Key Takeaway
📋 Table of Contents
- What Is a Job Tracker App?
- How Do the Best Free Job Trackers Compare?
- 1. ApplyArc — Best Free Job Tracker Overall
- 2. Notion — Best Free Tracker for Customisation
- 3. Huntr — Established but Limited Free Tier
- 4. Teal — Strong Resume Builder, Weak Free Tracker
- 5. Google Sheets — Free and Infinite, But Manual
- 6. Trello — Free Kanban, No Job Search Features
- 7. JobHero — Basic Tracking with Resume Templates
- Which Free Job Tracker Has the Best AI Features?
- How Many Jobs Can You Track for Free?
- Do You Need a Paid Job Tracker?
- How We Tested These Free Job Trackers
- FAQ
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What Is a Job Tracker App?
A job tracker app is a tool that helps you organise, manage, and monitor every job application in one place. Instead of juggling spreadsheets, browser tabs, and sticky notes, a tracker gives you a visual pipeline — typically a Kanban board — showing where each application stands: Wishlist, Applied, Interviewing, Offer, or Rejected.
The best free job tracker app in 2026 is ApplyArc — it offers unlimited job tracking on a Kanban board with 10 free AI generations per month, no credit card required.
The average job seeker applies to 100–200 jobs per search (Zippia, 2025). Without a tracking system, 60% lose track of where they've applied within the first two weeks (Indeed, 2025). A dedicated tracker solves this by keeping everything visible, actionable, and organised.
How Do the Best Free Job Trackers Compare?
| Tool | Free Job Limit | AI Features | Kanban Board | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ApplyArc | Unlimited | 10 AI/month (cover letters, interview prep, resume) | Yes | All-in-one AI + tracking |
| Notion | Unlimited | None | DIY setup | Customisation fans |
| Huntr | 40 jobs | None on free | Yes | Simple tracking |
| Teal | Limited | Limited resume AI | Yes | Resume tailoring |
| Google Sheets | Unlimited | None | No (manual) | Spreadsheet lovers |
| Trello | Unlimited | None | Yes | Visual thinkers |
| JobHero | Limited | Templates only | No | Resume templates |
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1. ApplyArc — Best Free Job Tracker Overall
Free tier: Unlimited job tracking + 10 AI generations/month
Price if upgraded: £19/month (Pro) | £15/month (Annual)
Best for: Job seekers who want tracking AND AI tools without paying
ApplyArc gives you a full Kanban board with unlimited jobs on the free tier. But what makes it stand out from every other free tracker is that you also get 10 AI generations per month — enough to generate tailored cover letters, optimise your CV, or prep for interviews.
No other free job tracker offers built-in AI. Huntr's free tier has no AI. Teal gates most AI behind its $29/month plan. Notion requires you to build everything from scratch and has zero AI for job search.
What you get for free:
- Unlimited job tracking on a Kanban board (Wishlist → Applied → Interviewing → Offer)
- 10 AI generations/month across 18 tools (cover letters, resume optimiser, interview prep, salary negotiation, and more)
- Chrome extension for quick dashboard access
- Smart follow-up reminders
- Analytics and goal tracking
- CSV data export
Free tier limitations: AI is capped at 10 generations/month. For most job seekers applying to 5–10 roles per month, this is enough. Active searchers applying to 20+ jobs per week will want Pro (£19/month) for unlimited AI.
Try it free: Start tracking your applications now — no credit card, no time limit. Free forever.
2. Notion — Best Free Tracker for Customisation
Free tier: Unlimited pages and databases
Price if upgraded: $10/month (Plus) — but unnecessary for job tracking
Best for: People who enjoy building their own systems
Notion is a blank canvas. You can build a job tracker with databases, Kanban views, linked pages, and custom properties. Some people love this. Others find it overwhelming.
Pros:
- Completely free for personal use
- Infinitely customisable — tables, boards, calendars, galleries
- Templates available (search "Notion job tracker template")
- Works on desktop, mobile, and web
Cons:
- No AI features for job search (Notion AI is general-purpose, not job-specific)
- Requires 1–2 hours of initial setup
- No built-in reminders for follow-ups
- No ATS checking, no cover letter generation, no interview prep
- Easy to over-engineer and spend more time building than applying
Verdict: Great if you love tinkering. Not great if you just want to start tracking jobs immediately.
