The Best Recruiting Software for Startups Hiring Engineers

Hiring engineers for a startup is challenging. Competing with larger companies, tight deadlines, and finding the right technical and cultural fit can make the process overwhelming. Traditional methods like job boards or cold emails often waste time on unqualified candidates. Modern recruiting software simplifies this process by automating tasks like skill assessments, sourcing, and candidate engagement.

Here’s a breakdown of four tools designed for startups hiring engineers:

• daily.dev Recruiter: Connects with engaged developers through a double opt-in system, focusing on behavior-based insights and warm introductions. Pay only when you connect with a qualified candidate.
• Greenhouse: Offers structured hiring workflows, CRM tools, and integrations with platforms like HackerRank for coding assessments. Best for scaling teams but comes at a higher cost.
• Lever: Combines ATS and CRM features, with AI tools for screening and re-engaging candidates. Ideal for managing active and passive talent pipelines.
• HackerRank: Specializes in technical skill assessments with role-specific tests and AI-driven tools. Not a full ATS but excellent for validating engineering skills.

Each platform caters to different needs, from sourcing talent to evaluating technical skills. Choosing the right one depends on your budget, hiring volume, and whether you need an all-in-one solution or a specialized tool.

1. daily.dev Recruiter

Candidate Sourcing

daily.dev Recruiter takes a fresh approach to finding engineering talent by analyzing real-time behavior within a community of over 1 million developers from 13,000+ companies. By tracking what these engineers read, build, and engage with, the platform pinpoints active learners and identifies genuine technical interests .

The platform uses a double opt-in system. Here’s how it works: roles are privately pitched to developers within their daily.dev feed - the browser homepage they already use daily. If a developer is interested and says "yes", you get a warm introduction.

"We built a place where engineers can turn off the noise. To enter this space, you don't need a hack. You need trust."

Before making any introductions, daily.dev Recruiter automatically verifies details like time zones, locations, tech stacks, and seniority levels . Developers who express interest also answer up to three custom screening questions you set, helping filter candidates for both technical skills and alignment with your team’s culture. Recruiters often receive their first qualified candidates in just a few days, not weeks .

Once sourcing is handled, the platform’s behavioral assessments take over, ensuring candidates are a strong fit.

Skill Assessment Features

Forget traditional coding tests - daily.dev Recruiter uses automated behavioral verification to confirm expertise. With data from over 1 billion logged developer sessions, the platform evaluates what engineers are reading, coding, and following. This provides real-time insights into their current interests and skill development.

Its smart matching engine goes beyond static resumes, focusing on what developers are actively learning and working on. This ensures you’re connecting with candidates whose skills and interests match your specific needs.

Scalability for Startups

daily.dev Recruiter’s streamlined sourcing and assessment tools integrate seamlessly into your existing hiring workflows. The platform connects directly with Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, and Workable, offering two-way ATS synchronization. This means candidate profiles are updated in real time, with statuses mirrored and duplicates removed . For startups with lean teams, this creates a reliable sourcing pipeline that grows with your company - delivering high-quality candidates without the need to expand your recruiting staff.

Getting started is simple. You can post a role and begin receiving qualified candidates within days, without committing to long-term contracts . Plus, you only pay when you successfully connect with a qualified candidate, avoiding traditional placement fees or subscription costs.

Pricing and Budget Fit

daily.dev Recruiter eliminates placement fees and seat-based subscriptions. You’re only charged when you connect with a qualified candidate . With no monthly commitments or long-term contracts, the platform is a perfect fit for early-stage startups working within tight budgets.

To put it in perspective, traditional recruiting agencies often charge 15–25% of a candidate’s annual salary as a placement fee. daily.dev Recruiter’s model removes these costs while giving you access to a global pool of developers who have actively opted in to hear about your role. It’s a cost-effective way to find top talent without compromising on precision or quality.

2. Greenhouse

Candidate Sourcing

Greenhouse simplifies engineering talent sourcing with its built-in CRM and talent rediscovery tools. One standout feature is the ability to search your existing candidate database for past applicants who might now be a great fit for new roles. This is especially helpful for startups that have been hiring for a while and want to revisit candidates who didn't match earlier positions but could be perfect now .

