OVI is the AI-native ATS where you chat to hire. Two AI agents — Sora for sourcing and Milo for screening — find candidates, score every CV, and run AI interviews, all controlled from a single chat.

What does "chat to hire" mean?

Chat to hire is OVI's AI-native hiring workflow: instead of clicking through a traditional ATS, you describe what you need in chat and OVI's AI agents source candidates, screen applicants, run AI interviews, and send outreach for you.

What is an AI-native ATS?

An AI-native ATS is an applicant tracking system built around AI agents rather than forms and pipelines. OVI's AI chat ATS lets recruiters source, screen, interview, and follow up through conversation — the agents do the work and surface only the candidates worth meeting.

Who are Sora and Milo?

Sora is OVI's AI sourcing agent — she scans LinkedIn, the open web, and your ATS history to find best-fit candidates and reach out in your name. Milo is OVI's AI screening agent — he scores every applicant against your rubric and surfaces a ranked shortlist.

How do OVI's AI interviews work?

OVI runs async AI interviews for every shortlisted candidate and returns scores, transcripts, and recordings — so your team only meets the people worth meeting.

OVI vs Manatal vs Zoho Recruit: Which AI Screening Tool Is Right for SMB Recruiters in 2026?

2026-06-19

OVI vs Manatal vs Zoho Recruit: Which AI Screening Tool Is Right for SMB Recruiters in 2026?

Small and mid-size hiring teams are under more pressure than ever. Applicant volumes keep climbing, budgets stay flat, and compliance requirements — from NYC Local Law 144 to the EU AI Act — now apply to companies of every size. AI-powered screening tools promise relief, but the market has fragmented fast: some platforms bolt screening onto an existing ATS, while others treat it as the core product.

Three tools show up repeatedly in SMB shortlists right now: OVI, Manatal, and Zoho Recruit. Each solves a different problem. This comparison breaks down pricing, screening capabilities, and compliance posture so you can pick the right fit for your team.

Quick Comparison

Feature	OVI	Manatal	Zoho Recruit
Starting price	$29/mo (Launch)	$15/user/mo	Free (limited); $50/user/mo (Professional)
Screening type	Async audio-only screening	AI Interviewer (text/video-based)	AI Screening Bot (resume parsing + scoring)
ATS built in?	No — integrates with your existing ATS	Yes — full ATS included	Yes — full ATS included
Compliance posture	Human-in-the-loop; no biometrics; aligns with EU AI Act, GDPR, NYC LL144, UAE PDPL; posture conforms to SOC 2 Type II & ISO 27001 standards	Standard data-processing agreements	Standard data-processing agreements
Best for	SMBs that want deep, structured screening with strong compliance	SMBs and staffing agencies wanting an ATS with built-in AI interviewing	SMBs wanting a single-platform hiring workflow with AI add-ons

Manatal: The ATS-First AI Interviewer

Manatal has built a reputation as an affordable, full-featured ATS designed for HR teams and staffing agencies. At $15 per user per month, it remains one of the most accessible platforms in the market (Recruiterflow, Manatal).

In 2025, Manatal expanded its AI capabilities with an AI Interviewer — a text and video-based screening layer that sits inside the ATS workflow. The tool supports multiple languages and lets recruiters customize interview questions per role. For teams that need a single system to manage sourcing, tracking, and initial screening, the integrated approach is convenient.

Where Manatal falls short is screening depth. The AI Interviewer is a supplement to the ATS, not the core product. Screening interactions tend to be shorter and more formulaic than dedicated screening tools. And because Manatal's compliance documentation follows standard SaaS patterns rather than employment-specific frameworks, SMBs hiring across multiple jurisdictions may need to do additional due diligence on their own (Recruiterflow, Manatal).

Bottom line: Manatal is a strong pick for teams that want an affordable ATS with a built-in screening add-on — especially staffing agencies managing high volumes. If screening depth and regulatory alignment are top priorities, it may leave gaps.

Zoho Recruit: The All-in-One With AI Add-Ons

Zoho Recruit targets SMBs that want to consolidate their entire hiring workflow — sourcing, tracking, screening, and offer management — in a single platform. Pricing follows a tiered model: a free plan with basic features, a Professional tier at $50 per user per month, and an Enterprise tier at $75 per user per month (Pin.com, Capterra).

In October 2025, Zoho added eight new AI features to Recruit, including a Sourcing Bot, a Screening Bot, and AI-powered candidate matching. These tools are included on paid tiers at no extra cost — a meaningful advantage for budget-conscious SMBs already in the Zoho ecosystem (Capterra).

The trade-off is that Zoho's AI screening is resume-centric. The Screening Bot parses and scores applications based on job requirements, but there is no conversational or interactive screening layer. Candidates do not engage in a structured interview — the AI evaluates documents, not dialogue. For roles where communication skills, problem-solving approach, or cultural alignment matter, resume scoring alone may not surface the best candidates.

