Hire a Recruiter

Free ATS

Free Sourcing

Pricing

Resources

← Blog

Dover vs Greenhouse: Which Is Better? (December 2025)

Dover

December 8, 2025

•

3 mins

<- Blog

When comparing Greenhouse with Dover, the real question becomes whether your team needs the enterprise-level depth and configurability of a heavyweight ATS or the simplified, startup-friendly simplicity of a modern recruiting system. Both tools help you hire, but they differ dramatically in learning curve, pricing, implementation timelines, and how much ongoing maintenance they demand from your team. Below, we break down the necessary differences (features, costs, setup, and everyday usability) between Dover vs Greenhouse so you can clearly understand which system aligns best with your hiring needs and growth stage.

TLDR:

  • Dover offers a free ATS with unlimited jobs and users, while Greenhouse’s pricing is quote-based.

  • You can start hiring on Dover immediately with no setup, versus days to weeks of configuration for Greenhouse.

  • Dover's recruiter marketplace charges by the hour (low thousands per hire) versus 20–25% of salary at agencies.

  • Dover combines a free ATS with access to vetted recruiters who work as an extension of your team.

  • Dover centralizes sourcing, outreach, and ATS workflows in one place, while Greenhouse provides a core feature set, with some specialized capabilities requiring additional modules or third-party tools.

When comparing Greenhouse with Dover, the real question becomes whether your team needs the enterprise-level depth and configurability of a heavyweight ATS or the simplified, startup-friendly simplicity of a modern recruiting system. Both tools help you hire, but they differ dramatically in learning curve, pricing, implementation timelines, and how much ongoing maintenance they demand from your team. Below, we break down the necessary differences (features, costs, setup, and everyday usability) between Dover vs Greenhouse so you can clearly understand which system aligns best with your hiring needs and growth stage.

TLDR:

  • Dover offers a free ATS with unlimited jobs and users, while Greenhouse’s pricing is quote-based.

  • You can start hiring on Dover immediately with no setup, versus days to weeks of configuration for Greenhouse.

  • Dover's recruiter marketplace charges by the hour (low thousands per hire) versus 20–25% of salary at agencies.

  • Dover combines a free ATS with access to vetted recruiters who work as an extension of your team.

  • Dover centralizes sourcing, outreach, and ATS workflows in one place, while Greenhouse provides a core feature set, with some specialized capabilities requiring additional modules or third-party tools.

What Is Greenhouse?

What Is Greenhouse?

Greenhouse is an applicant tracking system built for mid-market and enterprise companies that need structured hiring workflows. The product includes interview scheduling, candidate tracking, customizable hiring stages, and scorecard-based evaluations. Greenhouse also offers third-party integrations and AI features like interview preparation and candidate summaries for organizations managing high-volume hiring across multiple departments.

What Is Dover?

What Is Dover?

Dover is a recruiting solution that pairs a free ATS with a marketplace of vetted recruiters. The company targets early-stage and growing startups that need both software and recruiting help without the overhead of full-time hires or agency retainers.

The free ATS includes candidate tracking, AI-powered resume screening, automated interview scheduling, one-click posting to 70+ job boards, a careers page builder, and a Chrome sourcing extension. There are no limits on jobs or users.

The recruiting marketplace lets companies hire experienced recruiters by the hour. Each company gets one dedicated recruiter who handles sourcing, outreach, and pipeline building. This differs from traditional agency models where jobs get distributed to multiple recruiters at once.

Implementation and Setup Complexity

Implementation and Setup Complexity

Greenhouse offers 500+ integrations and configurable workflows for HR teams building out recruiting tech stacks. This comes with a learning curve. Users report needing dedicated HR tech resources to configure interview kits, scorecards, approval chains, and workflows. Implementation can take days to several weeks depending on team size and complexity.

Dover's ATS is ready to use immediately. You can create a job, post it to 100+ boards, and start receiving candidates on day one. No configuration needed, no training required. The interface is built for founders and small teams who need to hire now.

