Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It in 2025? Honest Review for Job Seekers | Apt Blog | Apt

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It in 2025? Honest Review for Job Seekers

Apt Team

1 year ago

LinkedIn Premium (Career plan) has become a hot topic for professionals hunting for new roles. Many wonder if the paid subscription lives up to the hype. LinkedIn itself reports that Premium members are 2.6× more likely to get hired than free users, thanks to tools like InMail, applicant insights and learning courses. This review cuts through the marketing to show exactly what LinkedIn Premium offers versus the free tier, how much it costs in 2025, and who really benefits (and who doesn’t). We’ll dive into key job-search features like InMail messaging, “who viewed your profile” analytics, applicant insights, interview prep, the Open-to-Work badge, and access to LinkedIn Learning. By the end, you’ll know if Premium is worth the spend for your career – or if the free LinkedIn tools are enough.

LinkedIn Premium (Career plan) has become a hot topic for professionals hunting for new roles. Many wonder if the paid subscription lives up to the hype. LinkedIn itself reports that Premium members are 2.6× more likely to get hired than free users, thanks to tools like InMail, applicant insights and learning courses. This review cuts through the marketing to show exactly what LinkedIn Premium offers versus the free tier, how much it costs in 2025, and who really benefits (and who doesn’t). We’ll dive into key job-search features like InMail messaging, “who viewed your profile” analytics, applicant insights, interview prep, the Open-to-Work badge, and access to LinkedIn Learning. By the end, you’ll know if Premium is worth the spend for your career – or if the free LinkedIn tools are enough.

Feature / Tool	Free (Basic) LinkedIn	Premium Career (Job-Seekers)
InMail (messages to non-connections)	Not included (0 InMails)	5 InMail credits per month, which refund when you get a reply. Users who send InMails to job posters see 1.6× higher response rates and 3× higher hire rates .
“Who Viewed Your Profile”	Very limited: only a few recent viewers and most identities masked. Free users see only ~5 days of data.	Full insights on all profile viewers over the past 365 days (names and trends, plus anonymous browsing). Helps you connect with recruiters who viewed you.
Featured Applicant Status	No – Your applications look like everyone else’s.	Yes – when you apply via LinkedIn, your submission is highlighted as a “Top Choice”/Featured Applicant to recruiters, pushing your name to the top of the candidate list.
Job Search Insights	Basic job search (limited filters, no applicant data).	Detailed insights on each job posting: number of applicants, their top skills, seniority, etc. Plus company hiring trends and new hire data to gauge competition. (E.g., see how your profile measures up against other applicants.)
Salary Data	Limited: you can use the free salary tool but see minimal info.	Instant access to full Salary Insights (drill down by role, location, education, etc.) – useful for benchmarking and negotiation.
Interview Prep Tools	General job-hunting advice only.	Premium members get exclusive sample interview answers from experts , plus video guides to common questions. You can even practice answers on video and improve with feedback.
LinkedIn Learning Courses	Limited/free trial only.	Unlimited access to 21,000+ expert-led courses (business, tech, creative), which you can complete to boost your resume and skills. (LinkedIn notes learning is one of Premium’s big perks.)
AI Message/Content Assist	No.	Yes – Premium unlocks AI writing tools that help draft messages to recruiters or even profile/post copy.
Open-to-Work Badge	Available (free) – you can flag yourself as seeking work with a green banner.	Available (free feature). (Research suggests the #OpenToWork banner can actually boost interview callbacks: in 2023, candidates with the badge had a 56% interview pass rate , ~5 points above average.)
Advanced Job Filters	Basic filters (e.g. keyword, company, location).	Additional filters (e.g. jobs with <10 applicants, “remote” etc.) and the ability to mark jobs as Top Choice (applications with this flag are 43% more likely to get a recruiter reply ).
Price (2025)	Free.	~$29.99/month or ~$239/year (annual). In other countries: about £20–£22 in the UK, ~50 CAD in Canada. (Premium Business tier is ~$59.99/mo.)
Free Trial	–	1-month free trial for eligible members (enter payment card, cancel anytime).

InMail Messaging: With Premium Career you get 5 InMail credits per month to contact people outside your network. This lets you reach hiring managers or recruiters directly. LinkedIn data shows candidates who message job posters with InMail are far more likely to get a response and get hired. Free users have no InMails, so they rely on connecting or applying only.
Who Viewed Your Profile (365-day insights): Free members see a very limited window of profile views (only the last ~5 days). Premium unlocks the full history of who’s viewed your profile for the past year. This insight is valuable – it tells you if recruiters or industry leaders are noticing you. You can then proactively connect or follow up with those viewers.
Job Search & Applicant Insights: Premium gives a behind-the-scenes look at job postings. You can see exactly how many applicants there are, the top skills they have, their seniority, location and more. You also see company hiring trends (growth by function, new hires, even alumni) so you know how the company hires. These Premium Insights help you tailor your applications and gauge competition. For example, you might discover most applicants list a skill you lack, so you can highlight that skill in your profile or learn it via LinkedIn Learning.
Featured Applicant / Top Choice: Perhaps one of the most touted perks – when you apply to a job on LinkedIn, Premium Career marks your application with a star/bold “Top Applicant” status. In practical terms, this pushes your name to the top of the recruiter’s applicant list (you stand out from hundreds of others). Our research shows Premium trial users got a “Featured Applicant” boost immediately.
Salary Insights: Premium members get instant access to full salary data for any role/location via LinkedIn’s salary tool. You can filter by company size, years of experience, education, etc. This is great for benchmarking your expected salary before interviews or negotiations.
Interview Prep Tools: LinkedIn now offers interview practice resources. All users get basic question lists and expert video tips, but Premium subscribers get exclusive sample answers to the top interview questions. You can practice and even record your answers. This feature rolled out fully in 2019 and continues to improve. In short, Premium gives you more structured guidance on what to say in interviews.
LinkedIn Learning: Premium includes unlimited courses (formerly Lynda) – over 21,000 classes taught by industry pros. Whether you need a certificate in data analysis or want to brush up on management skills, Premium covers it. Free members must purchase courses or get a limited trial.
AI-Powered Tools: Newer Premium features use AI. For example, an AI can help draft messages or social posts for you. There’s also AI coaching that recommends resources based on your career goals. These are budding features but can save time and polish your outreach.
Open-to-Work Badge (Free Feature): While not exclusive to Premium, we mention it because it’s a key job-search tool. You can add the green “#OpenToWork” banner on your profile photo (visible only to recruiters or all LinkedIn). Notably, in 2023 this badge turned into an asset: 56% of engineers with the Open-to-Work banner passed their interviews (about 5 points above average). In a tight job market, signaling availability can help you get noticed (and Premium features can amplify that visibility).
Advanced Search & Filters: Premium Career users can apply more granular job filters (e.g. jobs with few applicants, posted by recruiters, company headcount growth etc.). You can also tag jobs as “Top Choice” – applying this way makes you 43% more likely to hear back from the recruiter. These small perks give Premium users extra edges in the job pipeline.