Free job posting is real but conditional: Indeed posts most jobs free within usage limits it does not quantify, LinkedIn allows one free post open at a time, Wellfound posts unlimited startup jobs at $0 forever, SimplyHired feeds Indeed free, Handshake posts free to students, EURES is mostly free across 31 European countries, and Google for Jobs surfaces your own careers page if it carries the right markup. The remote and tech boards — Remote OK, Working Nomads, Dice, We Work Remotely, Welcome to the Jungle — are paid from the first post, and Monster charges $10 just to set up. Prices are USD and were checked on 27 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free job board that fits
- Most roles, most places: Indeed — many jobs post free within unquantified usage limits; sponsorship from $5 a day moves you up.
- A professional role, one at a time: LinkedIn — one free job post open at a time, visible in search and to your connections.
- Startup hiring engineers and product people: Wellfound — unlimited job listings at $0 forever with a built-in ATS.
- Your own careers page, found by Google: Google for Jobs — add JobPosting structured data; no cost, no guarantee.
- Hiring across the EU: EURES — register free and post through your national employment service.
Which job posting sites & recruiting boards tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every board below lets an employer post at least one vacancy at no charge with no end date, with conditions the Scorecard records. Indeed’s condition is unquantified ‘usage limits’ and the fact that sponsored jobs outrank free ones; LinkedIn’s is one open free post; Wellfound’s is a startup audience; Handshake’s is students; Craigslist’s is that US job categories cost $10–75 while gigs and non-US cities are free; EURES’s is posting through a national system.
The paid boards are listed only to say so: Remote OK from $299, Working Nomads $199, Dice $399 a slot, Monster $8 a day with a $10 set-up charge, Welcome to the Jungle (which absorbed Otta) by quote. Glassdoor, Facebook’s revived job listings and Idealist could not be verified from their own pages and are marked unverified. ZipRecruiter is a trial with no prices on its page.
The table shows the free post allowance and the Free Score. Open a row for duration, applicant caps, sponsorship pressure and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I |
Free forever | Free posts within usage limits · some roles sponsored-only | No | 86 | Scorecard ↓ |
| W |
Free forever | $0 forever · unlimited listings · built-in ATS | No | 84 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Free forever | 1 free post open at a time · promote by budget | No | 76 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Free forever | Free · syndicated to Indeed | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| G |
Free tools | Structured data on your site · no guarantee | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| E |
Startup program | Mostly free · 31 countries · via national PES | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| H |
Free forever | Free job posts · students & alumni · 10 messages/mo | No | 68 | Scorecard ↓ |
| H |
Free forever | Monthly thread · one comment per company | No | 62 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Free forever | Free outside US job areas · US jobs $10–75 | No | 56 | Scorecard ↓ |
| F |
Free forever | Revived Oct 2025 · US · unverified | No | 46 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Trial d | Free trial · no prices on page | No | 36 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 27 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free job board plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1I
IndeedUS · many jobs can be posted free, subject to terms, quality standards and usage limits, and appear in search results; sponsored jobs from $5 a day outrank themFree foreverFree posts within usage limits · some roles sponsored-onlyNo card86⌄
- What’s free
- Free job posts included in search results, subject to Indeed’s terms, quality standards and usage limits
- Hard limits
- Feature availability for free posts ‘is limited and subject to change’ · some jobs are sponsored-only · usage limits not quantified · duration not stated
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated for free posts.
- Upgrade trigger
- Visibility — sponsored jobs outrank free ones
- Cheapest paid step
- Sponsored from $5 a day (per view) or $150 a month (per application)
- Best free for
- Any employer, for any role Indeed will accept free
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · indeed.com/hire/pricing (the cost-explainer page failed)
2W
WellfoundUS · job posts at $0 forever with unlimited listings and a built-in ATS or sync to your own; Reach Explore adds 20 contact reveals a month freeFree forever$0 forever · unlimited listings · built-in ATSNo card84⌄
- What’s free
- Job Posts $0 forever: unlimited job listings, built-in ATS or sync your own; Reach Explore $0 with 20 contact reveals a month
- Hard limits
- Job Ads from $200 are paid · a startup-focused audience
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Contact reveals or promotion
- Cheapest paid step
- Reach Starter $135/seat/month; Job Ads from $200 each; Autopilot $500 a month a role plus 10% placement
- Best free for
- A startup hiring engineers, designers and product people
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · wellfound.com/recruit/pricing
Why it ranks here. Unlimited and explicitly free forever — the clearest free offer in the category — to an audience that is only startups and the people who want to work at them.
