LinkedIn Free vs. Premium Accounts: What’s the Best Choice for You?

LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for professionals and businesses worldwide, offering a range of account types to suit different needs. From job seekers to sales professionals and recruiters, LinkedIn provides various premium plans to enhance the networking and business development experience. In this article, we’ll explore the different LinkedIn account types available in 2024, comparing free and paid accounts, and providing a detailed overview of all LinkedIn premium plans. We’ll also introduce Golden Leads, a lead generation company offering LinkedIn Data Scraper, Waterfall Enrichment, and Validation services to optimize your LinkedIn outreach.

Linkedin Free vs Linkedin premium

Free LinkedIn Account

A free LinkedIn account provides basic features essential for building a professional network. Users can create a profile, connect with other professionals, join groups, and search for jobs. However, the free account has limitations, such as restricted access to advanced search filters, limited visibility of who viewed your profile, and the inability to send direct messages to people outside your network unless they are in an open profile.

Free vs. Paid Account

While a free LinkedIn account is sufficient for basic networking, paid accounts offer enhanced features that can significantly boost your professional endeavors. Paid accounts provide advanced search capabilities, increased visibility, more insights into who viewed your profile, InMail messaging, and access to LinkedIn Learning, among other benefits. The choice between free and paid accounts depends on your professional needs and goals.

LinkedIn Premium Account Types

LinkedIn offers several premium account types tailored to different professional needs. Here’s a detailed comparison of each plan:

LinkedIn Premium Career: $29.99/month – To Get Hired Quickly

LinkedIn Premium Career is designed for job seekers. It provides tools to help you stand out to recruiters, including:

  • InMail Messages: Send messages directly to recruiters and hiring managers.
  • Who Viewed Your Profile: See a full list of who has viewed your profile in the past 90 days.
  • Applicant Insights: Understand how you compare to other applicants.
  • LinkedIn Learning: Access to a wide range of courses to improve your skills.

LinkedIn Premium Business: $59.99/month – For Sales Professionals Generating Leads

This plan is ideal for professionals looking to grow their business network and generate leads:

  • Advanced Search Filters: Find the right people faster with advanced search filters.
  • Unlimited Profile Views: View an unlimited number of profiles.
  • Business Insights: Get detailed insights into companies.
  • InMail Messages: Send direct messages to anyone on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core: $99.99/month – Best for Sales Teams and Business Owners Looking to Scale Social Selling

Sales Navigator Core is designed for sales professionals looking to leverage LinkedIn for social selling:

  • Advanced Lead and Company Search: Identify leads with comprehensive search filters.
  • Lead Recommendations: Get personalized lead recommendations.
  • CRM Integration: Sync your LinkedIn activity with your CRM.
  • InMail Messages: Send direct messages to potential leads.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced: $149.99/month – An Upgraded Version of Sales Navigator Core for Sales Teams

An enhanced version of Sales Navigator Core, offering additional features for more effective social selling:

  • TeamLink: Extend your reach by tapping into your team’s network.
  • Advanced Reporting and Insights: Gain deeper insights into your sales activities.
  • Enhanced CRM Integration: Improved integration capabilities with your CRM.
  • InMail Messages: Access to more InMail messages for outreach.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus: Custom Pricing – Suitable for Larger Enterprises

Sales Navigator Advanced Plus is tailored for large enterprises with extensive sales needs:

  • Custom Features: Tailored solutions to meet enterprise needs.
  • Advanced Analytics: Comprehensive analytics and reporting.
  • Enhanced CRM Integration: Full-scale integration with enterprise CRMs.
  • Unlimited InMail Messages: More robust messaging capabilities for large-scale outreach.

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite: $170/month – For Individuals with Small to Mid-Scale Hiring Efforts

Recruiter Lite is perfect for small to mid-scale recruitment needs:

  • Advanced Search Filters: Find candidates quickly with advanced filters.
  • InMail Messages: Directly contact potential candidates.
  • Automated Candidate Tracking: Manage and track candidates efficiently.
  • Who Viewed Your Profile: See who has viewed your recruiter profile.

