The Best ATS for Franchises: From Mom-and-Pop Chains to National Brands

Last Updated on October 18, 2025 by Ewen Finser

Hiring for a single store can feel like a full-time job. But hiring for multiple locations? That’s a whole different kind of chaos. 

Between juggling job postings, tracking who applied where, and managing different managers’ “urgent hires,” franchise owners know that staying organized is only half the battle.

That’s where an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) comes in. The right one doesn’t just help you hire faster; it keeps your hiring consistent across every location, whether you’ve got three stores or three hundred.

I decided to take a deep dive and compare some of the most talked-about hiring platforms for franchises. 

Here are the best ATS for franchises, whether you have a mom-and-pop chain or a major national brand.

My Quick Picks: 10 Best ATS for Franchises

Before diving into details, here’s a quick snapshot of the tools that stood out most during testing. 

I looked at everything from franchise-level control and ease of setup to whether managers could figure it out without an HR degree. 

Consider this your cheat sheet, and remember, the right fit depends on how your franchise hires, how many locations you run, and how fast you’re trying to scale.

ATS Platform	Best For	Key Features	Pricing
NinjaGig	Best overall ATS for franchises	Multi-location dashboards, branded applications, and unlimited postings	$
Workstream	Fast-paced restaurant and retail franchises	Text-to-apply, mobile-first hiring, and location-based workflows	$$
Hireology	Automotive, healthcare, and service franchises	ATS, onboarding, and payroll management	$$$
JazzHR	Budget-friendly and growing franchises	Customizable workflows and easy integrations	$$
Teamtailor	Multi-brand franchise groups	Employer branding and permissions by location	$$
Breezy HR	Small-to-mid-size franchise teams	Visual pipelines, interview scheduling, and collaboration tools	$-$$$
Workable	Franchises ready to scale nationally	AI sourcing, structured hiring, and global job boards	$$$
Fountain	High-volume hourly franchises	SMS-based applications and automated screening	$$-$$$
Recruitee	Collaborative franchise operations	Role-based access and analytics dashboards	$$$
Zoho Recruit	Tech-savvy or global franchise brands	ATS, CRM, automation, and AI tools	$-$$

Pricing key:

$ = Budget-friendly (under $50/month per user)

$$ = Mid-range ($50–100/month per user)

$$$ = Premium or enterprise-level (custom quote required or above $100/month per user)

Why You Need an ATS for a Franchise

When you’re running a franchise, hiring is about filling roles and keeping every location consistent and compliant without losing that local flavor.

Before I started testing ATS platforms, I used to think “just post to Indeed” was a hiring strategy. But as soon as multiple managers start posting their own jobs, things spiral fast. One manager uses Google Forms, another insists on emailed résumés, and suddenly, you’re trying to coordinate onboarding across five different inboxes.

An ATS eliminates that mess. With a good system, you can:

• Standardize hiring across all locations with the same application and screening questions. And there’s no guesswork (and that’s a huge win).
• Give local managers autonomy while keeping corporate oversight.
• Post once, apply everywhere, which saves time on duplicate listings.
• Track performance to see which stores are slow to hire or which ads attract better talent.
• Stay compliant with labor laws and documentation.

A franchise owner once told me, “I didn’t realize how much time I was wasting on hiring until the software started doing it for me.” After testing these systems, I totally get it.

How to Choose the Best ATS for Your Franchise

There’s no ATS that works for every company. The right tool depends on how your franchise operates and how much control you want to keep.

Here’s what I looked for when testing each platform:

• Multi-location management: You should be able to see every branch’s activity without micromanaging.
• Ease of use: Your store managers probably aren’t HR pros. If it takes more than 15 minutes to post a job, it’s too complex.
• Mobile accessibility: Applicants apply on their phones, not laptops. A clunky mobile interface kills your candidate pool.
• Automation: Features like interview scheduling, reminders, and résumé parsing make hiring less of a grind.
• Scalability: Can it grow with you as you add new locations?
• Transparent pricing: Custom pricing usually just means plans adjust to your franchise size or hiring volume.

With that in mind, here’s what I found when I put these systems through their paces.

The Best ATS for Franchises

Once you’ve narrowed your list, here’s where things get practical. I’ve spent a lot of time digging through the different ATS platforms out there.

Some platforms blew me away with how quickly they made sense. Others buried me in menus and jargon.

These are the 10 ATS platforms that genuinely make franchise hiring easier, faster, and less chaotic.

1. NinjaGig

Best for franchises that want simple, scalable hiring that just works

I started with NinjaGig, and within 30 minutes, I had a branded career page live and multiple listings published across test locations. It’s rare for an ATS to feel this easy to set up, especially one built with franchises in mind.

