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Ezekia vs Cluen Encore: Features, Pricing & ATS Comparison
Which tool is the Right Choice?
Quick Summary
Ezekia and Cluen Encore are both executive search platforms built around relationship management, candidate databases and assignment workflows. Ezekia is designed specifically for executive search firms, in-house talent teams and talent partners, bringing assignments, candidates, client relationships, business development, reporting and collaboration into one customizable platform.
Cluen Encore is a long-established executive search and recruiting database platform used by executive recruiters, legal recruiters, in-house talent teams, government organisations, universities and private-equity and venture-capital firms. It focuses strongly on relationship intelligence, historical data, workflow automation, GDPR compliance and search-team productivity.
The main difference is Ezekia's modern, highly customizable executive-search workflow versus Cluen Encore's long-established relationship-management and search database capabilities. Ezekia is a strong fit for firms wanting a flexible, modern search platform with AI, portals and integrations, while Cluen is better suited to organisations that value deep executive-search data management, relationship intelligence, compliance and proven global search workflows.
We'll also look at iSmartRecruit, an AI-powered ATS and recruiting CRM platform, as a further option worth comparing alongside Tribepad and Recruitee (Tellent Recruitee).
Metrics Comparison of Ezekia vs Cluen
 Ezekia
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 Cluen
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 iSmartRecruit
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| Pricing Starts From |
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- |
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| Free Trial |
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| Best For | Executive Search Firms, In-House Talent Teams, PE/VC Talent Partners, Retained Search Firms, Board Search Teams and Leadership Hiring Teams | Executive Search Firms, Legal Recruiters, In-House Talent Acquisition Teams, Government Bodies, Universities, Venture Capital Firms and Private Equity Firms | Corporate HRs, Mass recruiters, Hiring managers, Employment and recruiting agencies, Executive search firms, Staffing firms, Small businesses and startups |
| Help Videos |
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| New Release/Updates | Weekly | Every alternate month | Monthly |
| Trustpilot Score | - | 0 | 4 |
| Software Suggest Score | - | 0 | 4.7 |
| SaaSWorthy Score | - | 0 | 4.6 |
| Capterra - Ease of Use | 4.5 | 0.0 | 4.5 |
| Capterra - Customer Service | 4.8 | 0.0 | 4.7 |
| Capterra - Features | 4.8 | 0.0 | 4.6 |
| Capterra - Value for Money | 4.8 | 0.0 | 4.6 |
| Mobile Application |
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| Capterra Rating | |||
| G2 Rating | |||
| Profile Overview | View Profile | View Profile | Get a Demo |
Ezekia
Pricing Starts From -
Free Trial:
Ease of Use: 4.5
Customer Service: 4.8
Features: 4.8
Value for Money: 4.8
Capterra Rating:
G2 Rating:
Cluen
Pricing Starts From -
Free Trial:
Ease of Use: 0.0
Customer Service: 0.0
Features: 0.0
Value for Money: 0.0
Capterra Rating:
G2 Rating:
iSmartRecruit
Pricing Starts From: Get Quote
Free Trial: Get a Trial
Ease of Use: 4.5
Customer Service: 4.7
Features: 4.6
Value for Money: 4.6
Capterra Rating:
G2 Rating:
Overview of Ezekia
Ezekia positions itself as an executive search CRM and ATS platform for firms that want to manage assignments, clients, candidates and search activity from one connected system.
The platform is mainly built for executive search firms, in-house talent teams and PE or VC talent partners that manage relationship-led hiring workflows. It supports candidate tracking, client relationship management, assignment management and business development activity across the search lifecycle.
For the 2026 review, Ezekia’s strongest positioning is its focus on executive search rather than general recruitment. Its website describes the product as a CRM and ATS built for executive search growth, helping users manage assignments, clients and candidates in one place.
Ezekia also highlights areas such as AI, candidate reporting, Chrome and Outlook extensions, client portal access, dashboards, extensive customisation, integrations, internal reporting, relationship management and search management. These features can support specialist search teams that need better visibility across candidate, client and assignment data.
Ezekia may be suitable for executive search firms and specialist talent teams that need a focused CRM and ATS for relationship-led search work. However, teams should carefully review its pricing visibility, plan transparency, setup requirements, template availability, industry list depth, configuration effort and suitability for broader recruitment, staffing or high-volume hiring workflows before choosing it as their long-term recruitment platform.
Pros
User-friendly interface for executive search workflows.
Smooth desktop and mobile access.
Supports assignment, client and candidate management.
Client portal can support clearer external collaboration.
Dashboards, internal reporting and search management areas are available.
David G.
"Very straightforward and hassle free"
Very smooth - any customer service requirements dealt with promptly and effectively.
Cons
Plan details are not clearly visible.
Some setup may require custom input for search workflows.
No default executive search templates were confirmed.
Broader staffing and high-volume hiring suitability should be checked.
Open API availability was not clearly confirmed.
Teams should verify pricing, feature access, integrations and support before purchase.
