You've likely seen the "Try Premium for free" button countless times while browsing LinkedIn. Maybe you've wondered if upgrading could supercharge your job search, sales prospecting, or recruitment efforts. But with multiple plans at various price points, it's challenging to know which option delivers the best value for your specific needs.

This comprehensive guide breaks down all LinkedIn Premium plans, their costs, key features, and importantly—which plan is right for different professional roles.

LinkedIn Premium: The Complete Pricing Breakdown

LinkedIn offers several premium subscription options, each targeting different professional needs and goals:

Pro Tip: LinkedIn frequently offers a 1-month free trial for most premium plans. Take advantage of this to evaluate the features before committing to a paid subscription.

LinkedIn Premium Career: For Job Seekers and Networkers

Price: $39.99/month or $239.88/year ($19.99/month)

The Premium Career plan is designed for professionals actively searching for job opportunities or looking to expand their network.

Key Features:

• 5 InMail credits monthly: Send direct messages to people outside your network

• Who's viewed your profile: See all profile visitors for the past 90 days

• Featured applicant status: Your application appears above non-premium candidates

• Salary insights: Access detailed salary data without sharing your own

• Applicant insights: See how you compare to other applicants

• LinkedIn Learning: Full access to courses and skill development resources

Is Premium Career Worth It?

Premium Career makes sense if you're:

• Actively job hunting and need to contact recruiters outside your network

• Looking to understand your competitive positioning against other candidates

• Seeking detailed salary information for negotiating offers

• Wanting to build new connections in targeted companies

However, many Reddit users express mixed feelings about the value:

"I used it for six months (freebie from a friend) and applied to all the jobs it recommended for me, had their AI rewrite cover letters and resumes for me. I didn't get a single interview or follow up." - Reddit user

For maximum value, focus on:

• Using InMail strategically to contact hiring managers directly

• Leveraging profile insights to understand who's viewing your profile

• Taking advantage of LinkedIn Learning for skill development

• Finding jobs on LinkedIn that link to direct company applications

LinkedIn Premium Business: For Business Owners and Relationship Builders

Price: $59.99/month or $575.88/year ($47.99/month)

Premium Business targets entrepreneurs, consultants, and business professionals focused on growing their network and business opportunities.

Key Features:

• 15 InMail credits monthly: Triple the messaging capability of Premium Career

• Unlimited people browsing: Search and view profiles beyond 3rd-degree connections

• Business insights: Access competitive intelligence on 30+ million companies

• Unlimited profile views: No restrictions when browsing other members

• Advanced search filters: Find prospects by company size, function, seniority

• Profile analytics: Enhanced data on who's viewing your profile

Is Premium Business Worth It?

Premium Business delivers value if you're:

• A business owner or consultant seeking new clients and partnerships

• Building a professional network outside your immediate connections

• Researching companies for business development opportunities

• Frequently engaging with potential partners or clients

This plan strikes a balance between networking capabilities and business intelligence without the specialized focus (and higher price) of Sales Navigator.

Sales Navigator: For Sales Professionals and Business Development

LinkedIn offers two tiers of Sales Navigator:

Sales Navigator Core

Price: $99.99/month or $958.80/year ($79.90/month)

Sales Navigator Advanced

Price: $149.99/month or $1,300/year ($108.33/month)

Sales Navigator is LinkedIn's dedicated sales prospecting platform, offering advanced tools for identifying and engaging potential customers.

Key Features (Core):

• 50 InMail credits monthly: Maximum messaging capacity

• Lead recommendations: AI-powered suggestions based on your sales preferences

• Advanced lead and company search: Powerful filtering capabilities

• Lead and account lists: Save and organize prospects

• Real-time insights: Updates about saved leads and accounts

• CRM integration: Connect with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or Hubspot

• Notes and tags: Organize contacts and track engagement

Additional Features (Advanced):

• TeamLink connections: Access your team's networks

• Smart Links: Share content and track engagement

• Enhanced CRM integration: More data syncing capabilities

• Advanced analytics: Team performance reporting

Is Sales Navigator Worth It?

Sales Navigator delivers significant value for:

• Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) focused on outbound prospecting

• Account Executives managing sales pipelines

• Business Development Managers identifying partnership opportunities

• Anyone whose success depends on finding and connecting with the right prospects

As one Reddit user notes:

"From my personal experience, not worth it unless you're doing sales, or looking for prospects." - Reddit user

For SDRs like Sarah Chen who struggles with an overwhelming LinkedIn inbox, organizing prospect communications is critical. While Sales Navigator helps with finding leads, managing those conversations once established can be challenging in LinkedIn's native interface.

