Free Recruitment Software for Belgian Startups & SMEs
This guide focuses on free recruitment software that actually works for Belgian startups and SMEs — with specific attention to local requirements.
Mathias Beke
Tech Lead
Belgium is a great place to start a recruitment agency — but the software market isn't always designed with Belgian businesses in mind.
Most ATS platforms are built for the US or UK. They assume English-only CVs, straightforward data regulations, and a single-language workforce. Belgian recruiters know the reality is more complex: multilingual candidates, strict GDPR requirements, and a market that spans Dutch, French, German, and English.
This guide focuses on free recruitment software that actually works for Belgian startups and SMEs — with specific attention to local requirements.
Why Belgian Recruiters Need Different Tools
Multilingual Reality
Belgium has three official languages plus English as a business lingua franca. Your candidates submit CVs in Dutch, French, German, or English — sometimes mixing languages within the same document.
Many ATS platforms only parse English CVs reliably. Multilingual CV parsing requires AI models trained on multiple languages, which not all tools provide.
GDPR Compliance
The Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données) takes GDPR seriously. Recruitment involves processing sensitive personal data: names, addresses, employment history, sometimes health information.
Your ATS needs:
Clear consent management
Data retention policies
Right to deletion capabilities
Ideally, EU data residency
Local Job Boards
Belgian recruitment often involves local platforms: VDAB (Flanders), Actiris (Brussels), Le Forem (Wallonia), plus sites like StepStone.be, Jobat, and Indeed Belgium. Integration with these matters more than US-focused job boards.
Cross-Border Considerations
Belgian recruiters frequently work with candidates from Netherlands, France, Germany, and Luxembourg. Your tool should handle multiple country contexts without friction.
Free ATS Options for Belgian Recruiters
1. Adeptiq (Belgian-Built)
Why it works for Belgium:
Built in Belgium, by Belgian founders
EU data residency (GDPR-compliant by design)
Multilingual CV parsing (Dutch, French, German, English)
AI trained on European CV formats
Free tier includes:
1 user
Unlimited jobs
100 candidates
15 AI searches/month
Full CV parsing with AI
Honest assessment: We built Adeptiq specifically because we saw Belgian agencies struggling with US-focused tools. The free tier is genuinely usable — you can run a small operation on it indefinitely. The 100 candidate limit will push growing agencies to upgrade (€20/month), which is the business model.
2. Zoho Recruit
Why it might work for Belgium:
Available in multiple languages
GDPR-compliant (EU data centers available)
Integrates with Zoho ecosystem
Free tier includes:
1 user
1 active job
Basic candidate management
Career website
Honest assessment: The free tier is extremely limited (one active job). If you're hiring for a single position occasionally, it works. For actual recruitment operations, you'll need paid plans starting at €25/month. Parsing quality varies for Dutch/French CVs.
3. Recruitee (Dutch Company)
Why it might work for Belgium:
Based in Netherlands, understands Benelux market
EU data processing
Good Dutch-language support
Free tier: Recruitee doesn't offer a permanent free tier, only an 18-day trial. Paid plans start around €99/month.
Honest assessment: Not a free option long-term, but the trial is worth testing if you're considering mid-range paid tools. The Dutch heritage means good Benelux understanding.
4. OpenCATS (Open Source)
Why it might work for Belgium:
Completely free, no limits
Self-hosted = full GDPR control
Customizable to any requirements
Free tier: Everything — it's open source.
Honest assessment: If you have technical skills (or budget for a developer), OpenCATS gives you complete control. No vendor lock-in, no data privacy concerns (you host it yourself), no usage limits. But: no AI features, dated interface, no support, and you're responsible for security and maintenance.
5. Freshteam
Why it might work for Belgium:
GDPR-compliant
Multiple language support
Combines ATS with HR features
Free tier includes:
Up to 50 employees
3 active job postings
Basic ATS features
Honest assessment: Freshteam is designed for internal HR teams, not recruitment agencies. If you're a Belgian startup hiring your own team, the free tier is reasonable. If recruitment is your business, the agency-focused features are missing.
