Have you heard of LinkedIn? It’s a big website where people talk about jobs. Many people use it to find new employment or to talk to other job-seekers. But did you know there’s a special version called LinkedIn Premium? LinkedIn Premium allows you to access more advanced features.
This post will introduce what LinkedIn is, how much is LinkedIn Premium, and some pros and cons so you can define whether it is worth it by yourself.
What Is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is like Facebook but for work. Many companies post job openings there. You can connect with coworkers and bosses and look for new jobs on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is free to use. You can make an account and do many things without paying. But some people choose to pay for extra features. That’s where LinkedIn Premium comes in. It gives you more tools and features than the free version. Each plan comes with its own set of features, and the pricing varies depending on your plan.
How Much Is LinkedIn Premium: Plan Details
LinkedIn Premium has different pricing tiers depending on the plan and region. Prices may vary based on your location, and LinkedIn often offers discounts for annual subscriptions. Let’s look at the costs and features of each plan to see what you get for your money.
LinkedIn Premium Career: For Job Seekers
Cost:
Monthly: After 1-month free trial, $29.99/month;
Annually: After 1-month free trial, $14,99/month (billed annually as $179.88).
The Premium Career Plan is designed for people who are actively searching for jobs. It gives you access to several helpful tools, including:
- InMail messages: You can send 5 InMail messages per month to people who are not in your network. This can be helpful if you want to reach out to a recruiter or potential employer directly.
- Who’s viewed your profile: You can see who has looked at your profile in the last 365 days. This can help you understand if your profile is getting the right attention.
- LinkedIn Learning: You get access to 21000+ LinkedIn online courses to improve your skills and make yourself more attractive to employers.
- Job insights: This feature shows how you compare to other applicants for a job, including your skills and experience level.
- Interview preparation tools: You can learn from professionals how to answer interview questions for the position you want.
For someone serious about finding a job, the Premium Career Plan can be a valuable investment. The price is higher than the free version, but if it helps you land a job, it may be worth it.
LinkedIn Premium Business: For Entrepreneurs
Cost:
Monthly: After 1-month free trial, $69.99/month;
Annually: After 1-month free trial, $44,99/month (billed annually as $539.88).
If you’re looking to grow your professional network, the Premium Business plan is designed for you. This plan includes all the features of Premium Career, plus some extras:
- More InMail messages: You get 15 InMail messages per month instead of just 5, allowing you to reach out to more people.
- Business insights: This tool gives you insights into companies you are interested in, such as growth trends, job openings, and company size.
- Unlimited people browsing: You can view as many profiles as you want without hitting a limit. This is great for people who want to network with many others.
- More customized exposures: You can customize your profile by prioritizing important sections more prominently. This can attract more viewers to visit your profiles and posts.
For entrepreneurs or business professionals, this plan offers more tools to help grow your network and business relationships. The additional InMail messages and business insights can be especially useful.
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite: For Recruiters
Cost: Annually: After 1-month free trial, $139.99/month.
Recruiter Lite is for recruiters who need to find and manage candidates more effectively. It offers all the features of the Premium Business plan, plus:
- Larger-scale InMail messages: You can get 30 InMail messages per month instead of 15.
- Advanced candidate search: You will receive selected candidates according to your search and message activity in your projects.
- Candidate management: You can save and organize candidate profiles, making it easier to track your hiring process.
- Unlimited profile views: You can view as many profiles as you need to without hitting any limits.
- Unlimited InMail templates: You can save customizable templates for personalized outreach.
For recruiters, this plan provides powerful tools to find and manage candidates. It’s more expensive than the other plans, but the features are designed to help you hire the right people faster.
Cost:
Monthly: After 1-month free trial, $99.99/month;
Annually: After 1-month free trial, $79.99/month (billed annually as $959.88).
Sales Navigator is a specialized plan for salespeople. If your job involves selling products or services, this plan can help you find leads and build relationships. Here’s what it includes:
- Advanced lead and accounts search: You can search for leads using 50+ detailed filters like industry, company size, and job title.
- Generous InMail messages: You can get 50 InMail messages per month instead of 30. It means you can get in touch with more people.
- Lead recommendations: LinkedIn suggests potential leads based on your previous activity.
- Real-time updates: You get alerts when leads change jobs or post updates, helping you stay on top of potential sales opportunities.
