CATS vs Lever:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Lever had more branded searches than CATS among recruitment software brands worldwide. Lever had about 1,300 branded searches, while CATS had 170. Lever made up 0.86% of all recruitment software brand searches we track, and CATS accounted for 0.11%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about recruitment software brands, Lever appeared in three of the five answers and CATS in none.
Who do people search for more?
Lever, about 8 searches for every 1 for CATS
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Top recruitment software brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lever was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. CATS did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Workable5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Greenhouse5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ashby3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Lever3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Zoho Recruit2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bullhorn2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Jobvite0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Vincere0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
JobAdder0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
CATS0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about recruitment software brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which recruitment software brand should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best recruitment software brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best recruitment software brand for running hiring workflows?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“applicant tracking system”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ats software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is CATS or Lever more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for CATS and Lever by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 recruitment software brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Lever, CATS. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Workable | Zoho Recruit | Jobvite | Vincere | JobAdder | Greenhouse | Ashby | Lever | Recruitee | CATS | Bullhorn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36% | 24.1% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.12% | 0.15% | 0.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 35% | 23.4% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.12% | 0.15% | 0.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.1% | 25.5% | 13.9% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 4.2% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.11% | 0.13% | 0.07% |
| Jan 2026 | 38% | 20.8% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0.11% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.6% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.16% | 0.13% | 0.11% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.6% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.16% | 0.13% | 0.13% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.4% | 21% | 14.1% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.11% | 0.11% | 0.11% |
| May 2026 | 37.9% | 20.7% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.11% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.6% | 21.7% | 14.5% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.21% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.1% | 23.5% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.15% | 0.12% | 0.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.5% | 21.6% | 14.5% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 1.2% | 0.85% | 0.14% | 0.14% | 0.07% |
| Sep 2026 | 40.1% | 21.9% | 14.7% | 9.8% | 8% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.14% | 0.11% | 0.09% |
How has the CATS and Lever comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lever was ahead of CATS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CATS’s share of searches among recruitment software brands worldwide moved from 0.15% to 0.11%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 260 to 170.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lever’s share of searches among recruitment software brands worldwide moved from 1.4% to 0.86%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 1.3K.
How did search popularity change for recruitment software brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, CATS fell from 9th to 10th among recruitment software brands worldwide.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Lever worldwide fell 45.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CATS’s and Lever’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among recruitment software brands

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