CATS Review
4.2(144)Straightforward, customizable ATS for small agencies
CATS, owned by Top Echelon since 2020, is a no-frills ATS for small agencies that value customization over polish. It's stable and cheap-ish, but showing its age against AI-native newcomers.
By Ramin Assemi, B2B SaaS marketer and former Head of Content at Close.comPublished Updated
CATS pricing
One published plan, CATS Pro, at $89/user/mo shown against a struck-through $110, plus a $500 data migration fee. The pricing page does not say whether $89 is a monthly or an annual rate, so the billing term is unconfirmed. The older $69 figure that third-party sites still quote no longer applies (vendor pricing page, Sep 2026).
- Free trial
- Yes
- Free tier
- No
- Min. seats
- 1
- Billing
- Not published
Pricing data: Official (published by the vendor).
Pros
- ✓Deep customizability of fields and workflows
- ✓Simple, centralized candidate management
- ✓Affordable relative to mid-market suites
Cons
- ✕Clunky, dated interface
- ✕Weak third-party data integration
- ✕Reported issues with candidate email deliverability
Features
| 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
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CATS: frequently asked questions
How much does CATS cost?
CATS pricing starts at $89/user/mo (term not stated) (official, reviewed September 22, 2026). One published plan, CATS Pro, at $89/user/mo shown against a struck-through $110, plus a $500 data migration fee. The pricing page does not say whether $89 is a monthly or an annual rate, so the billing term is unconfirmed. The older $69 figure that third-party sites still quote no longer applies (vendor pricing page, Sep 2026).
Does CATS offer a free trial?
Yes. CATS offers a free trial. There is no free tier.
Is CATS an ATS or a CRM?
CATS is an applicant tracking system: it manages active applicants through the hiring process rather than long-term candidate relationships.
Who is CATS best for?
Small agencies wanting simple, affordable applicant tracking. We rank it for recruitment agencies & staffing firms.
What are the main drawbacks of CATS?
The criticisms that come up most: Clunky, dated interface; Weak third-party data integration; Reported issues with candidate email deliverability.
What are the best CATS alternatives?
Based on segment overlap and review ratings, the closest alternatives: Atlas, Vultus Recruit, Happlicant, Recruit CRM. Full list: https://recruitmentcrm.com/alternatives/cats.