Overview of Cluen
Cluen is an executive search CRM and recruitment database provider established in 1990 and based in New York City. Its main platform, Encore, is designed for executive search consultants, legal recruiters, in-house talent acquisition teams, government bodies, universities and venture capital or private equity firms.
Encore helps search teams manage relationships, historical data, candidate records, client information, communication activity and business development opportunities from one recruitment database. The platform is positioned for relationship-led search work rather than high-volume applicant tracking.
For 2026, Cluen’s newer positioning focuses on relationship intelligence, workflow automation and AI-supported compliance. Encore can surface past touchpoints, warm introductions and client-candidate dynamics, helping recruiters work with more context during executive search assignments.
The platform also highlights automated follow-ups, reminders and task routing to reduce manual administration. Its compliance support includes AI features for consent tracking, audit trails and data privacy workflows, while the company also states that Encore is GDPR compliant and works with any email programme.
Cluen may suit firms that need a specialist executive search database with relationship tracking, compliance support and long-term client history. Buyers should still review pricing visibility, interface modernisation, integration needs, support scope and whether Encore’s workflow matches their current search process before committing.
Pros
Purpose-built for executive search and relationship-led recruitment.
Encore supports executive search consultants, legal recruiters and in-house talent teams.
Helps manage historical data, client relationships and business development activity.
Relationship intelligence can surface past touchpoints and warm introductions.
Workflow automation supports reminders, follow-ups and task routing.
AI-supported compliance features cover consent tracking and audit trails.
Mike J.
"Encore is a great way to recruit new talent"
I use Encore when looking to hire new talent. It's a excellent way to keep track of every candidate and organize all the information. It's a very simple system of keeping track of finding and hiring new talent.
Cons
Public pricing is not clearly available.
Interface and usability may feel dated for some users.
Teams should check integration requirements before purchase.
May be more suitable for executive search than general recruitment workflows.
Implementation and configuration may require support for complex databases.
Buyers should review support scope, data migration and contract terms carefully.
Jill M.
"Behind the times"
This product is quite behind their competitors and it feels like an old "DOS" computer as compared to other like products. It is also extremely slow and lacking many desirable features.
Features Comparison |
Ezekia
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Cluen
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iSmartRecruit
|
|---|---|---|---|
| API | |||
| Activity Dashboard | |||
| Activity Tracking | |||
| AI Agent - Candidate Match Insight Agent | |||
| AI Agent - Company Insight Agent | |||
| AI Agent - Executive Research Agent | |||
| AI Agent - Head Hunting Agent | |||
| AI Agent - Sourcing Agent | |||
| AI Agent - Voice AI Agent | |||
| AI - MCP Connector (Connect Claude & ChatGPT) | |||
| Alerts/Notifications | |||
| Applicant Tracking | |||
| Application Management | |||
| Approval Workflow | |||
| Assessment Management | |||
| Billing & Invoicing | |||
| Boolean Search | |||
| Built-in ATS | |||
| CRM | |||
| Calendar Management | |||
| Campaign Analytics | |||
| Campaign Management | |||
| Candidate Management | |||
| Candidate Profiles | |||
| Candidate Sourcing | |||
| Candidate Tracking | |||
| Careers Page | |||
| Chatbot | |||
| Collaboration Tools | |||
| Commenting/Notes | |||
| Compliance Management | |||
| Compliance Tracking | |||
| Configurable Workflow | |||
| Contact Database | |||
| Content Management | |||
| Customisable Branding | |||
| Customisable Forms | |||
| Customisable Reports | |||
| Customisable Templates | |||
| Data Import/Export | |||
| Document Management | |||
| Electronic Signature | |||
| Email Management | |||
| Email Marketing | |||
| Email Templates | |||
| Employee Database | |||
| Employee Onboarding | |||
| Employee Referral Management | |||
| For Recruiting Agencies | |||
| For Small Businesses | |||
| For Staffing Agencies | |||
| Full Text Search | |||
| HR Management | |||
| Internal Chat Integration | |||
| Internal HR | |||
| Interview Management | |||
| Interview Scheduling | |||
| Job Application Management | |||
| Job Board Software | |||
| Job Management | |||
| Job Posting | |||
| Job Requisition | |||
| Job Tracking | |||
| Lead Management | |||
| Marketing Automation | |||
| Matching Engine | |||
| Mobile Access | |||
| Multi-Channel Marketing | |||
| Onboarding | |||
| Pipeline Management | |||
| Pipeline Reports | |||
| Question Library | |||
| Real-Time Analytics | |||
| Real-Time Reporting | |||
| Recruiting Firms | |||
| Recruitment Management | |||
| Reference Checking | |||
| Reminders | |||
| Reporting & Statistics | |||
| Reporting/Analytics | |||
| Resume Database | |||
| Resume Parsing | |||
| Resume Search | |||
| Resume Storage | |||
| SMS Messaging | |||
| Scoring | |||
| Search/Filter | |||
| Self Service Portal | |||
| Skills Assessment | |||
| Social Media Integration | |||
| Social Recruiting | |||
| Status Tracking | |||
| Tagging | |||
| Talent Acquisition | |||
| Talent Pool | |||
| Task Management | |||
| Temporary Staffing | |||
| Third-Party Integrations | |||
| Workflow Management |
Find the perfect features for your hiring needs!
