LinkedIn Account Types: Pricing, Features & Benefits
Are you trying to understand the different LinkedIn account types and specifically which one you should be asking?
With over 900 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is the go-to platform for professional networking, job hunting, sales prospecting, and business growth.
In this guide, we’ll discuss about the different types of LinkedIn accounts, their benefits, pricing, and features.
I’ll also run some comparison between these account types, helping you choose the right LinkedIn account for your use case..
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of the best LinkedIn account type for your professional or business objectives.
Let’s start with the basics.
What are the different types of LinkedIn accounts?
LinkedIn offers multiple account types designed for various users.
Basically, users can opt for one of these 2 types of LinkedIn accounts ⤵️
- Free account – what you get as soon as you sign-up on the platform.
- Paid accounts – These accounts cater to professionals across different industries, job seekers, business owners, sales professionals, and recruiters.
Note: To opt for any paid LinkedIn account, you will first need one free LinkedIn account and then you can upgrade from there.
Here’s a breakdown of the main LinkedIn account types ⤵
- LinkedIn Free Account → The basic LinkedIn account type that offers fundamental networking and job search features.
- LinkedIn Premium Career → Ideal for job seekers who want to stand out to recruiters and get exclusive insights.
- LinkedIn Premium Business → Designed for professionals and entrepreneurs looking for advanced networking opportunities.
- LinkedIn Sales navigator → LinkedIn plans built for sales professionals who need lead generation and advanced search tools.
- LinkedIn Recruiter → Specifically designed plans for recruiters to find and connect with top talent.
Each account type comes with its own set of features and pricing which we’ve discussed in the next section in details.
Different types of LinkedIn accounts explained
Before we even go deeper into the LinkedIn account types, here’s a detailed comparison of the different LinkedIn plans for a quick glance ⤵
| Feature | Free | Premium Career | Premium Business | Sales Navigator | Recruiter |
| Pricing | Free forever | $30/month | $60/month | Starts @ $100/month | Starts @$170/month |
| Profile View Access | Limited | 90-day history | 90-day hisory | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| InMail Message Limits | None | 5/Month | 15/Month | 50/Month | Starts @ 30/Month |
| Search Filters | Basic | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| Job Search Insights | Basic | Advanced | Limited | ❌ | ❌ |
| Sales Insights | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Company Insights | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| LinkedIn Learning Access | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI-Powered Writing Assistance | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom Alerts & CRM Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customer Support | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ideal for | Networking & casual use | Active job seekers | Business owners & consultants | Sales teams | Recruiters |
Now let’s discuss in details below.
What is a Free LinkedIn account?
The Free LinkedIn account is the most basic version of LinkedIn that you get with the sign-up on the platform. It’s totally free and works as a starter plan for users looking to explore the platform before committing to a specific paid plan.
It offers basic networking, job search, and profile-building features.
It’s a great choice for fresh graduates and professionals who want to maintain an online presence and make casual connections without paying for premium tools.
Key features of a free LinkedIn account
- Connect with other professionals and expand your network
- Send messages to 1st-degree connections without restrictions
- Conduct basic job searches and receive job alerts
- Join and participate in LinkedIn Groups
- View a limited history of who has viewed your profile
- Access a temporary selection of LinkedIn Learning courses
- Create and share professional content to establish thought leadership
- Endorse and receive endorsements from connections to boost credibility
- Apply for jobs with a single click using the LinkedIn Easy Apply feature
- Receive notifications for new job postings in your field
Benefits of a free LinkedIn account
- Completely free and accessible to everyone with a sign-up on the platform
- Allows anyone to maintain an online professional presence
- Provides networking opportunities and industry insights
- Offers basic job search tools for those looking for new opportunities
Pricing
It’s completely free and requires only a sign-up on the platform (link added) with your email address and other details.
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What is a LinkedIn Premium Career account?
LinkedIn’s Premium Career plan is designed for job seekers who want to increase their visibility to recruiters, access exclusive job insights, and enhance their job application strategy.