3L
LinkedIn JobsUS · one free job post open at a time, visible in search results and to your connections; promotion is pay-per-click on a budget you setFree forever1 free post open at a time · promote by budgetNo card76⌄
- What’s free
- One free job post open at a time, visible in search results and among your connections
- Hard limits
- 1 open free post · duration and applicant cap not stated by LinkedIn (third-party: paused around day 14, closed at 30, 10–30 applicants) · reposting the same title within 7 days forces promotion (third-party)
- Time limit
- Not stated (30 days, third-party)
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- A second simultaneous post, or reach
- Cheapest paid step
- Promoted: your own daily or total budget (the page’s example is $10 a day)
- Best free for
- A single professional or managerial role
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · business.linkedin.com (LinkedIn Help is blocked); duration and applicant caps from 100hires.com, Aug 2026
Why it ranks here. The best-qualified audience for white-collar roles and the tightest allowance: one post, with limits LinkedIn itself will not publish.
4S
SimplyHiredUS · posting is free and an employer account costs nothing; posts also appear on Indeed, which owns it, at Indeed’s discretionFree foreverFree · syndicated to IndeedNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Posting a job is free and creating an employer account costs nothing; posts also appear on Indeed
- Hard limits
- Exclusions for job sites, staffing agencies and certain job types at Indeed’s discretion · duration not stated
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Sponsoring on Indeed
- Cheapest paid step
- Indeed sponsorship
- Best free for
- The same employer as Indeed, through a second door
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · simplyhired.com/post-jobs
Why it ranks here. Effectively Indeed’s funnel with an explicit ‘free’ on the page; no reason to use both.
5G
Google for JobsUS · add JobPosting structured data to your careers page and listings become eligible for Google’s job search experience; no cost, no guarantee of displayFree toolsStructured data on your site · no guaranteeNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- JobPosting structured data makes postings eligible for a special experience in Google Search
- Hard limits
- Required fields: datePosted, description, hiringOrganization, jobLocation, title, validThrough when expiring · Google does not guarantee display · needs the Indexing API or a sitemap
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- An employer with a careers page and someone who can add markup
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · developers.google.com
Why it ranks here. Not a job board — a way to make your own page one. Unlimited and free, with the work on your side.
6E
EURESEU · services mostly free of charge with a free employer registration; vacancies flow from national public employment services in 31 countriesStartup programMostly free · 31 countries · via national PESNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- Services mostly free of charge; register free as an employer; vacancies from national PES databases in 31 countries
- Hard limits
- Must post through the national system · some countries require national employer registration
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Cross-border hiring in the EU and EEA
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · eures.europa.eu (the cost of advertising itself is not stated on the page)
Why it ranks here. The official route to a continent of candidates, with the friction of each country’s own portal.
7H
HandshakeUS · Basic is free: post jobs free to students and alumni with ten messages a month; promoted jobs from $34 a day and Pro at $450 a monthFree foreverFree job posts · students & alumni · 10 messages/moNo card68⌄
- What’s free
- Basic Free: post jobs for free; 10 messages a month
- Hard limits
- 10 messages a month · promoted jobs from $34 a day · a student and early-career audience
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Outreach volume
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro $450/month
- Best free for
- Internships and graduate roles
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · joinhandshake.com/employers/pricing
Why it ranks here. The right audience for early-career hiring and no other.
8H
Hacker News Who is HiringUS · the monthly ‘Ask HN: Who is hiring?’ thread, free to post in under community rulesFree foreverMonthly thread · one comment per companyNo card62⌄
- What’s free
- Monthly Who is Hiring threads posted by the whoishiring account
- Hard limits
- Community rules — one comment per company (not on the fetched page) · a monthly cadence
- Time limit
- Monthly
- Card required
- No.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- None
- Best free for
- Engineering roles at companies HN readers would recognise
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · news.ycombinator.com (thread existence verified; rules not fetched)
Why it ranks here. Free, respected and once a month; a comment, not a listing.
