LinkedIn Recruiter rolled out their 2025 updates, and surprise surprise - they come with a price increase. Because nothing says "we value our customers" like charging more for features that should've been there all along.

Let me break down what's actually new and whether you should be pissed about paying 15-20% more for your seats.

What's New (Allegedly)

The headline feature is their "AI-Powered Candidate Matching" that's supposed to surface better candidates based on your search history and hiring patterns. In practice? It's LinkedIn's algorithm deciding who you should talk to instead of you making that call yourself.

They've also added "Smart InMail Suggestions" that drafts messages for you. User reviews on G2 are calling it "generic garbage" and "worse than ChatGPT." One reviewer said the AI suggested they reach out to someone about a "exciting opportunity in your field" for a very specific DevOps role. Real personalized stuff there.

The search filters got a refresh with "Skills Verification" badges that supposedly indicate when someone's skills are verified by assessments or endorsements. Cool in theory, except LinkedIn's skill endorsements have always been a joke - we've all endorsed our college roommate for "Java" when they took one class in 2015.

The Price Hike Reality

According to reports on Reddit's r/recruiting, LinkedIn is pushing 15-20% price increases on renewals, with the AI features positioned as "premium enhancements." Translation: you're paying more whether you want these features or not.

For companies with multiple seats, that's real money. A 10-seat contract that was $120K is now pushing $140K+. And if you try to negotiate? Good luck. LinkedIn knows they've got you locked in because where else are you going to source at scale?

What Actually Works

Here's the thing - the core LinkedIn Recruiter functionality is still solid. The candidate database is unmatched, search is powerful (when you ignore their AI suggestions), and InMail response rates are still decent if you write actual human messages.

The 2025 updates are window dressing on a product that didn't need fixing. The search was already good. InMail worked fine when people wrote personalized messages. The AI layer feels like justification for price increases more than genuine innovation.

The Verdict

Is LinkedIn Recruiter worth it in 2025? If you're doing volume recruiting, yeah, you don't have much choice. The candidate pool is too valuable to walk away from.

Is it worth the price hike? Hell no. You're paying more for AI features that range from "marginally useful" to "actively annoying." But LinkedIn knows they've got pricing power, and they're using it.

If you're up for renewal, try to negotiate based on seat count or commit to a longer term at current pricing. And for the love of god, turn off those AI InMail suggestions and write your own messages. Your response rates will thank you.

Rating: 3.5/5 - Still necessary, increasingly expensive, AI features nobody asked for.

Check out real user reviews on G2 and Capterra before your renewal conversation.