Manatal vs Freshteam: Free Plan for Indian Startups 2026

If you're searching for this comparison in mid-2026, there's something you need to know before comparing anything: Freshteam is no longer available for new users.

Freshworks stopped accepting new Freshteam signups on March 7, 2026. The free Sprout plan that made Freshteam popular with Indian startups is gone for anyone who isn't already on it.

That changes this comparison significantly. If you're an existing Freshteam user deciding whether to switch to Manatal, or if you heard about Freshteam's free plan and are now wondering what to use instead — this article covers both scenarios.

Manatal vs Freshteam: The Short Answer

For new users, Manatal is the default winner here because Freshteam isn't an option. For existing Freshteam users evaluating a migration: Manatal is the right upgrade if you need AI-powered recruiting. If budget is the hard constraint, Zoho Recruit's free plan is the closer substitute.

Manatal vs Freshteam: Head-to-Head Comparison

What Is Manatal?

Manatal is an AI-powered applicant tracking system and recruitment CRM founded in 2019 and headquartered in Bangkok. It combines candidate pipeline management with AI features — automatic candidate scoring, match recommendations, profile enrichment from LinkedIn and social data, and access to a sourcing database of over 700 million profiles.

The 14-day free trial requires no credit card and unlocks almost every feature except job board posting and mass emailing. The Professional plan starts at $15/user/month on annual billing — roughly ₹1,250/user/month at current exchange rates.

Manatal is best for small-to-mid-sized teams that are actively hiring and want AI to triage applications rather than reviewing every resume manually.

What Happened to Freshteam?

Freshteam was Freshworks' standalone ATS product, popular in India because Freshworks is an Indian-founded company with INR billing, UPI support, and local customer trust. The free Sprout plan allowed teams of up to 50 employees to post 3 active jobs and manage candidates with a basic kanban pipeline — at no cost, forever.

Freshworks officially announced the discontinuation [OPEN IN NEW TAB] in late 2025 and stopped accepting new signups and renewals on March 7, 2026. The official reason: consolidating resources within Freshservice for Business Teams. Freshworks explicitly recommends its own Freshservice platform as the migration path, though that product is enterprise-focused and significantly more expensive than what Freshteam offered.

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Free Plan Availability — Verdict: Manatal by default

Freshteam's Sprout plan was the clear winner on pure "free" terms. Genuinely free (not a trial), up to 50 employees, 3 active job slots, branded careers page, shared team inbox — all at ₹0 with UPI billing.

Manatal has never had a permanent free plan. You get 14 days to test everything, then it's $15/user/month.

But none of this matters for new users because Freshteam is gone. The question now is: Manatal's trial-then-paid model, or Zoho Recruit's genuinely free single-job tier? If you can afford $15/user/month and need more than one active job, Manatal is the answer. If you can't, Zoho Recruit is.

Verdict: Manatal wins by default. For truly free: Zoho Recruit.

AI Recruiting Features — Verdict: Manatal wins clearly

This isn't a close comparison. Manatal was built from day one as an AI-first recruiting tool. Its candidate scoring ranks applicants by match percentage against your job requirements. AI enrichment automatically pulls in LinkedIn, GitHub, and social profile data to fill out candidate records. The Chrome extension lets you source candidates from any webpage directly into your pipeline.

Freshteam had none of this. It was a solid basic ATS — job posting, kanban pipeline, structured interviews — but it was never an AI recruiting tool.

For Indian startups hiring 5+ people a year who want to stop reviewing every resume manually, Manatal's AI layer is the key differentiator.

Verdict: Manatal wins clearly.

Platform Stability — Verdict: Manatal wins decisively

Freshteam's shutdown is proof of a risk that product buyers often underestimate: a tool can be perfectly functional and still get discontinued by a parent company that wants to simplify its portfolio.

Freshworks decided Freshteam overlapped too much with Freshservice and redirected development resources. That decision had nothing to do with Freshteam's quality — and yet the product is gone.

Manatal is an independent, AI-first recruitment platform. It doesn't have a parent company that might sunset it for portfolio reasons. For a long-term ATS decision, that independence matters.

