Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it? A Detailed Guide

LinkedIn is more than a professional network now. It is the hub of opportunities where you can collaborate and obtain tangible results like achieving your sales target, getting a desired job or finding the right prospects. It stands out as a platform for career growth and business development so it is no wonder that professionals tend to maximize their presence on this platform. 

Typically, LinkedIn offers a basic account which is free for everyone. It allows you to freely connect with like-minded individuals, colleagues, classmates, and acquaintances. You can view profiles of the people and institutions you search for, message most of them privately, join relevant community groups and provide recommendations with this free basic package. However, there is a LinkedIn Premium Account too that is packed with a bundle of value-added features. 

So, if you are considering subscribing to a LinkedIn Premium account, you might be wondering, Is LinkedIn Premium worth it? stick around, because this article will reveal plenty of useful information about LinkedIn Premium, its features, and associated costs that will help you determine whether it is a worthwhile investment for your professional career.

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it?

Of course Yes! LinkedIn Premium is more than a subscription. You can make the most out of this professional platform if you know what it actually brings to the table and which plan suits you the best. It is packed with poweful features that can make networking convenient and fruitful. Whether you are a job-seeker, an entrepreneur, a salesperson, or a recruiter, LinkedIn Premium is a treasure trove of opportunities that can help you succeed in the long run. It has multiple plans with varying associated costs and features that are tailored to specific needs. Now you need to determine which plan works best for you and is LinkedIn Premium worth it?

What Does a LinkedIn Premium Account Offer?

LinkedIn Premium offers various advanced features that are not available with a free account. These value-added features are tailored to fit various professional needs depending upon the subscription tier you choose ( We will discuss the various tiers in the next section). Here is a summary of what you get with a LinkedIn Premium account. 

1. Increased Visibility: LinkedIn Premium gives you access to your profile viewers. You can see professionals who have visited your profile in the next ninety days, plus you can apply more search filters to find people who align with your goals.

2. InMail Notifications: On LinkedIn, you can only send messages to people who are in your network, meaning they need to be your 1st-degree connections, members of the same LinkedIn group, or someone you've interacted with through InMail or another LinkedIn service. 

LinkedIn Premium, allows you to bypass this restriction and provide a limited number of credits to message people outside your network. 

3. Featured Applicant Status: A LinkedIn Premium subscription makes you a featured candidate when you apply for the job. It increases your chances of selection. 

4. Private Search: LinkedIn Premium allows you to browse and see professional profiles without notifying the user. It is a useful tool for competitors' research and prospect acquisition etc. 

5. Additional Job Insights: You can get additional information about your job applications and job searches through LinkedIn Premium. It gives access to information like salary range, skills of applicants, and number of applicants who applied for the job. It also provides advice on interview preparation for a certain job. 

6. LinkedIn Learning Courses: Through LinkedIn Premium, you can get access to the ‘’LinkedIn Learning’’ Platform. This platform provides plenty of video courses on various topics delivered by industry experts.  

Types Of LinkedIn Premium Accounts 

The price and features of the LinkedIn Premium account depend upon the type of subscription you choose, There are 8 different types of LinkedIn Premium subscriptions. 

In this section, we’ll cover all the types of subscriptions and their associated costs along with the benefits and advanced features they offer. In the end, you will be able to decide which subscription type to choose according to your objective. 

Let’s have a quick overview of the account types and pricing:

• $19.99 a month for LinkedIn Learning.

• $29.99 a month for LinkedIn Premium Career.

• LinkedIn Business Premium: $59.99 per month.

• Core LinkedIn Sales Navigator: $99.99 per month.

• The monthly cost of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced: $149.99

• Custom pricing is available with LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus.

• Recruiter Lite on LinkedIn: $170 per month.

• $835 a month for a LinkedIn recruiter.

How to Choose The Right LinkedIn Premium Account

LinkedIn Premium Account has beneficial features for all personas. Whether you are a CEO, a recruiter, a job seeker, or a salesperson, it has a tailored plan that is designed according to the job description.

So which account type should you choose?

Well, that completely depends upon your goal.  You must keep your objective in mind while choosing the premium subscription plan. For Instance, If you are a recruiter and tend to source the right candidates for a job vacancy in your organization, LinkedIn Premium Recruiter Lite or Recruiter is the right option for you. These subscription plans offer some advanced features like ATS integration and allow more filtered search to help you source the best talent.