Setup Timeline Comparison

With Greenhouse, expect onboarding calls, admin training sessions, and workflow mapping before your team feels ready to use the system. Dover's core features work out of the box.

The right fit depends on your timeline. Greenhouse works for teams with time to invest in setup and ongoing administration. Dover works for teams that need to start hiring immediately.

Features and Functionality

Greenhouse offers structured hiring capabilities including customizable interview kits, scorecard evaluations, reporting dashboards, and candidate relationship management tools. These work well for companies with experienced recruiting teams needing detailed control over each hiring stage.

Many of these features are tier-locked. Advanced automation, enhanced reporting, and certain integrations require upgrading to higher-priced plans, so the entry-level subscription may lack the functionality you need.

Dover's free ATS includes AI-powered resume screening, one-click posting to 100+ job boards, automated scheduling and communications, a Chrome sourcing extension, a careers page builder, and an AI interview notetaker.

The Recruiter Marketplace Advantage

Dover includes access to a recruiter marketplace. When software isn't enough, you can bring in a vetted recruiter who integrates with your team and handles sourcing and outreach. This gives startups both automation and human expertise without hiring full-time or paying agency fees.

Greenhouse focuses on process depth, while Dover puts a spotlight on speed and simplicity for small teams hiring quickly.

AI and Automation Capabilities

Greenhouse added AI features in recent updates, including interview question suggestions, job description generators, and sentiment analysis tools. These features support recruiters by surfacing insights and reducing prep time. Greenhouse frames their AI as augmenting human decision-making, which fits teams with trained recruiters who want data to inform their process.

These AI capabilities are newer additions and may require higher-tier subscriptions. Teams on entry-level plans might not have full access without upgrading.

Dover builds automation into the core product. AI-powered resume screening scores and ranks every applicant based on job requirements, surfacing top candidates without manual sorting. The AI interview notetaker joins video calls, transcribes conversations, and fills out feedback forms so interviewers can focus on the conversation.

Automated communications handle interview invites, follow-ups, and status updates using customizable templates. These features are included in the free tier.

Greenhouse layers AI onto workflows designed for recruiting professionals who manage structured processes. Dover's automation lets founders and lean teams execute recruiting without dedicated HR headcount.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Greenhouse offers an integration marketplace with over 500 pre-built connections, including HRIS systems, background check providers, assessment tools, and video interviewing solutions. This breadth serves enterprises building complex recruiting tech stacks with specialized tools for each hiring function.

Many integrations require additional subscriptions from third-party vendors, adding costs beyond Greenhouse's base pricing. Some integration capabilities are restricted to higher subscription tiers.

Dover includes core integrations in the free ATS. Calendar syncing works with Google Calendar and Outlook for automated scheduling. Job board distribution covers 70+ boards without separate accounts.

The agency management portal centralizes candidate submissions and status tracking when working with external recruiters. Dover's Chrome sourcing extension pulls candidate contact information directly from LinkedIn for immediate outreach.

Integration Philosophy

Greenhouse optimizes for maximum flexibility across hundreds of tools. Dover focuses on the integrations early-stage teams use daily. The difference is breadth for complex requirements versus necessary connectivity that works out of the box.

Why Dover Is the Better Choice

Greenhouse works for mid-market and enterprise companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 per year, and time for implementation. Organizations with these resources can take advantage of the depth and customization Greenhouse offers.

For startups, Dover removes the cost barrier with a free ATS that includes AI screening, automated scheduling, and multi-board posting. You can start hiring immediately without setup complexity or training.

Dover's integrated model gives you access to experienced recruiters who work as an extension of your team. You pay hourly only when hiring, keeping cost per hire in the low thousands compared to the $25,000+ fees agencies typically charge.

Greenhouse works for mid-market and enterprise companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 per year, and time for implementation. Organizations with these resources can take advantage of the depth and customization Greenhouse offers.

