The Problem
Why teams leave Lever
Opaque pricing typically $3K-$10K+/month
Annual contracts required
Advanced analytics and DEI features need higher tiers
Integration marketplace is limited
Candidate experience customization is restricted
What We Build Instead
Your custom hr & people tool
Applicant tracking system with CRM capabilities
Custom hiring pipelines and scorecards
Candidate sourcing and outreach automation
Interview scheduling and feedback collection
DEI analytics and reporting
Career page builder with your branding
The Math
Lever vs. custom build
Based on 15 seats at $100/seat/month, with ~10% annual SaaS price increases.
Keep paying Lever
Build with 86 SaaS
3-year savings with 15 seats
$8,650
15% less than Lever
Pricing Breakdown
Lever tier pricing vs. one-time custom build
Compare what you pay per seat across Lever's tiers against a single investment in software you own forever.
| Tier | Monthly/Seat | Annual/Seat | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeverTRM | $80/mo | $67/mo | ATS, CRM, Candidate portal, Basic reporting |
| LeverTRM for Enterprise | $120/mo | $100/mo | Advanced analytics, DEI dashboards, Custom workflows, API access |
| Advanced | $160/mo | $135/mo | Nurture campaigns, Advanced automation, Premium integrations, Dedicated CSM |
| Custom Build by 86 SaaS | $25,000–$45,000 one-time | $0/seat | Unlimited users, full ownership, no recurring fees |
Migration Timeline
From Lever to ownership — week by week
A structured migration plan to move off Lever in 6-10 weeks with zero downtime.
Discovery & Audit
1 weekAudit hiring pipelines, scorecard templates, interview processes, and candidate data
Architecture & Design
1-2 weeksDesign ATS with custom pipelines, scorecards, and evaluation workflows
Core Development
3-5 weeksBuild applicant tracking, candidate CRM, interview scheduling, and reporting
Data Migration & Testing
1-2 weeksMigrate candidate records, pipeline data, and validate workflow accuracy
Deployment & Training
1 weekDeploy ATS and train recruiting and hiring manager teams
Total build time
6-10 weeks
Feature Comparison
What you keep, what you skip, and why
A transparent comparison of Lever features vs. your custom-built alternative.
| Feature | Lever | Custom Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant Tracking | |||
| Candidate CRM | |||
| Interview Scheduling | |||
| Scorecards & Feedback | |||
| DEI Analytics | |||
| Career Page Builder | |||
| Offer Management | |||
| Nurture Campaigns | |||
| Candidate Sourcing Extensions | Use LinkedIn Recruiter or dedicated sourcing tools | ||
| Transparent Pricing | Fixed cost — no opaque enterprise contracts |
Your custom build focuses on the features your team actually uses — typically 15-20% of what Lever offers — built exactly for your workflow.
How It Works
From Lever to ownership in 6-10 weeks
Free Audit
We analyze your Lever usage and identify exactly which features your team actually uses.
Scope & Build
We build your custom hr & people tool with only the features you need. 6-10 weeks.
Deploy & Migrate
We deploy to your infrastructure, migrate your data from Lever, and train your team.
You Own It
Full source code, documentation, and optional maintenance retainer. No vendor lock-in. Ever.