Indeed vs. LinkedIn: Where Can You Actually Hire for Free?
In the ever-evolving landscape of recruitment, small business owners and HR managers are constantly looking for ways to streamline their hiring process without depleting their budget. The two giants of the industry—Indeed and LinkedIn—both offer "free" options, but the rules have changed significantly.
If you are trying to decide which platform will give you the best return on your time and zero-dollar investment, you need to understand the current limitations and strengths of each. Here is a deep dive into how to hire for free and which platform truly wins the "cost-effective" crown.
The Reality of Free Job Postings
Many employers are surprised to find that "free" doesn't always mean "unlimited visibility." Both platforms use a freemium model designed to encourage you to eventually "sponsor" or "promote" your post. However, for most standard hiring needs, you can still find exceptional talent for $0 if you know the system.
Indeed: The Volume King
Indeed operates as a job search engine. Its primary goal is to provide the most relevant results to active job seekers.
The Free Policy: You can typically post up to three free jobs per month.
The Catch: Free posts "fall back" in search results as newer jobs are posted. Since thousands of jobs are added every hour, your free post may lose significant visibility after the first 72 hours.
Visibility Cycle: A free post on Indeed generally stays active for 30 days before it is automatically paused.
LinkedIn: The Quality Specialist
LinkedIn is a professional network first and a job board second. This means the audience is different—you are reaching people who are "passively" looking while scrolling their feed.
The Free Policy: You are allowed only one active free job post at a time.
The Catch: LinkedIn has strict duration rules. A free post is typically paused after 21 days and closed permanently after 30 days.
The Anti-Spam Rule: You cannot close a free post and immediately republish the same one to "reset" its visibility. You must wait at least 7 days between free listings for the same role.
Comparison Table: Free Features at a Glance
| Feature | Indeed (Free) | LinkedIn (Free) |
| Active Post Limit | Up to 3 per month | Only 1 at a time |
| Duration | 30 Days | 21–30 Days |
| Target Audience | Active job seekers | Professionals & passive talent |
| Best For | High-volume, entry/mid-level | Specialized, niche, or senior roles |
| Candidate Quality | High quantity, mixed quality | Lower quantity, higher quality |
How to Win with Free Postings: Expert Strategies
Since you aren't paying for top-tier placement, your job description has to work twice as hard. Follow these tactics to ensure your free listing doesn't get buried.
1. Optimize Your Job Title for Search
Avoid creative titles like "Sales Wizard" or "Marketing Ninja." No one searches for those terms. Use standard industry titles like "Account Executive" or "Digital Marketing Manager." This ensures the algorithm matches your post with the right search queries.
2. Practice Salary Transparency
Data shows that job posts with a clear salary range receive up to 3.8x more applications. Even if it is a free post, providing a competitive range signals to the platform—and the candidate—that your listing is high-quality and legitimate.
3. Use Screener Questions
To avoid getting overwhelmed by unqualified applicants (a common issue with free Indeed posts), use the built-in "Screener Questions."
Example: "Do you have 3+ years of experience in Project Management?"
Setting these to "deal-breakers" will automatically filter out candidates who don't meet your minimum requirements, saving you hours of manual review.
4. Leverage Your Employee Network (LinkedIn Exclusive)
Because LinkedIn is a social network, your free job post gains massive "organic" reach when your current employees share it. A free post on LinkedIn that gets 10 "Likes" or "Shares" can often outperform a sponsored post that has no social engagement.
Avoid the "Penalty Box": Why Your Post Might Disappear
Both platforms have quality standards to prevent "ghost jobs" or scams. Your free account could be flagged or restricted if you do the following:
Duplicate Listings: Posting the same job in multiple cities for free is a major red flag.
Generic Company Names: Using "Confidential" instead of a real business name often triggers a mandatory "Sponsorship" requirement.
Repetitive Reposting: Deleting and reposting every few days to get back to the top of the feed will lead to a "shadow ban" where your posts are no longer visible to the public.
The Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Indeed if you need to hire quickly for roles like administrative support, retail, hospitality, or general labor. The sheer volume of active searchers means you will get resumes within hours.
Choose LinkedIn if you are looking for a specific professional skill set, a department head, or someone with a very specific career pedigree. The "One Post" limit is restrictive, but the quality of the candidates is often superior.
The Pro Tip: There is nothing stopping you from using both. Post your most urgent "active seeker" role on Indeed and your most "specialized" role on LinkedIn. By diversifying your free strategy, you cover the entire market without spending a cent on advertising.