Kit vs Greenhouse: Enterprise scale vs startup speed.
Greenhouse is an enterprise governance platform built for companies hiring hundreds per year. Kit is a focused platform for startups hiring their first 10 employees.
Who should choose what?
Choose Kit if you're:
- A startup with 5-50 people hiring occasionally (not constantly)
- Want to start hiring in hours, not weeks
- Don't need training manuals or onboarding consultants
- Looking for AI-native tooling (MCP built-in)
- Prefer included features over endless integrations
Choose Greenhouse if you're:
- Hiring 50+ people per year with dedicated recruiters
- Need enterprise compliance (GDPR, SOC 2 + SOC 1, multi-region)
- Require 400+ integrations (HRIS Link, assessment tools, background checks)
- Want to enforce Structured Hiring methodology company-wide
- Have recruiting ops team to manage complex workflows
- Need BI connector for Tableau/Snowflake integration
What makes Greenhouse special
Greenhouse is famous for three things: structured hiring methodology, enterprise compliance, and governance.
Scorecard-Driven Evaluation
Before you see a single resume, Greenhouse forces you to define what success looks like through Scorecards. Each interviewer gets 2-3 specific 'focus attributes' to assess, preventing halo bias and ensuring every competency gets evaluated. It's not optional—it's how the system works.
Why this matters: Structured hiring reduces bias by 50% and improves quality of hire. It also creates defensible hiring data if you ever face an EEOC audit.
HRIS Link Middleware
HRIS Link is specialized middleware that translates between Greenhouse and enterprise HRIS systems like Workday. When Finance approves a position in Workday, it auto-creates the requisition in Greenhouse. When you hire someone, their data flows back to create the employee record—no IT team needed.
Why this matters: Enterprises with Workday or ADP can't afford manual data entry. HRIS Link eliminates it entirely.
MyGreenhouse Candidate Portal
Candidates log into MyGreenhouse to see their application status in real-time ('Under Review,' 'Interview Scheduled'). They can update their resume, self-schedule interviews, and even flag one application per month as their 'Dream Job' to signal high intent.
Why this matters: The 'black hole' experience kills your employer brand. Greenhouse fixes it by giving candidates visibility and control.
What Kit does well
Four areas where Kit's startup focus makes a difference.
AI-Native with MCP
Built from day one for AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini). Model Context Protocol integration isn't bolted on—it's foundational.
Your AI can manage your entire hiring pipeline through natural conversation. No copy-pasting between tools.
Zero-Friction Candidate Experience
Magic links eliminate account creation. Candidates click once and they're in. No passwords, no friction.
3x higher completion rates. Candidates actually finish what they start.
Scheduling Built-In
Interview scheduling is included, not an add-on. No Calendly or ModernLoop subscription needed.
Everything in one place. AI knows your calendar. Candidates book through their portal.
Role-Specific Workflows
GitHub repos for devs, portfolio reviews for designers, video recordings for remote roles. Each role gets the right evaluation.
Candidates aren't forced through generic forms. They show their work the way they actually work.
What Kit doesn't have
We're transparent about where Greenhouse has capabilities Kit lacks.
400+ Integrations
Greenhouse has HRIS Link middleware (Workday, ADP), 100+ assessment tools, 50+ background check providers. Kit has ~5 integrations.
Will we add this? Selectively. We prioritize core workflows over integration counts.
Structured Hiring Enforcement
Greenhouse enforces Scorecards, mandatory interview kits, and calibration reports. Kit has flexible workflows without enforcement.
Will we add this? Partially. We support structure but don't enforce it.
Enterprise Reporting & BI
Greenhouse has 40+ essential reports, custom report builder, and BI connector for Tableau/Snowflake. Kit has pre-built dashboards.
Will we add this? Unlikely. Startups don't need Tableau integration.
Multi-Tier Access Control
Greenhouse has granular RBAC (site admins, job admins, hiring managers, coordinators). Kit has basic team permissions.
Will we add this? If needed. We'll add as customers grow.
HRIS Link Middleware
Greenhouse's HRIS Link automates Workday/ADP sync bidirectionally. Kit requires CSV import/export.
Will we add this? Maybe. Depends on customer demand for enterprise HRIS.
Philosophy differences
These tools reflect different worldviews about how hiring should work.
Kit: Fast, flexible, AI-first
Startups hire sporadically—a few times a year, not every week. The software should reflect that. Get started in an hour, not a month. Let AI handle the busywork. No training manuals, no onboarding consultants, no 6-week rollout plans.
Greenhouse: Structured, governed, scalable
Greenhouse believes in 'Structured Hiring': define attributes upfront, enforce process discipline, generate compliance-grade data. Built for recruiting teams hiring at constant velocity with dedicated recruiting operations professionals.
Pricing reality check
Kit
$6-12/seat/month
Starter: $6/seat | Growth: $12/seat
- Everything included
- Unlimited applications
- Scheduling built-in
- AI integration
- Magic links
Greenhouse
Not publicly disclosed (estimated $6,000-50,000/year)
- Core/Plus/Pro tiers
- Enterprise-negotiated pricing
- Volume-based discounts
- Add-on costs for integrations
- Implementation fees typical
Greenhouse pricing is complex and enterprise-negotiated. If you're a Series A startup, Kit is significantly cheaper. If you're hiring 200+ people per year, Greenhouse's depth may justify the cost.
Switching from Greenhouse?
You'll love Kit if:
- Overwhelmed by Greenhouse's setup complexity
- Don't use 90% of Greenhouse features
- Don't have a dedicated recruiting ops team
- Want AI that actually helps (not just reports)
Stay with Greenhouse if:
- Rely on HRIS Link for Workday integration
- Need structured hiring enforcement (Scorecards mandatory)
- Have 100+ hires per year
- Require SOC 1 Type 2 for enterprise sales
Data portability: Greenhouse has excellent CSV export. Kit imports CSVs. Migration takes 1-2 weeks.
Try Kit free for 14 days.
No credit card required. If it's not the right fit, that's okay—at least you'll know.
Still not sure? Email us at [email protected] and we'll help you decide.