Best Job Posting Sites for Employers: Indeed vs. CareerBuilder and more

More than 18.5 million people are hired from online job posting sites each year.1 Posting your ad on a job search website can put you on the path to finding top-notch talent for growing your small business. To help you determine which job posting site is right for your small business, we compared two of the best job sites: Indeed and CareerBuilder.
Best Overall
Indeed
  • pro
    Free job posting
  • pro
    Unlimited search of 100 million résumés
Runner-Up
Career Builder
  • pro
    Database of 45 million résumés
  • pro
    Included advertising

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure.

On average, 245 people apply to one online job posting.2 That means you’re likely to find your next hire via one of the best job posting sites for employers.

But with so many employer recruiting websites available, how do you know which one will connect you with a qualified candidate who’s right for your small business? We’ve researched two of the biggest brands to help you find the best job posting site to attract first-rate talent and grow your business.

Let’s scope out the best choice for your next resume hunting expedition.

Compare Indeed vs. CareerBuilder

Plan name
Price per month
Job posts per month
Applicants you can contact per month
Learn more

Indeed Resume Standard

$100 per recruiter

Unlimited

30

Indeed Resume Professional

$250 per recruiter

Unlimited

100

CareerBuilder Lite

$219

1

500 (max 50 per day)

CareerBuilder Standard

$299

3

500 (max 50 per day)

CareerBuilder Pro

$599

5

500 (max 50 per day)

Indeed: Best site for job posting

Indeed is our top pick for best job posting website for small-business owners for good reason: it fills two times more job listings than any other job posting website.3 With more than 250 million visitors on their site each month, your job posting is likely to be viewed by many qualified candidates.

With the Indeed Resume plans, employers have unlimited searching capabilities of 175 million resumes, according to the company. You can find prospects based on industry, job title, location, and education level.

The Standard subscription fee is $100 per month per recruiter to contact a total of 30 job applicants. Meanwhile, the Professional Subscription is $250 monthly per recruiter for 100 contacts.

Best Overall Job Posting Site
Strengths
pro Free job posting
pro No up-front costs
pro No long-term contract
pro Unlimited searches of 175 million résumés
pro One $75 credit for a sponsored job listing with sign-up
Weaknesses
con $100 monthly minimum to contact job seekers
con Extra fee for premium ad placement
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CareerBuilder: Best for hiring skilled professionals

CareerBuilder is an ideal hiring website for employers pursuing experienced job seekers at the journey level and above. It has robust search capabilities that allow you to search for candidates by industry, salary amount, and years of experience.

Conveniently, CareerBuilder has iOS and Android mobile apps so you can review resumes from any location. This makes it easy as pie for small-business owners to directly communicate with potential employees from the palm of their hand.

With the CareerBuilder Lite plan, you can post one job per month and view up to 50 resumes per day for a monthly price of $219. Unfortunately, this plan doesn’t allow you to email candidates via the CareerBuilder site. Instead, you’ll have to contact them via your own email account.

Not to worry if you want something more convenient, though. The CareerBuilder Standard plan is $299 a month and allows you to post three jobs per month, view 50 resumes per day, and send up to 100 emails to job applicants from within the company’s website.

Best for Hiring Skilled Professionals
Strengths
pro Database of 81 million job hunters
pro No long-term contract
pro Included advertising with basic plan
pro iOS mobile app
Weaknesses
con No free job posting
con Extra fees for additional job postings
IndeedCareerBuilder
Cost$100 to $250$219 to $599
Potential candidates Over 175 million*Over 81 million*
ContractsNo long-termNo long-term
Résumé searchesUnlimited50/day
Visit site

*Based on company claims.

Other Popular Job Posting Sites

Upwork: Best for hiring freelancers

Upwork is our job listings favorite for small-business owners who are seeking freelance professionals but not full-time employees. If you need help with specific projects, temporary assignments, or contract work, Upwork can connect you with a freelance specialist or contractor to fit your specific needs.

Upwork screens freelancers and provides basic information to ensure you are connecting with reliable applicants. It evaluates candidates in a few ways:

  • Verifies email addresses to ensure authenticity
  • Collects work history, feedback on past projects, and job success percentage rates
  • Conducts online testing and provides results on various topics, such as customer service, office skills, and email etiquette

Registration and job posting is free with the basic plan. You negotiate an hourly rate or fixed sum payment with your freelancer, and Upwork charges 2.75% of the invoice amount. Freelancers pay a 5%, 10%, or 20% service fee depending on the amount billed.

If you need help vetting candidates, Upwork Plus may be a better option. For $49.99 monthly and a 3% fee on all payments, the freelance job search engine offers dedicated account managers to help you navigate the talent search process.

Or, if you’d rather have the entire recruiting process done for you, Upwork Talent Scout provides full-service recruiters that compile a shortlist of high-quality candidates on your behalf. The online job board claims this costs upwards of 50% less than traditional hiring agencies, although Talent Scout’s pricing isn’t publicly available to verify this assertion.

