Bullhorn vs CATS (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CATS grades higher than Bullhorn: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CATS grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bullhorn
ATS, CRM and AI recruiting software for staffing agencies
CATS
Applicant tracking and recruiting CRM with a single per-user plan
Which one is for you
Pick Bullhorn if
- Fits if you run a staffing agency and want ATS and client tracking together
- Works for agencies that want a marketplace of partner apps
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you hire for your own company, as it is built for agencies
- Skip it if you want to try it first, as every plan is sold by quote
- Pricey if you want the CRM or AI, as they start at Pro with no price shown
- Watch out: the page does not say if the per-user prices are monthly or annual
Pick CATS if
- Fits if you are a small recruiting agency that wants candidates and clients in one tool
- Works for recruiters who source from LinkedIn with a browser extension
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have several recruiters, at $89 per user a month with the billing basis not shown
- Watch out: moving data from an old system costs $500 on an annual plan or $1,000 on a monthly one
- Watch out: SMS texting is listed for the US and Canada only
- Skip it if you want a free plan; after the 30-day trial it is paid only
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABullhornWeak | 2.4GPACATSFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$99 a user on Starter and $165 on Core, against a category middle of $85 and a dearer quarter from $149. The page does not say whether that is monthly or annual. | C$89 per user a month against a $95 middle price for hiring tools, inside the middle of the range. The page does not say which billing period it assumes. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. Every plan says Get a quote. | CA free 30-day trial and no free plan. The page we read does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | CATS, client management, a 300+ app marketplace and AI on higher plans. The recruitment CRM and AI search only start at Pro, so Starter and Core have gaps. | BCustom workflows, candidate and client CRM, a sourcing extension, careers pages, scheduling, texting and reporting. No gap in the core job shows on the listing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. An agency platform that needs setting up with workflows and custom fields. | CNo store rating on record. Workflows, careers pages and posting integrations need building before use. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a 300+ partner marketplace and LinkedIn and Salesforce links. | BWeb and a browser extension, with LinkedIn, Monster, CareerBuilder and WordPress. No phone or desktop app. |
| Best for | ATS and CRM for staffing agencies | an ATS for small recruiting agencies |
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: Bullhorn and CATS. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bullhorn starts at $99 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CATS starts at $89 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
CATS scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other hiring and applicant tracking tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Bullhorn for less, and none scores higher than CATS for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- CATS also covers sales pipeline.
At a glance
| Bullhorn | CATS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $99 per user / month (billing basis not stated) | $89 per user / month (billing period not stated) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free 30-day trial |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Bullhorn | Top Echelon Software, LLC |
| Price read from | bullhorn.com | catsone.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bullhorn
- Every plan has a Get a quote button, and the page does not say whether the per-user prices are billed monthly or annually.
- AI search and match, the recruitment CRM and Amplify Chat start at the Pro plan, which has no listed price.
- It is built for agencies, not for in-house teams hiring for their own company.
- Larger-agency plans, AI and Automation products and Middle Office are quote-only.
CATS
- The pricing page shows one per-user price and does not say whether it assumes monthly or annual billing.
- Data migration from an old system is a separate charge: $500 on an annual plan or $1,000 on a monthly one, per the migration page.
- SMS texting is listed for the US and Canada only.
- The terms of service name Top Echelon Software, LLC as the provider.
Key features
Bullhorn
- ATS and client management
- The entry plan covers applicant tracking, resume parsing, client management and a career portal for job postings.
- Amplify AI
- Amplify is the vendor's recruiting AI: search and match, a staffing LLM chat, data enrichment, resume formatting and call transcription.
- Digital workers
- Amplify Digital Workers are sold as automation for tasks such as screening, matching and building candidate submission packets.
- Automation
- A visual workflow builder, task-based automations and data-health automations run inside the ATS.
- Back office
- Bullhorn One and the Middle Office product handle timesheets, invoicing, pay and bill automation for staffing firms.
- VMS connections
- VMS Automation links to 110+ vendor management systems to import and update job records.
CATS
- Custom workflows
- Build the hiring pipeline stages your team uses, with multiple workflows for different teams or job types and automation triggered by status changes.
- Candidate and client CRM
- Keeps contacts, clients and candidates in one database with mass edit, a duplicate checker and custom fields.
- Sourcing extension
- Chrome and Firefox extensions parse candidate data from sites such as LinkedIn, Monster and CareerBuilder into the database.
- Careers pages and posting
- A customizable careers page or an embeddable jobs widget, multiple career portals and auto-publishing of jobs.
- Scheduling and texting
- A meeting scheduler for candidates and clients, 2-way calendar and email sync, and SMS texting in the US and Canada.
- Screening and reporting
- Knockout questions, scorecards, dashboards and reports, plus an API and webhooks for connecting other tools.
Plans
Bullhorn
Starter$99
per user / month, billing basis not stated
Applicant tracking, resume parsing, client management and a job posting career portal. Sold through a quote.
Core$165
per user / month, billing basis not stated
Adds a 300+ partner app marketplace, custom fields and workflows, and LinkedIn integrations. Sold through a quote.
ProCustom
Adds recruitment CRM, AI search and match, Amplify Chat, data enrichment and process automation.
MaxCustom
Adds Amplify agentic workflows: screening, matching, outreach, a website chatbot and interview scheduling.
Front Office GrowthCustom
For larger agencies: applicant tracking, CRM, AI assistant, custom workflows and analytics.
Bullhorn OneCustom
Front-to-back plan adding timesheet management, invoicing and billing, and pay and bill automation.
CATS
Pro$89
per user / month (billing basis not shown)
Careers page or jobs widget, workflow, meeting scheduler, SMS texting, calendar and email sync. Shown beside a crossed-out $110.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bullhorn or CATS?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CATS is cheaper to start with: $89 a month for each person, against $99 a month for each person for Bullhorn. Bullhorn starts at $99 per user / month (billing basis not stated), and CATS starts at $89 per user / month (billing period not stated).
Which has a free plan, Bullhorn or CATS?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Bullhorn nor CATS has a free plan. CATS has a free trial.
Which platforms do Bullhorn and CATS run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CATS lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.