Quick Answer
Last verified:
High confidence

Lever costs $5K to $140K per year as of March 2026, with 2 plans available. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Lever offers 2 pricing tiers: LeverTRM, LeverTRM for Enterprise. The LeverTRM for Enterprise plan is large enterprises (500+ employees) needing advanced analytics, custom workflows, dedicated support, and enterprise-grade security.

Compared to other ai recruiting software, Lever is positioned at the premium price point.

    0
  • Average negotiated discount: 12%
  • 4 documented hidden costs beyond list price
  • Contracts auto-renew — More than 27 days before renewal (but users report this is not honored)

How much does Lever cost?

Lever pricing starts at $5000/year across 2 plans, with enterprise pricing available on request. Plans include LeverTRM (custom pricing), LeverTRM for Enterprise (custom pricing).

Lever Pricing Overview

Lever has 2 pricing plans ranging from $5,000 to $140,000/year. The LeverTRM plan requires contacting sales for a custom quote and is designed for small-to-mid sized companies (50-500 employees) needing combined ats + crm for candidate sourcing and pipeline management. The LeverTRM for Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for a custom quote and is designed for large enterprises (500+ employees) needing advanced analytics, custom workflows, dedicated support, and enterprise-grade security.

Lever contracts auto-renew, with a 1 year minimum commitment, and annual price increases of No published schedule.

There are at least 4 documented hidden costs beyond Lever's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in January 28, 2026 from 5 independent sources.

Lever is an applicant tracking system (ATS) combined with candidate relationship management (CRM) software, designed for companies that prioritize candidate sourcing, pipeline building, and relationship nurturing. Unlike traditional ATS tools focused solely on managing applications, Lever integrates CRM features to help recruiting teams proactively source candidates, build talent pools, and engage prospects before they apply. It is used by companies like Netflix, Atlassian, and KPMG.

Pricing starts around $5,000-$15,000/year for LeverTRM (small-to-mid sized companies 50-500 employees) and scales to $40,000-$140,000/year for Enterprise plans (500-1,000+ employees). Lever does not publish pricing online; all plans require custom quotes based on company headcount, not active recruiting users. Pricing is highly negotiable, with median negotiated prices 34-66% lower than list pricing.

A critical consideration: Lever's base pricing excludes implementation ($5,000-$25,000, negotiable), add-on modules like Advanced Analytics ($9,000-$16,000/year for 500 employees), and custom integrations. Total cost of ownership is typically 20-30% higher than base ATS pricing. Additionally, Lever requires annual contracts with no month-to-month options, and early termination fees apply. Always negotiate pricing and implementation fees to avoid paying list prices.

In this 2026 pricing guide, we break down Lever's two tiers (LeverTRM and LeverTRM for Enterprise), estimate real-world negotiated costs for different company sizes, expose hidden fees like add-on modules and implementation, and compare Lever to alternatives like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workable to help you determine if Lever is the right ATS + CRM for your recruiting needs.

How Lever Pricing Compares

Compare Lever pricing against top alternatives in AI Recruiting.

All Lever Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
LeverTRM Users: Based on company headcountAdvanced analytics: Limited Contact Sales Contact Sales Small-to-mid sized companies (50-500 employees) needing combined ATS + CRM for candidate sourcing and pipeline management
LeverTRM for Enterprise Users: Based on company headcountSupport: Dedicated customer success manager Contact Sales Contact Sales Large enterprises (500+ employees) needing advanced analytics, custom workflows, dedicated support, and enterprise-grade security
View all features by plan

LeverTRM

  • Applicant tracking system (ATS)
  • Candidate relationship management (CRM)
  • Unlimited job postings
  • Customizable career pages
  • Candidate sourcing and pipeline management
  • Interview scheduling and feedback
  • Email templates and automation
  • Mobile app (iOS and Android)
  • Basic reporting and analytics
  • EEOC compliance reporting
  • Standard integrations (email, calendar, job boards)

LeverTRM for Enterprise

  • All LeverTRM features
  • Advanced analytics and reporting dashboards
  • Custom approval workflows
  • Advanced candidate engagement (nurture campaigns)
  • Advanced integrations (HRIS, background checks, assessments)
  • API access and webhooks
  • Employee referral management
  • Diversity and inclusion analytics
  • Advanced security (SSO, SAML)
  • Dedicated customer success manager
  • Custom SLA and priority support
  • Advanced training and onboarding

Compare Lever vs Alternatives

Before committing to Lever, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

All Lever alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Lever

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Review scores
Top pricing complaints
Poor customer support - slow response times and unhelpful solutionsSystem outages and broken integrations causing lockoutsLimited reporting capabilities requiring manual spreadsheet workSearch functionality nearly unusable without third-party tools
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 0 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.

Lever Year 1 Total Cost by Company Size

Real deployment costs including licenses, implementation, training, and admin — not just the sticker price.

