LinkedIn vs. Xing - a comparison
LinkedIN and Xing are social platforms on which you can make and maintain business contacts. We present you here both portals and your respective main target groups. You will also receive an overview of the fee-based tariffs.
International job network: LinkedIn
LinkedIn connects you with other people in the same professional field, unlike Xing, even worldwide. You can find out what the social network can do here:
- Reach: On LinkedIn you will not only find contacts from Germany, but also international companies. With 610 million users worldwide, the reach is greater than with Xing. In Germany, however, LinkedIn is slightly behind its competitor with 13 million users.
- Basic account: As a user of the free LinkedIn account, your options are limited. For example, you do not see completely who viewed your profile and are not immediately visible to potential employers. The free account is only useful for you if you only want to keep in touch with colleagues.
- Subscription prices: You cannot avoid a premium package for all features. Here you have the choice between four different subscriptions. If you are looking for a job, you can already get the JobSeeker package for € 26.17 a month. For employers who want to maintain contacts, LinkedIn offers the Business Plus subscription for EUR 41.64 per month. In addition, you can also choose between the sales package and the recruiter package, which cost EUR 57.11 and EUR 89.19 a month.
- Operation: LinkedIn has a similar structure to other social networks and offers a clean interface that will not overwhelm you. After you have initially created your profile and filled it with content, you can start looking for members for your company or for a new job. Operation is very easy. Should you still have any questions, short explanations of individual features will help you.
- Smartphone app: LinkedIn is also available as an iPhone or Android app. This way you can control the social network without any problems on the go.
Career network for Germany: Xing
While LinkedIn is represented internationally, the social network Xing focuses on the German-speaking area.
- Reach: 16 million users, including job seekers, companies and freelancers, use the Xing dating service. The range that you can achieve with Xing is limited to the German-speaking countries. If you are only looking for a job in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, then Xing is sufficient as a platform.
- Basic account: Similar to LinkedIn, first create a free account, but it does not yet contain all the features. However, you still use the basic functions of the social network: for example, manage your contacts and communicate with them. You can also submit a job advertisement.
- Subscription prices: In order to be able to use all features to their full extent, there is a premium membership. This allows you to see who has visited your profile and to contact people who are not on your contact list. With a 12-month term, you pay 7.95 euros per month. To unlock even more functions, such as more extensive profile information, you can take out the Xing ProJobs subscription for EUR 19.95 per month. Xing also offers the ProBusiness subscription especially for the self-employed, which costs 49.95 euros per month.
- Operation: Xing is also structured like a typical social network. You will be given active help in creating your profile and you will then receive initial contact suggestions. This way you won't be alone for long and can start looking for a job straight away. The use of the website is very pleasant and will not confuse you.
- Smartphone app: With the Android or iOS app of the social network, you can manage your profile and contacts on the go. This works very well and not only limits your networking to the home workplace.
Conclusion
Both social networks have their advantages and disadvantages:
- The reach of LinkedIn is many times higher than that of Xing. However, Xing is completely sufficient for job searches in German-speaking countries.
- The larger number of possible contacts, however, you pay very expensive: LinkedIn costs the cheapest subscription a proud 26.17 euros per month, while Xing costs only 7.95 euros. However, both offer a free account.
- Xing is probably more suitable for small to medium-sized companies, as well as for job seekers in German-speaking countries. For large companies, as well as for the international job search, LinkedIn is the better, but also more expensive solution.
In our practical tips, we will also tell you how to export your resume in Xing.