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ApplicantStack vs Gustav Comparison

Last updated:

ApplicantStack

4.5(1,969 reviews)

Starting at Contact for pricing

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

ApplicantStack is an ATS and onboarding platform for small to mid-size companies that need to manage the full recruiting pipeline — from multi-board job posting to multi-stage candidate tracking and paperless onboarding…

Gustav

5.0(4 reviews)

Starting at $149 /Month

  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

Gustav is an innovative staffing software specifically designed to save staffing agencies, over the road trucking companies and industrial staffing firms THOUSANDS of dollars in wasted recruiting costs by leveraging data…

Gustav leads on user satisfaction with a 5.0-star rating across 4 reviews.

ApplicantStack vs Gustav — at a glance

FeatureApplicantStackGustav
Rating4.5 / 55.0 / 5
Reviews1,9694
Starting priceContact for pricing$149 /Month
Free trial Yes No
Free version No No
Best forLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small BusinessLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business
CategoryApplicant Tracking System (ATS)Staffing Software
PlatformsSaaS/Web/CloudSaaS/Web/Cloud
APIAvailable
Support modesBusiness Hours, OnlineOnline
CertificationsGDPR
Data residencyUSUS

Key differences between ApplicantStack and Gustav

  • Pricing: Gustav starts at $149 /Month. ApplicantStack pricing is not publicly listed.
  • Free trial: ApplicantStack offers a free trial; Gustav does not.
  • User satisfaction: Gustav scores higher with a 5.0-star average.
  • Deployment: ApplicantStack supports SaaS/Web/Cloud; Gustav supports SaaS/Web/Cloud.

ApplicantStack vs Gustav — find the better fit before you commit.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Applicant Tracking System (ATS) tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

ApplicantStack
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Gustav - Staffing Software
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Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

ApplicantStack

Best for

Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business

Gustav

Best for staffing and trucking firms seeking data-driven cost reduction.

Choose if
  • You operate a staffing agency or trucking company with 51+ employees.
  • You need to reduce recruiting costs through detailed data capture and analytics.
  • You want to track field performance to improve operational efficiency.
Consider alternatives if
  • Your company is outside staffing or trucking industries.
  • You have a small team without dedicated recruiting or operations roles.

ApplicantStack typically suits Large Enterprises and Medium Business. Gustav tends to fit Large Enterprises and Medium Business better. The right choice depends on your team size, workflow, and whether a free trial matters.

Description

ApplicantStack is an ATS and onboarding platform for small to mid-size companies that need to manage the full recruiting pipeline — from multi-board job posting to multi-stage candidate ... Read More about ApplicantStack

Gustav is an innovative staffing software specifically designed to save staffing agencies, over the road trucking companies and industrial staffing firms THOUSANDS of dollars in wasted ... Read More about Gustav

Entry Level Pricing

  • Not Available
  • Starts from $149 , Billed Yearly

Free Trial Availability

  • No free trial

SpotScore

What's this? ↗

8.9/10

Not Available

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

Best Company Size

10 – 500 employees
51-500 employees500+ employees
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Where each option fits best

See where each product is strongest, which teams it fits, and what causes buyers to keep looking — before you commit.

Based on buyer reviews and verified product data collected by Spotsaas.

Strengths

Key strengths

ApplicantStack

  • Cost-Effective ATS & HR Suite for SMBs: ApplicantStack offers a solid suite of recruiting and HR tools at a competitive price, making it a strong value proposition for small to medium-sized companies looking to digitize hiring and HR operations.
  • All-in-One HR Features Including Time and Attendance: Beyond applicant tracking, the platform includes built-in HR tools like performance tracking and attendance, letting users manage the full employee lifecycle in one platform.
  • Ease of Use and Quick Implementation: The platform is designed for simplicity, allowing HR teams to onboard quickly with minimal training. Pre-built templates and reports help accelerate usage right from the start.

Gustav

No key benefits available yet.

Best fit

Best fit

ApplicantStack

  • 10 – 500 employees
  • Healthcare, Education, Retail, Nonprofits, Manufacturing, Hospitality
  • HR Generalists, Talent Acquisition Managers, Office Administrators, Hiring Coordinators, Small Business Owners

Gustav

No best-fit guidance available yet.

Watchouts

Reasons buyers look elsewhere

ApplicantStack

  • While suitable for small to mid-sized businesses, larger companies may find ApplicantStack’s customization options for workflows, forms, and reports less robust than enterprise-grade ATS platforms.
  • The platform provides functional design, but may not offer the sleek, user-friendly interface found in newer ATS systems like Greenhouse or Lever, especially for tech-savvy recruiting teams.
  • Unlike AI-first platforms (e.g., iSmartRecruit or SeekOut), ApplicantStack lacks native artificial intelligence tools for predictive analytics, smart resume parsing, or automated candidate ranking.