Comparison for Belgian Use
Tool | Multilingual Parsing | EU Data | GDPR Tools | Free Tier Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Adeptiq | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Belgium | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Genuinely usable |
Zoho Recruit | ⚠️ Variable | ✅ EU option | ✅ Available | ⚠️ Very limited |
OpenCATS | ❌ Manual | ✅ Self-hosted | ✅ Your control | ✅ Unlimited but basic |
Freshteam | ⚠️ Variable | ✅ GDPR-compliant | ✅ Available | ✅ Good for internal HR |
Essential Features for Belgian Recruitment
When evaluating any ATS — free or paid — Belgian recruiters should prioritize:
Multilingual CV Parsing
Test with actual Dutch and French CVs. Many tools claim multilingual support but fail on non-English documents. Look for:
Accurate name extraction from Belgian formats
Correct handling of Belgian addresses
Recognition of Belgian educational institutions
Proper parsing of dates in European format
GDPR Compliance
Essential features:
Consent tracking and management
Automated data retention policies
Easy candidate data deletion
Export functionality for data portability requests
Audit logs for accountability
Local Job Board Integration
Check for integration with:
VDAB (Flemish employment service)
Actiris (Brussels employment service)
Le Forem (Walloon employment service)
StepStone.be
Jobat
Indeed Belgium
EU Data Residency
Where is your candidate data stored? For GDPR compliance and client confidence, EU data centers are strongly preferred. US-hosted tools require additional legal frameworks (and create GDPR risk).
Getting Started: A Belgian Recruiter's Checklist
Ready to implement a free ATS? Here's your checklist:
Week 1: Evaluation
Sign up for 2-3 free tiers to test
Upload 10 real CVs in Dutch/French/English
Check parsing accuracy for each language
Review GDPR/privacy settings
Test candidate search functionality
Week 2: Setup
Choose your primary tool
Configure pipeline stages for your process
Set up GDPR consent workflows
Create email templates (in relevant languages)
Import existing candidate data if applicable
Week 3: Integration
Connect to job boards you use
Set up your careers page
Configure team access if applicable
Document your data retention policy
For more on building your recruitment tech stack, see Software and Tools for Starting Recruiters.
Belgian-Specific Resources
Building a recruitment business in Belgium involves more than software. Here are relevant resources:
Legal requirements:
Federgon (Belgian federation for HR service providers)
Regional recognition requirements (differs by region)
Employment services:
VDAB (Flanders): vdab.be
Actiris (Brussels): actiris.brussels
Le Forem (Wallonia): leforem.be
ADG (German-speaking community): adg.be
Business support:
Voka (Flemish chamber of commerce)
BECI (Brussels chamber)
UWE (Walloon business union)
Building Your Talent Pool in Belgium
Once your ATS is set up, focus on building a quality candidate talent pool. Belgian-specific tips:
Source from regional platforms: Each region has different candidate behavior. Flemish candidates are more active on LinkedIn; Walloon candidates may prefer local job boards.
Language tagging: Tag candidates by language capabilities. Belgian companies often need specific language combinations (NL/FR, FR/EN, trilingual).
Cross-border candidates: Don't ignore the border regions. Dutch, French, German, and Luxembourg candidates often work in Belgium.
Student sourcing: Belgium has excellent universities. Build relationships with KU Leuven, UGent, VUB, UCLouvain, ULB for graduate pipelines.
The Adeptiq Advantage for Belgium
We're biased, but here's why we built Adeptiq specifically for this market:
Local understanding: We're a Belgian company. We know the multilingual reality, the GDPR requirements, and the local market dynamics because we live them.
EU-first architecture: Data stays in Europe. AI models are trained on European CV formats. No US data transfers to worry about.
Sensible pricing: Belgian SMEs shouldn't need enterprise budgets. Our free tier is genuinely useful, and paid plans start at €20/month — not €200.
Multilingual AI: Our CV parsing and candidate search work properly in Dutch, French, German, and English. Not as an afterthought, but as a core feature.