For startups, Dover removes the cost barrier with a free ATS that includes AI screening, automated scheduling, and multi-board posting. You can start hiring immediately without setup complexity or training.

Dover's integrated model gives you access to experienced recruiters who work as an extension of your team. You pay hourly only when hiring, keeping cost per hire in the low thousands compared to the $25,000+ fees agencies typically charge.

Greenhouse works for mid-market and enterprise companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 per year, and time for implementation. Organizations with these resources can take advantage of the depth and customization Greenhouse offers.

For startups, Dover removes the cost barrier with a free ATS that includes AI screening, automated scheduling, and multi-board posting. You can start hiring immediately without setup complexity or training.

Dover's integrated model gives you access to experienced recruiters who work as an extension of your team. You pay hourly only when hiring, keeping cost per hire in the low thousands compared to the $25,000+ fees agencies typically charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main cost difference between Dover and Greenhouse?

Greenhouse's pricing is quote-based, starting around $6,000 to $10,000 annually and scaling beyond $25,000 based on headcount, while Dover's ATS is completely free with unlimited jobs and users. With Dover, you only pay when hiring a recruiter through the marketplace, resulting in cost per hire in the low thousands versus the 20-25% of salary (often $25,000+) that traditional agencies charge.

How quickly can I start hiring with each tool?

Dover's ATS works immediately; you can create a job, post to 100+ boards, and receive candidates on day one without configuration or training. Greenhouse requires onboarding calls, admin training, and workflow mapping that typically takes weeks before your team is ready to use the system effectively.

Can I access experienced recruiters through Dover without hiring full-time?

Yes, Dover's recruiter marketplace lets you hire vetted recruiters by the hour who work as an extension of your team. You get one dedicated recruiter who handles sourcing and outreach without long-term contracts or retainers, and you can scale support up or down as your hiring needs change.

What AI features does Dover include in the free tier?

Dover's free ATS includes AI-powered resume screening that automatically scores and ranks candidates, an AI interview notetaker that transcribes calls and fills out feedback forms, and automated communications for interview scheduling and candidate updates. All these features are available without upgrading to paid tiers.

When should a startup choose Greenhouse over Dover?

Greenhouse fits companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 annually, and time for implementation who need deep customization and 500+ integrations. Dover works better for early-stage startups that need to start hiring immediately without setup complexity, training requirements, or subscription costs.

What's the main cost difference between Dover and Greenhouse?

Greenhouse's pricing is quote-based, starting around $6,000 to $10,000 annually and scaling beyond $25,000 based on headcount, while Dover's ATS is completely free with unlimited jobs and users. With Dover, you only pay when hiring a recruiter through the marketplace, resulting in cost per hire in the low thousands versus the 20-25% of salary (often $25,000+) that traditional agencies charge.

How quickly can I start hiring with each tool?

Dover's ATS works immediately; you can create a job, post to 100+ boards, and receive candidates on day one without configuration or training. Greenhouse requires onboarding calls, admin training, and workflow mapping that typically takes weeks before your team is ready to use the system effectively.

Can I access experienced recruiters through Dover without hiring full-time?

Yes, Dover's recruiter marketplace lets you hire vetted recruiters by the hour who work as an extension of your team. You get one dedicated recruiter who handles sourcing and outreach without long-term contracts or retainers, and you can scale support up or down as your hiring needs change.

What AI features does Dover include in the free tier?

Dover's free ATS includes AI-powered resume screening that automatically scores and ranks candidates, an AI interview notetaker that transcribes calls and fills out feedback forms, and automated communications for interview scheduling and candidate updates. All these features are available without upgrading to paid tiers.

When should a startup choose Greenhouse over Dover?

Greenhouse fits companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 annually, and time for implementation who need deep customization and 500+ integrations. Dover works better for early-stage startups that need to start hiring immediately without setup complexity, training requirements, or subscription costs.