What impressed me most was how naturally it handled multi-location hiring. Each branch can manage its own applicants while still feeding data into a central dashboard. It means your franchise owners get independence, and you get visibility, without endless Slack messages asking, “Who’s this candidate?”

The digital applications are fully customizable (no cookie-cutter forms), and the paperless onboarding saved me hours of back-and-forth. It’s also affordable compared to platforms that bury you in “enterprise” quotes.

When I tested applicant flow, responses came in fast. The sorting tools were intuitive, and I didn’t have to babysit the system. The interface isn’t flashy, but it’s functional, and that’s what you want when your day’s already full.

Key Features:

• Unlimited job postings
• Multi-location dashboards
• Custom application templates
• Digital signatures and document storage
• Branded career pages

Pricing:

NinjaGig has a 14-day free trial, and if you like the platform, then it’s $49 per month or $490 per year for the Starter Plan. You get unlimited postings and a branded career page.

My verdict: If you want a no-fuss, franchise-ready ATS that’s affordable, reliable, and fast to roll out, NinjaGig is it.

2. Workstream

Best for fast-paced restaurant and retail franchises

Workstream was built for the quick-service world, and it shows. The mobile-first design is slick, and the text-to-apply feature shortens time-to-hire. 

During my test, I posted a sample role for a café chain, and applicants started rolling in within minutes via SMS.

If your managers hire many hourly workers, Workstream works. Each location can manage interviews and onboard directly from their phone.

Key Features:

• Text-to-apply and SMS updates
• Automated interview scheduling
• Multi-location dashboards
• Integrations with Indeed, Google, and ZipRecruiter

Pricing: 

Pricing is custom and you need to book a demo with Workstream. Currently, if you do, you get 8 months free payroll. 

My verdict: Perfect for franchises hiring hourly staff who need speed over complexity.

3. Hireology

Best for multi-location service franchises (auto, healthcare, home services)

Hireology feels like an HR powerhouse wrapped in a friendly package. It’s more than an ATS; it handles onboarding, background checks, and even payroll.

I used it to mock-manage hiring for a car service franchise, and what stood out was the built-in compliance tools. The system automatically tracked documents and sent reminders to managers to finalize screenings before start dates.

Key Features:

• Applicant tracking and onboarding
• Background checks
• Payroll integration
• Reporting and analytics

Pricing: 

Hierology has custom pricing, and you can choose from the Essentials, Professional, or Background Check Upgrade plans. 

Each plan includes unlimited jobs and users, personalized templates and steps for hiring, an iOS and Android mobile app, and more. Plus, you can also tailor your Essentials plan by adding the features you need. 

My verdict: If you’re running a large franchise operation with regulated roles, Hireology is worth the investment. For smaller teams, though, it might be overkill.

4. JazzHR

Best for budget-conscious or growing franchises

JazzHR is one of those tools that’s been around forever, and for good reason. It’s affordable, flexible, and easy to train staff on. I liked how simple it was to build different hiring pipelines for each location.

It doesn’t have fancy AI features, but it nails the basics. The email templates and built-in approval flows made coordinating with multiple hiring managers painless.

Key Features:

• Customizable workflows
• Email templates
• Hiring approvals and permissions
• Integrations with 20+ job boards

Pricing: 

• Hero: $75/month
• Plus: $269/month 
• Pro: custom pricing 
• Add on solution: candidate texting 

While there isn’t a free trial, you can book a free demo and see whether JazzHR is right for your franchise. 

My verdict: A solid pick if you’re just starting to centralize your hiring and don’t need enterprise-level bells and whistles.

5. Teamtailor

Best for multi-brand franchise groups and employer branding

If your franchise group owns multiple brands or wants to stand out visually, Teamtailor is your friend. It’s a modern and polished platform that’s packed with customization.

When I tested it, the career page builder was hands-down the best in class. It felt more like running a small marketing site than a job board.

Key Features:

• Employer branding tools
• Role-based access control
• Analytics dashboards
• Drag-and-drop pipeline

Pricing: 

Pricing is custom, and you’ll need to contact Teamtailor. You can also book a demo to see how the ATS works. 

My verdict: Ideal if you care about your hiring brand as much as your hires themselves.

6. Breezy HR

Best for small-to-mid franchise teams who want collaboration without chaos

Breezy HR wins for its approachable interface and drag-and-drop simplicity. During testing, I loved the visual pipeline since it made it easy to see where every candidate stood.