100-Person Startup with Growing Recruiting Team $8,000 Year 1 total
negotiated
Total $8,000

A 100-employee startup hiring 20-30 roles/year with a 3-person recruiting team. Needs ATS + CRM for candidate sourcing and pipeline management.

500-Person Mid-Market Company $36,000 Year 1 total
list $72,000
Total $36,000

A 500-employee company hiring 50-80 roles/year with a 10-person recruiting team. Needs advanced analytics, HRIS integrations, and diversity reporting.

1,000-Person Enterprise with High-Volume Hiring $63,000 Year 1 total
list $144,000
Total $63,000

A 1,000-employee enterprise hiring 150+ roles/year with a 20-person recruiting and TA operations team. Needs dedicated support, SSO, and custom workflows.

How Lever Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Lever $5000/year $140000/year
Ashby $400/month $400/month
Greenhouse $6000/year $70000/year
HireVue $35000/year $175000/year
iCIMS $15000/year $200000/year
Phenom $120000/year $600000/year

Detailed pricing comparisons:

4 Lever Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Lever has at least 4 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 4 hidden costs
  • Third-party tools required for core functionality 15-25% of license costs
    high 1 source
    TrustRadius "searching for candidates in Lever is very painful without a 3rd party tool"
  • Manual reporting and data work 10-20% of staff time
    medium 2 sources
    Trustpilot "Customer support told me 'we can't do that you will need to cut and paste on a spread sheet then do it manually'"
    TrustRadius "reporting is pretty basic"
  • System outages and broken integrations $5,000-$15,000
    critical 2 sources
    Trustpilot "We migrated from Gsuit to Microsoft and every system was locked out, every person including my self, it took 3 weeks for them to fix"
    Trustpilot "Our Head of engineering is locked out for over 2 month, it took us 1 month to get them to show up to a call"
  • Bot mitigation not included in core product $3,000-$8,000
    high 1 source
    Trustpilot "Bot applications flooding our system (a basic security issue that should be core functionality in 2026)...Lever's solution was to try to upsell us on paid add-ons rather than fix the core product we're already paying for"
Tip

Ask your Lever sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 4 independent sources
TrustRadius Enterprise reviews Trustpilot Consumer reviews Vendr Verified buyer transactions Hacker News Tech community
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 12 source citations total.

Lever Contract Terms

Lever contracts auto-renew and cannot be downgraded mid-term. Changes require More than 27 days before renewal (but users report this is not honored). These terms are sourced from verified buyer experiences.

Contract Terms
Auto-Renewal Yes
Cancellation Notice More than 27 days before renewal (but users report this is not honored)
Minimum Commitment 1 year
Mid-Term Downgrade Not allowed
Payment Terms Annual upfront typical for ATS contracts
Price Escalation No published schedule
Note

No evidence of flexibility in contract modifications

Based on 1 verified source

How to Negotiate Lever Pricing

Lever contracts are negotiable — buyers save an average of 12% off list price. These 4 tactics are sourced from real buyer experiences and procurement specialists.

Negotiation Playbook 4 tactics
Leverage 12% average discount benchmark high success

Vendr data shows buyers save an average of 12% on Lever contracts. Use this as a baseline when negotiating - if you're not getting at least 12% off list pricing, you're paying more than average.

Vendr marketplace data
Compare to competitor pricing medium success

General ATS pricing for 10 open requisitions runs around $300/month or $3,600/year. Lever's pricing starts at $12,000/year for LeverTRM, so highlight this premium when negotiating. Greenhouse and other competitors may offer better value.

Hacker News discussion citing typical ATS pricing at $300/mo for 10 reqs
Push back on upsells for core functionality medium success

Lever attempts to upsell add-ons for features that should be core functionality (like bot mitigation). Make it clear you expect these as part of the base product, not paid extras.

User reporting upsell attempts for bot mitigation
Negotiate flexible cancellation terms medium success

Given multiple complaints about auto-renewal being enforced despite cancellation notices, explicitly negotiate cancellation terms upfront and get them in writing with specific notice periods.

Multiple TrustPilot reviews about auto-renewal issues

Full negotiation guide →

Price History

Track how Lever pricing has changed over time.

Feb 2026
Lever price increase
Highest tier increased from $99 to $140000/month
+141314.14% price change
Feb 2026
Lever tier restructure
Changed from 3 to 2 pricing tiers
📈 Price increased 141314.1% over 2.0 years
🔔 Get notified when Lever changes their pricing

Lever Pricing FAQ

01 How much does Lever ATS cost?

Lever ATS costs $3,500-$140,000/year depending on company size and negotiation. Small companies (50-200 employees) typically pay $5,000-$15,000/year for LeverTRM. Mid-sized companies (200-500 employees) pay $15,000-$40,000/year. Enterprises (500-1,000+ employees) pay $40,000-$140,000/year for Enterprise plans. Pricing is custom-quoted based on headcount, not published online. Median negotiated prices are 34-66% lower than list pricing.

