SUCCESS

Kanter got into a confrontation with WNBA player Natasha Cloud at a game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.

Microsoft (MSFT) has told Wall Street Azure was growing quickly.

While it hadn’t previously disclosed the product-specific revenue, that changed this week.

Microsoft shared quarterly Azure revenue for the first time, according to Reuters, showing $29.4 billion in the most recent quarter and $101.9 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30.

The disclosures provide investors their clearest picture yet of where Microsoft stands in the cloud computing competition, with Azure behind Amazon’s (AMZN) Amazon Web Services but ahead of Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Cloud, based on the companies’ latest quarterly sales numbers.

But maybe the scale of Azure is not the most relevant component of the Microsoft statement.

The firm is also altering how it reports its operations, going from three business categories to two as artificial intelligence increasingly spans cloud infrastructure, software, and AI applications.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI is transforming what Microsoft creates and how the business works, making its products less distinct from one another.

For investors, it poses a greater challenge than whether Azure can catch AWS.

Microsoft could be hinting that the traditional approach of assessing its operations no longer suits the company it is becoming.

Microsoft finally reveals how big Azure has become

Azure generated $29.4 billion in sales during Microsoft’s latest quarter, StockTwits noted, and $101.9 billion during the fiscal year ended June 30.

That provides a concrete figure for a business that Microsoft has mostly spoken about in terms of growth percentages.

It also makes the comparison with Microsoft’s top cloud competitors much clearer for investors.

Amazon Web Services made $42.2 billion in revenue in its last quarter, compared to $24.8 billion for Google Cloud, as Reuters reported.

AWS generated $128.7 billion in calendar 2025 sales, compared with $85.8 billion for Azure over the comparable four-quarter period. Google has not disclosed an equivalent full-year cloud figure.

AWS is still the biggest standalone cloud business.

But the announcement from Microsoft also demonstrates how much Azure has grown on its own.

The cloud platform generates more than $100 billion a year as companies ramp up spending on the infrastructure required to operate artificial intelligence models, apps, and agents.

Microsoft’s recent results underscore the trend.

Azure and other cloud services revenue increased 43% year over year in Microsoft’s fiscal fourth quarter. Companywide revenue rose 18% to $90 billion, while operating income increased 18% to $40.6 billion. For the full fiscal year, Microsoft generated $331.8 billion in revenue.

Those metrics help explain why Azure has become such a significant part of Microsoft’s investment narrative.

But the more crucial issue may be what Microsoft wants to offer on top of all that processing capability.

Related: Microsoft is touting a water claim critics say misses the point

One advantage Microsoft has that makes a direct Azure-versus-AWS comparison inadequate.

The corporation already has software deeply implanted within many corporate clients, including Microsoft 365, Windows, and developer tools.

That means Microsoft can earn every infrastructure dollar for its wider AI plan without relying on Azure.

Microsoft has a new client segment for its AI software: A customer running AI workloads on Azure may now also become a buyer of Microsoft’s AI software, developer tools, and workplace apps.

Microsoft’s recent reporting shift shows that management increasingly wants investors to consider those companies together.

Microsoft just changed how Wall Street should look at its AI business.Bloomberg / Getty Images

Microsoft’s AI shift is changing how investors see the business

Microsoft intends to reduce its reporting segments from three to two.

One of those new businesses, named Agents and Infra, will contain Microsoft’s cloud-computing services, AI-based software, and more conventional business software.

The second, Devices and Consumer, would encompass Windows, Xbox, Bing-linked advertising, and LinkedIn advertising, Reuters confirmed.

That seems like an accounting adjustment on the face of it.

In a strategic sense, this change indicates much more.

More Microsoft:

Morgan Stanley resets Microsoft stock forecast ahead of earnings

Bank of America doubles down on Microsoft stock ahead of earnings

Citi revamps Microsoft stock price target for the rest of 2026

Microsoft’s former reporting structure was a reflection of a corporation whose core products could still be pretty neatly segregated into productivity software, cloud infrastructure, and personal computing.

Artificial intelligence makes maintaining boundaries harder. Azure provides AI infrastructure. GitHub Copilot integrates AI into software development. Microsoft 365 Copilot adds generative AI to business apps. Companies can add more software to Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure with its growing AI agent portfolio.

Those items may make money in diverse ways, but economically they reinforce each other more and more.

A firm may first acquire computer capacity from Azure. It may then add AI tools for developers, Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions for workers, and AI agents to automate corporate processes.

Nadella captured that shift when he said AI is “blurring the boundaries between our products and reshaping our business models,” The Standard reported.

That may be the true message of Microsoft’s financial-reporting facelift. Wall Street has been asking for years how big Azure is. Microsoft may now be telling investors that the right question is not Azure alone.

Microsoft also slightly lowered the Azure revenue forecast it gave investors last month. But there’s a good reason.

The adjustment followed the company’s decision to transfer certain GitHub sales that had been lumped with Azure into its Microsoft 365 Cloud businesses, which include many of Microsoft’s advanced AI services, the company said.

Microsoft said it still expects the same results for the quarter overall. Thus, the lower Azure forecast was not framed as a drop-off in demand. It was another consequence of Microsoft redrawing the lines between businesses that AI is increasingly bringing together.

Microsoft’s $101.9 billion reveal comes with an expensive catch

There is still a big danger underlying Microsoft’s growing AI prospect.

