Recruit CRM vs Top Echelon
Two recruitment CRMs compared on pricing, features, and fit, so you can shortlist with confidence.
✓Pricing verified against vendor pagesData reviewed July 4, 2026How we research →
By Ramin Assemi, B2B SaaS marketer and former Head of Content at Close.comPublished Updated
Recruit CRM
Easy-to-use ATS + CRM for small and mid-size agencies
Best for: Small agencies that want fast onboarding and top-rated support
✓Highly intuitive Kanban pipelines; productive within hours
✓Industry-leading support sentiment (4.8 G2 across 800+ reviews)
✕Scalability limits for larger teams
✕Rigid reporting functionality
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 Recruit CRM if…
- ✓You want workflow automation working out of the box
- ✓AI matching and assistance are on your must-have list
- ✓Entry price matters: $59/user/mo published vs $89 for Top Echelon
Choose Top Echelon if…
Solo recruiters and small perm firms doing split placements. See the feature table below for where it differs from Recruit CRM.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Recruit CRM | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruit CRM (official) | $295/mo | $1,180/mo | $2,950/mo |
| Top Echelon (official) | $445/mo | $1,780/mo | $4,450/mo |
Estimated from each vendor's published entry-tier price as of July 4, 2026; real quotes vary with plan tier, add-on modules, and contract terms. See how we label pricing confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Is Recruit CRM cheaper than Top Echelon?
Recruit CRM has the lower published starting price. Recruit CRM pricing starts at $59/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026). Top Echelon pricing starts at $89/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026).
What does Recruit CRM cost?
Recruit CRM pricing starts at $59/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026). Recruit CRM currently publishes plans starting at $59/user/month, with monthly and annual billing available (vendor pricing page, Jul 2026).
What does Top Echelon cost?
Top Echelon pricing starts at $89/user/mo (official, reviewed July 4, 2026). Monthly billing: TE Recruit Standard $89/user/mo and Professional $110/user/mo. Committing annually drops those to $75 and $89. 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, Aug 2026).
Which is rated higher, Recruit CRM or Top Echelon?
Recruit CRM is rated higher: 4.8/5 on G2 versus 4.6/5 for Top Echelon on Capterra.
Who is Recruit CRM best for, and who is Top Echelon best for?
Recruit CRM: Small agencies that want fast onboarding and top-rated support. Top Echelon: Solo recruiters and small perm firms doing split placements.