Head to head

Indeed vs Naukri

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

Indeed

PPC / subscription Free tier

The default job board for both free and sponsored listings. You set a budget and pay when candidates engage.

Where Indeed fits

  • Almost every employer buying application volume
  • Teams that already live on sponsored jobs
  • Employers who want organic and paid on one board
  • Small businesses posting without an ATS

Naukri

INR 400/post

Naukri is Info Edge's India job board and Resdex resume database. Classified posts start at INR 400 in non-metro cities. There is no USD rate card.

Where Naukri fits

  • India employers posting Classified roles in non-metro cities at INR 400
  • Metro hiring teams that will pay INR 850 Classified or INR 1,650 Hot Vacancy
  • RPO and staffing desks that already run Resdex as the India CV database
  • In-house TA teams hiring IT, BFSI, and operations talent on Naukri Inbox

At a glance

DetailIndeedNaukri
Starting pricePPC / subscriptionINR 400/post
Free tier✓Yes–No
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underJob boardsJob boards
Capterra4.5 from 7,613 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Indeed

Stands out: The board candidates actually open, with MCP and an API on top.

Watch out: Pay-per-click spend can outrun a small budget quickly, and it is not your ATS.

Not the right fit for

  • Anyone treating Indeed as their system of record
  • Executive search

Naukri

Stands out: Classified is INR 400 non-metro or INR 850 metro, with a 250-character description cap. Hot Vacancy is INR 1,650 per post across all cities, with branding, boosts, and no word limit.

Watch out: Resdex CV search is a separate packaged buy, not included in a Classified post. Job seekers browse free. This is an India hiring channel, not a US board.

Not the right fit for

  • US-only employers that need a USD job-board rate card
  • Teams that only want a resume database and do not want to buy Resdex separately

Pros and cons

Indeed

  • The default candidate destination
  • MCP and API available
  • Free listings plus a sponsored budget
  • Not an ATS
  • Click costs can escalate fast
  • Quality varies with spend

Naukri

  • Printed Classified floor at INR 400 for non-metro posts
  • Hot Vacancy at INR 1,650 adds branding and search-page boosts
  • Resdex remains the largest India recruiter CV database next to the board
  • No USD rate card, so US finance teams cannot budget off a dollar table
  • Classified caps descriptive fields at about 250 characters
  • Resdex search is not bundled into the INR 400 post

What each one costs

Indeed

PPC / subscription

PPC / subscription. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Naukri

INR 400/post

No USD rate card. Classified posts are INR 400 in non-metro cities and INR 850 in metro cities. Hot Vacancy is INR 1,650 per post across all cities. Resdex resume-database access is sold as a separate package. Job seekers browse free. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Indeed or Naukri for free?
Indeed carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Indeed or Naukri have an MCP server?
Indeed ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?