Indeed vs. Monster at a Glance

Both Indeed and Monster are popular, but Indeed is more so. Indeed gets almost 57 million monthly users, while Monster has about 7 million monthly visitors. 

Indeed’s popularity comes from the fact that it pulls job listings from Monster, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter and other job boards. This means that it gets the traffic of all of these boards combined. On the other hand, Monster doesn’t aggregate. All of the traffic it has is from job openings that are native to its platform.

So, why might employers use Monster over Indeed given that job seekers don’t turn to it as much? Monster helps with other aspects of recruiting. For instance, it has a built-in applicant tracking system (ATS) to push candidates through every stage of the hiring process, including interviews, skills assessments and offers. Additionally, small, regional companies don’t need the same massive pool of candidates as large, international companies. In fact, the size of the pool may be too overwhelming for them.

Indeed Pros and Cons

Using Indeed comes with various pros and cons. Below are some of the main ones to consider before posting a job on the platform. 

Pros

• Free job posts: Indeed lets you post jobs for free. There is no limit to the number you can have live at once. 
• Sponsored job placements: If you want your job listing to appear higher on Indeed’s search results, you can boost it. Boosting starts at $5 per day. 
• Large resume database: There are millions of resumes on Indeed. You can access the database to search for qualified candidates based on experience, skills, location and other filters.  
• Job description templates: You can improve the quality of your job description by using Indeed’s free templates. Given all of the other job descriptions on Indeed, you want yours to stand out by addressing all of the details job seekers want.
• Virtual interviews: You can conduct virtual interviews on Indeed with its built-in video conferencing software. 

Cons

• A lot of competition: Indeed is incredibly popular, so your job listing needs to stand out to attract attention. 
• Resume database price: Resume views aren’t free. You need to subscribe to Indeed Resume to view resumes and message candidates. 
• Customer support: If you have any issues with your dashboard, it can be difficult to get help in a timely manner. There is no way to email or call customer support; you must submit a ticket online.

Monster Pros and Cons

Monster also has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here they are:

Pros

• Promotion: Monster has a vast network of partner sites and job boards. Your job listing will appear on them to increase visibility locally, regionally and nationally. Monster will also promote your job listing on social media.
• Hiring help: With a dedicated point person, you can get immediate help with your niche recruitment needs. 
• Built-in ATS: You can use Monster’s built-in applicant tracking system (ATS) to source, test, rank and contact candidates all in one place.
• Limited competition: Monster doesn’t attract as many recruiters as Indeed, which means you will be competing with fewer companies for top talent.

Cons

• Resume database: You can use Monster’s resume database to source potential candidates. However, the database is much smaller than Indeed’s and is only available through the most expensive plan, which is $299 per month.
• Paid plans: Monster isn’t free. To use any of its features, you must pay for a plan — the lowest of which is $12 per day.
• Limited integrations: You can’t integrate many ATSs with Monster, though there usually isn’t a need to since Monster has a built-in one.

Indeed vs. Monster Pricing Comparison

The free features for Indeed are vast. You can post jobs, use templates, incorporate assessments and interview candidates. You only have to pay to access the resume database ($120 to $300 per month) or to boost the visibility of your job listings (starting at $5 per day or $150 per month).

In comparison, nothing on Monster is free. You must pay a starting daily fee of $12 for Monster+ Standard to post jobs or a monthly subscription fee of $299 for Monster+ Pro to post jobs and source candidates.

Here is a summary of this information with a scannable table: 

Indeed vs. Monster Features Comparison

Indeed and Monster offer various tools to source, vet, manage and communicate with potential candidates — both free and paid. Below are some of the main features. 

Resume Search

Both platforms have a resume database, but Indeed’s is significantly more extensive. It has over 245 million resumes with more than 25 advanced filters.

Monster’s resume database is smaller with search filters for just skills, location, experience and veteran status. Monster’s database is also more expensive, costing $299 per month as opposed to Indeed’s resume starting price of $120 per month. 

Employer Dashboard

Employers get a dashboard that summarizes their hiring efforts with both Indeed and Monster. Monster’s dashboard comes with both plans, but there isn’t much detail on the website as to what the dashboard looks like. 

Indeed’s dashboard, on the other hand, is free and packed with tools. You can use it to track, message and interview candidates. You can also filter applications, update job statuses and access job description templates.

ATS Integration

You can integrate your ATS with Indeed for free. There are over 300 ATS integrations, which includes Workday, Breezy, ADP, Greenhouse and other popular platforms.

Monster has a built-in ATS. So, while it does integrate with some popular ATSs, its list is more limited because it wants you to use its own platform.

Interviewing

Indeed conducts virtual interviews directly on its platform. Monster doesn’t have this capability, so you’ll have to turn to Zoom, Google Meet or another tool for this.

Screening

Indeed has a couple free screening tools. You can use assessments to test candidates’ hard and soft skills. You can also add questions to job listings to rule applicants in and out from the beginning.

Monster doesn’t have any screening tools mentioned on its website. 

Mobile App

Indeed and Monster both have mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. These apps give you a way to monitor your hiring process from anywhere at any time. 

The Bottom Line

Indeed and Monster attract millions of job hunters every month, so you can find talent on either platform. You can use both platforms to cast as wide of a net as possible. Or, you can choose to focus your efforts on one platform. We recommend Indeed for large, international companies and Monster for small, regional businesses.