Building artificial intelligence costs a lot of money.

Microsoft has been investing in data centers, semiconductors, networking equipment, and other infrastructure to meet the need for AI computing.

That investment is helping Azure develop swiftly, but it is also squeezing profitability.

Microsoft said its cloud gross margin percentage declined from a year ago, partially due to a shift in its sales mix toward Azure, as well as sustained investment in AI infrastructure and increased use of AI products.

This situation presents perhaps the biggest issue for Microsoft investors.

Artificial intelligence can provide significant new income, but ultimately, Microsoft has to show those dollars increase faster than the massive expense of sustaining them.

The company has several ways to make that equation work. Azure can generate infrastructure revenue directly. Copilot products can add higher-value software revenue.

Developer tools and AI agents also provide Microsoft with other routes to monetize the same consumers who currently use its cloud.

That’s why the new Agents and Infra category is potentially so essential.

Microsoft seems to be constructing an AI economic engine in which consuming infrastructure feeds software sales, and software adoption creates more demand for infrastructure.

If that flywheel succeeds, Azure’s $101.9 billion in yearly sales may one day seem less like the main focus of Microsoft’s AI narrative and more like the foundation underneath it.

But the squeeze on margins means investors can’t expect every more AI dollar to be as lucrative.

Microsoft must still prove that improvements in efficiency, software monetization, and scalability can outweigh the expense of the infrastructure buildout.

That makes the company’s first Azure revenue report particularly helpful.

For the first time, investors now have a clear yardstick for one of Microsoft’s most valuable companies.

And Microsoft’s new reporting structure implies management already expects the next act in the tale will be far larger than Azure alone.

Microsoft finally tells Wall Street how big its cloud engine is.

Now investors need to figure out how much more valuable that engine becomes when Microsoft hooks it up to just about everything else the business offers.

Related: Bank of America resets Microsoft stock price target for 2026

Key Takeaways

Earnest claims the best overall title with its flexible repayment options; you can choose your monthly bill amount and create a term around it. Other top companies include SoFi and RISLA.
Borrowers with federal undergraduate loans will have a hard time beating their interest rate on the private market. But federal graduate loans, federal parent loans and private loans carry higher interest rates and offer a better shot at savings.
When you refinance federal loans, you lose access to certain benefits and repayment terms. Although there is a lot of anxiety regarding changes to the federal loan system, borrowers with federal debt should not make any knee-jerk decisions to refinance.
Methodology: Our team has been covering student loans for more than a decade. We independently analyzed and vetted student loan refinance products, focusing on eligibility, perks, interest rates and fees, to determine which lenders stand out.

Refinancing student loans can help borrowers pay off debt faster or lower their monthly bills to free up cash for other priorities. The move doesn’t make sense for all borrowers, but it can be a smart strategy for some — particularly if your credit score and financial profile have improved since you took out your loans.
If you’re looking for more information on in-school loans to pay for college, see our picks for best student loans.
Our picks for the top student loan refinance companies
The following companies are listed in alphabetical order.

Earnest – Best Overall
ELFI – Best for Parents
Lendkey – Best for Offers from Community Banks and Credit Unions
SoFi® – Best for Member Perks
RISLA – Best for Borrower Protections

Pros

Customizable payments

Ability to set up autopay for biweekly payments

Offers in-school refinancing for students in their within six months of graduation
Nine-month grace period

Cons

Cosigner release only available for certain loans

Not available in Mississippi

HIGHLIGHTS

Minimum income requirements
Does not disclose

Minimum credit score
665 without a cosigner; 700 if you have not finished your degree

Loan amount
$5,000 up to $550,000

Loan terms
Customizable between 5 and 20 years

Fees
No origination or application fees. No late fees

Fixed interest rate
4.45% – 9.99%(includes 0.25% autopay discount)

Earnest is our top overall pick thanks in large part to its customizable payments, which allow borrowers to pick the monthly payment that fits their budget, and set their repayment term based on that amount — even if it results in an uncommon number like 7.5 years. The result is more than 180 ways to customize your loan, the lender says. The repayment flexibilities don’t stop there, either. Earnest also allows borrowers to skip one payment every 12 months.
Earnest doesn’t charge late fees (or any fees at all, really) and consistently offers low starting interest rates, especially if you set up autopay. And it is transparent about what it offers for borrowers struggling to make their payments: You can make interest-only payments for up to 24 months over the life of the loan or request a financial hardship forbearance for up to 12 months. There’s also a nine-month payment grace period after graduation.
Read full Earnest student loan refinance review>>

Pros

Allows parents to transfer PLUS loans into student’s name.
Excellent customer service
Low maximum APY compared to other refinancing lenders

Cons

No rate discounts
No cosigner release
Fewer repayment term options for parent refinance loans
Requires a bachelor’s degree or higher

HIGHLIGHTS

Minimum income
$35,000

Minimum credit score
680

Loan amounts
Minimum of $10,000. Maximum varies based on eligibility.

Loan terms
5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years for students. 5 or 10 years for parents.

Fees
No application or origination fees. Late fee of up to $50.

