--- title: "Top Echelon Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Top Echelon the right Recruiting Agency solution for you? Explore 515 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/84093/Top-Echelon/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Top Echelon 4.6 (515) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 24th, 2026 # Reviews of Top Echelon Ease of use 4.5 Customer Service 4.7 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews BS Brian S Director of RecruitingStaffing and Recruiting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “How easy it is to access information re: candidates, clients and prospects and the efficiency of entering notes in the system as I am interviewing candidates.“ April 9, 2025 TS Thomas S Sr Technical RecruiterChemicals, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “the person who supplies the candidate has little to no rights. If a client decides to eliminate a candidate during the guarantee period if the Client affiliate has a bad contract the person who supplied the candidate just has to live with a poor contract and pay back the money earned“ December 5, 2023 IS Isabel Lina S PresidentStaffing and Recruiting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The comprehensive candidate database and powerful search capabilities have enabled us to quickly identify qualified candidates that align with our clients' needs and requirements.“ May 10, 2024 AG Arwen G PartnerInformation Technology and Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “nothing really comes to mind. If I had to pick one I dont like that when you add a candidate to the system there is another step to add them to a hotlist.“ December 11, 2023 IS Isabel Lina S PresidentStaffing and Recruiting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “As a boutique family-owned business specializing in HR, Accounting/Finance, Ops, Tech, and Sr. Administration, we have found Top Echelon to be an invaluable tool that has significantly enhanced our recruiting processes.“ May 10, 2024 SE Steve E Managing PartnerTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I can't tell for what the candidates experience is for me jobs and that message I do send never get answered.“ May 24, 2024 JL John L RecruiterStaffing and Recruiting, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Very intuitive, fast and easy maneuvering around the database, tagging companies and candidates, the planner and reminders are great as well as the mass email capabilities and tracking emails.“ April 25, 2024 GK Gary K President and Managing DirectorStaffing and Recruiting, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Resume search does not have functionality to disqualify "tags"“ April 29, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 515 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Ivonne C. Managing Partner HR Business Solutions Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A stellar ATS Software for Recruiting Firms" December 29, 2021 5.0 We were looking for an ATS to have complete visibility, customization, and tracking of candidates and clients in our recruiting process in the most effective and effortless ways possible. Pros The features, customization, and dashboards are excellent. BB did a great job creating software crafted by and for Recruiting Agencies. All the functionalities are centered on providing you data visibility and opportunities to manage and grow your pipelines and business. BB continuously is upgrading features. The deployment and integration are easy. Cons So, far I have not found anything. A cool feature to add could be integration to schedule interviews, video interviewing tools, and resume reviews with hiring leaders. Reason for choosing Top Echelon For all the above, and additionally, because pricing, support, training, and community are outstanding with easy deployment. Review Source GK Gary K. President and Managing Director Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Running my Desk with Top Echelon" April 29, 2024 5.0 I have been very happy with Top Echelon. Customer service, support and training are top notch. The leadership is accessible and is there when you want advise on how to make the most out of using the platform. Pros Ease of set up, use and management. Very user friendly, especially in configuring to our needs. Cons Resume search does not have functionality to disqualify "tags" Switched from [TargetRecruit](https://www.capterra.com/p/81922/TargetRecruit/) To gain access to the network of recruiters and share jobs / candidates Review Source FR Frank R. President Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "New Platform is Extremely Difficult to Navigate " October 20, 2020 3.0 The only reason I'm still with Big Biller is, despite the awkward, and user unfriendly interface in the new platform, moving to another service is out of the question during this Covid-19 pandemic where business is down 30%. Our bandwidth, as a small company, for non revenue generating projects has to be kept to a minimum. The customer support is great but software layout and design should be intuitive and not require so many calls to support to begin with. I remain hopefully BB will work out the kinks. I pay $15,000 a year for Linkedin Recruiter so money is not the deciding factor, ease of use is. Originally Big Biller had the friendliest customer support and simple layout and that