Compare/Head to head

ClearanceJobs vs LevelUp IT

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

ClearanceJobs

Sales-quoted

ClearanceJobs is the job board and resume database for hiring people who already hold a US federal security clearance. Pricing is quote-based through a sales demo. It fits defense contractors, federal agencies, and cleared staffing firms that need Secret, TS/SCI, or polygraph candidates.

Where ClearanceJobs fits

  • Defense and intelligence contractors
  • Federal agencies hiring cleared staff
  • Cleared staffing and RPO firms
  • Roles needing TS/SCI or polygraph

LevelUp IT

$175/mo Free tier 5 day free trial

Searchable database of more than 1.2 million US IT resumes with contact details, built by an IT staffing firm from 14 years of its own candidate data. Recruiters search in plain English, filter by skills, experience and work authorization, and download resumes straight into their own ATS. Free gives 10 downloads a month for the first year; Micro is $175/mo, Starter $250/mo and Unlimited $500/mo.

Where LevelUp IT fits

  • IT staffing agencies sourcing US tech candidates
  • Recruiters filling Java, .NET, full stack, DevOps and cloud roles
  • Teams that want resumes in their own ATS rather than a job board login

At a glance

DetailClearanceJobsLevelUp IT
Starting priceSales-quoted$175/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialNot on record5 day free trial
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underJob boards, Recruitment marketing, SourcingSourcing, Job boards

Where they pull apart

ClearanceJobs

Stands out: Every candidate must be a US citizen with an active or current clearance, and the site reports over 2 million registered and 519,313 searchable profiles. IntelliSearch matches candidates to a pasted job description, and Workflow automates outreach when passive candidates become active. ClearanceJobs now owns AgileATS, a GovCon ATS with one-click candidate transfer and OFCCP and EEO reporting.

Watch out: No prices are published, so you need a sales call to budget. Resume database access is limited to US-based companies with US-citizen users located in the US. The audience only makes sense if the role needs a clearance.

Not the right fit for

  • Roles with no clearance requirement
  • Non-US companies
  • Buyers who need published pricing

LevelUp IT

Stands out: The Unlimited plan has no download cap at $500/mo, well below most job board resume search subscriptions, and profiles show work authorization up front so you can skip candidates who need sponsorship. The free plan is generous enough to test the data quality on real searches before paying.

Watch out: Most of the database comes from one staffing firm's past candidates, so some resumes may be years old and the people in them may not expect other recruiters to contact them. The vendor also pitches unlimited mass email to candidates, which can damage your domain's deliverability if you blast cold lists. It is a young product with no outside reviews yet; test the free downloads on a current search before committing.

Not the right fit for

  • Non-IT hiring
  • Recruiters who need fresh, opted-in candidates only
  • Hiring outside the United States

Pros and cons

ClearanceJobs

  • Candidate pool limited to cleared US citizens
  • AI-assisted resume search from a job description
  • Native push into AgileATS
  • No published pricing
  • Resume access restricted to US-based companies
  • Only useful for clearance-required roles

LevelUp IT

  • Unlimited resume downloads for $500/mo
  • Work authorization shown on every profile
  • Free plan to test data quality
  • Plain-English search with ranked results
  • Resumes may be stale; data mostly from one firm's history
  • Mass emailing cold candidates risks your sender reputation
  • Young product with no outside reviews

What each one costs

ClearanceJobs

Sales-quoted

ClearanceJobs does not publish prices. Employers request a demo to discuss job posting and resume search packages, and the job postings page describes pay-per-view posting packages that all include the full tool suite. BrandAmp, Promoted Job Slots, and the Enhanced Employer Profile are sold as add-ons. Resume database access requires a US-based company, and every user must be a US citizen located in the United States. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

LevelUp IT

$175/mo

Free gives 10 resume downloads a month for the first 12 months, with no card. Micro is $175/mo for 100 downloads, then $1.00 each. Starter is $250/mo for 250 downloads, then $0.75 each. Unlimited is $500/mo with no download cap. Adding a card starts a 5-day trial with 100 downloads, charged on day 6. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 6 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try ClearanceJobs or LevelUp IT for free?
LevelUp IT carries a free tier on our listing. LevelUp IT offers a 5 day free trial.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?