Recruiting
softgarden
EU-Made Report an errorPanel rating · 6 judges · How to read the stars
Category median
Sovereignty: 2 of 4 dimensions proven
0–5 in half steps. 5 means the rubric's top anchor is met on the evidence.
by softgarden e-recruiting GmbH · softgarden.com
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Read this page as one judge. Each weighs the same scores by what they care about.
The panel's verdict
softgarden, a Berlin-based applicant-tracking system, scores highest on sovereignty and applicant data governance and lowest on integrations and handover. The captured privacy pages state hosting in German data centres at named providers — WIIT AG (formerly myLoc) and Equinix Germany GmbH in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf — a downloadable processing agreement, ISO 27001/27017/27018 certification, and a vendor statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data occurs; judges flag a US Cloud Act caveat around the support tool Intercom, engaged via its Irish entity, and ownership the captured pages do not confirm. Job distribution scores 4–5 on multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads. AI screening control sits at a flat 3: features are named, but we found no public information on inputs, per-feature switches or the model provider. Candidate pipeline spans 2–4, the widest range, over whether decisions are documented beyond the system history. Pricing transparency scores 4–5: Core is public at "ab 199 € / Monat" with five included jobs; All-in-One is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung".
Speaks for it
- Hosting stated in German data centres at named providers — WIIT AG (formerly myLoc) and Equinix Germany GmbH in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf — with ISO 27001/27017/27018 certification and a published subcontractor list.
- Automated deletion of applicant data configurable by the responsible party, with a recommended six-month retention and a four-week deadline for answering data-subject requests.
- System history logs access attempts and changes to records — the closest thing to an audit trail the captured pages show.
- Multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads, with conversion rates and entry channels analysed per job advertisement.
- Core tier priced publicly at "ab 199 € / Monat" with five included jobs and unlimited users, VAT stated as "Alle Preise zzgl. MwSt.", plus a downloadable brochure claiming all packages, functions and prices.
Held against it
- Integrations and handover scores 1–2: the hire's path ends at softgarden's own onboarding module, with no public information on an API, SSO, e-signature, or handover to a named HR system such as Personio or DATEV-connected systems.
- AI screening control holds at 3: the "Transparent und ohne Blackbox" assurance is not matched by public documentation of matching inputs, per-feature switches or the model provider.
- We found no public information on talent-pool consent or its expiry, candidate self-service, or how deletion propagates to backups and the boards vacancies were posted to.
- The All-in-One tier (20 included jobs) is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung", with no public information on job-board posting costs, AI-module prices or the minimum term — a full annual invoice is not computable from the pages.
- Candidate pipeline scores 2–4, with no public information on structured scorecards, interview scheduling, or hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies.
Best for
- You are a German Mittelstand employer wanting a DACH-focused ATS whose privacy pages already document German hosting, certifications and a downloadable processing agreement.
- Your hiring runs on broad channel reach and you want conversion rates and entry channels analysed per job advertisement.
- You carry applicant-data liability yourself and need configurable automatic deletion plus access and change logging.
- You want a published entry price with unlimited users for a small number of vacancies — Core includes five jobs.
Avoid if
- You need every hire handed over into a named HR or payroll system such as Personio or DATEV-connected systems — integrations and handover is the lowest-scoring area at 1–2.
- You must defend AI screening to a works council with documented inputs and per-feature switches — the public pages offer a transparency slogan, and AI screening control scores 3.
- You need to compute your full annual invoice before talking to sales — All-in-One is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung" with no public posting costs, add-on prices or minimum term.
The scores
Applicant management & hiring workflow
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How this is scored
The daily work of hiring: pipeline stages per job, collaboration with hiring managers, structured evaluation, interview scheduling and candidate communication — judged on whether a decision is documented rather than merely made.
0 — An inbox of applications with a status field; no stages per job, no shared evaluation and no record of who decided what.
3 — A fixed pipeline with drag-and-drop stages and email templates, but hiring managers see everything or nothing, and evaluation is free-text comments.
5 — Configurable pipelines per job, hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, structured scorecards, interview scheduling with calendar integration, and templated candidate emails in German.
8 — Approval workflows for requisitions and offers, role-based access per team and location, structured interview kits, bulk actions with automated but reviewable candidate communication, and a history on each candidate of every stage change and who made it.