was the deciding factor. Not cost alone Pros Great customer support and easy to reach by phone or online chat. Cons The new version of Big biller has set me back 20 years in my productivity. I actually go out of my way to use Outlook and avoid the new BB cumbersome, user-unfriendly interfacte. The 'running man" (we call him 'burning man' icon offers no clue as to what menu lies underneath. The 'hot list' icon looks like a poop emoji and I had to have someone explain this to me. Too many lengthy menus that open, vanish, disappear, are difficult to find once they are minimized, etc. I'm advanced with computers and can design basic code and find this new platform roll out very dissapointing. Reason for choosing Top Echelon Simple to use (original version). Friendly, responsive support Review Source SE Steve E. Managing Partner Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "How to Maximize TEN service" May 24, 2024 4.0 I have no way to search for candidates listed from other recruiting companies' jobs. That is what pinched me on doing porfitable business. I jsut retired from my company but the last 1 1/2 years were tough, Pros I learned to hard way that just posting jobs on TEN is only part of the solution. Results from recruiter company initially high but the quality of candidates was low as they just hand the candidate apply to the job and sent to me. Have figured out how to do candidate searches for other recruiters who have posted jobs. Cons The searchers for candidates from the other recruiters doesn't work. I can't tell for what the candidates experience is for me jobs and that message I do send never get answered. Switched from [LinkedIn Recruiter](https://www.capterra.com/p/234965/LinkedIn-Recruiter/) Too expensive after they were bought out by a bigger company. Review Source JB James B. Managing Director Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best bang for the buck!!" August 22, 2023 5.0 Pros Price and performance - I get all the functionality and features that was paying almost triple for with another software service, but with better customer service. Integration and set up was extremely easy and they offer a very reasonable rate for the data transfer. Job board integration to my company's website was better than my previous service, as well as multiple free job posting features to social media and select job board websites. Cons No real "cons" at the moment as they are pushing out new features and improvements on an almost monthly basis. Maybe have a tab on for "hotlists" to make it easier to go straight there when sourcing for specific jobs. Alternatives considered [Zoho CRM](https://www.capterra.com/p/155928/Zoho-CRM/)[CATS](https://www.capterra.com/p/45814/CATS/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon Price, functionality, set up & integration, and platform's look & feel Switched from [Bullhorn](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/) Price and better customer service....even though I'm a one person operation currently. Review Source RM Roland M. Director of Sales and Recruiting Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Top Echelon is a great platform for For agency recruiters and executive search consultants" May 8, 2024 5.0 As I stated, I really like this platform. It is by Recruiters for Recruiters and it shows! Pros •A Very strong ATS •A fully functioning CRM •Great Sourcing Tools and Job Posting abilities •Strong Reporting tools •Great Careers Page addon •Texting and SMS abilities •Email tracking •Social Network Integrations •Google Chrome add-on •A.I. Job Description writing tools •Stellar Support and Training •A VERY DOABLE PRICE POINT!!! Cons I really don't have any issues with this platform. Maybe one day the ability to scroll right and left to go back and forth in open profiles on a list....It is possible for applicants for individual job posts. Switched from [Zoho One](https://www.capterra.com/p/166175/Zoho-One/) Better support and better price point along with better functionality~! Review Source MA Marlaine A. Managing Principal Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Top Echelon User Review" May 8, 2024 5.0 The experience with Top Echelon is over quite a number of years, 5 days/week and 6-8 hours on the system. There have been a few times something went down or there was a glitch, but they addressed it right away and we all moved on. Pros I like Top Echelon for the ease of use, that they are always adding more value to the platform in how to source, how to contact candidates or clients, ease of posting jobs, add on to get the jobs out on other job sites, multiple ways to go about a task, quick and efficient customer service people who always have the answer, training resources, and webinars to help me be better at my job. Cons I do not have any issues with Top Echelon. Alternatives considered [Bullhorn](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon Liked Top Exhelon better. I also had Hire Desk as a system, but it is no longer in business. Review Source MB Margaret B. CEO Human Resources Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Strongly Recommend Top Echelon - Cost Effective and Easy to Implement" May 1, 2024 5.0 I used Top Echelon/Big Biller years ago when I started out as an independent recruiter. Their product was the most cost effective, customizable, multi function product then and now. I would not think of using another product as an