SDR Tip: If you're using Sales Navigator for prospecting but struggle with LinkedIn's cluttered inbox, consider an inbox organization tool like Kondo to label conversations by priority, set follow-up reminders, and ensure hot leads don't get buried under connection requests.

Recruiter Plans: For Talent Acquisition Professionals

LinkedIn offers two main recruiting solutions:

Recruiter Lite

Price: $170/month or $1,680/year ($140/month)

Recruiter Corporate

Price: $825+/month or $8,999+/year ($749.92+/month)

These plans are specifically designed for recruiters and talent acquisition teams.

Key Features (Recruiter Lite):

• 30 InMail credits monthly: Reach potential candidates directly

• Advanced talent search filters: Find candidates by skills, experience, location

• Automated candidate suggestions: AI-powered recommendations

• Projects: Organize candidates by role or position

• Talent pool reports: Understand the available talent landscape

Additional Features (Recruiter Corporate):

• 150+ InMail credits monthly: Maximum outreach capability

• Team collaboration tools: Share candidates and communications

• Advanced reporting: Track team performance and pipeline metrics

• Integration with ATS systems: Streamline recruiting workflows

• Dedicated support: Premium customer service

Is Recruiter Worth It?

Recruiter plans provide substantial value for:

• Technical recruiters like David Miller handling multiple open roles

• Recruiting agencies managing client searches

• Internal talent acquisition teams at growing companies

• Anyone whose primary job function involves finding and engaging candidates

For dedicated recruiters, these plans are often considered essential tools rather than optional upgrades. The ability to search, contact, and organize potential candidates at scale justifies the higher price point for most talent professionals.

Recruiter Tip: Technical recruiters like David Miller who struggle with an overflowing LinkedIn inbox can benefit from organizing conversations by role/stage and setting follow-up reminders. Consider using Kondo to label candidate conversations (e.g., "Java Developer," "DevOps Engineer"), ensuring promising candidates don't get lost among numerous conversations.

Feature Comparison: LinkedIn Premium Plans at a Glance

To help you visualize the key differences between plans, here's a comparative breakdown:

How to Choose the Right LinkedIn Premium Plan

Selecting the most appropriate LinkedIn Premium plan depends on your professional role and objectives. Let's break down the recommendations by specific use cases:

For Job Seekers

Best Plan: Premium Career ($39.99/month)

The Premium Career plan provides job seekers with essential tools for standing out in application processes and connecting with hiring managers. It offers:

• InMail credits to contact recruiters outside your network

• Insights into how you compare with other applicants

• Featured applicant status for increased visibility

• Salary data for negotiation preparation

However, be realistic about the platform's limitations. As many Reddit users have noted, Premium alone won't guarantee job search success:

"I feel like it's just worth it for recruiters... I'm interested in who's viewed my profile, but for the sole reason of satisfying my curiosity, it wouldn't change anything." - Reddit user

Value-Maximizing Strategy: Use the 1-month free trial during an active job search period. Focus on direct outreach to hiring managers and leveraging profile insights rather than relying solely on the "Easy Apply" feature.

For Sales Professionals (SDRs, AEs)

Best Plan: Sales Navigator Core ($99.99/month)

For sales professionals like Sarah Chen who focus on outbound prospecting, Sales Navigator Core provides the essential toolkit for finding and connecting with potential customers:

• Advanced search filters to identify decision-makers

• Lead recommendations aligned with your target criteria

• Real-time alerts about prospect activity

• CRM integration for streamlined workflows

Sales Navigator is widely regarded as worth the investment for dedicated sales roles:

"From my personal experience, not worth it unless you're doing sales, or looking for prospects." - Reddit user

Managing the LinkedIn Inbox Challenge: While Sales Navigator excels at finding prospects, SDRs often struggle with LinkedIn's cluttered inbox, where critical lead responses mix with connection requests and group notifications. Tools like Kondo can help organize conversations with labels (e.g., "Hot Lead," "Follow Up") and set reminders to ensure timely follow-ups with promising prospects.

For Recruiters and Talent Acquisition

Best Plan: Recruiter Lite ($170/month) for individual recruiters or small teams

Technical recruiters like David Miller who manage multiple open roles need robust tools for finding and engaging qualified candidates:

• Advanced search filters for precise candidate targeting

• InMail credits for direct candidate outreach

• Project organization tools to manage different searches

• Automated candidate recommendations

The Recruiter plans are specifically designed for the talent acquisition workflow and provide features not available in other premium tiers.

