Deep Search vs LinkedIn for looking people up
LinkedIn shows what people say about themselves. Deep Search shows what the rest of the public web says too.
When you want to know who someone is, a LinkedIn profile is an easy first stop. Deep Search reads public pages across the web, including public professional profiles, and brings what they say into one report, with a source for each fact.
If you came looking for a LinkedIn people search alternative, think of Deep Search as a second opinion. You use it alongside a profile, not instead of one.
Deep Search vs LinkedIn, side by side
LinkedIn's details depend on its own settings and plans, which can change.
| Deep Search | ||
|---|---|---|
| Written by | Whoever published each page it cites | Mostly the person themselves |
| Covers | Public pages across the web, including public professional profiles | LinkedIn profiles and posts |
| Needs an account to search | No, search is free and unlimited | Full profiles usually need you to log in |
| Tells the person you looked | No, we don't send notifications | Profile views can be visible to the member, depending on settings |
| Sources outside one site | Yes: company sites, news, code, video, encyclopedias and more | No |
| Contact details | Never shown: phone numbers, email addresses and messaging links are removed | Members can message each other, within LinkedIn's rules |
| Cost | Free to search, subscription for full reports | Free, with paid plans |
Why a profile is a starting point, not a check
People write their own profiles, choose what goes in and decide when to update them. Many are accurate. Some are out of date, some are polished past the facts, and some are fake.
A check needs pages the person did not write. Company sites, news stories, conference talks, published code and encyclopedia entries all say something about a career. A profile on its own can't tell you:
- whether the job title matches what the company's own pages say;
- whether news coverage or public talks tell the same story;
- whether it belongs to the person you mean, or to someone with the same name.
Deep Search does that gathering for you, in three moves.
- Search. Type a name, plus a company, job title or location if you know them, and press Find matches.
- Pick. Each possible match carries a Strong, Possible or Weak badge and a source count. Choose the person you mean.
- Read. Press Get full report. It can cover work history, education, public profiles and public photos linked to that person, and every claim links to its public source.
Look someone up without a LinkedIn account
You don't need a LinkedIn account, or a Deep Search account, to run a search. Start with a name. A search usually takes a minute or two.
Searching is free and unlimited, with or without an account. A subscription unlocks the full report: every profile, its facts, photos and sources. See pricing for the plans.
When to use each
Use LinkedIn to connect with someone, message them and read how they describe their own career. It is built for networking, and it does that well.
Use Deep Search when you want to know whether the rest of the public web tells the same story. You might use it to prepare for a first sales call or to research candidates before outreach. If you usually start with a web search, read how Deep Search compares with Google.
Deep Search is not a consumer reporting agency. Don't use it for decisions about employment, credit, housing or insurance. Our permitted use rules spell out the rest.
Deep Search vs LinkedIn: questions
Deep Search reads public web pages, which can include public professional profiles. It is not affiliated with LinkedIn, and every fact in a report links to the public page it came from.
Deep Search doesn't notify the person you search for. If you open their LinkedIn profile yourself, LinkedIn's own profile view settings apply. Anyone who finds their name in our results can ask us to review it for removal, free and without an account.
No. Deep Search has no messaging, and it removes phone numbers, email addresses and messaging links from every result. If you want to get in touch, LinkedIn or the person's own company website is the place to do it.
No. You can look someone up without a LinkedIn account and without a Deep Search account. You only need a Deep Search account to subscribe to a plan.
Check the story behind the profile
Search a name, pick the person you mean, and check every fact in the report against its public source.