Why iSmartRecruit is Best?
iSmartRecruit is a strong alternative to Ezekia and Cluen Encore for recruitment teams that want ATS, Recruiting CRM and advanced AI capabilities in one platform. It combines AI Agents, Generative AI, Conversational AI, AI Matching, AI-powered resume parsing, recruitment automation, multilingual candidate engagement and customizable workflows.
Where Ezekia focuses on executive-search assignments, candidate and client management, AI tools, reporting and collaboration, and Cluen Encore focuses on relationship intelligence, executive-search workflows, compliance and historical data, iSmartRecruit combines ATS and Recruiting CRM with AI-driven sourcing, matching, screening and candidate engagement. Its multilingual capabilities and configurable workflows also make it suitable for executive search, recruitment agencies and international talent teams. Try iSmartRecruit for free today.
Our Client Testimonial Speaks Louder Than Words!
Discover how staffing agencies & talent acquisition teams elevate hiring performance with iSmartRecruit.
★★★★★
“Easy-to-use ATS with powerful
candidate management, client-based job organization, and flexible
reporting—ideal for consulting and recruitment
firms.”
🏢 We Search • Philippines
★★★★★
“Great candidate management
system, exceptional technical support with highly competitive pricing.”
🏢 Talingual • UK
★★★★★
“Very well customisable
system for a very good pricing and seamless onboarding experience.”
🏢 SBR Recruitment • Czechia
★★★★★
“We have been running this solution and it has all the
user features you could need from a recruitment side
through to talent pipelining. After 3 years of
researching solutions, I am happy to finally have found the best staffing software!”
🏢 Talent Brand • South Africa
★★★★★
“Excellent. Product works very well and meets our needs.
Support and development staff were knowledgeable,
prompt, and helpful.”
🏢 Fidel Consulting • Japan
★★★★★
“With automation
workflows and visibility on the candidate journey, we were able to reduce
our time-to-hire by 57% and cost per hire by 49%.”
🏢 Systemart LLC • USA
Conclusion
Ezekia and Cluen Encore are both strong choices for executive-search organisations, but they have different strengths. Ezekia is better suited to firms looking for a modern, customizable executive-search platform with assignment management, client portals, AI, dashboards and integrations. Cluen Encore is better suited to organisations that prioritise relationship intelligence, historical candidate and client data, structured workflows and compliance across complex search operations.
For teams looking for a broader AI-powered alternative, iSmartRecruit combines ATS, Recruiting CRM, AI Matching, AI Agents, automation, multilingual candidate engagement, reporting and custom workflows. It provides a unified recruitment platform for teams that want advanced AI across sourcing, candidate management and client workflows. Book a free demo to compare it with Ezekia and Cluen Encore.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the main difference between Ezekia and Cluen Encore?
Ezekia is a modern executive-search CRM and ATS focused on assignments, candidates, clients, business development and collaboration, while Cluen Encore has a longer history in executive-search database technology and emphasizes relationship intelligence, historical data, workflow automation and compliance.
2. Which platform is better for executive search firms?
Both are specifically designed for executive search. Ezekia is particularly suited to firms wanting customizable assignment workflows, client portals, dashboards and modern integrations, while Cluen is strong for firms that prioritize relationship management, data history and structured search processes.
3. Which platform offers stronger AI capabilities?
Both platforms now offer AI-related functionality. Ezekia provides AI and automation tools, AI connections and integrations with tools such as OpenAI, while Cluen Encore offers AI-powered insights, candidate engagement, relationship intelligence and workflow automation.
4. How does pricing compare between Ezekia and Cluen Encore?
Ezekia is currently listed at £120 per user per month by Capterra. Cluen Encore does not publicly list a standard price in the comparison sources, so firms need to contact Cluen for a quote. ([capterra.com](https://www.capterra.com/p/207963/Ezekia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
5. Which platform has stronger client collaboration capabilities?
Ezekia provides a client portal for sharing candidates, reports and search progress. Cluen Encore also supports client and candidate relationship workflows, with its platform designed around maintaining visibility across search teams and stakeholders.
6. Which platform has stronger integrations?
Ezekia currently lists integrations with Microsoft 365, Outlook, Chrome, OpenAI, SourceWhale, Metaview, HireLogic, Carv, Zapier, Integrately and other executive-search tools. Cluen Encore also supports integrations and API connectivity, but Ezekia currently publishes a broader modern integration ecosystem.
7. Is iSmartRecruit a good alternative to Ezekia and Cluen Encore?
Yes. iSmartRecruit combines ATS, Recruiting CRM, AI Agents, Generative AI, Conversational AI, AI Matching, multilingual candidate engagement, automation, analytics and custom workflows in one platform.
