PastaHR: what it is, who it is for and what it costs
PastaHR is an AI-assisted application and pre-qualification tool for recruiting teams. Candidates can apply through a chat, mainly WhatsApp, and answer role-specific questions before a recruiter looks at the file. The vendor is Pasta Software Studio AG, Zurich, Switzerland.
Who it is for
Teams with high application volumes and candidates who prefer chat to forms, for example logistics, retail, healthcare or staffing. It is less suited to teams that only need a classic ATS or a general customer-messaging inbox, because PastaHR is built around the application step and connects to an existing ATS.
Key features
- Application via WhatsApp without login or form; the vendor also describes starts via Instagram in a blog post.
- AI pre-qualification with fixed and AI-generated questions, optional voice messages and follow-up questions for missing information.
- Each criterion is linked to the candidate's answer; recruiters decide who advances.
- Interview invitations with a booking link inside the chat.
- Application flow builder with blocks for documents, personal data and ATS questions.
- Connectors to more than 100 applicant tracking systems, per the vendor, including Personio, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, SmartRecruiters, Teamtailor and softgarden.
Pricing
No public price list as of November 2026, per the vendor's website. Access runs through a demo and a custom quote. Third-party listings disagree on a free trial; the vendor's own pages do not mention one.
Limits
- No public pricing, so budgets cannot be compared in advance.
- Focus is the application and pre-qualification step, not a full recruiting suite.
- Check before buying: the vendor's list of subprocessors and hosting regions, and whether a data processing agreement is part of the contract.
- The chat flow depends on WhatsApp and Meta policies; candidate reach is limited to people who use these channels.
Data protection and DACH
The vendor states ISO 27001 certification and GDPR, Swiss data protection law and EU AI Act compliance. According to its blog, WhatsApp runs through the WhatsApp Business API via a certified provider (not named there). Applicants must confirm the hiring company's privacy notice in the first message before the process continues. Messages and media are deleted after processing; a retention period is not stated. Hosting location and the data processing agreement were not stated on the pages reviewed and should be requested. The interface and site are available in German.
