Last reviewed: 5 October 2026. Prices, features and review counts change often: each fact below comes from a source listed at the end, read on that date. Marvin publishes this guide and is one of the tools compared, so read our own section with that in mind.
TL;DR
- For a UK agency, the deciding question is rarely the ATS itself. It is what happens after the placement: timesheets, client approval, invoicing and payroll. Most vendors cover part of that chain and hand the rest to a separate pay and bill tool.
- Compare the total cost: paid add-ons, features reserved to higher plans, enrichment credits and separate multi-posting subscriptions often matter more than the headline price.
- Support after signing is the complaint that comes back most often in reviews, across vendors.
- An MCP server is no longer rare: Recruit CRM, Loxo, Spott and Marvin all have one.
- Marvin fits perm and day-rate contract desks that want timesheets, client sign-off and invoicing in the CRM. It is not built for hourly temps, and it does not run payroll.
How this guide was put together
- Vendor pages first. Prices and features come from each vendor's own pricing pages, product pages and documentation, read on 5 October 2026. Where a vendor's pages contradict each other, we say so.
- Reviews from Capterra UK. Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice share the same review pool, so their counts should not be added up, and the reviews are not limited to UK customers. We quote a few short extracts; one review is one opinion.
- No market share ranking. We found no public source giving UK market share by vendor, so the order below is not a popularity ranking.
- No reviews of Marvin. We publish this guide, so we do not quote review scores for ourselves.
- Unverified means left out. When we could not confirm a fact on the day, we left it out or marked it as such.
Six criteria that matter for a UK agency
1. Contract and temp coverage
A contract desk lives on the assignment: rates, a timesheet every week or month, client approval, an invoice, and pay for the worker. In the UK, these steps are usually split between a front-office CRM and a pay and bill provider that runs PAYE, RTI and self-billing. That split matters because contract work is a large share of the market: in Firefish's own UK customer base, temp and contract accounted for 88% of 10,386 placements in September 2026.
Ask every vendor: where are timesheets entered, who approves them and how, what generates the client invoice, and who runs payroll.
2. Total cost, not list price
Ask for the full quote for your team: which features are reserved to a higher plan (MCP, LinkedIn messaging, AI), what is sold as an add-on (messaging, onboarding, back office), what you pay per use (enrichment credits), which other subscriptions you need (multi-posting, e-signature, pay and bill), and the minimum term and notice period.
3. Support after signing
Slow support is the most frequent complaint in the reviews we read, and it appears for vendors of every size. Ask who you will talk to after go-live, in which hours, and read the most recent reviews rather than the average score.
4. Outreach
Email sequences are standard. LinkedIn and WhatsApp are where vendors differ: some send those steps automatically, some create a manual task for the recruiter, some reserve LinkedIn messaging to a higher plan.
5. AI and MCP
Every vendor now sells AI. Judge it on your own data: what it does in the daily workflow, on which plan, and what it costs. MCP, which connects an assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT to the CRM, is now common. Before switching it on, read our checklist on AI, MCP and UK GDPR.
6. Data and compliance
Under UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, your agency remains the controller of candidate data. Ask where the data is hosted, for the list of sub-processors (including AI providers), and for the data processing agreement.
The vendors
Bullhorn
- Who it is for: agencies of every size. Bullhorn's UK site says it powers "10,000+ recruitment agencies", and that over 4,500 of its customers have fewer than 10 users.
- Real strengths: the size of its ecosystem (an app marketplace of pre-integrated technology partners from the Core plan; Bullhorn's own pages give figures from 100+ to 350+), LinkedIn integrations from Core, and AI capabilities (Amplify) from the Pro plan.
- Contract and temp: the UK site states that the platform extends to middle and back office in North America only. In the UK, Bullhorn sells a workforce management edition of Bullhorn Recruitment Cloud on quote (shift scheduling, time capture, timesheet approval, rate cards), and payroll goes through partners such as RSM InTime. See our Bullhorn Back Office alternative guide.
- Price: Starter £80 and Core £120 per user per month. Pro, Max, Messaging, Onboarding and Middle Office are quoted.
- Reviews: 4.0/5 from 1,023 reviews on Capterra UK, with 3.7/5 for value for money. One reviewer writes: "Its not built with temp recruitment in mind".
Access Vincere Evo
- Who it is for: perm and contract agencies, from a single user upwards. Vincere was acquired by The Access Group in January 2022.
- Real strengths: published prices with a 30-day rolling contract on its Startup and Core plans, contractor timesheets, expenses and leave (TimeTemp), and invoicing in the product: draft invoices are created from perm placements and approved timesheets. Vincere says its Copilot AI comes with every package.
- Contract and temp: timesheet data is exported to your payroll system (Xero, Astute and MYOB are named). The Access Group also sells Access Pay and Bill and FastTrack360 Evo, on quote, covering PAYE, contractor, limited company and umbrella workers.
