LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet with over 850 million members across the globe. Having a professional LinkedIn profile and account is essential for advancing one’s career and building connections in today’s digital age. However, LinkedIn offers several account types with varying features and access levels. The main account types on LinkedIn are Basic (free), Premium, Sales Navigator Professional, Recruiter Lite, Recruiter, Job Seeker, and Business Plus. Understanding the differences between these account types and their associated costs is important for professionals and businesses looking to get the most out of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Basic Account
The LinkedIn Basic account is free for anyone to sign up for. This gives you access to core LinkedIn functionalities such as creating a profile, connecting with other members, joining groups, following companies, viewing other user’s profiles, searching and applying for jobs, and receiving messages. With a Basic account, you can build out your professional profile, establish connections, join relevant professional groups, follow companies you are interested in, search for jobs, and message other members who are not direct connections. The key limitations are that you cannot message direct connections, see full profiles of 3rd degree connections, or access more advanced Premium features. But for most professionals starting out on LinkedIn, the Basic account is a great way to begin establishing your professional presence and network.
Key Features of LinkedIn Basic
- Create a professional profile with background, experience, education, skills, etc.
- Connect with other members of the LinkedIn community
- Join up to 50 professional groups
- Follow companies to receive their job postings and updates
- Search and apply for jobs
- View other user profiles (limited for 3rd degree connections)
- Receive InMail messages from other members
The LinkedIn Basic account is completely free and provides sufficient functionality for most entry-level professionals looking to build their network and search for opportunities. It lacks some of the more advanced features needed for sales professions, recruiting, or marketing purposes.
LinkedIn Premium Account
For professionals looking to get more out of LinkedIn for career networking and advancement, the Premium account options offer a robust set of features beyond the Basic version. LinkedIn Premium subscriptions currently come in three packages:
- Premium Career – $29.99/month
- Premium Business – $49.99/month
- Premium Sales – $64.99/month
The Premium Career package is optimized for job seekers and professionals looking to boost their profile. The Premium Business package provides additional features tailored towards marketing, recruiting, and business development functionalities. The Premium Sales package has all the same features as Premium Business, with further additions focused on sales prospecting and management.
Key Features of LinkedIn Premium
Here are some of the key features unlocked with a LinkedIn Premium account:
- Unlimited profile views of other members (profiles and search appearances)
- See full profiles of all LinkedIn members (beyond just 1st degree connections)
- Advanced profile filtering and sorting for searches
- Ability to message recruiters directly
- View names of members who viewed your profile
- Get exclusive access to online LinkedIn audio and video courses for professional development
- Detailed analytics on content and profile performance
- Premium Badge to display on your profile
Additional features specific to Premium Business and Sales:
- Saved search alerts for jobs and people
- Candidate insights from LinkedIn Recruiter
- Unlimited InMail messages
- Ability to create branded company pages
- Advertising campaign manager
- Lead and account insights
- Unlimited sales emails
The Premium packages transform LinkedIn into an indispensable professional development, job seeking, recruiting, sales, and marketing platform. The additional features and functionalities justify the monthly costs for serious business professionals and companies looking to maximize their performance and results.
Other LinkedIn Account Options
In addition to Basic and Premium, LinkedIn offers some standalone products focused on specific use cases:
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is designed for sales professionals to identify new prospects, maintain and manage relationships, and uncover insights to boost sales performance. There are three pricing tiers based on features and usage:
- Professional – $64.99/month
- Team – $119.99/month per user (minimum 3 users)
- Enterprise – Custom Quote
LinkedIn Recruiter
LinkedIn Recruiter is a recruiting and talent acquisition solution featuring robust search, candidate management, and analytics capabilities. Pricing options include:
- Recruiter Lite – $99.95/month
- Recruiter Professional – $159.95/month
- Recruiter Corporate – Custom Quote
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) provides over 16,000 digital courses for business, technology, and creative professionals. Pricing options include:
- Premium Learning Individual – $29.99/month
- Premium Learning Team – $249.99/month (10-100 users)
- Premium Learning Enterprise – Custom Quote
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions offer advertising, content marketing, and measurement capabilities to reach LinkedIn’s audience of professionals. LinkedIn offers customized quotes based on each company’s needs.
Conclusion
To summarize the key LinkedIn professional account fees:
| Account Type | Starting Price |
|---|---|
| Basic | Free |
| Premium Career | $29.99/month |
| Premium Business | $49.99/month |
| Premium Sales | $64.99/month |
| Sales Navigator Pro | $64.99/month |
| Recruiter Lite | $99.95/month |
| Learning Individual | $29.99/month |
The pricing options for LinkedIn allow professionals and businesses to choose the right account level based on their needs and goals. While a Basic account is free, the paid Premium options provide significant additional value in terms of networking, thought leadership, recruitment, and sales enablement capabilities.
In today’s digital world, having a professional presence on LinkedIn is a must for any individual or organization. With over 850 million members and 30 million companies represented on the platform, LinkedIn offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest professional network. Investing in the appropriate level of LinkedIn access can yield tremendous benefits in terms of career advancement, talent acquisition, lead generation, and thought leadership.
For most professionals starting out, the free Basic account is a great way to begin establishing connections and building your profile. As your career progresses, the Premium options provide invaluable features and insights that can accelerate success. Sales, recruiting, marketing, and learning products from LinkedIn also empower organizations to leverage LinkedIn data and audiences to hit their business goals.
By understanding LinkedIn’s account types and fee structures, professionals and businesses alike can take full advantage of the world’s largest professional networking platform for career and business success.