10 — The pipeline is an auditable record of a fair process: every decision attributed and reasoned, evaluation criteria fixed before applications arrive, reporting on time-to-hire and drop-off per stage, and the full history exportable per candidate for an AGG dispute.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
What the pages show is an applicant overview with team communication, dashboards with time-to-hire and time-to-interview, and a system history that logs access attempts and every change to records — that history is exactly what I want when a decision is contested. But we found no public information on structured scorecards, on hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, or on approval workflows for requisitions and offers, and process configuration is described only at a basic level in the Core package. That leaves a decision made but not documented the way I can defend it. 1 2 3
The Employer Branding Manager
An application overview with team communication, dashboards reporting time-to-hire and time-to-interview, and a system history logging access attempts and changes to records take this above a bare inbox. We found no public information on pipeline stages per job, structured scorecards, interview scheduling, or hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, so decisions beyond the change log are not documented on the captured pages. 1 2 3
The Data Protection Officer
Applicant management is evidenced as an application overview with built-in team communication, a dashboard with time-to-hire and time-to-interview KPIs, a basic process configuration, and a system history logging access attempts and every changing operation on records. We found no public information on structured scorecards, interview scheduling with calendar integration, hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, or whether each stage change records who made it and why. 1 2 3
The Works Council Advocate
The public pages show an application overview with team communication, a dashboard with appointments, to-dos and recruiting KPIs, and a system history that records access attempts and changes to data records — that history is the one lever a works council can hold onto. Beyond it we found no public information on pipeline stages per job, structured scorecards, interview scheduling, or hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, so no decision is shown as documented and attributed rather than merely made. 1 2 3
The HR IT Integrator
The captured pages show an application overview with team communication, a dashboard with appointments, to-dos and KPIs including time-to-hire and time-to-interview, and a system history that logs access attempts and changing operations on records — that history is the closest thing to an audit trail here. We found no public information on structured scorecards, pipelines configured per job, hiring-manager access scoped to their own vacancies, or interview scheduling tied to calendars. 1 3
The Skeptic
The captured pages show an application overview with team communication, a dashboard with recruiting KPIs like time-to-hire, and a system history that logs access attempts and changes to records — more than a bare inbox. But we found no public information on configurable pipeline stages per job, hiring-manager access limited to their own vacancies, structured scorecards, or interview scheduling; the module list names a KI screening and interview assistant without saying how any decision is documented. 1 3
Multiposting, career page & candidate experience
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How this is scored
Getting a vacancy in front of the right people and letting them apply: job-board distribution for the German market, the career page, and an application process that does not lose candidates on a phone.
0 — No career page and no job-board distribution; vacancies are posted by hand elsewhere.
3 — A basic hosted job list and free aggregator feeds, with no named German boards, and an application form that requires an account or a desktop.
5 — A branded career page, multiposting to named boards including the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and at least one major German paid board, Google for Jobs markup, and mobile application without an account.
8 — Multiposting with booking and budget tracking per board from inside the system, source attribution per applicant, career page in several languages with an embeddable widget, accessibility stated, and an application form configurable per job.
