Affordable ATS Options
Both Manatal and JazzHR serve small businesses who can't afford Greenhouse ($15k/year) or Lever ($10k/year). They're in the $600-2,400/year range—much more accessible.
Manatal (founded 2017, Thailand-based) is the new kid with AI-powered candidate ranking, social recruiting, and modern design. It's popular with international startups and tech companies.
JazzHR (founded 2009, US-based) is the established budget ATS with solid features, good US support, and pricing that works for 1-5 person recruiting teams.
Core Features Both Share
- Job posting to multiple boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, etc.)
- Branded career pages
- Candidate pipeline management (drag-and-drop)
- Resume parsing
- Interview scheduling
- Email templates and automation
- Team collaboration (notes, ratings, feedback)
- Reporting and analytics
- EEOC/compliance features
- Mobile apps
Both handle the ATS basics well. Differences are in modern features and target markets.
When Manatal Wins
AI-Powered Candidate Ranking
Manatal's killer feature: AI that scores and ranks candidates automatically:
- Resume parsing with AI comprehension
- Candidate scoring based on job requirements
- Automatic ranking (best matches surface first)
- Skills extraction and matching
- Duplicate detection
You post a job, 100 people apply, Manatal ranks them by fit. You interview the top 10. JazzHR doesn't have AI—you manually review every resume.
Social Recruiting & Enrichment
Manatal pulls candidate data from social profiles:
- LinkedIn profile enrichment (add candidate → auto-pull their LinkedIn data)
- Facebook recruiting (post jobs, collect applicants)
- Twitter and GitHub integration
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn sourcing
You can build a candidate database from LinkedIn, tag people, and reach out later. JazzHR is more traditional (job boards only).
Built-In CRM
Manatal includes candidate relationship management:
- Talent pools (organize passive candidates)
- Automated email campaigns
- Candidate engagement tracking
- Pipeline for future roles
Like Lever's CRM but at a fraction of the cost. JazzHR doesn't have CRM features.
Modern, Beautiful UI
Manatal's interface is sleek and modern—feels like a 2025 product. Kanban-style pipeline, drag-and-drop, quick actions. It's intuitive and fast.
JazzHR's UI is functional but dated—feels like 2015 software.
Better Mobile App
Manatal's mobile app (iOS/Android) is full-featured. Review candidates, schedule interviews, collaborate with team—all from your phone.
JazzHR's mobile app is more limited.
Global-Friendly
Manatal supports multiple languages, currencies, and international job boards. Great if you're hiring across APAC, Europe, or Latin America.
JazzHR is US-centric (though it works internationally).
When JazzHR Wins
Lower Entry Price
JazzHR's Hero plan: $49/month flat fee (unlimited users, 1 active job).
Manatal's cheapest: $19/user/month (2-user minimum = $38/month, but still per-user).
For a 1-2 person recruiting team hiring occasionally, JazzHR is cheaper.
Flat-Rate Pricing (Scales Better)
JazzHR pricing:
- Hero: $49/mo (1 job, unlimited users)
- Plus: $239/mo (unlimited jobs, unlimited users)
Once you're on Plus, you can add recruiters without cost increases. Manatal charges per-user, so a 5-person recruiting team costs $95-150/month.
Better Job Board Integrations
JazzHR has deeper integrations with US job boards:
- Indeed Sponsored Jobs (pay-per-click)
- LinkedIn Limited Listings
- ZipRecruiter integration
- One-click posting to 20+ boards
Manatal posts to boards too, but JazzHR's partnerships are stronger (especially for US companies).
US-Based Support
JazzHR support team is in the US (Pittsburgh, PA). Email, phone, chat. Response times are fast. They understand US hiring nuances (EEOC, I-9, etc.).
Manatal support is offshore (Asia time zones). Good but slower for US customers. Some complaints about responsiveness.
Proven Stability
JazzHR has been around since 2009—it's mature, stable, bug-free. Thousands of US SMBs use it.
Manatal is newer (2017) and ambitious. Occasional bugs reported. Fast-moving product (pro/con).
Better for Traditional Recruiting
If you're posting jobs to boards, screening resumes, and interviewing—JazzHR's workflow is straightforward and effective.
Manatal's AI and social features are overkill if you just need a basic ATS.
Pricing Deep Dive
Manatal Costs
- Professional: $19/user/month (2-user min, AI ranking, unlimited jobs, social recruiting)
- Enterprise: $39/user/month (adds custom fields, API, advanced permissions)
- Custom: Custom pricing (white-label, dedicated support)
2 users on Professional: $38/month = $456/year
5 users on Professional: $95/month = $1,140/year
JazzHR Costs
- Hero: $49/month (1 active job, unlimited users)
- Plus: $239/month (unlimited jobs, unlimited users)
- Pro: $359/month (adds custom workflows, advanced reports, integrations)
Hero (1 job): $588/year
Plus (unlimited): $2,868/year
Cost Comparison
For small teams hiring occasionally:
- JazzHR Hero: $49/mo (best for 1-2 jobs/year)
- Manatal Professional (2 users): $38/mo (best for 3-10 jobs/year)
For active recruiting teams:
- JazzHR Plus: $239/mo (unlimited jobs, flat rate)
- Manatal Professional (5 users): $95/mo (cheaper but scales with users)
JazzHR is better for larger recruiting teams. Manatal is better for small, tech-savvy teams.
Real Customer Feedback
Manatal
Pros: AI is impressive, beautiful UI, great for startups, social recruiting is powerful, modern features
Cons: Support can be slow (time zones), occasional bugs, learning curve for AI features
G2 Rating: 4.7/5 | Capterra: 4.6/5
JazzHR
Pros: Affordable, reliable, good US support, easy to use, proven platform
Cons: Dated UI, no AI, limited CRM, mobile app is basic
G2 Rating: 4.4/5 | Capterra: 4.4/5
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Manatal if you're:
- A tech startup or digital agency
- Hiring remote/global talent
- Doing proactive sourcing (LinkedIn, social media)
- You want AI to save time on resume screening
- Small recruiting team (1-3 people)
- International or outside the US
Choose JazzHR if you're:
- A traditional US small business (retail, healthcare, professional services)
- Hiring 5-20 people per year
- Budget is tight ($49-239/mo works)
- You prefer proven, stable software
- US-based support matters
- 3-10 person recruiting team (flat pricing wins)
What About Free Options?
If $50/month is still too much:
- Breezy HR: Free plan (3 active jobs, basic features)
- Recruitee: $199/mo for unlimited (cheaper than JazzHR Pro)
- Zoho Recruit: Free for 1 recruiter, basic features
The Bottom Line
Choose Manatal if:
You want AI-powered recruiting at an affordable price. Social recruiting and CRM matter. You're a modern, tech-forward startup. Design and UX are important. You're hiring globally or outside the US.
Choose JazzHR if:
You're a US small business needing a reliable, affordable ATS. Budget is super tight. You have a larger recruiting team (flat pricing wins). You value US-based support. Traditional job board recruiting is your focus.
Our honest take: Manatal is more innovative and modern—great for startups and international teams. JazzHR is more practical and proven—great for traditional US SMBs. Both are solid budget options.