The verdict in three sentences
For a recruitment agency in Dublin with 18 consultants sitting on 25,000 CVs, a custom ATS costs between 45,000 and 95,000 EUR and becomes cheaper than a market ATS within 3 to 4 years. Its real value is skills-based search with AI-assisted ranking in a database you own, which makes a target of -25 % time to placement realistic. The project ships in 4 months, including a full migration of the CVs stored in Outlook.
Market ATS or custom ATS
International ATS products cost 60 to 120 USD (55 to 110 EUR) per user per month, often more once CRM and client portal add-ons are included. They are solid but generic, and an agency with specialist niches (tech, pharma, financial services) often ends up working around their search logic. Custom software needs a higher upfront investment but has a fixed running cost.
| Criterion | Market ATS (18 users) | Custom ATS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 5,000 EUR (setup) | 45,000 to 95,000 EUR |
| Annual cost | 11,900 to 23,800 EUR (55 to 110 EUR x 18 x 12) | 9,000 to 16,000 EUR (hosting, maintenance) |
| Cumulative 5-year cost | 60,000 to 124,000 EUR | 90,000 to 175,000 EUR |
| Niche skills search | Generic | Custom taxonomy for your specialist sectors |
| Client portal | Often a paid add-on | Included, in your branding |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With the agency, GDPR and Data Protection Commission ready |
In Dublin, labour costs make the custom build harder to justify on licence savings alone: the case rests on placement volume and niche search quality.
Modules and their 2026 price
The amounts below are a 2026 order of magnitude for a build delivered to an Irish agency, training included.
| Module | Indicative price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Migration and parsing of 25,000 CVs (Outlook, PDF, Word) | 6,000 to 11,000 EUR | 3 weeks |
| Candidate database, skills search and filters | 11,000 to 22,000 EUR | 4 weeks |
| AI-assisted ranking and CV summaries | 9,000 to 19,000 EUR | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Pipeline per assignment (sourcing, interview, shortlist, offer) | 7,500 to 16,000 EUR | 3 weeks |
| Client portal (shortlists, feedback, invoices) | 7,500 to 16,000 EUR | 3 weeks |
| Consultant dashboard and fee invoicing | 4,000 to 11,000 EUR | 2 weeks |
| Full project total | 45,000 to 95,000 EUR | 4 months |
AI ranking remains an aid: the consultant always validates the shortlist. It cuts the time spent reading irrelevant CVs, often 30 to 40 % of a recruiter's week. Under the EU AI Act, recruitment AI is high-risk, so the build includes explainable scores and human oversight logs.
Mini case study
Aoife, managing director of a recruitment agency in Dublin, makes 420 placements a year at an average fee of 9,000 EUR, about 3.78 million EUR in revenue. Average time to placement is 32 days. Cutting it by 25 %, to 24 days, lets each consultant run more assignments in parallel: the cautious goal is 10 % more placements, 42 extra placements and about 378,000 EUR of additional revenue per year. For an 80,000 EUR ATS, payback lands around 3 months of that extra revenue.
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FAQ
How much does a custom ATS cost in Dublin in 2026?
Expect 45,000 to 95,000 EUR depending on modules, then 750 to 1,350 EUR per month for hosting and maintenance. A core version with CV migration and pipeline starts around 28,000 EUR.
Can we recover CVs stored in Outlook?
Yes, attachments and emails are extracted, deduplicated and parsed to fill candidate records. For 25,000 CVs, allow about 3 weeks, with an automatic recovery rate of 85 to 90 %.
Is AI ranking reliable and compliant?
It ranks candidates on requested skills, experience and location with an explained score. Consultants keep the final decision, and oversight logs support EU AI Act obligations for high-risk recruitment systems.
Is candidate data protected?
Yes, the ATS handles consent, retention periods (often 24 months) and deletion on request under GDPR. Hosting stays in the EU.
When does custom beat a subscription?
On licences alone, rarely before 25 to 30 users. The custom case is strongest when niche search and client portal quality directly drive placement volume.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your consultant headcount, CV volume and assignment types: we will price an ATS between 45,000 and 95,000 EUR with a 4-month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