Ultimately, the question remains, Is LinkedIn Premium worth it? Let’s delve deep and find which account suits which persona and also the pricing plans and differences of each account type. 

LinkedIn Premium Career

If you’re asking, “Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?” for job seekers, the LinkedIn Premium Career account. LinkedIn Premium Career account benefits those who are looking for a job and want to get hired quickly. The plus point is its cheap price i.e. $29.99/month which makes it the best bargain for jobless people. Moreover, it also offers a free trial for one month. Through this account, you can be featured as a top talent which increases your chance to get hired. 

Features of LinkedIn Premium Career Account 

• You can see your profile viewers over the last 365 days

• It provides unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning so you can enhance your skills and stand out in the crowd of job seekers

• You get 5 InMail credits for a month to reach the recruiters smoothly.

• You can access Applicant Insights. Here you can check how your profile compares to others, the number of applicants who applied for a certain job, and an overview of the applicant’s education, skills, and seniority level.
  
  

LinkedIn Premium Business

If you are a business owner or a sales rep and use LinkedIn to connect to high-quality leads, this plan is for you. The plan costs $59.99/month and provides features that help in generating and nurturing leads. inMail is a very effective tool that can help you get noticed instantly. The account provides inMail credits to reach prospects efficiently. 

Features of LinkedIn Premium Business Account

• You can see your profile viewers over the last 365 days

• It provides unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning so you can enhance your knowledge and learn about new tools.

• You get 15 InMail credits for a month to reach the clients and prospects more efficiently..

• It allows unlimited browsing on LinkedIn.

• You can do competitor analysis, get industry news, and other company analytics.  

This plan is cheaper than other relevant accounts like Sales Navigator Core and Sales Navigator Advanced and provides great value in the form of key business insights.  

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core

This package is a go-to plan for sales teams and business owners for business development. It helps you to connect to high-quality leads and nurture them efficiently by using various advanced tools. Those who have a limited sales and marketing budget can leverage a Sales Navigator Account to make the most of LinkedIn Premium services and increase their sales. LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core Account costs $59.99/month.

Features of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core

• You will receive 50 inMail credits which are sufficient for you or your team to reach potential customers and find convertible leads efficiently.

• It provides multiple filters so you can refine your search precisely to reach your ideal prospect. 

• You can save information about the leads you find and reach. 

• You can receive notifications about your lead activities. 

• LinkedIn sends lead recommendations weekly based on your previous search.
  
  

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced levels up your sales efforts by offering additional features for teams and business owners. It costs $149.99/month. Here’s what you get:

Features of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced

• LinkedIn Teamlink featureIdentifies prospects who are first-degree connections of your teammates, providing warm introduction opportunities.

• The smartlink feature enhances outreach by tracking lead interactions with auto-generated sales presentations.

• You can receive in-depth sales insights with the Advance Reporting feature.

However, one downside is the lack of CRM integration at this price point.

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it For Sales?

Honestly speaking, it depends upon the size of your business, your professional status, and how much you need to reach the clients. LinkedIn Premium comes with multiple plans for Sales and each plan is tailored for different needs.

If you are a freelancer and want to kickstart your business or work as a sales rep searching for prospects, The sales navigator core plan is a suitable one. On the other hand, if you have a large sales team and a reputable mid-sized or large-sized enterprise that wants to build a consistent pipeline of prospects, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced fits well for your needs.

So, is LinkedIn Premium worth it? The answer lies in evaluating how these plans align with your specific requirements and business goals.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus

This LinkedIn premium account is designed for larger enterprises with a custom pricing plan

If your company relies heavily on LinkedIn for sales and uses a CRM, the Advanced Plus account might be the best fit. Here’s what it includes:

Features of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus

It syncs CRM and automatically saves LinkedIn activities and searches for leads in your CRM.

It provides advanced CRM Integrations and supports salesforce sata validation, contact creation, and Microsoft Dynamics.

For pricing, you’ll need to contact LinkedIn’s sales team directly. They will guide you according to your business needs. 

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite is an ideal subscription plan for TAs or small recruiting agencies or teams handling mid-scale hiring efforts. It costs $170/month. 