Verdict: Manatal wins decisively.

Pricing Breakdown

For context: Freshteam's paid plans started at approximately ₹1,500+/employee/month on the Growth tier — pricier than Manatal at comparable team sizes. The Sprout plan was free, but that option no longer exists for anyone starting fresh. All prices are confirmed on Manatal's official pricing page [OPEN IN NEW TAB] as of June 2026.

For most Indian startups, the Manatal Professional plan at ₹1,250/user/month is the entry point to evaluate. One recruiter plus the trial period gives you 14 days to determine if $15/month is worth it before committing.

Who Should Choose Manatal

• You're hiring 3 or more roles at the same time and need an organized pipeline
• You want AI to score and rank candidates so you review fewer resumes manually
• Your team has an international credit card available for USD billing
• You want an ATS that will still exist in three years
• You tried Freshteam and want an upgrade with actual AI features

If you want AI interview notes to complement your ATS, Metaview offers a free-tier AI interview notetaker that pairs well with Manatal — recording and summarizing interviews with competency tags without additional cost.

Still on Freshteam? Here's What to Do

If you're a current Freshteam Sprout user, your access continues until your contract ends. The maximum end date is April 2027.

Start a Manatal free trial now (14 days, no credit card). That's enough time to import your existing candidates, build a job pipeline, and test whether the AI features justify the cost before your Freshteam access lapses.

If budget is the hard constraint and you can't commit to $15/user/month: export your Freshteam candidate data, then move to Zoho Recruit's free plan. It supports one active job at a time with no credit card required — a significant step down from Freshteam's three slots, but it's free and stable.

Using These Tools in India

India-specific factors matter here beyond just pricing.

Manatal's biggest friction point for Indian startups is the billing requirement: USD only, international credit card required. Many early-stage Indian founders run entirely on UPI and don't have a business credit card in USD. This alone rules Manatal out for some teams at the earliest stage.

Manatal does include PDPA compliance tools in all plans, covering data privacy frameworks for Singapore and Southeast Asia. However, Manatal does not explicitly document coverage of India's DPDPA 2023 on their website or FAQ — confirm with Manatal support before processing Indian candidate data at scale.

For a detailed look at the best free alternative to Freshteam for Indian teams, read our Zoho Recruit free plan review for India 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Manatal have a free plan?

No permanent free plan. Manatal offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card. You get access to almost all features during the trial, including AI scoring and sourcing, except job board posting and mass emailing. After 14 days, the Professional plan starts at $15/user/month on annual billing — approximately ₹1,250/user/month.

Is Freshteam still available in India in 2026?

No — Freshworks stopped accepting new Freshteam signups and renewals as of March 7, 2026. Existing customers retain access until their subscription ends (maximum April 2027). If you don't already have an account, you cannot create one.

What should Indian startups use instead of Freshteam's free plan?

Zoho Recruit is the closest free substitute: no credit card required, UPI billing, one active job slot, and it's run by an Indian company with local support. If you need more than one active job or want AI screening, Manatal's trial-then-paid model ($15/user/month after 14 days) is the right upgrade. For a full overview of zero-cost tools across your entire hiring workflow, see our guide to free AI recruiting tools for Indian startups.

Does Manatal support UPI or Indian payment methods?

No. Manatal bills in USD only and requires an international credit card. UPI, Razorpay, and Indian debit cards are not accepted. This is a genuine limitation for Indian startups that don't have a business credit card set up for international payments.

Our Verdict

Freshteam was a genuinely good free ATS for Indian startups — simple, locally relevant, and ₹0 to get started. It's a real loss that it's gone.

The honest answer for 2026 is: Manatal is the better product in almost every dimension. The AI features, the pipeline management, the sourcing tools — none of that existed in Freshteam. But Manatal costs money and requires an international card. That's a real barrier for some teams.

My recommendation: if you're hiring actively (3+ roles) and can put $15/month on a card, start Manatal's trial today. If budget is the genuine constraint, set up Zoho Recruit free and work within the one-job limit until you can justify the upgrade.

The days of a genuinely free, full-featured ATS for Indian startups are over for now. Work with what's available.