Key features of LinkedIn premium career account
- 5 InMail messages per month to reach out to recruiters
- See who viewed your LinkedIn profile (90-day history)
- Get detailed insights on job postings, including applicant comparisons
- AI-powered resume and profile optimization suggestions
- Access LinkedIn Learning courses to upskill and stay competitive
- Use interview preparation tools with AI-driven feedback
- Unlock salary insights to negotiate better job offers
- Gain access to premium job listings before free members
Benefits of a premium career plan on LinkedIn
- Helps job seekers stand out with advanced profile insights
- Provides recruiter visibility and better job recommendations
- Offers personalized career guidance and skill development through LinkedIn learning
Pricing of LinkedIn premium career plan
- $40/month
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What is a LinkedIn premium business account?
Premium Business plan is tailored for entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who need extended insights into company trends, networking tools, and expanded search capabilities.
Key features of LinkedIn premium business plans
- 15 InMail messages per month to connect with professionals
- See who viewed your LinkedIn profile (90-day history)
- Access to advanced company insights and analytics
- Unlimited people browsing (even outside your network)
- Full access to LinkedIn Learning for professional growth
- AI-powered business insights and market trend analysis
- View company growth trends and competitive intelligence reports
Benefits of a LinkedIn premium business plan
- Provides deeper insights into industry trends and competitors
- Helps build strategic business relationships
- Improves networking with advanced search and connection tools
Pricing of LinkedIn premium business plans
- $60/month
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What are LinkedIn Sales Navigator plans?
LinkedIn Sales Navigator helps sales teams find, engage, and manage leads on LinkedIn. It provides advanced search filters, lead recommendations, CRM integration, and other insights to streamline the B2B sales process.
LinkedIn sales navigator offers multiple plans inside it such as core, professional and plus.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator plan comparison
| Features | Sales Navigator Core | Sales Navigator Advanced | Sales Navigator Plus |
| Pricing | $100/month | $150/month | Custom pricing |
| Lead & account recommendations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Adavnced search filters | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| InMail Message Limits | 50/month | 75/month | 100+ /month |
| Team collaboration features | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| CRM integration | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reporting & analytics | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Key features of LinkedIn sales navigator plans
- Get AI-powered lead recommendations to connect with relevant prospects.
- Organise prospects, create lead lists and receive auto updates on key accounts.
- Sales navigator plans allow CRM sync with Salesforce and other CRM platforms.
- Track engagement on shared content and proposals.
For a detailed list of Sales Navigator features, benefits and suitability, we have created a separate article.
Check out → LinkedIn Sales Navigator Cost & Plans | Is it Worth the Cost?
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What are the LinkedIn Recruiter plans?
LinkedIn recruiter plans are built for HR professionals and hiring managers to find and engage top talent on LinkedIn. It offers search capabilities, advanced filters, and InMail messaging to centralize recruitment.
LinkedIn offers 2 types of plans for recruiters based on the use-cases and suitability. Here’s the detailed comparison ⤵️
| Features | LinkedIn Recruiter Lite | LinkedIn Recruiter |
| Pricing | $170/month | Custom pricing |
| InMail messaging limits | 30/month | Unlimited |
| Candidate tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Team collaboration features | ❌ | ✅ |
| Candidate & company insights | ❌ | ✅ |
| ATS integration | ❌ | ✅ |
| Reporting | InMail analytics report & job analytics report | InMail analytics report, job analytics report, pipeline analytics report, recruiter usage report and custom reporting |
| Candidate search filters | 20+ basic search filters | 40+ advanced search filters |
| Suitability | Individuals & small teams teams with low volume hiring needs | Mid-market & enterprise level companies with high volume hiring needs |
Key features of LinkedIn Recruiter plans
- Directly contact top candidates on LinkedIn through InMails.
- Identify best-fit talent faster with LinkedIn’s custom alerts and recommendations
- Track hiring performance and efficiency with the reporting features
- Collaborate on project and work with hiring teams across the organization
- Search detailed insights about the candidates including their spoken language and current company details.
Benefits of LinkedIn Recruiter plans
- Find and connect with top candidates using advanced search filters.
- Reach out directly to professionals with InMail messages.
- Track candidate activity and engagement for better hiring decisions.
- Collaborate with hiring teams by sharing notes and profiles.
- Integrate with ATS and CRM tools for seamless talent management.
- Improve job visibility by posting and promoting openings to targeted candidates.
- Manage the entire recruitment pipeline efficiently with tracking tools.
Which type of LinkedIn account should YOU opt for?
Now, It’s time for the most important question.