It’s not as advanced as something like Workable, but for lean franchise operations, it keeps hiring manageable without feeling corporate.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop candidate pipeline
• Built-in video interviews
• Reporting dashboards
• Team collaboration tools

Pricing: 

There’s a 14-day free trail, and if you like Breezy HR’s ATS and other features, here’s how much a subscription costs (if you pay yearly): 

• Bootstrap: free forever 
• Startup: $157/month 
• Growth: $273/month 
• Business: $439/month 
• Custom Pro: reach out for pricing 
• Various add-ons: SMS, Breeze Intelligence, Onboard, and Expert Training 

My verdict: A friendly, intuitive option for franchises with smaller teams or limited HR support.

7. Workable

Best for franchises ready to scale nationally or internationally

Workable feels like the grown-up in the room. It’s sleek, intelligent, and surprisingly adaptable for franchises that are expanding fast.

I used it to simulate a multi-location setup for a fitness franchise. It handled permissions and posting well. The AI sourcing feature is a quiet superpower; it automatically surfaced qualified candidates I hadn’t even seen in my inbox.

Key Features:

• AI sourcing and candidate matching
• Role-based access and multi-location management
• Global job board integrations
• Interview kits and structured hiring

Pricing: 

Try out Workable for free for 15 days. If you like the platform, here’s how much a subscription for only recruiting (not HR) costs: 

• Standard: $299/month (and you’ll pay extra for texting, video interview, and assessments)
• Premier: $599/month 

You can also request a demo before you sign up for the free trial. 

My verdict: Best for franchises growing beyond a regional footprint who want serious hiring firepower.

8. Fountain

Best for high-volume, hourly franchises like cleaning or delivery services

If your hiring volume is intense, Fountain handles it better than almost anyone. Everything about it is designed for speed, from automated screening and SMS interviews to fast-moving pipelines.

I tried it with a mock logistics franchise setup, and the candidate throughput was wild. Within 48 hours, the system had filtered 100+ applicants with zero manual effort.

Key Features:

• Automated candidate screening
• SMS-based communication
• Analytics for high-volume hiring

Pricing: 

My verdict: A must-have if you’re constantly hiring front-line or seasonal workers.

9. Recruitee

Best for collaborative franchise networks

Recruitee strikes that perfect middle ground between functionality and friendliness. I liked how easy it was to invite multiple users with different permission levels. It’s perfect for letting regional managers take charge without losing oversight.

The analytics dashboard is particularly strong, giving you real visibility into where your best candidates are coming from.

Key Features:

• Role-based access
• Hiring analytics
• Branded career pages
• Collaborative workflows

Pricing: 

Recruitee has an 18-day free trial, and during the demo, you have 30 minutes to explore the platform. 

Subscription costs are as follows: 

• Start: €270/month (~$315)
• Advance: €343/month (~$400)
• Optimize: €1,374/month (~$1600)
• If you are an agency: custom pricing 

If you opt for annual billing, you get a 20% discount. And there are optional add-ons you can choose from: 

• SSO 
• Texting 
• Journeys 
• AgencyHub 
• WhatsApp Hiring 
• Tellent HR 

My verdict: Great for franchise groups with regional oversight or distributed HR teams.

10. Zoho Recruit

Best for tech-savvy or global franchises with complex needs

Zoho Recruit surprised me. It’s part of the larger Zoho ecosystem (CRM, HR, and analytics), so if your franchise already uses their tools, this one fits like a glove.

It combines a traditional ATS with a candidate CRM, meaning you can nurture relationships with passive candidates. That’s a perk if you’re always hiring similar roles.

Key Features:

• ATS and CRM hybrid
• AI-powered candidate matching
• 50+ integrations (Slack, Outlook, Zoho Suite)
• Advanced analytics and automations

Pricing: 

There’s a 15-day free trial if you want to test Zoho’s premium features. Otherwise, here’s what Zoho costs if you pay yearly: 

• Forever Free: $0 
• Standard: $17/user/month 
• Professional: $35/user/month 
• Enterprise: $52/user/month 
• Add-ons: Client portal at $4/license/month and Video Interviews at $8/license/month 

My verdict: Flexible and powerful, but best suited for larger or more tech-driven franchise networks.

Franchise Hiring Without the Headache

Running a franchise means wearing every hat: operator, accountant, therapist, and problem-solver. Hiring shouldn’t add another headache.

After testing all these systems, I kept coming back to NinjaGig. It’s built for the way franchises actually hire: fast, simple, and consistent. Whether you’re managing two cafés or two hundred, it gives you the control you need without the complexity you don’t.

So if you’re tired of juggling spreadsheets and email chains just to hire one decent candidate, it’s time to upgrade your toolkit. Because the best hires don’t just fill shifts; they keep your whole franchise running smoothly.