10 — Distribution is measured, not only broadcast: cost and applicants per channel reported, the career page meets a stated accessibility standard, one-click or CV-parse application on mobile, and candidates can see their own status and withdraw themselves.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
Multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads, with conversion rates and entry channels analysed per advert, is real distribution muscle, and the career page is included in both tiers with SEO-optimised adverts. But the captured pages name no German board — we found no public information on the Bundesagentur für Arbeit or a major German paid board — and nothing on Google for Jobs markup, budget tracking per board, or a mobile application without an account. For filling sixty roles a year across German locations, the unnamed-board gap is the one that bites. 1 2 3
The Employer Branding Manager
Multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads, a career page in both packages, and per-ad analysis of conversion rates and entry channels give me a real channel view rather than pure broadcast. The captured pages name no individual German boards, and we found no public information on mobile application without an account, an accessibility statement, or booking and budget tracking per board from inside the system. 1 2
The Data Protection Officer
The pages state multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads, a career page in both packages, SEO-optimised job ads, and per-advertisement analysis of conversion rates and incoming channels, with media booking offered through the vendor's own media business. We found no public information naming the German boards covered, Google for Jobs markup, an application flow on mobile without an account, or cost and applicants per channel. 1 2 3
The Works Council Advocate
Over 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads, a career page in both packages, SEO-optimized ads, and conversion rates and entry channels evaluated per job advertisement — distribution here is at least measured, not only broadcast. Yet no German board is named on the captured pages — neither the Bundesagentur für Arbeit nor a major paid board appears — and we found no public information on Google for Jobs markup, mobile application without an account, or candidates viewing their own status and withdrawing themselves. 1 2
The HR IT Integrator
Multiposting to more than 1,200 job boards plus social media and Google Ads is claimed, with a career page and SEO-optimised job ads in both packages, per-ad conversion and intake-channel analytics, and media competence from the 1.000jobboersen.de merger so booking sits inside the vendor's own offering. We found no public information naming German boards such as the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Google for Jobs markup, cost per channel, or the mobile application experience. 1 2 3
The Skeptic
Multiposting to more than 1,200 jobboards plus social media and Google Ads is stated, alongside a hosted career page, SEO-optimised ads, and per-ad analysis of conversion rates and entry channels — that is real measurement, not just broadcast. We found no public information on which German boards are covered, Google-for-Jobs markup, mobile application without an account, application-form configurability, or accessibility. 1 2
Retention, deletion & talent-pool consent
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How this is scored
What happens to the data of people who were not hired: automatic deletion on a configurable deadline, talent-pool consent that expires, data-subject requests, and access logging — the criterion the employer is actually liable for.
0 — Nothing stated about retention or deletion; applicant data stays until someone removes it by hand.
3 — Manual deletion and an anonymise button exist, but no automatic deadline, and talent-pool storage has no stated consent step.
5 — Automatic deletion or anonymisation after a configurable period after rejection, talent-pool storage only with recorded consent, and a documented way to answer an access or erasure request.
8 — Retention rules per country or entity, consent with expiry and automated re-consent requests, candidate self-service for their own data, a log of who viewed or exported an applicant file, and permissions a works council can review.
10 — Governance that can be evidenced: deletion runs are logged and reportable, special-category data can be excluded or restricted by field, every export is recorded, and the vendor publishes how deletion propagates to backups and to the job boards and tools it syncs with.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
Automated deletion of applicant data configurable to our requirements with a recommended six-month retention, a stated four-week answer time for data-subject requests, and a system history logging access attempts and record changes cover most of what I am actually liable for. We found no public information on talent-pool consent or its expiry, on candidate self-service for their own data, or on whether deletion runs are logged and how deletion propagates to backups and connected boards. The access logging pushes it above the middle of the scale; the silence on talent-pool consent holds it back. 2 3
The Employer Branding Manager
Automatic deletion of applicant data configured by the employer to its own requirements, a recommended six-month retention period, a four-week SLA for data-subject requests, and a log of access attempts and changes to records form a defensible baseline. We found no public information on talent-pool consent or its expiry, retention rules per country, or candidate self-service for their own data. 2 3
The Data Protection Officer
Automated deletion of applicant data that the controller configures to its own operational requirements, a recommended six-month retention default, a four-week deadline for answering data-subject requests, and a system history logging access attempts and record changes give the employer real hooks for its liability. We found no public information on talent-pool consent or its expiry, candidate self-service access to their own file, logging of exports, or how deletion propagates to backups and to the boards and tools the system syncs with. 3
The Works Council Advocate
Automated deletion of applicant data configurable by the responsible party to their operational requirements, a recommended six-month retention default, a four-week deadline for answering data-subject requests with a compliance address, and a system history logging access attempts and changing operations — the core of the employer's liability is genuinely stated. We found no public information on talent-pool consent with expiry, retention rules per country or entity, candidate self-service, or how deletion propagates to backups and to the boards the vacancy was posted to. 3
The HR IT Integrator
Automated deletion of applicant data configurable by the responsible party, with a recommended six-month retention, a system history logging access attempts and changing operations, a documented four-week data-subject-response obligation, a compliance contact and a downloadable DPA — that is real governance for what the employer is liable for. We found no public information on talent-pool consent with expiry, per-country retention rules, candidate self-service, or how deletion propagates to backups and job boards. 3
The Skeptic
This one is documented rather than merely promised: automatic deletion of applicant data configurable by the responsible party, a recommended six-month retention period, a four-week deadline for answering data-subject requests, a downloadable processing agreement, and a system history logging access attempts and changes to records. What holds it back: we found no public information on talent-pool consent or its expiry, candidate self-service, per-country retention rules, or how deletion propagates to backups and to the job boards the system posts to. 3
AI screening transparency & control
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How this is scored
Whether any automated ranking, matching, parsing or rejection is disclosed, explained and switchable — recruitment is a high-risk use under the EU AI Act, and an undisclosed score next to a candidate's name is a co-determination matter. A product without AI features is judged on stating so.
