Migrate your Softgarden data
German ATS with integrated job board multiposting across 1,200+ channels and a full pipeline from application to onboarding. Built primarily for SME and mid-sized companies in the DACH region.
In its favor
Why people choose Softgarden
The signal that keeps Softgarden on the shortlist. Sourced from G2, Capterra, and customer scoping calls.
Users consistently cite the all-in-one nature—job multiposting to 1,200+ boards, application tracking, and candidate management in a single platform, reducing the need for separate job board subscriptions.
The platform is praised for its user-friendly interface and customizable features, allowing companies to tailor the job ad design and workflow stages to their brand and process.
Mid-sized DACH-region companies select Softgarden specifically because it was built in Germany, understands German labor-market workflows, and offers local-language support.
The built-in absence.io module adds personnel file and time-recording capabilities beyond pure recruitment, making it attractive for SMBs wanting consolidated HR tools.
Capterra and G2 reviews highlight time-saving support, easy individual job ad design, and comprehensive tools as primary reasons customers choose Softgarden.
Customers report the solution is complex to ramp up on—internal Glassdoor reviews note 'ramp up, solution is complex' as a challenge, suggesting onboarding friction for non-technical teams.
Some users express frustration that pricing is not self-serve or transparently published, requiring a sales quote and making budget validation difficult before committing.
A subset of reviewers rate features lower (4.3 on Software Advice) indicating that while the core ATS works well, some advanced or enterprise-grade features may lag competitors.
When moving to platforms like BambooHR or Rippling, customers cite desire for more integrated HCM suites covering payroll and broader HR beyond recruitment.
Reasons to switch
Why people leave Softgarden
The recurring reasons buyers give for replacing Softgarden. Presented as facts, not knocks.
Platform scorecard
Strengths, weaknesses, and where Softgarden fits
Grades across six dimensions, plus a SWOT-style view of where the platform shines and where it falls short.
SWOT — strengths, weaknesses, and use-case fit
Strengths
Weaknesses
Where it works
Where it struggles
Pricing tiers
Softgarden pricing overview
Softgarden does not publish pricing tiers on its website. Customers must contact the sales team for a custom quote. Capterra and G2 confirm pricing is not provided by the vendor, and the model is described as flat-rate or quote-based rather than per-user or tiered. This makes direct cost comparison difficult and means migration scoping must account for unknown volume-based or feature-gated constraints.
Start
Tier 1 of 3
From €199/month
What's included
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Book a free 30 minute consultationPricing is informational. FlitStack AI does not bill on Softgarden's schedule — see our quote-based pricing →
What gets migrated
Softgarden object support
Object-by-object support for Softgarden migrations. Per-pair details surface during scoping.
Applicants
Fully supportedApplicants (Bewerber) are the central person record. Softgarden's Frontend API v3 handles retrieval and creation of applicant profiles. We migrate applicant base data including name, contact fields, and custom properties. Profile pictures and CVs are handled as separate attachment objects.
Applications
Fully supportedApplications (Bewerbungen) link Applicants to Positions. The API documents a step-by-step process for creating an application scaffold, storing application information, and finalizing or withdrawing applications. We migrate application records with their current status and status-change timestamps.
Positions
Fully supportedPositions (Stellen) are the job postings tracked by Softgarden. We migrate position data including title, description, department, and publication status. Active vs. archived positions are distinguished so only relevant open or recently closed positions are imported.
Attachments
Mapping requiredSoftgarden supports uploading and retrieving attachments including CVs, profile pictures, and general application documents. The API provides dedicated endpoints for attachment upload, retrieval, and deletion. We handle binary attachment migration with catalog-value resolution for file-type mapping, but binary payloads require separate handling from record-level data.
Application Sources
Mapping requiredSoftgarden tracks which channel (job board, direct, referral) each application came from via configured application sources. We map these catalog values to destination-system source fields, but custom catalog structures require field-by-field review per tenant.
Application Status / Pipeline Stages
Mapping requiredSoftgarden uses configurable workflow stages (e.g., New, Screening, Interview, Offer, Hired, Onboarding). We preserve stage names and transition timestamps, but custom stage names must be mapped to the destination system's pipeline schema.
Applicant PDFs
Mapping requiredSoftgarden generates system-composed applicant summary PDFs that include all attachments. These are only available via the Applicant Data Export PUSH interface when triggered by a status change. We capture these where accessible, but pre-trigger PDFs for historical candidates may be inaccessible.
Catalog Values
Mapping requiredSoftgarden uses catalog values (Katalogwerte) for structured dropdown fields such as location, department, or employment type. The API exposes a dedicated endpoint for resolving catalog values. We map these to destination enumerations but custom catalogs vary by tenant configuration.
