With over 985 million members worldwide, LinkedIn has established itself as the leading professional social network.
Its unique feature: it caters exclusively to professionals, freelancers, recruiters, job seekers, and businesses.
Top LinkedIn communities
- United States: over 211 million users 🇺🇸
- India: over 117 million users 🇮🇳
- Brazil: over 70 million users 🇧🇷
What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn offers six types of Premium accounts, each designed to meet a specific need (job search, prospecting, recruiting, visibility, or training).
1. Premium Career
For job seekers:
- 5 InMails/month
- Access to the full list of profile visitors (up to 1 year)
- Comparative data on job applications
- Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning
- Price: ~€29.90/month or ~€239.80/year (billed annually)
2. Premium Business
Designed for professionals looking to expand their visibility and network:
- 15 InMails/month
- Ability to browse other profiles anonymously
- Company insights
- Advanced search filters
- Access to LinkedIn Learning
- Price: ~€59.99/month or ~€479.88/year
3. Sales Navigator Core
B2B prospecting tool:
- 50 InMails/month
- Dedicated CRM interface
- Save leads directly in the platform
- Prospect recommendations
- Real-time alerts & advanced search
- Price: ~€79.99/month or ~€799.90/year
4. Recruiter Lite
For independent recruiters or SMEs:
- 30 InMails/month
- Advanced profile search filters
- AI-powered candidate suggestions
- Candidate tracking and management tools
- Price: ~€154/month (or $1,680/year)
5. Premium Company Page
To promote your business:
- Premium badge
- Dynamic visuals
- Call-to-action (CTA) buttons
- Highlight customer reviews
- Full access to analytics
- Price: by quote only, via LinkedIn
6. LinkedIn Learning (standalone)
Access to over 20,000 online courses:
- Wide range of topics (marketing, tech, leadership, soft skills, etc.)
- Personalized recommendations
- AI coaching
- Price: included in the above Premium offers (not sold separately)
Free Account vs. Premium Accounts
The free account allows access to basic features: profile creation, posting, job applications, first-degree connections, and simple searches.
However, limitations arise quickly if you want to use LinkedIn strategically:
There's no detailed view of who visited your profile (only a few visible).
You cannot message people outside your network (no InMails).
Limited search results.
No advanced analytics.
Premium subscriptions offer a more proactive, targeted, and professional use of the platform. Each plan serves a specific purpose (job hunting, business, recruiting, branding, training).
Key Benefits of LinkedIn Premium
- Profile visitors data: Useful for personal branding, prospecting, or measuring campaign impact
- InMails: Allows contact with people outside your network — useful in B2B or for unsolicited applications
- Stats & analytics: Track profile or company page performance
- LinkedIn Learning: Ideal for ongoing team training
- Profile visibility boost: Increases your appearance in internal search results
- Recruiting tools: Such as Recruiter Lite for effective hiring
- Targeted sales prospecting: Via Sales Navigator
- Employer branding: Enhanced through the Premium Company Page
Potential Drawbacks
- High pricing: Recruiter Lite costs over €1,800/year; Sales Navigator around €1,000/year
- InMails may be ineffective if not personalized: Generic messages often go unanswered, and the "InMail" tag signals that you're paying to contact someone
- Not worth it if you're passive: If you don’t plan to message, apply, or build your brand, the subscription offers little value
- Quickly expensive for teams: No multi-user accounts — each team member needs their own subscription
So, is LinkedIn Premium worth it for your business?
Yes, if your use is regular and strategic. In specific cases, having a Premium subscription can be very beneficial:
- If you regularly do B2B prospecting: Sales Navigator Core is a smart investment
- If you frequently hire: Recruiter Lite optimizes your process and leverages LinkedIn’s visibility
- If you want to build brand visibility: Premium Company Page + Premium Business offer strong ROI
- If you need internal training: LinkedIn Learning offers a vast range of useful courses for your teams
However, for freelancers or small businesses with only occasional use and no need for the features mentioned:
The free account is sufficient — or at most, a single Premium account for a key team member or your CEO.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Premium is a powerful and highly versatile tool thanks to the richness of its offer.
However, it must be used with a clear and defined objective.
Its cost (sometimes quite high) can quickly be offset if you're actively prospecting, recruiting, or looking to boost your brand and visibility.