Fixed interest rate
4.29% – 8.44%

Most lenders allow parents to refinance federal parent PLUS loans, but many require parents to stay on as the primary borrower. ELFI doesn’t; parents can refinance a PLUS loan in their name or refinance as a way to transfer the loan to their student (assuming the student meets the lender’s credit eligibility). ELFI only offers two repayment terms for parents (compared to five for student borrowers who are refinancing), but we still chose them at the top choice for parents as other lenders also tend to limit the number of terms available for parent refinance loans. ELFI’s starting APR is slightly higher than some winners on our list, but it also has a lower maximum interest rate than most lenders.
ELFI sets up all customers with a one-on-one session with a student loan advisor. With more than 2,200 reviews, the company has a 4.9 rating (out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot — the highest of any lender Money looked at. It also boasts an average monthly savings of $334 for its refinancing customers.
Worth noting: Medical residency and bar study loans aren’t eligible for refinancing with ELFI. Neither are international student loans made outside the U.S.

Pros

Low minimum refinancing amount
Associate degrees are eligible to refinance
Partners with hundreds of banks and credit unions
Can refinance while still in school

Has a referral rewards program

Cons

Does not refinance parent PLUS loans
No ability to choose a specific lender
Some credit unions may require you to become a member before borrowing

HIGHLIGHTS

Minimum income
Does not disclose (though “steady employment or job offer” is required)

Minimum credit score
Does not disclose

Loan amounts
$5,000 – $125,000 (undergraduate debt) or $250,000 (graduate debt)

Loan terms
5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years

Fees
No application or origination fees. Late fees depend on individual lenders

Fixed interest rate
3.98% – 9.24% APR (with autopay discount)

LendKey is a platform that connects you with a network of smaller banks and credit unions. LendKey isn’t a direct lender, but we chose to include it in our list as it can help you quickly expand your search for a solid refinance offer and it offers access to a group of lenders many borrowers wouldn’t find on their own. Plus, while a separate financial institution finances the loan (and determines eligibility), LendKey services the loan, so borrowers deal directly with the company through repayment.
LendKey has a quick, easy online application, allows for refinancing on balances as low as $5,000, and offers competitive interest rates. But you will have to use the check rates tool (it’s a soft inquiry, so it won’t hurt your credit) to see which of LendKey’s partners you’re eligible for — and even then, LendKey simply presents you with the available terms and interest rates. You cannot browse offers from various lenders.

Pros

Income-based payment option

Up to 24 months of forbearance for financial hardships

In-school refinancing available

Offers internship and nursing rewards programs

Cons

Only offers fixed-rate loans

Maximum loan term is 15 years

Cosigner release not available in all states

HIGHLIGHTS

Minimum income requirements
$40,000

Minimum credit score
Not disclosed

Loan amount
$1,500 minimum. The maximum depends on the type of loan: $200,000 (undergrad or parent loans), $250,000 (most graduate degrees), $350,000 (some professional degree programs)

Loan terms
5, 10 or 15 years

Fees
None

Fixed interest rate
3.99% – 8.74% APR (with 0.25% autopay discount)

RISLA is a nonprofit lender that stands out from other loan companies because of its borrower protection programs, including an income-based repayment option. Under this program, monthly payments will never exceed 15% of the borrower’s (or cosigner’s) discretionary income. And if there is still a loan balance after 25 years on the repayment plan, RISLA will forgive the remainder. These are valuable perks since typically only federal student loans have income-based payment options.
RISLA also offers military service benefits, a very low minimum loan amount and a six-month grace period after leaving school, and there’s an economic hardship forbearance option of up to 24 months to help borrowers experiencing financial hardship, unemployment or disability.

Pros

Members get rate discounts, awards and perks
Available for associate degrees
Special payment plans for medical residency

Deep experience in student loan refinancing

Cons

Bar exam loans for lawyers aren’t eligible for refinancing

CFPB complaints have been trending upward over the last year

HIGHLIGHTS

Minimum income requirements
Does not disclose

Minimum credit score
650

Loan amount
$5,000 up to total balance

Loan terms
5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 years

Fees
No application, pre-payment or late fees

Fixed interest rate
3.99% – 10.99% with all discounts

SoFi® was the first company to offer refinancing for federal and private students back in 2012, and it remains a top lender in the space today. It stands out for its variety of membership perks. Anyone with a SoFi product (banking and investment services, personal loans, mortgage loans, credit and student loans) gets access to financial coaching, estate planning, discounts, networking events and more.
SoFi’s SmartStart loan option allows borrowers to ease into repayment on their refinanced loan, with nine months of partial payments before full principal and interest payments are due. There are also specific refinancing programs for medical students, medical residents, law students, MBA students, and parents.
Read full SoFi student loan refinance review>>

