If Firefish feels like too much software (or too much money) for a 1 to 20 person agency, the main alternatives are Giig, Bullhorn, Recruit CRM, Manatal, Zoho Recruit and Vincere. Giig and Zoho Recruit are the only two with a free plan, and Giig is the only one with a free plan, no contract and prices in pounds on its website. If you run a big temp desk, look hard at Bullhorn or stay where you are.
A Firefish alternative is any recruitment CRM and ATS that does the same core job (candidates, clients, jobs, pipelines, job posting) but suits a different size, budget or way of working.
Full disclosure: we build Giig, so yes, we’re on this list. I ran an agency for years before that, so I’ve tried to be fair to everyone else on it, Firefish included.
Yes, for the right agency. Firefish is a UK recruitment CRM built for agencies doing perm, contract and temp, and its reviewers rate the support highly. On Capterra, the recurring praise is that it’s easy to learn and that you get a real person on the phone when something breaks. The recurring complaint is reporting, with several users saying standard reports need a custom build.
Where it suits you:
Small agencies usually leave Firefish over price and fit, not because it’s bad. These are the three reasons that come up most:
None of that’s a criticism. It’s just built for a bigger, broader agency than a lot of the people reading this.
Prices are per user per month, as shown on each supplier’s own pricing page on 2 November 2026. Check them again before you sign anything, because they change.
| Software | Price per user per month | Free plan | Contract | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giig | £0 (1 user), then £14.99, £45 or £59 + VAT | Yes, free forever for 1 user | Monthly, cancel anytime | Solo recruiters and small UK perm agencies on a budget |
| Bullhorn | Starter £80, Core £120, Pro and Max on quote (ex VAT) | No (no free trial either) | Not stated on the page | Agencies with big temp or contract desks planning to grow |
| Recruit CRM | $95, $135 or $215 | No (30 day trial) | Not stated on the page | Agencies that want a polished CRM and don’t mind US dollar pricing |
| Manatal | $19, $39 or $59 monthly ($15, $35 or $55 billed yearly) | No (14 day trial) | Monthly or yearly | Cheap, simple ATS with good AI matching |
| Zoho Recruit | Free, then $30, $60 or $90 per recruiter | Yes, with limited customisation | Not stated on the page | Agencies already using Zoho for everything else |
| Vincere | Bespoke quote | No | Quote | Mid-sized agencies wanting an all-in-one with back office |
Giig is a recruitment CRM and ATS in one, built for agencies of 1 to 20 people. It’s free forever for one user, and the paid plans are monthly with no contract.
What you get: unlimited candidates, CVs, jobs and clients on every plan, including free. Email integration, job, business development and interview pipelines, perm and temp workflows and a free careers page. Plus (£45) adds CV formatting, custom fields, custom pipelines, tasks, bulk email and the LinkedIn Chrome extension. Giig AI (£59) adds a direct connection to Claude through our Claude MCP for recruitment CRM, so you can ask Claude to find candidates and add them to a shortlist.
Pros
Cons
Bullhorn is the big name in staffing software, and it’s the closest like-for-like if you’re leaving Firefish because of a heavy temp or contract desk. The UK small agency page lists Starter at £80 and Core at £120 per user per month, with Pro and Max on custom pricing. All prices exclude VAT.
Pros
Cons
Recruit CRM is a well-liked agency CRM with a clean interface, an AI sourcing tool and an MCP connection for AI assistants on its higher plans. Its pricing page shows Pro at $95, Business at $135 and Enterprise at $215 per user per month, with a “save up to 17%” toggle.
Pros
Cons
Manatal is one of the cheapest paid options, with a simple ATS and AI candidate recommendations. Professional is $19 per user per month on monthly billing, or $15 billed yearly. Enterprise is $39 ($35 yearly) and Enterprise Plus $59 ($55 yearly).
Pros
Cons
Zoho Recruit’s Staffing Agency edition has a free plan, then Standard at $30, Professional at $60 and Enterprise at $90 per recruiter per month. Only Professional and Enterprise allow unlimited records.
Pros
Cons
Vincere (now Access Vincere Evo, part of The Access Group) is an all-in-one recruitment platform with CRM, job posting and back office. There’s no price list. Its pricing page says plans are bespoke, and you get a quote within one business day.
Pros
Cons
Firefish doesn’t publish its prices. Its pricing page lets you pick Core, Scale or Enterprise and a number of recruiters, then asks you to book a demo. The FAQ says pricing is “usually shaped around your agency’s users, workflows and selected package”, and that data migration and support are included. Add-on modules start at £150 each. Older per-user prices still float around on review sites, but they’re not dated, so I wouldn’t rely on them.
Yes. Giig is free forever for one user, with unlimited candidates, jobs and clients and no credit card. Zoho Recruit also has a free plan, but with limited customisation and record limits. Most others (Bullhorn, Recruit CRM, Manatal, Vincere) offer a trial or a demo, not a free plan. If you’re a solo recruiter, have a look at our free recruitment CRM.
Choose by the desk you run and the budget you’ve got, not the longest feature list.
| If you are… | Look at |
|---|---|
| A solo recruiter or 2 to 5 person perm agency | Giig, Manatal |
| Already on Zoho for finance or sales | Zoho Recruit |
| Running a heavy temp or contract desk | Bullhorn, or stay on Firefish Enterprise |
| Wanting AI that works inside your CRM | Giig AI or Recruit CRM Business |
| A growing agency wanting back office in one place | Vincere |
Then do three things before you switch:
For a wider look at what a small agency actually needs, read what is the best CRM for small agencies, and you can compare every Giig plan on our pricing page.
It depends on your desk. For small UK perm agencies on a budget, Giig is the cheapest way in, free for one user and £14.99 to £59 per user per month after that, with no contract. For heavy temp or contract work, Bullhorn is the closest like-for-like. For agencies already running Zoho, Zoho Recruit makes sense.
Firefish doesn’t publish a per-user price. You choose a package (Core, Scale or Enterprise) and your number of recruiters on its pricing page, then book a demo for a quote. Add-on modules such as the website or hiring manager portal start at £150 per module. Ask for the full annual cost, including add-ons, in writing.
Yes. Giig has a free forever plan for one user with unlimited candidates, CVs, jobs and clients, and no credit card. Zoho Recruit also has a free plan, with limited customisation. Bullhorn, Recruit CRM, Manatal and Vincere offer trials or demos rather than a free plan.
Both are serious systems for agencies with contract and temp desks. Bullhorn publishes UK starting prices (Starter £80, Core £120 per user per month ex VAT) and has a bigger integration marketplace. Firefish keeps prices behind a demo but gets strong reviews for UK support. For a small perm-only agency, both may be more than you need.
Firefish is UK-built with deep contract and temp workflows and quote-based pricing. Recruit CRM publishes per-user prices in US dollars ($95, $135 or $215 per user per month), has a 30 day trial, and offers MCP for Claude and ChatGPT on Business and above. Recruit CRM suits perm agencies that want a modern interface and AI features.
Usually, yes, but check your contract first. Ask Firefish for a full export of candidates, contacts, companies, notes and CVs, and check what format it comes in. Most CRMs, including Giig, import CSV files. Do it before your notice period ends so you’re not left without access to your own data.
Not always. Giig and Manatal both offer monthly billing, and Giig has no contract at all, so you can cancel anytime. Some suppliers sell yearly plans or quote-based contracts with a minimum term. Always ask about the minimum term, notice period and data export before you sign.
If Giig sounds like the right fit, start for free. No credit card, and if it’s not for you, you can leave with your data.
