LinkedIn Account Types: Free vs Premium vs Sales Navigator – Choosing the Right Plan

The choice of nine LinkedIn account options can be rather confusing.

“Should I consider LinkedIn Premium for myself? Or would it be more beneficial to opt for the LinkedIn Sales Navigator for my team’s sales efforts?”

Are these among the numerous questions on your mind?

While a free account can handle most tasks, if you aim to expand your business, it would be advisable to invest in a paid account type that aligns with your goals.

So, here are the nine LinkedIn account options, along with their respective LinkedIn premium pricing:

• Free LinkedIn Account (basic)
• LinkedIn Premium Career – $29.99/month
• LinkedIn Premium Business – $59.99/month
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core – $99.99/month
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced – $149.99/month
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus – Custom pricing
• LinkedIn Recruiter Lite – $170/month
• LinkedIn Recruiter – $835/month
• LinkedIn Learnings – $19.99/month

Now that you are aware of the pricing for LinkedIn Premium, it’s time to explore their different features, differences, and practical applications.

Let’s dive into the specifics of the various types of LinkedIn accounts.

Free LinkedIn Account

Starting with a free LinkedIn account is a fantastic way for beginners. While it doesn’t cost anything, there may be some restrictions.

A basic account allows you to expand your connections, engage with professionals in your field, and reconnect with former colleagues and classmates.

Free vs. Paid LinkedIn Account

Here are a few restrictions that come with using a free LinkedIn account:

• It is not possible to send messages to individuals you are not connected with.
• You may not always be able to identify those who have viewed your profile.
• There are limitation on your searches.
• A free LinkedIn account is not ideal for recruiters and business owners using LinkedIn for hiring because it has limited search and outreach capabilities.

LinkedIn Premium Account Options

LinkedIn Premium is a commonly used phrase. However, it encompasses various types of LinkedIn accounts.

So, which type of account is the best choice? It all depends on your main goal.

For instance, if you’re a sales professional aiming to generate leads and target specific prospects, you might consider using Sales Navigator Core or Advanced. Similarly, if your goal is to expand your business by recruiting new talent, then LinkedIn Recruiter could be the right option for you.

But how much does LinkedIn Premium cost, you may wonder?

The cost varies depending on the specific account type and its features.

In the upcoming sections, we will compare the use cases, pricing, and differences of each LinkedIn account type.

Are you ready?

Get hired quickly: LinkedIn Premium Career – $29.99/month

For just $29.99 a month, a LinkedIn Premium Career subscription can help you secure a job opportunity more quickly.

This account is ideal for those who want to make a strong impression on potential employers and expand their professional network by connecting with individuals who share similar interests.

According to a recent study conducted by LinkedIn, individuals with a LinkedIn Premium Career subscription have a 2x higher chance of getting hired compared to those without it.

With a LinkedIn Premium Career account, you receive a range of features that are not available with a free account. Here’s what included in the LinkedIn Premium Career

• View profile viewers from the last 365 days

• Get unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning and enhance your skills to make a strong impression.
• Receive 5 InMail credits every month and utilize them to connect with recruiters or employers who are actively hiring.
• Get Applicant Insights to gain insight into how you compare to other job applicants.

The best aspect? LinkedIn Premium Career is the most affordable out of all the membership options on LinkedIn, and it is priced at $29.99 per month, with a month-long free trial.

Generate Leads as Sales Professionals: LinkedIn Premium Business – $59.99/month

LinkedIn Premium Business is perfect for sales professionals and entrepreneurs looking to engage with top-notch prospects or partners on LinkedIn.

Were you aware that InMail is nearly three times more effective than emails or cold calls? By having a LinkedIn Premium Business account, you have the ability to send InMails to your ideal clients or partners and grab their attention instantly.

Here’s what you get with a LinkedIn Premium Business account:

• Everything that’s included with a LinkedIn Premium Career account.
• 15 InMail credits every month which are great for contacting potential clients or partners who you aren’t already connected with.
• Unlimited browsing to help you find prospects more quickly.
• Access to Key Business Insights like competitor analysis, industry news, and company analytics.