- Price: Startup £150 for a single user, Core £95 per user per month (2 to 7 users), Pro from £85 per user per month (above 7 users).
- Reviews: 4.8/5 from 329 reviews on Capterra UK.
Firefish
- Who it is for: UK agencies; its homepage says "Built for UK recruitment agencies. Supporting contract, temporary and permanent desks."
- Real strengths: a UK focus, a monthly Job Flow Index built from its customers' placements, a contract workflow in the Scale plan and a temporary workflow with a shift scheduler in Enterprise, and AI agents for matching, enrichment and summaries.
- Contract and temp: timesheets progress through client approval. We found no page describing native client invoicing: invoices go through integrations such as Xero, Timesheet Portal or Tempaid. One Capterra reviewer writes: "I would like to be able to invoice through the database".
- Price: plans on quote; add-on modules "from £150 per module".
- Reviews: 4.6/5 from 291 reviews on Capterra UK.
JobAdder
- Who it is for: agencies in three tiers: Recruiter Lite (up to 5 users), Recruiter Essential (6 to 20) and Recruiter Pro (21 and more).
- Real strengths: temp and contract management from the first tier, timesheet collection and approval with mobile entry, and invoices created in JobAdder that appear in Xero or QuickBooks. Its AI, Adder Intelligence, writes summaries and job descriptions.
- Contract and temp: payroll goes through integrations; JobAdder names Astute, FT360 and RSM.
- Price: on quote.
- Reviews: 4.4/5 from 161 reviews on Capterra UK. One reviewer writes: "The customer service is appalling".
Recruit CRM
- Who it is for: perm and contract agencies.
- Real strengths: contractors submit timesheets and clients approve them through dedicated portals, and invoices are generated from approved timesheets. Its MCP server works with Claude and ChatGPT through OAuth, on the Business and Enterprise plans.
- Watch-outs: email sequences are limited to one sequence on the Pro plan, and LinkedIn messaging is free on Enterprise but billed per user otherwise.
- Price: published on its pricing page in the visitor's currency, with up to 20% off for annual billing. We could not read the amounts shown to UK visitors, so we do not quote them.
- Reviews: 4.9/5 from 476 reviews on Capterra UK.
Loxo
- Who it is for: recruitment agencies; its prices are published in US dollars.
- Real strengths: AI sourcing and an MCP server included from the Core plan.
- Contract and temp: we found no native timesheets. Loxo points to a partner, Ascen, for time tracking, payroll and invoicing.
- Price: Core from $149 and Professional from $199 per user per month billed annually.
- Reviews: 4.6/5 from 134 reviews on Capterra UK.
Spott
- Who it is for: perm, contract and executive search agencies that want an AI-first CRM. Spott is based in Leuven, Belgium, and went through Y Combinator in Winter 2025.
- Real strengths: prices published openly, an interface in five languages, an iOS and Android app, an MCP server, and ISO 27001 certification according to its own pages.
- Contract and temp: timesheets are logged by the agency (contractors cannot submit their own yet), and invoices are sent to Xero as drafts. In campaigns, only email steps send automatically; LinkedIn and WhatsApp steps become manual tasks. Details in our Spott alternative for contract agencies.
- Price: for UK visitors, Core £109 and Pro £139 per user per month billed annually (£129 and £169 monthly), plus enrichment credits. Multi-posting runs on your own Broadbean or idibu subscription.
- Reviews: 5.0/5 from 2 reviews on Capterra UK, too few to draw conclusions.
Marvin
- Who it is for: perm agencies and contract desks paid on a day rate (IT, engineering, interim management), including agencies that run both.
- Strengths: candidates, clients, assignments, timesheets and invoices on one record. Contractors fill in a monthly timesheet in days and half-days in their own space (People), the client signs off from a secure link without an account, and Cash drafts the invoice at the day rate. Email, LinkedIn and WhatsApp sequence steps are sent automatically from the recruiter's own connected accounts. The AI Copilot and the MCP server are included in every plan.
- Plans: Pro covers Desk (ATS, CRM, outreach, missions and timesheets, invoicing) and Career (career site and multi-posting). Suite adds Scout (AI sourcing), Note (AI interview notes) and Board (client portal).
- Price: Pro £129 per user per month billed annually, or £149 billed monthly; Suite £169 billed annually, or £199 billed monthly. Both plans have a 12-month minimum term, including on monthly billing.
- Data: hosted in France (Scaleway, Paris). Our sub-processors, including AI providers, are listed in our DPA.
- Not covered: PAYE and RTI payroll, IR35 status determination, hourly timesheets, and multi-posting to UK job boards.
