Last updated May 2026
ATS + CRM
Sonny vs Bullhorn.
Bullhorn is the deepest ATS + CRM on the market — built over 20 years for staffing agencies that need bulletproof workflow and integrations. Sonny is the opposite end of the stack: an AI recruiter that scores, screens, and outreach-es candidates in under 90 seconds. Most agencies that move to Sonny keep an ATS for system-of-record (Bullhorn included) and use Sonny on top for the work humans don't want to do.
Why agencies switch.
AI-first, not AI-bolted-on
Bullhorn AI is a 2023 add-on. Sonny is what an agency tool looks like when AI is the product, not a feature on a sidebar.
$12k/yr vs $25k+/yr stack
Sonny Pro is $999/mo all-in. Bullhorn + the sourcing tools you'll add to it (LinkedIn Recruiter, contact-data tools, sourcing automation) typically run $25k+ for one seat.
PECR-compliant outreach by design
Every Sonny call is consent-first SMS → Y reply → voice agent. Audit-logged. Bullhorn outreach is bring-your-own-compliance.
Feature-by-feature.
| Feature | Sonny | Bullhorn |
|---|---|---|
| AI candidate sourcing (LinkedIn + contact data) | Yes | Add-on |
| AI candidate scoring against role brief | Yes | Limited |
| AI CV reformatting | Yes | No |
| Chrome extension on LinkedIn profiles | Yes | Limited |
| Consent-first SMS + voice headhunt | Yes | No |
| Per-agency learned context (Brain) | Yes | No |
| ATS depth + workflow customisation | Light | Yes |
| 20+ years staffing-specific integrations | Webhooks | Yes |
| Public REST + bearer-token API | Yes | Yes |
| Time to first hire from signup | <10 min | Implementation |
Pricing.
Sonny
Free / $999 mo (Pro) / from $4,999 mo (Enterprise). $0–1,000 per placement, scaling down with tier. No implementation fee.
Bullhorn
Quote-only. Typical agencies report $200–500 per user per month plus implementation, support, and add-on modules. No public free tier.
Run the test yourself.
Free tier — 25 credits, all four core features, the Chrome extension. No card. Five minutes to set up.
We try to keep this honest. Bullhorn is a real product with real customers and real strengths. Where they win, we’ve marked it. If anything is wrong or out-of-date, email support@9mil.ioand we’ll fix it.