independent recruiter. Pros I absolutely love that I can manage my full desk, job postings, candidate tracking, client tracking all in one place. The customer service is wonderful, you can customize fields, and they offer a split network program that allows you to collaborate with trusted partners. Cons The only con I have is that I did not implement the product sooner. Reason for choosing Top Echelon I chose Top Echelon because I knew the quality of the product, because there is an option to join a split network, because the setup and integration with my web page was seamless and painless. The customer support is a huge plus. Switched from [ICIMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/93248/iCIMS-Recruit/) I opened my own business and knew the product. Review Source LV Lisa V. President Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Top Echelon works well" April 26, 2024 5.0 We have had a great experience with the software and responsive team. My new employees use the trainings and find them simple to understand. If they have a questions, support is quick to respond with and email or phone call. Pros It’s provides everything we need at a reasonable price point! Cons The reports need a little improvement and they are working on that. Anytime there is a con, TE is on it. They pay attention! Many of the little tweaks we suggested over the years were implemented quickly! They listen!!! Alternatives considered [Bullhorn](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/)[SmartSearch](https://www.capterra.com/p/78549/SmartSearch/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon I had used Smartsearch which is a good system. They all provide about the same service. Top Echelon was cost effective and has worked well for us. We are also part of the TE network which we like. Switched from [SmartSearch](https://www.capterra.com/p/78549/SmartSearch/) Smartseach was much more expensive. We Review Source BK Bill K. President Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Benefits of Big Biller " April 26, 2024 5.0 Love it. The support teams within Top Echelon are world class and they constantly work on improving the software for it's members. The database itself is very user friendly and can be manipulated to fit your agencies way of doing things specifically. I expect to be using Big Biller for a very long time!! Pros The ease of use with Big Biller software and how it can interact with other agencies databases is just a great feature. They are constantly upgrading and adding features to the software as well. I can access this database from a wide variety of devices allowing me to always have my database with me. It's ability to track and save past emails / resume submissions with clients and candidates is really important as well. Cons My only negative (if you can call it that) is that there are really no features to help enter clients into the databse. In my industry (specifically) new companies are popping up all the time. It would be nice to be able to compare companies via a resume and have a new company automatically entered in some way. This feature was available at one time. Alternatives considered [Bullhorn](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon I liked the support team with TE as well as getting extremely strong referrals from other recruiters I highly respect within the industry. Review Source AG Arwen G. Partner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great experience" December 11, 2023 5.0 its been a great experience. the team has been great to work with Pros We wanted to get access to the TE Network. Also Big biller is easy to use Cons nothing really comes to mind. If I had to pick one I dont like that when you add a candidate to the system there is another step to add them to a hotlist. I would prefer you could do that in one step. Alternatives considered [Loxo](https://www.capterra.com/p/165046/Loxo/)[Crelate](https://www.capterra.com/p/133064/Crelate-Talent/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon ease of use. easy to move around in the database and easy to link various acitivies Switched from [Crelate](https://www.capterra.com/p/133064/Crelate-Talent/) We wanted to get access to the TE Network. Also Big biller is easy to use Review Source DM Darrell M. Owner Management Consulting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An Excellent Value" December 17, 2021 5.0 Excellent. I used another well-known platform previously and was disappointed. Big Biller is a valuable tool. Pros The team at BB/Top Echelon is always trying to improve functionality and add new features. Data added to the platform is easily customizable and retrievable. Reports help track recruiter performance. Cons I don't use the email features because the graphics seem basic and I like to use advanced tracking. Switched from [PCRecruiter](https://www.capterra.com/p/143770/PCRecruiter/) PC Recruiter was more expensive and the company did not demonstrate dedication to the user experience. They offer a huge amount of bells and whistles that weren't of value to me. Review Source SG Stephen G. Recruiter Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Recruiter Daily User" May 7, 2024 5.0 Great support, multiple options for training, start up and on-going. Best product I've seen for the money. Pros ease of installation and use, resume parsing and searching Cons ability to view resumes, print is small and no option