LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 740 million members worldwide. LinkedIn Premium offers advanced features for searching jobs, connecting with professionals, messaging recruiters, and building your professional brand. However, the monthly subscription can be expensive for some users. This article will provide tips on how to get LinkedIn Premium for free through legal hacks.
What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is the paid subscription plan offered by LinkedIn that unlocks additional features beyond the free basic account. Some key benefits of LinkedIn Premium include:
- See who viewed your profile and visit member profiles anonymously
- Send InMail messages directly to anyone, even if you’re not connected
- View full profiles of your 3rd-degree connections
- Get insights on how your profile views and search appearances measure up
- Take unlimited advanced courses and professional exam practice tests
LinkedIn Premium is available in four paid tiers – Premium Career, Premium Business, Sales Navigator Professional, and Recruiter Lite. The prices range from $29.99 per month for Premium Career to $79.99 per month for Sales Navigator Professional.
Why get LinkedIn Premium for free?
Here are some of the key reasons why you may want to get LinkedIn Premium for free:
- Saves money – The monthly fee can add up over time. Getting it for free allows you to enjoy the benefits without spending money.
- InMail access – Sending direct messages to recruiters and professionals outside your network can be very valuable for your career.
- Profile views – Seeing who has viewed your profile lets you target networking outreach.
- Advanced search – Premium search filters help find relevant jobs and connections.
- Courses & exams – Premium offers unlimited access to 10,000+ professional courses.
Can I get LinkedIn Premium for free legally?
Yes, there are a few legitimate ways to legally get free access to LinkedIn Premium, including:
- LinkedIn Premium trials – LinkedIn offers 1 or 3 month free trials for new Premium subscribers.
- Student and educator offers – Students and teachers can get Premium for free or at a heavily discounted rate.
- Referral bonuses – Referring friends to Premium can earn you free months of access.
- Work benefits – Some companies offer Premium as a work perk or professional development benefit.
- Promotions – Occasional giveaways, contests, and promotions may offer free Premium trials or subscriptions.
- Microsoft benefits – Employees at Microsoft affiliated companies may have access to Premium.
However, using modded apps, hacked accounts, stolen payment methods or other clearly illegal tactics to obtain Premium for free is unethical and punishable under law.
How to get LinkedIn Premium trials
The easiest way to get LinkedIn Premium for free legally is to sign up for their 1 or 3 month Premium trial offers for new subscribers. Here’s how to get LinkedIn Premium trials:
- Go to the LinkedIn Premium upgrade page at www.linkedin.com/premium
- Click on “Start your free trial” and select 1 or 3 months free trial
- Select the Premium plan you want – Career, Business, Sales, or Recruiter
- Enter your payment info – This will not be charged until the trial ends
- Start using Premium features for 1-3 months for free
- Cancel before the trial ends if you do not want to continue the paid subscription
The free trials give full access to all Premium features. You can cancel anytime during the trial period to avoid being charged. However, you can only claim the Premium trial offer once on your LinkedIn account.
How students can get LinkedIn Premium for free
LinkedIn offers students and educators special discounts for Premium access. Here’s how to get LinkedIn Premium for free as a student:
- Go to www.linkedin.com/students and click “Get LinkedIn Premium”
- Provide info on your academic status and enroll to verify student eligibility
- Once approved, claim your 12 month Premium subscription for free as a student
- Enjoy Premium benefits for searching internships, networking and learning
- The student Premium offer can be renewed annually for up to 4 years
The student Premium access includes all the same features as paid Premium. You need a valid school-issued email address and be currently enrolled to qualify. Alumni network associations may also have access to student rates for recent grads.
Can Premium be free with the educator discount?
Yes, educators and teachers can also get Premium for free or at a heavily discounted price through LinkedIn’s educator access offer. Here is how it works:
- Go to www.linkedin.com/teaching and click “Get LinkedIn Premium”
- Verify eligibility by providing info on your academic institution and teaching status
- Once approved, claim a 50% discount on LinkedIn Premium for 12 months
- The discounted rate is either $9.99/month or $107.88 paid annually
- Renew discount annually for up to 4 years while actively teaching
So with the educator 50% discount, Premium is highly affordable but not exactly free. However, some academic institutions may subsidize the discounted rate further or offer it as a free benefit to their faculty.
Using referral offers to get LinkedIn Premium free
Referring friends is another way to earn free LinkedIn Premium months through their referral program. Here’s how it works:
- Go to www.linkedin.com/premium/referrals
- Share your unique referral invite link via email, social media etc.
- For every friend that signs up for paid Premium via your link, you get 1 free month
- You can refer up to 12 friends per year to maximize your free months
- The free months from referrals are credited after the trial periods end
So if you can get 12 friends to signup and maintain their paid Premium subscriptions, you can achieve 1 year of free Premium access through referrals.
