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5 Best ATS for Remote-First Companies

HR Tech

5 minutes

July 27, 2026

Written by Ahmet Hoşgör

ATS for remote teams has become increasingly important as distributed hiring becomes more common in startups, tech firms, and global enterprises. The most powerful ATS for remote-first companies enables HR professionals to streamline and scale the hiring process.

However, why do remote-first companies need an ATS, and what are the best ones for your organization?

​This blog post will explain why remote teams need an applicant tracking system, outline the features an ATS for remote teams should include, and highlight the top options to stay one step ahead of your competitors.

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This is an overview of our blog, with the specifics discussed below:

Why Do Remote Teams Need an ATS?

Remote-first companies frequently hire employees from many locations and time zones. An applicant tracking system (ATS) allows HR teams to gather all candidate information in one location, making it simpler to evaluate applications, plan interviews, and engage with candidates during the hiring process.

As remote hiring becomes more common, handling candidates manually may become tedious and complex. An ATS platform simplifies hiring workflows, enhances collaboration among distributed hiring teams, and maintains a structured recruitment process, regardless of the candidate's location.

What Features Should an ATS for Remote-First Companies Include?

An applicant tracking system for remote teams should facilitate hiring across several locations and time zones. Typical features include automatic job posting, candidate monitoring, interview scheduling, team collaboration tools, and interfaces with video conferencing systems. An intuitive interface also makes recruiters and hiring managers more productive.

Additionally, it is expected to facilitate remote hiring processes by means of centralized communication, customizable hiring pipelines, analytics and reporting tools, and smooth cooperation between distributed teams. Organizations can improve hiring decisions and optimize recruitment procedures by managing candidates across different locations.

Top ATS for Remote-First Companies

Selecting the right ATS for remote-first hiring is critical for organizations seeking to attract and hire top talent across multiple locations. The top applicant tracking systems for remote teams streamline recruiting operations, boost team collaboration, and enhance the candidate experience. Here is the list of the best ATS for remote teams:

1. Hirex

Overview

Hirex is an AI-powered ATS that simplifies and improves the remote hiring process. It is a strong ATS tool for startups, remote-first companies, and HR teams seeking to streamline recruitment management.

This platform provides candidate tracking, collaborative recruiting tools, and AI-powered analytics to help businesses make great hiring decisions. This AI-powered ATS for remote hiring assists teams in reducing time-to-hire while maintaining an organized, successful recruitment workflow.

Best For

Startups, remote-first companies, and HR departments that want to improve recruiting management with a strong applicant tracking system.

Pros

• Enhancing teamwork by enabling remote teams to share feedback, evaluate candidates, and make decisions all in a single location.

• Using video interviewing solutions to facilitate async hiring and lessen time zone scheduling issues.

• Making scheduling interviews easier by integrating calendars and providing candidates with self-service booking alternatives.

• Organizing applicant data centrally so that distant teams can access recruiting updates, remarks, and applications from any location.

• Analyzing recruiting performance to assist organizations in tracking hiring progress and pinpointing bottlenecks.

Cons

• Requiring extra integrations to handle very complex hiring processes.

• Needing optimization for devices like tablets and smartphones to improve the mobile experience for customers.

2. Greenhouse

Overview

Greenhouse ATS is renowned for its structured hiring and analytics capabilities, which allow remote teams to make smart decisions. This platform's dashboards and reports are significant since they include funnel views, scorecards, and trends that reveal where applicants drop off and which procedures add value.

Another significant advantage is its integrations. Along with access to an open API for scheduling, background checks, assessments, and HRIS. The Greenhouse platform provides over 500 pre-built connectors. Companies that use a variety of tools can integrate them to prevent HR employees from switching contexts.

Best For

Remote-first companies that want to improve the hiring process with the help of an ATS that has structured hiring and analytics capabilities.

Pros

• Enhancing hiring decisions by using structured hiring and analytics, which assist remote teams in making smart decisions.

• Utilizing reports and dashboards to see funnels, scorecards, and trends that indicate where applicants drop off and which procedures bring value.

• Integrating various tools, including scheduling, HRIS, background checks, and evaluations, using an open API and 500+ prebuilt connectors.

• Minimizing context switching by linking multiple systems, allowing HR professionals to work without switching between tools.

Cons

• Requiring those who are new to advanced recruitment strategies to spend time learning.

• Offering limited customization choices.

3. Lever

Overview

Lever, which integrates ATS and CRM capabilities, allows remote-first companies to track candidates and handle long-term interactions in a single location.

Lever platform, one of the most reliable ATS for remote hiring workflows, is ideal for everyday use thanks to its easy and user-friendly design. Strong reporting tools and integrations can boost productivity in remote teams. This platform is also frequently updated to include new capabilities, and the training materials are likewise highly rated.

Best For

Competitive companies are seeking an effective ATS for remote hiring trends.

Pros

• Combining ATS with CRM solutions allows teams to track remote-first candidates and handle long-term relationships from one place.

• Allowing small teams to work more productively with sophisticated reporting tools and integrations.

• Providing high-quality training resources makes it easier for experts to understand the platform.

• Updating frequently with new features guarantees that remote-friendly companies have both usability and depth when hiring remote employees.

Cons

• Experiencing varying levels of customer service quality, especially after the initial employee onboarding period.

• Facing inconsistent onboarding procedures, particularly when it comes to data migration help.

4. Workable

Overview

Workable HR software is known for its wide job board coverage and simple-to-use interface for a remote-first work environment.​ By helping with job descriptions and recommending candidates, its AI-based sourcing tools can save team members time. Many Workable users praised its simplicity and value, characterizing it as effective and straightforward to use.

Automation tools accelerate the hiring process while keeping everything structured. Some teams still manually review AI recommendations to ensure quality.

Best For

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are aiming to expedite remote-first hiring with automation and simple-to-use AI solutions.

Pros

• Utilizing AI-powered sourcing tools to recommend the best remote candidates can save time.

• Streamlining the hiring process with a user-friendly interface.

• Increasing value by combining easy use with extensive job board coverage.

• Supporting remote teams in SMBs by leveraging innovative automation to boost efficiency.

Cons

• Limiting features for recruiting procedures that are really complicated or extensive.

• Supplying remote team members with simple reports that require further in-depth investigation and original insights.

5. Moka HR

Overview

MokaHR, one of the best applicant tracking systems for remote companies, is an AI-powered recruitment platform that aims to streamline and enhance the hiring process.

Throughout the hiring process, it assists remote teams in matching candidates with appropriate roles, automating repetitive processes, and gaining valuable insights. This platform is particularly helpful for remote companies that want to handle remote hiring more effectively and reliably.

Best For

Businesses prioritized data-driven approaches for remote talent acquisition.

Pros

• Offering global reach with local compliance tools and cross-time-zone cooperation.

• Utilizing robust AI automation for extensive remote screening and recruiting.

• Providing data-driven insights to streamline sourcing and remote talent pipelines.

• Using AI to more efficiently identify talents, qualifications, and job needs, assisting in the matching of people with appropriate opportunities.

Cons

• Taking some time to properly understand and utilize its sophisticated automation and hiring features for people unfamiliar with remote hiring tech.

• Concentrating mostly on businesses with extensive hiring requirements and complex hiring procedures.

Conclusion

In this blog post, you have learned why remote-first companies need an ATS, what features this ATS should include, and the best ones to take your company to the next level.

Whether you are an employer, an HR professional, or a reader curious about the HR field, visit Hirex to read many more HR topics!