Head to head

Levels.fyi Jobs vs Work at a Startup

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

Levels.fyi Jobs

$1,000/mo Free tier

Levels.fyi Jobs puts your openings on the salary site that many senior tech workers check before they switch jobs. Posting is free, and paid plans cost $1k or $2k a month for companies under 10,000 employees. It fits tech employers hiring experienced engineers, product managers, and designers who are comfortable with pay being visible.

Where Levels.fyi Jobs fits

  • Tech companies hiring senior engineers
  • Employers with competitive pay to show
  • Teams that want free postings routed to their ATS
  • Recruiting teams that also need salary benchmarks

Work at a Startup

Free Free tier

Work at a Startup is Y Combinator's own job platform for the companies it has funded. YC publishes no employer price and lists it as a founder benefit. It only fits YC portfolio companies hiring engineers and early team members.

Where Work at a Startup fits

  • YC-funded startups
  • Founders hiring early engineers
  • Startups willing to show salary and equity
  • Teams hiring founding or first employees

At a glance

DetailLevels.fyi JobsWork at a Startup
Starting price$1,000/moFree
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underJob boards, Recruitment marketing, SourcingJob boards, Sourcing

Where they pull apart

Levels.fyi Jobs

Stands out: The audience arrives already comparing compensation, and Levels.fyi says over half of its 1.5 million monthly visitors are senior in their roles. The free tier lets you post jobs and route applicants to your own ATS at no cost. The Premium plan bundles promoted jobs with access to a talent pool where candidates show verified level and expected pay upfront.

Watch out: Both paid plans were marked closed beta on the pricing page, so availability may be limited. The audience is tech roles, so it is a poor fit for non-technical or hourly hiring. If your pay is below market, candidates on this site will see that quickly.

Not the right fit for

  • Hourly or non-technical hiring
  • Employers who prefer not to show pay
  • Teams needing wide job distribution to other boards

Work at a Startup

Stands out: Every employer on the site is a YC company, and listings show salary and equity ranges alongside the YC batch. Candidates use one profile across hundreds of startups, and founders can reach out to them directly. YC also promotes roles through its own events and expos.

Watch out: You must be a YC-funded company to post, so it is not an option for most employers. YC publishes no employer pricing page or feature list, so details of the recruiter tools are not public.

Not the right fit for

  • Companies outside the YC portfolio
  • Enterprise or high-volume hiring
  • Non-startup employers

Pros and cons

Levels.fyi Jobs

  • Free job posting tier with ATS linking
  • Senior-heavy tech audience that already compares pay
  • Talent pool shows verified level and expected compensation
  • Paid plans marked closed beta
  • Paid tiers start at $1k per month
  • Narrow fit outside tech roles

Work at a Startup

  • No published cost for YC companies
  • Salary and equity shown on listings
  • Candidates choose startups on purpose
  • Closed to non-YC companies
  • No public employer feature or pricing page
  • Audience skews to startup-minded candidates

What each one costs

Levels.fyi Jobs

$1,000/mo

Levels.fyi lists three employer plans on its pricing page. Basic is free and covers job posts, applicant tracking and attribution, and basic company profile and benefits page edits. Standard is $1k per month and adds three promoted job posts each month, an Actively Hiring badge, a culture tab, and a side pane that shows only your jobs. Premium is $2k per month and adds seven promoted jobs a month, a dedicated concierge account manager, monthly strategy calls, custom flair on job posts, and access to the candidate talent pool. These are the prices shown for companies under 10,000 employees; the page has a separate toggle for larger companies, and both paid plans are marked closed beta. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 26 Sep 2026

Work at a Startup

Free

Y Combinator does not publish a price for employers. Work at a Startup is listed among the benefits YC founders receive, and access is limited to YC-funded companies, so there is no plan a non-YC company can buy. Candidates join for free. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 26 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Levels.fyi Jobs or Work at a Startup for free?
Levels.fyi Jobs and Work at a Startup carry a free tier on our listing.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 26 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?