0 — AI matching or scoring is marketed with no statement of what it evaluates, where it runs, or whether it can be turned off.
3 — AI features are described as a benefit, with a general assurance that humans decide, but no documentation of inputs, no per-feature switch and no model or provider named.
5 — Each AI feature is described with its purpose and inputs, can be disabled per account, never rejects a candidate without a human action, and the model provider or subprocessor is named.
8 — AI outputs are shown with their reasoning to the recruiter, candidates are informed when AI is used, protected attributes are stated to be excluded, EU processing is available for the AI features, and the vendor publishes its EU AI Act position.
10 — The vendor treats recruitment AI as the high-risk system the law says it is: documentation a works council can base an agreement on, bias testing described and repeated, logs of every AI-assisted decision retained for audit, and every AI feature off by default until the customer enables it.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
A KI Screening Assistant and candidate matching are marketed, with the use cases listed and the assurance that the AI is "transparent und ohne Blackbox" — but we found no public information on what the matching evaluates, whether each feature can be switched off, which model provider runs it, or where the processing happens. A match score I cannot explain to a candidate or a works council is precisely what these pages leave open, and the co-determination question stays unanswered. 1 2
The Employer Branding Manager
AI features are named — a screening assistant, an interview assistant, job-ad text creation and candidate matching — and sold with the assurance 'Transparent und ohne Blackbox'. That is a benefit description with a transparency slogan: we found no public information on the inputs each feature evaluates, a switch per feature, whether a human acts before any rejection, or the model provider used. 1 2
The Data Protection Officer
AI use is stated for job-ad text, communication, candidate matching and process structuring, sold as modules including a KI Screening Assistant and KI Interview Assistant, with the assurance it is 'Transparent und ohne Blackbox'. We found no public information on the inputs any of these evaluate, a per-feature off switch, informing candidates, exclusion of protected attributes, or the model provider; Textkernel appears in the published subcontractor list, but the captured pages do not tie it to the AI features. 1 2 3
The Works Council Advocate
An AI screening assistant and candidate matching are sold under the slogan "transparent and ohne Blackbox", and the privacy pages state that applicant data in the applicant management system is not transferred to third countries. A slogan is not documentation a works council can base an agreement on: we found no public information on what the matching evaluates, whether each AI feature can be switched off per account, whether a rejection always rests on a human action, whether candidates are informed, or which provider runs the models. 1 2 3
The HR IT Integrator
AI use is stated for job ad texts, communication, candidate matching and process structuring, with named features including a screening assistant and interview assistant, and the vendor's claim is "Transparent und ohne Blackbox". That is a general transparency assurance: we found no public information on inputs, per-feature switches, the model provider, informing candidates, or a published EU AI Act position — and an unexplained score next to a candidate is exactly what a works council will ask about. 1 2
The Skeptic
AI is used for job-ad texts, communication, candidate matching and process structuring, marketed as "Transparent und ohne Blackbox", with named KI Screening Assistant and KI Interview Assistant modules — a benefit claim with a general assurance, not documentation. We found no public information on the inputs the matching evaluates, a per-feature switch, whether a rejection can occur without a human action, candidate notification, or the model provider behind these features; the published subcontractor list names Textkernel and Cronofy without tying either to the matching. 1 2 3
HR handover, integrations & API
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How this is scored
The hire does not end in the ATS: handover to the HR system and payroll, identity and calendar integration, e-signature for contracts, and an API a team can build on.
0 — No integrations and no API; a hired candidate is retyped into the HR system.
3 — A CSV export and an email integration, with a partner marketplace that names no German HR or payroll systems.
