💡 Quick Take: SimplyHired aggregates millions of job listings from across the web into a single searchable platform, offering free access with straightforward filters and salary estimator tools that help job seekers compare opportunities.
SimplyHired launched in 2003 as one of the earliest job search aggregators, pulling listings from company websites, job boards, and recruitment agencies into one centralized location. After operating independently for years, the platform was acquired by Indeed’s parent company, Recruit Holdings, in 2016. Today, it processes millions of job searches monthly while maintaining a distinct identity from its corporate sibling.
➡️ What You’ll Learn: This review examines how SimplyHired’s aggregation model performs in real-world job searches and which features actually help candidates land interviews. You’ll discover:
- How the salary estimator compares to actual compensation data
- Which job categories have the strongest listing concentration
- Who benefits most from this aggregation approach
⭐ Overall Rating: 3.7/5
💎Best For: Job seekers who want broad market visibility and salary comparison tools
💲Pricing: Free for job seekers, $100-300 for employers
🔎 How we made this review ?
To keep this review reliable we followed our review methodology, focusing on first-hand use, real application results, and a balanced look at pros and cons.
Key Features Overview
Job Listing Volume and Variety
📊 By the Numbers:
- 30+ million active job postings
- Aggregates from 700+ sources
- Coverage across all 50 US states
- International listings in 24 countries
- Updates every 24-48 hours
SimplyHired operates as a job search aggregator rather than a direct posting platform. The system crawls company career pages, staffing agency sites, and partner job boards to compile listings. During a two-month testing period, I found positions ranging from hourly retail roles to executive leadership positions across virtually every industry.
The aggregation approach creates impressive breadth but introduces challenges. I encountered the same position listed multiple times through different sources—sometimes with varying details or outdated information. A marketing manager role at a local tech company appeared four separate times through different recruitment agencies, each posting slightly different salary ranges and requirements.
Search and Filter Capabilities
SimplyHired provides functional search tools without overwhelming complexity. Available filters include:
- Location: City, state, zip code, or remote
- Job type: Full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, internship
- Date posted: Last 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days
- Salary estimate: Custom range slider
- Company type: Direct employer or staffing agency
- Experience level: Entry, mid, senior
The salary filter proved particularly useful. Setting a minimum salary requirement of $60,000 immediately eliminated thousands of irrelevant listings, focusing results on roles within my compensation range. This filtering saved considerable time compared to manually reviewing each posting.
One limitation: the platform lacks advanced filters for remote work preferences, company size, or industry categories. Competitors offer more granular control over search parameters, allowing deeper customization.
🔥 Pro Tip: Use the “Direct Employers Only” filter to eliminate staffing agency duplicates. This single adjustment reduced my search results by 40% while maintaining all unique opportunities.
Resume/Profile Creation Tools
SimplyHired offers basic profile functionality without the depth of competitor platforms. Users can:
- Upload resume documents (PDF or Word)
- Complete a simple work history form
- Add education credentials
- List relevant skills
- Set job alert preferences
The profile serves primarily as an application facilitator rather than a comprehensive professional portfolio. Unlike LinkedIn profiles that function as living career documents, SimplyHired profiles exist mainly to enable quick applications through the platform.
Resume parsing accuracy fell somewhere in the middle range. The system correctly identified my job titles and employers but occasionally misplaced dates or merged separate positions. Expect to spend 15-20 minutes correcting automated parsing errors.
Application Tracking System
SimplyHired provides basic tracking through a “My Jobs” dashboard showing:
- Saved job listings
- Application submission dates
- Direct links to original postings
- Removal of expired listings
The tracking functionality serves as a simple organizational tool rather than a sophisticated application management system. You can view which jobs you applied to and when, but status updates depend entirely on employer communication outside the platform.
Most applications through SimplyHired redirect to company career pages or applicant tracking systems, meaning the tracking ends at submission. I submitted 47 applications during my testing period, but SimplyHired provided no status updates beyond “applied” for any of them. Actual interview requests and rejections arrived via email from employers directly.
