Treat CRM as client workflow, not candidate marketing. For an agency, CRM should cover client records, contacts, job orders, submissions, feedback, placements, revenue reporting and communication history. If the demo only shows candidate nurturing, it is probably built for internal talent teams.
Use the fixed index, then apply the agency filter. Manatal has the stronger ATSLab score among the agency-native options, while Zoho Recruit has the clearer Staffing Agency Edition and a free entry point. Ashby and Lever are worth checking if your team needs sourcing CRM and analytics more than billing, shifts or contractor tracking.
Do the job-order test before you buy. Ask the vendor to create a client, add a contact, open a job order, submit candidates, collect client feedback, record a placement, and report on revenue. If that flow needs spreadsheets, the CRM gap will show up quickly.
Check limits before trusting the headline price. Zoho Recruit’s free staffing plan lists one active job, while its paid agency tiers list higher active-job limits. Manatal starts at $15/user/month annually, but the Professional plan includes 15 jobs per account and 10,000 candidates; unlimited jobs and candidates sit on Enterprise.
Price the add-ons. Zoho publishes paid add-ons for items such as API calls, webhooks, workflow alerts, mass mail, extra active jobs, hiring manager licences and video interview slots. Ashby can add costs through AI credits, email lookups and texting credits, while Lever lists Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ, Onboarding and unlimited AI Interview Companion usage as add-on-dependent.
Be careful with AI claims. AI matching, screening, interview notes and rediscovery can save recruiter time, but usage limits, beta status and credit packs can change the value. Ask for the exact allowance on your plan before signing.