The price for LinkedIn Premium Business is $59.99 per month, making it a more cost-effective option compared to Sales Navigator. Nevertheless, certain companies may consider the limited number of InMails provided each month to be restrictive.

Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile expense for those in need of advanced search capabilities and business insights, which are not available with Premium Career or Basic LinkedIn accounts.

Sales Teams and Business Owners Looking to Scale Social Selling: LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core – $99.99/month

There is no better way to maximize the benefits of LinkedIn than using the LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core is the ideal tool for sales representatives to discover potential customers, make connections, and cultivate strong relationships from the start.

The service is also perfect for small business owners who have a tight budget but still want to have access to top-notch LinkedIn sales features.

Sales Navigator Core provides a range of tools to enhance social selling and increase the quality of leads. Here what’s included:

• 50 InMail credits every month, ideal for sales teams sending outreach messages.
• Advanced filters and a Sales Spotlight to to attract your perfect clients on LinkedIn.
• Save lead information to keep record of leads you’re engaging with or targeting.
• Set up alerts and notifications to stay informed about lead activities on LinkedIn, such as job changes and ads.
• Receive weekly suggestions based on your past searches.

The main downside to LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core is the missing feature of being able to export leads into a CSV file.

Upgraded Option of Sales navigator for Sales Teams: LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced – $149.99/month

The LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced, as the name suggests, is an enhanced edition of the Core account with added sales features for teams and entrepreneurs.

With a LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced account, you get:

• Everything that’s included in LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core besides Job seeker and LinkedIn Learning subscriptions.
• LinkedIn Teamlink which is designed to identify potential warm introductions with prospects on LinkedIn, such as recognizing prospects who are directly connected to your team members (first-degree connections).
• Smartlinks which are used for a more advanced outreach effort, helping to monitor prospect engagements through its auto-generated sales presentations.
• Access to advanced reporting to gain valuable sales insights.

One cons of LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a lacking CRM integration. If you don’t need CRM integration, the LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced account might be a better option for enhancing collaboration and improving your outreach efforts, keeping in mind those don’t require a CRM sync.

Large Enterprises: LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus – Custom Pricing

The LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus is designed specifically for enterprise sales teams in mind and is considered the top social selling tool offered by LinkedIn.

If your business utilizes a CRM and requires data synchronization for effective social selling and collaboration on LinkedIn, opt for the Advanced option instead of Core or Plus.

By choosing Advanced Plus, you will receive:

• Everything that’s included in Sales Navigator Advanced.
• CRM sync to auto-save your LinkedIn interactions and search for existing leads in your CRM.
• Advanced CRM integrations for Contact Creation, Salesforce Data Validation and Microsoft Dynamics.

If LinkedIn is your primary sales platform, getting a personalized Sales Navigator account for your business could be the most valuable investment you could make. There is no public pricing available, so feel free to reach out to the LinkedIn sales team to determine if this is the right choice for your business.

Small to Mid-Scale Hiring Effort: LinkedIn Recruiter Lite – $170/month

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite is suitable for recruiting teams, HR professionals, and business owners who are hiring on a smaller scale and are okay with basic LinkedIn Recruiter features. Here’s what’s included:

• 30 InMails per user every month for max. 10 users
• 20+ advanced search filters to find the ideal candidates and save time
• Unlimited browsing up to third-degree connections and LinkedIn Learning
• A multi-user dashboard for team collaboration and boost shared hiring
• InMail and Job analytics reports
• See who visited your profile over the last 90 days
• Save searches for candidates and create alerts for their LinkedIn activities, receiving up to 10 alerts per day or week.

The monthly cost of LinkedIn Recruiter Lite is $170, while a single license for a year costs $1680. One major disadvantage of this plan is the absence of integration with Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is commonly used by recruiting teams to streamline the hiring process.

Staffing Firms and Corporate Companies Hiring at a Large Scale: LinkedIn Recruiter – Custom Pricing starting at around $835/month

There are two categories of premium accounts for LinkedIn Recruiter: Recruiter Professional Services and Recruiter Corporate.