to view full page that's readable. Switched from [Bullhorn](https://www.capterra.com/p/140531/Bullhorn-Recruiting-Software/)[TalentLMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/132935/TalentLMS/) Cost and customize for our use in Recruiting plus scalability. - with another agency that was larger and multi-recruiting focuses Review Source DH Don H. President Renewables & Environment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great recruiting business software at an affordable price" March 25, 2025 5.0 My overall experience with TE has been excellent. Customer support is always very responsive, knowledgeable, and thorough. Pros I have been using BB since 2008 and have always appreciated its simplicity and customization options. I have also tried other CRMs, and nothing compares. Cons Very few complaints. Always looking for more automation and integration options. Would really appreciate a mobile app to make it easier when I am traveling. Alternatives considered [Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/) Reason for choosing Top Echelon Simplicity, cost. and ability to customize Review Source MS Michelle S. Recruiter Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Top Echelon is the BEST!" April 9, 2025 5.0 I went to the First training Conference being brand new in this business and have been impressed with the overall comraderie and again assistance when needed from \[sensitive content hidden\] Pros The support from the corporate staff and team. Also the recruiting partners are helpful in sharing tips and ideas. Cons Learning the program as a beginner. No fault of TE , just a learning curve on my end. Review Source KD Kostas D. President Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A robust ATS/CRM that provides easy functionality at a great price point." August 17, 2023 5.0 I don't have anything negative to say. The experience thus far has been positive. Still learning new things, and I'm sure I haven't fully utilized all its functionality and capabilities yet. Pros The product is very easy to use. Has great functionality both as a ATS and CRM. Excellent technical support that is local in the USA. Top Echelon also adds great value for your money by providing Webinars on a regular basis on various topics that is pertinent to running a successful business.The other big plus is having the Network (Forum) which allows you to collaborate with other recruiters and agencies and work on split deals. Cons Not sure if Top Echelon offers this but it would be nice if you could conduct more automated campaigns to attract new candidates and new clients through the platform. Reason for choosing Top Echelon I chose Top Echelon because of price point, availability of technical support, and functionality and ease of use.Other products I explored were: PC Recruiter, Crelate, Manatal, Bullhorn, Job Adder, and Zoom Info. Review Source WY William Y. President Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Pick the Big Biller features that match your business - they're all good!" January 20, 2022 5.0 I'm in a niche recruiting business which results in many of the same candidates becoming available at the end of projects, so candidates may be considered several times in a relatively short time period. Big Biller's combination of quick delivery of essential information to the screen PLUS providing history made parsing candidate lists much less effort than other tracking systems, and more than once saved us from making a costly candidate proposal error of candidate and employer. The cost was a major consideration but also made easy when compared to similar product - the Cost/Benefit advantage of using BigBiller is quickly apparent. We stopped using BigBiller when our niche narrowed further, but if we return to a more general recruiting practice, I believe we'll simply return to BB without any delay past sign-up. Pros Big Biller's pricing to track candidates intelligently + offer features we MIGHT use made them the best choice of the many candidates we considered. Cons Needs to have a better tutorial to get full use of the rich array of features offered. Reason for choosing Top Echelon Cost + Features Review Source HC Heidi C. Acquisitions Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best CRM" December 21, 2021 5.0 I have been working with BB for at least 5 years now and find it the best CRM out there. When I went from Restaurant Mgmt recruitment to the Mortgage Buying industry, I did a lot of research into other CRM's and found BB to be the best for what we needed. Pros Allowing all our business clients to be in one online format is very useful for us. I had previous experience with Big Biller and realized we could easily use this CRM for our Mortgage buying business. Cons The only complaint I have is the last time Big Biller updated the program, I had to link my email account ISP and have as of yet been unable to do so. Because of this, I am no longer able to send emails directly from my Big Biller account. I know I need to make a call to resolve this, just have not had the time to do so yet. Reason for choosing Top Echelon Because of my familiarity with BB and looking into other CRM's that appeared to be too confusing. Review Source JR Jim R. President Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A highly satisfied customer. " August 16, 2022 5.0 Outstanding!!! Pros It’s easy to use, is regularly updated to improve user