5 — A documented API, calendar and video-interview integration, and a named handover to at least one HR system common in DACH (e.g. Personio, DATEV-connected systems, SAP SuccessFactors).
8 — Maintained integrations with several named HR systems carrying the hire's data without retyping, SSO and SCIM, e-signature for offers and contracts, webhooks, and an API with published limits.
10 — Integration is designed rather than bolted on: a versioned API with a deprecation policy, handover that carries documents and consent status into the HR record, deletion that propagates to connected systems, and the vendor maintaining the German integrations itself.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
An onboarding module and an in-house media arm show the hire continues past the offer inside the vendor's own suite, and the terms of use name Textkernel and Cronofy among engaged subcompanies. But we found no public information on an API, on handover to any HR system common in DACH such as Personio or DATEV-connected systems, on SSO, or on e-signature for contracts — so the retyping risk into the HR system is not settled by anything published. 1 3 4
The Employer Branding Manager
The hire is carried forward by softgarden's own onboarding module through pre-boarding, re-boarding and offboarding, and a scheduling provider appears among the named subcontractors. We found no public information on a documented API, SSO, e-signature, or handover to any named HR or payroll system, so how a hire reaches an HR system like Personio or DATEV is not shown. 1 3
The Data Protection Officer
The evidence for life after the hire is an onboarding module carrying the new employee forward inside the vendor's own product, plus Cronofy among the named subcontractors. We found no public information on a documented API, a handover carrying the hire's documents and consent status into any named HR or payroll system, e-signature for contracts, or single sign-on. 1 3
The Works Council Advocate
The journey continues into the vendor's own pre-boarding, onboarding and offboarding modules, but on the captured pages it ends there. We found no public information on an API, SSO, e-signature for contracts, or a named handover to any HR or payroll system common in DACH — so the question I always put, whether an internal applicant's file follows them into their personnel record, cannot be answered from public pages. 1 2
The HR IT Integrator
The subprocessor list names Textkernel and Cronofy, so parsing and scheduling services exist in the chain, and an onboarding module is offered — but onboarding here is softgarden's own module, not a handover. We found no public information on a documented API, SSO, SCIM, e-signature, webhooks, or a handover to a named HR system such as Personio, DATEV-connected systems or SAP SuccessFactors, nor on who maintains any integration; for a hire arriving in the HR system with its documents rather than a retyped PDF, nothing here is evidenced. 1 3 4
The Skeptic
An onboarding module and multi-client capability are described as softgarden's own offering, and the subcontractor list names Cronofy, but the captured pages never say what Cronofy is used for. We found no public information on an API, SSO, e-signature, webhooks, or handover to a named HR system such as Personio or DATEV-connected systems — so the hire's path into payroll stays invisible to a buyer. 1 3
European sovereignty
panel opinion
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How this is scored
Where applicant data lives, who the contracting entity is, who the subprocessors are — including the job boards, CV parsers and AI providers the system passes CVs to. Independently sourced by the sovereignty pipeline; weighted higher here than in categories holding the customer's own data, because every record belongs to a third party who never chose the vendor.
0 — Non-EU vendor and contracting entity, hosting unstated, subprocessors unnamed, and CV parsing or AI processing of unclear location.
3 — EU hosting offered as an option while the contracting entity is non-EU, or the subprocessor list is absent, or CV parsing and AI features run outside the EU without saying so.
5 — EU hosting as standard and an EU contracting entity, but parts of the chain — parsing, AI, email delivery — are non-EU without an explained safeguard.
8 — EU hosting on named infrastructure, EU contracting entity, subprocessor list published including parsing and AI providers, and a DPA that covers applicant data as the customer's processing.
