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ZipRecruiter and Indeed are two of the biggest job sites on the internet. They serve the same purpose – to help people find jobs – but they differ in terms of how they go about doing this, and the way they charge for job postings. As we did our research we found that Indeed is much larger than ZipRecruiter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better based on what you’re trying to accomplish. Whether you’re a job poster, or a job seeker, you will find this article helpful as you navigate the realm of job hunting.
This review will be focused on comparing ZipRecruiter and Indeed. However, if you’re ready to get started now, you can start using ZipRecruiter for free!
ZipRecruiter
Founded in 2010, ZipRecruiter allows an employer to post one job to multiple online job boards at the same time. As of this writing, the site claims that you can post your job to over 100 job boards, one of which is their own. As a job seeker, you have the possibility of being selected for an interview with one of these jobs when you post your resume on the site. The service is free to job seekers and free to try for employers for four days.
ZipRecruiter For An Employer
If you decide to use ZipRecruiter as an employer, you will have to choose a pricing option that works best for your company and exactly how many positions you’re trying to fill. ZipRecruiter claims that “80 percent of employers who post a job get a quality candidate through the site on the first day.”
You can set up payments either month-to-month, or annually, and alter or change your plan along the way. There is no limit on how many applications you can receive and you can also sort through resumes using the company’s dashboard.
You are given what they call a slot for each job posting. The amount of slots you get depends on the plan you go with, so the more you pay, the more job postings (slots) you can have. Once you fill a job with a slot you can start the process over again.
There is a TrafficBoost option that allows an employer to send out their job postings through email which ZipRecruiter says gets 3x more applicants. You also have the option to get top page placement for your posting.
For more information, check out our guide on how to post a job on ZipRecruiter.
ZipRecruiter For A Job Seeker
If you’re on your phone as much as, if not more than, your computer, ZipRecruiter might be worth considering seeing as how they have the highest rated job-seeking app. Once you’ve signed up, you can search for jobs based on location, keyword, or even salary. You’re encouraged to create a profile that is made public to the employers that you applied to. In addition to your resume you can add things like social handles, a profile picture, desired salary, and references; so it’s basically an expansion of your resume. Once your profile is complete you have the option of making it public, which means an employer could seek you out even if you did not apply.
As a job seeker, it is 100% free to create an account and search for jobs.
When you do apply to a job, it is almost like a text message window of dialogue between you and the employer which is a great way to establish communication.
Indeed
Founded in 2005, Indeed is the largest job posting site based on monthly traffic. It is free to use for both employers and job seekers, but employers can pay to have their postings at the top of the page and sent out through emails. As of this writing, Indeed has amassed over 200 million reviews, is represented in 60 countries, and accounts for 16.36 percent of market share among job boards.
Indeed For An Employer
Indeed is one massive job board where employers can list open positions for free. In this way, it is like a social media company where it is free to join, but you have multiple options to “boost” your posts so they show up on the top of searches. These are known as sponsored job listings and they charge in the form per click the same way Google Adwords does. Prices can range from $0 to $5 per click depending on the job and how much you are willing to pay for each click, which gives an employer a lot of autonomy in how aggressive they want to be with their postings.
Indeed For A Job Seeker
Indeed is really simple to use. You sign up and upload your resume, which can be either public or private for employers, and you can take optional assessments which can further bolster your profile.
Once your resume is uploaded you can search for jobs, and apply either directly through Indeed, or go on the company’s website (this is up to the company).
Indeed is also a great place to look for company reviews so you can see what past and present employees had to say about working for a company that you are thinking about applying to.
For a more in-depth guide, check out our Indeed review.
The Difference Between ZipRecruiter and Indeed As An Employer
As stated above, ZipRecruiter posts your job listing to multiple job boards and Indeed is just one in itself. Aside from the four-day free trial, ZipRecruiter is more of a SaaS service where Indeed is more of a job board. You have options to boost your posts in both, though. Because of this, ZipRecruiter will probably cost more, but your odds of finding qualified job candidates also increases.
| ZipRecruiter | Indeed |
|---|---|
| Pay per post | Pay per click |
| Starts at $249/month for one slot | Starts at $0 |
| Costs up to $1,569.00 per month for 50 reusable slots | Depends on the amount you’re willing to pay per click on a sponsored post |
The Difference Between ZipRecruiter and Indeed As A Job Seeker
Since both the services are free, there’s no harm in signing up to, and searching on both. In our research for this article, we found different jobs in each job board. Both companies have extremely positive reviews and are incredibly easy to use. It is worth noting that every on ZipRecruiter, every job you apply to is through them, but on Indeed you sometimes need to apply through a company website, which can take a lot more time. On the other hand, Indeed lets you be a lot more selective in your job search and shows how old a posting is.
Bottom Line
ZipRecruiter and Indeed are both great options for employers who want to find and hire candidates. Both sites have a variety of plans that cover most needs, but ZipRecruiter posts listings to more job boards, which could lead to finding a candidate faster. Overall, we find Ziprecruiter more intuitive and easier to use for most employers. For job seekers, consider signing up for both services since they are free. You can use both of them in your job search, or choose whatever one fits best after testing them out.