# Category Compare: Recruiting vs. HR Software | Capterra > We define and compare recruiting software with HR software so you can determine which tool is right for your business. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/recruiting-vs-hr --- Small Business RecruitingHuman Resources # Category Compare: Recruiting vs. HR Software By Ashish Upadhyay Ashish Upadhyay Ashish Upadhyay is a writer at Capterra. He provides insights to help small businesses identify the right software for their needs by analyzing over 550,000 ... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/aupadhyay/) Published March 16, 2022 3 min read Table of Contents - [What is recruiting software?](#what-is-recruiting-software) - [What is HR software?](#what-is-hr-software) - [What do they have in common?](#what-do-they-have-in-common) - [Recruiting software features](#recruiting-software-features) - [HR software features](#hr-software-features) - [Which tool is right for you?](#which-tool-is-right-for-you) - [6 top-rated recruiting and HR software](#6-top-rated-recruiting-and-hr-software) ## In this report, we define and compare recruiting software and HR software so you can decide which tool suits your business requirements. While [recruiting software](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/) and [HR software](https://www.capterra.com/human-resource-software/) are two closely related categories, they have distinct functions. Recruiting software specifically helps with onboarding candidates while HR software goes well beyond hiring and onboarding phases and also helps with keeping track of employee information, payroll, and administration. This report will identify the similarities and differences between the two categories to help you understand which one is better suited for your requirements. ## What is recruiting software? Recruiting software helps recruiting, staffing, and hiring agencies manage their operations by maintaining a database of applicant and job information. These solutions are used by organizations to collect applicant information and then filter, grade, and match candidates' skills against job requirements. ## What is HR software? Human resources (HR) software acts as a system of employee data records. It helps HR leaders and personnel with the attraction, recruitment, management, engagement, and development of their employees. ## What do they have in common? Both recruiting and HR software have overlapping functionalities since both tools help with candidate management and tracking applicants. Recruitment software helps track and direct applicants, CVs, and compliance documents during the hiring process. HR software helps store and organize employee information and manage payroll. ## Recruiting software features ## HR software features ## Which tool is right for you? If recruiting and selection are your only concerns, then going for recruiting software makes sense, as it is specifically designed to handle these aspects for your business. However, if your needs go beyond recruitment and you want a solution that offers other services such as employee management and administration, then go for HR software. The question now is: Which _specific_ tool is right for your business? To start your search, head over to our [recruiting software](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/) or [HR software](https://www.capterra.com/human-resource-software/) category pages. There you’ll find a sortable list of products, software reviews from verified users, and comprehensive buyers guides. With so many software options to choose from, it might be helpful to narrow your search to only the most popular and highest-rated solutions. In that case, check out our Capterra Shortlist reports for the top [recruiting software](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/#shortlist) and [HR software](https://www.capterra.com/human-resource-software/#shortlist), based on an analysis of thousands of user reviews. ## 6 top-rated recruiting and HR software These 6 products, listed in alphabetical order, are among the top-rated ones in both software categories. #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication #### Trial/Free Version - Free Trial - Free Version #### Device Compatibilty \* Analysis Accurate as of date of publication Note: Reviews and ratings data in the product cards is as of March 1, 2022. New reviews may have been added since the publication of this article, so the reviews data in this piece may not reflect current conditions. The products in the category comparison images are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations by Capterra. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication. * * * ## Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report ### Download our 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to see how successful software adopters avoid disappointment and how your business can, too. * * * Methodology To be included in the list, the products must: 1. Be listed under Capterra’s 2022 Shortlist report for [recruiting](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/#shortlist) and [HR software](https://www.capterra.com/human-resource-software/#shortlist). Learn more about the Capterra Shortlist methodology [here](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/#capterra-shortlist-methodology). 2. Meet our software market definition for recruiting and HR software: - **Recruiting**: “Recruiting software helps recruiting, staffing, and hiring agencies manage their operations by maintaining a database of applicant and job information. These solutions are used by organizations to collect applicant information and then filter, grade, and match candidates skills against job requirements.” - **HR**: “Human resources (HR) software acts as the system of record for employee data. It helps HR leaders and personnel with the attraction, recruitment, management, engagement, and development of their employees.” * * * Looking for Talent Management software?Check out Capterra's list of the [best Talent Management software](https://www.capterra.com/talent-management-software/) solutions. ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Author [### Ashish Upadhyay](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/aupadhyay/) Ashish Upadhyay is a writer at Capterra. He provides insights to help small businesses identify the right software for their needs by analyzing over 550,000 Capterra user reviews and nearly 48,000 interactions between Capterra software advisors and buyers. Ashish has written about insurance, fintech, and real estate sectors and his work has been featured in MAST The Magazine and Medium. ### RELATED READING - [How AI Onboarding Tools are Reshaping HR Operations](https://www.capterra.com/resources/ai-onboarding-tools-for-hr/) - [What is a Job Requisition? 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