Getting a discounted rate on LinkedIn Premium can help you save money while still accessing the platform’s premium features. As a sought-after business networking and recruitment site, LinkedIn offers several options for premium subscriptions. With the right approach, you may be able to pay less than the standard monthly or annual fee for LinkedIn Premium.
What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is the paid version of LinkedIn that provides additional features beyond the free basic account. With LinkedIn Premium, you get access to services like:
- Seeing who has viewed your profile
- Sending unlimited InMail messages
- Advanced profile filtering and searching
- Insights about your posts and page visitors
- Ad-free browsing of LinkedIn
These enhanced capabilities can help you expand your professional network more efficiently and promote yourself or your company to other LinkedIn members. There are three tiers of LinkedIn Premium accounts:
LinkedIn Premium Career
LinkedIn Premium Career costs $29.99 per month if paying monthly or $239.88 per year if paying annually. It includes LinkedIn’s full range of premium features to boost your own professional brand and opportunities.
LinkedIn Premium Business
LinkedIn Premium Business costs $49.99 per month if paying monthly or $399.88 per year if paying annually. It has all of the Premium Career features as well as tools to build your team’s brand and conduct recruiter research.
LinkedIn Premium Sales
LinkedIn Premium Sales costs $64.99 per month if paying monthly or $519.88 per year if paying annually. It has all of the Premium Business features plus sales prospecting tools to help you generate leads.
Why pay for LinkedIn Premium?
Here are some of the key reasons business professionals may want to upgrade to one of the paid LinkedIn Premium options:
- Expand your reach – Premium accounts show up higher in search results and filters
- Build professional credibility – Premium boosts your profile’s authority and influence
- Access insider information – Premium provides data on who’s viewed you and your posts
- Enrich your network – Unlock more ways to connect with the right people
- Save time – Premium tools make finding contacts and opportunities faster
For many users, the enhanced capabilities and visibility of Premium are worth the monthly or annual cost given LinkedIn’s power for networking and career development.
Ways to get a discounted LinkedIn Premium rate
Fortunately, there are a few options to help you get LinkedIn Premium for less than the standard pricing. Consider these ways to get a discounted or promotional LinkedIn Premium subscription:
Choose the annual plan
The annual Premium subscription offers substantial savings over paying month-to-month. For example, the Career tier costs $29.99 per month, or $239.88 if prepaying for the full year. That’s equivalent to getting two months free over the monthly cost. The Business and Sales tiers offer similar annual discounts.
LinkedIn Premium Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Savings with Annual |
---|---|---|---|
Career | $29.99 | $239.88 | $59.76 |
Business | $49.99 | $399.88 | $99.76 |
Sales | $64.99 | $519.88 | $129.76 |
As you can see, signing up for an annual Premium subscription provides substantial savings compared to paying each month. You get all the same LinkedIn Premium benefits for a lower overall yearly rate.
Use a sponsored subscription
Some companies and organizations may sponsor employees’ LinkedIn Premium access. Contact your company’s human resources, information technology, or professional development teams to see if your employer offers this. Companies often fund Premium to support employees in networking, branding, and recruitment. If sponsored, you can enjoy a 100% discount on Premium access through your work.
Check for student discounts
LinkedIn provides discounted Premium subscription rates for eligible students. Current students can get Premium Career for just $14.99 per month, a 50% discount off the standard $29.99 rate. Students must verify their academic status with a valid school email address or documentation to qualify for 50% off.
Look for limited-time promotions
LinkedIn occasionally offers free trials and other limited-time deals for Premium subscriptions. For example, you may find options like:
- One month free trial of Premium Career
- 50% off your first year of Premium Business
- Two months free when you prepay for Premium Sales annual subscription
Check the LinkedIn Premium pricing page or watch for LinkedIn advertisements regarding special promotions. Free trials let you test Premium before paying. Introductory discounts can let you try Premium for much less initially.
Can you get Premium for free?
Outside of limited-time free trials and discounted student rates, there is no way to get regular full access to LinkedIn Premium for free. LinkedIn does not offer any free tiers or versions of its Premium service. The free features of a basic LinkedIn account are still quite useful, but Premium unlocks extras like seeing profile visitors, unlimited messaging, and lead prospecting.
Some key reasons why LinkedIn cannot offer permanent free access to Premium features include:
- Premium’s enhanced capabilities cost additional money for LinkedIn to develop and maintain.
- Offering Premium for free would remove the incentives for members to purchase it.
- LinkedIn relies on Premium subscriptions as a major part of its business revenue model.
- Providing Premium’s insider data for free could raise privacy concerns.
While a completely free Premium option is unlikely, LinkedIn does sometimes open Premium access on a limited basis to encourage new paid sign-ups after the trial ends. Otherwise, you can enjoy Premium’s professional boost by taking advantage of discounted and sponsored access options.
Is a Premium subscription worth the cost?
When considering discounted Premium rates, the key question becomes whether LinkedIn Premium is worth the investment for your professional needs. Premium can be a smart purchase if:
- You want to dramatically expand your LinkedIn network and opportunities
- You regularly search LinkedIn for business contacts and talent
- You aim to establish yourself as an industry thought leader
- You need to generate leads by identifying key decision-makers
- You want exclusive data on who engages with your profile and posts
However, buying Premium may not make sense if:
- You only use LinkedIn occasionally for basic networking
- You have a small number of existing quality connections
- You are unlikely to make use of Premium sales prospecting tools
- You are satisfied with your free account’s current reach and engagement
Evaluate whether Premium can deliver enough additional value for your professional priorities to justify the cost. Even with discounts, Premium represents a substantial investment for features you may not fully utilize. Weigh the benefits against the expense.
Free trial for evaluation
If you are unsure whether Premium is worth the discounted rate for you, sign up for a free trial through a promotion. Test Premium for a month to gauge the impact on your profile views, network growth, and post insights. Track metrics before and during the trial to see if you achieve meaningful gains from Premium’s powers. This hands-on experience can inform your decision about ultimately purchasing Premium.
Conclusion
The insights, visibility, and connections of LinkedIn Premium can significantly boost your professional networking and opportunities. While Premium requires a paid subscription, discounts and promotions make the powerful features more affordable. With an annual plan, sponsored access, student discount, or limited-time deal, you can get Premium for much less. Weigh the benefits versus the costs for your needs and career goals to determine if one of the reduced-price Premium options is worthwhile.