What are Kepler and Mercury?
Kepler is a recruitment CRM built around AI Chat, on a single plan. AI Chat sits on every page, reads your candidates, CVs, notes, emails and call transcripts, and creates or updates records once a person approves.
Around AI Chat, Kepler includes:
- pipelines, Gmail and Outlook sync, and WhatsApp and LinkedIn messages in one inbox
- a meeting notetaker for Teams, Zoom and Google Meet
- CV parsing and formatting, a job board on your own domain and a client portal
- consent records, revenue reporting, email campaigns and a public REST API
Contact enrichment is available, and single sign-on is available on the Enterprise plan.
Mercury is a staffing and recruitment platform from Mercury xRM Ltd, registered in England, trading at wearemercury.com. It is "built on the Microsoft platform" and sold as modules, including Sales & Recruiting for the CRM and ATS, and Analytics on Microsoft Power BI.
Kepler vs Mercury: what is the real difference?
The real difference is how you work. In Kepler you ask AI Chat a question in plain English. It searches CVs, notes, emails and call transcripts, ranks the people it finds, and proposes record updates for you to approve. There is no Boolean string to write.
Kepler is a single plan with the AI included. There is nothing to assemble: no modules to choose, no licence from another vendor, and one published price.
Mercury is built inside Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Its knowledge base describes it running in the customer’s own Microsoft account, with documents in SharePoint, email tracked through the Dynamics 365 app for Outlook, Teams chats inside records and reports in Power BI. Mercury publishes a policy on which customisations it permits.
How does Kepler’s AI compare with Mercury’s?
Kepler’s AI Chat works across the whole workspace. It searches, ranks, drafts emails and updates records, returns results you can save as a list, and asks for approval before it writes anything. AI Chat is included on every plan, monthly and annual, with no add-on or upgrade needed.
Kepler’s search understands what you mean as well as the words you type, across CVs, notes, email threads and call transcripts. Kepler’s matching scores every candidate from 0 to 100 against the job. The score is based on criteria taken from the job description, which you can edit, and each criterion shows the line from the CV, call or email behind it.
Mercury documents its AI as separate named features:
- Quick Create via AI builds a vacancy from a pasted job description.
- Vacancy AI writes adverts, and Summary AI and Shortlist AI write candidate summaries against a vacancy.
- Activity AI reads a call description or Teams transcript and suggests follow-ups and candidate updates.
- Search Assistant and Enhance with AI suggest titles and keywords for a search.
Vacancy AI, Summary AI, Shortlist AI, Activity AI and Search Assistant sit in a package Mercury calls AI Essentials. Mercury’s knowledge base says Search Assistant "is part of Mercury AI Essentials", and its search release notes say "additional AI features are part of the AI Essentials package". Mercury does not publish a price for it.
Mercury does not have plain-English AI search across emails and call transcripts. Its Search Copilot turns a sentence into a candidate search, and Mercury’s article says it "uses Boolean to filter" the data. Mercury’s home page also says Microsoft Copilot is "natively integrated" through Dynamics 365.
How do Kepler and Mercury compare feature by feature?
| Area | Kepler | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| How you work | Ask AI Chat in plain English and it finds, ranks and updates records for you | Modules inside Microsoft Dynamics 365, with named AI features |
| AI | AI Chat and every AI feature are on every plan | Most named AI features are in the AI Essentials package |
| Published price | USD 99 per user per month, billed annually | Not published, quote only |
| Search | Ask in plain English and AI Chat searches your CVs, notes, emails and call transcripts | Boolean search, with AI help to build the query |
| Gmail and Outlook stay in sync both ways | Microsoft Exchange and Outlook | |
| Meetings | A notetaker joins Teams, Zoom and Google Meet calls and files the notes | Teams chat, notifications, click-to-dial and meeting transcripts |
| Two-way WhatsApp chat in the inbox | Not included in the Twilio integration | |
| Search LinkedIn, see who is already in your database, and reply to LinkedIn messages from the inbox | Recruiter System Connect and Sales Navigator | |
| Job advertising | A careers site on your own domain, marked up for Google for Jobs | Broadbean, LogicMelon, idibu |
| Client portal | Share shortlists, blind CVs if you choose, and take ratings, comments and interview requests | Vacancies, candidates and placements, with feedback and interview requests |
| Reporting | Billings, delivery and consultant splits from your placements | Power BI dashboards |
| Storage | Unlimited on every plan | Microsoft Dataverse limits, with extra storage charged |
| Public API | Create API keys yourself in the product, with webhooks | After formal approval and sign-off |
| Single sign-on | Available on the Enterprise plan | Microsoft account sign-in through Dynamics 365 |
How do Kepler and Mercury differ on Microsoft 365, portals and channels?