9C
CraigslistUS · all postings free except job categories in the US and parts of Canada at $10–75 by area, and gigs at $3–10Free foreverFree outside US job areas · US jobs $10–75No card56⌄
- What’s free
- All postings free except the listed categories
- Hard limits
- US job posts $10–75 by area · gigs $3–10 · duration not stated · free status outside listed areas not explicitly confirmed
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- For paid areas.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- $10–75 per US job post
- Best free for
- Local roles outside the US, and gigs
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · craigslist.org/about/help/posting_fees
Why it ranks here. Free where it is free; the US job categories that most readers want are not.
10F
Facebook job listingsUS · job listings shut in 2023 and revived in October 2025 in Marketplace and Groups for US businesses, per a trade article; Facebook’s own help pages block our fetcherFree foreverRevived Oct 2025 · US · unverifiedNo card46⌄
- What’s free
- Businesses post from Pages or Marketplace, much like listing an item for sale (third-party)
- Hard limits
- US only at launch · adult services and in-person childcare prohibited · free or paid not stated
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Paid job ads
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated
- Best free for
- Local hourly and trade roles, once verified
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · storyboard18.com, 15 Oct 2025 (Facebook Help is blocked) — unverified
Why it ranks here. Possibly useful for local hiring; unreadable from Meta itself and marked accordingly.
11Z
ZipRecruiterUS · a free trial with no commitment, distributing to many boards; the pricing page shows plans by active job slot without pricesTrialdFree trial · no prices on pageNo card36⌄
- What’s free
- Start a free trial; upgrade, downgrade or cancel any time
- Hard limits
- Active job slots per plan, counts not shown · trial length not stated
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The trial’s end
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated
- Best free for
- A short test of multi-board distribution
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · ziprecruiter.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. A trial, listed because the brand is searched for; the page tells you nothing about what it costs.
Which free job board has no credit-card requirement?
Google for Jobs, EURES and Hacker News need nothing; Craigslist takes a card only in its paid areas. Indeed, LinkedIn, Wellfound, SimplyHired, Handshake and ZipRecruiter do not state a card requirement for free posting. Nothing auto-converts, but Indeed’s sponsored billing runs on the first of the month or at $500 of spend once you opt in.
The boards that charge from the first post are the exclusions: Remote OK from $299, Working Nomads $199, Dice $399 a slot, Monster $8 a day after a $10 set-up charge, Welcome to the Jungle by quote.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free job board fits your situation?
Any role, any company
Indeed, free.
Startup, technical roles
Wellfound.
One professional role
LinkedIn’s free post.
Graduates and interns
Handshake.
EU cross-border
EURES.
Own careers page
Google for Jobs markup.
Engineers who read HN
Who is Hiring thread.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, getting a vacancy in front of qualified candidates without paying per post or per click. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 27 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections through the Update your free tier form.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each board’s employer pricing or posting page and recorded free-post allowances, durations, applicant caps and paid promotion. Indeed’s cost-explainer page failed and its pricing page was used; LinkedIn’s Help pages are blocked, so its duration and applicant limits are cited from a third party dated August 2026; Facebook’s help pages are blocked and its revived listings are cited from a trade article dated October 2025 and marked unverified; Glassdoor’s, Jooble’s, Jobcase’s, Idealist’s and We Work Remotely’s posting pages failed and they are not scored. Remote OK, Working Nomads, Dice, Monster and Welcome to the Jungle were verified as paid-only.
Prices are USD.
Frequently asked questions
Can I post a job on Indeed for free?
Yes — Indeed states many jobs can be posted free, subject to its terms, quality standards and usage limits, and they appear in search results. Sponsored jobs from $5 a day rank above them, and some roles are sponsored-only.
How many free job posts does LinkedIn allow?
One open at a time, visible in search and to your connections. LinkedIn does not publish duration or applicant caps; third parties report a 30-day life and a 10–30 applicant cap.
Which job board is free and unlimited?
Wellfound — job posts at $0 forever with unlimited listings and a built-in ATS, for a startup audience. Google for Jobs is unlimited if you add structured data to your own careers page.
Is Monster free?
No. Monster charges $10 up front to set up a payment method and then pay-per-click from $8 a day.
Is Craigslist free for job posts?
Not in the US and parts of Canada, where job categories cost $10–75 by area; gigs are $3–10. Craigslist states all other postings are free.
Are Facebook job listings back?
A trade article dated October 2025 reports Meta revived job listings in Marketplace and Groups for US businesses. Facebook’s own help pages block our check, so the details are unverified.
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