> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cutshort.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are the limits on the Free plan?

> What you can do on Free, where you will hit limits, and when Freedom Plan makes sense.

On Free, you can post jobs and review people who apply. Searching Cutshort’s talent pool and reaching out to people you find there is limited.

## Why Free exists

You can keep a Cutshort account and come back whenever you have a role to fill. Free does not end after a few weeks — stay on it as long as you like.

It is a way to try the product and hire in a small way. It is not meant for closing an engineering role from search. If you need to look through many people, unlock contacts, and message them, you will hit the limits below quickly.

## What you can do on Free

**Post jobs.** Candidates can apply as usual.

**See applicants.** For many people who apply to your job — especially **non-tech** roles, or someone currently earning under **₹10L** — you can usually see their email and phone without using your monthly unlocks.

**Search the talent pool.** Go to **Talent database** → **Start a new search**. On Free you only get **2 pages** of results, and you can unlock **3** people a month from search. You cannot start a new message to someone you found in search.

If you are **hiring engineers**, those 3 unlocks go fast. Freedom Plan is the usual next step for tech hiring.

## What is limited each month

| What you want to do                                                                     | On Free                                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Post jobs                                                                               | Yes                                                                    |
| Unlock someone you found by searching (email, phone, full resume)                       | **3** people per month                                                 |
| Message or invite someone you found by searching                                        | **0** — you cannot start outreach from search                          |
| Search the talent pool                                                                  | **2 pages** of results, then search stops                              |
| People on your hiring team                                                              | **5** logins                                                           |
| Profile reviews while you search (Cutshort checks people against your key requirements) | **50** reviews                                                         |
| Unlock someone who applied to your job                                                  | Usually does not use your 3 unlocks (especially non-tech / under ₹10L) |

These refresh when your month renews. Anyone you already unlocked stays unlocked.

If you use Cutshort from an AI assistant or through the API, unlocks and messages still come from these same monthly limits.

## When Freedom Plan is the better fit

Upgrade when you are hiring engineers, or when 3 unlocks and no outreach from search is not enough.

Freedom Plan is one price based on **company size**, starting at **₹10,000/month**. Your whole hiring team can use Cutshort. You can post as many jobs as you need, and unlock and message candidates without counting them against a small monthly cap.

Always included:

* Unlimited job posts
* Unlimited unlocks (fair use)
* No extra charge per teammate
* No salary cap on who you can unlock

See prices by company size: [cutshort.io/pricing](https://cutshort.io/pricing)

Already signed in? Open **Billing → Subscription plans** to upgrade: [cutshort.io/profile/employer-plans](https://cutshort.io/profile/employer-plans)

More on how the plan works: [Introducing Freedom Plan](https://cutshort.io/blog/startup-hiring/introducing-freedom-plan-pay-for-value-not-for-accessing-millions-of-resumes)

If you want Cutshort’s team to source and shortlist for you, that is **Assisted** hiring — **8.33% of offered CTC**, no retainer. Details are on the [pricing page](https://cutshort.io/pricing).

## Related

* [I need a paid hiring service or want to speak to someone about pricing](/employers/hiring-plans-pricing-and-callback)
* [How do I search relevant candidates on Cutshort?](/employers/search-relevant-candidates)
* [What happens when you unlock a talent card?](/employers/unlock-talent-card)