Quick answer: The best Indeed alternative depends on the role. For professional and tech roles, use LinkedIn (one free post at a time) and Dice ($399 a job slot). For wide reach on one post, use ZipRecruiter or Monster (from $8 a day). For students, Handshake is free to post. For startups, Wellfound is free and unlimited. For zero cost reach, add Google for Jobs to your careers page and post to your state job bank.
Why people leave Indeed: free posts are capped at three a month, jobs sent from an ATS are usually sponsored only, and Indeed’s free offer does not apply to staffing agencies.
Who this is for: small businesses, recruiters and agency owners who want more applicants, better fit or lower cost than Indeed alone gives them.
What are the best alternatives to Indeed?
Twelve job sites cover most hiring needs in the US. The table lists each one with its starting price as shown on the site’s own employer page, checked on November 8, 2026 unless marked otherwise. For more than 140 boards worldwide, see our full where to post jobs list.
| Job site | Best for | Free option | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, tech and office roles | One open post at a time | Your own daily or total budget | |
| One post sent to 100+ sites | Free trial | About $299 a month per job (reported) | |
| General US hiring, with CareerBuilder reach | No | $8 a day, or $299 a month with resume search | |
| Google for Jobs | Anyone with a careers page | Yes, always free | None |
| Facebook Jobs | Local hourly and trade roles | Yes | None |
| State job banks | Local roles, all levels | Yes | None |
| Students and new graduates | Basic plan, unlimited posts | Promoted jobs from $34 a day; Pro $450 a month | |
| Startups | Unlimited posts | Job Ads from $200 each | |
| Tech, IT and engineering | No | $399 for a 30 day job slot | |
| Tech and startup roles in big metros | Basic post and free ATS feed | Premium partnership by demo | |
| Ladders | Roles paying $100K and up | One free post a month (checked October 2026) | $599 a promoted post |
| Craigslist | Local hourly and trade roles | No, in the US | $10 to $75 a post by area |
Why do employers look for Indeed alternatives?
Most switch for one of four reasons, and each points to a different alternative.
- The free cap. Indeed allows up to three free posts a month posted directly on Indeed, each live up to 30 days, per its pricing explainer. Hiring for a fourth role means paying.
- ATS jobs cost money. Indeed marks jobs from an ATS, careers site or data feed as sponsored only, so teams that post through software pay for every job.
- Agencies are excluded from free posting. The SimplyHired posting page, which feeds Indeed, says the free offer does not apply to job sites or staffing agencies.
- Applicant fit. A huge audience brings volume, and for skilled roles much of it does not fit. Niche boards trade volume for relevance.
Our Indeed pricing guide covers what sponsoring costs if you decide to stay.
Is SimplyHired an alternative to Indeed?
No. SimplyHired is owned by Indeed, and every post made through it also appears on Indeed, free or sponsored. It is a second door into the same audience, not a different one.
Which Indeed alternatives are free?
Five strong options cost nothing to post. Use them before you spend anything, because together they cover a lot of ground.
| Free option | How it works | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Google for Jobs | Add JobPosting schema to your careers pages and Google can show the openings in its job search | You need a careers page with correct markup |
| LinkedIn free post | Post through Hiring Pro; shows in search and to your connections | One open post at a time |
| State job banks | Every state runs a public job bank linked to local workforce centers | Register once per state |
| Wellfound | Unlimited startup job listings with a built in ATS | Startup audience only |
| Handshake Basic | Unlimited posts to verified students and recent graduates | 10 candidate messages a month |
Google’s requirements are on its job posting guide, and you can find your state’s site through CareerOneStop. Facebook Jobs is also free for local hourly and trade roles after Meta relaunched job listings in 2025.
Is LinkedIn better than Indeed for hiring?
For professional, technical and office roles, often yes. LinkedIn members keep profiles current, and promoted posts add AI applicant sorting and 25 recommended candidates a day you can invite to apply, according to LinkedIn’s Hiring Pro pricing page.
The free option allows one open post at a time. Promoted posts run on a daily or total budget you choose, and LinkedIn’s example is $10 a day for 30 days, which costs $300 or less. For hourly and frontline roles, Indeed usually reaches more people per dollar. Full detail is in our LinkedIn job posting pricing guide.
Is ZipRecruiter or Monster a better Indeed alternative?
Both send one post to many sites, and they charge differently. ZipRecruiter sells a flat monthly rate per job slot and says it never charges per click or per application. It does not publish prices; reviews report Standard at about $299 a month per job. Our ZipRecruiter pricing guide covers each plan, and our ZipRecruiter vs Indeed comparison runs the numbers.
Monster publishes its prices. The Monster pricing page lists two self serve plans, and both publish jobs to Monster, CareerBuilder and Monster’s partner network.
| Monster plan | Price | How it bills | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster+ Standard | From $8 a day | Pay as you go; you pay when candidates click | Promoted posts on Monster, CareerBuilder and partners |
| Monster+ Pro | $299 a month or $2,990 a year | 299 credits a month for clicks and resume views | Resume search at 2 credits a view, messaging, unlimited users |
| Enterprise | Quote | Custom package | ATS integration, volume pricing |
Pick ZipRecruiter when you want a predictable flat bill for roles that stay open, and Monster when you want published pay per click pricing plus resume search on one $299 plan.
What is the best Indeed alternative for tech roles?
