Yardstick review
A free ATS with structured hiring workflows, AI assistance, scheduling, and talent tools.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Yardstick is a cloud applicant tracking system for employers and hiring teams that want a structured workflow from application intake through hiring decisions. Its free plan includes a core ATS workflow, candidate pipeline management, AI-assisted interview planning, scorecards and evaluations, calendar coordination, and a hosted job site. The product also supports talent pools, outreach sequences, application review against employer-defined criteria, and structured evaluation evidence, making it a fit for teams that want more consistency than an informal hiring process.
Pricing is organized around hiring activity. The Free plan is a flat $0 monthly and includes the core workflow and foundational hiring features. Core costs $49 per month plus an open-role charge and includes calendar coordination with no seat tax for interviewers or hiring managers. Scale costs $149 per month plus a lower open-role charge, adding everything in Core along with unlimited hiring-manager and interviewer collaboration. Enterprise adds SSO/SAML and SCIM, advanced audit logs and security review, custom data retention, custom integrations and workflows, and dedicated support or a shared Slack channel. Teams should compare the recurring base fee with the number of open roles they expect to manage.
Yardstick’s standout capability is its combination of structured evaluation and human-reviewed AI assistance. AI can draft interview plans and scorecards, evaluate applications using employer-defined criteria, and prepare operational actions while team members retain decision control. The hosted job site supports inbound applications, while distribution options include Google Jobs, ZipRecruiter, Careerjet, Talent.com, and Jooble. Calendly and Cal.com support scheduling, and the public API, CLI, and MCP access suit teams building connected workflows. Choose Yardstick for structured hiring with a usable free entry point; consider alternatives if broad integrations or a vendor-held SOC 2 certification are priorities.
Questions about Yardstick
Does Yardstick have a free plan? Yes, there is a free plan; paid plans start at $49/mo (Core).
How much does Yardstick cost? Yardstick lists 2 paid plans; the lowest is Core at $49/mo.
What does Yardstick run on? Web. It runs in the cloud.
What does Yardstick integrate with? 10 integrations, including Calendly, Cal.com, Google Jobs, ZipRecruiter and Careerjet.
Who is Yardstick built for? Small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises (our editorial estimate).
Yardstick pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free plan includes pipelines, scorecards, scheduling, and a hosted job site
- AI drafts interview plans and scorecards while teams retain decision control
- Talent pools, outreach sequences, API, CLI, and MCP access support broader workflows
- Where it doesn't
- Paid plans add charges for open roles
- Several integrations remain limited
- Yardstick does not hold its own SOC 2 certification
Yardstick fact sheet, pricing and score →
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