Free vs Paid UK Job Boards Compared

The cheapest UK job posting site in 2026 is any of the free channels (LinkedIn basic, Hacker News Who's Hiring, Wellfound core, Indie Hackers, your own careers page); the cheapest paid option is typically GeraJobs at £29/month for 10 active posts, undercutting per-role boards like Reed (£150+), Totaljobs (£150+), Otta (£299+), and Welcome to the Jungle (£420+/month). This guide compares them honestly — pricing, applicant volume, applicant quality, best role types, and which to use when.

The four categories of UK job board

UK job boards in 2026 fall into four functional groups. Matching board to role matters more than price:

1. Volume aggregators — Indeed, LinkedIn, Adzuna. Widest reach, lowest average applicant quality, most work to filter.
2. Quality-filtered boards — Otta / Welcome to the Jungle, Wellfound, GeraJobs. Pre-screen applicants (verified profiles, completeness scores, curation). Better ratio, smaller pool.
3. UK-specialist / general-purpose boards — Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, Monster UK. Broad UK reach, volume-priced, best for non-tech generalist roles.
4. Niche boards — CWJobs (IT contract), NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs, CharityJob, Hired, Stack Overflow Talent. Audience fit over volume.

UK job boards — 2026 pricing table

When free is enough

Free tiers work when you have any one of the following: (a) a recognisable employer brand, (b) a hot role in high demand (AI/ML, security, senior platform), (c) a deep personal network, (d) time (12+ weeks to hire), (e) a compelling role description (remote, equity, salary transparent, meaningful mission). In all these cases, combining LinkedIn basic + founder post + Hacker News Who's Hiring + Indie Hackers will typically surface 10-30 applicants in two weeks without spending a penny.

When paid is necessary

Paid channels earn their keep when any of the following apply:

• Time pressure: 4-6 week hire, need volume quickly. LinkedIn promoted + Indeed sponsored will deliver 50-200 applicants within 10 days.
• Niche role: e.g. a senior Rust engineer, a compliance officer with MLRO experience, a regulated-industry clinical product manager — niche boards (Hired, Dice, specialist communities) outperform general boards.
• Low-profile employer: early-stage startups or non-name-brand companies need a quality-filter layer (Otta, Welcome to the Jungle, GeraJobs) to compensate for weaker employer brand.
• High-volume hiring: 5+ roles per quarter → flat-rate subscription (GeraJobs £29/month, WTTJ £420/month, LinkedIn Recruiter) is cheaper per-hire than per-role boards.
• Geographic reach outside your network: hiring in Manchester from a London-based founder network, or hiring remotely across the UK beyond the South-East — paid boards fill the geographic gap.

Cost-per-hire analysis

Assuming an average UK tech role requires ~80 applicants to yield ~5 phone screens, 3 technical interviews, 1.5 offers, 1 hire:

• LinkedIn basic + founder network: £0 direct cost, ~15-30 hours of your time. Cost-per-hire: your time.
• LinkedIn promoted (£300 budget): ~£300 per hire if you're hiring consistently.
• Indeed sponsored (£250 budget): ~£250 per hire.
• Otta (£299 per role): ~£299 per hire for tech roles.
• GeraJobs (£29/month, 1 hire/month): ~£29 per hire at 1/month, £14.50 at 2/month.
• Agency (18% of £70,000 salary): ~£12,600 per hire.

Our recommendation

For most UK startups and SMBs in 2026, the cost-effective stack is:

1. LinkedIn basic post + founder LinkedIn/Twitter post (free)
2. Hacker News Who's Hiring, first-of-month (free)
3. GeraJobs £29/month for up to 10 roles (paid, flat rate)
4. Otta for tech/product/design roles specifically, £299 each (paid, per-role)
5. LinkedIn promoted or Indeed sponsored only for time-pressured roles

Total spend for a startup hiring 2-4 roles per month using this stack: typically £30-£700 depending on mix. Compared to a single agency placement at £10,000-£15,000, it's more than an order of magnitude cheaper.

Related reading

• Startup Hiring in the UK — Where Founders Post Jobs
• How to Find UK Tech Jobs in 2026 (Complete Guide)
• GeraJobs Employer Pricing