Inbox Organization for Recruiters: For recruiters managing conversations with dozens of candidates across different roles, keeping track of follow-ups is crucial. Consider using tools like Kondo to add labels to candidate conversations and set reminders to follow up at specific times, ensuring promising candidates don't fall through the cracks.

For Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Best Plan: Premium Business ($59.99/month)

Entrepreneurs and business owners like Maria Garcia can benefit from the networking and research capabilities of Premium Business:

• Sufficient InMail credits for partnership and client outreach

• Company insights for competitive intelligence

• Unlimited profile viewing for research purposes

• Advanced search functionality for finding potential partners

This plan provides a good balance of features without the specialized focus and higher cost of Sales Navigator.

For Account Managers and Customer Success

Best Plan: Premium Business ($59.99/month) or Sales Navigator Core ($99.99/month)

Account managers like Ben Carter who focus on maintaining and growing existing client relationships can benefit from either:

• Premium Business for general networking and relationship building

• Sales Navigator Core if account growth and finding additional stakeholders within client organizations is a primary focus

The choice depends on whether the role leans more toward relationship maintenance (Premium Business) or account expansion (Sales Navigator).

Maximizing Value from LinkedIn Premium

Regardless of which plan you choose, these strategies will help you get the most from your investment:

1. Utilize the Free Trial Period

LinkedIn regularly offers 1-month free trials for premium plans. Use this time to:

• Test all available features thoroughly

• Export any valuable data (like saved searches)

• Evaluate whether the benefits justify the cost for your specific needs

Many users recommend taking advantage of promotional offers:

"I usually just take advantage of their 1 month free promo that is offered I think once a year then unsubscribe once it's up." - Reddit user

2. Optimize InMail Usage

InMail credits are one of the most valuable features across all premium plans:

• Save templates for common outreach scenarios to save time

• Personalize each message with specific details from the recipient's profile

• Track response rates and refine your approach based on what works

• Use credits strategically on high-value contacts rather than mass outreach

3. Leverage Advanced Search Capabilities

Premium plans offer enhanced search functionality:

• Create and save searches for regularly targeted profiles

• Set up alerts for when new profiles match your criteria

• Use boolean search operators for more precise results

• Combine multiple filters to narrow down to exactly the right prospects

4. Organize Your LinkedIn Communications

The value of premium features diminishes if you can't effectively manage the resulting conversations:

• Check your LinkedIn inbox regularly to avoid missing important replies

• Consider using a tool like Kondo to organize conversations with labels and reminders

• Create a system for following up with important contacts

• Transfer key information to your CRM or other tracking systems

5. Integrate with Your Existing Tools

Maximize efficiency by connecting LinkedIn with your other business tools:

• Set up CRM integrations (available with Sales Navigator)

• Use webhooks or integration platforms to sync data with other systems

• Create workflows that incorporate LinkedIn data into your broader processes

Common LinkedIn Premium Questions Answered

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It for Job Seekers?

The value depends on your job search approach. LinkedIn Premium Career can be worth it if you:

• Need to contact hiring managers or recruiters outside your network

• Want insights into how you compare to other applicants

• Are targeting competitive positions where featured applicant status helps

• Plan to use LinkedIn Learning to develop relevant skills

However, many job seekers report mixed results:

"I actually regret paying for one month even when it was a 50% off offer." - Reddit user

Consider using the free trial during an intensive job search period rather than maintaining a subscription long-term.

Can I Cancel LinkedIn Premium Anytime?

Yes, you can cancel your LinkedIn Premium subscription at any time. When you cancel:

• You'll continue to have premium access until the end of your current billing cycle

• You won't be charged for the next period

• Your profile will revert to the free version when the subscription ends

To avoid unwanted charges, set a calendar reminder to review your subscription a few days before renewal.

Is Sales Navigator Worth the Extra Cost Over Premium Business?

For dedicated sales professionals, Sales Navigator typically justifies its higher price through:

• Substantially more powerful search and filtering capabilities

• Lead recommendations and saved lead lists

• Real-time updates about prospects and accounts

• CRM integration for streamlined workflows

If your primary focus is finding and engaging potential customers, Sales Navigator provides specialized tools that Premium Business lacks. However, if your sales activities are secondary to other business functions, Premium Business may offer sufficient features at a lower price point.

What Happens to My InMail Credits When I Cancel?

Any unused InMail credits will expire when your premium subscription ends. To maximize value:

• Use all available credits before canceling

• Focus on high-priority contacts that could provide ongoing value

• Consider sending connection requests with personalized notes as an alternative after your subscription ends

Do I Need Premium to Message People on LinkedIn?