Can companies provide Premium as a work perk?
Some companies recognize the value of offering Premium to employees and will cover some or all of the cost. Here are some ways companies provide Premium as a work perk:
- Paid business accounts – Companies can purchase business Premium packages for employees
- Individual subscriptions – Company pays employee monthly Premium fees directly
- Bulk deals & discounts – Negotiate lower Premium rate for entire teams
- Professional development – Premium license as a workforce training perk
- Perks allowance – Give employees allowance to use on Premium or other benefits
Discuss with your manager, HR department or talent team if Premium access could be offered to support your professional growth and effectiveness. Provide clear examples of how Premium aids both you and the business.
Can I get Premium free through promotions?
LinkedIn may occasionally run special promotions offering free Premium trials or subscriptions through:
- Giveaways – Short-term contests or giveaways providing free access for winners
- Partnerships – Partnering with brands or events to offer joint Premium offers
- Milestone celebrations – LinkedIn anniversaries, member growth milestones etc.
- Conference & event passes – Premium trial codes for attendees of selected conferences/events
You need to watch out for such promotional offers that provide legitimate free access to Premium for limited periods.
Can Microsoft employee perks unlock Premium?
Microsoft employees and affiliates may have access to Premium as part of eligible corporate software and subscription benefits. For example:
- Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) – Action Pack and Competency Partners get Product Keys for Premium
- Microsoft Imagine (formerly DreamSpark) – Premium for students & academic departments
- Microsoft Publisher Program – In-kind Premium for approved publishers/developers
- Microsoft Subsidiaries – Select partner company employees may have Premium access
Verify eligibility through your organization’s Microsoft representative or benefits program. The Premium access is only for company business use, not personal accounts.
What features do LinkedIn Premium trials offer?
The 1 or 3 month Premium trials provide full access to all Premium features based on the plan selected. Here are some of the top Premium trial benefits:
| Premium Feature | Benefit for Trial Users |
|---|---|
| Profile views | See who has viewed your profile to target networking |
| Search filters | Advanced filters for finding relevant job/sales opportunities |
| InMail messages | Directly contact anyone in the LinkedIn network |
| Who’s viewed your content | See the viewers of your posts and articles |
| Learning Hub | Unlimited access to 10,000+ expert led courses |
The Premium trials allow accessing these features temporarily without payment. Make the most of them during your 1-3 months of free access.
What are the limitations of LinkedIn Premium trials?
While Premium trials unlock most features, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- One free trial per account – You can only claim the trial offer once
- No Premium Badge – Your profile will not show the Premium subscriber tag
- Up to 3 InMails per month – Full InMail limits don’t apply
- No premium customer support – Priority helpdesk only for paid subscribers
- Automatic expiration – The trial ends automatically after 1 or 3 months
Also, you cannot extend or pause a Premium trial. The clock starts ticking from the moment you activate the offer. So be sure to take full advantage during the trial period.
How can I cancel a LinkedIn Premium trial?
It’s easy to cancel a LinkedIn Premium trial before it ends and avoid being charged:
- Go to the Premium page and click “Account & Settings”
- Under “Your premium settings”, click “Cancel premium”
- Follow prompts to confirm cancellation before the trial expires
- You can cancel anytime – even the day after activating the trial
- Cancellation takes effect immediately. Your account reverts to free
Canceling before the deadline avoids getting billed. LinkedIn also sends several reminders as the trial end nears. If you cancel past the deadline, you will be charged for 1 month.
Can I reactivate Premium after canceling a trial?
Yes, you can restart a paid Premium subscription even if you previously canceled a trial, but with a few caveats:
- You cannot reclaim another free trial on the same account
- Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited
- You must pay the current month’s Premium subscription fee immediately
- Your new Premium term starts from the day of restarting
- All your previous Premium settings and licenses will be restored
So you can resume Premium anytime, but you cannot get a free trial again or pause/extend an existing trial. Your payment and subscription simply picks up from the cancellation date.
Conclusion
While completely free lifetime access to LinkedIn Premium is unlikely, there are many legitimate ways to enjoy Premium benefits for temporarily free, such as:
- New subscriber Premium trials – 1 or 3 months free
- Student and educator discounts – Free or reduced pricing
- Referral bonuses – Earn free months by referrals
- Work perks and corporate deals – Provided by some employers
- Promotions and contests – Chance to win free access
- Microsoft partner benefits – Access for eligible companies
The key is taking advantage of these special offers strategically for getting free but legal Premium access. Proper use of Premium can significantly boost your professional networking and career growth at no cost through these hacks.
