LinkedIn Premium's core features are InMail credits, full "Who Viewed Your Profile," applicant insights, Featured Applicant status, LinkedIn Learning access, and expanded search — with the specifics varying by plan (Career, Business, Sales Navigator). Many subscribers pay for Premium without using half of what it includes, so here's a clear breakdown of every feature and which ones actually matter.
InMail: message anyone
InMail lets you message LinkedIn members you're not connected to — the signature Premium feature. Credits range from 5/month (Career) to 15 (Business) to 50 (Sales Navigator), and you get a credit back when someone replies. Used well, InMail is how you reach hiring managers, prospects and valuable contacts directly instead of hoping a connection request gets accepted. For most subscribers, it's the feature that justifies the cost on its own.
Who Viewed Your Profile (full list)
Free accounts see only the last few profile viewers; Premium unlocks the full 90-day list. This is more useful than it sounds — recruiters, prospects and potential collaborators who viewed you are warm leads. Reaching out to someone who already looked at your profile converts far better than cold outreach. For job seekers and networkers, this feature surfaces opportunities hiding in plain sight.
Applicant insights and Featured Applicant (Career)
Premium Career's job-hunting features are its biggest draw. Applicant insights show how your skills and experience compare to other applicants on a posting, so you know if you're competitive before applying. Featured Applicant highlights your application to recruiters on eligible postings, increasing the chance it gets seen. Together they make Premium Career genuinely useful for an active job search rather than a passive badge.
LinkedIn Learning (included)
Every Premium plan includes full access to LinkedIn Learning — thousands of video courses across business, tech and creative skills, with certificates you can add to your profile. Sold separately this costs money on its own, so bundled with Premium it's real added value, especially for filling skill gaps while job hunting or developing professionally.
Expanded search and company insights (Business)
Premium Business and Sales Navigator unlock deeper search filters and company-level data — useful for finding prospects, candidates and partners, and for researching companies before outreach or interviews. The free tier's search is limited; Premium's expanded version is meaningfully more powerful for professional research and lead generation.
Features by plan
| Feature | Career | Business | Sales Nav |
|---|---|---|---|
| InMail credits/mo | 5 | 15 | 50 |
| Who Viewed Profile | Full | Full | Full |
| Applicant insights | Yes | No | No |
| Expanded search | Limited | Full | Advanced |
| Lead lists/alerts | No | No | Yes |
| LinkedIn Learning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which features actually matter most
Ranking by real-world impact: InMail is #1 for almost everyone — direct access to anyone is the core value. Who Viewed Your Profile is #2, surfacing warm leads. Applicant insights and Featured Applicant are #3 but only for job seekers. LinkedIn Learning is valuable but secondary. Expanded search matters for prospecting and recruiting. Knowing which features align with your goal determines which plan — if any — is worth paying for.
The bottom line
LinkedIn Premium's value is InMail, full profile-viewer access, applicant insights and LinkedIn Learning — with the plan determining how much of each you get. Use the headline features actively and Premium pays for itself; treat it as a passive badge and it's wasted money. DigitalTools sells LinkedIn Premium subscriptions at below-retail pricing with instant activation, so the features cost less to unlock.