Communication Features
Email Notifications:
- Daily job alert digests
- Customizable frequency (instant, daily, weekly)
- New listing notifications matching saved searches
- Featured company announcements
Platform Messaging:
SimplyHired offers minimal direct messaging functionality. The platform primarily serves as a discovery tool that redirects users to employer application systems rather than facilitating ongoing communication.
Email alerts functioned reliably throughout my testing. I configured three separate job alerts for different role types and received daily notifications with 5-10 relevant postings each. The alert relevance improved noticeably after the first week as the algorithm learned from my clicking behavior.
Mobile App Availability and Functionality
SimplyHired offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android with functionality matching the desktop experience. The app allows:
- Job searching with all desktop filters
- Saved search management
- Application submission (redirects to mobile browsers)
- Job alert configuration
- Saved job organization
The mobile interface feels clean and responsive. Scrolling through search results, applying filters, and saving interesting positions worked smoothly during my testing. However, since most applications redirect to external career pages, the mobile application experience depends heavily on how well those external sites function on mobile devices.
I submitted 12 applications entirely from my phone during commutes and lunch breaks. The process worked adequately, though typing cover letters and filling lengthy application forms on mobile screens proved tedious as expected.
Job Quality and Legitimacy
Types of Employers Posting
SimplyHired’s aggregation model pulls listings from diverse sources, creating a broad employer mix:
My Application Breakdown:
- Large corporations (Fortune 1000): 28%
- Mid-size companies (100-1000 employees): 35%
- Small businesses and startups: 22%
- Staffing and recruitment agencies: 15%
Major recognizable employers appeared frequently in my searches: Microsoft, Amazon, Target, Bank of America, Kaiser Permanente, and similar household names. These corporate postings typically included comprehensive job descriptions, clear requirements, and professional presentation.
Mid-size company listings varied in quality. Some provided detailed information about company culture, growth opportunities, and specific responsibilities. Others offered bare-minimum descriptions that made evaluating the opportunity difficult.
Staffing agency listings created the most frustration. Many used vague titles like “Administrative Professional – Multiple Openings” or “Customer Service Opportunities” with generic descriptions that revealed little about actual positions or client companies. Following up frequently showed the real job differed significantly from the posted description.
Prevalence of Spam or Scam Listings
SimplyHired maintains moderate quality control compared to other aggregation platforms. During my two-month search, I encountered:
Questionable Listings (approximately 6% of viewed postings):
- Commission-only insurance sales positions
- Multi-level marketing opportunities disguised as business roles
- Work-from-home positions requiring upfront equipment purchases
- Vague “executive assistant” roles that turned out to be personal assistant positions
Common Annoyances (approximately 18% of listings):
- Duplicate postings from multiple recruitment agencies
- Outdated listings for positions filled weeks earlier
- Misleading job titles that inflated actual responsibilities
- Geographic mismatches (remote jobs requiring specific state residency)
The remaining 76% of listings appeared legitimate based on company research and job description quality. SimplyHired clearly attempts to filter problematic content, but the aggregation model makes perfect curation impossible when pulling from hundreds of external sources.
🔍 Reality Check: Always verify listings through company websites before applying. I developed a quick verification process: check the company’s official career page, search for the specific job title, confirm posting dates match. This screening caught several suspicious listings before wasting application time.
Salary Transparency
SimplyHired attempts to address compensation opacity through salary estimator tools, though results proved mixed:
Actual Salary Disclosure in Listings:
- 12% included specific salary figures
- 19% provided salary ranges
- 16% mentioned general compensation structure
- 53% contained zero salary information
The salary estimator feature uses aggregated data to provide compensation estimates for positions lacking disclosed pay. During my testing, these estimates varied in accuracy:
- Estimates for common roles (customer service, administrative assistant, retail manager) aligned closely with Glassdoor data
- Estimates for specialized positions often missed by $10,000-20,000
- Senior-level role estimates proved particularly unreliable
For a project manager position I ultimately interviewed for, SimplyHired estimated $72,000-88,000 while the actual offer came in at $95,000. The estimation algorithms clearly struggled with roles requiring specialized skills or regional compensation variations.
