Cobalt

Cobalt vs Ezekia 2025: Complete Comparison and Best Alternative

Gregory Hissiger
Gregory Hissiger
December 17, 202510 min read
Comparison between two ATS platforms for recruiting agencies

Ezekia: Overview and Positioning

What is Ezekia?

Ezekia is an ATS specialized in executive search and C-level recruiting. The platform primarily targets headhunting firms and recruiters specializing in senior executive profiles.

Ezekia's Positioning

CriterionEvaluation
SpecializationExecutive search
TargetHeadhunting firms
InterfaceFunctional but dated
OutreachLimited
AIBasic

Common Problems with Ezekia

Despite its specialization, Ezekia has several limitations:

ProblemImpact
Slow~1 second per page load
Slow Chrome extensionLatency and reliability issues
Limited searchBasic keywords only
No transcriptionManual notes or third-party tool (+$50/month)
Complex outreachLaborious configuration
Cluttered interfaceHard to maintain clear overview

Why Look for an Ezekia Alternative?

The Speed Problem

In recruitment, speed matters. Ezekia shows average load times of about 1 second per page.

This might seem acceptable, but compared to modern platforms (~0.1 seconds):

  • These delays accumulate over a busy day
  • Each second of lag disrupts the workflow
  • Recruiters delay or forget important updates

Failing LinkedIn Extension

A fast, reliable Chrome extension is crucial for professional recruiters.

"Ezekia's extension suffers from latency and reliability issues, delaying access to critical candidate data."

In a job where every second counts, a slow extension creates unnecessary frustration.

Ezekia's search is limited to basic keywords:

  • Doesn't understand unstructured data (emails, notes, CVs)
  • Search results often incomplete
  • No semantic understanding

No Built-in Transcription

Focus during interviews is essential. Ezekia offers no built-in transcription:

  • Recruiters must take notes manually
  • Or use third-party tool (+$50/recruiter/month)
  • Risk missing important information

Cobalt vs Ezekia: Detailed Comparison

Overview

CriterionCobaltEzekia
PositioningUnified ATS+CRM+Staffing platformExecutive search ATS
TargetStaffing firms, agencies, exec searchHeadhunting firms
Speed< 0.5 seconds~1 second
InterfaceModern, intuitiveFunctional, cluttered
AISemantic search, matchingBasic
SupportLocal, responsiveVariable

User Experience (UX)

CriterionCobaltEzekia
Load time< 0.5 seconds~1 second
DesignModern 2024Dated
Interface clarity✅ Clean🟡 Cluttered
Learning curveFew hoursSeveral days
Mobile app🟡
Impact of Ezekia's slowness:

On a day with 500 page changes:

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  • Ezekia: 500 seconds (~8 minutes) lost
  • Cobalt: 50 seconds lost
  • Daily gain: 7+ minutes
UX Verdict: Cobalt is significantly faster and more modern.

Sourcing and LinkedIn Extension

FeatureCobaltEzekia
Chrome extension✅ Fast, reliable🟡 Slow, bugs
Instant import🟡 Delay
CV parsing✅ Native AI
Auto enrichment🟡 Limited
Real-time sync🟡
Ezekia's extension problem:
"The extension suffers from latency and reliability issues, delaying access to critical candidate data. In recruitment where every second counts, a slow extension creates unnecessary frustration."
Sourcing Verdict: Cobalt offers a reliable, instant extension.

Search and Matching

FeatureCobaltEzekia
AI semantic search✅ True vectorization
Natural language search
Basic keywords
Search in emails/notes
Candidate-job matching✅ Automatic AI🟡 Manual
Contextual understanding
Concrete example:

With Cobalt, search "senior AI/ML engineers with Python, TensorFlow or similar tools" and get relevant results.

With Ezekia, you must build complex Boolean queries and risk missing candidates.

What Ezekia misses:
"Ezekia's search is limited to basic keywords, missing insights from unstructured data sources like emails, notes and resumes, often leading to incomplete search results."
Search Verdict: Cobalt uses true semantic AI, Ezekia stays with keywords.

Interviews and Notes

FeatureCobaltEzekia
Built-in AI transcription✅ Native
Automatic notes❌ (manual)
Third-party integration✅ Optional🟡 Required (+$50/month)
Auto field updates✅ AI
Interview summary
Ezekia's transcription problem:
"Ezekia offers no built-in transcription, forcing recruiters to take manual notes or rely on third-party tools, which hurts efficiency and risks missing important insights."
Additional cost: +$50/recruiter/month for external transcription tool. Interview Verdict: Cobalt includes AI transcription, Ezekia requires paid tool.

Staffing Features

FeatureCobaltEzekia
Assignment management✅ Native
Consultant assignment✅ AI Matching
Bench tracking
Rate management
Planning view
Staffing Verdict: Cobalt is built for staffing firms. Ezekia doesn't have these features.

Summary Table: Cobalt vs Ezekia

CriterionWinnerComment
Speed🏆 Cobalt2x faster
LinkedIn extension🏆 CobaltReliable vs bugs
AI Search🏆 CobaltSemantic vs keywords
Transcription🏆 CobaltIncluded vs +$50/month
Interface🏆 CobaltModern vs cluttered
Staffing🏆 CobaltNative vs nonexistent
Executive search🟡 TieBoth suited
Outreach🏆 CobaltSimple vs complex

Conclusion: Ezekia or Cobalt?

Choose Ezekia if:

  • You're a pure headhunting firm
  • You don't need speed
  • You're willing to pay for transcription
  • You don't need staffing features

Choose Cobalt if:

  • You want a fast, modern platform
  • You're looking for true semantic AI
  • You want transcription included
  • You need staffing features
  • You want a reliable LinkedIn extension
  • You're looking for a simple-to-configure tool

Ready to discover a better Ezekia alternative?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ezekia shows average load times of about 1 second per page, which may seem acceptable but accumulates over a busy day. Compared to modern platforms like Cobalt (< 0.5 seconds), this slowness disrupts workflow and costs recruiters several minutes per day.

Ezekia's Chrome extension suffers from latency and reliability issues reported by users. This delays access to candidate data and creates frustration in a job where every second counts. Cobalt offers a fast, reliable extension with instant synchronization.

No, Ezekia offers no built-in transcription. Recruiters must take manual notes or use third-party tools like Metaview, HireLogic or Quil, adding about $50 per recruiter per month. Cobalt includes native AI transcription at no extra cost.

No, Ezekia's search is limited to basic keywords. It doesn't understand unstructured data (emails, notes, CVs) and doesn't offer semantic search. Cobalt uses true AI vectorization that understands context: searching 'Python' also finds TensorFlow, PyTorch profiles, etc.

No, Ezekia is specialized in executive search and headhunting. It doesn't offer staffing features: no assignment management, no bench tracking, no rate management, no planning view. For staffing firms, Cobalt is better suited with these features built in natively.

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