02 Is Lever ATS free?

No, Lever does not offer a free plan or free trial. Pricing starts around $5,000/year for small companies. For permanent free ATS options, consider Workable Free (10 active jobs), Freshteam Free (unlimited jobs, 50 candidates), or Recruiterflow Free (100 candidates/month).

03 What is Lever ATS?

Lever (now part of Employ Inc.) is an applicant tracking system (ATS) combined with candidate relationship management (CRM) software. It helps companies post jobs, source candidates, manage pipelines, schedule interviews, and analyze recruiting metrics. Lever emphasizes candidate nurturing, pipeline building, and sourcing capabilities. It is used by companies like Netflix, Atlassian, and KPMG.

04 Lever vs Greenhouse: which is better?

Lever and Greenhouse are similar in pricing ($5K-$140K/year) and features, both targeting mid-market to enterprise. Lever emphasizes candidate relationship management (CRM) and sourcing; Greenhouse emphasizes structured hiring and diversity analytics. Choose Lever if you prioritize CRM, sourcing, and pipeline building. Choose Greenhouse for structured interviews, compliance, and diversity reporting.

05 Lever vs Ashby: which should I choose?

Lever is more established with extensive integrations and enterprise features; Ashby is newer, faster, and more affordable for small-to-mid size teams. Lever costs $5,000-$140,000/year; Ashby starts around $300-$400/month ($3,600-$4,800/year). Choose Lever for enterprise scale, CRM, and integrations. Choose Ashby for modern UI, speed, built-in analytics, and lower cost (for teams under 500 employees).

06 What is LeverTRM?

LeverTRM is Lever's base product tier combining applicant tracking (ATS) and candidate relationship management (CRM). It includes job posting, candidate sourcing, pipeline management, interview scheduling, and basic analytics. LeverTRM is designed for small-to-mid sized companies (50-500 employees) and costs $5,000-$40,000/year depending on company size.

07 What is LeverTRM for Enterprise?

LeverTRM for Enterprise is Lever's premium tier for large companies (500+ employees) requiring advanced analytics, custom workflows, API access, SSO, and dedicated support. It costs $40,000-$140,000/year depending on company size and negotiation. Enterprise tier includes Advanced Analytics, Diversity Analytics, and a dedicated customer success manager.

08 Does Lever integrate with HRIS systems?

Yes, Lever integrates with major HRIS systems including Workday, BambooHR, Namely, ADP, Gusto, and Rippling. LeverTRM includes standard integrations; Enterprise tier includes advanced integrations and API access. Some custom HRIS integrations may require middleware like Zapier, Workato, or custom API development.

09 Can I negotiate Lever pricing?

Yes, Lever pricing is highly negotiable. According to Vendr data, companies achieve 34-66% discounts off list pricing. A 500-employee company pays ~$72,114 list price but negotiates to ~$36,778 median (49% discount). Professional services implementation ($15,000-$25,000 list) can be negotiated to $5,000-$8,000 or included free with annual contracts over $40,000.

10 What hidden costs exist with Lever?

Hidden costs include: implementation fees ($5,000-$25,000, negotiable), add-on modules like Advanced Analytics ($9,000-$16,000/year for 500 employees), Email Lookups (~$3,000/year), Diversity Analytics (~$2,500/year), user training and change management ($1,500-$3,000 initial + $750-$1,125/month ongoing), and annual contract requirements. Always negotiate pricing and implementation fees.

11 Does Lever have hidden costs beyond the license fee?

Yes. Users report needing third-party tools to make Lever's search functionality usable, adding 15-25% to costs. Additionally, broken integrations and system outages can require significant support resources. One user's head of engineering was locked out for over 2 months. Bot mitigation is not included in the base product and requires paid add-ons.

12 Can I cancel my Lever contract easily?

No. Multiple users report that Lever enforces auto-renewal even when cancellation notice is provided in writing with more than 27 days advance notice. One reviewer stated Lever was 'refusing to provide any flexibility' despite proper notice. This should be explicitly negotiated upfront in your contract.

13 Is Lever suitable for enterprise companies?

Based on user feedback, no. Despite offering a 'LeverTRM for Enterprise' plan at $50,000/year, users report it's 'definitely not an enterprise tool.' One reviewer stated 'Lever is good for tiny companies but definitely not an enterprise tool' citing issues with basic functionality like HTML emails, poor candidate search, and inadequate support for complex recruitment needs.

14 How is Lever's customer support?

Customer support is consistently cited as a major weakness. Users report slow response times (4-7 days for critical issues), support pointing to generic documentation articles instead of solving problems, and prolonged lockouts. One user experienced a 3-week system lockout during an email migration. Multiple reviewers describe support as 'terrible' and 'disappointing.'

Is this pricing incorrect? — we verify and update within 24 hours.