Zoho also benefits from deep integration with the broader Zoho suite (CRM, People, Analytics), which can simplify reporting for teams already invested in that ecosystem.

Bottom line: Zoho Recruit is a practical choice for SMBs that want one platform to handle everything and are comfortable with document-based AI screening. Teams that need interactive candidate evaluation will find the screening layer limited.

OVI: Purpose-Built Audio Screening With Compliance at the Core

OVI takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than bolting screening onto an ATS, OVI is a dedicated screening platform built around async audio chats — structured, audio-only conversations where candidates respond to role-specific questions on their own time (OVI).

Pricing scales with team size: Launch at $29 per month, Starter at $99 per month, Growth at $450 per month, and a custom Business tier for larger organizations. With the average audio chat running approximately 10 minutes and delivering roughly $5 of interview value per screening, the economics are compelling for SMBs running high-volume hiring (OVI).

What sets OVI apart is the combination of screening depth and compliance posture. Every audio chat produces a full transcript that recruiters review before making decisions. OVI operates on a human-in-the-loop model: the AI provides decision-support and structured analysis, but final hiring decisions always remain with the recruiter. No automated decisions are made. No biometric analysis is performed — no voice-characteristic profiling, no facial recognition, no emotion detection. Analysis is based entirely on transcript content (OVI).

This architecture gives OVI a meaningfully stronger compliance position than competitors:

NYC Local Law 144: Because OVI's human-in-the-loop design means the AI does not make or substantially assist in automated employment decisions, it reduces exposure under AEDT frameworks.
EU AI Act: OVI's posture aligns with EU AI Act requirements ahead of the August 2026 deadline.
GDPR: Data Processing Agreements and Standard Contractual Clauses are available for EU/UK candidates.
UAE PDPL: OVI's practices align with UAE data-protection requirements.
Security standards: OVI's posture conforms to SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 standards.

For a startup at its price point, OVI is well-prepared on compliance. Full details are available at the OVI Trust & Compliance Center (OVI).

Bottom line: OVI is the recommended pick for SMBs that already have an ATS and want structured, conversational screening with the strongest compliance posture in this comparison.

Which Tool Fits Your Team?

If your team needs...	Consider...
An affordable ATS with built-in AI interviewing and multi-language support	Manatal — $15/user/mo gets you a full ATS plus text/video-based screening
A single platform for the entire hiring workflow, with AI features included	Zoho Recruit — best for teams already in the Zoho ecosystem or wanting one tool for everything
Deep, structured candidate screening with strong compliance and human oversight	OVI — purpose-built audio screening starting at $29/mo, with the most robust compliance posture of the three

For most SMBs evaluating screening tools in 2026 (as of May 29, 2026), the deciding question is straightforward: do you need better screening, or do you need an ATS that also screens?

If you already have an ATS you like — or if screening quality and regulatory readiness are your primary concerns — OVI delivers more value per dollar than either alternative. The async audio format captures what resumes and chatbots cannot: how candidates think, communicate, and approach problems. And the human-in-the-loop compliance posture means you are not betting your hiring process on regulatory frameworks that are still evolving.

If you need an all-in-one platform and screening is secondary, Manatal and Zoho Recruit are both solid. Manatal wins on price and staffing-agency workflows; Zoho wins on ecosystem integration and breadth of AI features.

Next Step

Evaluate OVI's audio screening with your own roles. Visit ovi-me.com to see how structured async audio chats compare to the screening you are doing today.

Sources: Recruiterflow AI Screening Tools Guide, Manatal, Zoho Recruit Pricing via Pin.com, Capterra Zoho Recruit Reviews, OVI

What is the difference between OVI, Manatal, and Zoho Recruit?

OVI is a dedicated async audio screening platform focused on compliance and structured candidate evaluation. Manatal is an ATS with a built-in AI Interviewer (text/video-based). Zoho Recruit is an all-in-one ATS with AI add-ons including a Screening Bot for resume parsing.

Which AI screening tool is best for SMBs in 2026?

For SMBs that already have an ATS and prioritize screening depth and compliance, OVI is the recommended pick. Manatal is best for teams wanting an affordable ATS with built-in AI interviewing, while Zoho Recruit suits teams that want one platform for the entire hiring workflow.

Is OVI compliant with NYC Local Law 144 and the EU AI Act?

OVI's human-in-the-loop design means AI does not make or substantially assist in automated employment decisions, reducing exposure under NYC LL144 AEDT frameworks. OVI's posture also aligns with EU AI Act requirements ahead of the August 2026 deadline, with GDPR DPAs and SOC 2 Type II / ISO 27001 standards.