A Lever alternative with a free plan for small teams
Lever combines an ATS with a recruiting CRM; its price is a custom quote that scales with team size and hiring needs. PapaHR's ATS is free for up to 10 open vacancies, no quote needed.
No card, no demo. Lever details are from its site as of Nov 14, 2026.
What a month costs
Before taxes. PapaHR prices are from our pricing page; the other ATS — from its site.
Lever: a custom quote
Lever: scales with team size and hiring needs
PapaHR and Lever: hiring side by side
| PapaHR | Lever | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ for the account owner: up to 10 open vacancies at once, candidates without a limit | — no; a custom quote |
| Price | $1.50 per employee a month paid yearly ($1.80 monthly), at least 10 employees | not published |
| Start | ✓ sign up in a minute | after contacting sales |
| Base of candidates | ✓ in Pro | ✓ recruiting CRM for sourcing and nurturing |
| AI | ✓ in Pro | ✓ AI screening, interview summaries |
Lever details are from its pricing and help pages as of Nov 14, 2026. Prices and plans change — check its site.
Why small teams hire in PapaHR
- Free for a small team: the owner hires for up to 10 open vacancies at once, candidates without a limit.
- The careers page, the application form, the board by stages and interview scorecards are in Free.
- After the hire the person goes to onboarding in the same system — plus time off, 1:1s and reviews.
- Pro has no fee per recruiter: you pay per employee of the company, any number of recruiters and HR.
- The price is on the site, not a quote.
When Lever is the better fit
If you source candidates actively, nurture them over months in a CRM and hire at volume with a recruiting team. For a small company that opens a few vacancies a year, a free ATS is enough.
How to move your hiring
- Export your open vacancies and active candidates from Lever.
- Open the vacancies in PapaHR — up to 10 at once on Free — and add the candidates to their stages.
- Publish the careers page: new applications come straight to the board.
Questions
How much does Lever cost?
Lever does not publish prices: you contact it for a custom quote. PapaHR's ATS is free for up to 10 open vacancies; Pro is $1.50 per employee a month.
Does Lever have a free plan?
No, Lever gives a custom quote. PapaHR's ATS is free with no time limit for up to 10 open vacancies.
What is free in PapaHR's ATS?
For the owner of the account: up to 10 open vacancies at once, candidates without a limit, the board by stages, interview scorecards, offers, the careers page and the application form. Pro adds the AI, letter sequences, the hiring report, the base of candidates, referrals, reference checks and more recruiters.
Does PapaHR have a candidate base like Lever's CRM?
Yes, in Pro: candidates of past vacancies stay in the base, and you can invite them to a new vacancy.
Open your first vacancy today
The ATS is free for up to 10 open vacancies at once, candidates without a limit — no card and no demo.