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The Monster Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Monster in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

Monster

The Insider’s Guide

Job promotion and resume search on Monster and CareerBuilder

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among hiring and applicant tracking tools, read from Monster’s own pages.

Made by MCB Bermuda Ltd · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

1.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Monster’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Monster’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

1.4

GPA, above 0 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade

Monster is a job board and resume database for employers. Its Monster+ plans promote a job on Monster, CareerBuilder and a partner network of job boards, and the higher plan adds a searchable resume database and candidate messaging. Standard is billed per click on a promoted job, and Pro is a monthly subscription paid in credits.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Monster, taken from its own pages and our grades.

  1. 1

    Best for promoting jobs and searching resumes

    The Pro price sits in the dearest tenth of hiring tools and its credits expire each month.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at $8 per day, pay as you go.

  3. 3

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    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.

  7. 7

    A 1.4 GPA, above 0 of 101

    That is against the other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    To replace Monster you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Monster at a glance

Pricing
Paid, from $8 per day, pay as you go
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
MCB Bermuda Ltd
Category
Hiring & Applicant Tracking
Our grade
1.4 GPA, weak

The report card

Best for promoting jobs and searching resumes

Monster promotes your job posts on Monster and CareerBuilder from $8 a day, billed by candidate clicks, and Pro at $299 a month adds Resume Search. The Pro price sits in the dearest tenth of hiring tools and its credits expire each month.

ToolGPA report cardMonsterGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyDStandard 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 trialFNothing is free, and an upfront $10 charge verifies your payment method.
FeaturesCPromoted jobs, click-based billing, Resume Search, candidate messaging and a dashboard. Resume Search is not in Standard.
Ease of useCNo rating on record. You post jobs and set a budget.
Platforms and integrationsCA web service, with posts shared across Monster, CareerBuilder and partners.
Grade point averageWeak, out of 4.01.4

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Monster is for

  • 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

Who it is not for

  • 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

Good to know

Good for

  • Employers who want to pay only when candidates click a job
  • Small hiring volumes that need a job board and a resume database
  • Teams where several people need access, since Pro has unlimited users

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$8

To start

Monster is a paid product, starting at $8 per day, pay as you go.

  • 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.

Read from hiring.monster.com on Nov 13, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • 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.

    Stated on hiring.monster.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Job promotion and resume search on Monster and CareerBuilder. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: applicant tracking, job board posting.

Promoted jobs, click-based billing, Resume Search, candidate messaging and a dashboard.
From our grade for features
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.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

Monster is made by MCB Bermuda Ltd.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

0/101

Other hiring and applicant tracking tools it is graded above

Monster's GPA of 1.4 is higher than 0 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 5.

It stands best on features (C, above 3 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 102 hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Monster’s own letter is outlined.

  • DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 101
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 101
  • CFeaturesAbove 3 of 101
  • CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 101

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Monster you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 96 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools grade higher.

What you could make

  • Applicant tracking: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

  • Jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board.

What this rests on. Monster’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Indeed, Handshake, Wellfound and Betterteam

The 4 tools Monster is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

11

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Monster free?

No. Monster is a paid product, starting at $8 per day, pay as you go.

How much does Monster cost?

Monster lists 2 plans. Monster+ Standard: $8 per day and up, pay as you go.

What platforms does Monster work on?

Monster is available on Web.

Does Monster offer any discounts?

Monster publicly lists the following: Two months free on annual Pro.

Does Monster have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Monster is listed for Web.

Does Monster have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Monster is listed for Web.

Is Monster open source?

Monster is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.

Who makes Monster?

Monster is made by MCB Bermuda Ltd.

What are the alternatives to Monster?

The closest alternatives to Monster in our directory are Indeed, Handshake, Wellfound and Betterteam.

How does Monster compare with other hiring and applicant tracking tools?

Monster's GPA of 1.4 is higher than 0 of the 101 other hiring and applicant tracking tools we grade, and level with 5.

Could I make my own version of Monster?

To replace Monster you would be making jobs posted to dozens of job boards at once, which takes an agreement with each board.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Monster’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MCB Bermuda Ltd's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by MCB Bermuda Ltd. Prices change, so check hiring.monster.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Monster: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/monster

Know someone choosing between hiring and applicant tracking tools?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/monster/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded hiring and applicant tracking tools after Monster, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Monster’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Monster is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by MCB Bermuda Ltd. Prices and plans change: check hiring.monster.com before you buy.