a spreadsheet and plan to buy an ATS later. Start with one from day one instead. Every call and CV you log in the first year is part of the database you build on. If you already have data in another system, Lovelio moves it across for you. See how we move your data.

Lovelio Launch: your first 2 months free

If you are starting your own agency, Lovelio Launch gives you the Solo plan free for your first two months, with the AI included. Sign up, add your first job and have candidates matched the same afternoon. See pricing for what comes after, or apply on the Launch page.

Questions people ask

Do I need an ATS to start a recruitment agency? You can start on a spreadsheet, but an ATS from day one means every call, CV and client is in one place, and your database starts building value straight away.

What is the cheapest ATS for a recruitment agency? Several have free starts. Lovelio is free for your first two months on Lovelio Launch, then priced per agency, so the cost stays flat as you hire.

What is the difference between an ATS and a recruitment CRM? A CRM tracks clients and contacts. An ATS tracks candidates through jobs. An agency needs both, so most agency systems combine them, as Lovelio does.

Can I switch ATS later? Yes. Check that your system lets you export everything. Lovelio imports from the main agency systems for you.