LinkedIn Recruiter isn't the only option. Depending on your needs, alternatives can offer better features, lower costs, or both. This guide covers the top options and helps you decide which is right for you.
1. SeekOut
SeekOut
SeekOut aggregates data from LinkedIn, GitHub, patents, publications, and other professional sources. Its standout feature is diversity sourcing - the best filters in the market for gender, ethnicity, veteran status, and disability.
Why Choose SeekOut
- Industry-leading diversity filters
- GitHub integration shows actual code
- Multi-source aggregation
- Contact info included (emails, phones)
- Strong for technical hiring
Consider If
- Diversity hiring is a priority
- You recruit engineers/technical roles
- You want data beyond LinkedIn profiles
- You need verified contact info
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: Similar price, but adds GitHub integration and far better diversity tools. Worth it for tech teams or companies with DEI goals.
2. hireEZ (Hiretual)
hireEZ
hireEZ (formerly Hiretual) uses AI to automate sourcing across 40+ platforms. It's built for recruiting teams that need to find and reach many candidates quickly.
Why Choose hireEZ
- Searches 40+ platforms simultaneously
- AI-powered candidate matching
- Automated outreach sequences
- Contact enrichment built-in
- ATS integrations
Consider If
- You do high-volume recruiting
- You want automation features
- You need multi-platform search
- Your team values efficiency over relationship building
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: Better automation and broader search. Slightly cheaper. Best for teams prioritizing volume over individual relationship building.
3. Superstar Sourcing
Superstar Sourcing
Superstar Sourcing takes a radically different approach: no monthly subscription, just pay when you hire. Describe your ideal candidate in plain English, get AI-matched results, and only pay for the candidates you want to contact.
Why Choose Superstar Sourcing
- No subscription - pay only when hiring
- AI matching from natural language descriptions
- Preview matches free before paying
- Realistic cost: $10-15 per successful hire
- Simple interface, fast results
Consider If
- You hire occasionally (under 10/year)
- You can't justify subscription costs
- You want to try before committing budget
- You're a startup or small team
How Pricing Works
- Describe your ideal candidate (free)
- Preview matching candidates (free)
- Unlock 200-300 candidates: ~10 credits
- Get contact info: pay per reveal
- Typical total cost per hire: $10-15
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: Dramatically cheaper for occasional hiring. If you hire 5 people/year, that's $50-75 vs. $8,000+. The tradeoff is a smaller database, but for many roles that doesn't matter.
Try Superstar Sourcing4. Apollo.io
Apollo.io
Apollo is primarily a sales tool, but its contact database and outreach features work for recruiting. The free tier is generous enough for light use.
Why Choose Apollo
- Generous free tier (50 credits/month)
- Large contact database
- Built-in email sequences
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn
- Dual sales/recruiting use
Consider If
- You also do sales outreach
- You want a free starting point
- Email outreach is your main channel
- You need contact enrichment
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: Not a full replacement, but a good supplement for contact info and email outreach. The free tier makes it low-risk to try.
5. Lusha
Lusha
Lusha focuses on one thing: finding accurate contact information. The Chrome extension works on LinkedIn profiles to surface emails and phone numbers.
Why Choose Lusha
- High accuracy on contact info
- Simple Chrome extension
- Works on LinkedIn profiles
- GDPR compliant
- Free tier available
Consider If
- You use LinkedIn but need emails
- Contact info is your bottleneck
- You prefer email outreach to InMail
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: Not a replacement - a complement. Use free LinkedIn for search, Lusha for contact info, and email for outreach. Can dramatically reduce costs.
6. Entelo
Entelo
Entelo is an enterprise-focused platform with predictive analytics. It can identify candidates likely to be looking for new opportunities based on career patterns.
Why Choose Entelo
- Predictive "likely to move" signals
- Sophisticated diversity analytics
- Enterprise security and compliance
- Advanced analytics and reporting
Consider If
- You're a large enterprise
- Predictive analytics matter to you
- You need advanced compliance features
- Budget isn't the primary concern
vs. LinkedIn Recruiter: More expensive, but adds predictive features LinkedIn lacks. Only makes sense for enterprise teams with budget and need for advanced analytics.
Full Comparison Table
| Tool | Price | Best For | Key Advantage | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Recruiter | $8-15K/yr | Default choice | Largest database | Expensive |
| SeekOut | $6-12K/yr | Diversity & tech | Best diversity filters | Still pricey |
| hireEZ | $5-12K/yr | High volume | AI automation | Learning curve |
| Superstar Sourcing | ~$10-15/hire | Budget teams | No subscription | Smaller database |
| Apollo.io | $0-99/mo | Sales crossover | Free tier | Not recruiting-focused |
| Lusha | $0-79/mo | Contact info | Accurate emails | Contact info only |
| Entelo | $15K+/yr | Enterprise | Predictive analytics | Very expensive |
Our Verdict
If you hire occasionally (under 10/year)
Use Superstar Sourcing + free LinkedIn + Lusha for contact info. You'll spend under $500/year instead of $8,000+.
If diversity hiring is a priority
Choose SeekOut. The diversity filters are unmatched. Worth the subscription if DEI is a real business priority.
If you recruit engineers
SeekOut (for GitHub integration) or use free LinkedIn + Superstar Sourcing for a budget option. GitHub data is valuable for technical assessment.
If you do high-volume recruiting
hireEZ for automation or LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate for InMail volume. You need tools that scale.
If budget is your top constraint
Superstar Sourcing + Apollo free tier + Lusha free tier. You can source effectively for under $100/hire.
Best overall alternative
For most companies: Superstar Sourcing as your primary tool, supplemented by free LinkedIn and Apollo/Lusha for contact info. This combo costs 90%+ less than LinkedIn Recruiter with comparable results for most roles.