If you work in sales, this plan can help you streamline your process and close more deals. The cost is higher than the other plans, but it’s designed for professionals who need advanced tools.
Supported payment methods: Credit/debit card/PayPal
Merits and Drawbacks: Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?
Before you decide whether to join LinkedIn Premium, you’d better understand its merits and drawbacks. It is up to you to define whether LinkedIn Premium is worth it.
Merits of LinkedIn Premium
1. Enhanced Networking Opportunities
With LinkedIn Premium, you can send InMail messages to people who are not in your connections. This helps you expand your network and reach out to potential employers, recruiters, or business partners.
2. Detailed Insights
LinkedIn Premium offers Who Viewed Your Profile insights, showing you who has viewed your profile over the last 90 days. This can help you understand the interest in your profile and even reach out to those viewers.
3. Job Search Benefits
Premium subscribers are listed as “Featured Applicants” when applying for jobs. This makes your application stand out to recruiters. It also allows you to see detailed salary insights for different roles, helping you make informed decisions during salary negotiations.
4. Learning Opportunities
With LinkedIn Premium, you get access to LinkedIn Learning, which includes thousands of courses on various professional skills. These courses can boost your qualifications and knowledge.
5. Advanced Search Filters
Premium members get access to advanced search filters, making it easier to find the right people or job opportunities based on specific criteria.
Drawbacks of LinkedIn Premium
1. Cost
One of the main drawbacks is the price. LinkedIn Premium can be expensive, with different tiers ranging from $29.99 to $99.99 per month. This might not be affordable for everyone, especially casual users or job seekers.
2. Limited InMail Usage
Although you can send InMail messages, the number is limited based on your subscription level. Once you exhaust your monthly limit, you’ll need to wait until it resets or pay for more InMail credits.
3. Unnecessary for Casual Users
If you’re a casual user, the free version of LinkedIn might be enough. LinkedIn Premium is more beneficial for those who are actively looking to network, job search, or upskill through LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Premium offers valuable features, but the cost and the necessity of the subscription should be weighed based on your career goals and activity on the platform.
Is It Worth It?
Here are some things to think about:
- Your goals: What do you want to achieve on LinkedIn?
- Your job: Some jobs benefit more from LinkedIn Premium than others.
- Your budget: Can you afford the monthly or yearly cost?
- Your time: Will you use the extra features enough to make it worth it?
- It’s not magic: Premium can help, but it’s not a guarantee of success.
- Free trial: LinkedIn often offers a free trial. This can help you decide.
- Potential privacy security: For better establishing your job-seeking network, LinkedIn will collect your data necessarily. You need to consider whether you are comfortable with this data collection. Bearing privacy and online security in mind matters. For more safety, you can try a VPN when you browsing LinkedIn with public Wi-Fi.
LightningX VPN is an expert in data protection. It’s equipped with military-grade encryption technology, such as encryption protocols like Shadowsocks and encryption algorithms like AES-256-GCM. This can ensure that your data will not be intercepted or decoded when transmission. It can be your best security defender!
Besides privacy and security, there is another good thing: Using a VPN to buy LinkedIn membership at different prices in different regions. Here’s a simple price comparison between India and the US:
| (Per Month) | India | US | Exchange Rate |
| Creer Plan | INR 1419 | USD 29.99 | 1USD=83.71720 INR (Mid-market exchange rate latest) |
| Business Plan | INR 1699 | USD 69.99 | |
| Sales Navigator Plan | INR 3599 | USD 99.99 |
It’s clear that when you switch your VPN node from the US to India, the price becomes nearly 1.5 times cheaper.
Bonus time:
Free to download, LightningX VPN is one of the best VPNs to offer a secure, stable, and fast network connection. Also, it provides 2000+ servers in more than 50 countries so you can look through LinkedIn wherever you are. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, feel free to ask for a full refund within 30 days if you have any inconvenience.
Conclusion
LinkedIn can be very useful for some people. This post introduces what LinkedIn is and how much is LinkedIn Premium. In short, LinkedIn Premium costs between $29.99 and $99.95 per month at least. The price depends on which level you choose. Before you buy, think about your needs and budget. Remember, you can always try the free trial first. This can help you decide if LinkedIn Premium is right for you. Good luck to you!
