A Manatal alternative for freelance recruiters who need to defend every score
Is TalentsGrid a good Manatal alternative?
Manatal is a full applicant tracking system with AI scoring, job-board multiposting and per-user plans from $15 a month. TalentsGrid is a smaller workspace for freelance recruiters. It quotes the CV for every requirement, computes the score with fixed math and keeps your data in your own Google Drive. Pro costs a flat $4.99 a month.
Why compare the two
Manatal and TalentsGrid both score CVs against a job with AI, so the choice comes down to three things that show on their public pages.
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Price shape
Manatal charges per user, from $19 a month ($15 on annual billing) on Professional. TalentsGrid Pro is a flat $4.99 a month, not charged per member, with 5 workspaces and 3 members per workspace.
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How the score is explained
Manatal documents a requirement-by-requirement breakdown. TalentsGrid adds a quote from the CV under each requirement and a published formula.
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Language
Manatal's pricing page lists an English, Spanish, French and German interface. TalentsGrid runs in English and Vietnamese.
Manatal and TalentsGrid side by side
| Feature | Manatal | TalentsGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Recruitment teams that want a full ATS (jobs, candidates, pipelines) with AI features on every plan | Freelance recruiters, solo TA and small teams who want a shortlist they can defend |
| Pricing model and entry price | Per user. Professional $19/user/month, $15 on annual billing (seen 5 Oct 2026, manatal.com/pricing). Enterprise $39 ($35 annual), Enterprise Plus $59 ($55 annual) | Flat monthly price, not charged per member. Free $0, Pro $4.99/month, Business $29.99/month |
| AI CV scoring | AI Recommendations score candidates against a job's requirements. Weights can be set per requirement | Scores each CV against the job's requirements, graded core, important, supporting or minor. About 1.5 seconds to score one CV against a job |
| How the score is explained | Their docs describe "line-by-line justifications" of why a candidate matches or does not match each requirement. The formula is not published on the pages we read | A quote from the CV for every requirement and responsibility. Formula published: AI finds evidence, code computes 60% skills and 40% responsibilities |
| Evidence quotes per requirement | The pages we read do not say whether explanations quote CV text | Yes. A match the AI claims without a sign in the profile is thrown out |
| Gaps | Shown as requirements the candidate does not meet | Marked "not proven by the CV", then turned into interview questions with weak, fair and strong answer guides. Questions are not editable today |
| Vietnamese UI | Not listed. Pricing page lists English, Spanish, French, German | Yes, app and copilot in Vietnamese and English |
| Data storage and export | CSV and JSON import and export listed. Where data is stored is not listed on the pages we read | CVs in your own Google Drive or managed storage. CSV export, Google Sheets sync. TalentsGrid does not use your CVs to train AI models |
| Human approval of AI actions | Their docs say AI outputs "guide, not replace" your judgment and final decisions stay with the recruiter. An approval preview before AI actions is not described on the pages we read | Every create, update, import, stage move and outreach email waits for your approval as a preview |
| Free plan | No free plan listed. 14-day free trial, no card (pricing page) | Free forever: 150 AI credits a month, up to 500 candidates, 1 workspace, 3 members. No card |
Where TalentsGrid is different
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Quotes under every requirement
Manatal explains why a candidate matches. TalentsGrid also prints the sentence from the CV that backs each requirement and each past responsibility, so you can paste the proof into an email to a hiring manager. If the AI says a skill matches and the profile shows no sign of it, the match is dropped.
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A formula you can state out loud
AI reads the CV. Plain code does the arithmetic: 60% skills, 40% responsibilities, the same way every time. A missing must-have caps the score. When a client asks why candidate B ranks above candidate A, you can point to the numbers.
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Gaps turn into questions
A skill the CV does not show is marked unproven, never failed. TalentsGrid writes an interview question for it, with a guide to what a weak, fair and strong answer sounds like. The questions are generated and you cannot edit them yet.
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Your data stays yours
Keep CVs in your own Google Drive, where TalentsGrid only sees the files it creates, or in managed storage. Export to CSV or sync to Google Sheets whenever you like. TalentsGrid does not use your CVs to train AI models.
