Who does each step
| Step | Indeed | HireBus |
|---|---|---|
| Posting the job | Your team posts it. | Iris writes the ad. The HireBus team posts it and runs the campaign. |
| Following up | Message templates. Sponsored plans add automated messages. | Iris messages each applicant within seconds and keeps following up by SMS and email. |
| The first phone interview | Your team runs it. | Iris interviews applicants by phone before you do. |
| Scores | Smart Screening, a separate product, scores applications against your criteria and adds summaries. | RightSeat scores behavior, experience and skills. Iris prioritizes who you should talk to first. |
| Scheduling | Scheduling links in Smart Screening. | Interviews booked on your calendar. |
| Cost to start | Free posts for many jobs. Sponsored budgets are set per job. | Starter is $297 a month plus $500 onboarding. Ad spend is separate. |
Checked October 2026. Sources: Indeed's plan comparison, automated messages and scheduling links in Smart Screening, and HireBus pricing.
Compare the whole cost
Indeed. Many jobs can be posted free, within Indeed's terms and limits. Some need sponsorship, and Indeed shows the minimum budget for each job based on the market and plan. See Indeed's pricing guidance.
HireBus. Starter is $297 a month for one active role, plus $500 onboarding on monthly billing. The initial three-month commitment totals $1,391 before advertising or optional credits. Annual billing has different terms and includes onboarding. See the full plan comparison.
Using both. Ad spend is separate from the HireBus subscription, so add your ad budget and any extra candidate credits to the total. Your team still interviews candidates, checks qualifications and trains the hire.
When Indeed alone is enough
Check the tools in your Indeed account before you pay for another system. Higher tiers add more of them. Stay with Indeed alone if someone on your team reviews applicants the day they apply, candidates get clear next steps, and your interviews tell you what you need to know.
Pick HireBus when applications sit unread or calls are hard to fit between jobs. The HireBus team runs the campaign, and Iris interviews applicants before you do. Bring a real opening to the call and ask to see the questions Iris would ask. See how Iris interviews applicants.
Questions about using HireBus with Indeed
Do I need an Indeed account if I use HireBus?
The HireBus team posts your ad and runs the campaign. Before launch, they go over which ad accounts the campaign uses, where applicants arrive and how ad spend is billed.
Does HireBus replace Indeed?
It doesn't have to. Indeed can keep bringing in applicants, and HireBus adds the job campaign, Iris interviews and candidate review. Pick one system to message applicants, so nobody gets the same message twice.
Can I keep my own Indeed posts running?
Bring your live posts to setup. The team will show you how those applicants would come into HireBus and which steps stay with you, before anything changes in a live search.
Founder & CEO of HireBus. Brandon took over his father's window cleaning business in 2012 and grew it past seventy employees in six seasons. He founded HireBus in Denver in 2021 with Rick Breden, PhD, an industrial and organizational psychologist. Read our story.
