At the core, both LinkedIn Recruiter and LinkedIn Recruiter Lite serve the same fundamental purpose: to help employers scour LinkedIn's extensive network for potential candidates. They both offer search filters, candidate search alerts, and InMail messaging capabilities, albeit to varying degrees​​. 

However, the devil, as they say, is in the details.

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Diving into the Details: LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn Recruiter stands out with its robust features, tailored for high-volume hiring and extensive recruitment needs. 

It offers:

• ‍Advanced Search Capabilities: With over 40 advanced search filters, LinkedIn Recruiter empowers users to sift through the network with precision and finesse​​.‍
• Higher InMail Quota: 150 InMails per month allows for extensive outreach to potential candidates​.‍
• Broadened Horizons: Unlike its Lite counterpart, LinkedIn Recruiter provides access to all public profiles on the platform, not just up to your 3rd-degree connections​​.‍
• Collaborative Capabilities: This version shines in team-based recruitment environments, offering multi-user dashboards and collaborative project management tools​.‍‍
• ‍Pipeline Optimization: It provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools for fine-tuning recruitment strategies, including acceptance rates for InMails and detailed candidate process overviews​.‍
• Targeting Candidates Open to New Opportunities: A unique feature allowing users to filter candidates who have indicated their openness to new roles​

​The Lite Alternative: LinkedIn Recruiter Lite

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, while more limited, is a cost-effective solution for smaller-scale recruitment efforts. It offers:‍

• ‍Simplified Search Functionality: With over 20 search filters, it still provides a decent level of search capability​.‍
• Reduced InMail Limit: The Lite version caps at 30 InMails per month, sufficient for less intensive recruitment campaigns​.‍
• Single User Focus: It is designed as a one-user account, without the option for adding multiple seats​.‍
• Limited Analytics: Though it includes analytics features, they are less comprehensive compared to the full version​

The Cost Factor: Deciding Between the Two

Cost is a significant consideration when choosing between these tools. 

These are some of the latest LinkedIn pricing indications (averages, rounded off):

• Recruiter Corporate: $10.800 per seat billed annually (or $1080 per month)
• Recruiter Lite: $1.680 per seat billed annually (or $170 per month)

For more information on price indication see this page.

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An alternative to LinkedIn Recruiter

Alternatively, there are many tools that can provide you the same amount of features as LinkedIn recruiter for a fraction of the price.