A lighter alternative to Freshteam for small teams
Freshteam is an HR and recruiting platform from Freshworks. It combines applicant tracking with employee onboarding, time-off management, and HR workflows, designed for growing companies that want a unified HR system.
Why small teams look for something else
- -Recruiting arrives coupled to HR modules, and the coupling is the cost: you adopt a suite to get an ATS
- -Per-employee pricing grows with headcount even in years when nobody is hired
- -The ATS module organises applications; the judging of two hundred resumes stays a manual evening
The alternatives, and who each one suits
A dedicated ATS
Suits: Teams whose pain is specifically hiring, not HR records.
Trade-off: Deeper recruiting features, and a second system to run next to whatever holds your HR data.
A different all-in-one HR suite
Suits: Teams that genuinely want records, time off and hiring in one place.
Trade-off: Trading one suite's shape for another's; the ATS module is rarely the strong part of any of them.
A spreadsheet and an inbox
Suits: Genuinely occasional hiring.
Trade-off: Works until the application flood arrives, then it costs the owner's evenings.
A screening-only tool such as SiftFirst
Suits: Small teams that need the screening step solved without adopting any system.
Trade-off: It holds no employee data and runs no processes. One step, done well, with evidence.
Why a full ATS like Freshteam can be more than a small team needs
- -Built as an all-in-one HR suite with modules most small teams do not need yet (onboarding portals, time-off policies, org charts, employee directories).
- -Pricing is per-employee and bundled: you pay for the full platform even if you only want applicant tracking, and costs grow as headcount grows.
- -Setup requires configuring workflows, approval chains, user roles, and integrations. A heavy lift when your immediate need is sorting 100 resumes for a single hire.
What SiftFirst does instead
- Screening-only focus: paste resumes, get a ranked shortlist with evidence-backed scores in minutes. No HR workflows, no onboarding modules, no setup.
- Transparent ranking: every candidate is scored on your exact criteria with a quoted line from their resume supporting each score. You see exactly why someone ranked high or low.
- Candidate-metered pricing (free for 50/month, $39 for 500, $99 for 1,500) means you pay for what you screen, not a platform fee when you only hire occasionally.
If you hire episodically and mainly need to cut through the resume pile, SiftFirst gives you screening clarity without the full HR suite. Teams that need onboarding, time-off, and org management alongside recruiting will get more value from Freshteam.
Screen your applicant flood in minutes
Paste your job description and the applications, get a ranked shortlist with a quote from each resume behind every score. You set the criteria; you decide every hire. Free to try, no signup.
Try a free screening →SiftFirst vs Freshteam FAQ
Is SiftFirst a full ATS?
No. SiftFirst screens resumes and produces a ranked shortlist with evidence. It does not handle interview scheduling, onboarding, time-off, or employee management. If you need a full HR system, keep Freshteam. If you mainly need to screen the pile, SiftFirst is faster and lighter.
Can I export SiftFirst results to Freshteam?
Yes. SiftFirst exports results as CSV, which you can import into Freshteam or any other system. Some teams use SiftFirst for first-pass screening (200 down to 10), then move the shortlist into their HR platform for interviews and onboarding.
How does pricing compare?
Freshteam charges per employee per month, with the rate depending on plan and recruiting-only tiers available. SiftFirst charges per candidate screened: free for 50/month, $39/month for 500, $99 for 1,500. If you hire sporadically, SiftFirst may be simpler and cheaper.