LinkedIn Premium vs. Sales Navigator, Which One to Pay for?

A free LinkedIn account provides basic networking, profile presence, and engagement capabilities for sales. It enables relationship building through connections, content sharing, and group participation. But it has limitations: you can’t see who viewed your profile, no InMail messages, limited company search, and visibility into an extended network.

Therefore, if you are a sales professional, startup owner, digital marketer, or recruiter, seeking the most cost-effective solution for your specific professional needs. This post will help you compare LinkedIn Premium vs. LinkedIn Sales Navigator. So you can figure out how they can help you expand your businesses, which is worth paying.

LinkedIn Premium vs. LinkedIn Sales Navigator Meaning

What is LinkedIn Premium

LinkedIn Premium is a paid subscription service offering enhanced networking and career tools beyond the free account. It offers four tiers: LinkedIn Career, LinkedIn Business, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core, and Recruiter Lite. Each provides advanced features like detailed profile analytics, unlimited profile searches, competitor insights, and premium business insights.

For sales professionals, Premium enhances sales capabilities through unlimited people browsing, 15 monthly InMail credits, advanced search filters, and detailed competitor insights. Users can see who viewed their profile, access sales insights, benchmark against competitors, and gain credibility through profile badges and analytics to improve prospecting effectiveness.

What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a solution tool specially designed for sales professionals. It offers advanced prospecting tools including lead recommendations, real-time alerts about prospects, advanced search filters, and CRM integration. Users can save leads, track accounts, access TeamLink for warm introductions, and receive customized insights about target companies and decision-makers. With 50 monthly InMail credits and features like Smart Links for content sharing, it enables strategic account-based selling and relationship building at scale.

Sales Navigator offers three plans, Core, Advanced, and Advanced Plus. That is to say, a Sales Navigator subscription includes access to Premium Business features (Premium offers Sales Navigator Core that is already included in the whole Sales Navigator).

LinkedIn Premium vs. Sales Navigator Pricing

LinkedIn Premium plans range from $29.99 to $170.00 monthly across Career, Business, Sales Navigator Core, and Recruiter Lite tiers, each offering specialized features for different professional needs with annual discount options.

Sales Navigator has different price plans, starting at $99.99/month for individual users (Core plan), with higher tiers available for teams and enterprises. Sales Navigator Advanced pays as little as $139.99* / month per license when billed annually.

LinkedIn Premium vs. Sales Navigator Features

While both are premium services, LinkedIn Premium is a general-purpose upgrade focusing on networking, career development, and basic business features. Sales Navigator is a specialized sales-focused platform built on top of LinkedIn, offering more advanced prospecting, lead generation, and sales-specific tools with deeper insights.

Check the side-by-side comparisons below:

Category	LinkedIn Premium	LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Target	Broader focus on professional networking	Sales-specific functionality
Key Features	1. Career-oriented features 2. Learning courses 3. Basic business insights 4. 15 InMail credits	1. Lead/account management 2. CRM integration 3. Advanced sales insights 4. 50 InMail credits 5. Team collaboration
Cost	Lower cost (starting at $29.99/month)	Higher cost (starting at $99.99/month)

Is LinkedIn Premium Worthy for Sales or Sales Navigator?

LinkedIn Premium offers limited value for dedicated sales professionals. It is cheaper as a general tool for serious sales work. Sales Navigator is highly worthy for sales professionals, justifying its $99.99/month cost through specialized features. For a dedicated sales team with enough budget, its targeted tools and deeper insights provide clear ROI in pipeline development and account management.

Key Comparison Points for their Worthy:

Feature Category	LinkedIn Premium	Sales Navigator
Target Users	Beginners, casual sellers	Professional sales teams
PROS	• Lower cost • Good for beginners • Basic networking features • Easier to learn • Sufficient for casual selling • Access to basic analytics	• Purpose-built for sales • Advanced prospecting tools • More InMail credits (50/month) • Better lead management • Real-time prospect alerts • CRM integration • Team collaboration features
CONS	• Limited sales-specific features • Fewer InMail credits (15/month) • Basic search capabilities • No CRM integration • Limited lead management • No advanced sales insights	• Higher cost • Steeper learning curve • Might be overkill for casual sellers • Requires time investment to master • More expensive team plans • Complex feature set

FAQs

Does LinkedIn Premium include Sales Navigator?

No, LinkedIn Premium and Sales Navigator are separate subscriptions. While both are premium services, Sales Navigator is a standalone product not included in any LinkedIn Premium plans. You must subscribe to each service separately.

LinkedIn Premium’s Sales Navigator Core vs. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator Core is specifically the basic version of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, offering foundational features for individual sales professionals, while LinkedIn Sales Navigator refers to the entire suite of sales solutions. They’re related but not identical – Core is one tier within the broader Sales Navigator product.

Think of it this way:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator = The overall product family
• Sales Navigator Core = The entry-level version of the product

Conclusion

LinkedIn Premium and Sales Navigator serve different purposes: Premium enhances general professional networking and career development, while Sales Navigator is a dedicated sales platform with specialized prospecting and engagement tools. You can choose Premium for entry-level sales, limited budget, or occasional selling needs, or choose Sales Navigator for serious sales professionals requiring advanced prospecting and lead management tools.