Lever review (2026): features, pros and cons, and what to check before you buy
Combined ATS and recruiting CRM from Employ, sold on quote-only pricing with AI screening and interview summaries.
Our take for buyers
Lever is a combined ATS and recruiting CRM sold on quote-only pricing by Employ Inc., which acquired it in August 2022 and also owns Jobvite and JazzHR. It is still sold under the Lever brand. Employ bought Pillar, an AI interview intelligence company, in March 2025, and bundles that direction into the Lever line. G2 shows 4.3 from 2,102 reviews.
Reviewers like the well-organized candidate management and recruiter time saved through automation. They criticize complicated pausing and moving of candidates, limits on support and customization, and integration issues. The vendor lists SOC 2 Type II in its pricing FAQ. Shortlist Lever if you want ATS and CRM together, and check SSO and SCIM carefully before you sign anything.
Pros
- Well-organized candidate management.
- Automation saves recruiter time.
Cons
- Pausing or moving candidates can feel complicated.
- Customer support and customization limits, plus integration issues.
- Best for
- Teams that want ATS and sourcing CRM in one tool.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- G2 rating
- 4.3 (2,102 reviews)
What is Lever?
Combined ATS and recruiting CRM from Employ, sold on quote-only pricing with AI screening and interview summaries. Recruiting teams that want sourcing and tracking in one system, particularly those already in the Employ family, should request a quote. No SCIM provisioning is reported on any plan. Ask how candidate moves and pauses work, as reviewers call them fiddly.
Category: Applicant Tracking Systems
Lever key features
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Resume parsing and screening | AI screening included in core platform per vendor. |
| Pricing model and real cost | Quote only; scales with team size and hiring needs; add-ons quoted separately. |
| Target company size | Positioned by third-party research as the 'scalable hiring' tier in Employ's lineup (mid-size) |
Lever plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Platform | Contact sales | ATS plus CRM, reporting, AI screening, AI interview transcripts and summaries |
Pricing page: price scales with team size and hiring needs. Add-ons listed without prices: Candidate Insights, AI Screening by VONQ, Onboarding.
Who should shortlist Lever
A strong fit for
- Teams that want ATS and sourcing CRM in one tool.
- Mid-size companies already in the Employ family (Jobvite, JazzHR) looking for a step-up tier.
A weak fit for
- Buyers who need published pricing.
- Teams that need native SCIM provisioning (none reported on any plan)
Lever alternatives
GreenhouseMid-size and enterprise teams that want structured interviews, scorecards and deep integrations.
AshbyStartups up to 100 employees wanting one published monthly price.
SmartRecruitersHigh-volume and mid-market to enterprise hiring.
iCIMSLarge employers with complex high-volume hiring.
WorkableSmall and mid-size teams that want a published price and a 15-day trial.
BambooHRSmall and mid-size US companies that want HRIS first and light recruiting in the same system.
Security, admin and compliance
The vendor's pricing FAQ lists SOC 2 Type II. ISO 27001 appears in a third-party source with conflicting information. A third-party guide says SAML SSO is Enterprise only and must be enabled through Lever Support, and that SCIM is not offered natively, with a connector from Aquera as the route. Treat both as unconfirmed. Audit logs and a DPA are not published. Data residency is unclear: one directory lists US and EU on AWS and others list US only.
- SAML SSO
- Enterprise only (third-party source, unconfirmed)
- SCIM provisioning
- Not offered natively (third-party source)
- Data residency
- Unconfirmed: one directory lists US and EU on AWS, others list US only.
- Certifications
- SOC 2 Type II (vendor pricing FAQ), ISO 27001 (third-party, conflicting)
Contract and buying terms
- Implementation
- Vendor FAQ: most customers fully implemented within weeks.
- Starting price
- Contact sales.
- Pricing model
- Custom.
- Free plan or trial
- No.
What to test in a Lever demo or trial
Run a real requisition through the ATS and CRM, including sourcing, moving candidates between stages and pausing a candidate, since reviewers find that complicated. Test the AI screening and the AI interview transcripts and summaries on actual interviews. List your must-have integrations and test them, because reviewers report integration issues. Ask support how customization limits affect your workflow. The vendor says most customers are fully implemented within weeks, so ask for a timeline tied to your own setup and a reference customer.
Questions to ask Lever before you sign
These are the points Lever's public pages leave open. Get the answers in writing before procurement signs off.
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Can we sign your standard DPA without changes?
- Is there a monthly option, and what are the cancellation and renewal terms?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Things to know before a demo
- Owned by Employ Inc. (with Jobvite and JazzHR) since 2022; G2 lists Employ as the vendor.
- Third-party guide says SAML SSO is Enterprise only and must be enabled via Lever Support; treat as unconfirmed.
- No native SCIM on any plan per the same third-party guide (a connector from Aquera is the described route).
- Vendor says most customers are fully implemented within weeks.
- Employ bought Pillar (AI interview intelligence) in March 2025 and bundles that direction into the Lever line.
Head-to-head comparisons
Lever FAQ
What is Lever used for?
Recruiting teams that want sourcing and tracking in one system, particularly those already in the Employ family, should request a quote. No SCIM provisioning is reported on any plan. Ask how candidate moves and pauses work, as reviewers call them fiddly. It suits teams that want ATS and sourcing CRM in one tool.
Does Lever support SAML SSO?
A third-party guide says SAML SSO is Enterprise only and enabled through Lever Support. The vendor has not confirmed it, so ask.
Does Lever support SCIM?
Not natively, according to a third-party guide, which describes a connector from Aquera as the route. Confirm with the vendor.
What security certifications does Lever list?
Its pricing FAQ lists SOC 2 Type II. ISO 27001 appears in a third-party source with conflicting information.
Vendor profile
- Funding or owner
- Acquired by Employ Inc. (announced 2022-08-05)
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Lever's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.