Spectacled and Bullhorn: which fits your agency?

Bullhorn is the established platform for large staffing firms that need back office and a big partner network. Spectacled is built for small and mid-size agencies and staff augmentation firms that want match scoring on every seat, at a price published for every plan.

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Updated October 17, 2026 · prices from each vendor's own site · Sources

Spectacled and Bullhorn at a glance, checked October 17, 2026
At a glance	Spectacled	Bullhorn
Free plan	Yes, 1 seat	No free plan or free trial
First published price	$99 a seat a month, billed annually	$99 a user a month (Starter)
Candidate matching	Every plan, never metered	AI search and match in Pro and Max
Sales pipeline (CRM)	Every plan	Recruitment CRM in Pro and Max
Back office and payroll	Not included	Optional, priced separately

Which one is right for your agency?

Most agencies know within a minute which list sounds like them. If it's the second one, Bullhorn is the better fit today.

Choose Spectacled if

You place permanent and contract hires, and your team works in Gmail.
You want every candidate scored against the role and the client, on every seat.
Your clients should review shortlists from a link, without logging in.
You run staff augmentation and want your bench scored against every new req.
You'd rather start free and see a published price for every plan.

Bullhorn is the better fit if

You run high-volume temp staffing with timesheets, payroll and invoicing in one system.
Your clients send requisitions through vendor management systems (VMS).
Your team works in Outlook and Microsoft 365.
You rely on apps from a large marketplace: Bullhorn lists more than 300 partners.
Your operations team wants analytics, which Bullhorn offers in Pro and as an add-on.

How much do Spectacled and Bullhorn cost?

Both start at $99 per user per month. Spectacled includes match scoring and the CRM from the free plan up; Bullhorn includes AI search and match in its Pro and Max editions, which are "Talk to us".

Published prices per user per month, in US dollars, checked October 17, 2026
	Spectacled	Bullhorn
Free plan	Starter, free forever1 seat, 5 active jobs, 500 candidates, 100 AI actions a month	None"Bullhorn does not currently offer a free trial."
First paid plan	Professional: $99Billed annually, or $119 month to month. Unlimited jobs, candidates and AI actions.	Starter: $99Applicant tracking, résumé parsing, client management, job posting with a career portal
Second plan	Agency: $199Billed annually, or $239 month to month. Professional, plus migration, setup and training by our team.	Core: $165Starter, plus the app marketplace (300+ partners), custom fields and workflows, LinkedIn integrations
Candidate matching	Every planMatch scoring on seven weighted dimensions, never metered	Pro and Max"AI search and match is included in Bullhorn Pro and Bullhorn Max."
Higher plans	NoneAgency is the top plan	Pro and Max: "Talk to us"Front Office, Bullhorn One and Recruitment Cloud editions: "Get a quote"
Setup	Self-serve, or done for you on AgencyEvery plan includes every feature	Free implementationOn Starter, Core and Pro; scoped in the quote for Max

Bullhorn's pricing page doesn't state contract length or billing terms, and says its prices exclude VAT. Bullhorn pricing in detail

What does Spectacled cover today?

An agency desk from intake to placement, in one system. The last column is what we don't do yet, so you can decide before a demo.

Built in

Job orders with fee, guarantee and exclusivity terms
Candidate records with résumé parsing
Match scoring on seven weighted dimensions
Submittals with no-login client review links
Deals by stage, with a weighted fee forecast
Placements with fee status and guarantee end dates
Careers site in five languages, with Indeed and LinkedIn job feeds
Gmail, both ways
Client contracts with built-in e-signature
Chrome extension for LinkedIn
Claude connector on every plan

Partly

OutreachEmail sequences that stop on reply; no SMS or call steps
CalendarGoogle Calendar for scheduling and free/busy; events aren't imported
ImportCandidate CSV, 500 rows a file; the rest moved by our team on Agency
ExportCandidates and placements to CSV, anytime
Client portalsYour logo and accent colour, on Spectacled's address
BranchesTeams and branches to organise desks; data isn't separated by branch

Not yet

Outlook and Microsoft 365
Timesheets, payroll and invoicing
Vendor management system (VMS) integrations
SMS and calling
Single sign-on (SAML)
Mobile app
Custom report builder

What should you ask any ATS before you sign?

Five questions that decide the real price. Our answers are under each one; Bullhorn's are theirs to give.

Is candidate matching in the plan I'm buying, or priced separately?Spectacled: on every plan, including free, and never metered.
What does it cost to export my data while I'm under contract?Spectacled: candidates and placements export to CSV anytime, at no charge.
Can my clients review candidates without a login?Spectacled: yes, from a review link that lasts 48 hours. Clients can ask for a fresh one.
Which email and calendar tools does it work with?Spectacled: Gmail both ways, and Google Calendar for scheduling. Outlook isn't supported yet.
Who moves my data, and what does that cost?Spectacled: our team, as part of the Agency plan, with the scope and dates agreed with you in writing before you give notice.

How do you switch from Bullhorn?

In three steps, timed around your renewal date. Plan yours with the renewal planner.

Score your open roles freeThis week: import up to 500 candidates from a CSV and compare the shortlist with today's.
Get your Bullhorn backupBefore you give notice: a Final backup is offered when the contract ends, or a Full one for a fee while you're under contract.
We move your dataOn the Agency plan, with the scope and dates agreed in writing before you give notice.

Questions agencies ask us about Bullhorn

Is Spectacled cheaper than Bullhorn?

At the first published price both cost $99 per user per month: Spectacled Professional billed annually ($119 month to month) and Bullhorn Starter. Spectacled includes match scoring and the CRM on that plan and has a free plan; Bullhorn includes AI search and match in Pro and Max, which its pricing page lists as "Talk to us".

Can Spectacled replace Bullhorn?

For permanent, contract and staff augmentation desks that work in Gmail, yes: jobs, candidates, clients, deals, submittals and placements live in one system. If you need timesheets, payroll, VMS integrations or Outlook, Bullhorn is the better fit today.

Does Spectacled work with Outlook?

Not yet. Spectacled syncs Gmail both ways and uses Google Calendar for scheduling.

Can we try Spectacled while we're still on Bullhorn?

Yes. Start free, import up to 500 candidates from a CSV, and score your open roles before you move anything.

How do we move our Bullhorn data?

Bullhorn provides backups as a Microsoft SQL Server file on its secure FTP server, and offers a Final backup with every attachment when your contract ends. On the Agency plan our team moves your data for you, with the scope and dates agreed in writing before you give notice.

Sources

Spectacled pricing, spectacled.ai/pricing.html, October 17, 2026.
Bullhorn pricing, bullhorn.com/pricing, checked October 17, 2026.
Bullhorn small-agency pricing and FAQ, bullhorn.com/small-agency-software/pricing, checked October 17, 2026.
Bullhorn knowledge base, requesting a data backup, kb.bullhorn.com, checked October 17, 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Email hello@spectacled.ai and we'll correct the page and its date. How we compare