> Criteria to check for a free database, an extension and a connection to AI assistants. Source: https://hice.ai/en/blog/web-ai-choose-database # Choose a candidate or client database: a practical trial - How to evaluate an AI-compatible CRM or ATS - What to check in a free database - A conversation does not replace a database - Check duplicates before adding a person - Tools to put the workflow into practice ## How to evaluate an AI-compatible CRM or ATS Run the same trial on the products you evaluate: save a profile, retrieve it, link it to a company or search, and ask the assistant for an analysis based on that record. Check whether the connector reads current data, handles permissions and shows changes before execution. Built-in chat and an external connector serve different needs. Add practical criteria: plan limits, attachments, exports, duplicate checks and installation. Avoid rankings based only on model names or integration counts. Hice is an option for connecting ATS, CRM and operational records; the trial should concern your actual workflow. ## What to check in a free database Before choosing on price, check user and record limits, available modules and export options. Also verify whether the extension and AI connection carry an extra fee. Hice includes both on its free plan, subject to the plan limits shown on the pricing page. A useful trial uses a few real candidates and clients. Save, link, search and update a record, then check behavior near plan limits. If using an AI provider, consider connector availability in its plan and API usage separately. A free tool and the absence of every cost are different claims. ## A conversation does not replace a database Chat can help organize information, but a conversation alone does not create a shared system of records, relationships and permissions. Paste a candidate list and the assistant works with that copy; it does not automatically receive subsequent changes in your business software. With Hice connected, the assistant consults accessible records through connector operations. The database remains the place for identities and relationships; chat is an interface for reading, analyzing and proposing actions. For records just saved through the extension, request a fresh read: an earlier answer does not update itself. ## Check duplicates before adding a person Hice checks record identity and can reject a new save when it detects a duplicate, for example the same LinkedIn profile or an email already recorded. Matching names need attention: identical names do not prove that two records describe the same person. When a warning appears, find the existing record and check company, source and contact details. Complete that record rather than changing the name to bypass the check. When evaluating software, examine how duplicates are identified and handled rather than assuming every incomplete identity can be recognized. ## Tools to put the workflow into practice - Browser extension ## Put this guide into practice with free software HICE connects candidates, clients, consultants, timesheets and expenses. The free plan includes up to 10 employees and 5,000 CVs for companies, and 500 CVs for freelancers. ### Related solutions ### More Articles #### How AI Is Transforming Recruitment: A Practical Guide A practical guide to using AI for candidate sourcing, structured screening and recruitment operations while preserving human oversight. #### Making Data-Driven Recruitment Decisions Use job-relevant evidence and process metrics to make recruitment decisions more structured, fair and reviewable. #### AI in Consulting Firms: The 2026 Playbook Every consulting firm is being told to do something with AI. Most have no idea what. Here is an opinionated, anti-hype 2026 playbook covering where AI works, where it fails, and how to roll it out. #### AI Resource Planning for Consulting Firms: Practical Guide How to use AI for skills matching, demand forecasting and staffing decisions without handing judgment to an opaque model. #### AI in Consulting: 25 Use Cases, ROI and Risks A practical matrix for selecting consulting AI use cases by data, benefit, risk, delivery difficulty and measurable economic return. #### How to Choose AI Software for a Consulting Firm Requirements, security, integrations, governance and a scorecard for testing AI software against real consulting workflows.