Agency or platform? Honest maths
It's not about expensive versus cheap. It's fee per placement versus flat monthly rate – and who does the work.
Three questions · instant answer
The number of roles is not the deciding question
The most common mistake: "many roles, so agency." In fact it's the other way round – because the two routes bill completely differently.
| Your situation | 1 role | 6+ roles |
|---|---|---|
| You have your own recruiters | Platform | Platform – even more clearly The flat fee stays the same; cost per head falls with every hire. |
| You have no recruiting team | Agency | Agency – even more urgently Six parallel procedures realistically tie up a full-time position. |
The logic behind it
The agency charges per successful placement – five hires, five fees. The platform costs €490 a month whether you hire one person or fifteen. So volume doesn't decide whether agency or platform – it only amplifies wherever your capacity already points. The real axis is: do you have people who can screen, interview and process visa applications – or not?
Which route fits you?
Three questions. No result ever says "don't hire" – the only question is how.
The recommendation is guidance, not legal advice. The cost estimate is based on published platform prices; the agency's success fee depends on the profile and is set out in the individual offer.
All differences at a glance
| Criterion | Balkan Recruiters (agency) | CandidateForce (platform) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | From €5,000 per placement | €490 / month flat (start from €0) |
| Cost at 5 hires | 5 × fee | Unchanged €490 / month |
| What you're buying | The work | The access |
| Candidate access | Pre-selection by the agency | Entire pool, unlimited contacts |
| Screening & interviews | Agency | Your team |
| Visa & authorities | Agency | Your team |
| Casting with practical test | On request, on site | Not included |
| Automatic translation | — | Included |
| Job ads on regional boards | — | Included |
| Typical duration | 10–12 weeks | Depends on your team |
| Your workload | The interview and the decision | The entire process |
| Control over selection | Over the profiles presented | Complete |
Common questions about the comparison
Is the platform just the cheaper version of the agency?
No. They are two different products for two different buyers. With the agency you buy work: sourcing, screening, visa, authorities. With the platform you buy access: the entire candidate pool, unlimited contacts, one flat monthly fee. If you have your own recruiters, the platform gets you more candidates for less money – that's not a compromise, it's simply the better fit.
From how many roles does the agency pay off?
The number of roles isn't the deciding criterion – your own recruiting capacity is. Because the agency charges per placement and the platform charges a flat fee, a company with its own recruiters actually does better on the platform the more roles it fills. A company without that capacity needs full service all the more urgently at higher volume.
What does placement via Balkan Recruiters cost?
On the German market the success fee starts at €5,000 per placement. The exact amount depends on the profile, the conditions and the target market, and is set out in the individual offer. Billing is success-based: costs arise only once a placement actually happens. For other target markets we quote on request.
What does CandidateForce cost?
You can start free of charge with one active job ad (€0). The Professional plan costs €490 per month as an introductory price (regular €690) – regardless of the number of hires. Each additional user costs €390 (regular €590). Annual billing includes two free months. All prices exclude VAT.
Recruitment agency or recruiting platform – which is cheaper?
Employers looking to hire workers from the Western Balkans usually compare prices. That's misleading, because the two routes don't sell the same thing. A placement agency like Balkan Recruiters sells work and charges success-based from €5,000 per placement. A recruiting platform like CandidateForce sells access and costs a flat €490 a month – whether you hire one person or fifteen.
That produces a rule of thumb that contradicts gut feeling: it isn't the number of roles that decides, but your own capacity. A company with recruiters and visa experience gets more candidates for less money on the platform – and the more roles it fills, the clearer the advantage. A company without HR capacity buys with full service exactly the thing it lacks.
One more thing to factor in: the procedure itself. The Western Balkans Regulation runs on an annual quota that was exhausted by 2 December in 2025 and is split across months and nationalities. The platform doesn't take that off your hands – it delivers the candidates, not the visa. That is precisely where full service earns its money. The process page shows the steps; the pricing overview puts both models side by side.