🎯 Workaround: Use SimplyHired’s estimates as starting points rather than definitive data. Cross-reference with Glassdoor, Salary.com, and Payscale for more accurate compensation research before salary negotiations.
Remote/Hybrid Work Options
SimplyHired adapted its platform for remote work trends with dedicated filters, though implementation could improve. Search results can include:
- Remote positions
- Hybrid arrangements
- Traditional on-site roles
Approximately 35% of professional listings I reviewed offered remote or hybrid options. However, the “remote” designation sometimes proved misleading. Several positions marked as remote included fine print requiring residence in specific states, periodic office visits, or eventual transition to hybrid schedules.
The platform lacks granular remote work filters distinguishing between fully remote, temporary remote, or hybrid with specific in-office requirements. This limitation means reading full descriptions remains necessary to understand actual flexibility.
Industry and Geographic Focus
SimplyHired covers virtually every industry and location within the United States, with lighter international coverage. Strong representation exists in:
- Healthcare and medical
- Retail and hospitality
- Technology and IT
- Finance and accounting
- Manufacturing and logistics
- Education
- Administrative and office support
Geographic distribution heavily favors major metropolitan areas while including opportunities in smaller cities. Remote position growth has expanded options for candidates outside traditional job hubs.
International listings exist but represent a small fraction of total volume. Job seekers targeting positions outside North America will find limited relevant opportunities compared to region-specific platforms.
Pricing and Value
Free vs. Paid Features for Job Seekers
SimplyHired operates entirely free for job seekers. The platform generates revenue through employer advertising and posting fees rather than charging candidates. All features remain accessible without paywalls or premium tiers:
- Unlimited job searches
- Unlimited applications
- Profile creation
- Job alerts and notifications
- Salary estimator access
- Mobile app functionality
- Saved job management
Employer Posting Costs
Understanding employer pricing provides context for the platform’s business model. Companies can post jobs through:
Sponsored Listings: Pay-per-click model where employers bid for prominent placement in search results. Costs vary based on competition for keywords and geographic markets.
Featured Jobs: Premium placement in targeted candidate searches and email alerts. Pricing typically ranges from $100-300 per posting depending on duration and visibility level.
Direct Aggregation: Free inclusion when SimplyHired’s crawlers discover postings on company career pages or partner sites.
This hybrid model explains why some listings appear more prominent than others. Sponsored positions receive preferential placement regardless of posting date or relevance match.
Comparison to Competitor Pricing
SimplyHired’s completely free model provides solid value for budget-conscious job seekers. While lacking premium features competitors offer through paid tiers, the core functionality covers essential job search needs without financial barriers.
Pros and Cons
✅ The Pros: Where SimplyHired Excels
1. Completely Free Access
Zero cost for job seekers removes financial barriers to effective job searching. All platform features remain accessible regardless of financial situation, making SimplyHired particularly valuable for unemployed candidates or those with limited resources.
2. Massive Listing Volume
The aggregation model compiles over 30 million listings from hundreds of sources, creating one of the larger searchable databases available. This breadth increases the chances of discovering opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden on obscure company career pages.
3. Salary Estimator Tools
The built-in salary estimation feature provides useful compensation context for listings lacking disclosed pay. While imperfect, these estimates help candidates establish baseline expectations before investing time in applications or interviews.
4. Clean, Straightforward Interface
The platform prioritizes simplicity over feature complexity. Job seekers can begin searching within seconds of landing on the site, with intuitive navigation requiring zero learning curve. This accessibility benefits users less comfortable with technology.
5. Effective Job Alert System
Email alerts delivered consistently relevant listings matching saved search criteria. The daily digest format prevented inbox overload while ensuring I never missed newly posted opportunities in my target categories.
❌ The Cons: Areas for Improvement
1. Extensive Duplicate Listings
The same position frequently appeared multiple times through different agencies or sources. During one search session, I counted seven separate listings for a single operations manager role at a regional hospital. These duplicates inflated apparent opportunity volume while creating tedious filtering work.
