What's the best tool for tracking your job search?
The short answer
For job seekers, there are three reasonable alternatives: DIY in Notion or Excel if you're searching part-time, an international SaaS like Teal or Huntr if you're doing an extensive search and are comfortable with an English interface, or Vikkla if you want a tool built for European CV conventions at a lower price point. There's no "best" — only best for you.
What you actually need
Before choosing a tool: list what job search organisation should do for you. Most people need four things:
- Save jobs from different sites without having 50 bookmarks
- See all applications in a pipeline (kanban or table)
- Log what was sent to whom — CV version, date, cover letter
- Generate tailored CVs per application with reasonable quality
The first three can be solved with simple tools. The fourth requires AI — and that's where the tools differ most.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price | EU data storage | Chrome extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notion / Excel | Under 10 parallel applications | Free | Depends on account | No |
| Teal | International roles, English workflow | ~$29 USD/mo | No | Yes |
| Huntr | Kanban-focused, English workflow | ~$40 USD/mo | No | Yes |
| Vikkla | European job market + AI CV | ~$6/mo | Yes | Yes |
Prices as of April 2026. Check with each provider before deciding.
Option 1: Notion or Excel (free)
Best for: Part-time searchers with fewer than 10 parallel applications, or those who enjoy building their own systems.
Pros: Free (or already paid for). Total control over structure. Data stays with you.
Cons: You have to build the pipeline yourself. No automatic job capture from posting links. No CV tailoring. Notion templates for job searching exist but are rarely maintained or localised.
When it works: You're applying to 3–8 jobs over 1–2 months and enjoy setting up your own systems.
Option 2: Teal or Huntr (international SaaS)
Best for: Experienced job seekers who already work professionally in English.
Pros: Polished, feature-rich products. Chrome extension works on most major job sites. Good CV tools.
Cons: Interface and CV templates are American. European CV conventions (2 pages max, no photo as default, experience-focused rather than skills-heavy) are poorly matched. Price: Teal Pro ~$29 USD/mo, Huntr Pro ~$40 USD/mo. Data residency in the US.
When it works: You're applying for international roles, or you're comfortable translating American templates to your local norms manually.
Option 3: Vikkla
Best for: Professionals searching the European job market who want a tool that takes local conventions as default.
Pros: Kanban pipeline, Chrome extension for job capture from any site, AI CV tailored per posting, EU data storage, ~$6/month. 14-day free trial with no card required.
Cons: Younger product (launched 2026) than the American competitors. Primary language is Swedish, though English localisation exists.
When it works: You want a dedicated job search tool at a fraction of the price of US alternatives, with EU data residency and CV conventions that match European employers.
What to look for regardless of choice
Chrome extension or URL capture. If the tool can't save a job from any site with one click — pick a different one. Manual entry kills discipline.
A real kanban with movable stages. Not just a table labelled "kanban."
CV tailoring per posting. A tool that generates the same CV regardless of which posting you paste in — is not a tailoring tool.
Reasonable pricing. Job searching is a temporary activity (2–6 months for most people). Products priced as if they were long-term productivity tools are overpriced for the use case.
Data storage. If you care about your job search not being visible to your current employer's vendors: choose EU storage.
Tip: start with the free trial
All serious tools offer 7–14 day trials. Use them. Paste in 5 postings, test the CV generation per posting, check if the pipeline feels natural. If after a week you still dread opening the tool — it's the wrong tool for you. Switch.
Frequently asked questions
Are free solutions enough?
For small searches (under 10 parallel applications, under 2 months): yes. For extensive searches: rarely. The time saved per application with a dedicated tool is 15–30 minutes, which quickly pays for itself at 10+ applications.
Do Teal or Huntr work for non-US CVs?
Technically yes, but the CV templates follow American conventions (1-page, skills-heavy, no personal info). For European or other non-US employers, you'll need to adapt manually, which undermines the tool's time savings.
Is it worth paying for a job search tool?
Put it in perspective: if the tool saves 30 minutes per application and you apply to 10 jobs per month — that's 5 hours. Even at minimum wage, that's worth far more than a monthly subscription.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
With reputable providers: data is exported and deleted on request (GDPR requirement in the EU). Vikkla offers export and deletion with one click. Check this with any tool before you start.
Sources
This comparison is based on publicly available information about each tool as of April 2026. Prices and features may have changed; always check with the respective provider before deciding. Vikkla is a product from Prouder AB — we do our best to keep the comparison honest, but you should naturally weigh our self-description against independent reviews.