Kit vs Workable: Focused hiring vs all-in-one HR.
Workable is an all-in-one HR platform combining ATS and HRIS for mid-market companies. Kit is a focused hiring platform for startups who just need to hire great people.
Who should choose what?
Choose Kit if you're:
- Startup with 5-50 people hiring occasionally (5-10 hires per year)
- Want a tool focused purely on hiring, not HR admin
- Don't need time clocks, payroll prep, or performance reviews
- Looking for AI-native simplicity (not feature overload)
- Prefer transparent per-seat pricing over tiered plans with add-ons
Choose Workable if you're:
- Mid-market company (50-200 employees) hiring regularly (20+ per year)
- Need to replace both your ATS and your HRIS in one platform
- Require employee management (time tracking, payroll prep, performance reviews)
- Have dedicated HR generalist managing multiple HR workflows
- Want 400M profile database for active sourcing
- Need mobile time clock for hourly/field workers
What makes Workable special
Workable is famous for three things: massive sourcing reach, all-in-one HR platform, and mid-market focus.
400M Profile Database + 200+ Job Boards
Workable has a proprietary 400 million profile database searchable with Boolean logic—like LinkedIn Recruiter but included. Plus, every job you post automatically syndicates to 200+ job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, niche boards, social media). Write once, publish everywhere.
Why this matters: Most startups can't afford LinkedIn Recruiter ($8k/year). Workable bundles sourcing and distribution at a fraction of the cost.
ATS → HRIS Unified Employee Record
When you hire someone in Workable, they don't disappear—the candidate record seamlessly transitions into an employee profile. Same system handles onboarding, PTO tracking, time clock, performance reviews, and payroll prep. It's an all-in-one HR platform, not just hiring.
Why this matters: Mid-market companies (50-200 employees) need both ATS and HRIS. Workable eliminates the need for two separate systems like Greenhouse + BambooHR.
Mobile Time Clock & Field Workforce
Workable includes a mobile time clock with geolocation. Hourly or field employees clock in/out from their phones, and the system enforces that they're physically at the worksite. It tracks PTO accruals, generates payroll-ready reports, and manages attendance policies.
Why this matters: If you have retail, warehouse, or field staff, you need time tracking. Workable handles it natively—no separate Homebase or Deputy subscription.
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 Workable has capabilities Kit lacks.
Full HRIS Platform
Workable includes employee records, time tracking, payroll prep, performance reviews, and PTO management. Kit is hiring-only—no post-hire HR admin.
Will we add this? Unlikely. We focus on hiring excellence, not becoming an HR platform. Use BambooHR or Rippling for HRIS.
400M Profile Sourcing Database
Workable has a built-in 400 million profile database (like LinkedIn Recruiter) for active sourcing with Boolean search. Kit has basic talent pool and resume extraction.
Will we add this? Partially. We'll improve sourcing but won't build a 400M profile database. Use LinkedIn for active sourcing.
200+ Job Board Syndication
Workable automatically syndicates jobs to 200+ job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, niche boards, social media). Kit has focused distribution to major boards.
Will we add this? Selectively. We prioritize quality channels over quantity. Most startups don't need 200 boards.
Mobile Time Clock & Attendance
Workable has geofenced mobile time clock for hourly workers, PTO accrual tracking, and attendance reporting. Kit has none of this.
Will we add this? No. This is HRIS functionality outside our hiring focus.
Tiered Premium Add-Ons
Workable sells premium features as add-ons (Video Interviews +$99/mo, Texting +$79/mo) or bundled in Premier tier. Kit includes all hiring features in base price.
Will we add this? N/A. We prefer transparent all-inclusive pricing over tiered upsells.
Philosophy differences
These tools reflect different worldviews about how hiring should work.
Kit: Focused, AI-first hiring
Startups need to hire great people fast, not manage complex HR workflows. Kit is laser-focused on hiring—from job post to offer letter. No time clocks, no payroll prep, no feature bloat. Just excellent hiring tools that work out of the box. Let dedicated HRIS tools handle post-hire admin.
Workable: Unified HR operating system
Workable believes mid-market companies need one platform for all people operations. By combining recruiting and core HR in a single system, they eliminate data silos between 'candidate' and 'employee'. If you're managing 100+ employees and need HR admin tools, this unification makes sense.
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
Workable
$149-599/month base + add-ons
Starter: ~$149/mo | Standard: ~$299/mo | Premier: ~$599/mo
- Tiered plans (Starter/Standard/Premier)
- Add-ons for video/texting/assessments
- Bundle in Premier
- HRIS features in all plans
- Scales by employee count
Workable's pricing is tiered by employee count and feature set. For hiring-only needs, Kit is significantly cheaper ($6-12/seat vs $149-599/mo). But if you need both ATS and HRIS and would otherwise buy two separate tools, Workable's bundling might be cost-neutral.
Switching from Workable?
You'll love Kit if:
- Only need hiring tools, already have separate HRIS (BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto)
- Overwhelmed by Workable's HR admin features you don't use
- Small team (5-50 people) with occasional hiring needs
- Want AI-first simplicity over feature breadth
Stay with Workable if:
- Rely on integrated time tracking and payroll prep features
- Use the 400M profile database for active sourcing weekly
- Need mobile time clock for hourly/field workers
- Have 100+ employees requiring full HR platform
- Already consolidated ATS + HRIS workflows in Workable
Data portability: Workable has robust CSV export for candidate and employee data. Kit imports CSVs. Migration takes 1-2 weeks for historical data.
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.