What's the main cost difference between Dover and Greenhouse?

Greenhouse's pricing is quote-based, starting around $6,000 to $10,000 annually and scaling beyond $25,000 based on headcount, while Dover's ATS is completely free with unlimited jobs and users. With Dover, you only pay when hiring a recruiter through the marketplace, resulting in cost per hire in the low thousands versus the 20-25% of salary (often $25,000+) that traditional agencies charge.

How quickly can I start hiring with each tool?

Dover's ATS works immediately; you can create a job, post to 100+ boards, and receive candidates on day one without configuration or training. Greenhouse requires onboarding calls, admin training, and workflow mapping that typically takes weeks before your team is ready to use the system effectively.

Can I access experienced recruiters through Dover without hiring full-time?

Yes, Dover's recruiter marketplace lets you hire vetted recruiters by the hour who work as an extension of your team. You get one dedicated recruiter who handles sourcing and outreach without long-term contracts or retainers, and you can scale support up or down as your hiring needs change.

What AI features does Dover include in the free tier?

Dover's free ATS includes AI-powered resume screening that automatically scores and ranks candidates, an AI interview notetaker that transcribes calls and fills out feedback forms, and automated communications for interview scheduling and candidate updates. All these features are available without upgrading to paid tiers.

When should a startup choose Greenhouse over Dover?

Greenhouse fits companies with dedicated HR teams, recruiting budgets of around $6,000 to $10,000 annually, and time for implementation who need deep customization and 500+ integrations. Dover works better for early-stage startups that need to start hiring immediately without setup complexity, training requirements, or subscription costs.

Final thoughts on selecting your recruiting software

Choosing between Dover vs Greenhouse comes down to your team’s stage, hiring velocity, and functional needs. Startups and lean teams often benefit most from Dover’s free ATS, simplified workflows, and flexible recruiter marketplace, while mid-market and enterprise organizations tend to get more value from Greenhouse’s extensive customization and structured processes. Neither tool is universally better. They’re built for different growth phases and resourcing levels, so focus on the solution that removes your hiring bottlenecks today and can scale with where your company is heading next.

Choosing between Dover vs Greenhouse comes down to your team’s stage, hiring velocity, and functional needs. Startups and lean teams often benefit most from Dover’s free ATS, simplified workflows, and flexible recruiter marketplace, while mid-market and enterprise organizations tend to get more value from Greenhouse’s extensive customization and structured processes. Neither tool is universally better. They’re built for different growth phases and resourcing levels, so focus on the solution that removes your hiring bottlenecks today and can scale with where your company is heading next.

Choosing between Dover vs Greenhouse comes down to your team’s stage, hiring velocity, and functional needs. Startups and lean teams often benefit most from Dover’s free ATS, simplified workflows, and flexible recruiter marketplace, while mid-market and enterprise organizations tend to get more value from Greenhouse’s extensive customization and structured processes. Neither tool is universally better. They’re built for different growth phases and resourcing levels, so focus on the solution that removes your hiring bottlenecks today and can scale with where your company is heading next.

Table of contents

What Is Greenhouse?

What Is Greenhouse?

What Is Greenhouse?

What Is Dover?

What Is Dover?

What Is Dover?

Implementation and Setup Complexity

Implementation and Setup Complexity

Implementation and Setup Complexity

Features and Functionality

Features and Functionality

Features and Functionality

AI and Automation Capabilities

AI and Automation Capabilities

AI and Automation Capabilities

Integrations and Ecosystem

Integrations and Ecosystem

Integrations and Ecosystem

Why Dover Is the Better Choice

Why Dover Is the Better Choice

Why Dover Is the Better Choice

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Final thoughts on selecting your recruiting software

Final thoughts on selecting your recruiting software

Final thoughts on selecting your recruiting software

Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

Access Marketplace

Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

Access Marketplace

Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

Access Marketplace