Comparison
RecruitFlow.io vs Excel vs Enterprise ATS
Three categories, three jobs. Spreadsheets are free but break at scale. Enterprise ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Recruiterflow) are powerful but built for teams hiring hundreds. RecruitFlow.io sits in the middle — the lightweight pipeline for the team that has outgrown a sheet but doesn't need an HR suite.
| Feature | Excel / Google Sheets | Enterprise ATS | RecruitFlow.io |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Anyone with 5–20 candidates | Recruiting teams hiring 50+/year (Greenhouse, Lever, Recruiterflow) | Solo recruiters & small teams hiring 1–25 roles/year |
| Pricing | Free | $5k–$30k+/year, often per seat or per job | Flat $149/mo — everything included |
| Setup time | Minutes (but breaks fast) | Hours to days, often with onboarding calls | Under 5 minutes — import your CSV |
| Visual pipeline (Kanban) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Candidate timeline | No | Yes (often a paid tier) | Yes — every change timestamped |
| Stale-candidate alerts | No | Yes (configured) | Yes — out of the box |
| CSV import/export | Native | Limited or paid add-on | First-class — same file in and out |
| Multi-user editing | Risky — overwrites | Yes, with permissions | Yes — built for small teams |
| Requisitions / approvals | No | Yes (often required) | No — intentionally |
| Learning curve | Zero | Onboarding required | Looks like the spreadsheet you already use |
Pick Excel/Sheets if…
- You're tracking fewer than 20 candidates total
- Only one person edits at a time
- No board view, no stage alerts, no timeline
Pick Enterprise ATS if…
- You hire 50+ roles/year across departments
- You need requisitions, EEOC reporting, integrations
- Onboarding, per-seat pricing, sales calls
Pick RecruitFlow.io if…
- You've outgrown your hiring spreadsheet
- You hire 1–25 roles/year and want one flat price
- You want a clean pipeline without enterprise overhead
Try RecruitFlow.io free
Import your CSV in 30 seconds. See whether the lightweight middle ground is what you've been looking for.
Start freeNote: RecruitFlow.io is an independent product and is not affiliated with Recruiterflow.com, the enterprise agency ATS.