Comparison
Custom ATS vs Bullhorn: rent forever, or own it once.
Bullhorn charges $99 to $199 per user, per month, indefinitely. A custom ATS costs $25,000 to $50,000 one time and the code, the database, and the data are yours. Here is the honest math.
The Math
5-year cost for a small recruiting firm.
Bullhorn range assumes 3 to 8 seats at published per-user rates. Custom range is TrustedHire's fixed build fee.
| Bullhorn | Custom ATS | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $6,000 – $20,000 | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| Year 2 | $6,000 – $20,000 | $0 |
| Year 3 | $6,000 – $20,000 | $0 |
| Year 4 | $6,000 – $20,000 | $0 |
| Year 5 | $6,000 – $20,000 | $0 |
| 5-year total | $30,000 – $100,000 | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| At the end | You own nothing | You own everything |
Beyond Cost
What changes when you own the system.
You own the code and data
No, you rent it
Yes, always
Built around your workflow
You adapt to theirs
It adapts to you
Per-seat pricing
$99 – $199/user/month
Unlimited users, $0
AI resume parsing
Paid add-on
Included
Client portal
Limited, extra cost
Included, branded
Custom reports
Constrained by platform
Anything you want
Data if you leave
Export and lose structure
It is your database
Feature requests
Roadmap votes
Just ask, it gets built
Bullhorn details reflect published pricing and commonly reported plans. Verify current pricing with Bullhorn directly.
Your Bullhorn data moves with you.
Candidates, contacts, jobs, notes, resumes, and activity history. Migrations under 5,000 records are included free with a build. See the live TrustedHire ATS, the same system we run daily, in the interactive demo.
FAQ
Common questions.
How much does Bullhorn actually cost per year?
Bullhorn pricing is typically $99 to $199 per user per month depending on edition, which lands most small recruiting firms at $6,000 to $20,000 per year. Add-ons like AI features, VMS integrations, and analytics cost extra. Over five years a five-person firm commonly spends $30,000 to $100,000 and owns nothing at the end.
How much does a custom ATS cost compared to Bullhorn?
A custom ATS from TrustedHire costs $25,000 to $50,000 one time, delivered in 6 to 10 weeks. There are no per-seat fees and no annual license. Most firms recoup the build cost in 12 to 18 months of avoided Bullhorn fees, and everything after that is savings.
Can I migrate my Bullhorn data to a custom ATS?
Yes. TrustedHire includes full data migration: candidates, contacts, jobs, notes, resumes, and activity history. Migrations under 5,000 records are included free. Larger or more complex migrations run $3,500 to $15,000 depending on volume and custom objects.
What does a custom ATS include that Bullhorn does not?
Because it is built for your firm specifically: your exact pipeline stages, a branded client portal, AI resume parsing tuned to your roles, calendar booking, email sequences, a browser extension for LinkedIn sourcing, and custom reports. There is no feature you have to work around and no roadmap you have to wait on.
Who maintains a custom ATS after launch?
You choose. Many clients run it themselves after a training handoff since there is nothing to license. TrustedHire also offers support retainers from $1,500 to $3,500 per month covering hosting, monitoring, new features, and integrations.