LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free basic account. A LinkedIn Premium subscription normally costs between $19.99 to $59.99 per month depending on the plan you choose. However, there are a few ways you can access LinkedIn Premium for free for 3 months to try it out before committing to a paid subscription.
Get a Free Trial
The easiest way to get LinkedIn Premium for free is to sign up for LinkedIn’s free 30-day trial. Here’s how:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and log into your account
- Click on the “Me” icon at the top right and select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click on the “Premium” tab on the left side
- Click the blue “Start your free trial” button
- Select which Premium plan you want to try (Premium Career, Premium Business, or Premium Hiring)
- Enter your payment information (this will not be charged during the trial period)
- Click “Start free trial”
And that’s it! You now have 30 days of access to LinkedIn Premium for free. Make sure to cancel before the 30 days are up if you don’t want to be charged.
Refer a Friend
Another way to get 3 months of LinkedIn Premium for free is through LinkedIn’s refer a friend program. Here’s how it works:
- You refer someone new to LinkedIn Premium via your unique referral link
- Once they purchase a paid Premium subscription, you get 3 months of Premium for free as a reward
- You can refer up to 50 friends, so potentially get up to 150 months (12+ years) of free Premium!
To find your unique referral link to send to friends:
- Go to the LinkedIn Premium page
- Click “Refer a Friend”
- Send your unique link via email, social media, etc to friends and connections who may be interested in a paid Premium subscription
The main catch is that the friend you refer cannot have been a paying Premium subscriber in the last 90 days. But referring newer LinkedIn members is a great way to get an extended Premium trial for yourself at no cost!
Partner Company Perk
Some companies that partner with LinkedIn offer free Premium subscriptions as an employee perk. For example, companies like Dell, Staples, and Strayer University provide select employees with complimentary Premium. Contact your company’s HR department or manager to see if LinkedIn Premium is offered as a corporate perk.
Student Discount
College students can get up to 60% off a LinkedIn Premium subscription, which comes out to only $7.99/month for Premium Career. Take advantage of this discount by:
- Going to the LinkedIn Premium Student page
- Enter your .edu email address
- Verify you are currently enrolled as a college student
- Choose between monthly or annual discounted subscription options
While not completely free, 60% off makes Premium much more affordable if you are currently a student. And you can still cancel anytime if you decide you don’t want to continue the discounted subscription after your initial 3 months.
Microsoft 365 Subscription
If you have a paid Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) subscription for apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, etc, you may be eligible for free access to LinkedIn Premium. Here’s how to connect your Microsoft 365 account with LinkedIn Premium:
- Sign into your Microsoft 365 account and go to account.microsoft.com
- Click on “Services & subscriptions” in the left sidebar
- Locate the LinkedIn Premium service and click “Activate now”
- Sign into LinkedIn when prompted to connect your Microsoft and LinkedIn accounts
As long as you maintain an active paid Microsoft 365 subscription, you will have free access to LinkedIn Premium. This includes all Premium features like messaging, profile branding, learning courses, and more.
Participate in Market Research
LinkedIn sometimes offers Premium trials in exchange for participating in market research surveys and focus groups. Keep an eye out for emails from LinkedIn inviting you to complete surveys, interviews, or product tests related to improving LinkedIn Premium. Completing these research activities can reward you with anywhere from 1-3 months of complimentary Premium access.
Enter Contests and Promotions
Occasionally LinkedIn runs contests and promotions that award free Premium trials as prizes. For example, they may raffle off 3-month Premium subscriptions to people who share or engage with certain LinkedIn posts. Opt-in for LinkedIn’s marketing emails and follow their social media accounts to be notified of any Premium contests or giveaways as soon as they are announced.
Special Discount Periods
| Discount Period | Details |
|---|---|
| Back to School | Discounted Premium offered in August/September to students |
| Graduation | Chance to claim discounted Premium via graduation-themed emails in May/June |
| Holiday/Year-End | Look for holiday and year-end Premium promos in November/December |
| Small Business Week | Premium discounts offered in May for small business owners |
LinkedIn tends to offer the best Premium discounts and extended free trial promotions during major events like back to school, graduations, holidays, and small business events. Keep an eye out for LinkedIn emails and social media posts advertising Premium deals during these seasonal promotion periods.
Use a VPN
Some users have reported success accessing a free Premium trial by using a VPN (virtual private network) service like NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Here’s how it works:
- Sign up for a VPN service and install on your device
- Connect your VPN to a server located in a country like India or Brazil
- Visit LinkedIn and try signing up for Premium – sometimes the price may be discounted or a longer trial offered
- Sign up for the extended trial and then disconnect your VPN
The key is trying regions where LinkedIn may offer more generous free trials and lower subscription prices compared to the US and Europe. While not guaranteed to work, some users have managed to get low cost Premium using a VPN set to regions like South America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
Use Premium for Job Searches
If you are actively searching for a new job, take advantage of LinkedIn’s one month free Premium subscription offered via their job search portal. Here’s how:
- Go to LinkedIn’s job search page and search for jobs you are interested in
- Click on the gold star icon to save a job posting you want to apply for
- You should then see an offer for 30 days of free Premium to boost your job hunt
- Take advantage of features like InMail, profile highlighting, and learning courses with this job seeker Premium trial
The key is to proactively use LinkedIn Jobs and engage with listings you want to apply for. Doing so signals you are an active job seeker, making you eligible for the free month trial of Premium.
Sign Up as a Premium Affiliate
LinkedIn allows people to become Premium affiliates and refer subscriptions in exchange for commissions. Affiliates get access to a Partner Dashboard that includes some free Premium tools for managing campaigns and tracking referrals. While limited, affiliates do get access to a few helpful Premium features.
To become a Premium affiliate:
- Go to LinkedIn.com/affiliates and click Apply Now
- Get approved for the LinkedIn Affiliate Program
- Access premium tools like Lead Gen Forms and Analytics via the Affiliate Partner Dashboard
For serious marketers and bloggers, becoming a certified Premium affiliate can be a good way to evaluate some Premium features for lead generation and campaign management. Just know that the affiliate Premium tools are not as comprehensive as a full Premium subscription.
Consider Premium Lite
LinkedIn recently introduced a new entry-level paid subscription called Premium Lite. It includes popular Premium features like profile branding and viewing full profiles of others, for just $3.99/month. Premium Lite could be a great way to test out some “premium” benefits at a very low cost for your first 3 months.
Premium Lite includes:
- Profile customization with a background photo/video
- Remove ads on LinkedIn
- See who viewed your profile
- View full profiles of others, including their skills
While more limited than full Premium, upgrading to Premium Lite can help you maximize your profile and networking for only $3.99/month – much cheaper than jumping into the full Premium tier!
Conclusion
The key opportunities to get LinkedIn Premium for free include:
- 30 day free Premium trial
- Referring friends to get 3 free months
- Premium perks via company, school, or Microsoft 365
- Discounts for students, small businesses, and seasonal promos
- Marketing research participation and contests
- Using VPN to access global Premium offers
- 1 month Premium with active job seeking
- Limited Premium tools for affiliate marketers
- Low-cost Premium Lite plan for $3.99/month
Maximizing these opportunities can help you unlock LinkedIn Premium for free to boost your profile, network, and job hunt. And if you do opt for a paid Premium subscription, be sure to use any available student discounts, partner perks, or seasonal promotions to get the lowest possible rate.
With a combination of free trials, special discounts, and giveaways, you can realistically access Premium for at least 3 months at no cost before having to pay full price. Take advantage of these deals to evaluate whether Premium is worth the investment for your personal brand and career goals.