Introduction
What is Reqcore and why it exists. An overview of the open-source applicant tracking system built for teams that want full data ownership.
Introduction
Reqcore is an open-source applicant tracking system (ATS) built for teams that refuse to rent access to their own hiring data. It runs on your infrastructure, charges no per-seat fees, and publishes every line of code for inspection.
Why Reqcore Exists
Modern ATS platforms suffer from three structural problems:
- Data hostage — Companies pay for access to their own candidate data. If the subscription lapses, the talent pool vanishes.
- Opaque AI — Incumbent platforms use proprietary algorithms to rank candidates. Recruiters cannot see why a candidate was surfaced or rejected — creating legal and ethical liability.
- Per-seat tax — Adding a hiring manager or recruiter increases the software bill, punishing growing teams.
Reqcore is the antidote: an open-source ATS where you own the data, the code is public, and pricing does not scale with headcount.
Core Principles
| Principle | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Ownership over access | You own the infrastructure (Postgres + MinIO). Your talent pool is a permanent asset — not a subscription. |
| Auditable intelligence | AI ranking is planned. When it ships, it will expose a visible Matching Logic summary so recruiters can verify results. |
| No per-seat pricing | Scale your hiring team without increasing your software bill. Add as many users as you need. |
| Runs on your network | With local storage (MinIO) and local AI (Ollama), sensitive candidate PII never has to leave your network. |
Technology Stack
Reqcore is a Nuxt 4 full-stack application:
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Framework | Nuxt 4 (Vue 3 + Nitro) |
| Database | PostgreSQL 16 |
| ORM | Drizzle ORM |
| Auth | Better Auth + Org plugin |
| Storage | S3-compatible (MinIO / Railway Buckets) |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS v4 |
| SEO | @nuxtjs/seo + @nuxt/content v3 |
| Icons | lucide-vue-next |
Who Is Reqcore For?
| Persona | Primary Need |
|---|---|
| Recruiter | Fast candidate pipeline, clear application workflow |
| Hiring Manager | Clear candidate comparisons, proof-based recommendations |
| HR Administrator | Multi-tenant control, data ownership, audit trails |
| Engineering/IT | Simple self-hosting via Docker Compose, clear documentation |
Current Status
Reqcore is under active development. The MVP is complete and includes:
- Multi-tenant organizations with role-based membership
- Job management with status workflow (draft → open → closed → archived)
- Candidate pipeline with drag-and-drop Kanban board
- Document storage for resumes and cover letters via S3-compatible storage
- Public job board with SEO-friendly URLs
- Custom application forms per job
- Recruiter dashboard with at-a-glance stats
See the Roadmap for what's shipping next.
Next Steps
- Installation — Get Reqcore running locally in under 5 minutes
- Quick Start — Create your first job and post it publicly
- Architecture Overview — Understand how the system is designed