Other Companies We Considered
The companies reviewed below didn’t make it into our top picks, but they may offer competitive student loan refinance interest rates and loan terms that may suit some borrowers.
MPower Financing
MPower Financing is a great option for borrowers who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as the public benefit corporation specializes in financing higher education for international students. MPOWER will allow borrowers to refinance loans originated in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Germany, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The lender has also reached its funding capacity for 2026 and has paused originations for the time being. New borrowers can apply to join the waitlist only.
Read full MPower student loan refinance review>>
Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank has strict eligibility requirements. Borrowers need good to excellent credit to qualify, and the refinanced loan minimum is $10,000 — higher than other lenders require. Citizens Bank does have forbearance programs, but the lender says decisions are made on a case-by-case basis rather than having set requirements or durations. Citizens Bank also has higher starting fixed interest rates than others on our list (nearly 6%).
For more information, check out our full review of Citizens Bank’s refinancing options.
What to to know before refinancing your student debt
Students and parents may be able to save money by refinancing, especially during periods of low interest rates. But refinancing isn’t a smart move for every borrower, so before taking that step, consider the implications of refinancing and if the outcome will be beneficial to your particular financial situation. For example, federal borrowers may score a lower interest rate but lose financial protections that could be crucial down the road.
How does refinancing student loans work?
When you refinance your student loan you are replacing your current loan with a new loan and new terms from a private lender. Generally, borrowers refinance student loans to extend their repayment period (and therefore lower monthly payments), obtain a lower interest rate so they’ll pay less over the life of the loan or consolidate multiple student loans into one single payment. Some loan borrowers may find terms that achieve all three at once.
You can only refinance student loans through a private lender, not the federal government. Experts caution people with federal loans to think very carefully about their situation before refinancing, because they’ll be giving up federal benefits that come with government loans such as student loan forgiveness programs and income-driven repayment plans. If your student loan is from a private lender, there’s little downside to looking for better terms. You can refinance private student loans with your current lender or choose a different lender.
Student loan refinancing vs. Student loan consolidation
One of the benefits of refinancing through a private student loan lender is that borrowers can consolidate multiple loans into one and have a single monthly payment under one servicer. But this benefit is not limited to private lenders. Students with eligible federal loans can consolidate their debt with a Direct Consolidation Loan, though there are pros and cons with that process as well.
Should you refinance your student loans?
Refinancing your debt — whether federal or private student loans — may save you money if you have high interest rates and a large monthly payment. But there are some real downsides to consider for borrowers with federal loans.
Refinancing a federal loan means converting it to a private lender. You’ll lose valuable benefits and protections, such as income-based loan repayment plans, Public Service Loan Forgiveness and interest subsidies. And the process cannot be reversed. For many federal borrowers, enrolling in an income-driven repayment plan will be a better option, as those plans can reduce your monthly payment and offer loan forgiveness on any balance left over after a certain number of years.
If you have a private student loan, there’s no real downside to refinancing to get better terms. But you will need a good credit score and stable income (or a creditworthy cosigner) to qualify for refinancing. When weighing whether it makes sense for you, remember that lenders’ lowest rates are reserved for borrowers with the strongest credit.
What to consider when refinancing a student loan
Before refinancing your loans, consider the following:
Federal student loans
With federal student loans, refinancing can help you secure a lower interest rate and possibly reduce your monthly payment. But federal loan refinancing can be risky because your federal loans will be transferred to a private lender. As a result, you’ll no longer be eligible for borrower protections like federal income-driven repayment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness or Total and Permanent Disability Discharge.
Private student loans
When you refinance, the loans are switched to a new loan servicer. Private loan rates, policies and customer service varies by lender, so be careful about refinancing your loans.
Steps to refinance your student loans
Refinancing student loans can be an excellent way to save money or accelerate your repayment, and it’s easier to do than you may think:
1. Check your credit
Student loan refinance lenders generally require borrowers to have good to excellent credit, meaning a score of 670 or higher, and to get the best student loan refinancing rates, you’ll need an even better score. Check your credit to see where you stand. If your credit is less-than-perfect or you have a high debt-to-income ratio, you may not even qualify for a loan unless you add a cosigner to your application.
Not all refinancing companies offer cosigner releases, so review the lender’s loan terms to see if a cosigner release is possible.
2. Consider the types of loans you have
If you have a mix of federal and private loans, remember that you don’t have to refinance all of your debt. Although you can refinance private student loans and federal loans, you can opt to only refinance your private loans or your loans with the highest rates.
3. Shop for the best rate
Each lender has its own credit and income requirements, so you may qualify for better rates with some lenders over others. Shop around and request quotes from multiple companies to find the best deal. Many lenders have tools that allow you to view prequalified rates without affecting your credit score, and using a marketplace like Credible or Splash Financial can help you get several quotes at once.
Rates range based on your credit and loan term; the lowest rates are usually for the shorter repayment periods, such as five or seven years.
4. Research lender’s financial hardship relief options
Not all refinancing lenders offer financial relief programs if you lose your job or become ill. And not all lenders will discharge your loans in cases of death or permanent disability. Carefully review the lender’s forbearance, deferment and forgiveness policies so you know under what circumstances the lender will pause or forgive your loans.
5. Fill out your loan application
Student loan refinancing companies allow you to apply online. You’ll need to provide your current loan statements, student loan account numbers and employment information. You’ll also need to consent to a hard credit inquiry.
6. Sign your loan approval and start making monthly payments
Once you’re approved, the lender will send you a loan agreement to review and sign. After that, the lender will work with your current loan servicers to pay off your student loans. Continue making your usual monthly payments until you receive confirmation that your loans have been paid in full; otherwise, you risk late payment fees and damage to your credit report.
How to refinance student loans with bad credit
If you have poor credit or no credit history, you will need a cosigner with a high credit score and steady source of income to qualify for a loan. (Most lenders require a minimum credit score around 650, but your cosigner will need a very good or excellent score to qualify for the best rates) Some lenders will allow you to apply for a cosigner release if you meet its requirements and make a specific number of payments on time, but not all lenders offer that option.
If you don’t have a cosigner to apply with, you’ll have to improve your credit before applying to refinance.
Latest student loan repayment news
Industry numbers from Earnest suggest that only about 10% of borrowers who could theoretically save money by refinancing do so. One possible explanation for that over the past five years is the uncertainty surrounding the federal lending system. Many federal borrowers were holding out for widespread student loan forgiveness and then were hoping for an especially generous repayment option that kept their monthly bills low.
But now that student loan bills are back in full force and the repayment landscape is shifting, some borrowers may be reconsidering their options. The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), which is the new income-based option, came online July 1, 2026. Monthly payments under the plan range from 1% to 10% of a borrower’s adjusted gross income.
RAP will eventually replace all of the existing income-driven options. Some borrowers have until the summer of 2028 to decide whether they want to switch to RAP. But borrowers in the now-defunct Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan — which was struck down in court — will have to act sooner. Once they receive an official notice from their loan servicer, they’ll have 90 days to switch.
If you’re considering refinancing into a private loan amid all the federal changes, keep in mind that while refinancing can help you get a lower monthly payment or lower interest rate, you’ll lose access to federal forgiveness programs. Private lenders typically also have more limited hardship protections.
The U.S. Department of Education recently introduced a new discount that would allow federal student loan borrowers to reduce their interest rate by one percentage point. The catch? They simply need to set up autopay for their monthly loan payments. The discount is available through mid-2028.