2. Limited Application Status Visibility
Once applications leave SimplyHired’s platform, tracking ends completely. The system provides no updates about application status, employer views, or interview requests. Job seekers must independently track all follow-up communication.
3. Inconsistent Listing Quality
Aggregation from hundreds of sources means quality varies dramatically. Professional Fortune 500 postings coexist with generic staffing agency listings and occasionally suspicious work-from-home opportunities. Effective use requires developing skills to quickly identify questionable listings.
Head-to-Head Comparison to Major Competitors
Unique Selling Points
Salary Estimator Technology
SimplyHired’s most distinctive feature provides compensation estimates for positions lacking salary disclosure. The tool aggregates data from multiple sources to generate ranges based on:
- Job title and description keywords
- Geographic location and cost of living
- Company size and industry
- Experience level requirements
- Market demand for specific skills
During my testing, I used the estimator for 23 positions across different industries and experience levels. Accuracy varied considerably:
Strong Performance:
- Common roles with abundant data (administrative assistant, customer service representative, retail manager)
- Positions in major metropolitan markets
- Entry and mid-level roles with standardized responsibilities
Weaker Performance:
- Specialized technical positions
- Senior leadership roles
- Jobs in smaller markets with limited data
- Newly created positions without historical comparison data
The estimator proved most valuable for establishing ballpark expectations and identifying positions with compensation far below market rates. For precise salary negotiations, supplementing with additional research remained necessary.
Local Job Focus
SimplyHired maintains stronger local job coverage compared to platforms focused primarily on corporate or remote positions. Small businesses, regional chains, and local service providers appear frequently in search results.
This local emphasis benefits candidates seeking positions in specific communities rather than national job markets. A search for customer service roles in my mid-size city returned 150+ results, many from local businesses that rarely appeared on competitor platforms.
Direct Employer Filter
The “Direct Employers Only” search filter removes staffing agency listings, eliminating duplicate postings and focusing results on companies hiring directly. This single filter dramatically improved search efficiency during my testing.
Enabling this filter reduced my typical search results by 35-45% while removing virtually all duplicate listings. The remaining positions came directly from hiring companies, providing clearer information about actual opportunities and eliminating the middleman staffing agency layer.
Simple Company Salary Pages
SimplyHired aggregates salary data by company, allowing job seekers to research typical compensation at specific employers. These company pages show:
- Average salaries by position type
- Salary ranges for specific roles
- Employee-reported compensation data
- Benefits and perks information
I consulted these pages before interviews with three companies, using the data to establish realistic salary expectations and prepare negotiation strategies. For one position, the company page revealed the employer typically paid 10-15% below market rates, information that proved valuable when evaluating the eventual offer.
Who is SimplyHired Best For?
Entry-Level Job Seekers
Recent graduates and early-career professionals benefit from SimplyHired’s broad listing volume and accessible interface. The platform’s simplicity removes barriers for first-time job seekers unfamiliar with complex career platforms. Strong representation of entry-level positions across industries provides abundant opportunities for building initial experience.
Local Market Job Seekers
Candidates targeting positions in specific geographic areas find valuable local coverage. Small businesses and regional employers appear frequently, expanding options beyond corporate positions dominating national platforms. The platform works particularly well for finding opportunities in mid-size cities and suburban markets.
Budget-Conscious Searchers
The completely free model serves unemployed candidates or those unwilling to invest in premium job board subscriptions. All essential features remain accessible without paywalls, making SimplyHired a solid choice for cost-effective job searching.
Salary Research Seekers
Job seekers who value compensation transparency benefit from the salary estimator tools. The ability to filter searches by salary range and access compensation data for specific companies helps candidates focus on financially appropriate opportunities.
Multi-Industry Explorers
Candidates open to opportunities across different fields benefit from SimplyHired’s comprehensive industry coverage. The platform makes exploring various career paths straightforward without requiring multiple specialized job boards.
