LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing, plan by plan, for recruiters
LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing starts at US$119.99 a month for Core, or US$1,079.88 a year. Advanced is US$159.99 a month or US$1,799.88 a year, and Advanced Plus is quoted by sales. Every plan carries 50 InMails a month. LinkedIn's terms bar recruiting on Sales Navigator, so recruiters need Recruiter Lite instead.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing by plan
US list prices per license, from LinkedIn's own compare-plans page. Core and Advanced are bought online; Advanced Plus goes through LinkedIn's sales team.
| What you get | Core | Advanced | Advanced Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly billing, per license | US$119.99 a month | US$159.99 a month | Not published |
| Annual billing, per license | US$1,079.88 a year | US$1,799.88 a year | Not published |
| Saving LinkedIn shows for annual | 25% | 6% | Quoted on team size, CRM and training needs |
| Who LinkedIn says it suits | Individual sellers | Sales teams | Sales teams using a supported CRM |
| InMail credits | 50 a month | 50 a month | 50 a month |
| Headline features | 50+ advanced search filters, Account IQ and Lead IQ | Adds team seat management, centralized billing and Buyer Intent | Adds CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics and more |
| How you buy | Online | Online, up to 5 licenses | Through LinkedIn sales |
From LinkedIn's compare-plans page. LinkedIn says prices are estimates, may exclude VAT and are subject to change.
Read the price before you budget
Sales Navigator is priced per license, so 3 sellers on Advanced cost 3 times the list price. Advanced annual works out to about US$150 a month and Core annual to about US$90, against the monthly rates above.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator cost in 5 currencies
LinkedIn lists a separate price in each currency, not a converted dollar figure. These are the starting prices per license on its compare-plans page.
| Currency | Core monthly | Core annual | Advanced monthly | Advanced annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US dollar | US$119.99 | US$1,079.88 | US$159.99 | US$1,799.88 |
| British pound | £94.99 | £959.88 | £130.00 | £1,499.88 |
| Euro | €120.99 | €1,088.88 | €148.21 | €1,693.88 |
| Canadian dollar | C$144.99 | C$1,199.88 | C$179.99 | C$2,039.88 |
| Australian dollar | A$154.99 | A$1,499.88 | A$189.99 | A$2,159.88 |
Taxes such as VAT may be added at checkout. Advanced Plus has no list price in any currency.
How the LinkedIn Sales Navigator free trial works
Sales Navigator free trial A free trial of Core or Advanced for LinkedIn members on no paid LinkedIn plan, including Premium, who have not used a trial in the past 365 days. You enter a card to start, and the plan converts to paid unless you cancel first.
LinkedIn says trial length may vary by region or promotion, and it emails a reminder 7 days before the trial ends. Cancel before the last day to avoid the first charge.
From free trial to first bill, step by step
This is the path LinkedIn describes on its compare-plans page and help articles. The step that catches people is the 4th.
- Check you are eligible No paid LinkedIn subscription right now, Premium included, and no LinkedIn free trial of any product in the past 12 months.
- Pick Core or Advanced Both plans offer the trial. Advanced Plus is sold through LinkedIn's sales team and has no self-serve trial.
- Add a card LinkedIn asks for a valid credit card before the trial starts.
- Watch for the 7 day reminder LinkedIn emails you 7 days before the trial ends. If you do nothing, the subscription converts to the paid plan you picked. Put the end date in your calendar on the day you start.
- Cancel at the end of a period Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current month on monthly billing, and at the end of the paid year on annual billing.
Monthly or annual billing, and which costs less
Annual billing is cheaper on both self-serve plans, but by very different amounts. Core annual is US$1,079.88, about US$90 a month against US$119.99 on monthly billing, which LinkedIn labels a 25% saving. Advanced annual is US$1,799.88, about US$150 a month against US$159.99, a 6% saving.
The catch is the commitment. On annual billing, cancelling stops renewal at the end of the paid year, not the next month. If you are testing Sales Navigator for one quarter of business development, monthly Core is the cheaper way to find out.
There is one route to a longer free period. LinkedIn's referral program lets a current subscriber refer up to 15 first-degree connections, and anyone who signs up through a referral gets their first 2 months free, if they meet the same trial rules.
The clause recruiters need to read first
Section 2.1 of LinkedIn's Service Terms limits Sales Navigator to sales, prospecting or business development, and says it must not be used for recruitment, talent sourcing, candidate identification or any hiring-related activity.
Sales Navigator vs Recruiter Lite for a recruiter
Recruiter Lite is LinkedIn's self-serve seat licensed for hiring. Our full comparison covers filters and alerts in more depth.
| What you compare | Sales Navigator Core | Recruiter Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed for | Sales, prospecting and business development only | Recruiting employees and consultants, for yourself or, as an agency, for clients |
| InMail credits | 50 a month | 30 a month per seat |
| Search filters | 50+ filters built around leads and accounts | 20+ filters built around candidates |
| Saved search alerts | Lead and account alerts | Up to 10 search alerts per seat |
| ATS integration | No. Advanced Plus syncs with sales CRMs | No |
| How it is priced | Published list price per license | Sold online; see our Recruiter pricing guide |
Recruiter Lite rows from LinkedIn's Recruiter Lite product page and help centre. Prices for Recruiter Lite are covered in our LinkedIn Recruiter pricing guide.