Best Student Loan Refinance Companies FAQ
What happens when you refinance student loans?
Refinancing involves taking out a new loan, ideally one with better terms, to pay off your existing debt(s). With federal loans, you’ll have to leave the federal loan program and take out a private loan to refinance your debt, while refinancing private loans usually means switching lenders. Most borrowers look for a lower interest rate when refinancing.
How often can you refinance student loans?
There is no limit to how often you can refinance your loans. Some borrowers may find that they can qualify for lower rates later as the economy changes and their credit scores improve, so it can make sense to shop around once a year to see what loan options are available.
How to refinance student loans with bad credit?
If you have poor credit or no credit history, you will need a cosigner with a high credit score and steady source of income to qualify for a loan. Some lenders will allow you to apply for a cosigner release if you meet its annual income requirements and make a specific number of payments on time, but not all lenders offer that option.
Who has the best student loan refinance rates?
As of September 2026, you can find the lowest student loan refinance annual percentage rates (APRs) through Earnest, LendKey, SoFi and RISLA, which offer fixed rate loans starting under 4%. However, other lenders may offer a lower rate for your specific situation, so it’s always smart to shop around.
Is it ever a good idea to refinance student loans?
It can be a good idea to refinance your student loans if you can get a lower interest rate or reduce your monthly payment. Be careful about refinancing federal student loans, though, as doing so will mean losing the unique benefits these loans come with, like Public Student Loan Forgiveness and income-based repayment plans.

Best student loan refinance methodology: How we picked our winners
We evaluated lenders on more than 20 factors, focusing on eligibility, costs, loan terms and borrower protections. Here’s a breakdown:
Variety of loans eligible
In addition to the standard bachelor’s and graduate degree offerings, we prioritized refinance companies that accepted parent loans, debt from associate degrees and loans from students who are still enrolled.
Flexible repayment options
We compared the variety of repayment term lengths, favoring lenders with four or more term options. Since the length of your term influences your interest rate and monthly payment, multiple repayment options are critical to helping borrowers get the right fit. We also considered whether lenders offered cosigner releases and how long a borrower had to wait before applying.
Competitive interest rates, low fees and reputation
We focused on lenders that balanced low starting rates for the most credit-worthy borrowers with still reasonable rates for borrowers with fair credit. In this case, we primarily looked for lenders with rates starting around 4% and maxing out below 10%, though we did make some exceptions. Most refinance companies do not charge origination or application fees, but we awarded extra points to lenders that also eliminated late or insufficient fund fees. Finally, we reviewed customer review sites including the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot to see which companies are known for good service.
We favored companies with flexible payback policies, such as cosigner release and financial hardship relief options for qualified applicants. We also looked for financial institutions that offered refinance loans without charging origination fees or late fees.
Borrower protections
One of the biggest downsides to refinancing federal student loans is that you lose access to extensive forbearance and deferment options, and so it’s critical for borrowers to research what their options would be should they struggle with payments in the future. These policies vary from lender to lender. We favored lenders with transparent forbearance policies on their websites and options to defer payments for up to a year, at a minimum.
Summary of Money’s Best Student Loan Refinance Companies of September 2026

Earnest – Best Overall
ELFI – Best for Parents
LendKey – Best for Offers from Community Banks and Credit Unions
SoFi® – Best for Member Perks
RISLA – Best for Borrower Protections

Incoming CEO Anil Chakravarthy is a company veteran. But another longtime business head will be departing Adobe, potentially foreshadowing further turnover in leadership.

BKB 59 lands in Tijuana on Sept. 19, the promotion’s first event in Mexico, built on a Zanfer Promotions partnership. Two world titles are on the line.

Kalshi, Polymarket and Polymarket US handled $45.33 billion in combined trading volume in August, according to The Block, down 14.5% from July’s record and the first monthly decline in a year.

It still ran 76.7% above the $25.66 billion the three platforms cleared in May.

On Aug. 28, a federal appeals court came for the legal shield underneath most of it:

“We conclude that Kalshi has not shown a likelihood that the CEA preempts state gaming regulations as applied to its sports event contracts.”

That was a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling 3-0 for Nevada’s gaming regulators and referring to the Commodity Exchange Act.

