LinkedIn Guide

LinkedIn Sales Navigator Guide

Everything you need to know: features, pricing, and whether it's worth $99-179/mo for your sales workflow.

Last updated: February 2025

What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is LinkedIn's premium sales tool designed for B2B prospecting and outreach. It provides advanced search filters, lead management, and the ability to message prospects outside your network.

Think of it as LinkedIn with superpowers for sales: more data, more access, and better organization tools.

Sales Navigator vs LinkedIn Premium

Don't confuse Sales Navigator with LinkedIn Premium Career or Business:

  • Premium Career ($29.99/mo) — Job seekers, profile insights
  • Premium Business ($59.99/mo) — Business insights, unlimited browsing
  • Sales Navigator ($99+/mo) — Full sales prospecting toolkit

Sales Navigator Features vs Free LinkedIn

Feature
Sales Navigator
Free LinkedIn
Advanced Lead Search
40+ search filters including company headcount, revenue, technologies used, and more
Basic filters only (location, industry, title)
Lead Recommendations
AI-powered suggestions based on your sales preferences and search history
No lead recommendations
InMail Messages
50 InMail credits/month to message anyone (Core) or 150/month (Advanced)
Can only message 1st connections
Lead & Account Lists
Save leads and accounts to organized lists with notes and tags
Limited saved searches
Real-time Alerts
Get notified when leads change jobs, post content, or company news breaks
No sales-specific alerts
CRM Integration
Sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics (Advanced/Advanced Plus)
No CRM integration
Extended Network Access
View full profiles of 2nd and 3rd degree connections
Limited visibility outside network
Who Viewed Your Profile
See all profile viewers from the past 90 days
Only last 5 viewers

Sales Navigator Pricing (2025)

Sales Navigator Core

$99/mo

$79.99/mo billed annually

  • +Advanced search filters
  • +50 InMail messages/month
  • +Lead & account lists
  • +Real-time alerts
  • +Extended network access

Best for: Individual sales reps and small teams

Sales Navigator Advanced

$149/mo

$139.99/mo billed annually

  • +Everything in Core
  • +150 InMail messages/month
  • +TeamLink (see team connections)
  • +Smart Links for content sharing
  • +CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)

Best for: Sales teams needing collaboration and CRM sync

Sales Navigator Advanced Plus

$179/mo

Custom pricing

  • +Everything in Advanced
  • +CRM data validation
  • +Advanced CRM integrations
  • +Enterprise-level security
  • +Dedicated support

Best for: Enterprise sales organizations

Free Trial

LinkedIn offers a 1-month free trial of Sales Navigator Core. You can cancel before the trial ends to avoid charges. The trial gives you full access to test the features.

Do You Actually Need Sales Navigator?

You NEED Sales Navigator if...

  • +You do high-volume B2B outreach (50+ prospects/week)
  • +You need to reach people outside your network
  • +You sell to enterprise accounts with multiple stakeholders
  • +Your company requires CRM integration for compliance
  • +You need advanced filters (company revenue, technologies, etc.)

You DON'T need Sales Navigator if...

  • You're just getting started with LinkedIn outreach
  • You have a small, defined target market
  • Your prospects are in your 1st/2nd degree network
  • You're comfortable with manual prospecting
  • Budget is a significant constraint

Tips for Getting Value from Sales Navigator

Master Boolean Search

Use AND, OR, NOT operators to build precise searches. Example: "VP Sales" OR "Head of Sales" AND "SaaS" NOT "recruiting"

Set Up Lead Alerts

Configure alerts for job changes, company news, and content posts. These are triggers for timely outreach.

Use Saved Searches

Save your best searches and check them weekly for new leads matching your criteria.

Leverage TeamLink

If you have Advanced, use TeamLink to see which prospects your colleagues are connected to.

Track InMail Performance

Monitor open and response rates. Adjust your messaging based on what works.

Integrate with CRM

If you have Advanced, sync with your CRM to avoid duplicate outreach and track progress.

Sales Navigator + Automation Tools

Many LinkedIn automation tools integrate with Sales Navigator to leverage its advanced search and data. However, this means paying for both — $99+/mo for Sales Navigator plus automation tool costs.

LeadHunter: No Sales Navigator Required

Unlike many automation tools that require Sales Navigator, LeadHunter works with a regular LinkedIn account. Our AI handles lead discovery and scoring — you don't need to pay for advanced search filters.

  • With LeadHunter alone: $99/mo — AI finds and scores leads
  • Traditional tool + Sales Navigator: $99 + $99 = $198/mo

If you already have Sales Navigator for other reasons, LeadHunter can work alongside it. But if you're considering Sales Navigator primarily for automation, LeadHunter may eliminate that need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel Sales Navigator anytime?

Yes, you can cancel your subscription anytime. If you're on a monthly plan, you'll retain access until the end of the billing period. Annual plans have different cancellation terms.

Do InMail credits roll over?

No, unused InMail credits expire at the end of each billing cycle. Use them or lose them.

Can LinkedIn detect if I use automation with Sales Navigator?

Yes, LinkedIn can detect automation regardless of whether you use Sales Navigator. The key is using tools with safe, human-like behavior patterns.

Is Sales Navigator data more accurate?

Sales Navigator uses the same LinkedIn data but provides more visibility into it. Data accuracy depends on users keeping profiles updated.

Can I share a Sales Navigator account with my team?

No, Sales Navigator licenses are per user. Team plans provide individual accounts with collaboration features.

Skip Sales Navigator. Try AI-Powered Outreach.

LeadHunter's AI finds and scores leads automatically — no Sales Navigator required. Same price, more intelligence.

Start Free Trial

14 days free · No credit card · No Sales Navigator needed