Quick Answer
Last verified:

Lever pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $5K to $140K per year in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Last verified: January 2026 | Sources: 5 pricing pages and reviews
+40-60% above list price

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Pricing based on company headcount, not active users: Lever charges based on total company employees, not recruiting team size. A 500-employee company pays significantly more than a 100-employee company, even with the same recruiting workload. Pricing scales steeply as headcount grows.

2

Implementation and professional services not included: Professional services for implementation typically cost $15,000-$25,000, with 67% of companies negotiating this down to $5,000-$8,000 or receiving it free with annual contracts over $40,000. Budget 1-3 months for full implementation.

3

Add-on modules priced separately: Advanced Analytics costs $18-$32 per employee annually ($9,000-$16,000 for a 500-employee company). Email Lookups add-on costs ~$3,000/year. Diversity Analytics Module costs ~$2,500/year. Premium features require additional purchases on top of base ATS pricing.

4

Negotiation is critical to avoid list pricing: Lever's list pricing is 34-66% higher than median negotiated prices. A 500-employee company pays ~$72,114 at list price but can negotiate down to ~$36,778 (49% discount). A 1,000-employee company pays ~$144,228 list but negotiates to ~$63,172 (56% discount).

5

Annual contracts with no month-to-month options: Lever requires annual contracts with upfront payment or quarterly installments. Early termination fees apply. Mid-contract upgrades are prorated, but downgrades are not refunded until renewal. Teams must commit to 12-month minimums.

6

User training and change management overhead: Lever is feature-rich but requires training. Budget 20-40 hours for recruiting team training and 10-15 hours monthly for ongoing admin and workflow optimization ($1,500-$3,000 at $75/hr for initial training; $750-$1,125/month ongoing).

Example: True Cost for 25 Users

License (25 × $12000 × 12) $3,600,000/yr
Implementation (one-time) +$15,000–$50,000
Premium Support (20%) +$720,000/yr
Training (25 × $500) +$12,500
Admin (part-time) +$15,000–$25,000/yr
Year 1 Total $5,425,000–$5,820,000
That's 1.8–2.5× the advertised license price.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Lever?

Beyond the license fee, budget for implementation ($5K-$100K+), training ($500-$2K per user), premium support (15-20% of license), and admin costs. Most companies see 40-60% higher total cost than the listed price.

02 Does Lever charge for implementation?

Lever doesn't include implementation in the license cost. Implementation is typically done by partners and costs range from $5,000 for basic setup to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments with customization.

03 How much does Lever support cost?

Basic support is included, but premium support (faster response times, 24/7 availability) typically adds 15-20% to your annual contract. This can be thousands of dollars per year for larger deployments.

04 Are there storage costs with Lever?

Most Lever plans include limited storage. Once you exceed the included amount, you'll pay overage fees which can range from $50-$500+ per month depending on data volume.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Lever?

Many features marketed as part of Lever are actually add-ons: advanced reporting, API access, integrations, and specialized modules. Each can add $10-$100+ per user per month.

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