Bullhorn vs Crelate (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Crelate grades higher than Bullhorn: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Crelate grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, 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
Crelate
Applicant tracking and recruiting CRM for staffing and search firms
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 Crelate if
- Fits if you run a small search firm and want ATS and CRM in one
- Works for agencies that want a mobile app as well as the web
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you are bigger than 2 users, as Essentials stops there with 20k contacts
- Pricey if you send email campaigns or texts, as they cost extra
- Watch out: Business Plus has no published price
- Watch out: the page does not say if the $119 Business price is annual or monthly
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABullhornWeak | 2.2GPACrelateFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$85 a user a month annual on Essentials and $119 on Business, against a category middle of $85 and a dearer quarter from $149. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. Every plan says Get a quote. | CA free trial is offered, but its length and whether a card is needed are not stated. |
| 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. | CATS, CRM, job portal, AI assistant and API. Email campaigns, texting and eSignature carry extra fees, and webhooks are not shown on Business. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. An agency platform that needs setting up with workflows and custom fields. | CNo rating on record. Recruiting software with portals and workflows to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a 300+ partner marketplace and LinkedIn and Salesforce links. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Indeed, Dice, Zapier, Outlook and Gmail links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | ATS and CRM for staffing agencies | ATS and CRM for staffing and search firms |
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 Crelate. 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. Crelate starts at $85 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Crelate starts $14 a month lower. Of the other hiring and applicant tracking tools on the chart, 5 score higher than Bullhorn for less, and 4 score higher than Crelate 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
- Bullhorn also covers workflow automation and reports.
At a glance
| Bullhorn | Crelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $99 per user / month (billing basis not stated) | $85 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pricing page. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bullhorn | Crelate, Inc. |
| Price read from | bullhorn.com | crelate.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Crelate
- Essentials covers up to 2 users and 20k contacts, and is bought through sales.
- Email campaigns, text messaging, eSignature and contact enrichment carry an additional fee, per the plan table.
- Business Plus has no published price, and webhooks are not shown on the Business plan.
- The page does not say whether the $119 Business price is the annual or the monthly rate.
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.
Crelate
- Applicant tracking and CRM
- One system holds candidates, client contacts and placements, with full-text and Boolean search and resume parsing.
- Job portal and job distribution
- A branded job portal with custom application forms. The comparison table lists free job board distribution at 50 postings per user.
- Client and team portals
- Clients and hiring managers get a portal to review candidates. User limits per portal differ by plan, from 10 to 100 users.
- AI assistants
- An AI Assistant is on Business, with Discover Agent for finding talent, Insights Agent and Data Quality Agents listed as options.
- Mobile recruiting
- The plan table lists mobile recruiting on iOS and Android on every plan.
- API and webhooks
- The plan table lists API access at 60 requests per minute on Business and 120 on higher plans; webhooks are not shown on Business.
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.
Crelate
Essentials$85
per user / month, billed annually
Applicant tracking, recruiting CRM, job portal and resume parsing for up to 2 users and 20k contacts. Contact sales to buy.
Business$119
per user / month, annual or monthly
Adds the AI Assistant, client and team portals, reports and analytics, email connections and technical support.
Business PlusCustom
Adds advanced AI Assistant, premium client portals, automation and sequences, full API and more storage. Billed annually.
PlatformCustom
Usage-based pricing on a user or site license, quoted by sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bullhorn or Crelate?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Crelate is cheaper to start with: $85 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 Crelate starts at $85 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Bullhorn or Crelate?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Bullhorn nor Crelate has a free plan. Crelate has a free trial.
Which platforms do Bullhorn and Crelate run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Crelate lists iOS and Android apps. 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.