The Lever Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Lever 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.
Lever
The Insider’s Guide
ATS and recruiting CRM in one for mid-sized teams, by quote
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among hiring and applicant tracking tools, read from Lever’s own pages.
Made by Employ Inc. · checked Oct 18, 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 Lever’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Lever’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 0 of the 14 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade
Lever is an applicant tracking system with a candidate relationship manager built in, so sourcing, nurturing passive candidates and moving applicants through interviews happen in one place. It adds AI screening and matching, AI interview transcripts and summaries, fraud signals and reporting. Lever belongs to Employ, which also sells JazzHR and Jobvite, and is priced only by quote.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Lever, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Its AI screening shows the reasons behind each pick.
- 1
Best for teams that court passive candidates
Lever puts applicant tracking and a candidate CRM in one place, so you can keep good people warm before you have a role for them.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
ATS and CRM together
Applicant tracking and candidate relationship management in one system, for sourcing and nurturing as well as hiring.
- 4
AI screening and matching
Ranks the best-fit candidates first and shows the reasons behind each AI recommendation.
- 5
AI interview transcripts
Unlimited AI transcripts and summaries of interviews to speed up feedback.
- 6
A 2.0 GPA, above 0 of 14
That is against the other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace Lever you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Lever at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Employ Inc.
- Category
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for teams that court passive candidates
Lever puts applicant tracking and a candidate CRM in one place, so you can keep good people warm before you have a role for them. Its AI screening shows the reasons behind each pick. But it's quote only with no trial, and onboarding is a separate add-on.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price is published: Lever quotes from company size, hiring volume and features after a form, so we can't say what a ten-person company pays. Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ and Onboarding are priced on top. With no figure, it's a C. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial on the pricing page. The way in is a demo or a quote. |
| Features | B | Tracking and a candidate CRM together, AI screening that shows why it ranked someone first, unlimited interview transcripts and summaries, fraud flags and custom reports. The whole job, with onboarding as an add-on. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record, and getting value from the CRM side means setting up how you nurture candidates. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, linked to LinkedIn, Indeed, BambooHR, HiBob, ADP and Justworks, with a marketplace of more. No phone or desktop app on record. |
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 Lever is for
- Great if you keep in touch with good people long before you have a role for them
- Handy when you want AI screening that explains its picks
- Good for teams already on HiBob, BambooHR or ADP
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a price or a trial before talking to sales
- Pricey if you want onboarding too, as it's a separately quoted add-on
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as none is on record
Good to know
Good for
- Mid-sized and enterprise talent teams that source and nurture passive candidates
- Companies that want AI screening with the reasons shown
- Teams already using HiBob, BambooHR or ADP for HR
Worth knowing
- No prices are published: Lever quotes from company size, hiring volume, features and implementation needs after you fill in a form.
- Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ and Onboarding are add-ons priced separately.
- No free trial is offered on the pricing page; the route in is a demo or a quote.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Lever's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ and Onboarding are priced on top.
We could not confirm Lever’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. lever.co has them.
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
ATS and recruiting CRM in one for mid-sized teams, by quote. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, workflow automation, reports, applicant tracking.
The whole job, with onboarding as an add-on.
- ATS and CRM together
- Applicant tracking and candidate relationship management in one system, for sourcing and nurturing as well as hiring.
- AI screening and matching
- Ranks the best-fit candidates first and shows the reasons behind each AI recommendation.
- AI interview transcripts
- Unlimited AI transcripts and summaries of interviews to speed up feedback.
- Fraud signals
- AI flags applications that show patterns of fraud before they reach interviews.
- Reporting
- Ready-made dashboards and custom reports on pipeline health and hiring performance.
- Add-ons
- Candidate Insights, agent-based AI Screening by VONQ on the career site, and an Onboarding module, each quoted separately.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Indeed
- BambooHR
- HiBob
- ADP
- Justworks
- Verified First
Lever is made by Employ Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/14
Other hiring and applicant tracking tools it is graded above
Lever's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 14 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 1 of 14) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Lever’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 14
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 14
- BFeaturesAbove 1 of 14
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14
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 Lever you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 9 of the 14 other hiring and applicant tracking tools grade higher.
What you could make
- Applicant tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Lever’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
Greenhouse, Ashby, Workable, JazzHR and Pinpoint
The 5 tools Lever is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Greenhouse
Paid
Structured-hiring ATS for growing and large companies, by quote.
- Only Greenhouse lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Greenhouse lists a browser extension.
- Greenhouse also covers job board posting.
- 2.0GPA
Ashby
From $270/mo
All-in-one ATS, sourcing, scheduling and analytics priced by headcount.
- Only Ashby lists a browser extension.
- Ashby also covers job board posting.
- 2.2GPA
Workable
Free trial · from $299/mo
Applicant tracking and HR software priced by company size.
- Only Workable lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Workable lists a browser extension.
- Lever also covers workflow automation and reports.
- 2.0GPA
JazzHR
From $1,000/yr
Applicant tracking for small businesses at a flat yearly price.
- JazzHR also covers job board posting.
- 2.0GPA
Pinpoint
Paid
Applicant tracking with onboarding and agency portal, by quote.
- Only Pinpoint lists a browser extension.
- Pinpoint also covers job board posting.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
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 Lever free?
No. Lever is a paid product.
What platforms does Lever work on?
Lever is available on Web.
Does Lever have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Lever is listed for Web.
Does Lever have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Lever is listed for Web.
Is Lever open source?
Lever is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Lever integrate with?
Lever's listing names LinkedIn, Indeed, BambooHR, HiBob, ADP, Justworks and Verified First.
Who makes Lever?
Lever is made by Employ Inc.
What are the alternatives to Lever?
The closest alternatives to Lever in our directory are Greenhouse, Ashby, Workable, JazzHR and Pinpoint.
How does Lever compare with other hiring and applicant tracking tools?
Lever's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 14 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 5.
Could I make my own version of Lever?
To replace Lever you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Lever’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Lever's own pages on 18 October 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 Employ Inc. Prices change, so check lever.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 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.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Lever, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lever
- 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, "Lever: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lever
Know someone choosing between hiring and applicant tracking tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lever/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded hiring and applicant tracking tools after Lever, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Hiring & Applicant Tracking Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 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
- Zoho Recruit Insider's GuidePer-recruiter ATS and recruitment CRM with a free one-job plan2.6 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 Lever’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Lever is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Employ Inc. Prices and plans change: check lever.co before you buy.