Another key feature is the Sourcing Automation tool, which uses a Chrome extension to pull contact information from LinkedIn and GitHub directly into Greenhouse campaigns . This eliminates the need to manually transfer data, letting you quickly create targeted lists of engineering candidates. With over 10,000 companies using Greenhouse and a 98% satisfaction rating on G2, it’s clear this tool is making a difference .

What’s more, Greenhouse’s sourcing features are seamlessly integrated with its assessment tools, creating a smooth end-to-end hiring process.

Skill Assessment Features

Greenhouse offers integrations with well-known platforms like HackerRank and Codility to streamline coding assessments . With HackerRank, you can incorporate take-home coding tests or live pair-programming sessions directly into your interview plans . Recruiters can send test invitations via a simple "Send Test" link on a candidate's profile and track progress in real-time with updates like "Waiting for candidate" or "Scorecard due" .

The Codility integration brings CodeCheck, which focuses on evaluating practical problem-solving skills rather than abstract puzzles. It includes anti-cheating features such as proctoring and tasks designed to resist Generative AI tools . Codility also syncs assessment results directly with Greenhouse’s interview kits, making it easier to review candidate performance . According to Codility, its tools can accelerate the hiring process for engineers by 2.5 times .

These integrations ensure that Greenhouse not only helps you find candidates but also makes it easier to assess their skills effectively.

Scalability for Startups

Greenhouse is built to grow alongside your company, offering three plans - Core, Plus, and Pro . Startups often start with the Core plan and can upgrade to Plus or Pro as their hiring needs expand . The platform is designed to boost recruiter efficiency, with reports showing an average 36% improvement . Additionally, it provides access to over 500 pre-built integrations, allowing you to tailor your tech stack as your company scales .

Peter Tam, Talent Acquisition Enablement Manager at Ocado Group, shared: "Greenhouse has made a real difference to how we hire at Ocado Group. It's helped us simplify our recruitment processes, cutting our time-to-hire by nearly 30%."

Pricing and Budget Fit

Greenhouse uses a custom pricing model based on hiring volume and complexity, which requires a consultation with their sales team . While this approach allows for tailored solutions, it can be a drawback for early-stage startups seeking upfront pricing transparency. The platform is positioned at a higher price point compared to more entry-level ATS options , and advanced features like Sourcing Automation are only available in higher-tier plans . Additionally, using integrations like HackerRank or Codility requires separate licenses, which adds to the overall cost .

3. Lever

Candidate Sourcing

Lever combines ATS and CRM features to simplify the hiring process, from the first interaction to the final offer. Tools like LinkedIn Recruiter System Connect, Candidate Texting, and Advanced Nurture make it easier to manage candidates efficiently .

One standout feature is the AI Screening Companion, which uses targeted AI to identify top candidates and re-engage those who may have gone quiet . This is particularly useful for startups that deal with a high volume of applications.

Skill Assessment Features

While Lever doesn’t have built-in coding tests, it integrates seamlessly with platforms like Triplebyte and HackerRank . For instance, Triplebyte provides a free assessment tool that uses data from over 200,000 interviews across 1,000+ companies. It leverages machine learning to predict a candidate's performance based on their technical skills rather than just their resume .

Additionally, Lever includes tools for structured interviews, such as interview kits, scorecards, and feedback loops, enabling you to evaluate candidates against specific technical criteria . The AI Interview Companion ensures consistency and fairness in interviews, which is essential when building a strong engineering team . Keep in mind, however, that using these third-party tools requires separate licenses, which could increase costs .

Scalability for Startups

Lever offers three plans - Essential, Flexible, and Tailored - designed to grow with your startup. Most companies can implement the platform within weeks, making it a fast solution for scaling hiring efforts . The Essential plan is perfect for startups that need to quickly ramp up hiring .

The platform also includes a Visual Insights dashboard, which tracks key metrics like pipeline ROI and offer acceptance rates. These insights can help you refine and improve your hiring process .

