What is the difference between Greenhouse and Rippling?

Greenhouse is best for Growing companies wanting structured hiring, while Rippling is best for Companies wanting unified HR, IT, and finance management. Greenhouse starts at Custom and Rippling starts at $8/user/mo.

Is Greenhouse or Rippling cheaper?

Greenhouse starts at Custom. Rippling starts at $8/user/mo.

Greenhouse vs Rippling

Greenhouse is applicant tracking system with structured interviewing and DEI tools, while Rippling is workforce platform unifying HR, IT, and finance with automation. The biggest difference up front: Greenhouse is free, while Rippling starts at $8/user/mo. Greenhouse is built for growing companies wanting structured hiring, whereas Rippling targets companies wanting unified hr, it, and finance management.

At a glance

	Greenhouse	Rippling
Best for	Growing companies wanting structured hiring	Companies wanting unified HR, IT, and finance management
Starting price	Custom	$8/user/mo
Free tier	—	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	—
Open source	—	—
ATS	✓	—
App Management	—	✓
DEI Tools	✓	—
HR	—	✓
IT Management	—	✓
Onboarding	✓	—
Payroll	—	✓
Structured Interviews	✓	—

Greenhouse

Strengths

Includes ATS as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows
Includes Structured Interviews as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows
Focused toolset keeps the interface clean and easy to navigate
Established product with 14+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

No free tier, so you can't try it without committing to a paid plan
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in hr & recruiting
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Greenhouse → Full review

Rippling

Strengths

Includes HR as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows
Includes IT Management as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows
Affordable at $8/user/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the hr & recruiting category
Includes payroll alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

No free plan — you need to pay $8/user/mo from day one to use it
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in hr & recruiting
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Rippling → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Greenhouse is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Rippling starts at $8/user/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Greenhouse offers ATS, DEI Tools and Onboarding that Rippling lacks. Rippling brings App Management, HR and IT Management that Greenhouse does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target mid-size teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Greenhouse's biggest strengths are: includes ats as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows. includes structured interviews as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows. Rippling's biggest strengths are: includes hr as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows. includes it management as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows.

Watch out for: With Greenhouse, users commonly note that no free tier, so you can't try it without committing to a paid plan. With Rippling, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay $8/user/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Greenhouse if...

You need a tool built for growing companies wanting structured hiring
Budget is a hard constraint — Greenhouse is free, Rippling is not
You specifically need ATS and DEI Tools
You care about includes structured interviews as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows

Choose Rippling if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: companies wanting unified hr, it, and finance management
You specifically need App Management and HR
You care about includes it management as a core feature, purpose-built for hr & recruiting workflows