Comparison
YellowSync vs spreadsheets vs ATS notes vs LinkedIn Recruiter
There is no single best way to avoid duplicate LinkedIn outreach: spreadsheets are free but manual, ATS notes are central but usually outside LinkedIn, team LinkedIn Recruiter contracts document a warning and activity views for colleagues on the same contract (not available on Recruiter Lite or on every team plan), and YellowSync marks contacted profiles on LinkedIn itself for the whole team. The table compares them on cost, setup, location, timing and privacy.
At a glance
| YellowSync | Shared spreadsheet | ATS notes or tags | LinkedIn Recruiter built-ins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.40 EUR per computer per month, after a 14-day free trial for up to 5 computers | Free, or included in the office suite you already use | Included if you already use an ATS; plans and prices vary by vendor | Requires a LinkedIn Recruiter contract, and the colleague warning needs a team contract; see LinkedIn for pricing |
| Setup | Install the Chrome extension on each team computer and sign in with the team licence. No integration with other systems. | Create the sheet and agree on columns and rules | Agree a convention for what gets logged and where; some ATS need extra configuration | None beyond having the contract and seats |
| Works inside LinkedIn | Yes. Marks appear on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Recruiter and Sales Navigator profiles. | No. A separate document to check and update. | Usually no. The record lives in the ATS; some ATS offer their own browser add-ons, so check yours. | Yes, inside Recruiter only |
| Does the team see it in real time? | Close to it. The shared list refreshes within a minute. Not instant. | Edits are shared as soon as someone makes them, but only if someone remembers to make them | Depends on the ATS and on people logging contact promptly | Team Recruiter contracts only; not on Recruiter Lite. LinkedIn documents a warning for colleagues on the same contract (see sources below) |
| Needs manual logging | No. A send is detected automatically. | Yes | Often yes, for messages typed in LinkedIn | Recruiter keeps its own message history; how much of a colleague's activity you see depends on the plan (see sources below) |
| Privacy | Server stores a keyed hash of the profile identifier (computed on your computer), the author and the date. Not candidate names, not message content. | Whatever you type in, typically names and profile links, held in your document store | Candidate record held in the ATS under its own terms | Data stays within LinkedIn under its terms |
| Main limitation | Chrome only. Detects a send, not delivery. Does not block anything. Only sees contact made by teammates who use it. | Entirely depends on discipline | Quality of the data depends on what people log | Team contracts only; covers colleagues on the same contract, within the same calendar month. Not on Recruiter Lite, and not on every team plan; not regular LinkedIn or Sales Navigator |
About YellowSync
YellowSync only marks profiles. It never sends messages, connects, visits profiles, scrapes or exports data. It is an independent product, not affiliated with LinkedIn.
Sources for LinkedIn statements
- InMail messages in Recruiter FAQ: the help center describes a warning on team Recruiter contracts when a colleague on the same contract contacted the candidate in the same calendar month. It isn't available on Recruiter Lite or on every team plan, and it doesn't cover regular LinkedIn or Sales Navigator.
- Candidate profiles and insights in Recruiter: Messages tab, Recruiting activity tab, notes, tags and custom fields. What is available depends on your Recruiter plan.
Features of ATS products differ by vendor and plan, so the ATS column describes the general pattern, not a specific product. Check the details with your own vendor.
For a longer explanation of each option, read how to stop your recruiting team from messaging the same LinkedIn candidate twice.