No, you can message your 1st-degree connections without any premium subscription. LinkedIn Premium provides InMail credits to message people outside your network. Alternatives to InMail include:

• Sending connection requests with personalized notes

• Finding mutual connections for introductions

• Engaging with their content before reaching out

• Finding their email through other means (company website, email finding tools)

Conclusion: Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?

LinkedIn Premium plans deliver varying levels of value depending on your professional role and objectives:

• Sales professionals typically see the highest ROI from Sales Navigator, with its specialized prospecting tools

• Recruiters benefit significantly from the Recruiter plans' candidate search and management capabilities

• Job seekers may find temporary value in Premium Career during active search periods

• Business owners and entrepreneurs can leverage Premium Business for networking and research

The most pragmatic approach is to:

1. Identify your specific LinkedIn goals and challenges

2. Take advantage of the free trial period to test relevant features

3. Evaluate whether the benefits justify the cost for your unique situation

Remember that premium services enhance your LinkedIn experience but don't replace the fundamentals of effective networking, engaging content, and personalized outreach.

For professionals who struggle with LinkedIn's cluttered inbox and missed messages, consider supplementing your premium subscription with an inbox organization tool like Kondo. It helps label conversations, set follow-up reminders, and ensure important messages don't get buried—addressing one of the most common pain points that premium subscriptions alone don't solve.

By making an informed decision about which LinkedIn Premium plan best suits your needs, you can transform LinkedIn from a basic networking site into a powerful tool for achieving your professional goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is LinkedIn Premium and who is it for?

LinkedIn Premium is a suite of paid subscription plans designed to enhance the LinkedIn experience for different professional goals, such as job searching, sales prospecting, business development, and recruitment. It offers features beyond the free LinkedIn account, including InMail credits to message people outside your network, advanced search filters, insights into who viewed your profile, and access to LinkedIn Learning courses. The specific plan you choose depends on your professional role and objectives.

How much does LinkedIn Premium cost?

LinkedIn Premium plans vary in cost, ranging from $39.99/month for Premium Career to $825+/month for Recruiter Corporate, with discounts available for annual subscriptions. For example, Premium Career is $39.99/month (or $239.88/year), Premium Business is $59.99/month (or $575.88/year), Sales Navigator Core costs $99.99/month (or $958.80/year), and Recruiter Lite is $170/month (or $1,680/year). LinkedIn often provides a 1-month free trial for new users to test these plans.

Which LinkedIn Premium plan is best for job seekers?

The best LinkedIn Premium plan for job seekers is typically Premium Career, priced at $39.99/month. This plan provides features like 5 InMail credits monthly to contact recruiters, visibility into who viewed your profile, featured applicant status to stand out, salary insights for negotiation, and access to LinkedIn Learning. These tools are designed to help you find opportunities and connect with hiring managers more effectively.

Why should sales professionals consider Sales Navigator over Premium Business?

Sales professionals should consider Sales Navigator Core (starting at $99.99/month) over Premium Business because it offers more specialized and powerful tools specifically designed for sales prospecting and lead generation. Sales Navigator includes significantly more InMail credits (50 vs. 15 for Premium Business), advanced lead and company search filters, lead recommendations, the ability to create lead and account lists, real-time insights on saved leads, and CRM integration. These features are crucial for sales development representatives (SDRs) and account executives.

Can I try LinkedIn Premium for free before committing to a subscription?

Yes, LinkedIn frequently offers a 1-month free trial for most of its premium plans. This trial period allows you to test the features of plans like Premium Career, Premium Business, or Sales Navigator to determine if they meet your specific needs and justify the cost. It's a good practice to take advantage of this offer to evaluate the benefits firsthand before making a paid commitment. Remember to cancel before the trial ends if you don't wish to continue.

What are the key benefits of upgrading to any LinkedIn Premium plan?

Key benefits of upgrading to a LinkedIn Premium plan include the ability to send InMail messages to users outside your network, see who has viewed your profile, access advanced search filters, and gain specific insights relevant to your goals (e.g., applicant insights for job seekers, company insights for business users). Additionally, depending on the plan, you can get more InMail credits, access LinkedIn Learning courses, receive lead recommendations (Sales Navigator), or use specialized recruiting tools (Recruiter plans).

How do I cancel my LinkedIn Premium subscription and what happens to my InMail?

You can cancel your LinkedIn Premium subscription at any time through your LinkedIn account settings. You'll retain premium access until your current billing cycle ends, after which your account reverts to the free version. Any unused InMail credits will expire when your premium subscription ends, so it's best to use them beforehand.