How much does Sales Navigator Core cost?
LinkedIn's plan comparison page says Sales Navigator Core pricing starts at US$119.99 a month per licence, or US$1,079.88 a year per licence, which it calls a 25% saving with annual billing. The page's FAQ was updated on 27 September 2026, and LinkedIn qualifies every figure: "prices listed above are estimates and may exclude Value-Added Tax (VAT), Goods & Services Tax (GST), and/or promotional discounts". It adds that pricing is subject to change and points to the trial checkout for actual prices.
The arithmetic: US$1,079.88 ÷ 12 is US$89.99 a month. Twelve months at US$119.99 is US$1,439.88, so annual billing saves US$360 a year. The same page lists Core at £94.99 or €120.99 a month, and Advanced at US$159.99 a month or US$1,799.88 a year, which LinkedIn calls a 6% saving.
Two terms matter before you start. Free trials are open to members not on any paid LinkedIn subscription who haven't used a LinkedIn free trial in the past 365 days, and LinkedIn asks for payment details, then emails a reminder seven days before the trial ends. If you cancel a monthly plan, it ends at the end of the current month; an annual plan runs to the end of the paid year.
What does Core add over free LinkedIn search?
More filters, more saved searches with alerts, and 50 InMail credits a month. This table puts LinkedIn's own help pages side by side, checked 20 October 2026:
| Feature | Free LinkedIn account | Sales Navigator Core |
|---|---|---|
| People search filters | Degree of connections, Locations, Current company, Past company, School, Industry, Profile language, Keywords and a few more; Actively hiring needs Premium | 50+ filters, including company headcount, seniority level, function, years in current position, changed jobs in the last 90 days and posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days |
| Saved searches | Up to 3, with weekly alerts | Up to 50 lead searches and 50 account searches, with weekly emails and homepage alerts |
| InMail | Receive unlimited InMail; no InMail credits | 50 credits a month, up to 150 banked, each used within 90 days |
| Search volume | A monthly commercial use limit; LinkedIn doesn't show how many searches are left | LinkedIn says upgrading increases profile searches and views; it gives no figure |
| Research tools | None listed for a free account | Account IQ and Lead IQ, Message Assist, Relationship Explorer, Relationship Map and alerts |
| Connection invitations | Subject to invitation limits | Subject to invitation limits; LinkedIn applies them to Basic and Premium members |
Sources: Search for people on LinkedIn, free vs Premium accounts, Sales Navigator filter definitions, saved searches, InMail credits, commercial use limit, invitation limits and the plan comparison page.
Account search has its own filters, including annual revenue, company headcount growth over the last 12 months, department headcount growth and job opportunities, which shows accounts with open jobs posted on LinkedIn.
Core does not include everything on the plan page. LinkedIn ticks Buyer Intent, TeamLink, Smart Links and team reporting only for Advanced and Advanced Plus, and its filter definitions mark Viewed your Company Page recently as available only to Advanced and Advanced Plus users.
What limits still apply on Sales Navigator?
Paying for Core changes search and InMail, and leaves several limits in place:
- Invitations. LinkedIn's invitation limit page says all members, Basic and Premium, are subject to invitation limits. LinkedIn lists Sales Navigator among its Premium subscriptions.
- InMail. You can't buy extra credits, every Sales Navigator plan gets the same 50 a month, and credits don't transfer if you cancel or change your subscription. An InMail that gets a response within 90 days returns its credit; one with no response does not.
- Temporary restrictions. LinkedIn's usage and restrictions page says InMail, invitations, searches or profile views may be restricted if its system detects unusual activity, and that restrictions are generally lifted after 24 hours. It adds that free trials may be more limited than paid subscriptions.
- Browser extensions. LinkedIn's Search in Sales Navigator page says browser plugins and extensions may limit your ability to search in Sales Navigator.
What does each InMail cost on Core?
About US$2.40 a credit if you use all 50 on monthly billing, and more if you don't. The arithmetic counts the whole listed price against InMail, though Core also pays for search:
- All 50 credits used: US$119.99 ÷ 50 = US$2.40 each, or US$1.80 on annual billing (US$89.99 ÷ 50).
- 25 InMails a month: US$4.80 each on monthly billing (US$119.99 ÷ 25).
- 10 InMails a month: US$12.00 each (US$119.99 ÷ 10), or US$9.00 on annual billing.
Credits returned for replies stretch the allowance. For example, if you send 20 InMails in a month and 4 people reply within 90 days, 4 credits come back, so those 20 messages cost 16 credits net. A connection request costs nothing, but a free account can add notes to only a few requests a month. Our InMail vs connection request guide covers when each wins, and our InMail templates help you write the first one.
When is a solo founder better off without it?
When free search already finds your buyers and you won't use the credits. Skip Core for now if most of these are true:
- Free filters describe your buyer. If location, current company, industry, school and keywords find the right people, Core's extra filters add little. Our guide to finding leads on LinkedIn without Sales Navigator shows how far free search goes.
