Recruiter Lite and Recruiter Premium are two tiers of Recruiter, LinkedIn’s applicant tracking and recruiting software. Both offer features to help recruiters and hiring managers source, engage, and hire top talent, but Premium has additional capabilities that Lite lacks.
In this article, we’ll compare the key differences between Recruiter Lite and Recruiter Premium, including features, pricing, ideal customer profiles, and more. Whether you’re evaluating Recruiter for your organization or looking to upgrade from Lite to Premium, read on to learn if Premium is worth the additional investment over Lite.
Feature Comparison
The core difference between Recruiter Lite and Recruiter Premium is the features and functionality included in each. Here’s an overview of what each tier offers:
Recruiter Lite Features
- Post jobs to LinkedIn
- Source candidates with LinkedIn Recruiter search
- Send InMail messages
- Track basic applicant info and status
- Integration with email
- Reporting on source of hire, time to hire, and other metrics
Recruiter Lite focuses on basic applicant tracking, sourcing, and LinkedIn integration. It’s ideal for organizations with minimal recruiting needs who want an easy way to post jobs and engage candidates through LinkedIn.
Recruiter Premium Features
- All Lite features
- Advanced LinkedIn Recruiter search with saved searches, project sharing, and more
- CRM and database to track candidates
- Custom, branded career site
- Structured interview guides and scorecards
- Custom, multi-stage workflows
- Automated candidate experience surveys
- Offer management
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Integrations with HRIS, background check providers, and more
Recruiter Premium includes all Lite features plus additional functionality for candidate management, recruitment marketing, interviewing, hiring, and more. It’s suited for businesses who want an end-to-end recruiting platform with extensive capabilities.
Ideal Customer Profiles
Given the differences in features, Recruiter Lite and Premium are best suited for different organizations depending on their needs:
Recruiter Lite Ideal Customers
- Early stage startups
- Small businesses
- Companies with 1-2 recruiters
- Organizations with minimal recruiting needs
- Businesses focused on LinkedIn sourcing
Recruiter Lite works best for smaller companies who need basic applicant tracking and LinkedIn integration. The simple interface and price point make it accessible for organizations with limited recruiting resources.
Recruiter Premium Ideal Customers
- Mid-market and enterprise companies
- Organizations with dedicated in-house recruiting teams
- Businesses scaling quickly and hiring in high volumes
- Companies that require advanced recruiting capabilities
Recruiter Premium is designed for larger, more recruitment-focused businesses. The extensive features support the needs of talent acquisition teams managing high-volume hiring across multiple locations and business units.
Pricing
Recruiter Lite and Premium have different pricing models:
Recruiter Lite Pricing
Recruiter Lite costs $599 per month billed annually ($7,188 per year). It includes 5 Recruiter Lite seats. Additional Lite seats can be added for $99 per month each.
Lite is optimized for 1-2 recruiters at small and mid-sized businesses. There are no long term contracts and it can be cancelled at any time.
Recruiter Premium Pricing
Recruiter Premium pricing is customized based on number of users and desired features. On average, Premium costs $9,000-$15,000 per month billed annually for mid-market companies. Enterprise pricing is customized for larger recruiting teams.
Discounts may be available for long term contracts (2-3 years). Premium requires a minimum 50 seats.
Clearly, Premium represents a more significant investment than Lite. The extent of capabilities and recruitment process support warrants the higher price tag for larger recruiting organizations.
Key Differences
To recap, here are the key differences between Recruiter Lite and Premium:
Feature | Recruiter Lite | Recruiter Premium |
---|---|---|
LinkedIn integration | Post jobs and source candidates | Advanced sourcing and CRM |
Applicant tracking | Basic tracking and workflow | Custom workflows and branded career site |
Candidate management | Lightweight database | Unified CRM and talent pool |
Interviewing | None | Structured interview guides and scorecards |
Analytics | Light reporting | Advanced analytics and headcount planning |
Users | 1-2 recruiters | Large, multi-person recruiting teams |
Price | $599/month base | $9k-$15k/month customized |
Conclusion
Recruiter Lite offers solid value for money, providing basic sourcing and applicant tracking for smaller companies focused on LinkedIn.
For mid-market and enterprise organizations needing an end-to-end recruiting platform, Recruiter Premium is worth the additional investment. The extensive capabilities, advanced analytics, and unified CRM support strategic talent acquisition across the organization.
When deciding between Recruiter Lite vs Premium, consider your budget, team size, hiring volumes, and existing recruiting processes. Lite can provide good starter capabilities, while Premium enables mature recruiting programs to scale. Conduct a thorough needs assessment and speak to a Recruiter sales representative to select the best tier for your organization.