Lever Review
4.3(2081)ATS + native CRM for sourcing-led TA teams (Employ)
Lever (an Employ brand) pioneered ATS-plus-CRM for in-house teams, and its passive-talent nurture remains the draw. Reviews and analyst signals point to a platform in defensive mode against Greenhouse's rigor and Ashby's analytics.
By Ramin Assemi, B2B SaaS marketer and former Head of Content at Close.comPublished Updated
Lever pricing
Custom quote: pricing 'scales based on your team size and hiring needs' per the vendor's FAQ; every plan includes ATS, CRM, analytics, and integrations. No public seat or headcount tariff (vendor pricing page, Jul 2026).
- Free trial
- No
- Free tier
- No
- Min. seats
- Not published
- Billing
- Not published
Pricing data: Official (published by the vendor).
Pros
- ✓NurtureKit CRM built natively into pipelines for passive talent
- ✓Visual candidate boards and flexible scheduling
- ✓300+ marketplace integrations
Cons
- ✕AI roadmap lags Greenhouse and Ashby
- ✕Reporting customization limited at scale
- ✕Losing mid-market momentum (left out of the 2025 Gartner MQ)
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 | ~ |
Compare Lever
Lever: frequently asked questions
How much does Lever cost?
Lever uses custom quote-based pricing and does not publish list prices (official, reviewed July 4, 2026). Custom quote: pricing 'scales based on your team size and hiring needs' per the vendor's FAQ; every plan includes ATS, CRM, analytics, and integrations. No public seat or headcount tariff (vendor pricing page, Jul 2026).
Does Lever offer a free trial?
No. Lever offers neither a free trial nor a free tier, so expect a demo-led sales process.
Is Lever an ATS or a CRM?
Lever is a combined ATS + CRM platform: applicant tracking and candidate/client relationship management in one system.
Who is Lever best for?
Mid-market teams where outbound sourcing and nurture drive hiring. We rank it for in-house talent acquisition.
What are the main drawbacks of Lever?
The criticisms that come up most: AI roadmap lags Greenhouse and Ashby; Reporting customization limited at scale; Losing mid-market momentum (left out of the 2025 Gartner MQ).
What are the best Lever alternatives?
Based on segment overlap and review ratings, the closest Lever alternatives are Manatal, Gem, iSmartRecruit, Pinpoint. Full list: https://recruitmentcrm.com/alternatives/lever.