Side by side
| Vendor | Public price (per user/month) | Timesheets and invoicing in the product | UK payroll | Capterra UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullhorn | Starter £80, Core £120; others on quote | UK: time capture and approval in a quoted edition; pay via partners | Partners (e.g. RSM InTime) | 4.0/5 (1,023) |
| Access Vincere Evo | Startup £150 (1 user), Core £95, Pro from £85 | Yes: TimeTemp, invoices from approved timesheets | Separate Access products | 4.8/5 (329) |
| Firefish | On quote; modules from £150 | Timesheet approval; invoicing via integrations | Partners | 4.6/5 (291) |
| JobAdder | On quote | Yes: timesheets; invoices pushed to Xero or QuickBooks | Partners | 4.4/5 (161) |
| Recruit CRM | Published by visitor country; UK amounts not read | Yes: contractor and client portals, invoices | Not found | 4.9/5 (476) |
| Loxo | Core from $149, Professional from $199 (annual) | Via a partner (Ascen) | Via a partner | 4.6/5 (134) |
| Spott | Core £109, Pro £139 (annual, UK) | Logged by the agency; draft invoices to Xero | No | 5.0/5 (2) |
| Marvin | Pro £129, Suite £169 (annual); 12-month minimum term | Yes: day and half-day timesheets, client sign-off, invoices | No | Not quoted (publisher of this guide) |
Who Marvin is for, and who it is not for
Marvin is a good fit if your agency places contractors or interim managers on a day rate, runs perm and contract desks with the same consultants, wants client sign-off without asking clients to create an account, and wants LinkedIn and WhatsApp outreach to run in sequences rather than as manual tasks.
Look elsewhere, or keep a second tool, if:
- most of your workers are paid by the hour on weekly timesheets or shifts: Marvin records time in days and half-days;
- you want the CRM to run payroll: Marvin does not run PAYE or RTI payroll. It hands your payroll provider or the contractor's umbrella company approved, signed timesheets;
- you need the CRM to decide IR35 status: Marvin does not make status determinations (see our IR35 guide for agencies);
- you post most of your jobs on UK job boards from the CRM: Marvin's multi-posting does not cover them today.
Further reading
- Bullhorn Back Office alternative for contract agencies
- Timesheet Portal alternative: timesheets and invoicing inside your recruitment CRM
- Spott alternative for contract and temp agencies
- Contract and temp recruitment software: what a UK agency actually needs
- Timesheet software for recruitment agencies
- Umbrella company PAYE rules from April 2026
- Agency workers in the UK: the AWR 12-week rule and the Key Information Document
- Starting a recruitment agency in the UK
See Marvin on one of your own desks
The fastest test is to run one real placement through each shortlisted tool: a perm hire, or a contractor's month from timesheet to invoice. Book a demo and we will do it with your own case.
Sources
All read on 5 October 2026.
- Bullhorn: UK homepage, UK pricing, Recruitment Cloud workforce management (UK), Capterra UK reviews
- RSM InTime: recruitment pay and bill service
- Access Vincere Evo: pricing, TimeTemp, invoicing, AI, acquisition by The Access Group, Access Pay and Bill, Capterra UK
- Firefish: homepage, pricing, Job Flow Index, Timesheet Portal integration, Capterra UK reviews
- JobAdder: pricing, back office, Capterra UK
- Recruit CRM: pricing, MCP, bill and pay, Capterra UK reviews
- Loxo: pricing, Ascen integration, Capterra UK reviews
- Spott: pricing, campaigns, Xero invoicing and timesheets, mobile app, interface languages, Y Combinator profile, Capterra UK
Frequently asked questions
What is the best recruitment CRM for a UK agency?
There is no single answer: it depends on your desks. A perm agency should weigh search, outreach and reporting. A contract or temp agency should first check where timesheets, client approval, invoicing and payroll live, because most vendors leave part of that chain to a separate pay and bill tool. Compare the total cost, not the list price, and read recent reviews about support.
Which recruitment CRMs publish their prices in pounds?
On 5 October 2026, Bullhorn published Starter at £80 and Core at £120 per user per month, Access Vincere Evo published Startup at £150 for a single user, Core at £95 and Pro from £85 per user per month, and Spott showed UK visitors Core at £109 and Pro at £139 per user per month billed annually. Marvin costs £129 (Pro) or £169 (Suite) per user per month billed annually, or £149 and £199 billed monthly, with a 12-month minimum term in both cases. Firefish and JobAdder price on quote.
Do recruitment CRMs run UK payroll?
Most front-office CRMs do not run PAYE and RTI payroll themselves. They collect timesheets and hand over to a pay and bill provider such as RSM InTime or Timesheet Portal, or to a separate product from the same group, such as Access Pay and Bill. Marvin does not run payroll either.
Is MCP still a reason to choose one CRM over another?
Less and less. Recruit CRM (Business and Enterprise plans), Loxo (from Core), Spott and Marvin all offer an MCP server that connects an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT to your database. Compare what the assistant can actually do in your workflow, which plan includes it, and what the vendor says about where your data goes.
Who is Marvin not suited to?
Agencies that mainly place hourly temps on weekly timesheets and shifts, agencies that want their CRM to run PAYE and RTI payroll or decide IR35 status, and agencies that need multi-posting to UK job boards from the CRM. Marvin fits perm desks and day-rate contract desks.
