{
 "schema_version": "1.0",
 "id": "top-echelon",
 "name": "Top Echelon",
 "research_status": "researched",
 "vendor_domain": "topechelon.com",
 "category": "HR & People",
 "task": null,
 "summary": "Recruiting software for agencies and staffing firms: TE Recruit is an ATS and CRM with resume parsing, pipeline management, hotlists and job-board integrations, while TE Network is a split-placement network for sharing roles and candidates with other recruiting firms.",
 "best_for": "recruiting agencies and SMB staffing firms that want an applicant tracking system and CRM in one place, especially ones that would actually work split placements with other recruiters",
 "skip_if": "you are an in-house talent team hiring for your own company — this is built around agency and split-placement workflows, so you would carry a network you never use",
 "honest_knock": "Almost everything people shop for sits in Professional, not Standard: Smart-TE AI, automations, sequences, inbound email sync and API access are all one tier up, so Standard is a competent but plain ATS. The bigger thing to price honestly is that TE Recruit and TE Network are two separate subscriptions. The network is billed per agency on top of your seats, so \"Top Echelon\" can mean two bills. And taking the network month-to-month adds a $350 one-time startup fee that annual billing waives.",
 "pricing": {
  "status": "public",
  "entry_price": "$79",
  "entry_price_terms": "TE Recruit Standard, per seat · per seat per month billed annually",
  "from_price_usd_month": 79.0,
  "plans": null,
  "plans_source": null,
  "notes": "(2026-09-10, read on their own pricing page, both billing toggles; re-verified unchanged on 2026-10-06) TE Recruit (the ATS and CRM) runs $79 per seat per month billed annually or $95 month-to-month on Standard, and $95 billed annually or $115 month-to-month on Professional. Those seat rates rose during 2026: the same cards read $75/$89 on Standard and $89/$110 on Professional when we read them on 25 August 2026. TE Network, the split-placement network, is priced per agency rather than per seat and is unchanged: $135 per month billed annually with the $350 startup fee waived, or $150 per month billed monthly plus a $350 one-time startup fee.",
  "verified_at": "2026-10-06",
  "source_url": "https://www.topechelon.com/pricing/"
 },
 "free_plan": false,
 "free_plan_evidence": null,
 "cost_traps": [
  {
   "id": "per_seat",
   "label": "Per-seat pricing",
   "evidence": "(2026-09-10, read on their own pricing page, both billing toggles; re-verified unchanged on 2026-10-06) TE Recruit (the ATS and CRM) runs $79 per seat per month billed annually or $95 month-to-month on Standard, and $95 billed annually or $115 month-to-month on Professional.",
   "verified_at": "2026-10-06",
   "source_url": "https://www.topechelon.com/pricing/"
  },
  {
   "id": "addons_extra",
   "label": "Key features are paid add-ons",
   "evidence": "The bigger thing to price honestly is that TE Recruit and TE Network are two separate subscriptions.",
   "verified_at": "2026-10-06",
   "source_url": "https://www.topechelon.com/pricing/"
  },
  {
   "id": "annual_lock",
   "label": "Annual commitment",
   "evidence": "And taking the network month-to-month adds a $350 one-time startup fee that annual billing waives.",
   "verified_at": "2026-10-06",
   "source_url": "https://www.topechelon.com/pricing/"
  }
 ],
 "compare_with": {
  "name": "Bullhorn or Recruit CRM",
  "why": "the agency-ATS incumbents"
 },
 "links": {
  "record": "https://aibuildermarketplace.com/api/v1/products/top-echelon.json",
  "review": "https://officesoftwaremarketplace.com/top-echelon-review.html",
  "marketplace": "https://aibuildermarketplace.com/marketplace/top-echelon/",
  "vendor_site": "https://topechelon.com"
 },
 "purchase": {
  "seller": "the vendor",
  "how": "AIBuilder Marketplace does not sell this software. Sign up, start a trial or buy on the vendor's site.",
  "handoff_url": "https://get.topechelon.com/11c1fagtspqj",
  "affiliate": true,
  "disclosure": "Where purchase.affiliate is true, purchase.handoff_url is an affiliate link: AIBuilder Marketplace may earn a commission at no extra cost to the buyer. Commission never changes what a record says, and products are not ranked by commission. Where it is false the link is the vendor's plain site."
 },
 "provenance": {
  "research": "hand-researched dossier, read on the vendor's own pages",
  "researched_since": "2026-07",
  "method": "https://aibuildermarketplace.com/how-we-review/",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0. Credit 'AIBuilder Marketplace' with a link to https://aibuildermarketplace.com/atlas/.",
  "note": "A rebuild is not a new measurement: pricing.verified_at is the date that matters."
 },
 "cost": {
  "status": "available",
  "engine": "https://aibuildermarketplace.com/agents/#cost",
  "rules": {
   "currency": "USD",
   "unit": "seat",
   "axis": "users",
   "plans": [
    {
     "id": "standard",
     "name": "TE Recruit Standard",
     "model": "per_unit",
     "annual_month": 79,
     "monthly": 95,
     "evidence": "TE Recruit (the ATS and CRM) runs $79 per seat per month billed annually or $95 month-to-month on Standard"
    },
    {
     "id": "professional",
     "name": "TE Recruit Professional",
     "model": "per_unit",
     "annual_month": 95,
     "monthly": 115,
     "evidence": "and $95 billed annually or $115 month-to-month on Professional"
    }
   ],
   "not_computable": [
    "TE Network, the split-placement network, is priced per agency rather than per seat ($135 a month billed annually, or $150 monthly plus a $350 one-time startup fee) and is not part of the seat prices."
