Careerleaf Pricing 2026: What You'll Really Pay in Year One

What is Careerleaf?

Careerleaf was founded in 2011 and moved into job board software in 2014, according to its About page. Its features page lists Salesforce, AgileCRM, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and SkyPrep integrations. What the pricing page does not say is the contract length, a trial, or what happens when you reach the sales limit. It also looks dated: one add-on still says "Coming in 2022" and the footer says Copyright 2023, so ask for a current quote before you budget. For a table of every platform side by side, see job board software pricing, compared.

How much does Careerleaf cost in 2026?

As of October 2026, Careerleaf charges $300 to $549 a month for its three published plans, plus a one-time setup fee of $750 to $5,000. The fourth plan, Corporate, is white-labelled and quoted, with every feature custom.

The plans differ in more than limits. Here is what each one includes, as Careerleaf's feature table lists it.

How I tested this pricing

I read every line of the pricing page, including the limits under each plan and the add-on table. Then I added setup fees and common add-ons to get a real first-year number.

• Year-one cost: setup fee plus twelve months
• Add-ons: what you pay extra for an ATS, Google for Jobs, single sign-on and integrations
• Limits: jobs, email alerts, candidate profiles and direct sales per plan
• Gaps: what the page does not say, such as contract length and a trial

What does "direct sales per month" mean at Careerleaf?

Every published plan lists a number of direct sales per month: 10 on Publisher, 20 on Classic and 50 on Community. It is one short line in a list of limits, and the pricing page never says what counts as a direct sale or what happens when you pass the number.

If it means paid job posts, a Publisher board can sell 10 a month. At $200 a post, that is a ceiling of $2,000 a month, against a $300 plan. The pricing page doesn't say, so before you sign, ask Careerleaf in writing:

1. What counts: job posts only, or renewals, upgrades and packages too?
2. What happens past the limit: are sales blocked, billed extra, or does the board move up a plan?
3. Whether it resets: monthly on a calendar basis, or on your billing date?

What do the Careerleaf add-ons cost?

Careerleaf lists 25 add-ons, each with a one-time setup fee and sometimes a monthly fee. These are the ones that change the year-one number most.

Best for job search and display ads: Careerleaf Publisher

Best fora site that mainly wants job search and display advertising, and sells few job posts.

Publisher: what is it?

Careerleaf calls Publisher "an easy to use platform for job, search and display pay per click advertising". It is $300 a month plus a $750 setup fee, so $4,350 in year one. It includes 2,000 published jobs, 500 email alerts a day and 10 direct sales a month.

Its feature list has e-commerce and Stripe, but not product and pricing control, promotions or invoicing, which start at Classic. Adding the applicant tracking system costs $500 setup plus $50 a month, which brings year one to $5,450.

Pros

• The lowest Careerleaf price, with the setup fee published.
• Stripe, e-commerce and a free CRM and email tool included.

Cons

• 10 direct sales a month.
• No candidate profiles, product and pricing control, promotions or invoicing.
• The Google for Jobs add-on is not offered.

Bottom line

Pick it if you mainly want job search and display advertising. If you sell job posts and want to control prices, compare Classic.

Best for career sites with candidates: Careerleaf Classic

Best fora board that wants candidate profiles and an applicant tracking system included.

Classic: what is it?

Careerleaf describes Classic as "a no frills job and sales platform". It is $349 a month plus an $850 setup fee, so $5,038 in year one. It adds 500 candidate profiles, the applicant tracking system, product and pricing control, promotions, invoicing and 20 direct sales a month.

Pros

• The applicant tracking system is included.
• Product and pricing control, promotions and invoicing included.
• The lowest plan that can add Google for Jobs.

Cons

• Limited to 20 direct sales a month.
• Google for Jobs, at $550, costs extra.
• No white-label: that is Corporate only.

Bottom line

The plan most buyers should compare against. Add the add-ons you need before you decide.

Best for large associations: Careerleaf Community

Best forassociations, chambers of commerce and communities with many members and job alerts.

Community: what is it?

Careerleaf says Community is "designed for associations, chambers of commerce and communities". It is $549 a month plus a $5,000 setup fee, so $11,588 in year one. It includes 1,500 email alerts a day, 2,000 candidate profiles and 50 direct sales a month.

One oddity: the applicant tracking system is listed as an add-on here, while the cheaper Classic plan includes it.

Pros

• The highest published limits.
• Built for associations and member communities.

Cons

• $5,000 before launch.
• The applicant tracking system is an add-on.

Bottom line

Only worth it if you need the higher limits and an association-sized build.

Best for publishers who want no setup fee: Kardow

Best fora news site or newsletter that sells job posts and wants no setup fee.

Kardow: what is it?

Kardow is hosted job board software for publishers and newsletters, with job imports, employer checkout and your own branding.

I built Kardow to run Emplo.ca, a 22,000-member job community in Canada's capital region. There is no setup fee on any plan. A done-for-you launch service is optional: free on Pro and Scale, and $299 one time on Starter. Kardow's plans limit import credits, team seats and email volume, not how many job posts you sell, and it takes 0% of your sales. Pro is $2,148 in year one on monthly billing, or $1,608 if you pay for the year up front, less than half of Careerleaf Classic at $5,038.

Kardow connects to other tools through Zapier and, on Pro, the API. It has no prebuilt Salesforce or SkyPrep connector, and its applicant pipeline has five stages rather than a full ATS.

Key features

• No setup fee: the launch service is optional, and free on Pro and Scale
• White-label from Pro: hide the Kardow branding
• Candidate and employer profiles from Pro: included in the plan
• 0% revenue share: you keep every sale
• Job imports: relevant jobs from day one

Pros

• No setup fee and a 14-day free trial.
• White-label branding, API access and candidate profiles from the Pro plan.

Cons

• No prebuilt Salesforce or SkyPrep connector: you use Zapier or the API.
• Applicant tracking is a five-stage pipeline, built for light hiring rather than a full ATS.

Pricing

Starter $79/mo

Pro $179/mo

Year one, Pro, billed monthly Twelve months at the monthly rate, no setup fee $2,148

Year one, Pro, billed yearly If you pay for the year up front $1,608

Source: Kardow pricing page.

Bottom line

Pick Kardow if you sell job posts to readers: no setup fee, no cap on posts sold. If your workflow depends on a prebuilt Salesforce connector, check that first. More options: Careerleaf alternatives.

When is Careerleaf the better choice?

Careerleaf and its alternatives at a glance

How do I switch from Careerleaf?

1. Check your notice period: ask Careerleaf in writing, since its pricing page states no contract length.
2. Export your data: jobs, employers and candidate profiles.
3. Redirect your job URLs: so Google for Jobs traffic follows you, and keep the markup valid on the new board (see JobPosting schema for Google for Jobs).
4. Tell repeat employers: send them the new posting link on launch day. If listings drop out of Google afterwards, fixing Google for Jobs schema errors covers the usual causes.

Frequently asked questions