The Handshake Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Handshake in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Handshake
The Insider’s Guide
Early-career hiring network with free job posting
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among hiring and applicant tracking tools, read from Handshake’s own pages.
Made by Handshake · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Handshake’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Handshake’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade
Handshake is a career network that connects employers with students, recent graduates and alumni through university partnerships. Employers can post jobs for free, message candidates from a dashboard and pay for promoted jobs, a Pro plan or a sales-led Enterprise plan. The employer side includes campus events, applicant management and analytics.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Handshake, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You set up a company profile and post roles.
- 1
Best for posting jobs to early-career candidates
It targets students and recent graduates, and ATS integrations are Enterprise only.
- 2
Paid plans start at $450 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $450 per month.
- 3
There is a free plan
Basic: free job posting, 10 candidate messages a month and a simple company presence.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Early-career talent pool
Jobs reach a network the vendor puts at 30 million job seekers, including alumni, master's and PhD students, through 1,600+ university partners.
- 6
Candidate messaging
Message candidates from the dashboard: 10 a month on Basic, 200 on Pro and a custom volume on Enterprise.
- 7
Talent matches and filters
Pro shows up to 100 matches per job and filters by school year, major, GPA, skills and location. Enterprise unlocks 50+ filters.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 54 of 101
That is against the other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Handshake you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Handshake at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $450 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Handshake
- Category
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for posting jobs to early-career candidates
Handshake lets employers post jobs free to its early-career network, with 10 candidate messages a month, and Pro is $450 a month. It targets students and recent graduates, and ATS integrations are Enterprise only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Pro is $450 a month, above the dearest tenth of hiring tools, and promoted jobs cost extra from $34 a day. Basic is free. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Basic gives unlimited job posts, 10 messages a month and a company presence, and an occasional hirer could live on it. |
| Features | C | Early-career talent pool, messaging, matches, promoted jobs, events and analytics. 50+ filters and ATS integration are Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. You set up a company profile and post roles. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web service, with integrations only on the Enterprise plan. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Handshake is for
- Fits if you hire interns and new graduates and post a few jobs a year
- Works for employers that want school and event connections
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to hire experienced staff, since the pool is early-career
- Tight if you message candidates, since Basic allows 10 a month
- Pricey if you want Pro, at $450 a month with no billing basis stated
- Watch out: promoted jobs are an add-on from $34 a day
- Watch out: ATS and XML integrations, school search and premium support are Enterprise only
Good to know
Good for
- Employers hiring interns and new graduates
- Small teams that want to post a job for free
- Large employers running campus recruiting programs
Worth knowing
- Basic allows only 10 candidate messages a month.
- Pro's page does not say whether $450 a month is billed monthly or annually.
- ATS and XML integrations, school search and premium support are Enterprise-only.
- Promoted jobs are an extra cost on Basic and Pro, starting at $34 a day.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$450
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Handshake has a free plan. Paid plans start at $450 per month.
Basic
$0
Unlimited job posting, 10 messages a month and a simple company presence. Promoted jobs from $34 a day as an add-on.
Pro
$450
per month
200 messages a month, AI applicant tools, team collaboration, automation and 3 promoted-job days a month that roll over.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited messaging, 50+ filters, ATS integration, event support and funnel analytics. Annual plan, sold through sales.
The free plan
Basic: free job posting, 10 candidate messages a month and a simple company presence.
Read from joinhandshake.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Early-career hiring network with free job posting. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, reports, applicant tracking, job board posting.
Early-career talent pool, messaging, matches, promoted jobs, events and analytics.
- Early-career talent pool
- Jobs reach a network the vendor puts at 30 million job seekers, including alumni, master's and PhD students, through 1,600+ university partners.
- Candidate messaging
- Message candidates from the dashboard: 10 a month on Basic, 200 on Pro and a custom volume on Enterprise.
- Talent matches and filters
- Pro shows up to 100 matches per job and filters by school year, major, GPA, skills and location. Enterprise unlocks 50+ filters.
- Promoted jobs
- A paid boost for visibility. Basic and Pro buy it as an add-on from $34 a day, and Enterprise includes custom promotion.
- Events and school connections
- Enterprise adds custom school lists, career fair and event promotion across schools, and messaging to attendees before and after.
- Analytics
- Campaign analytics on Pro, and full-funnel dashboard reports on how the hiring team is performing on Enterprise.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Handshake is made by Handshake.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
54/101
Other hiring and applicant tracking tools it is graded above
Handshake's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 97 of 101) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $450 a month, against a middle price of $99 for the category: 39 of the 42 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 33 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Handshake’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 101
- BFree plan and trialAbove 97 of 101
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 101
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 43 hiring and applicant tracking tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Handshake is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Handshake you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $5,400 a year.
What you could make
- Applicant tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Handshake’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Wellfound, Indeed, Monster and Betterteam
The 4 tools Handshake is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Wellfound
Free plan · from $135/mo
Startup job board with AI sourcing and recruiter service.
- Handshake also covers reports.
- Wellfound also covers AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Indeed
Free plan
Job search site with free and sponsored job posts for employers.
- Handshake also covers reports.
- 1.4GPA
Monster
From $8
Job promotion and resume search on Monster and CareerBuilder.
- Handshake has a free plan. Monster does not.
- Handshake also covers reports.
- 2.2GPA
Betterteam
Free trial · from $39/mo
Job posting to many boards, priced by active jobs.
- Handshake has a free plan. Betterteam does not, though it has a free trial.
- Handshake also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Handshake free?
Handshake has a free plan. Basic: free job posting, 10 candidate messages a month and a simple company presence.
How much does Handshake cost?
Handshake lists 3 plans. Basic: $0.
What platforms does Handshake work on?
Handshake is available on Web.
Does Handshake have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Handshake is listed for Web.
Does Handshake have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Handshake is listed for Web.
Is Handshake open source?
Handshake is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Who makes Handshake?
Handshake is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Handshake?
The closest alternatives to Handshake in our directory are Wellfound, Indeed, Monster and Betterteam.
How does Handshake compare with other hiring and applicant tracking tools?
Handshake's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 54 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 21.
Is Handshake good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Handshake D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $450 a month, against a middle price of $99 for the category: 39 of the 42 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Handshake?
To replace Handshake you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Handshake’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Handshake's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Handshake. Prices change, so check joinhandshake.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Handshake, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/handshake
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Handshake: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/handshake
Know someone choosing between hiring and applicant tracking tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/handshake/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded hiring and applicant tracking tools after Handshake, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, compared
- Manatal Insider's GuideLow-cost per-user ATS and recruitment CRM with AI candidate matching2.8 GPA
- Breezy HR Insider's GuideFlat-priced applicant tracking with a free one-job plan2.6 GPA
- JOIN Insider's GuideMultiposting and applicant management priced per open job2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Handshake’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Handshake is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Handshake. Prices and plans change: check joinhandshake.com before you buy.