Samantha J., Head of Talent Acquisition, said: "I really like how clean and easy the UI is – super intuitive. We didn't need much onboarding time, which helped since we had to move fast… It's become a core tool for us, we use it constantly."

Pricing and Budget Fit

Lever offers custom pricing based on your team size and hiring needs, with quotes available upon request . The cost structure is designed to grow with your organization, ensuring you only pay for the features you need at your current stage . Be sure to account for additional costs if you plan to use third-party assessment tools.

This flexible pricing approach allows you to weigh Lever’s capabilities against other tools to determine the best fit for your hiring strategy.

4. HackerRank

Skill Assessment Features

HackerRank focuses on technical assessments tailored to help startups evaluate engineering talent effectively. One standout feature is its Certified Assessments - standardized, role-specific tests crafted by subject matter experts and validated by Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. These assessments cover over 55 programming languages and more than 200 skills, offering the flexibility to test candidates for a wide range of engineering roles .

The platform also includes cutting-edge tools like the AI Interviewer, which autonomously handles first-round interviews. It adjusts question difficulty based on candidate responses and provides real-time hints . Another innovative feature, the AI-Assisted IDE, creates an interactive coding environment where interviewers can observe how candidates use modern coding tools in real time . These features have proven effective - Atlassian's campus recruiting team, for instance, used HackerRank's AI capabilities in 2025 to lower plagiarism flags from 10% to 4% across 35,000 applicants, significantly reducing review time .

"Traditionally, a plagiarism check could flag as high as 10% of applications. However, with HackerRank's AI-enabled features, this was brought down to just 4%."

• Srividya Sathyamurthy, Senior Manager, Atlassian

These advanced tools streamline the hiring process, making high-volume candidate screening more efficient and reliable.

Scalability for Startups

HackerRank is built to handle the demands of growing startups. The platform manages around 172,800 assessments daily, supports up to 1,200 concurrent sessions, and processes 150 logins per minute . It also integrates with over 40 applicant tracking systems, helping startups centralize their hiring data as they scale .

One of its key benefits is the ability to cut down on live technical interviews by more than 60%, saving engineering teams valuable time . For example, Badoo leveraged HackerRank to reduce its assessment time from 3 hours to just 1.5 hours. This improvement not only boosted candidate completion rates but also increased overall throughput .

Pricing and Budget Fit

HackerRank offers pricing plans designed to align with the needs of startups at various stages:

• Starter Plan: $165 per month (billed annually at $1,990), includes 1 user, 120 attempts per year, and access to over 2,000 questions.
• Pro Plan: $375 per month (billed annually at $4,490), includes unlimited users, 300 attempts per year, access to 4,000+ questions, AI features, and ATS integrations.

For both plans, additional attempts cost $20 each .

While the pricing structure is straightforward, startups with high hiring volumes should be mindful of potential overage fees. Despite this, HackerRank has received strong user feedback, boasting a 5.0/5 overall score on SourceForge and a 9.2/10 rating for quality of support on G2 . Features like "code playback" and "session replay" are frequently highlighted by users as invaluable for understanding candidates' problem-solving approaches .

Strengths and Weaknesses

::: @figure {Comparison of Top 4 Recruiting Software Tools for Startup Engineering Hiring}

Here’s a quick snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, helping you assess which one aligns best with your hiring needs.

Tool	Primary Strength	Primary Weakness	Best For
daily.dev Recruiter	Warm, double opt-in developer intros	Limited general (non-tech) hiring tools	Engaging passive engineering talent
Greenhouse	Structured hiring & 500+ integrations	High cost and weak reporting/analytics	Scaling teams needing process structure
Lever	Combined ATS + CRM for relationship building	Can be overwhelming for very small teams	Managing active/passive talent pipelines
HackerRank	High-quality technical skill validation	Not a full-lifecycle ATS; needs pairing	High-volume technical screening

Let’s break these down further to see how each tool stacks up.

daily.dev Recruiter focuses on connecting startups with engaged engineers through warm introductions, bypassing the inefficiency of cold outreach. However, if your hiring spans multiple departments, you’ll likely need additional tools to cover non-tech roles.

