Audio Chats vs Chatbots: Which AI Screening Tool Is Right for SMB Recruiters?

Small hiring teams are under pressure — more applicants, flat budgets, and compliance rules that now apply to companies of every size. Three tools keep showing up on SMB shortlists: OVI, Manatal, and Zoho Recruit. But here's what's surprising — they're not really competing for the same thing. Manatal takes an ATS-first approach, bundling an AI Interviewer into an affordable $15/user/month platform. Zoho Recruit goes all-in-one, adding resume-based AI screening to a full hiring workflow. OVI does something different entirely: it's a dedicated async audio screening platform with a human-in-the-loop model and one of the strongest compliance postures in the market. In this episode, we break down what each tool actually does, where each one falls short, and the one question that makes the right choice obvious for most SMB teams. If you're evaluating hiring tech in 2026, this one's worth a listen.