“This is a significant win for states’ authority to regulate gambling operations,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said.

“Despite the Ninth Circuit’s opinion, we still believe the CFTC regulations as written do not prohibit sports contracts,” Kalshi spokesperson Dani Lever told The Block. The company will seek further review.

Every one of these fights turns on one question. Ismail Vali, president of Gaming Compliance International, says America settled it long ago.

“Officially in America, it’s not gambling, it’s trading,” Vali said on the On The Margin podcast. “But everywhere else in the world is struggling with what do we do about these problems.”

Mayes has more riding on that question than most. Arizona is the only state to bring criminal charges against a prediction market, and the 9th Circuit binds it.

Arizona’s criminal case was frozen. Now it may thaw

Mayes filed 20 criminal counts against KalshiEx LLC and Kalshi Trading LLC in Maricopa County Superior Court on March 17: four for election wagering, which Arizona bans outright, and 16 for illegal betting, mostly on sports. An investigator from her own office placed the election bets, NPR reported.

The federal commodities statute “was never intended to strip states of their traditional police power over gambling,” Mayes said.

Kalshi went to federal court and won. U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi issued an injunction on May 5, resting on the preemption argument the 9th Circuit has now rejected. Mayes says she will ask him to look at that order again.

The panel addressed sports event contracts, not election wagering or games of chance, which is where four of Arizona’s counts live, KJZZ reported.

The CFTC is not conceding either

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has spent 2026 suing states that try to police event contracts.

“A derivative contract structured as a swap is a swap regardless of the underlying subject matter,” CFTC spokesperson Zach Fulton told The Block, noting that the statute carves out only onions and movie box office receipts.

The 3rd Circuit ruled the other way in April in Kalshi’s fight with New Jersey, holding the same contracts were likely protected swaps. The CFTC says the conflict “calls out for resolution by the Supreme Court.”

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued in March, put his state’s case in plain terms.

“For Kalshi, every event, every tragedy is nothing more than a potential way for Americans to risk their fortunes and for Kalshi to get rich,” Brown said.

Where the state fights stand:

Arizona: 20 criminal counts, frozen by federal injunction, now under fresh challenge.

Nevada: Won at the 9th Circuit on Aug. 28.

Washington: A King County judge ordered Kalshi on Aug. 13 to stop taking wagers on sports, elections, politics, entertainment, culture, tech and science, with geofencing due Sept. 2 and penalties of $120,000 a day, according to the state attorney general’s office.

New York: Sued Kalshi on July 31 seeking more than $36 billion.

Massachusetts and Michigan: Each holds a court order restricting the platform.

Bloomberg / Getty Images

The argument underneath the lawsuits

“Right now, prediction market platforms are the hot thing in gaming, okay? But they’re not really gambling because in America, they’re seen as financial products, they’re futures derivatives, effectively,” Vali said.

His firm’s work, he says, shows prediction markets eating into sports betting’s share. He is harsher still on the retail trader’s odds.

“You are the sucker who’s being dragged into betting a load of money on stuff that’s probably not gonna happen,” Vali said.

Betr founder Joey Levy, whose company is rolling out sports prediction markets nationwide with Polymarket as the infrastructure, reads the same growth as expansion.

“I don’t know if I fully buy the cannibalization narrative that some are running with,” Levy said on the On The Margin podcast. “This is a story of TAM expansion.”

A game built with no payout

On the other hand, some companies offering the same competitive itch can be sold with nothing riding on it. ScorePoint’s games open in a browser tab with nothing to download, and nothing in them pays anyone to play.

Its in-platform currencies, ScoreCoin and LandCoin, buy progression and stay inside the platform, closed-loop virtual currencies for gameplay rather than cryptocurrencies, blockchain tokens or financial products. “

Scores are connected to identity, not just anonymous play,” the company said in written responses to questions.

“We created Match Kora to give players a football game they can enter quickly while still offering different ways to compete,” said Hussain Al-Malki, founder of the Jeddah-based platform. What it sells instead of a payout is standing: profiles, points, badges, clans that play other clans, rankings by country.

Kalshi’s whole case is that its contracts sit on the other side of that line, federal instruments the states have no say over. One appeals court has now said otherwise.

“Calling a sports bet a ‘swap’ doesn’t make it one,” Mayes said.

Jason Corley, co-founder and lead pollster at Quantus Insights, joined “Forbes Newsroom” to discuss a new poll on midterms, 2028, and President Trump’s approval rating.

Adobe’s stock is falling as analysts question the yoga-wear maker’s fashion assortment and digest its disappointing outlook.

Investors watching Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) have learned to expect a strange ritual.

In February, the cybersecurity company beat Wall Street’s estimates, and its stock fell 7% on disappointing forward guidance, according to CNBC.

In June, it beat again, and shares reversed from an early pop to close lower after hours. Each time, the explanation was some version of the same idea: good numbers, but not good enough to justify what investors had already paid for the stock.

On Sept. 2, the ritual played out for a third straight quarter. Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue, earnings, and full-year guidance all topped analyst targets, yet the stock dropped roughly 9% in the next session, Seeking Alpha reported.

Bank of America reviewed the same set of numbers and reached the opposite conclusion of the market.

Palo Alto‘s quarter itself gave bears little to work with

On paper, Palo Alto reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $3.41 billion, ahead of the $3.35 billion analysts expected, the company’s earnings release revealed. Adjusted earnings of $1.02 per share beat the 98-cent consensus tracked by Zacks Investment Research.