Custom Fields
Mapping requiredSoftgarden allows configurable custom fields on applications and positions. The platform's schema does not expose a dedicated custom field registry via its public API; we discover and map custom fields during the migration scoping phase by querying active field configurations per tenant.
Absence.io Data (Post-Acquisition)
Not in this platformSoftgarden acquired absence.io in 2021 to expand into internal HR processes including personnel files, absence management, and time recording. This data lives in a separate product instance. We do not migrate absence.io data as it is a distinct SaaS product with its own data store and API.
| Object | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | Fully supported | Applicants (Bewerber) are the central person record. Softgarden's Frontend API v3 handles retrieval and creation of applicant profiles. We migrate applicant base data including name, contact fields, and custom properties. Profile pictures and CVs are handled as separate attachment objects. |
| Applications | Fully supported | Applications (Bewerbungen) link Applicants to Positions. The API documents a step-by-step process for creating an application scaffold, storing application information, and finalizing or withdrawing applications. We migrate application records with their current status and status-change timestamps. |
| Positions | Fully supported | Positions (Stellen) are the job postings tracked by Softgarden. We migrate position data including title, description, department, and publication status. Active vs. archived positions are distinguished so only relevant open or recently closed positions are imported. |
| Attachments | Mapping required | Softgarden supports uploading and retrieving attachments including CVs, profile pictures, and general application documents. The API provides dedicated endpoints for attachment upload, retrieval, and deletion. We handle binary attachment migration with catalog-value resolution for file-type mapping, but binary payloads require separate handling from record-level data. |
| Application Sources | Mapping required | Softgarden tracks which channel (job board, direct, referral) each application came from via configured application sources. We map these catalog values to destination-system source fields, but custom catalog structures require field-by-field review per tenant. |
| Application Status / Pipeline Stages | Mapping required | Softgarden uses configurable workflow stages (e.g., New, Screening, Interview, Offer, Hired, Onboarding). We preserve stage names and transition timestamps, but custom stage names must be mapped to the destination system's pipeline schema. |
| Applicant PDFs | Mapping required | Softgarden generates system-composed applicant summary PDFs that include all attachments. These are only available via the Applicant Data Export PUSH interface when triggered by a status change. We capture these where accessible, but pre-trigger PDFs for historical candidates may be inaccessible. |
| Catalog Values | Mapping required | Softgarden uses catalog values (Katalogwerte) for structured dropdown fields such as location, department, or employment type. The API exposes a dedicated endpoint for resolving catalog values. We map these to destination enumerations but custom catalogs vary by tenant configuration. |
| Custom Fields | Mapping required | Softgarden allows configurable custom fields on applications and positions. The platform's schema does not expose a dedicated custom field registry via its public API; we discover and map custom fields during the migration scoping phase by querying active field configurations per tenant. |
| Absence.io Data (Post-Acquisition) | Not in this platform | Softgarden acquired absence.io in 2021 to expand into internal HR processes including personnel files, absence management, and time recording. This data lives in a separate product instance. We do not migrate absence.io data as it is a distinct SaaS product with its own data store and API. |
Gotchas
What to watch for in Softgarden migrations
Issues we've hit on past Softgarden migrations, tagged by severity. FlitStack AI handles every one — surfacing them up front because buyer engineering teams want to know.
Applicant Data Export only captures data from setup point onward
No publicly documented bulk API—migrations run per-record
German-language field labels require translation mapping
Applicant PDF export is status-triggered, not on-demand
No public API documentation for custom field registry
| Severity | Issue |
|---|---|
| High | Applicant Data Export only captures data from setup point onward |
| Medium | No publicly documented bulk API—migrations run per-record |
| Low | German-language field labels require translation mapping |
| Medium | Applicant PDF export is status-triggered, not on-demand |
| Low | No public API documentation for custom field registry |
Leaving Softgarden?
Where Softgarden customers move next
5 destinations Softgarden can migrate to.
How a Softgarden migration works
Four steps, Softgarden-specific
Connect
Not publicly documented—integration setup requires contacting [email protected] with authentication details (username/password or token) for the third-party endpoint in PUSH mode into Softgarden. Scopes limited to read-only on the data we move.
Map
We translate Softgarden-specific structures (custom fields, objects, value lists) to the destination's model.
Sample
Test with a 50–200 record subset to validate Softgarden quirks before production.
Migrate
Full migration with Softgarden rate-limit handling. Rollback available throughout.
FAQ
Softgarden migration FAQ
Answers to the questions buyers ask most during Softgarden migration scoping. Not seeing yours? Book a call.
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