10 — Sovereign end to end and evidenced: vendor, entity, hosting and every subprocessor European, certification published, and the AI and CV-parsing features run within the EU on providers the customer can see.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
German hosting on named WIIT and Equinix data centres in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, a Berlin contracting entity with a German register number and VAT ID, a published subcompany list including Textkernel, a downloadable data-processing agreement, ISO 27001/27017/27018 and DEKRA certifications, and the statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data takes place — that is most of the chain evidenced. Two things hold it back: the collected sovereignty information flags a US Cloud Act exposure via the support tool Intercom, which softgarden engages through its Irish entity and says only handles support requesters' business email, and we found no public information on where the AI matching runs or which provider it uses. 3 4
The Employer Branding Manager
Applicant data is stated to be hosted in German data centres at named providers — WIIT, formerly myLoc, and Equinix in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf — under a Berlin contracting entity with a published register number, alongside a subcontractor list naming the parsing provider Textkernel, a downloadable and digitally signable data-processing agreement, ISO 27001/27017/27018 certification, and the statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data occurs. Ownership could not be confirmed in the independently sourced attributes, and a US Cloud Act caveat is flagged around the support tool Intercom — engaged via its Irish entity, with softgarden arguing it is not a subcontractor — which keeps this a notch below the top. 3 4
The Data Protection Officer
Hosting in named German datacentres (WIIT, formerly myLoc, and Equinix Germany in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf), a Berlin contracting entity with court and register number, a published subcontractor list naming myLoc, the CV parser Textkernel and Cronofy, a downloadable data-processing agreement with TOMs, and the statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data occurs — that is most of a European chain in the vendor's own words. What holds it below the top band is the support-channel provider Intercom, whose parent is flagged for US Cloud Act exposure while the vendor states it acts as its own controller, and we found no public information tying the AI features to a named EU provider. 3 4
The Works Council Advocate
Hosting in German data centres on named providers (WIIT AG and Equinix Germany GmbH in Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf), a Berlin contracting entity with register entry and German VAT number, a processing agreement to download or sign digitally, published ISO and DEKRA certifications, and a statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data occurs — most of what co-determination needs is on the record. The support tool is flagged for US CLOUD Act exposure through its Irish entity, involving only business email addresses of support requesters with the vendor arguing it acts as a controller, and ownership is not confirmed on the captured pages — which keeps this short of the top. 3 4
The HR IT Integrator
A German contracting entity with a Berlin register entry, hosting in named German datacenters (WIIT and Equinix Germany in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf), a published subprocessor list including Textkernel and Cronofy, a downloadable DPA, ISO 27001/27017/27018 certification, and the statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data takes place. The one caveat in the captured material is Intercom in the support chain, engaged via its Irish entity, where softgarden argues it acts as controller rather than subprocessor and only support requesters' business email addresses are shared; we found no public information naming the provider behind the AI features. 2 3 4
The Skeptic
The captured pages show a German contracting entity in Berlin, hosting in German data centres on named providers (WIIT and Equinix in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf), a published subcontractor list, a statement that no third-country transfer of applicant data occurs, a downloadable processing agreement, and ISO 27001/27017/27018 certification. Three things keep it below the top band: ownership is not evidenced, the provider behind the AI matching is not named, and the support chain includes Intercom — engaged via its Irish entity and argued to act as controller with only business email addresses shared, but the US Cloud Act exposure remains. 3 4
Pricing transparency
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How this is scored
Whether a buyer can compute the real annual cost from public pages alone: the pricing model (per employee, per open job, per recruiter seat), job-board posting costs, add-ons for AI, career page or integrations, and the minimum term.
0 — No public prices at all; every tier is a sales conversation.
3 — A starting price exists, but the pricing basis (employees, jobs, seats) or which features sit in which tier is unstated — the invoice is unknowable.
5 — Tier prices public with the pricing basis and main limits given, but at least one commonly needed piece (paid job-board postings, AI features, integrations, extra seats) is unpriced.
8 — Every tier priced publicly with its basis and limits, add-on prices listed, job-board posting costs or the booking model stated, minimum term and VAT treatment given.
10 — Complete price computability: annual invoice derivable for a given company size, number of open roles and recruiter seats, with every add-on, posting package and overage published.
