LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free version, such as expanded search filters, unlimited InMail messages, professional learning courses, and more profile views. If your Premium subscription has expired, you may be wondering if there’s a way to reactivate it for free. Unfortunately, there is no way to renew your Premium membership for free once the paid term has ended. However, there are a few things you can try to get Premium benefits without paying.
Check for any unused free trial offers
When you first signed up for Premium, you likely took advantage of the free 1-month trial for new users. Even if that initial free trial has ended, LinkedIn may offer additional free trials to entice you to re-subscribe. Check your account settings and inbox for any unused free trial offers. LinkedIn sometimes provides 1-3 free months when trying to win back previous Premium members. If you still have an unused free trial available, you can activate it to get Premium temporarily for no cost.
See if your company offers a free subscription
Many companies provide Premium subscriptions to employees as a work perk. Check with your HR department or manager to see if your company has this benefit. If so, you can get LinkedIn Premium at no personal cost by using your work credentials to sign up.
Use a Premium giveaway promotion
LinkedIn occasionally runs special deals or giveaways to provide free Premium. For example, they may offer 1 month free to members who participate in a marketing survey. Follow LinkedIn’s social media accounts and check their website for any limited-time Premium giveaways. You may be able to score a promotional free subscription. However, these offers are not common.
See if your school offers access
If you are a college student, you may be able to get Premium through your school for free. Many colleges and universities partner with LinkedIn to provide students with Premium subscriptions. Check with your academic institution’s career center, library, or technology department to see if they offer this. As a student, a free Premium subscription can be invaluable for networking, internship searching, and career development.
Use Microsoft Office access
If you have Microsoft Office 365 through school or work, you may already have access to LinkedIn Premium. Microsoft owns LinkedIn, and some Office 365 plans include Premium as an added benefit. Check your Office account settings to see if you have an unused Premium subscription available.
Try Premium for a low cost
While there is no way to get Premium for free consistently, you can pay a relatively low cost instead of the full monthly fee. Here are some options to lower the cost:
- Annual subscription – Paying annually rather than monthly reduces the per-month cost.
- Sales and discounts – Look for special offers around holidays and other times of year.
- Student discount – Students get a greatly reduced Premium rate of $14.95 per month.
Taking advantage of one of these reduced pricing options allows you to unlock Premium benefits for a fraction of the regular membership cost.
Use Premium features tactically
While a free full Premium subscription isn’t possible, you can still take advantage of some of the key features strategically, even without a paid plan. Here are a few tactical ways to gain Premium benefits for free:
InMail
You can message anyone for free once if you share a 1st-degree connection. Use your limited free InMails sparingly for only your most important outreach. Upgrade to Premium temporarily if you need more (use a free trial offer if available).
Profile views
You are limited to seeing just the last 5 profiles that viewed you with a free account. However, purchasing an individual “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” report in Premium unlocks the full list for that report duration. Use sparingly when needed.
Search filters
Use Premium’s advanced search filters, then save the searches. You can still view saved searches even after Premium expires.
Free Account | Premium Account |
---|---|
Limited profile views | Unlimited profile views |
Limited InMail messages | Unlimited InMail messages |
Basic search filters | Advanced search filters |
Switch to a free account instead
If you don’t want to pay anything for LinkedIn, you could downgrade or switch to an entirely free account like the Basic plan. While you won’t get all the perks of Premium, a free account still allows you to create a profile, network, join groups, follow companies, and search for jobs. Depending on your needs, you may be able to get by just fine without the Premium features.
Conclusion
The only way to fully reactivate Premium for free consistently is if you have an unused free trial offer or your company provides it as a perk. Beyond that, you’ll have to pay the monthly or annual fee in some form. However, you can occasionally score free months through promotions, utilize key features tactically without a paid plan, or switch to free Basic access if Premium isn’t necessary for your purposes. While not usually free, LinkedIn Premium provides valuable benefits for career and networking goals that can be worthwhile if you can get it at a discounted student rate or use trials and deals strategically.