Best for Hiring Freelancers
Upwork
pro Free membership and job posting
pro Database of 10 million freelancers
con Limited vetting process with basic plan
Strengths
pro Free registration and job posting with basic plan
pro Database of over 10 million freelancers
pro Free mobile app to connect with freelancers
pro 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, or email support request
Weaknesses
con Time-consuming searching and vetting with basic plan
con Costly Upwork Plus plan without substantial additional value

Snagajob: Best for hourly work

Snag is our choice for small-business owners that are looking for part-time hourly employees. The digital job board boasts over 100 million registered hourly workers and 700,000 employer locations throughout the US and Canada.

While Snagajob doesn’t publicly post its prices, unconfirmed reports point to an $89 per month cost to post one job. There’s also reportedly a volume discount, such as listing five jobs for only $69 each—giving you a $100 discount.

It also offers a free scheduling tool that helps employers manage employees, which can do the following:

  • Create and publish a schedule in less than 10 minutes
  • Assign and trade shifts easily and in real time
  • Send messages to your entire staff or individual employees
Best for Hourly Work
Snagajob
pro Database of 90 million hourly job seekers
pro Free scheduling tool
con No free job posting
Strengths
pro Over 90 million registered hourly workers
pro No long-term contracts
pro Unlimited changes to job postings
pro Free scheduling tool for one location
Weaknesses
con No free job posting
con Extra fees for advertising

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a powerful reach and strong networking capabilities. With over 756 million members worldwide, you have access to a massive network of professionals. You can build your company brand by creating a LinkedIn page, and professionals can easily apply for jobs with their LinkedIn profiles.

Glassdoor

Glassdoor used to offer job postings, but now refers recruiters to Indeed instead. Still, Glassdoor is worth monitoring because your business’s employee ratings directly impact your recruiting success. If you’re well regarded here, you’ll likely snag fresh faces easier elsewhere.

Monster

If you’ve got a little extra cash to spend, then Monster is ideal for wide distribution. The purple-themed job search engine displays open roles on local news websites across the US. This means you’ll proactively reach prospects before they even start searching for work. This is in contrast to other sites that wait for people to trickle in and find you first.

Simply Hired

By using a network of other sites, Simply Hired can reach a vast number of job seekers. Small-business owners can post jobs for free, and within minutes, the listings are automatically shared with over 100 job boards, including its publishing partner Indeed. But if you try to post a job on Simply Hired, you will be redirected to a form on the Indeed website to create a free account.

Job Posting Site FAQs

What factors should I consider when choosing a job posting site?

There are several factors to consider when choosing a job posting site, and each may require some research:

  • How many people will see my job posting? Find out the number of site visitors.
  • Will the right person see my job listing? Look to see if similar career path opportunities have been posted. For example, don’t post an accounting job on a job posting site that only has marketing careers.
  • How much does it cost to post an ad? Set a recruiting budget; jobs are typically posted for at least 30 days.
  • How many résumés can I review? See if you’re limited in how many résumés you can see a day, a month, or a year. The more you can review, the higher the chances for filling job openings.
  • How quickly can I fill the position? Consider paying extra for premium ad placement if you need to hire immediately. But remember, it also depends on the career type you are looking for.

How do you create the best job post?

To increase your odds of attracting qualified candidates and to avoid getting a bunch of unwanted applications, follow these four steps for the best job posting:

  • Use key career words and industry-specific terms to improve SEO.
  • Be clear and concise in the job description; thoroughly outline required qualifications and experience.
  • Include the work location, which can be a deal-breaker for some applicants. If you’re open to candidates working from home, include that too.
  • Provide company information—such as business values, the company mission statement, and workplace culture—to find the best fit.

To help your business stand out, you may want to include employee benefits in your job posting. Paid vacations and holidays, health plans, and fun perks, such as gym memberships or free lunches, can make your business more appealing to job candidates.

Finally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workers now want robust safety protocols and flexibility in working conditions. As a result, you’ll want to clarify how you’re addressing employee health concerns, along with any special liberties like being able to work from home.

Pin
Fun fact:

To help you craft a job posting that will stand out from the rest, Indeed offers a few suggestions. It also provides nearly 500 sample job descriptions to help you get started.

Final verdict

Because of its no-cost job posting, volume of job seekers, and number of hires delivered, Indeed is our favorite job posting site for small businesses. But depending on who you are planning on hiring (from an office manager to a data analyst) and  your unique needs, you may find that one of the other job posting sites is right for you.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources

1. Statistic Brain, “Online Employment Job Posting Website Statistics
2. Statistic Brain, “Online Employment Job Posting Website Statistics
3. SilkRoad, “Sources of Hire 2017
4. Glassdoor, “Glassdoor Survey, 2016

Sarah Ryther Francom
Written by
Sarah is Business.org’s senior content editor. She has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing business-focused content. As the former editor-in-chief of Utah Business magazine, Sarah oversaw the state’s premier business publication, developed several custom publications, and managed all business-to-business content. She also co-authored a business book with FJ Management CEO Crystal Maggelet. Sarah is passionate about helping small-business owners reach sustained success.
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