LinkedIn

Comparing and Choosing LinkedIn Account Types

lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
May 9, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

LinkedIn has more than 1 billion members.

How can you make your personal or business profile stand out with this much competition?

First, you must choose the right account type for you.

With a variety of LinkedIn account types at your disposal, understanding how each one of them works is crucial for your career success.

We'll take look a each account type, so you can choose the best one for you.

Your Free LinkedIn Account

The first step in LinkedIn is setting up your free LinkedIn account.

This serves as a launchpad for your career, enabling you to create a detailed profile, connect with colleagues, and explore many job opportunities.

The free account is a solid tool for those starting to carve their professional niche or for seasoned experts to maintain an established network.

A well-crafted LinkedIn profile is your digital resume, and personal brand rolled into one. It showcases your skills, experience, and professional achievements to potential employers and connections.

You can search for jobs using basic filters, apply to positions, and receive job alerts tailored to your interests by leveraging the free account.
The free account also lets you join LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions, enhancing your visibility and engagement within your industry.

While the free LinkedIn account is a powerful tool in its own right, it is pretty limited terms of the platform's full potential.

Level up with LinkedIn Premium

LinkedIn Premium is a powerful ally for those seeking to amplify their professional presence and unlock advanced capabilities.

Its enhanced services are designed to propel your career, sales, and recruiting efforts to new heights, offering many tools beyond the scope of a free account.

Here's how much you have to pay for each LinkedIn Premium account:

  • LinkedIn Premium Career: $29.99/month
  • LinkedIn Premium Business: $59.99/month
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core: $99.99/month
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced: $149.99/month
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus: Custom pricing
  • LinkedIn Recruiter Lite: $170/month
  • LinkedIn Recruiter: $835/month
  • LinkedIn Learning: $19.99/month

With a Premium Career subscription, users gain access to advanced job search filters, detailed insights into who viewed their profile, and the ability to message recruiters directly.
This level of access can significantly increase your chances of landing your dream job.

It equips you with sophisticated algorithms to discover and connect with potential leads.
It offers deeper search functionality and personalized algorithms to help you find the right prospects.

For talent acquisition professionals, Recruiter Lite is an essential tool. It provides advanced search filters to pinpoint ideal candidates, a larger InMail capacity, and tracking features to manage your recruitment pipeline efficiently.

Expanding your business network has never been easier with LinkedIn Premium Business. This tier offers unlimited searches in your extended network, business insights, and additional InMail messages, facilitating global connection and collaboration.

Each LinkedIn Premium account type is crafted to cater to distinct professional needs, whether a job seeker, a sales expert, a recruiter, or a business leader looking to expand their enterprise.

LinkedIn Learning

As professionals continuously improve and learn, LinkedIn Learning offers a full library of online courses and resources.

This platform provides subscribers unrestricted access to an extensive library of educational content, ranging from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses across various industries and disciplines.

With LinkedIn Learning, users can dive into thousands of expert-led courses designed to foster professional development.
Topics cover everything from leadership and management to creative design, programming, and more.

Leveraging the power of LinkedIn Learning can significantly contribute to career advancement.
By acquiring new skills and certifications, professionals can showcase their commitment to growth and stand out in the job market or their current workplace.

Integrating LinkedIn Learning into one's professional journey offers the flexibility to learn at one's own pace.

LinkedIn Learning is a dynamic resource that aligns with your career aspirations and educational needs, whether you're looking to upskill, reskill, or simply explore new areas of interest.

InMail and Other Features

LinkedIn Premium unveils many exclusive features that can transform how professionals connect and communicate.

Among the most notable is LinkedIn InMail, a powerful tool that allows direct messaging to anyone on LinkedIn, even if they are not a connection.

Premium users can reach out to industry leaders, potential employers, or prospective clients without any prior connection.
This feature breaks down networking barriers and opens up new opportunities for collaboration and career progression.

The variety of Premium accounts cater to different professional needs.
From Premium Sales Navigator with advanced sales tools to Premium Career designed for job seekers, each account offers a tailored set of features.

LinkedIn Premium accounts provide a competitive edge, whether leveraging InMail to initiate conversations with key decision-makers or using advanced search capabilities to find the right opportunities.

These extras enhance visibility and reach and equip professionals with the tools needed for strategic networking and targeted outreach.

LinkedIn continuously updates and improves its products to keep up with professionals’ busy schedules.