- Microsoft 365. Kepler syncs Outlook and Gmail both ways and joins Teams, Zoom and Google Meet calls with its notetaker. Single sign-on is available on the Enterprise plan, and every member can use MFA. Mercury uses Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Power BI as parts of the product, managed through the same Microsoft identities and licences.
- Client portal. Kepler’s portal is built around the shortlist. Hiring managers sign in by magic link, see candidates shared one at a time, in bulk or by stage (blind if you choose), rate them 1–5, comment and request interviews. Mercury’s client portal lets hiring managers give feedback, request interviews and reject or move candidates, and Mercury also runs a candidate portal.
- LinkedIn and messaging. Kepler can search LinkedIn, shows whether a person is already in your database and what has changed since you last spoke, and adds them if they are not. LinkedIn and WhatsApp conversations sit in the Kepler inbox beside email, and contact enrichment for emails, mobile numbers and LinkedIn URLs is available. Mercury is a LinkedIn partner with Recruiter System Connect and sends SMS through Twilio.
- Placements. Kepler records each placement’s fee, invoice status and payment status, and connects to a pay-and-bill system through its API. Mercury includes timesheets, expenses and invoicing in its middle and back office module.
- Data protection. Kepler keeps consent records per candidate and contact, with lawful basis, expiry dates and withdrawals across GDPR, UK GDPR, PDPA and CCPA. Mercury documents a data protection dashboard for removal and access requests.
What does Kepler do differently from Mercury?
- A price with nothing to assemble. A Kepler quote has one line. A Mercury quote depends on the modules chosen, the AI Essentials package, the Microsoft licences underneath and the implementation services, none of which Mercury publishes.
- Search that reads everything. Kepler searches the text of emails and call transcripts as well as CVs and notes, in plain English.
- Updates from every conversation. Kepler reads emails, calls, WhatsApp and LinkedIn messages and turns them into proposed updates and tasks you approve, with history and undo on every field.
- Unlimited storage. Kepler includes unlimited records and storage. Mercury’s blog puts Dataverse storage beyond Microsoft’s allowance at "around £30.20 per GB per month", and Mercury sells a Storage Solution from £5 per user per month.
- An API you can use today. Kepler’s REST API uses keys you create in the product. Mercury’s public API needs formal approval and sign-off.
How much does Mercury cost?
Kepler is USD 99 per user per month billed annually (USD 1,188 per seat per year), or USD 129 monthly. Every feature is on that single plan, with unlimited records and storage, a monthly AI allowance with more on request, and free migration. AI Chat is included on every plan, monthly and annual, with no add-on or upgrade needed. Volume pricing is available from 50 seats. See Kepler pricing.
Mercury does not publish per-user pricing as of October 2026. There is no pricing page on wearemercury.com, and its Microsoft Marketplace listing says "Contact me" with no prices.
Mercury does publish how licensing works. Each Mercury core user needs a Microsoft Power Apps Premium licence, which Mercury "usually" buys as part of its own licence price. Microsoft lists Power Apps Premium at USD 20 per user per month, paid yearly.
- Vacancy AI, Summary AI, Shortlist AI, Activity AI and Search Assistant are part of Mercury’s AI Essentials package, with no published price.
- Storage beyond the Dataverse allowance is charged by Microsoft. Mercury’s Storage Solution starts at £5 per user per month.
- Data migration, implementation and training are listed as Mercury services, without published prices.
Which agencies is Kepler built for?
Kepler is built for agencies that want a simple CRM with the AI included. Your consultants ask AI Chat instead of building searches, and it reads every CV, note, email and call transcript you hold.
Kepler fits teams whose WhatsApp and LinkedIn conversations should sit beside email and feed the same updates, approved by a person. It fits a 10-person agency that wants one published price with storage and migration included, and any agency that works in Microsoft 365 through Outlook and Teams.
Can you migrate from Mercury to Kepler?
Yes. Kepler runs the migration for you on every plan at no charge. You send an export of your Mercury data, plus any loose CVs, spreadsheets and inbox archives.
Kepler handles extraction, mapping, de-duplication and validation, and rebuilds custom fields as real fields. Activity, stages and history come across. You review 50 of your own records before the full load, and the migration is done in days.
The parsing engine was built by the team behind RemakeCV, a separate CV tool used by 300+ recruitment agencies.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mercury better than Kepler?
It depends on how you want to work. If you want a simple, easy-to-use recruitment CRM with the AI included, where you ask AI Chat in plain English and it finds, ranks and updates records for you instead of you searching by hand, choose Kepler. It is a single plan at USD 99 per user per month billed annually, with unlimited storage and a free migration.
If you want recruitment software built inside Microsoft Dynamics 365, assembled from modules and Microsoft licences and run by your IT team alongside the rest of Microsoft 365, Mercury is built for that.
How much does Mercury cost?