Gustav

No alternatives guidance available yet.

Software Demo

Demo

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Step 1 of 4

How big is your team?

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How do ApplicantStack and Gustav Compare on Features?

Total Features

11 Features

4 Features

Unique Features

No unique features

No unique features

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Get Quote

Compare ApplicantStack and Gustav on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

      Starting From

      • Not Available
      • $149 , Billed Yearly

      Pricing Plans

      • Not Available
      • Starter

        • Unlimited users

        • Unlimited vendors

        • 5 jobs/month

        Show more +

      • Pro

        • Unlimited users

        • Unlimited vendors

        • Up to 25 jobs/month

        Show more +

      • Enterprises

        • Unlimited users Unlimited vendors Custom jobs count

        • Includes the features of the Pro plan, plus

        • Custom reports

        Show more +

      Pricing Page

      ApplicantStack pricing
      Gustav pricing

      Other Details

      Organization Types supported

      • Freelancers
      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Individuals
      • Freelancers
      • Large Enterprises
      • Medium Business
      • Small Business
      • Individuals

      Platforms Supported

      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Mobile - Android
      • Mobile - iOS
      • Installed - Windows
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Browser Based (Cloud)
      • Mobile - Android
      • Mobile - iOS
      • Installed - Windows
      • Browser Based (Cloud)

      Modes of support

      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online
      • 24/7 (Live rep)
      • Business Hours
      • Online

      API Support

      • Available
      • Not Available
      Get help choosing
      Get help choosing

      Security & Compliance

      Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

      HIPAA

      ✗ No
      ✗ No

      GDPR

      ✓ Yes

      Single Sign-On (SSO)

      ✓ Yes

      Data Encryption

      ✓ Yes

      Data Residency

      🇺🇸 US
      🇺🇸 US

      ApplicantStack User Reviews & Rating Comparison

      User Ratings

      Rating Distribution

      425

      215

      45

      11

      3

      2

      0

      0

      0

      0

      Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

      Buyer sentiment

      Buyer sentiment is very strong across 699 reviews, with consistently positive feedback.

      What buyers like

      • Organizes all recruitment and onboarding stages in one platform, reducing time spent on manual coordination.
      • Interface is accessible for non-technical users and supports faster team adoption.
      • Posts jobs to multiple boards and tracks applicants from multiple sources.

      Common complaints

      • UI looks slightly outdated compared to newer ATS platforms.
      • Some customizations require account manager assistance or hit built-in limitations.
      • Report generation is slow or inconsistent when applying specific criteria.

      Buyer sentiment

      Users express strong satisfaction with Gustav's ability to reduce recruiting costs and improve operational efficiency, though limited reviews suggest cautious optimism.

      What buyers like

      • Cost savings
      • Data-driven decision making
      • Performance tracking

      Common complaints

      • Pricing transparency
      • Limited user feedback

      Pros and Cons

      • Streamlines recruitment and onboarding processes, saving time and enhancing efficiency by organizing all stages in one platform.

      • User-friendly interface that's intuitive even for non-technical users, aiding faster adoption.

      • Facilitates easy job posting to multiple job boards and tracking applicants from multiple sources.

      • Some users find the system's user interface slightly outdated or not as visually appealing.

      • Customization features often require assistance from account managers or may have certain limitations.

      • Significant reduction in recruiting costs

      • Data capture and analytics to improve staffing efficiency

      • Tracking of field performance for better operational insights

      • Limited publicly available pricing information

      • Small number of user reviews limits insight into long-term reliability

      Positive Reviews

      No reviews available for the product

      No reviews available for the product

      Used ApplicantStack or Gustav? Tell buyers what actually differs.

      Media and Screenshots

      Videos

      video-0

      1 Videos

      video-0

      2 Videos

      Top Alternatives to ApplicantStack and Gustav in 2026

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      Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

      Frequently asked questions

      Which is better, ApplicantStack or Gustav?
      Gustav edges out the other on user ratings (5.0 vs 4.5). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
      Do ApplicantStack and Gustav offer a free trial?
      ApplicantStack offers a free trial. Gustav does not.
      What is the starting price of ApplicantStack vs Gustav?
      ApplicantStack starts at Contact for pricing. Gustav starts at $149 /Month.
      What are the top alternatives to ApplicantStack?
      Top alternatives to ApplicantStack include RecruitBPM, JobScore, Manatal, Recruiterflow, Jobtoolz.
      What are the top alternatives to Gustav?
      Top alternatives to Gustav include monday.com, CleverStaff, Recruit CRM, iSmartRecruit, Recruiterflow.