Side by side
Recruitly vs CATS
While CATS offers a basic applicant tracking system at an entry-level price point, Recruitly delivers a significantly more comprehensive platform with advanced AI capabilities, integrated marketing tools, and superior automation features that provide better value and higher productivity.
About CATS
CATS (Comprehensive Applicant Tracking System) is a web-based ATS for staffing agencies and recruiting departments.
- Recruitly from
- $25 per user/month
- CATS from
- $59 per user/month
While CATS appears less expensive upfront, the lack of essential features requires additional third-party tools and services, often resulting in a higher total cost than Recruitly's all-inclusive platform.
Where the two differ
- 01Recruitly provides cutting-edge AI capabilities powered by Qdrant vector database and OpenAI embeddings, while CATS offers minimal AI functionality
- 02Recruitly features built-in email marketing with AI template designer, whereas CATS provides only basic email templates
- 03Recruitly includes direct integration with 50+ job boards, while CATS has more limited job posting options
- 04Recruitly delivers AI CV editing and rewriting with built-in profile enrichment, capabilities that CATS lacks entirely
- 05Recruitly offers homegrown drip feed/sequencing for outreach campaigns as a native feature, not available in CATS
- 06Recruitly provides 50+ built-in automation rules, compared to CATS' minimal workflow automation
- 07Recruitly includes comprehensive GDPR compliance automation with dashboards, while CATS offers basic compliance tools
- 08Recruitly features built-in two-way SMS and VoIP integrations, whereas CATS has limited communication options
- 09Recruitly's user interface is significantly more modern and intuitive, compared to CATS' dated interface
- 10Recruitly has more extensive Zapier integrations and webhooks for connecting with other business systems
Feature by feature
| Feature | Recruitly | CATS |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant Tracking System (ATS) | Yes | Yes |
| Job Board Multi-Posting | Native (50+ job boards) | Limited integrations |
| AI-Powered Candidate Matching | Advanced AI with semantic search | Basic keyword search |
| Two-Way Communication | Built-in WhatsApp + WhatsApp Campaigns, SMS, VoIP | Email only |
| CRM for Business Development | Comprehensive CRM with automation | Basic contact management |
| CV Formatting & Submission | Branded CV templates, AI rewrite, watermarking | Basic CV handling |
| Interview Scheduling | Automated scheduling system | Basic calendar integration |
| Revenue & Commission Tracking | Comprehensive tracking system | Limited financial tracking |
| Workflow Automation | 50+ automation rules | Minimal automation |
| GDPR Compliance | Automated GDPR management | Basic compliance tools |
| AI CV Generator | AI CV generator with branded templates, watermarking, and profile enrichment | Not available |
| Email Marketing | Built-in with AI template designer | Basic email templates |
| User Interface | Modern, intuitive design | Dated interface |
| Integration Capabilities | Extensive Zapier & webhooks | Limited integration options |
Agencies running on Recruitly
“Recruitly's AI capabilities perfectly complement our human-centered approach, helping us deliver the 70% faster hiring times and 55% improved retention rates our clients expect.”
“Recruitly's custom Growth Dashboard and Weekly Wrapped emails have transformed how we visualise and celebrate team performance, while their data solutions have become the central 'brain' of our creative recruitment operations.”
Questions that come up
- Is Recruitly worth the higher price compared to CATS?
- Most agencies find that Recruitly's additional capabilities more than justify the price difference. When accounting for the third-party tools and services needed to supplement CATS (such as email marketing, job board distribution, and document management), Recruitly often proves to be more cost-effective while providing a more streamlined, integrated experience.
- How does Recruitly's technology compare to CATS?
- Recruitly uses significantly more advanced technology including Qdrant vector database for semantic search, OpenAI embeddings for context-aware matching, and Claude for AI rewriting. CATS relies on more traditional database technology with basic keyword search functionality, lacking the AI capabilities that give Recruitly users a competitive advantage.
- Is migration from CATS to Recruitly complicated?
- Not at all. Recruitly offers a specialised migration service for CATS users that handles the entire process, typically completing migrations in 1-2 weeks with minimal disruption. Our team extracts your data from CATS, transforms it for optimal use in Recruitly, and provides training to ensure your team is productive from day one.
The comparison that counts is the one you run yourself
The free plan needs no card and no call. Load an export from CATS, run a live role through it, and judge the matching on your own market rather than on a table.