LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million members worldwide as of October 2022. Many professionals and businesses use LinkedIn to network, build their personal brand, market products and services, recruit employees, and more.
LinkedIn offers several account types for individuals and businesses. The basic free account allows you to create a profile, connect with other members, join groups, follow companies, view job postings, and more. However, to unlock additional features tailored for businesses, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account.
So how much does it cost to get a business account on LinkedIn? The answer depends on the specific premium plan you choose. LinkedIn offers three main paid plans for businesses and professionals:
- LinkedIn Career Account
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Account
- LinkedIn Recruiter Account
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the key differences, features, and pricing for LinkedIn’s paid business account options to help you determine the right plan for your needs.
LinkedIn Career Account
The LinkedIn Career Account (previously Premium Career) is LinkedIn’s core paid subscription for individual professionals. It’s designed for those focused on building their careers, personal brand, and networks.
Here’s an overview of key LinkedIn Career Account features:
- See who’s viewed your profile
- View expanded profiles of others
- See more search results when looking up people, jobs, groups, etc.
- Advanced profile filtering when searching
- InMail messages to contact anyone on LinkedIn
- Audio and video call integration
- Ad-free browsing experience
The Career Account is available on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Here are the current LinkedIn Career Account pricing options:
Monthly Subscription
- 1 month: $29.99 per month
Annual Subscription
- 1 year: $239.88 per year (paid monthly at $19.99/month)
- 2 years: $478.80 total (paid annually at $239.40/year)
So if paying month-to-month, a LinkedIn Career Account costs $29.99 per month. But you can save 16% by paying annually at $239.88 per year.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Account
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales-focused paid account designed for sales professionals, account executives, business development reps, recruiters, and more.
Key features of a LinkedIn Sales Navigator Account include:
- Search profiles with advanced filters and saved searches
- Prioritize leads based on relevance
- View lead recommendations and customized prospecting lists
- Send InMail messages directly to prospects
- Track interactions and get alerts when prospects view your profile
- Integrate with sales tools like Salesforce and Gmail
- Ad-free browsing experience
As with the Career Account, the Sales Navigator Account offers both monthly and discounted annual pricing:
Monthly Subscription
- 1 month: $64.99 per month
Annual Subscription
- 1 year: $779.88 per year (paid monthly at $64.99/month)
- 2 years: $1,559.76 total (paid annually at $779.88/year)
Sales Navigator costs $64.99/month if paying month-to-month. The annual plan brings the per month cost down to $64.99.
LinkedIn Recruiter Account
LinkedIn Recruiter is LinkedIn’s most robust talent and hiring solution for recruiters and staffing professionals.
Key LinkedIn Recruiter features include:
- Search LinkedIn with advanced filters, Boolean search, and talent pool management
- Send InMail messages directly to prospects
- Manage clients and tasks
- Track prospecting metrics and pipeline
- Post jobs and source candidates
- Integrate with ATS systems
- Team collaboration tools
- Ad-free browsing
Recruiter Accounts offer three pricing tiers based on number of users and features.
Recruiter Lite (1-5 Users)
- 1 month: $649.90 per month total
- 1 year: $7,799 per year total (paid monthly at $649.90/month)
Professional (1-25 Users)
- 1 month: $1,29.90 per month total
- 1 year: $15,599 per year total (paid monthly at $1,299.90/month)
Corporate (26+ Users)
- 1 month: Contact for Quote
- 1 year: Contact for Quote
So a starter Recruiter Account costs $649.90 per month for 1-5 users. Larger accounts require contacting LinkedIn sales for enterprise quotes.
Comparing LinkedIn’s Paid Business Accounts
To summarize LinkedIn’s three main paid account options:
| Account Type | Best For | Key Features | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career Account | Individual professionals | Expanded profiles, InMail, premium search | $29.99/month | $239.88/year |
| Sales Navigator | Sales professionals | Lead recommendations, InMail, prospect tracking | $64.99/month | $779.88/year |
| Recruiter Account | Recruiters, HR | Talent sourcing, InMail, ATS integration | $649.90+/month | $7,799+/year |
As shown, the Career Account is the most affordable option starting at $29.99/month. Sales Navigator is moderately priced for sales teams at $64.99/month. And Recruiter Accounts offer robust recruiting capabilities starting at $649.90/month.
When choosing the right account, consider your key needs and which features will provide the most value. Individual users may find the most benefit from a Career Account. Sales teams can maximize productivity with Sales Navigator for managing prospects and outreach. And dedicated recruiters will require the specialized tools of a Recruiter Account.
What’s Included in LinkedIn’s Free Business Account
While LinkedIn’s paid accounts provide the most robust business features, it’s important to note the capabilities included in LinkedIn’s free business account option as well.
Here are some key features available for free business accounts on LinkedIn:
- Company Page – Create a company profile to showcase information about your business.
- Followers – Allow other users to follow your Company Page for updates.
- Job Postings – Post unlimited job listings on LinkedIn to source candidates.
- Company Content – Publish articles, images, videos, and more to your Company Page.
- Analytics – Gain insights into your Company Page followers and content performance.
- Groups – Join up to 50 LinkedIn Groups to connect with your target communities.
- Mobile Access – Manage your business presence from LinkedIn’s iOS and Android apps.
The free LinkedIn account still allows you to establish an essential business presence and connect with prospects. However, lead generation capabilities, InMail messages, and advanced analytics require upgrading to a paid account.
Use Cases and Cost Considerations for Each Account Type
To determine the right LinkedIn account for your business needs, it helps to consider some common use cases and their cost implications across the different account types.
Individual Consultant or Freelancer
If you’re an independent professional, consultant, or freelancer looking to build your personal brand and network, the Career Account provides cost-effective benefits. For $29.99/month, you can present a more robust profile, connect directly with potential new business contacts through InMail messages, and search for prospects more efficiently.
Startup Business
For fledgling startup companies, Sales Navigator can be a cost-efficient way to generate more qualified B2B leads. The $64.99/month subscription provides startup sales and marketing teams access to prospect recommendations, tracking tools, and direct InMail outreach to fuel the top of their funnel.
SaaS Company
For B2B software companies with sales teams of 25-50 reps, the volume incentives of Sales Navigator annual contracts become appealing. Purchasing 25-50 Sales Navigator seats annually at a 16% discount vs. monthly payments can mean major savings. Bulk discounts also often apply.
Staffing and Recruiting Agency
Agencies focused on staffing, recruiting, and HR services maximize the value of a Recruiter Corporate Account. While requiring a custom quote, the enterprise-level tools, InMail credits, Boolean search access, and ATS integrations provide major efficiency gains for firm recruiters.
Enterprise Corporation
Large corporations with well-known employer brands may find the greatest ROI from a free Company Page supplemented by occasional premium Job Postings. This provides a sophisticated digital presence and quality applicant flow while minimizing costs. For broader lead generation capabilities, Sales Navigator seats for sales reps are also sensible.
Conclusion
Determining the ideal LinkedIn account configuration and cost for your business depends on your specific objectives and current scale. But in summary:
- Career Accounts offer individual outreach capabilities starting at $29.99/month.
- Sales Navigator facilitates prospecting for sales teams at $64.99/month.
- Recruiter Accounts provide advanced talent sourcing and pipeline tools from $649.90/month.
- Even a free Company Page unlocks basic branding, content, and job distribution capabilities.
Analyze your highest potential use cases, targeted ROI, and current areas of greatest need. This will lead you to the ideal LinkedIn account type and pricing tier to meet your business goals while optimizing budget efficiency.