Is Sales Navigator worth it for recruiters?
For finding candidates, no. LinkedIn's terms rule it out, so the money buys a seat you are not allowed to use for the job. A recruiter who wants a LinkedIn seat for sourcing should price Recruiter Lite or the full Recruiter plans instead.
For an agency's business development, the answer changes. Finding hiring managers at companies that might become clients is a sales activity, which is what section 2.1 allows. An agency can keep one Core license for client development and use a separate hiring seat or sourcing tool for candidates.
Sales Navigator also has a structural gap for hiring: there is no candidate pipeline, no link to an applicant tracking system and no interview step. It was built to track accounts and deals.
How to pay less for Sales Navigator
Do
- Start on monthly Core while you test whether the leads convert
- Move to annual Core once you know you will keep it, for the 25% saving
- Ask a subscriber for a referral link, which gives 2 free months
- Buy Advanced only when you need shared seats, centralized billing or Buyer Intent
Do not
- Buying Sales Navigator to source candidates, which its terms forbid
- Starting a trial while another Premium plan is active, which makes you ineligible
- Letting a trial convert to annual Advanced without deciding to
- Expecting more InMails from a higher plan, since all 3 carry 50
Where The Cognitive fits for candidate sourcing
A plain-English brief read into editable filters, then searched across ~900M profiles of public professional data.
The Cognitive is AI sourcing for recruiters, so finding candidates is what it is for. You describe the hire in one line, it searches ~900M profiles of public professional data, and each match shows why it fits your must-haves.
What sourcing on The Cognitive costs
The Cognitive publishes its prices. AI Sourcing starts with the Starter plan at $99 a month for 1,200 credits. Each person a search shows costs 1 credit, a personal email costs 4 credits to reveal and a phone number costs 12, with phones available from the Growth plan.
Outreach is email sent from the recruiter's own mailbox, and it comes with every plan and the free trial. The trial runs 7 days with 50 sourcing credits and 2 AI interviews, and no card is needed. It does not replace an agency's Sales Navigator seat for client development; it covers the candidate side.
Contact details only when you want them
A shortlist where contact details stay hidden until a recruiter reveals them, one person at a time.
InMail credits cap how many people you can message each month. On The Cognitive you reveal a personal email or phone number only for the people you want, then email them from your own mailbox.
Related reading
Sales Navigator vs Recruiter Lite · LinkedIn Recruiter pricing · LinkedIn Recruiter Lite · LinkedIn alternatives · AI sourcing tool
Frequently asked questions
How much does LinkedIn Sales Navigator cost?
LinkedIn Sales Navigator costs US$119.99 a month for Core and US$159.99 a month for Advanced on monthly billing, per license. Annual billing is US$1,079.88 a year for Core and US$1,799.88 for Advanced. Advanced Plus has no published price; LinkedIn quotes it on team size, CRM integration and training needs. LinkedIn says its prices may exclude VAT and other taxes.
Is there a LinkedIn Sales Navigator free trial?
Yes, for Core and Advanced. It is open to members with no paid LinkedIn subscription, Premium included, who have not used a LinkedIn trial in the past 12 months. You add a card to start, LinkedIn emails a reminder 7 days before the end, and the plan converts to paid unless you cancel. LinkedIn says trial length may vary by region or promotion.
Can recruiters use Sales Navigator to find candidates?
No. Section 2.1 of LinkedIn's Service Terms says Sales Navigator must not be used for recruitment, talent sourcing, candidate identification or any hiring-related activity. It is licensed for sales, prospecting and business development. Recruiters who want a LinkedIn seat for sourcing should look at Recruiter Lite, which LinkedIn licenses for recruiting.
What is the difference between Sales Navigator Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus?
Core is for individual sellers, with 50+ search filters and Account IQ and Lead IQ. Advanced adds team seat management, centralized billing and Buyer Intent. Advanced Plus adds CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics and others, and lead creation in the CRM. All 3 carry 50 InMail credits a month. Only Core and Advanced have list prices.
Is Sales Navigator cheaper on annual billing?
Yes, on both self-serve plans. Core annual is US$1,079.88, about US$90 a month against US$119.99 monthly, a 25% saving. Advanced annual is US$1,799.88, about US$150 a month against US$159.99, a 6% saving. Annual plans cancel at the end of the paid year, so monthly suits a short test.
Is Sales Navigator worth it for a recruitment agency?
For client development, it can be. Finding hiring managers at companies that might buy your agency's services is a business development activity, which LinkedIn's terms allow on Sales Navigator. For candidate sourcing it is not an option under those terms, so agencies pair it with a hiring seat or a sourcing tool for the candidate side.
What does The Cognitive cost compared with a LinkedIn seat?
The Cognitive's AI Sourcing plans start at $99 a month for 1,200 credits. Each person shown costs 1 credit, a personal email 4 credits and a phone number 12, with phones from the Growth plan. Email outreach from your own mailbox is included on every plan, and the 7 day free trial gives 50 sourcing credits with no card.
Explore: Sales Navigator vs Recruiter Lite · LinkedIn Recruiter pricing · LinkedIn Recruiter Lite · LinkedIn alternatives · ZoomInfo pricing · AI sourcing tool · The Cognitive pricing