Handshake vs Monster (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Handshake grades higher than Monster: 2.0 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Handshake grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Handshake
Early-career hiring network with free job posting
Monster
Job promotion and resume search on Monster and CareerBuilder
Which one is for you
Pick Handshake if
- Fits if you hire interns and new graduates and post a few jobs a year
- Works for employers that want school and event connections
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to hire experienced staff, since the pool is early-career
- Tight if you message candidates, since Basic allows 10 a month
- Pricey if you want Pro, at $450 a month with no billing basis stated
- Watch out: promoted jobs are an add-on from $34 a day
- Watch out: ATS and XML integrations, school search and premium support are Enterprise only
Pick Monster if
- Fits if you want to pay per click on a job post for a short search
- Works for small teams that want resume search on one plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a fixed cost, as Standard's $8 a day is an average and spend follows clicks
- Pricey if you need Resume Search, which is $299 a month on Pro
- Watch out: Pro's 299 credits expire each month and are spent on clicks and resume views
- Watch out: there is no free plan or trial, and an upfront $10 charge applies
- Too light for tracking, with Standard excluding Resume Search and messaging
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAHandshakeFair | 1.4GPAMonsterWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPro is $450 a month, above the dearest tenth of hiring tools, and promoted jobs cost extra from $34 a day. Basic is free. | DStandard starts at $8 a day, but Resume Search and messaging need Pro at $299 a month, against $95 in the middle of hiring tools. |
| Free plan and trial | BBasic gives unlimited job posts, 10 messages a month and a company presence, and an occasional hirer could live on it. | FNothing is free, and an upfront $10 charge verifies your payment method. |
| Features | CEarly-career talent pool, messaging, matches, promoted jobs, events and analytics. 50+ filters and ATS integration are Enterprise only. | CPromoted jobs, click-based billing, Resume Search, candidate messaging and a dashboard. Resume Search is not in Standard. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You set up a company profile and post roles. | CNo rating on record. You post jobs and set a budget. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web service, with integrations only on the Enterprise plan. | CA web service, with posts shared across Monster, CareerBuilder and partners. |
| Best for | posting jobs to early-career candidates | promoting jobs and searching resumes |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Handshake and Monster. How we grade
Where they differ
- Handshake also covers reports.
At a glance
| Handshake | Monster | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $450 per month | $8 per day, pay as you go |
| Free plan | Basic: free job posting, 10 candidate messages a month and a simple company presence. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Handshake | MCB Bermuda Ltd |
| Price read from | joinhandshake.com | hiring.monster.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Handshake
- Basic allows only 10 candidate messages a month.
- Pro's page does not say whether $450 a month is billed monthly or annually.
- ATS and XML integrations, school search and premium support are Enterprise-only.
- Promoted jobs are an extra cost on Basic and Pro, starting at $34 a day.
Monster
- Pro's 299 monthly credits expire each month and are spent on clicks and resume views.
- Standard's $8 a day is an average budget; spend depends on candidate clicks, not a fixed fee.
- Resume Search and candidate messaging are not part of Standard.
- CareerBuilder's employer products now run through Monster+, so the two job boards share one plan set.
Key features
Handshake
- Early-career talent pool
- Jobs reach a network the vendor puts at 30 million job seekers, including alumni, master's and PhD students, through 1,600+ university partners.
- Candidate messaging
- Message candidates from the dashboard: 10 a month on Basic, 200 on Pro and a custom volume on Enterprise.
- Talent matches and filters
- Pro shows up to 100 matches per job and filters by school year, major, GPA, skills and location. Enterprise unlocks 50+ filters.
- Promoted jobs
- A paid boost for visibility. Basic and Pro buy it as an add-on from $34 a day, and Enterprise includes custom promotion.
- Events and school connections
- Enterprise adds custom school lists, career fair and event promotion across schools, and messaging to attendees before and after.
- Analytics
- Campaign analytics on Pro, and full-funnel dashboard reports on how the hiring team is performing on Enterprise.
Monster
- Promoted job postings
- A job is published to Monster, CareerBuilder and a partner network of job boards, and sent to candidates who have shown interest in similar roles.
- Click-based billing
- On Standard you set a daily budget and pay when candidates click the posting. A first promoted job carries a $10 setup charge that is credited toward clicks.
- Resume Search
- Pro includes a searchable resume database with filters such as education, salary and veteran status, plus saved searches and alerts. Each resume view costs 2 credits.
- Candidate messaging
- Pro users can message candidates one at a time or as a group, with automated follow-ups and drip campaigns.
- Applicant dashboard
- A dashboard to review applications, rate candidates and reach out to them. Neither plan limits the number of applicants.
Plans
Handshake
Basic$0
Unlimited job posting, 10 messages a month and a simple company presence. Promoted jobs from $34 a day as an add-on.
Pro$450
per month
200 messages a month, AI applicant tools, team collaboration, automation and 3 promoted-job days a month that roll over.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited messaging, 50+ filters, ATS integration, event support and funnel analytics. Annual plan, sold through sales.
Monster
Monster+ Standard$8
per day and up, pay as you go
Promoted jobs on Monster, CareerBuilder and partners; you pay only when candidates click a posting.
Monster+ Pro$299
per month, billed monthly
Promoted jobs plus Resume Search and candidate messaging; 299 credits a month, 1 credit = $1.
Ways to pay less
Handshake
No public discounts listed.
Monster
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual Pro
Prepaying Monster+ Pro for a year costs $2,990 against $299 a month, which the page describes as two months free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Handshake or Monster?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Handshake starts at $450 per month, and Monster starts at $8 per day, pay as you go.
Which has a free plan, Handshake or Monster?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Handshake has a free plan. Monster does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.