3. Huntr — Established but Limited Free Tier
Free tier: 40 jobs
Price if upgraded: $40/month (Pro)
Best for: Light job seekers who need simple tracking
Huntr was one of the first dedicated job trackers and has a mature Chrome extension that saves jobs from any website. The free tier gives you a clean Kanban board — but caps you at 40 tracked jobs.
Pros:
- Clean, fast Kanban interface
- Chrome extension saves jobs from any site with one click
- Contact tracking for networking
- Tagging and organisation features
Cons:
- 40-job limit on free tier — most active searches exceed this
- No AI features on free
- No cover letter generator, no interview prep
- Pro is expensive at $40/month (£32)
- US-focused pricing and features
Verdict: Decent for short, focused job searches. The 40-job limit is a dealbreaker for anyone running a longer search.
Stop losing track of applications
ApplyArc tracks everything automatically — for free.
4. Teal — Strong Resume Builder, Weak Free Tracker
Free tier: Limited jobs + basic tracking
Price if upgraded: $29/month (Teal+)
Best for: People who primarily need resume tailoring
Teal's main strength is its resume builder and AI-powered resume tailoring. The tracking feature exists, but it's secondary. Free tier access has been getting more restrictive over time.
Pros:
- Best resume builder in the market
- AI tailors your resume to match job descriptions
- Chrome extension clips jobs from 40+ sites
- Clean interface
Cons:
- Free tier is increasingly limited (restricted saves, limited AI)
- No cover letter generator
- No interview prep or salary negotiation tools
- $29/month with no annual discount
- Tracking is a secondary feature, not the core product
Verdict: If your main need is resume building, Teal is strong. For job tracking specifically, other free options give you more.
5. Google Sheets — Free and Infinite, But Manual
Free tier: Unlimited (it's a spreadsheet)
Price if upgraded: N/A
Best for: People who want zero learning curve and total control
Google Sheets works. You can track unlimited jobs, create custom columns, build charts, and share with a career coach. Millions of job seekers use spreadsheets.
Pros:
- Completely free forever
- Unlimited jobs, unlimited customisation
- Familiar interface — no learning curve
- Shareable and collaborative
- Works offline (with Google Docs Offline extension)
Cons:
- No AI features whatsoever
- No Kanban board — just rows and columns
- No reminders or automation
- No analytics or insights
- Becomes unwieldy past 50+ applications
- No ATS checking, no cover letters, no interview prep
Verdict: Serviceable for fewer than 20 applications. Beyond that, the manual overhead costs you time you could spend actually applying.
6. Trello — Free Kanban, No Job Search Features
Free tier: Unlimited boards with basic features
Price if upgraded: $5/month (Standard) — but unnecessary for tracking
Best for: Visual thinkers who want a drag-and-drop board
Trello gives you free Kanban boards. You create columns (Applied, Interviewing, Offer), add cards for each job, and drag them across. Simple and visual.
Pros:
- Free Kanban boards with unlimited cards
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Mobile app works well
- Power-Ups add limited automation
- Labels, due dates, and checklists built in
Cons:
- Zero job search features — it's a generic project tool
- No AI, no ATS checking, no cover letters
- No job-specific fields (company, salary, contact)
- Requires manual setup for job tracking
- No analytics or reporting
Verdict: Better than a spreadsheet for visual tracking, but you're building a job tracker from scratch using a general-purpose tool.
7. JobHero — Basic Tracking with Resume Templates
Free tier: Limited tracking + resume templates
Price if upgraded: Varies by plan
Best for: People who mainly need resume and cover letter templates
JobHero is primarily a resume and cover letter template library. It has basic job tracking, but it's not the core product.
Pros:
- Large library of resume and cover letter templates
- Some tracking functionality
- Templates are industry-specific
Cons:
- Tracking is very basic — no Kanban board
- Templates feel dated compared to modern tools
- No AI generation — templates only
- Free tier is limited
- Not a dedicated job tracker
Verdict: Use JobHero if you need pre-written templates. For actual job tracking, dedicated tools like ApplyArc or even Trello offer more.