Who is SimplyHired Not Ideal For?
Senior Executive Candidates
C-suite and senior leadership positions appear infrequently on SimplyHired. Executive recruiters, LinkedIn, and specialized headhunting firms serve this market segment more effectively. The salary estimator tools also prove less reliable for six-figure executive compensation.
Highly Specialized Professionals
Technical specialists, academic researchers, and niche industry professionals find better matches on field-specific platforms. Engineers benefit more from Stack Overflow Jobs or GitHub Careers. Healthcare professionals find superior options on specialized medical job boards. Academic positions rarely appear on general aggregation platforms.
Remote-First Job Seekers
Candidates seeking exclusively remote positions find better options on platforms specifically focused on remote work. FlexJobs, We Work Remotely, and Remote.co provide more refined remote job curation and filtering compared to SimplyHired’s basic remote designation.
Active Networkers
Job seekers who prioritize networking and personal connections over application volume should invest more time on LinkedIn. SimplyHired functions purely as a job listing aggregator without social networking, professional community, or relationship-building features.
Tips for Success
Profile Optimization Strategies
Complete Your Basic Profile
While SimplyHired profiles lack the depth of LinkedIn, completing all available sections improves search algorithm matching. Upload your current resume, fill in work history, add relevant skills, and specify job preferences. This 15-minute investment increases the relevance of recommended positions.
Use Multiple Resume Versions
Upload different resume versions tailored to various role types you’re pursuing. I maintained three versions: one emphasizing project management experience, one highlighting marketing skills, and one focused on customer success. Applying with the most relevant version improved response rates.
Set Accurate Job Alert Parameters
Configure job alerts with specific location, salary requirements, and job type preferences. Overly broad alerts generate excessive irrelevant notifications. Overly narrow alerts risk missing opportunities. Test different parameters and adjust based on the quality of listings received.
Application Best Practices
Apply Quickly to New Postings
Jobs posted within 24-48 hours receive the most employer attention before application volumes grow overwhelming. Enable instant email alerts for your most important saved searches to receive immediate notification of new relevant postings.
Verify Listings Before Applying
Always cross-reference interesting positions on company career pages. This verification accomplishes multiple goals: confirms the position currently remains open, identifies any additional application requirements, ensures listing details match official posting, and helps spot suspicious or fraudulent listings.
Track Applications Externally
SimplyHired’s tracking ends at application submission. Maintain your own spreadsheet recording: application date, company name, position title, application method, contact information, follow-up dates, interview status, and final outcome.
Prioritize Direct Employer Listings
Use the “Direct Employers Only” filter aggressively. Staffing agency listings often represent the same positions through multiple agencies. Applying directly to hiring companies eliminates middlemen and typically results in clearer communication throughout the hiring process.
Research Salary Data Before Interviews
Consult SimplyHired’s salary estimator and company salary pages before phone screens or interviews. Understanding typical compensation for the role and specific employer helps you evaluate offers appropriately and negotiate effectively.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applying Without Reading Full Descriptions
The aggregation model means job descriptions vary in quality and completeness. Always read entire listings before applying. I caught numerous deal-breakers buried in descriptions: required relocations, commission-only compensation, schedule requirements incompatible with my availability, or qualification requirements I lacked.
Ignoring Duplicate Postings
The same position frequently appears multiple times. Applying through different agencies for identical roles creates confusion for employers and wastes your time. Develop skills to quickly identify duplicates based on identical job descriptions, matching requirements, or suspiciously similar postings from different agencies.
Relying Solely on Salary Estimates
Treat compensation estimates as useful starting points rather than definitive data. Always supplement with additional salary research from Glassdoor, Payscale, and industry-specific resources. The estimates help filter obviously inappropriate positions but should not determine salary expectations or negotiation positions.
Neglecting Mobile Optimization
Install the mobile app for on-the-go job searching. Many excellent opportunities appear during business hours when checking email or browsing social media. Quick mobile application submissions sometimes beat competitors who wait until evening to apply from desktop computers.
