Gem vs Greenhouse (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gem grades higher than Greenhouse: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gem grades higher on the free plan. Greenhouse grades higher on 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.
Greenhouse
Structured-hiring ATS for growing and large companies, by quote
Which one is for you
Pick Gem if
- Fits if you are an early-stage company under 30 employees and qualify for the Startup Program
- Works for teams that want sourcing and an ATS in one tool
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a list price, as both main plans are sold through sales
- Pricey if you are past the startup band, as the crossed-out $270 hints at the standard rate
- Watch out: AI agents need an AI-Powered seat
- Watch out: load balancing and capacity management for scheduling are add-ons
Pick Greenhouse if
- Fits if you want every interviewer scoring candidates against the same kit
- Works for larger firms that need audit logs, SSO and fine-grained permissions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it before sitting through a demo, as there's no trial
- Not for you if you're a small company that hires now and then
- Tight if you want texting, sourcing automation or the BI connector, which need Plus or Pro
- Watch out: no price is published for any plan, so you can't compare it before a sales call
- Watch out: the App Store app is for iPhone only, and there's no desktop app
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAGemFair | 2.0GPAGreenhouseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$130 a month on the Startup Program for 1 to 10 employees, with $270 crossed out beside it. Bigger companies get a quote, so we grade it as ordinary. | CNo price is published: Greenhouse quotes Core, Plus and Pro from your hiring volume, complexity and features after a demo. So we can't say what a ten-person company pays, and with no figure to compare, it's a C. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Startup Program is free for six months for firms under 30 employees. Everyone else has no free plan or trial. | FNo free plan and no trial on the pricing page. You see it in a demo. |
| Features | CSourcing, CRM, ATS, scheduling and analytics. Interviewer load balancing and capacity management are add-ons, and AI agents need an AI-Powered seat. | BInterview kits and scorecards, a prospecting plugin and candidate CRM, scheduling that respects working hours, an AI notetaker, resume anonymization and custom reports. The whole job, though texting and sourcing automation need Plus. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. A platform with sourcing and ATS to connect and set up. | CNo App Store rating on record, and structured hiring means building kits and scorecards for each role before you start. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Greenhouse, Workday and Slack links. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a Chrome plugin, connected to over 400 other tools such as Checkr and TestGorilla. No desktop app. |
| Best for | AI sourcing and CRM for recruiting teams | structured hiring at growing companies |
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: Gem and Greenhouse. How we grade
Where they differ
- Gem also covers AI agents and dashboards.
- Greenhouse also covers workflow automation and job board posting.
At a glance
| Gem | Greenhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $130 per month for 1-10 employees (Startup Program), billed yearly | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Gem | Greenhouse Software, Inc. |
| Price read from | gem.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gem
- Both main plans are priced by company headcount and sold through sales; no list price is shown.
- Seats come as Standard or AI-Powered, and the AI agents need an AI-Powered seat.
- Interviewer load balancing and advanced capacity management are listed as scheduling add-ons.
- The startup price shown is for 1-10 employees; the other size bands sit behind a selector.
Greenhouse
- No prices are published: Greenhouse quotes Core, Plus and Pro from your hiring volume, complexity and features after a demo.
- Texting, sourcing automation, the BI connector and fraud and spam detection need Plus or Pro.
- The pricing page offers no free trial, and the App Store app is for iPhone only.
Key features
Gem
- AI sourcing
- An AI Sourcing Agent searches 800M+ profiles, and a rediscovery agent resurfaces past candidates from the CRM and ATS.
- CRM and outreach
- One-click add from 20+ sourcing sites, talent pools, multi-channel sequences and unlimited email finding.
- Applicant tracking
- Requisition management, posting to 100+ boards, scorecards, offer management and an AI application review agent.
- Interview scheduling
- Candidate self-scheduling, panel and multi-day scheduling, and interviewer load balancing as an add-on.
- Analytics
- Pipeline dashboards, a forecasting calculator, industry benchmarks and DEI insights.
- AI fraud detection
- An agent scores suspicious applications using several signals.
Greenhouse
- Interview kits and scorecards
- Structured interview kits and scorecards on every plan, with suggested scorecard attributes and interview questions.
- Sourcing and CRM
- Prospect pools, a prospecting Chrome plugin, bulk import and email automation, with texting and sourcing automation from Plus.
- Scheduling
- Scheduling suggestions that respect interviewer limits and working hours, scheduling links and candidate self-scheduling.
- AI Notetaker and Real Talent
- An AI notetaker for interviews and Real Talent matching on Core, with fraud and spam detection added on Plus.
- Fair-hiring tools
- Resume anonymization, US demographic questions, EEOC data management and DE&I reports.
- Reporting and governance
- Essential and custom reports, a BI connector from Plus, and an audit log, developer sandbox and enterprise security settings on Pro.
Plans
Gem
Gem + Your ATSCustom
AI sourcing, CRM and outreach on top of an existing ATS. Priced by company headcount; sold through sales.
Gem All-in-OneCustom
Sourcing, CRM, built-in ATS, scheduling and analytics. Priced by company headcount; sold through sales.
Startup Program$130
per month for 1-10 employees, billed yearly
All-in-One for early-stage firms; the page shows $270 crossed out. Free six months under 30 employees.
Greenhouse
Pricing could not be confirmed. See greenhouse.com.
Ways to pay less
Gem
- Startups
Free for six months under 30 employees
The pricing page says companies with under 30 employees get Gem All-in-One free for six months, then 50% off when moving to a paid plan.
Greenhouse
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gem or Greenhouse?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gem starts at $130 per month for 1-10 employees (Startup Program), billed yearly, and Greenhouse has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Gem or Greenhouse?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Gem nor Greenhouse has a free plan.
Which platforms do Gem and Greenhouse run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Greenhouse lists iOS and Android apps and 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.