Next-generation security annualized recurring revenue, the metric management uses to show customers adopting AI-era tools, climbed 63% year over year to $9.1 billion, adding nearly $1 billion of new business in three months.

The company also logged a record 220 net new platformization deals, customers consolidating multiple security tools onto one system, and guided fiscal 2027 revenue to as high as $14.2 billion, above the $13.8 billion Wall Street had modeled, according to Benzinga.

None of that explains the drop. The size of the beat mattered less than how much good news was already priced in before the report.

Palo Alto Networks beat Q4 revenue, EPS, and guidance targets, yet shares fell 9% as investors questioned its acquisition-fueled growth and stretched valuation.NurPhoto / Getty Images

Growth has come with a real accounting cost

Much of that acceleration traces back to two acquisitions. Palo Alto closed its $25 billion purchase of identity security firm CyberArk in February and a roughly $3.4 billion deal for observability platform Chronosphere weeks later. Both are now embedded in the growth numbers, according to CNBC.

The company posted a GAAP net loss of $282 million for the quarter, a swing from a year-ago profit, driven largely by fair-value changes on convertible notes and integration costs rather than weaker underlying operations.

Crucially, that distinction matters for anyone trying to separate a messy income statement from a genuinely slowing business.

Related: China opens formal probe into Palo Alto just as stock hits highs

Free cash flow, the figure least distorted by acquisition accounting, still reached a 38.4% margin for the fiscal year, the company’s release confirmed. Right now, the market is pricing in the mess more than it is crediting the cash.

There is also a transparency question buried in the headline growth rate. In recent quarters, organic next-generation security revenue has grown closer to 28% once CyberArk and Chronosphere are stripped out, according to the earnings call.

Palo Alto skipped that organic breakdown this quarter, making it harder for investors to judge new demand from relabeled acquired revenue.

BofA is betting the sell-off overshot

Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating and $420 price target the same day, implying 16% upside from where the stock closed before the report.

Analysts Tal Liani and Trevor Dodds noted that the price drop was driven by high market expectations rather than underlying weakness.

More Cybersecurity:

Biggest AI risk for investors emerges in cybersecurity

OpenAI just disclosed something genuinely alarming

BofA refuses to embrace cybersecurity darling ahead of earnings

“The muted after-hours response appears more reflective of the demanding setup than any deterioration in quarterly execution, in our view,” the analysts wrote, adding that they “would view any weakness as a particularly attractive opportunity.”

Baird reached a similar conclusion, reiterating an Outperform rating and its own $420 target after the print, Investing.com noted.

Beyond Wall Street, retail sentiment on Seeking Alpha ran in the opposite direction, with the community skewing bearish on valuation, dilution tied to the CyberArk deal, and skepticism toward the company’s non-GAAP profitability figures.

The gap between those two camps of professional conviction and retail skepticism, not the earnings print itself, is the real story here.

Palo Alto sell-off says more about the stock than the sector

In reality, Palo Alto’s decline was not a cybersecurity story. The Amplify Cybersecurity ETF, which tracks the broader industry, fell just 2% the same day, while peers CrowdStrike and Fortinet posted far smaller declines, according to 24/7 Wall St.

That gap points to a valuation problem specific to Palo Alto, which traded near 88 times forward earnings even after the drop, Seeking Alpha data confirmed.

Stocks priced for perfection rarely get credit for simply meeting expectations. They tend to get punished for anything short of a blowout, and that pattern has now shown up in three consecutive Palo Alto earnings reports.

The next test comes when the company reports fiscal first-quarter results this winter.

If next-generation security revenue keeps compounding near 60% and the stock still cannot hold a rally, that will say less about Palo Alto’s execution than about how much optimism the market had already spent before the numbers ever came out.

Related: Wall Street panicked over AI. Then came an 8-figure cybersecurity twist

Key Takeaways

The best overall job search site is LinkedIn, due to its reach and networking connections. The site draws so many visitors each month that top employers won’t skip posting there, and it is easy to connect with current employees at companies where you’d like to apply.
Look for job sites that offer something unique to make your search more efficient, whether that’s social networking, anonymous company reviews, salary data or time-saving AI features. Specialized, industry-specific sites can also be good if you’re looking for jobs in a certain field or niche.
Methodology: We researched 40 job search sites focusing on the accuracy of a site’s search results and the quality of any free tools available to users. Read more.

Job seekers have dozens of choices when it comes to job search sites and choosing the right platform may just be the key to locking down the perfect role in today’s competitive job market.
At their core, job sites allow users to type in a role and a location and browse current openings. The best platforms offer much more than that. To help job seekers narrow their focus on quality listings, we’ve identified five job search tools that will save you time, reduce stress and help you land the job you actually want.
Our Top Picks for the Best Job Search Sites

LinkedIn: Best Overall
Indeed: Best for Job Diversity
Glassdoor: Best for Salary Information
Simplify: Best for AI Features
ZipRecruiter: Best Mobile App

Pros

Networking and social features
High quality job listings
Profiles offer portfolio and endorsement features that can help you stand out
AI tools to help you update your profile and draft messages to hiring managers

Cons

Limitations without Premium membership
Premium features are expensive

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
1.5 – 2 billion

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Starts at $39.99 per month or $239.88 ($19.99 per month) with annual billing

LinkedIn is the best overall job search site in 2026. As a job board, LinkedIn does everything you’d expect and does it well: Listings are plentiful and accurate, search results are consistently relevant, and the website and app are well designed.
Applying to dozens (or hundreds) of positions on job search sites can be a viable strategy to finding work. Networking, however, is often the key to landing a job, and that’s where LinkedIn shines above the competition.
As a social platform, it allows users to set up profiles, enter discussions and connect with colleagues, friends, recruiters and industry acquaintances. There are also groups to join, and its portfolio feature, endorsements and Ai writing assistant can help your profile stand out from the pack. It’s one of the only platforms where you can actually get in touch with employees or hiring managers at companies where you may want to work. Those conversations can lead to referrals, interviews and ultimately new careers.
Read Money’s full LinkedIn jobs review.

