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Indeed vs Wellfound: the facts side by side

Indeed is a general job site that calls itself the world's #1 job site. Employers post jobs there, many for free, and can pay to sponsor them. Wellfound is a job site for startups. Companies post jobs for free, and candidates apply with a Wellfound profile. Below, what each one says about itself, with the source of every fact. The third column shows how Hiring Right Now works, for reference.

Indeed and Wellfound, side by side

IndeedWellfoundHiring Right Now
Who paysEmployers, for sponsored posts. A basic post is free for many jobs. Job seekers can buy a plan called Indeed Pro through Apple.Employers, for paid extras. Job posts are free. Job seekers never pay.Job seekers use it free. Paid options: an optional Plus plan for job seekers (not on sale yet) and featured or pinned listings for employers (self-serve posting is not open yet).
Price to post one jobA basic post is free for many jobs. The paid levels (Standard, Premium, Premium Plus) show no fixed price. Indeed recommends a budget and bills for clicks or started applications.Job posts are free "forever". Promoted Job Ads start at $200 per ad.Standard listing free for 30 days. Featured $29 for 14 days. Pinned $59 for 7 days. Self-serve posting is not open yet.
Where the jobs come fromEmployers post on Indeed, or send a feed with all jobs from their career site. Indeed says aggregators are not allowed.Startups post jobs on Wellfound themselves. It says 27,000+ startups hire there.The employers' own careers pages (Greenhouse, Lever and Ashby boards).
Where you applySome jobs let you apply on Indeed. Others send you to the employer's website.On Wellfound. You press Apply, add a note and send. The company sees your Wellfound profile and resume.On the employer's own page.
Account needed to applyIndeed's help page lists "Create an account or sign in" as the first step.Yes. The help page says to sign in and keep your profile up to date before you apply.No. You can search and apply without an account.
Payment methodsEmployers: a card or bank account on file (US bank debit), invoices by email. Indeed Pro is paid through Apple.Employers pay by credit card. Invoices can be downloaded.Crypto.

Where Indeed is strong

  • Far larger. Indeed calls itself the world's #1 job site (Comscore, total visits, March 2026) and reports 685M job seeker profiles.
  • Many more employer tools: Indeed Apply, candidate tracking, screener questions, video interviews and a resume database.
  • Employers can post today, and a basic post is free for many jobs.

Where Wellfound is strong

  • A large startup audience: 27,000+ startups hire there, and 10M+ candidates have opted in to hear from startups.
  • Employer tools beyond job posts: Reach for sourcing (from $135 per seat a month) and Autopilot, a recruiting service ($500 a month per role plus a 10% fee on a hire).
  • Free job posting is open to employers today.

Questions about Indeed and Wellfound

What is the difference between Indeed and Wellfound?
Indeed is a general job site that calls itself the world's #1 job site. Employers post jobs there, many for free, and can pay to sponsor them. Wellfound is a job site for startups. Companies post jobs for free, and candidates apply with a Wellfound profile.
Who pays on Indeed and on Wellfound?
Indeed: Employers, for sponsored posts. A basic post is free for many jobs. Job seekers can buy a plan called Indeed Pro through Apple. Wellfound: Employers, for paid extras. Job posts are free. Job seekers never pay.
Where do you apply on Indeed and on Wellfound?
Indeed: Some jobs let you apply on Indeed. Others send you to the employer's website. Wellfound: On Wellfound. You press Apply, add a note and send. The company sees your Wellfound profile and resume.

Sources

A fact that is wrong or out of date can be reported from the About page; it is corrected or removed.

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