Although it comes with a high price tag, its advanced features make it perfect for large recruitment companies and staff teams. It also helps to save time by encouraging collaboration and reducing hiring time with features such as message sharing, a multi-user dashboard for teamwork, and note-taking capabilities.

Here is an overview of the LinkedIn Recruiter plans’ features which are missing in Recruiter Lite:

• Lite’s candidate search alerts are limited up to 10, while the Recruiter allows 50 alerts daily or weekly
• You can bulk send up to 25 messages at once
• Recruiter data is solely owned by you and not LinkedIn
• ATS integration with 28+ tools
• Candidate search alerts are limited (up to 10) for Recruiter Lite, Recruiter Corporate allows 50 alerts/day or weekly

Even though the pricing of LinkedIn Recruiter premium plans is customized, there are indications that it begins at approximately $835 per month – making it a good fit for big businesses and corporate teams with generous budgets.

LinkedIn Learning: $19.99/month or free with some Premium accounts – To develop individual and team skills

LinkedIn Learning provides access to over 21,000+ valuable courses created and instructed by experts in the industry. It emphasizes engaging, practical learning and is a worthwhile investment for those aiming to enhance their own or their team’s skills.

The platform offers courses in a variety of areas including creativity, business, technology, and design.

The monthly subscription begins at $19.99 and includes a 7-day trial at no cost. Upon completion of the course, LinkedIn provides a certificate that can be added to your LinkedIn profile.

Which LinkedIn Account Option Works for Me?

The cost of LinkedIn Premium varies depending on the nine different types available, each with their own specific uses and pricing.

Choosing the right LinkedIn account type will depend on what you want to achieve and what you require.

If you are focused on generating leads, consider a Sales Navigator plan that is within your budget. For other goals, it is essential to compare each plan and refer back to our detailed comparison.

FAQs

Q: What are the different types of LinkedIn account types?

A: LinkedIn offers three main account types: Free, Premium, and Sales Navigator. The Free account is the basic offering, while Premium and Sales Navigator are paid memberships offering advanced features.

Q: What is the difference between a Free and a Premium LinkedIn account?

A: The Free account provides basic features for networking and job seeking, whereas the Premium account offers additional tools such as InMail messaging, advanced filters, and access to online learning courses.

Q: What are the key features of a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account?

A: A Sales Navigator account is designed for sales professionals and offers advanced search, lead recommendations, and CRM integrations to help identify and target potential leads more effectively.

Q: How do I choose the right LinkedIn membership level?

A: To choose the right LinkedIn membership level, consider your goals and needs. If you’re a casual user, the Free account may be sufficient. If you’re looking for advanced networking and job-seeking tools, consider the Premium account. Sales professionals may benefit from the Sales Navigator account.

Q: What are the differences between the various LinkedIn premium plans?

A: LinkedIn offers different Premium plans, such as Premium Career, Premium Business, and Sales Navigator. Each plan is tailored to specific needs, with features focused on job seeking, business development, or sales prospecting.

Q: Can I upgrade from a Free to a Premium or Sales Navigator account?

A: Yes, you can upgrade your LinkedIn account to a Premium or Sales Navigator membership at any time to access additional features and tools.

Q: What is a LinkedIn team account and how does it differ from individual accounts?

A: A LinkedIn team account is designed for sales teams or departments to collaborate on sales prospecting and lead management. It offers additional features for team management and collaboration.

Q: Are there any free trials available for LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator accounts?

A: LinkedIn often offers free trials for its Premium and Sales Navigator memberships, allowing users to experience the advanced features before committing to a paid subscription.

Q: What are the premium features offered in LinkedIn’s paid accounts?

A: Premium features include advanced search filters, InMail messages, access to LinkedIn Learning courses, and enhanced visibility of your profile to recruiters and hiring managers.

Q: How much does LinkedIn Recruiter Lite account cost?

A: The cost of LinkedIn Recruiter Lite account varies based on the region and currency. It’s best to check the current pricing on LinkedIn’s official website for accurate information.