Out of all these different LinkedIn account types, which one should you opt for your team?
Let’s break it down under 4 most common use-cases. (Tick the one you’re in!)
- Looking for a job ✅
- Building a business ✅
- Generating sales ✅
- Hiring talent ✅
Find out what is your use case.
Now check out this practical guide to help you decide ⤵️
Use case 1 → You are a job seeker ✅
A Free LinkedIn account is your 1st step.
But if you’re actively searching and ready to pay LinkedIn, LinkedIn Premium Career plan would be the most useful for you .
With its InMail credits to reach recruiters, access to LinkedIn Learning for skill development and the features stand out in job applications, you will most likely land a job or switch to one easily.
Use case 2 → You are a business person or entrepreneur ✅
LinkedIn Premium Business plan should be your 1st choice.
It provides access to detailed business insights, unlimited profile views, and networking tools to expand your reach.
You get competitive intelligence about industry leaders and companies, which can be crucial for business expansion and strategic partnerships.
Use case 3 → You are a sales professional ✅
A LinkedIn Sales Navigator plan is the best option here.
For a specific sales navigator plan refer to the comparison table in the previous section where I have comapare the core, advanced and plus plans.
Any sales navigator plan will help you in sales prospecting directly from LinkedIn which is a necessary move for outbound sales teams.
For sales teams and solo founders running daily LinkedIn outreach, using SmartReach.io can further improve your LinkedIn outreach efficiency.
SmartReach.io semi-automates your LinkedIn tasks such as sending LinkedIn DMs, sending InMails to the prospects, profile viewing, sending connection requests etc. helping you save time and improve your LinkedIn outreach results.
Also, it helps in multichannel sales prospecting with other channels such as email, calling, WhatsApp and text messages.
Learn more about SmartReach’s multichannel capabilities.
Use case 4 → You are a recruiter or hiring manager ✅
LinkedIn Recruiter plans will be the most useful to you.
Depending on your company size (small business, mid-market or enterprise), you can choose a Recruiter Llite or LinkedIn Recruiter plan.
It will help you in head hunting and efficient talent acquisition by filtering candidates based on skills, experience, and industry preferences, streamlining your recruitment process.
Use case 5 → You want to network & stay updated but you’re broke ✅
A free LinkedIn account is sufficient for you.
You can do basic job searches, receive industry updates on your feed, and connect with other professionals.
It also works well for passive job seekers and individuals looking to stay connected with industry trends without paying anything.
So, just go through your specific use case, compare between the LinkedIn plans and choose the one you find most suitable.
LinkedIn account types: F.A.Qs
Q. How much does LinkedIn Premium cost?
LinkedIn Premium costs between $29.99 and $99.99 per month, depending on the plan. Premium Career starts at $29.99, while Sales Navigator and Recruiter Lite cost more. Prices may vary by region and promotional discounts.
Q. What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is a paid subscription offering advanced networking, job search, and sales tools. It provides access to InMail messaging, profile insights, and expanded search capabilities, making it valuable for professionals, recruiters, and businesses.
Q. What does LinkedIn Premium offer?
LinkedIn Premium offers InMail messaging, advanced search filters, profile insights, and learning courses. It also provides job seekers with applicant insights and business users with lead recommendations. Features vary by subscription type.
Q. Is LinkedIn free?
LinkedIn offers a free version with basic networking, messaging, and job search features. It’s available after signing-up on the platform.
Q. How many LinkedIn accounts can you have?
LinkedIn allows only one personal account per user, following its terms of service. However, users can create and manage multiple company pages or advertising accounts for business purposes.
Q. How do I change my LinkedIn account type?
Change your LinkedIn account type by upgrading or downgrading in the “Settings & Privacy” section. Navigate to “Account Preferences,” select “Subscriptions & Payments,” and choose a different plan or cancel Premium.
Q. What are the different types of LinkedIn accounts?
LinkedIn offers Free, Premium Career, Premium Business, Sales Navigator, and Recruiter accounts. Each plan provides different features, such as job insights, lead generation, and recruiting tools, catering to professionals, businesses, and recruiters.
Q. How much is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium pricing ranges from $29.99 to $99.99 per month. The cost varies by plan, with options including Premium Career, Business, Sales Navigator, and Recruiter Lite. Regional pricing and promotional discounts may apply.