Which Free Job Tracker Has the Best AI Features?
ApplyArc is the only free job tracker that includes AI features. Here's a comparison:
| Tool | Free AI Features | What AI Does |
|---|---|---|
| ApplyArc | 10 generations/month | Cover letters, resume optimiser, interview prep, salary negotiation, follow-ups |
| Teal | Limited resume AI | Tailors resume keywords (basic on free) |
| Notion | None for job search | Notion AI is general-purpose, $10/month add-on |
| Huntr | None | No AI on any tier |
| Google Sheets | None | No AI |
| Trello | None | No AI |
| JobHero | None | Templates only, not AI-generated |
If AI matters to your job search — and in 2026 it should — ApplyArc's free tier is the only option that doesn't require a paid subscription.
How Many Jobs Can You Track for Free?
| Tool | Free Job Limit | What Happens at the Limit |
|---|---|---|
| ApplyArc | Unlimited | Never runs out |
| Notion | Unlimited | Never runs out |
| Google Sheets | Unlimited | Gets unwieldy past 50+ |
| Trello | Unlimited | Gets unwieldy past 50+ |
| Huntr | 40 jobs | Must upgrade to Pro ($40/mo) |
| Teal | Limited | Restricted features on free |
| JobHero | Limited | Must upgrade |
For most job searches, you'll apply to 50–200 positions. Huntr's 40-job cap and Teal's restrictions can force an upgrade mid-search — frustrating when you're already stressed about finding work.
Do You Need a Paid Job Tracker?
For most job seekers, no. A free tracker handles the fundamentals: organising applications, tracking statuses, and keeping deadlines visible.
You should consider upgrading if:
- You're applying to 20+ jobs per week and need unlimited AI (ApplyArc Pro: £19/month)
- You need advanced resume tailoring for every application (Teal+: $29/month)
- You want premium Chrome extensions with autofill features
The free tiers from ApplyArc, Notion, and Google Sheets cover the vast majority of job searches. Start free, upgrade only if you hit a wall.
How We Tested These Free Job Trackers
We signed up for the free tier of each tool and ran a realistic job search simulation:
1. Added 20+ jobs to each tracker from real job boards
2. Tested AI features where available (cover letters, resume optimisation)
3. Evaluated the Kanban board — speed, ease of use, mobile experience
4. Checked free tier limits — where did each tool start restricting features?
5. Measured setup time — how long from signup to first tracked job?
ApplyArc had the fastest setup (under 2 minutes to first tracked job), the most generous free AI (10 generations/month), and the only free tier that felt like a complete product rather than a trial.
FAQ
What is the best free job tracker app?
ApplyArc is the best free job tracker in 2026. It offers unlimited job tracking on a Kanban board, 10 free AI generations per month, and doesn't require a credit card to sign up.
Can I track unlimited jobs for free?
Yes. ApplyArc and Notion both allow unlimited job tracking for free. Huntr limits free users to 40 jobs, and Teal has feature restrictions on the free tier.
Do free job trackers have AI features?
ApplyArc is the only free job tracker that includes AI features — 10 free AI generations per month for cover letters, resume optimisation, and interview prep. Most competitors charge $29–40/month for AI.
Is a spreadsheet good enough for job tracking?
For fewer than 20 applications, a spreadsheet works fine. Beyond that, dedicated trackers like ApplyArc save significant time with automated status tracking, deadline reminders, analytics, and AI tools that spreadsheets can't provide.
What's the difference between free and paid job trackers?
Free tiers typically limit AI features (ApplyArc: 10/month free, unlimited on Pro) or total job count (Huntr: 40 jobs free). Paid plans unlock unlimited AI, advanced analytics, and priority support.
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All tool information based on direct testing of free tiers as of March 2026. Pricing and features may change. We update this guide monthly.
George
Founder & Career Tech Developer
George built ApplyArc after applying to 300+ jobs and realising no tool combined tracking, AI, and analytics in one place. He writes about job search strategies backed by data from thousands of real applications.
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