Dice, Built In and Wellfound, depending on the company. Dice is the long running board for US tech, IT and engineering talent. Its Dice pricing page lists a single job slot at $399 for 30 days, Starter at $649 a month month to month ($549 on an annual contract) with 3 slots and 250 candidate views, and Standard at $899 a month ($749 annual) with 5 slots and 500 views. Dice says 97% of companies that post receive an applicant within 24 hours.
Built In reaches about 5 million monthly visitors, 65% of them mid to senior level, and lets you post a basic job or cross post your ATS jobs for free, per the Built In job slots page. Its premium employer brand program is sold by demo.
Wellfound, formerly AngelList Talent, offers unlimited free job listings and Job Ads from $200 for top placement, according to Wellfound pricing. It also sells AI sourcing from $135 a seat a month and a done for you recruiter at $500 a month per role plus 10% on hire.
| Tech board | Entry price | Audience | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dice | $399 a slot for 30 days | US engineers, IT pros and contractors | You hire tech contractors or IT staff often |
| Built In | Free basic post | Tech workers in major metros | You want reach in tech hubs at no cost |
| Wellfound | Free; ads from $200 | People who want startup jobs | You are an early stage startup |
For senior tech hires, a board rarely does the whole job. Pair one with sourcing; our best sourcing tools guide compares the options.
What is the best Indeed alternative for entry level and hourly jobs?
For students and new graduates, Handshake. Its Handshake pricing page lists a free Basic plan with unlimited job posts and 10 messages a month, promoted jobs from $34 a day, Pro at $450 a month with 200 messages and AI applicant tools, and a quoted Enterprise plan.
For local hourly and trade roles, try Facebook Jobs, your state job bank and Craigslist. Craigslist charges $10 to $75 for a US job post depending on the area, per its posting fees page. Snagajob focuses on restaurants, retail and warehouses, and sells through signup or sales rather than a public price.
What is the best Indeed alternative for senior and executive roles?
Ladders focuses on roles paying $100,000 and up. Recruiters get one free post a month, and a promoted post costs $599, or $539 each in a 10 pack, with 8 weeks at the top of search results and inclusion in weekly emails to matching candidates, per its Ladders promoted posts page. LinkedIn and direct sourcing usually do more of the work for executive searches.
What does it cost to keep one job live for a month?
Entry cost to run one paid job post
Lowest published paid option per board, about 30 days
How do you choose the right Indeed alternative?
| If you are hiring | Start with | Add if you need more |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly or local staff | Indeed free posts, state job bank, Facebook Jobs | Craigslist, Snagajob |
| Office and professional staff | LinkedIn free post, Google for Jobs | LinkedIn promoted, ZipRecruiter or Monster |
| Software and IT | Built In, LinkedIn | Dice slot, sourcing tools |
| For a startup | Wellfound, Built In | Wellfound Job Ads |
| Students and graduates | Handshake Basic | Handshake promoted jobs |
| Senior roles above $100K | LinkedIn, Ladders free post | Ladders promoted, direct sourcing |
| As a staffing agency | LinkedIn, niche boards for your specialty | Dice for tech desks, ZipRecruiter or Monster for volume |
Run two or three sources per role and track where each hire came from. Our source of hire calculator shows cost per hire by channel, so you can drop the boards that do not pay off.
Can I post to all of these at once?
Yes. Most applicant tracking systems and multiposting tools send one job to many boards. Compare them in our job boards category, and check your ATS’s board list before buying anything new.
Should I stop using Indeed completely?
Usually not. Indeed’s three free posts a month cost nothing to keep, and it remains a strong source for hourly and general roles. The better move is to treat Indeed as one channel, add one or two boards that match the role, and let your source of hire numbers decide where next month’s budget goes.
Quick answers
What is the best free alternative to Indeed?
Google for Jobs, through job posting schema on your careers page, plus LinkedIn’s one free post, your state job bank, Wellfound for startups and Handshake for students.
What are Indeed’s biggest competitors?
LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter and Monster for general hiring, with Dice, Handshake, Wellfound and Built In in their niches.
Is Glassdoor still a separate place to post jobs?
No. Glassdoor job posting now runs through Indeed.
Is SimplyHired different from Indeed?
Not really. SimplyHired posts also appear on Indeed, which owns it.
Which job site is best for staffing agencies?
Indeed’s free offer excludes staffing agencies, so agencies usually budget for LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter or Monster plus niche boards such as Dice for their specialty.
Which site is cheapest for one paid post?
Among the big general boards, Indeed’s $150 monthly minimum and Monster’s $8 a day are the lowest published entry prices.
Does CareerBuilder still exist for employers?
CareerBuilder now runs alongside Monster, and Monster’s plans publish jobs to both sites.
The bottom line
Do not replace Indeed with one board; add the right ones for each role. Start free with Google for Jobs, LinkedIn, your state job bank and the niche free options, then pay where the role lives: Dice for tech, Handshake for graduates, Ladders for six figure roles, and ZipRecruiter or Monster when you need one post on many sites. Track cost per hire by source and cut what does not work. Browse 140+ more boards on our where to post jobs page.
Sources: Indeed pricing explainer, SimplyHired posting page, Hiring Pro pricing, Monster pricing, Dice pricing, Built In job slots, Wellfound pricing, Handshake pricing, Ladders promoted posts, Craigslist posting fees, Google job posting guide, CareerOneStop state banks
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