Features of LinkedIn Recruiter Lite

• 30 InMails per user each month for up to 10 users

• 20+ advanced search filters for pinpointing candidates quickly

• Unlimited browsing up to third-degree connections, plus access to LinkedIn Learning

• A multi-user dashboard to enhance team collaboration

• InMail and job analytics reports

• Visibility into profile visitors over the last 90 days

• The ability to save candidate searches and set alerts for up to 10 activities daily or weekly

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it for Recruiting?

Sourcing the right candidate at the time is a daunting challenge for recruiters and TA teams nowadays. Most of the passive talent does not actively search for the job so finding them is a great deal. LinkedIn Premium makes the journey from sourcing to hiring potential talent easier. It is equipped with resourceful features with expanded access to candidate profiles and advanced search filters that save up to 17 hours per week and help the recruiter reach the most suitable candidates on time. According to LinkedIn, 73% of talent professionals say they have successfully hired candidates using LinkedIn Premium.

LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn Recruiter is a precisely tailored account designed to meet hiring needs of large staffing firms and corporate companies hiring on a large scale. It offers two types: Recruiter Professional Services and Recruiter Corporate and starts at a minimum price of $835/month.

Features of LinkedIn Recruiter

• Up to 100 InMails per month with Recruiter Professional Services, or 150 InMails with Recruiter Corporate

• 50 daily or weekly candidate search alerts

• Bulk messaging to up to 25 recipients at once

• Exclusive ownership of recruiter data

• Integration with 28+ Applicant Tracking Systems

 

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it for Job Seekers?

A solid "Yes" from my side! "Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?" For job seekers, the answer is a resounding yes. LinkedIn Premium offers features that significantly increase their chances of getting a job. Premium members are 2.6 times more likely to be noticed by recruiters and they receive prompt responses through inMail than regular emails. They also gain access to insights on profile performance, job application data, and LinkedIn Learning courses, with 67% of users gaining new skills and 50% reporting that it helped them get a job. These benefits make LinkedIn Premium worth considering for jobseekers.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning Account starts at $19.99/month with a free 7-day trial. Plus, you get a completion certificate for each course, which you can add to your LinkedIn profile. However, This feature is free with some Premium accounts. 

LinkedIn Learning is best for skill development and offers over 21,000 courses led by industry professionals and experts, covering areas like business, technology, design, and more. It’s designed for those looking to enhance their skills or their team’s skills and offers interactive and hands-on learning.

A Quick Look At The Comparison Table: 

 

Summing Up: Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it?

LinkedIn Premium is a smart tool when it comes to building relationships, business development, and prospecting.You might be asking yourself, "Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?" By actively networking and utilizing the advanced features. If you are serious about your career, professional growth, and business development, it is definitely a worthwhile investment. All the premium subscription plans are packed with powerful features that help you connect, learn, and succeed. To get the most out of it, make sure your LinkedIn profile is in top shape. Furthermore, You can use tools like LiProspect to optimize your outreach and overall user experience. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the pros and cons of LinkedIn?

How Can I Access LinkedIn Premium Features for Free?

LinkedIn Premium is a paid account but  there are a few ways to access some of its features without paying:

1. Free Trial: LinkedIn often offers a free trial period for Premium features. Keep an eye out for promotional periods, and take advantage of these trial offers to experience Premium benefits at no cost.

2. LinkedIn Premium for Students: If you’re a student, LinkedIn provides a free Premium trial for a limited period. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore the platform’s enhanced features as you start your professional journey.

3. LinkedIn Learning Free Courses: Although LinkedIn Learning is a Premium feature, it offers some free courses so you can access some content without a Premium subscription.

How do I unsubscribe from LinkedIn Premium After Free Trial?

Yes, you can cancel your LinkedIn Premium subscription after the free trial. If you choose to cancel, your account will revert to the free basic version of LinkedIn. This means you’ll lose access to premium features like InMail, LinkedIn Learning, and other extras. 

What Is the Most Affordable LinkedIn Premium Plan?

LinkedIn offers different Premium plans, each with its price point. Among the most affordable options is the “Premium Career” plan, which costs $29.99 per month. This plan is tailored for job seekers and provides access to features like InMail messages and LinkedIn Learning courses.