rocket-icon

The Future of Hiring is Here: iSmartRecruit 2.0 is Now Live!

The Future of Hiring is Here: iSmartRecruit 2.0 is Now Live!

iSmartRecruit 2.0 is Now Live!

/
Firefish vs Recruit CRM

Firefish vs Recruit CRM: Ultimate Guide With Comparison!

Which tool is the Right Choice?

Quick Summary

Firefish Software and Recruit CRM are both recruitment software built to make the hiring process smoother and more efficient for recruiters. Firefish CRM is a complete package for recruitment agencies, with tools for posting jobs, tracking applicants, managing candidates, and searching through resumes.

Recruit CRM is a combination of an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) like iSmartRecruit, specifically designed for recruitment and executive search firms. It brings together candidate, client, email, and job posting management all in one place. Both Firefish and Recruit CRM work seamlessly in your web browser and across various devices, including desktops and mobile phones, providing recruiters with the freedom to work from anywhere.

On top of these, we will also look at iSmartRecruit, a cost-effective recruitment software designed to suit the requirements of agencies and small to medium-sized businesses. You'll also find out why iSmartRecruit can be a good replacement for Firefish and Recruit CRM together.

Metrics Comparison of Firefish vs Recruit CRM

Firefish
Firefish
Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM
iSmartRecruit
iSmartRecruit
Pricing Starts From

-

$109

Free Trial

Best For Recruitment Agencies, Staffing Agencies, Permanent Recruitment Teams, Contract Recruitment Teams, Temporary Recruitment Agencies and Growing Agency Teams Small and Medium-Sized Recruitment Firms with 1-200 Employees, Recruitment Agencies, Staffing Agencies and Executive Search Firms Corporate HRs, Mass recruiters, Hiring managers, Employment and recruiting agencies, Executive search firms, Staffing firms, Small businesses and startups
Help Videos

New Release/Updates Monthly - Monthly
Trustpilot Score 4.7 4.5 4
Software Suggest Score 0 4.5 4.7
SaaSWorthy Score 3.2 4.9 4.6
Capterra - Ease of Use 4.6 4.9 4.5
Capterra - Customer Service 4.7 4.9 4.7
Capterra - Features 4.3 4.7 4.6
Capterra - Value for Money 4.6 4.8 4.6
Mobile Application

Capterra Rating
G2 Rating
Firefish

Pricing Starts From -

Free Trial:

Ease of Use: 4.6

Customer Service: 4.7

Features: 4.3

Value for Money: 4.6

Capterra Rating:

G2 Rating:

Recruit CRM

Pricing Starts From $109

Free Trial:

Ease of Use: 4.9

Customer Service: 4.9

Features: 4.7

Value for Money: 4.8

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 Firefish

Firefish is a recruitment CRM and agency software platform founded in 2010 and headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland. It is built for recruitment agencies that want to manage sales, marketing, candidate engagement and recruitment activity from one connected system.

The platform brings together CRM, applicant tracking, job workflows, communication tools, reporting and recruitment marketing features. Its current positioning focuses on helping agencies connect recruitment data with business development activity, so recruiters can manage candidates, clients, jobs and placements in a more structured way.

Firefish supports permanent, temporary and contract recruitment workflows. Its feature set includes skills and profile searching, native shift scheduling for temp recruitment, contract recruitment management, CV parsing, contact information verification, multi-channel campaign management and real-time analytics.

For 2026, Firefish also highlights AI and automation as part of its core recruitment platform. The updated data includes AI-powered candidate matching, automated job advert writing, recruitment automation, AI agents and data-driven reporting to help agencies review recruiter activity, placement performance and business growth opportunities.

Firefish pricing is now presented as contact-based rather than a fixed public starting price. Plans are shaped around workflow complexity, team size and agency growth priorities, with options for permanent recruitment, perm and contract recruitment, and more complex operations covering permanent, contract and temp workflows.

When reviewing Firefish, agencies should look beyond the headline CRM features and check onboarding fees, data migration requirements, minimum contract terms, upgrade costs, support coverage and data export conditions. These details matter because the final value depends on how closely the selected package matches the agency’s actual recruitment process.

pros

Pros

cons

Recruitment CRM built for agencies.

cons

Supports permanent, temporary and contract recruitment workflows.

cons

Includes AI-powered candidate matching.

cons

Automated job advert writing helps reduce manual content work.

cons

CV parsing and data extraction support faster candidate profile creation.

cons

Real-time analytics and reporting help track recruiter and business performance.


Rachel F.

"Brilliant!"
Firefish is an amazing system, it is perfect for my business needs, it can be altered to support my business specifically plus the customer service is unbelievable

Verified G2 Review

pros

Cons

cons

Pricing is contact-based and not fully visible upfront.

cons

Onboarding and data migration costs may depend on requirements.

cons

Minimum commitment is 12 months.

cons

Future data export requests may carry an additional cost after the first full export.

cons

Additional one-to-one training or consultancy may cost extra.

cons

Teams with complex workflows may need time to configure the platform properly.


Thea B.

"AVOID AT ALL COSTS"
AVOID. Pretend to be a small business that cares for small businesses, but are the total opposite and are currently hiding behind contracts when i've asked for help. System still not fully operational after a month - not worth the migration costs to move from other suppliers with. Am now left in an even worse position than when I was with the dumpster fire that is Vincere/Access, which I didn't think was even possible. Broken process where each department is seperate, zero account management once signed up. Holding my data hostage + no way to get out of the contract despite being in financial difficulties. They would sooner see the business go under as long as they get a paycheque. AVOID AVOID AVOID.

