Free for internal recruiting — forever
A free ATS with a path to everything else.
Post jobs, move candidates through a pipeline, schedule interviews, and make offers at $0. When you need contractor management, a self-managed VMS, or International EOR, it's already in the same database.
Engage's free applicant tracking system is a modern, AI-assisted ATS covering the full internal-hiring flow — job requisitions, candidate pipelines, interview scheduling, approval workflows, and offer-stage handoffs. It is free forever with no seat limits. The same database powers contractor management, 1099 compliance, VMS, and International EOR, so candidates you source today can flow straight into a contractor engagement or Employer-of-Record arrangement without re-entering data.
AI-assisted candidate review
Rank candidates against requirements without manual screening. Interview notes and feedback live on the same record.
Pipeline your team will actually use
Drag-and-drop stages from new to hired. Keep everyone aligned without a spreadsheet or a Slack channel.
Built-in approval workflows
Hiring-manager-only, HR-only, or chained approvals. Configured once per req, enforced automatically.
Interview scheduling
Coordinate interviews, collect feedback, and move candidates forward — without bouncing between tools.
Grows with you
Hire someone as a contractor? They're already in the database. Need EOR in Germany? Handoff to HQ Simple takes minutes, not weeks.
No vendor lock-in
You can use the ATS indefinitely without ever upgrading to contractor management or EOR. The value proposition stands on its own.
A pipeline your recruiters actually use
- Drag candidates between stages with real-time updates
- See interview feedback and AI-assisted ranking in-line
- Approve offers without switching tools
Accepted candidates flow straight into onboarding
- Self-serve document collection with progress gates
- Configurable templates per client or role
- Engagement cannot start until required docs are complete
What's in the Engage Free ATS versus the competition
| Feature | Engage | Deel | Rippling | Gusto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full ATS included | ||||
| Job requisitions with approval routing | ||||
| Candidate pipeline | ||||
| Interview scheduling | ||||
| AI resume ranking | ||||
| Flows into contractor management | Partial | Partial | ||
| Price | $0 | $49/contractor/mo | Gated | $35 + $6/contractor |
How the Free ATS works in 5 steps
- Post a job. Create a requisition with role, responsibilities, comp range, and approval chain. Save it as a template for future reqs in the same role.
- Source candidates. Add candidates manually, via a public job link, or by forwarding a resume to a dedicated inbox. AI extracts structured fields from the resume.
- Review and rank. AI-assisted ranking sorts candidates against the req. Recruiters review, comment, and move candidates through the pipeline.
- Interview and collect feedback. Schedule interviews with hiring managers, collect structured feedback from interviewers, and surface decision-ready summaries.
- Make an offer. Route the offer through your approval chain. When the candidate accepts, their record is ready for contractor onboarding or W-2 employment — on the same database.
Who the Free ATS is for
- Independent recruiters running placements for multiple clients without enterprise ATS licensing.
- Companies with no ATS trying to retire the spreadsheet-plus-Slack hiring process without committing $5–12K to a Greenhouse or Lever license.
- Companies replacing an expensive ATS where the value delivered does not justify renewal.
- Teams anticipating contingent-workforce growth — 1099 contractors, VMS programs, or International EOR — who want the hiring layer to flow naturally into the next stage.
Why this is in the same database as contractor management and EOR
A candidate becomes an employee or contractor through a single-click conversion. No CSV export. No re-entering details into a second platform. No risk of losing interview notes, offer history, or candidate communications when the person transitions into a paying role. This is the core funnel thesis of Engage: you recruit here, you manage here, you pay here.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes. The ATS is free forever for internal recruiting, no seat limits. We make money if you choose to engage some of those hires through HQ Simple's EOR or contractor management services — and that decision is yours to make. The ATS stands on its own.
Hiring internationally? Talk to HQ Simple.
HQ Simple is the services arm that delivers Employer of Record directly in US, Canada, UK, and Australia — and through a partner network worldwide. No per-seat SaaS fee, no setup fee, no onboarding or offboarding charges.
Ready to engage your workforce?
Start with the free ATS. Grow into contractor management, VMS, and International EOR without changing systems.