Greenhouse is a favorite for startups in rapid growth mode, offering structured hiring processes and over 500 integrations. That said, its high price tag can be a hurdle for early-stage companies, and its analytics capabilities often leave users wanting more.

Lever, with its hybrid ATS-CRM design, is highly rated (4.5/5) for managing diverse candidate pipelines, making it a great fit for startups juggling both active and passive talent. However, its feature-rich platform might feel overwhelming for smaller teams with modest hiring needs.

HackerRank excels in technical assessments, earning a solid 4.2/5 rating on G2 from over 1,200 reviews . Its ability to validate technical skills is top-notch, but it’s not a complete ATS. To manage the entire hiring lifecycle, you’ll need to pair it with another platform.

Interestingly, with 76% of developers now using ChatGPT for work , HackerRank's ability to deliver AI-resistant screening has become a major advantage. When choosing a tool, weigh these strengths against factors like your budget, hiring volume, and whether you need a comprehensive solution or something tailored to specific stages of the recruitment process.

Wrapping It Up

Picking the right recruiting software comes down to understanding your startup's current stage and hiring goals. For bootstrapped startups, affordable options can help dodge hefty enterprise fees - often between $3,600 and $72,000 a year - while still offering unlimited job postings. If your focus is on engineering talent, daily.dev Recruiter stands out with its warm, double opt-in introductions, cutting through the clutter of cold outreach and connecting you with developers who are genuinely interested.

As your team grows, tools like Greenhouse shine with their structured workflows and wide range of integrations. However, their higher cost makes them a better fit for later stages. Lever offers a balanced approach, managing both active and passive candidate pipelines across various roles. For technical screenings, HackerRank is a solid choice, especially when paired with a more robust applicant tracking system (ATS). These tools give startups the flexibility to adapt as hiring needs evolve.

The key is aligning your recruiting tools with where your startup is right now. Start small with tools that solve immediate challenges, then expand to more comprehensive platforms as hiring ramps up. With a developer-first focus, daily.dev Recruiter ensures you connect with candidates who are genuinely interested in your opportunities. By tailoring your tools to your current needs, you can streamline recruiting while keeping costs in check.

FAQs

How does daily.dev Recruiter help ensure candidates are a good cultural fit?

daily.dev Recruiter is all about building genuine connections with candidates to ensure they align well with the company’s values and environment. By using a double opt-in process, it confirms mutual interest between both parties, promoting openness and creating a trustworthy and positive experience for candidates. This approach allows recruiters to understand what drives candidates and what they value early in the hiring journey.

The platform also connects with popular developer hubs like GitHub and Stack Overflow, where candidates are already active. By evaluating their technical expertise, teamwork habits, and involvement in these communities, recruiters can gather meaningful insights into how candidates might fit within the company. This focused method helps create matches that feel natural and successful for everyone involved.

What are the cost advantages of using daily.dev Recruiter for startups hiring engineers?

Using daily.dev Recruiter can be a smart financial move for startups. Its straightforward pricing structure helps small teams plan their budgets without worrying about unexpected costs. By connecting startups with developers who are genuinely interested through a double opt-in process, it boosts response rates and cuts down on wasted time from ineffective outreach. This makes the hiring process not only faster but also more efficient.

Since the platform is tailored specifically for tech talent, startups can focus their efforts on finding skilled candidates, reducing the expenses tied to screening unqualified applicants. Plus, its developer-focused tools and seamless integrations eliminate the need for juggling multiple platforms or relying on manual processes, which further trims operational costs. In short, daily.dev Recruiter is a smart, budget-friendly way for startups to secure top-notch engineering talent.

Does daily.dev Recruiter offer tools for assessing engineering skills?

daily.dev Recruiter is designed to help startups connect with top engineering talent through AI-driven matching, community-focused connections, and tailored outreach. It’s particularly effective for finding and engaging skilled developers. However, it doesn’t currently offer built-in tools to assess technical skills.

To evaluate candidates' technical capabilities, startups can pair daily.dev Recruiter with specialized assessment platforms. This combination lets startups take advantage of daily.dev Recruiter’s sourcing and engagement strengths while relying on dedicated tools for coding tests or skill evaluations.