LinkedIn Recruiter: $835/month – For Staffing Firms and Corporate Companies Hiring at a Large Scale

LinkedIn Recruiter is designed for large-scale hiring efforts by staffing firms and corporate companies:

  • Advanced Search and Filtering: Comprehensive search capabilities for finding top talent.
  • Integrated Hiring Solutions: Seamless integration with ATS and other hiring tools.
  • Team Collaboration Tools: Collaborate with your hiring team effectively.
  • Unlimited InMail Messages: Enhanced messaging capabilities to reach more candidates.

LinkedIn Learning: $19.99/month or Free with Some Premium Accounts – To Develop Individual and Team Skills

LinkedIn Learning offers access to a vast library of courses to help you and your team develop new skills:

  • Wide Range of Courses: Access to thousands of courses across various domains.
  • Personalized Learning: Tailored course recommendations based on your interests and goals.
  • Professional Development: Improve skills to enhance career opportunities.
  • Included in Some Premium Plans: Free access with certain LinkedIn Premium subscriptions.

Check out more about LinkedIn Sales Navigator Cost 

Disclaimer – *All prices mentioned are as of June 2024.

Which LinkedIn Premium Account Type Is Right For Me?

Choosing the right LinkedIn premium account depends on your professional needs and goals:

  • Job Seekers: LinkedIn Premium Career is ideal for individuals actively looking for new job opportunities.
  • Sales Professionals: LinkedIn Premium Business, Sales Navigator Core, and Sales Navigator Advanced cater to different levels of sales needs.
  • Recruiters: Recruiter Lite and LinkedIn Recruiter are tailored for individuals and firms with varying scales of hiring efforts.

Learning and Development: LinkedIn Learning is perfect for professionals looking to upskill and enhance their career prospects.

Automate Your LinkedIn Lead Generation with Golden Leads

Automating your LinkedIn lead generation process can give you a significant edge. Golden Leads offers a comprehensive solution to enhance your LinkedIn outreach and streamline your lead generation efforts, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—growing your business.

Why Choose Golden Leads?

Golden Leads is an end-to-end lead generation company designed to maximize your LinkedIn efforts. Our offerings include LinkedIn Data Scraper, Waterfall Enrichment, and Waterfall Validation services, all aimed at helping you build and maintain a high-quality professional network. We are also the only tool on the market that allows the extraction of followers from any LinkedIn company page.

Our Unique Cloud-Based Solution

Golden Leads uses a unique cloud-based solution with virtual accounts to access LinkedIn directly, providing you with unparalleled benefits:

  • 100% Peace of Mind: No risk of getting your profile restricted.
  • No More Delayed Campaigns: Access real-time lead data at your fingertips.
  • Unlimited Data Extraction: No cap on searches—extract as much data as you need.

Why Automate with Golden Leads?

Automating your LinkedIn lead generation with Golden Leads not only saves time but also increases efficiency and accuracy in your outreach efforts. With our advanced tools and services, you can effortlessly gather, enrich, and validate lead data, ensuring that you connect with the right people and drive meaningful business growth.

Conclusion: Choosing what’s best for you

LinkedIn offers a variety of account types and premium plans to cater to different professional needs. Whether you’re a job seeker, sales professional, recruiter, or someone looking to upskill, there is a LinkedIn premium plan tailored for you. 

Understanding the features and benefits of each plan can help you make an informed decision and maximize your LinkedIn experience.

For companies looking to optimize their LinkedIn outreach, Golden Leads offers valuable tools and services like LinkedIn Data Scraper, Waterfall Enrichment, Waterfall Validation & LinkedIn Company Follower Scraper. These tools can significantly enhance your ability to connect with the right people efficiently and effectively.

Ready to take your LinkedIn lead generation to the next level? Try Golden Leads, the ultimate tool for effective lead enrichment and validation. Start transforming your outreach strategy today and achieve your networking goals with confidence.

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Amit Singh

Amit Singh is a seasoned digital marketing professional with diverse experience across multiple industries, including IT, travel, entertainment, publishing, and digital marketing agencies. He serves as a Growth Manager for Vendisys, Scrubby, Golden Leads, Inboxy, and other Vendisys entities, where he leverages his extensive expertise to drive growth and achieve business objectives.