Verified Capterra Review

Overview of Recruit CRM

As of 2026, recruitment agencies considering Recruit CRM will find it positioned as a combined applicant tracking system and recruitment CRM for managing candidates, clients, jobs and agency sales activity from one platform. It is mainly built for recruitment agencies, staffing firms and executive search teams that need a connected system for sourcing, pipeline management, communication, reporting and client relationship management.

The platform includes ATS and CRM functionality, AI resume parsing, candidate matching, GPT-assisted content support, a Chrome sourcing extension, advanced search, Kanban pipeline views, email sequencing, two-way email and calendar synchronisation, reporting, deal pipeline management, invoicing, custom fields and integrations. The provided data also shows that Recruit CRM serves users in more than 100 countries and supports multiple languages, which can make it useful for agencies managing international clients and candidate databases.

From a pricing perspective, Recruit CRM offers Pro, Business and Enterprise plan levels, with a listed starting price of $100 and monthly or yearly payment options. It offers a free trial but does not provide a freemium plan. The uploaded pricing details also show that some capabilities may vary by plan, including open API access, candidate matching limits, email sequencing, hiring pipelines, custom field limits and branding removal.

However, teams should carefully review its pricing, plan-based feature limits, setup requirements, learning curve, support experience, integration needs, AI feature access, add-on costs and long-term scalability before deciding whether it is the right recruitment platform for their workflow.

pros

Pros

cons

Combines ATS and CRM features for agency recruitment workflows.

cons

Includes AI resume parsing, candidate matching and GPT integration.

cons

Offers Chrome sourcing extension, advanced search and Kanban views.

cons

Supports email sequencing, two-way email and calendar sync.

cons

Provides reporting, deal pipeline, invoicing and executive search report tools.

cons

Includes 24/7 live chat support and free live training and onboarding.


Hagen L.

"RecruitCRM User Review"
Easy to use, customizable to different needs, prompt live support

Verified G2 Review

pros

Cons

cons

Open API access is not available on the Pro plan.

cons

Candidate matching is limited to 2 matches on the Pro plan.

cons

Email sequencing is limited to 1 sequence on the Pro plan.

cons

Calling and bulk texting credits need to be purchased separately, with pricing varying by country.

cons

Temporary and contractor management is handled through complementary partner products.

cons

Some users report reporting limits, pricing concerns and disruption from software updates.


Christian G.
-

"Running from responsibility"
Disrespectful discourse. Run software updates that negatively impact your business and take zero responsibility.

Verified G2 Review

Features Comparison

Firefish
Firefish
Recruit CRM
Recruit CRM
iSmartRecruit
iSmartRecruit
API
Activity Dashboard
Activity Tracking
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 powerful and adaptable recruitment software platform tailored to the requirements of staffing firms, recruitment agencies, executive search firms, and in-house HR departments. It features AI-driven resume parsing that automates and streamlines the management of candidate data, thereby minimising manual workload. iSmartRecruit is perfect for international HR teams and cross-border recruitment, supporting over 14 languages

iSmartRecruit's standout features encompass customisable recruitment pipelines and integrations with job boards that facilitate smooth sourcing and management of candidates. The candidate relationship management (CRM) tools enhance engagement with both clients and candidates, while sophisticated reporting and analytics deliver valuable insights to refine recruitment strategies.

iSmartRecruit stands out for its user-friendly interface, ensuring that teams can quickly get up to speed without the need for extensive training. Its affordability and scalability make it an excellent solution for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're running a high-level executive search or handling day-to-day recruitment, iSmartRecruit provides a cost-effective, feature-rich, and easy-to-use alternative to platforms like Firefish and Recruit CRM. You can try iSmartRecruit at no cost today and take your hiring process to the next level.

Our Client Testimonial Speaks Louder Than Words!

quote

Conclusion

Firefish and Recruit CRM are both strong contenders in the recruitment software world, each with its own special strengths to suit different companies. They both have profound roots in the recruitment field.

Firefish is a great all-around choice for recruitment agencies looking to make their search efforts smoother and work more closely with their clients. Recruit CRM, on the other hand, focuses on being an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) combo for recruitment and executive search firms. It helps them keep track of candidates, clients, emails, and job postings all in one place.

When it comes to combining all this stuff in one place, iSmartRecruit comes in. For agencies and small to medium-sized businesses that want a powerful recruitment tool without breaking the bank, iSmartRecruit is a desirable option. It's packed with incredible features, works in multiple languages, and is user-friendly. If you want to explore real-time experience, you can request a free demo today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the key features of Firefish and Recruit CRM?

Firefish offers job posting, applicant tracking, candidate management, and resume search. Recruit CRM offers applicant tracking, job posting, candidate management, and resume search functionality.

2. How do Firefish and Recruit CRM integrate with other tools?

Both platforms are designed to offer comprehensive solutions, potentially reducing the need for multiple third-party integrations. Specific integration capabilities are not detailed in the provided information.

3. Why should agencies consider iSmartRecruit over Firefish and Recruit CRM?

iSmartRecruit offers a cost-effective solution with advanced features like AI-powered resume parsing, multilingual support, and customisable workflows, making it a suitable choice for agencies and small to medium-sized businesses seeking to enhance their recruitment processes.