Kepler is USD 99 per user per month billed annually, or USD 129 monthly, and AI Chat is included on every plan. Mercury does not publish per-user pricing as of October 2026, and its Microsoft Marketplace listing is contact-only. Each Mercury core user needs a Power Apps Premium licence, which Microsoft lists at USD 20 per user per month paid yearly and which Mercury usually includes in its own price. Mercury’s Vacancy, Summary, Shortlist and Activity AI and its Search Assistant are part of its AI Essentials package.
Does Kepler work with Outlook and Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Kepler syncs Outlook and Gmail both ways and links each thread to the right candidate or contact. Kepler’s notetaker joins Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet calls and files the summary, next steps and transcript against the record.
Does Mercury use Microsoft Copilot?
Kepler has its own AI Chat on every page, included on every plan. Mercury’s home page says Microsoft Copilot is natively integrated through Dynamics 365. Mercury’s own Search Copilot builds a candidate search from a sentence and uses Boolean to filter the data, and its Search Assistant is part of the AI Essentials package.
Can you migrate from Mercury to Kepler?
Yes. Kepler migrates your Mercury data for you, free, on every plan. You send an export, review 50 of your own records before the full load, and custom fields, activity, stages and history come across.
Sources
Every claim about another vendor on this page comes from that vendor's own public material. Where a vendor does not publish something — pricing is the usual one — this post says so rather than estimating.
- Mercury — home page The three products (Sales & Recruiting, Middle & Back Office, Analytics); "built on the Microsoft platform"; Microsoft Copilot "natively integrated" through Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform; data migration, implementation, training and client success listed as services; footer naming Mercury xRM Ltd, registered in England.
- Mercury — Sales & Recruiting Combined CRM and ATS; AI vacancy creation, adverts, candidate summaries, AI Search Assistant; Teams and Microsoft 365 integration; LinkedIn partner with Recruiter System Connect and Sales Navigator.
- Mercury — Middle & Back Office Timesheets and expenses, invoicing, candidate and client portals.
- Mercury — Analytics Dashboards on Microsoft Power BI.
- Mercury — integrations support table Exchange/Outlook, SharePoint, Teams chat and click-to-dial, Broadbean, LogicMelon, idibu, LinkedIn RSC and Sales Navigator.
- Mercury — permitted customisations Mercury’s policy on which customisations it allows, last updated 29 May 2026.
- Mercury blog — reducing Dataverse storage costs Dataverse storage beyond entitlement "around £30.20 per GB per month"; Mercury Storage Solution from £5 per user per month.
- Microsoft Marketplace — Mercury Staffing and Recruitment Software Built on Dynamics 365; "Contact me" call to action and no listed prices.
- Mercury knowledge base — Microsoft licensing required for Mercury Power Apps Premium per Mercury core user; usually purchased as part of the Mercury licence price.
- Microsoft — Power Apps pricing Power Apps Premium USD 20 per user per month, paid yearly.
- Mercury knowledge base — Dataverse storage capacity exceeded Storage is reviewed in the customer’s own Power Platform admin centre.
- Mercury knowledge base — Search Assistant Natural-language query building from job titles, employers and keywords; "Search Assistant is part of Mercury AI Essentials."
- Mercury knowledge base — Release train for Mercury Search "Additional AI features are part of the AI Essentials package"; Search Chat renamed Copilot.
- Mercury knowledge base — Release train for AI Essentials Vacancy AI, Summary AI, Shortlist AI and Activity AI listed under AI Essentials, available "if enabled".
- Mercury knowledge base — Enhance with AI AI-suggested titles and keywords added to structured search groups.
- Mercury knowledge base — Using Search Copilot Copilot "uses Boolean to filter"; Show Query and Show in Boolean.
- Mercury knowledge base — Activity AI Suggested follow-ups from a phone call description or Teams meeting transcript; editable candidate updates.
- Mercury knowledge base — Quick Create via AI Vacancy creation from a job description.
- Mercury knowledge base — Mercury AI FAQs Shortlist AI and Summary AI inputs and outputs.
- Mercury knowledge base — Twilio SMS integration Two-way SMS through Twilio; WhatsApp not available through it.
- Mercury knowledge base — Client Portal release train Client portal pages for vacancies, candidates and placements.
- Mercury blog — client portals Hiring managers give feedback, shortlist, request interviews, reject or move candidates.
- Mercury knowledge base — GDPR Data removal and data requests, data protection dashboard.
- Mercury knowledge base — Public API onboarding guide API access subject to formal approval and sign-off.
- Kepler pricing USD 99 per user per month billed annually (USD 1,188 per seat per year), USD 129 monthly, a single plan, unlimited records and storage, free migration, volume pricing at 50+ seats.
Kepler is a recruitment CRM and this post is published by Kepler, so read it as an interested party's account. We have tried to describe Mercury as its own team would recognise it, and every factual claim is sourced above. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.