The Talent Acquisition Lead
The Core tier is public at ab 199 € / Monat including five advertised jobs and unlimited users, VAT treatment is given as "Alle Preise zzgl. MwSt.", and a brochure with all packages, functions and prices is offered for download. But the All-in-One tier is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung", and we found no public information on job-board posting costs, prices for the AI modules or other add-ons, or the minimum term — so the real annual invoice is not computable from the pages alone. 1 2
The Employer Branding Manager
The Core package is publicly priced 'ab 199 € / Monat' with five included jobs, unlimited users, and VAT treatment given as 'Alle Preise zzgl. MwSt.' — more than a mere starting price. But the All-in-One package is 'Individuelle Preisgestaltung', and we found no public information on job-board posting costs, prices for the AI modules, or the minimum term, so a real annual invoice is not computable from the public pages; a brochure with all packages and prices is offered for download, but its contents are not shown on the captured pages. 1 2
The Data Protection Officer
The Core package is published at from 199 € / Monat with its basis and limits — a maximum of five advertised jobs and unlimited users — and all prices are stated as excluding VAT, with a brochure offering all packages, functions and prices. The All-in-One package is stated as individual pricing matched to hiring volume, and we found no public information on the price of add-on modules, job-board postings, or a minimum term. 1 2
The Works Council Advocate
The entry package is public — "ab 199 € / Monat" plus VAT, at most five jobs included, unlimited users — while All-in-One carries only "Individuelle Preisgestaltung", individual pricing tailored to hiring volume. We found no public information on job-board posting costs, the heart of this vendor's media business, on prices for the AI or onboarding modules, or on the minimum term, so a Mittelstand buyer cannot compute the real annual invoice from public pages alone. 1 2
The HR IT Integrator
Core is public at "ab 199 € / Monat" with five included jobs and unlimited users, and VAT is stated as "Alle Preise zzgl. MwSt." — but All-in-One is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung" tailored to hiring volume, so the top tier is a sales conversation. We found no public information on job-board posting costs, add-on prices for the AI or onboarding modules, or the minimum term, though a brochure claims to hold all packages, functions and prices. 1 2
The Skeptic
The Core package is public at "ab 199 € / Monat" with its basis and limits stated — five included jobs, unlimited users — and the VAT treatment is given ("Alle Preise zzgl. MwSt."), plus a brochure claiming to contain all packages, functions and prices. But the All-in-One tier is "Individuelle Preisgestaltung", and we found no public information on job-board posting costs for the multiposting module, prices for the AI assistants, or the minimum term — so the invoice for a larger hiring volume is not computable from public pages. 1 2
European sovereignty — proven facts
2 of 4 dimensions provenBuilt only from facts shown on the vendor's own pages. A dimension we could not prove is left open, not scored as zero.
| Legal entity | Incorporated in DE | 3/3 pts | 4 Report an error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Not determined | — | uncited Report an error |
| Data residency | EU only ⚠ unverified | 3/3 pts | 3 Report an error |
| Subprocessors | Not determined ⚠ unverified | — | uncited Report an error |
Where this could be wrong
- Evidence ages. The oldest capture behind this page is from 22 Sep 2026. Vendors change pricing and policies without notice; every fact reflects its source as of the capture date shown in the registry.
- Weak sourcing — Data residency. The statement covers the SaaS product, but S5 discloses that US provider Cloudflare handles platform traffic (EU-localized via its Data Localisation Suite), so a US provider still sits in the data path.
- Weak sourcing — Subprocessors. Not confirmed on the vendor’s own pages as captured.
- AI can misread a source. Extraction and judgement are automated; a citation guarantees traceability, not infallibility. If something here is wrong, say so — no account needed, every report is decided within 5 business days, and accepted corrections are published.
What we left out
A claim that does not survive our checks costs us the claim, not the page. This is what was taken off this one.
- 9 subprocessors facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 6 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 2 legal facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 2 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 1 data fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 1 pricing fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 1 sovereignty dimension could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and is shown as unknown. Know more? Tell us
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement. Know more? Tell us
Sources (13)
The pages every claim on this page was read from — each one checked, dated, and kept verifiable.
- 1 Vendor homepage softgarden.com Checked 22 Sep 2026 Details →
- 2 Pricing page softgarden.com Checked 22 Sep 2026 Details →
- 3 Privacy policy softgarden.com Checked 22 Sep 2026 Details →
- 4 Legal notice softgarden.com Checked 22 Sep 2026 Details →
- 5 Applicant management & hiring workflow — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 6 Applicant management & hiring workflow — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 7 Multiposting, career page & candidate experience — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 8 Multiposting, career page & candidate experience — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 9 Retention, deletion & talent-pool consent — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 10 AI screening transparency & control — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 11 AI screening transparency & control — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 12 HR handover, integrations & API — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →
- 13 HR handover, integrations & API — found from sitemap softgarden.com Checked 1 Oct 2026 Details →