1. Lever — Best Overall Greenhouse Alternative
CRM + ATS built for modern, relationship-first recruiting
Lever is the closest peer to Greenhouse in terms of power, but it feels more intuitive and recruiter-friendly. The big difference is CRM depth: Lever treats candidates as relationships, not just applicants, with pipelines that mix inbound applicants and sourced talent in one view. If your recruiters live in LinkedIn and spend their day nurturing talent pools, Lever is a stronger fit than Greenhouse.
Workflow customization is flexible without being overwhelming. You can create stage templates, scorecards, and automated email sequences while keeping the interface clean. Hiring managers get a simpler, more guided experience, which improves feedback turnaround. The analytics are strong too, with pipeline conversion rates, source quality, and time-to-fill tracking built in.
Lever also includes robust automation for scheduling and candidate follow-ups, with native calendar integrations and solid interview coordination tools. The candidate experience is smoother than Greenhouse, with mobile-friendly applications and well-designed communication flows. The platform supports multi-role requisitions and internal mobility as well.
Downsides? Pricing is still mid-market, and the customization depth isn't as limitless as Greenhouse for enterprise workflows. But for growth-stage teams that want power without painful setup, Lever strikes the best balance.
✅ Pros
- • ATS + CRM in one platform
- • Cleaner, recruiter-friendly UI
- • Strong analytics and pipeline reporting
- • Excellent scheduling tools
- • Better candidate experience
❌ Cons
- • Pricing still mid-market
- • Fewer enterprise-level controls than Greenhouse
- • Limited for complex global hiring setups
- • Advanced automation requires higher tier
💡 Choose Lever if:
You want an ATS + CRM combo with a smoother recruiter experience and strong reporting without Greenhouse-level complexity.