ApplicantStack vs Hirebridge (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ApplicantStack grades higher than Hirebridge: 2.4 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ApplicantStack grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ApplicantStack
Low-cost applicant tracking with optional onboarding
Free trial · from $29.99/mo
Which one is for you
Pick ApplicantStack if
- Fits if you hire a few roles at a time and want to keep costs low
- Works for small teams that want onboarding in the same system at the top plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you hire often: Starter allows 1 active job and Growth 3
- Pricey if you want unlimited jobs, which start at Recruit, $109.99 a month
- Watch out: candidate texting, including premium texting, costs extra
- Watch out: every plan includes 1 admin and 5 hiring manager seats, and extra seats are on Recruit and Bundle only
- Tight if you want billing terms, as the page doesn't say whether prices are monthly or yearly
Pick Hirebridge if
- Fits if you hire hourly staff and need EEO and OFCCP reporting
- Works for small and mid-sized employers who want one record per candidate
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price, because the site sends buyers to a demo
- Not for you if you want a phone app: only a web product is listed
- Too light for assessments and screening, which connect through partner tools
- Tight if you want a trial: none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAApplicantStackFair | 1.6GPAHirebridgeWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$29.99 a month for 1 active job, under 60% of the cheaper quarter of hiring tools ($60). Unlimited jobs start at Recruit, $109.99, a little over the middle ($83). | CNo price is published, so we can't set it against the $74 to $149 a month this category charges. That leaves it at C. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial, and the page doesn't say a card is needed. There's no free plan. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed; the site routes you to a demo. A demo request isn't a trial. |
| Features | CJob posting, candidate scoring, interviews, texting and onboarding on the top bundle. But Starter and Growth limit active jobs to 1 and 3, and texting costs extra. | CJob posting, career center, resume parsing, offers and compliance reporting. Assessments, screening and onboarding come through partners, which is the gap the listing names. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You set up jobs, scoring and your job-board links before it's useful. | CNo store rating on record, and the listing shows a career site and workflow to set up. That puts it at C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it posts to Indeed, LinkedIn, Google for Jobs, ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor, and links to Criteria. | CWeb only, with no separate app on record. One kind of device, so C. |
| Best for | low-cost applicant tracking for a few open jobs | an ATS for hourly hiring and compliance reports |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ApplicantStack and Hirebridge. How we grade
Where they differ
- ApplicantStack also covers employee records and sMS marketing.
- Hirebridge also covers templates and reports.
In commonWebApplicant trackingJob board posting
At a glance
| ApplicantStack | Hirebridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $29.99 per month | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Swipeclock | Hirebridge LLC |
| Price read from | applicantstack.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ApplicantStack
- Starter and Growth cap you at 1 and 3 active jobs; Recruit is the first with unlimited jobs.
- Candidate texting, including premium texting, costs extra.
- Every plan includes 1 admin seat and 5 hiring manager seats; extra seats are only on Recruit and Bundle.
- The page does not say whether prices are billed monthly or yearly.
Hirebridge
- No prices are published; the site directs buyers to a demo request.
- The site shows only a web product and lists no separate mobile app.
- Third-party assessment, screening, onboarding and payroll tools connect through partner integrations.
Key features
ApplicantStack
- Job posting
- Posts to the major job boards and social media, with a branded careers page.
- Candidate scoring
- Questionnaires, prescreen and knock-out questions, and candidate stages and process tracking.
- Interviews and feedback
- Schedule interviews and hire as a team with standardized feedback.
- Texting
- Candidate texting is offered for an additional fee, with a premium option.
- Onboarding
- On the Bundle: new-hire checklists, W-4 and I-9 forms, e-signatures and payroll records.
Hirebridge
- Applicant tracking
- Applications, assessments, screening questions, notes, emails and activity history are kept in one candidate record.
- Job distribution
- Published jobs are sent automatically to job boards, social networks and paid boards.
- Mobile apply
- A mobile-friendly career center and apply flow, plus an apply-by-email option that parses resumes into the matching job folder.
- Hiring manager access
- Managers get limited access to their own candidates, and email-based forms collect feedback and approvals without a login.
- Compliance reporting
- Collects demographic data for EEO and OFCCP records and applicant flow logs, with standard and custom reports.
Plans
ApplicantStack
Starter$29.99
per month
1 active job at a time, 1 admin seat and 5 hiring manager seats.
Growth$49.99
per month
Up to 3 active jobs, with the same 1 admin and 5 hiring manager seats.
Recruit$109.99
per month
Unlimited active jobs; extra admin and hiring manager seats can be added.
Bundle$159.99
per month
Recruit plus onboarding: HR checklists, new hire forms, e-signatures and a new hire portal.
Hirebridge
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hirebridge.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ApplicantStack or Hirebridge?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ApplicantStack starts at $29.99 per month, and Hirebridge has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ApplicantStack or Hirebridge?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ApplicantStack nor Hirebridge has a free plan. ApplicantStack has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.