# Apps for Recruitment: Sourcing, ATS, CRM — Which Do You Need?

> Apps for recruitment explained by category — sourcing, ATS, CRM and outreach — so you buy the tool that matches the problem instead of a bloated suite.

- Canonical: https://www.realgreatdevs.com/blog/apps-for-recruitment
- Target query: apps for recruitment
- Funnel: bottom
- Published: 2026-08-06
- Tags: recruiting tools, ATS, buying guide

"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](/hire-developers)) 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](/guides/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](/hire-developers) or the [sourcing software comparison](/blog/best-candidate-sourcing-software).