Firefish vs Top Echelon
Two recruitment CRMs compared on pricing, features, and fit, so you can shortlist with confidence.
✓Pricing verified against vendor pagesData reviewed September 22, 2026How we research →
By Ramin Assemi, B2B SaaS marketer and former Head of Content at Close.comPublished Updated
Firefish
Recruitment CRM with built-in marketing for UK agencies
Best for: UK agencies that treat their website and brand as a candidate channel
✓Recruitment marketing (website CMS, campaigns, engagement tracking) built in
✓Outstanding UK-based support reputation
✕Rigid contract lengths reported by customers
✕Some job board integrations are paid extras
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 Firefish if…
- ✓You want workflow automation working out of the box
- ✓Reporting and analytics drive how you run the desk
Choose Top Echelon if…
- ✓You're in executive search firms, a segment Firefish doesn't focus on
- ✓Your team sources through LinkedIn every day
- ✓You want to trial before committing (free trial available)
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Firefish | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefish (reported) | £400/mo | £1,600/mo | £4,000/mo |
| Top Echelon (official) | $475/mo | $1,900/mo | $4,750/mo |
Estimated from each vendor's published entry-tier price as of September 22, 2026; real quotes vary with plan tier, add-on modules, and contract terms. See how we label pricing confidence.
Frequently asked questions
How do Firefish and Top Echelon pricing compare?
Firefish pricing starts at £80/user/mo (reported, reviewed September 22, 2026). Top Echelon pricing starts at $95/user/mo (official, reviewed September 22, 2026).
What does Firefish cost?
Firefish pricing starts at £80/user/mo (reported, reviewed September 22, 2026). Vendor site is quote-led: its pricing page names Basic, Professional and Enterprise plans without prices, plus add-on modules "from £150 per module" with no billing period stated (vendor pricing page, Sep 2026). Capterra reports Basic £80, Professional £90, Enterprise £105 per user/mo (Capterra, Oct 2025). Contract terms not verified; some job board integrations cost extra.
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, Firefish or Top Echelon?
Top Echelon is rated higher: 4.6/5 on Capterra versus 4.4/5 for Firefish on G2.
Who is Firefish best for, and who is Top Echelon best for?
Firefish: UK agencies that treat their website and brand as a candidate channel. Top Echelon: Solo recruiters and small perm firms doing split placements.