- You haven't seen the commercial use warning. LinkedIn says you'll see a warning as you approach the limit, though it may not show if you run through your searches very quickly.
- Three saved searches are enough. A free account already gets three with weekly alerts.
- You'd send fewer than 25 InMails a month. Below that, each costs more than US$4.80 on monthly billing. That threshold is our rule of thumb, not LinkedIn's.
- Your plan depends on an extension that scrapes or exports. LinkedIn says extensions may limit searching in Sales Navigator.
If the reason to pay is finding people with a reason to buy now, there is another route. Siela's AI SDR looks for signals such as a role change, hiring or recent funding, and reaches out on LinkedIn without LinkedIn Premium or InMail.
When is Core worth paying for?
When your buyer is defined by company size, seniority or timing, and you will search every week. Core earns its price if:
- Your ideal customer depends on company headcount, seniority level or function. LinkedIn's help page on free people search doesn't list filters for these.
- Timing matters. The changed jobs in the last 90 days and posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days filters surface people at a likely moment.
- You run more than three standing searches. Core saves up to 50 lead searches and sends weekly emails when new people match.
- You sell to companies that are growing or hiring. Account filters for company headcount growth, department headcount growth and open jobs posted on LinkedIn narrow a list to companies in that moment.
- You will use most of the InMail credits. At 50 a month, each costs US$2.40 on monthly billing.
Choose Core over Advanced unless you need Buyer Intent or team features. LinkedIn calls Core best for individual sellers. Advanced costs US$40 more a month (US$159.99 against US$119.99), or US$720 more a year on annual billing (US$1,799.88 against US$1,079.88), and adds Buyer Intent, TeamLink, Smart Links and team reporting. Both include 50 InMail credits a month.
How to test Sales Navigator in 30 days
Treat the first month as a test with a number at the end.
Check you can get a trial
You need to be off any paid LinkedIn plan and not have used a LinkedIn free trial in the past 365 days. Have a card ready; LinkedIn asks for payment details.
Build three searches on filters free search doesn't list
Use filters that LinkedIn's free search page doesn't list: company headcount, seniority level and changed jobs in the last 90 days. Save each one so the weekly email arrives.
Log new matches every week
Count the new people each saved search finds who you would contact. If the count is close to what free search gives you, the filters are not earning their price.
Send InMail to your top 20
Write to the people you most want to reach and track replies. Each reply within 90 days returns its credit.
Divide the price by conversations
US$119.99 ÷ conversations started gives your cost per conversation. Compare it with what you would pay for the same result another way.
Decide before the reminder
LinkedIn emails you seven days before the trial ends. Cancel, or start on monthly billing and switch to annual only after a second good month.
Frequently asked questions
Do unused Sales Navigator InMail credits roll over?
Yes, within limits. LinkedIn gives every Sales Navigator plan 50 InMail credits a month. Unused credits carry into the next month, you can hold up to 150, and each must be used within 90 days. An InMail that gets a response within 90 days returns its credit. Credits don't transfer if you cancel or change your subscription, and you can't buy more.
Does Sales Navigator remove LinkedIn's commercial use limit?
LinkedIn's help page says upgrading to Premium Business, Recruiter Lite or Sales Navigator increases the number of profile searches and views you can make. It does not say the limit is removed, and it publishes no figure for either free or paid accounts. On a free account, the monthly allowance resets at midnight Pacific time on the first of each calendar month.
How many searches can you save in Sales Navigator?
LinkedIn's help centre says you can save a total of 50 lead searches and 50 account searches in Sales Navigator. Each saved search sends weekly emails and homepage alerts when new people or companies match. A free LinkedIn account can save up to three searches and get weekly alerts on them, according to LinkedIn's comparison of free and Premium accounts.
Can you cancel Sales Navigator after the free trial?
Yes. LinkedIn asks for payment details to start a trial, says you can cancel for any reason before the trial ends to avoid being charged, and emails a reminder seven days before it expires. After that, cancelling a monthly plan takes effect at the end of the current month, and an annual plan at the end of the paid year.
Is Sales Navigator Core or Advanced better for a solo founder?
LinkedIn describes Core as best for individual sellers and Advanced as best for sales teams. Advanced is listed at US$159.99 a month or US$1,799.88 a year, against US$119.99 or US$1,079.88 for Core. It adds Buyer Intent, TeamLink, Smart Links and team reporting. Both plans include 50 InMail credits a month.
Sources
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: compare plans and pricing (checked 20 Oct 2026 (FAQ updated 27 Sep 2026))
- LinkedIn Help: Difference between free LinkedIn and LinkedIn Premium accounts (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Search for people on LinkedIn (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Sales Navigator lead and account search filter definitions (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Save lead and account searches in Sales Navigator (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Understand InMail credits in Sales Navigator (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Commercial use limit (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Invitation limit reached (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Sales Navigator usage, limitations, and restrictions (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Search in Sales Navigator (checked 20 Oct 2026)