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You approve every write
The AI recommends. New candidates, jobs, imports, stage moves and outreach appear as a preview, and nothing is saved or sent until you approve.
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Built for Vietnam first
The app and the copilot work in Vietnamese and English. Talent mapping, for IT roles only, searches five job sites and gives salary bands in VND.
When Manatal is the better choice
- Your team needs to post one job to many boards at once. Manatal's pricing page lists multiposting to "thousands of free and premium channels", with LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster and ZipRecruiter named. TalentsGrid has its own public job board at jobs.talentsgrid.com.
- You want Enterprise features such as workflow automation, or Enterprise Plus items such as API access and SSO, which Manatal lists on its plans.
- You want an AI video interviewer or AI notetaker. Manatal lists both as AI features.
- Your candidates work in Spanish, French or German and you need the interface in those languages.
- You want to edit the interview questions your tool generates. TalentsGrid's interview-kit questions are not editable today.
Switching from Manatal
Export your candidates from Manatal as CSV (their pricing page lists CSV import and export). TalentsGrid imports CSV: you drop the file into the chat, review the preview and approve it before anything is saved. Run it first on a handful of rows. Then score the CVs against a job to see the evidence behind each score. Pipelines and settings are rebuilt in TalentsGrid by you. TalentsGrid does not offer a migration service.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Manatal alternative for a freelance recruiter?
TalentsGrid is built for freelance recruiters and solo talent acquisition people. Free costs $0 with 150 AI credits a month, and Pro is a flat $4.99 a month, not charged per member. It quotes the CV for each requirement, which helps when a client questions your shortlist. Manatal suits teams that need a broader ATS.
How much does Manatal cost compared with TalentsGrid?
On manatal.com/pricing (seen 5 October 2026), Professional is $19 per user a month, or $15 on annual billing, with a 14-day trial. TalentsGrid has a free plan, then Pro at a flat $4.99 a month and Business at $29.99. Check both pricing pages before you decide, since plans change.
Does TalentsGrid explain its scores the way Manatal does?
Both show requirement-level reasoning. Manatal's docs describe line-by-line justifications for each requirement. TalentsGrid adds a quote from the CV under each requirement and responsibility, plus a fixed formula of 60% skills and 40% responsibilities. The Manatal pages we read do not say whether they quote CV text.
Can I move my candidates from Manatal to TalentsGrid?
Yes, through CSV. Export your candidates from Manatal, then import the file in TalentsGrid. You review a preview and approve it before anything is saved. We do not offer a done-for-you migration, so rebuild your stages and criteria yourself. Test with a small file first.
Where does TalentsGrid store my candidate data?
You choose: your own Google Drive, where TalentsGrid only sees the files it creates, or TalentsGrid managed storage. Stored tokens and sensitive data are encrypted with AES-256. You can export candidates to CSV or sync to Google Sheets at any time. TalentsGrid does not use your CVs to train AI models.
Does TalentsGrid work in Vietnamese?
Yes. The app and the copilot work in Vietnamese and English, and the copilot answers in the language you write in. Manatal's pricing page lists an English, Spanish, French and German interface and does not list Vietnamese, so check its current language list before buying.
Score one CV and read the evidence
Create a free workspace, drop in a CV and a job description, and see the quote behind every requirement. Scoring one CV against a job takes about 1.5 seconds.
Start for freeFree plan with 150 AI credits a month. No credit card.
Sources
All pages seen on 5 October 2026. Anything marked "not listed" above means we did not find it on these pages, not that the product lacks it.
- manatal.com/pricing. Plan prices, 14-day trial, interface languages, CSV and JSON export, multiposting channels, AI features per plan, Enterprise Plus items.
- manatal.com/features/ai-recommendations. Scoring against requirements and weights per criterion.
- support.manatal.com/docs/ai-candidate-recommendations. Line-by-line justifications, weights, and the statement that AI should guide, not replace, your judgment.
- manatal.com/features/manatal-ai. AI Interviewer, AI Notetaker and the other AI features.
Manatal, Recruit CRM and ChatGPT are trademarks of their owners. This page compares public information seen on the dates shown. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it. Write to support@talentsgrid.com.