Forgetting to Update Saved Searches
As your job search evolves, update saved searches and alert parameters accordingly. My initial searches focused narrowly on marketing coordinator roles. After six weeks, I expanded to include project coordinator and operations roles, immediately uncovering relevant opportunities I had been missing.
Conclusion
Overall Rating Breakdown
Final Verdict: Should You Use Simply Hired in 2025?
Yes, with appropriate expectations.
SimplyHired functions effectively as a free job search aggregator providing broad market visibility and useful salary research tools. During my two-month testing period, the platform contributed to my job search success by surfacing opportunities I otherwise would have missed and providing compensation context that proved valuable during salary negotiations.
However, SimplyHired works best as one component of a multi-platform job search strategy rather than an exclusive solution. I used SimplyHired primarily for market research and discovering opportunities from smaller employers, while relying on LinkedIn for networking and Indeed for application tracking. This diversified approach covered all aspects of effective job searching.
My Experience Summary:
- Investment: $0 (free platform)
- Time invested: ~20 hours over 2 months
- Applications submitted: 47
- Interview requests: 9
- Application-to-interview rate: 19%
Would I Recommend It?
Recommend for:
- Budget-conscious job seekers who cannot afford premium subscriptions
- Entry to mid-level professionals across diverse industries
- Local market candidates seeking positions in specific geographic areas
- Anyone conducting comprehensive job market research
- Job seekers who value salary transparency and compensation data
Recommend with supplements for:
- Senior professionals (combine with LinkedIn and executive recruiters)
- Specialized technical roles (add industry-specific platforms)
- Remote-focused candidates (supplement with dedicated remote job boards)
- Active job seekers applying to 10+ positions weekly (add Indeed or ZipRecruiter for better tracking)
Skip entirely for:
- C-suite executives seeking six-figure positions
- Academic job seekers
- Highly specialized niche professionals
- International candidates outside North America
Key Takeaways for Readers
- Free Means Accessible, Not Inferior
SimplyHired delivers solid job search functionality without costing anything. The platform serves job seekers effectively despite lacking premium features competitors charge for. Budget limitations should never prevent effective job searching when quality free tools like SimplyHired exist.
- Aggregation Creates Volume But Requires Filtering
The breadth of listings means more opportunities to discover but also more noise to filter through. Success requires developing skills to quickly identify relevant positions while ignoring duplicates, outdated listings, and low-quality postings. This filtering becomes easier with practice.
- Salary Tools Provide Valuable Context
The salary estimator and company compensation pages offer useful research capabilities for understanding market rates and setting realistic expectations. While not perfectly accurate, these tools provide more transparency than most competitors and help candidates avoid underpaid positions or negotiate more effectively.
Final Thought: SimplyHired delivers on its core promise—aggregating job listings from across the web into a searchable, free platform with helpful salary research tools. The platform makes no claims about revolutionizing job searching or offering exclusive opportunities unavailable elsewhere. This honest positioning serves job seekers well by providing a reliable, no-cost tool that performs exactly as advertised.
Use SimplyHired as part of your comprehensive job search strategy. Combine it with networking on LinkedIn, direct company website applications, and industry-specific boards. Stay organized with external tracking systems. Research companies independently before applying. Verify salary data from multiple sources.
Job searching remains challenging regardless of which platforms you use. SimplyHired removes cost barriers and provides useful tools that make the process slightly easier. For a free platform, that represents genuine value.
Last updated: October 2025. SimplyHired features and pricing may change. Individual results will vary based on industry, experience level, and local job market conditions.
Affiliate Disclosure: This review contains no affiliate links. I used SimplyHired during an actual job search and have no financial relationship with the company. All opinions reflect genuine user experience and independent research.
Questions or corrections? Email us at Remployee.
After years of freelancing through broken systems and vague job boards, Josie built Remployee to help others find what she couldn’t at first: flexible work that feels like freedom, not chaos. She believes real jobs should fit real lives—and that thoughtful writing can be a bridge to better work. If you’re looking for permission to choose differently, Josie’s already given it.