They have introduced Sponsored Inmail to better manage and personalize your InMail campaigns.

But what can it actually do?

  • Outreach Personalization: Craft highly personalized InMails that resonate with your prospects. There is no longer a character count stopping you!
  • Mobile-optimized features: Your messages will look great on any , and you can include a CTA button, which will work on all your devices.
  • Reach members when they’re most engaged: Your prospects will receive your messages only when they are active. So you can ensure all your messages are delivered and won't be lost among alerts somewhere.

Specialized LinkedIn Accounts: Built for Niche Audiences

LinkedIn recognizes its user base's diversity and their varied needs.

This has given rise to specialized LinkedIn accounts such as Sales Navigator Advanced and other niche offerings catering to specific professional community segments.

For those in sales and business development, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced provides a set of sophisticated tools designed to enhance lead generation and foster meaningful business relationships.
Among the added features in Sales Navigator Advanced, you can find TeamLink.

With TeamLink, you can grow your network with the connections and networks of your colleagues.

This platform also offers advanced search capabilities, lead recommendations, and real-time insights into accounts and contacts.

Each specialized account comes with its own set of features and benefits tailored to meet the unique demands of its users.
Whether you're a recruiter, a sales professional, or an entrepreneur, LinkedIn has a subscription service designed to help you maximize your online professional activities.

Users can leverage a more targeted approach to networking and business strategy by choosing a specialized LinkedIn account.

These accounts are built with precision to provide relevant tools and insights that align with niche audiences' specific tasks and challenges, ensuring that every interaction on LinkedIn is as effective and efficient as possible.

LinkedIn for Businesses: Scalable Solutions for Teams and Enterprises

As businesses grow and evolve, the need for scalable networking and talent solutions becomes crucial.

LinkedIn offers a range of account types designed to support teams and enterprises in their quest to build a stronger professional presence and foster connections that lead to tangible results.

From LinkedIn Premium Business to LinkedIn Sales Navigator Enterprise, these accounts provide enhanced features like unlimited searches, more InMail credits, and advanced analytics.
They are engineered to support collaboration among team members, streamline lead acquisition, and facilitate more strategic decision-making.

You can combine Sales Navigator Advanced Plus with your CRM to amplify and improve your data.

With Sales Navigator Advanced Plus, you will also receive personalized insights.  

For example, with the Champions list, you can identify when your leads move to a new company. Or the At-Risk list, to know when they are leaving an open deal.  

How do they help? Organizations report improved visibility, higher engagement rates, and increased opportunities for growth after leveraging the platform's specialized business tools.

LinkedIn's business accounts offer robust tools to help businesses of all sizes maximize their LinkedIn experience.

By tapping into these resources, companies can better position themselves in the competitive landscape, ensuring that every connection and conversation adds value to their business objectives.

Transitioning Between LinkedIn Account Types

As professionals navigate their career journeys or as businesses evolve, the need to transition between different LinkedIn account types may arise.

When upgrading or downgrading your LinkedIn account, you should understand how to keep your professional tools aligned with your current objectives and future goals.

Upgrading to a LinkedIn Premium account is straightforward.
Simply click on “Try Premium” and you’ll get a list of options.

However, downgrading requires considering the timing to align with the billing cycle and what features will no longer be available.

It's important to review the benefits of each account type and assess how they match your career or business needs before making a change.

Things to Consider Before Shifting: Before transitioning to a different account type, consider the long-term impact on your networking, job search, or lead generation strategies.

Will the advanced analytics of a Premium Business account significantly benefit your team?
Does the Sales Navigator align with your sales goals?
Reflecting on these questions can help you make an informed decision supporting your professional aspirations.

Transitioning between LinkedIn account types should be a strategic move that propels you toward your professional targets.

By carefully considering your needs and the features available, you can select and switch to the LinkedIn account that best fits your career path or business strategy.

Key Takeaways

-> A free LinkedIn account can be a powerful job search and networking tool.
-> For those looking to further their career or business goals, LinkedIn offers various Premium options, including Premium Career, Sales Navigator, and LinkedIn Learning.

-> Your professional goals should drive your decision to invest in a LinkedIn Premium account. Choose the account that aligns with your objectives and offers the features that will most effectively help you achieve them.

-> The right LinkedIn Premium account is out there to help you reach new opportunities and guide you toward your goals.

lemlist team
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G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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