LinkedIn Recruiter is $8K+ per year — and you still do all the sourcing yourself. Here's the real cost comparison for passive SDR candidate sourcing.
Try Shortlist Free — 5 Candidates in 48 Hours →| Factor | Shortlist | LinkedIn Recruiter |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | ✅ From $199/mo (~$2,400/yr) | $8,000–$12,000/year per seat |
| Candidate sourcing | ✅ Fully automated | You search, you filter, you message |
| Passive candidate access | ✅ SDR-specific passive network | Full LinkedIn network (870M+ profiles, you filter) |
| Pre-screening | ✅ AI-scored before you see candidates | None — raw profiles only |
| Time to first shortlist | ✅ 48 hours | Days to weeks of manual work |
| SDR specialization | ✅ Purpose-built for SDR/BDR roles | Generic — all roles, all seniority levels |
| Outreach response rate | ✅ Handled by Shortlist | 10–20% InMail response rate typical |
| Best for | ✅ Founders & hiring managers (no recruiter needed) | Full-time talent teams with sourcing bandwidth |
Post your SDR role and get 5 AI-matched candidates in 48 hours. Free to start.
Get pre-screened SDR candidates in 48 hours →