efficiency, is highly dependable and always available, can be easily accessed when I travel and is reasonably priced. Technical support, though seldom needed, is responsive and excellent. Cons I have no complaints or concerns. I’ve used ATS software/systems for over 25 years and Top Echelon is clearly the best ATS I’ve used, by far. Review Source JD January D. Executive Recruiter Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Chose ATS for two companies" May 3, 2024 5.0 Pros Customer service and ease of set up to work with company website. Cons Keeps getting more expensive every year. Review Source RE Randi E. President Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Big Biller as an Applicant Tracking System" November 19, 2019 4.0 I think Big Biller is an acceptable and more affordable ATS for a smaller/boutique agency overall BUT its search tool for recruiting is POOR for me. Just too many ways a title can be written, spelled, displayed - and if I don't search for it exactly as it's written, it doesnt show up. Even though it offers TAGS to always include job titles/functions, there are too many ways that things can be misspelled and thus not searchable. Technical support is almost always available and pretty good at describing what I need to do to customize and/or troubleshoot a problem. Pros It's web based so can use it anywhere you have internet connection including mobile devices. It's highly customizable. It offers many template options. Newly offered texting is awesome. Shows trail of all communications - notes, emails and texting. Technical support is pretty good at walking through training and customizations. More affordable than others. Cons It's search tool is not effective for me at all. There are too many ways a job title may be written, spelled, abbreviated, etc. so the results are not good at all. Too many different "tiles" that hold far too much information on front screen, requiring constant clicking across various tiles and levels within the tiles to see information. Too rich in data making it hard to find info I need to see quickly. I have to scroll and click far too often to get to the info I need, if I can find it at all. Too many opportunities to misspell words in the "tags", making searching very often filled with errors or providing poor results. Cannot reparse easily within same resume. Glitches often (maybe because it does rely on internet). Migrating all my data was time consuming and filled with many missing fields and hard to decipher data. Reason for choosing Top Echelon Cost and moderate ease of use. Review Source CD Cathy D. Executive Assistant Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "BB is great." August 22, 2023 5.0 It has made our job easier overall. Pros It makes it easy to find candidates and download resumes. Cons Sometimes it can be outdated and it can also run slow. Review Source CS Cindy S. President / CEO / Executive Recruiter Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Long-time customer of Top Echelon" August 17, 2023 5.0 Keeping track of candidates, clients and jobs - amazing software. Customer service is way above any I have ever encountered. Their team is always ready to assist. Pros Customer support and services. The software and support is top of the line and easy to use. We have been with Top Echelon since 2001 (I believe) and absolutely could not do our job as well if we were not part of this amazing network of recruiters. Job postings help to bring people to our website, and resume data base is amazing too. Cons Cannot say anything negative. They continually improve their products that make our lives so much easier. Reason for choosing Top Echelon Customer service and support Review Source ER Eileen R. Search Consultant Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Must Have CRM solution for Recruiters" May 23, 2023 5.0 Pros I love Top Echelon's CRM functions. From being able to send texts from the candidates record to logging Outlook emails through the Top Echolon API. As a search firm, we probably use 30% of the functionality. Also, being able to call out from the candidates record through any VOIP application makes life easier when doing outreach. Cons I would love to be able to temporarily merge hotlists for outbound calling. Also, it would be nice if there was a an easy way to update records automatically. For example, we use Leopard List to run searches for qualified candidates. Candidates move around a lot. Currently, the only way to update a record is manually. This become cumbersome and often, at our search firm, recruiters don't bother taking the time to update the date. This means over time, our database will be useless. Review Source KL Kim L. Senior Recruitment Consultant Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Customization is quite easy for Top Echelon. Amazing integration too." February 12, 2024 5.0 It is the dependability of the results for me. Top Echelon can be trusted. Pros This tool is a reliever for me. Launching this software is quite easy no matter the application. It has made my career enjoyable and improved my skills on the field too. There is a huge role the features play in building a lasting experience for users. I also like the dependability in the results. Communication is easy with Top Echelon. Cons This is a perfect tool for me. I have enjoyed benefits since the first day of use. 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