Bullhorn vs Top Echelon
Two recruitment CRMs compared on pricing, features, and fit, so you can shortlist with confidence.
✓Pricing verified against vendor pagesData reviewed October 23, 2026How we research →
By Ramin Assemi, B2B SaaS marketer and former Head of Content at Close.comPublished Updated
Bullhorn
The market-leading platform for staffing and recruitment agencies
Best for: Mid-size to enterprise staffing firms, especially temp/contract
✓Deep partner ecosystem: 138 listings in its public marketplace, and VMS Sync pulls jobs from 123 VMS portals (Bullhorn marketplace and knowledge base, Oct 2026)
✓Deepest temp/contract back-office (timesheets, pay & bill)
✕Dated, click-heavy UI that reviewers call sluggish
✕Automation and AI (Amplify) are expensive modular add-ons
Top Echelon
Affordable ATS/CRM with a built-in split-placement network
Best for: Solo recruiters and small perm firms doing split placements
✓Extremely affordable with transparent pricing
✓Automations, Sequences, and Smart-TE AI on the Professional tier
✕Resume parsing into existing candidate records trips reviewers up (Capterra, 2026)
✕Email integration draws more criticism than any other feature in reviews
Our verdict
Choose Bullhorn if…
- ✓You're in rpo providers, a segment Top Echelon doesn't focus on
- ✓You're in high-volume hiring, a segment Top Echelon doesn't focus on
- ✓You're in contract & temp staffing, a segment Top Echelon doesn't focus on
- ✓You run temp or contract desks and need pay & bill in the platform
Choose Top Echelon if…
- ✓You're in executive search firms, a segment Bullhorn doesn't focus on
- ✓Entry price matters: $95/user/mo published vs $99 for Bullhorn
- ✓You want to trial before committing (free trial available)
- ✓Peer sentiment: 4.6/5 across 515 Capterra reviews vs 4.2/5 for Bullhorn
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Bullhorn | Top Echelon |
|---|---|---|
| ATS + CRM core | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email/inbox sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| LinkedIn / Chrome extension | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-job-board posting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in candidate sourcing | ~ | ~ |
| Workflow automation | ~ | ~ |
| AI matching & assistance | ~ | ~ |
| Reporting & analytics | ✓ | ~ |
| Temp back-office (pay & bill) | ✓ | – |
| Open API | ✓ | ~ |
| Mobile app | ✓ | ~ |
IncludedPartial or paid add-onNot available
What would it cost your team?
| Est. monthly cost, entry tier | 5 seats | 20 seats | 50 seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullhorn (official) | $495/mo | $1,980/mo | $4,950/mo |
| Top Echelon (official) | $475/mo | $1,900/mo | $4,750/mo |
Estimated from each vendor's published entry-tier price as of October 23, 2026; real quotes vary with plan tier, add-on modules, and contract terms. See how we label pricing confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bullhorn cheaper than Top Echelon?
Top Echelon has the lower published starting price. Top Echelon pricing starts at $95/user/mo (official, reviewed September 22, 2026). Bullhorn pricing starts at $99/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026).
What does Bullhorn cost?
Bullhorn pricing starts at $99/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026). Publishes small-agency pricing only: Starter $99/user/mo (1–2 users) and Core $165/user/mo. Pro and larger deployments are quote-based, and optional modules (AI Search & Match, Onboarding, Back Office) are priced separately (vendor pricing page, Jul 2026).
What does Top Echelon cost?
Top Echelon pricing starts at $95/user/mo (official, reviewed September 22, 2026). Monthly billing: TE Recruit Standard $95/user/mo and Professional $115/user/mo. Committing annually drops those to $79 and $95. Automations, Sequences, Smart-TE AI, Natural Language Search, [BETA] AI People Search, inbound email sync, and API access are Professional-tier only. The TE Network split-placement subscription is billed separately: $150/mo per agency plus a $350 startup fee on monthly billing, or $135/mo annually with the startup fee waived (vendor pricing page, Sep 2026).
Which is rated higher, Bullhorn or Top Echelon?
Top Echelon is rated higher: 4.6/5 on Capterra versus 4.2/5 for Bullhorn on G2.
Who is Bullhorn best for, and who is Top Echelon best for?
Bullhorn: Mid-size to enterprise staffing firms, especially temp/contract. Top Echelon: Solo recruiters and small perm firms doing split placements.