There are many differences between Indeed vs. Craigslist. While both sites can help recruiters find new employees, both are starkly different when it comes down to their features, services, and pricing. As a result, it can be difficult for companies to decide where to place their hiring efforts.

This article will walk you through the major differences between both products. If you’re still not sold on either Indeed vs. Craigslist, we can also recommend ZipRecruiter for finding employees. They’re one of the best resources if you need to hire fast, as most employers find a quality candidate within the first day of posting their job.

Who is Indeed?

Indeed is one of the most popular tools for recruiters – and for a good reason. Founded in 2004, Indeed has grown to become the largest job board site in the world with over 250 million unique visitors each month. Their success rate is also rather impressive. Out of all the job sites in the US, Indeed is responsible for 65% of new hires in the US, which is six times better than their top competitor, CareerBuilder.

Recruiters are able to post their job listings, search through their resume database (which currently has 200 million candidates), and manage incoming applicants through Indeed’s account dashboard.

Who is Craigslist?

Craigslist isn’t your traditional job board. Since 2005, they’ve operated as a classified advertisement site (similar to what you’d find in a newspaper). While they primarily list used products, apartments, or events, Craigslist also has a very active employment section too.

Craigslist receives about 2 million new job posts each month. It might not have all the complex features or offerings as other primary job boards, but its simplicity makes it an attractive option for many small or independent companies.

Posting on Craigslist is relatively straightforward, but you can learn more about what the process entails in our walk-through guide.

What’s the cost to use Indeed and Craigslist?

Indeed and Craiglist have two very different pricing models. Posting a job on Indeed is completely free, although companies can sponsor a post to increase its visibility. Sponsored listings are quite affordable and start at just $5 per day.

Utilizing Indeed’s more advanced features (like resume searching) also requires a paid membership. The Standard package costs $100 a month (or $960 a year), while their more advanced Professional package is $250 a month ($2,400 a year).

Craigslist charges per post, although they do offer bulk pricing if you need to list multiple jobs. The cost of each post depends on your location. Posting a job in a location with less competition starts at $10, while larger cities like San Francisco or New York City will cost $75 per post.

What’s the difference between Indeed vs. Craigslist?

While their core functionality is the same, Indeed and Craigslist are two very different websites.

Indeed can help companies of all shapes and sizes. Their membership base includes everyone from entry-level grads to C-level executives, which means you’ll have access to one of the largest and most diverse talent pools in the world.

Craigslist isn’t nearly as diverse when it comes to the type of jobs offered. While you might find some experienced or professional job seekers, the target audience tends to be people looking for temporary, part-time, or gig-based employment.

Indeed also has more features that can be helpful throughout the hiring process. Recruiters can create branded company pages, sponsor select job listings, or even search through resumes to take a more proactive approach to hiring. Unfortunately, Craigslist doesn’t have any of those features, as they only allow you to create a basic job post.

Which is better? Indeed vs. Craigslist?

Deciding whether to use Indeed or Craigslist will depend on numerous factors, including your industry, hiring goals, and company budget.

If your company is hiring for part-time or project-based roles, then you might be better off using Craigslist. There is far less competition, and the final cost will likely be more affordable than if you were to sponsor a post with Indeed.

But if you’re looking for more experienced job seekers to fill more traditional office-based roles, then Indeed is your best bet. There is more potential to find quality candidates and better resources to help you maximize your visibility. It’s also one of the only sites to offer free job posting, which can be incredibly beneficial if you don’t have a large budget to work with.

More Hiring Websites

Besides Indeed and Craigslist, there are many more websites that can help you with your employee search. If you’re looking to scale quickly, we suggest you sign up with ZipRecruiter. Not only do they have a network of over 100 other sites, but they also use intelligent AI-matching to connect you with your ideal candidates.