"Apps for recruitment" is a search that usually returns a pile of unrelated products. An ATS, a sourcing database and a sequencing tool all show up in the same list, then buyers wonder why nothing improved.
This page separates the categories, names a strong option in each, and tells you which one to buy first.
The four apps most teams actually need (in order)
1. Sourcing — if you cannot find people
Job: surface candidates who are not applying.
Examples: LinkedIn Recruiter, SeekOut, hireEZ, RealGreatDevs, AmazingHiring.
Buy this first when inbound is empty and job posts are not converting.
For engineering specifically, a code-backed index (RealGreatDevs) beats a general network when the role is technical. For mixed-function hiring, LinkedIn is still the coverage king.
2. Outreach — if people do not reply
Job: get a response from a shortlist you already have.
Examples: Gem sequences, hireEZ outbound, plain email done well.
Buy this when your list is fine and your reply rate is not. Often the fix is copy, not software — see how to email developers.
3. ATS — if the process is chaos
Job: track candidates, stages, interviews and offers.
Examples: Greenhouse, Ashby, Lever, Workable.
Buy this when you are losing people in the pipeline, double-booking interviews, or cannot answer "where is this candidate?" An ATS does not find engineers. Do not buy one hoping it will.
4. CRM — if people enter and disappear
Job: nurture, rediscover and measure conversion by source.
Examples: Gem, Teamtailor CRM features, built-in ATS CRM modules.
Buy this when sourcing works and process works, but warm candidates go cold between stages.
What not to buy yet
A full "talent intelligence platform" on day one. SeekOut-class tools are excellent and expensive. Validate that you will use the seats weekly before signing an annual deal.
Four apps before one is dialled in. Stacking Gem + SeekOut + LinkedIn + an ATS while nobody owns the workflow is how budgets vanish.
Anything that requires a six-week implementation for a two-person team. Prefer self-serve until hiring volume is durable.
A starter stack by company stage
| Stage | Practical stack |
|---|---|
| Founder, first eng hires | Free GitHub sourcing + spreadsheet + email |
| Seed / Series A, eng-heavy | Self-serve engineering sourcing + lightweight ATS |
| Multi-function team | LinkedIn Recruiter + specialist eng tool + ATS |
| Enterprise TA | SeekOut or hireEZ + Gem + full ATS, negotiated annually |
Pricing shape of the category
Sourcing and CRM tools in this space are usually annual, quote-based. Self-serve exceptions (including RealGreatDevs and some Juicebox/Gem tiers) matter for small teams precisely because you can leave.
ATS pricing is often per-employee or per-job; compare total cost over a year of planned hires, not the sticker seat price alone.
Decision in one paragraph
If you cannot name the bottleneck, do not buy an app. Find people → sourcing. Get replies → outreach or better copy. Run a clean process → ATS. Stop losing warm candidates → CRM. For engineering discovery specifically, start from the hire-developers hub or the sourcing software comparison.