   ],
   "rules_verified_at": "2026-10-07"
  },
  "growth": {
   "annual": {
    "product_id": "top-echelon",
    "currency": "USD",
    "axis": "users",
    "unit": "seat",
    "billing": "annual",
    "rows": [
     {
      "units": 1,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 79.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 948.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 79.0,
       "professional": 95.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 2,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 158.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 1896.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 158.0,
       "professional": 190.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 3,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 237.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 2844.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 237.0,
       "professional": 285.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 5,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 395.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 4740.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 395.0,
       "professional": 475.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 10,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 790.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 9480.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 790.0,
       "professional": 950.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 15,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 1185.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 14220.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 1185.0,
       "professional": 1425.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 20,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 1580.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 18960.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 1580.0,
       "professional": 1900.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 25,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 1975.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 23700.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 1975.0,
       "professional": 2375.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 50,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 3950.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 47400.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 3950.0,
       "professional": 4750.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 100,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 7900.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 94800.0,
       "every": "year"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 7900.0,
       "professional": 9500.0
      }
     }
    ],
    "switch_points": [],
    "conflicts": [],
    "unknowns": [
     "TE Network, the split-placement network, is priced per agency rather than per seat ($135 a month billed annually, or $150 monthly plus a $350 one-time startup fee) and is not part of the seat prices."
    ]
   },
   "monthly": {
    "product_id": "top-echelon",
    "currency": "USD",
    "axis": "users",
    "unit": "seat",
    "billing": "monthly",
    "rows": [
     {
      "units": 1,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 95.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 95.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 95.0,
       "professional": 115.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 2,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 190.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 190.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 190.0,
       "professional": 230.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 3,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 285.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 285.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 285.0,
       "professional": 345.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 5,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 475.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 475.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
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       "standard": 475.0,
       "professional": 575.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 10,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 950.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 950.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 950.0,
       "professional": 1150.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 15,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 1425.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 1425.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 1425.0,
       "professional": 1725.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 20,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 1900.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 1900.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 1900.0,
       "professional": 2300.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 25,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 2375.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 2375.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 2375.0,
       "professional": 2875.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 50,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 4750.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 4750.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 4750.0,
       "professional": 5750.0
      }
     },
     {
      "units": 100,
      "cheapest_plan": "standard",
      "cheapest_plan_name": "TE Recruit Standard",
      "total_month": 9500.0,
      "billed": {
       "amount": 9500.0,
       "every": "month"
      },
      "ranges": [],
      "per_plan": {
       "standard": 9500.0,
       "professional": 11500.0
      }
     }
    ],
    "switch_points": [],
    "conflicts": [],
    "unknowns": [
     "TE Network, the split-placement network, is priced per agency rather than per seat ($135 a month billed annually, or $150 monthly plus a $350 one-time startup fee) and is not part of the seat prices."
    ]
   }
  }
 },
 "unknowns": [
  "Plan-by-plan prices are not structured in this record yet; pricing.notes has the full text.",
  "Contract terms (cancellation, data export, data location, minimum seats) are not researched as separate fields; pricing.notes mentions them only where the vendor's pricing page does.",
  "Not tested hands-on by us: what the product does comes from the vendor's pages and our reading of them."
 ],
 "task_evidence": null,
 "open_questions": [
  {
   "question_id": "top-echelon:cancellation_terms",
   "key": "cancellation_terms",
   "question": "Can a customer cancel at any time, and what happens to an annual plan that is cancelled mid-term?",
   "status": "open"
  },
  {
   "question_id": "top-echelon:data_export",
   "key": "data_export",
   "question": "Which data can a customer export, in which formats, on which plans?",
   "status": "open"
  },
  {
   "question_id": "top-echelon:data_location",
   "key": "data_location",
   "question": "Where is customer data stored, and can a customer choose the region?",
   "status": "open"
  },
  {
   "question_id": "top-echelon:pricing_gap_1",
   "key": "pricing_gap_1",
   "question": "Our price check could not put a number on this part of the cost: TE Network, the split-placement network, is priced per agency rather than per seat ($135 a month billed annually, or $150 monthly plus a $350 one-time startup fee) and is not part of the seat prices. Can you publish the price or the rule?",
   "status": "open"
  }
 ],
 "vendor_answers": [],
 "agent_channels": {
  "vendor_mcp": null,
  "agent_checkout": {
   "status": "not_found",
   "detail": "No explicit support for purchases by AI agents on the vendor's own pages.",
   "checked_at": "2026-10-07",
   "method": "homepage, /pricing and the pricing page we cite, read as plain HTML (no JavaScript) and searched for explicit support of purchases by AI agents: Agentic Commerce Protocol, Instant Checkout, Agent Payments Protocol, buy in ChatGPT, agentic checkout"
  }
 }
}