Pros

Large number of job listings
Company reviews from employees
Good for remote job seekers
Salary information
Robust AI tools for job seekers

Cons

Lacking certain search options
No networking opportunities as with LinkedIn

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
177.2 million

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Only exists for employers posting positions, job seekers use for free

Indeed may not have as many bells and whistles as LinkedIn, but job seekers love it for its simplicity and massive inventory of jobs. Indeed claims to be “the World’s No. 1 job site,” with an average of 31 hires per minute and 3.5 million employers on the platform.
It’s relatively cheap for employers to post on Indeed, which contributes to the sheer volume of listings that job seekers can browse on the platform. You can filter searches based on location, pay, on-site requirements and other criteria. But Indeed does not have filters for company size or the number of applications already submitted.
Indeed’s AI tools may be able to improve your job search experience. There’s an AI career coach that analyzes your profile and provides suggestions and AI resume-building assistance. You can even set up AI mock interviews.
Read more about Indeed’s job search functions.

Pros

Salary information
Company reviews
Several AI assistance tools

Cons

Unintuitive mobile app design
Identity verification and access requirements

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
22.5 million

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Free for job seekers

Glassdoor launched in 2008 as a site for sharing anonymous company reviews and salary information. Nearly 20 years later, it’s still the best in the business for these functionalities. Applying to larger companies? You can find troves of information on Glassdoor. For example, the page for Microsoft has over 54,000 reviews and the salaries for 148,000 positions.
Due to recent pay transparency laws that require companies to share some salary information in job postings, job seekers across platforms have more access to pay rates than ever before. But Glassdoor still has its purpose. Many companies are listing salary ranges so large they mean nothing. If you want to figure out how much a company actually pays for a specific position — and what it’s like to work there, Glassdoor is your best bet outside of industry-specific sites, like Levels.FYI.
Like others on this list, Glassdoor also boasts a number of AI tools to help job seekers, including an AI interview warmup tool, an AI speech coach, and AI resume assistance.
Read Money’s full Glassdoor review.

Pros

Time-saving auto-fill tool
Compatibility with company application websites
AI resume building and cover letter assistance

Cons

Premium features are expensive
Auto-fill tool doesn’t work with every application

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
1.1 million

Job alerts
No

Premium version
Simplify+ costs $19.99 for one week, $39.99 for one month or $89.99 for three months.

Simplify (or Simplify.jobs) is one of the most exciting startups in the job search space. The company’s flagship tool is its AI Copilot, a popular browser extension compatible with many companies’ job application websites that can autofill your experience, personal information and resume as you’re applying to jobs. To use the extension (once you’ve installed it), just click the Simplify icon that pops up when you open sites like Workday, and you can fill out much of your application with a few clicks.
Job search experts generally advise job seekers to apply for jobs directly through company websites rather than through job boards, as your application is more likely to be read and considered. But it can be time-consuming to individually fill out applications for every company you’re applying to. Simplify’s tools aim to speed up the process.
The premium version, Simplify+, gives job seekers access to AI tools that can tailor cover letters for specific jobs or help answer job application questions. Simplify is also continuing to improve its job board, which has a sleek design and nearly one million roles, but lacks some features, such as job alerts, that are standard among larger competitors.

Pros

Quality search results
Powerful app
Wide variety of job filters
Several AI tools for job seekers

Cons

Lots of competition, since the platform automatically matches listings with qualified candidates
Occasional irrelevant job alerts

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
30.3 million

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Only for employers posting jobs; free for job seekers

ZipRecruiter should be the first stop for job seekers who are primarily searching on their phone. The company’s mobile app is one of the most-downloaded among job search companies, and it has the highest ratings out of its major competitors in the Apple app store and the Google Play Store.
The ZipRecruiter app homepage suggests jobs under a “For you” tab and prompts users to enter a job title in the search bar. Searching in the app works just as well as the website, and the design is simple, clean and user-friendly. You can “Quick Apply” to jobs directly from the app and ZipRecruiter will send you notifications as it finds jobs it thinks you might like.
The platform also has a number of AI tools to help improve your search, including Phil, an AI career advisor, and AI resume drafting.
Read more about ZipRecruiter’s job search functions.

Other job search sites we considered
We assessed dozens of other job search sites that did not make our final list. Here are some other well-known job search sites that may be useful, depending on your needs.
Craigslist

Pros

Good for local jobs and finding work quickly
Low cost

Cons

Some listings are low quality

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
107.8 million

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Free for job seekers

Craigslist has been helping people find work for decades, and while it may not be the powerhouse it once was, it’s still a useful platform for many job seekers. Craigslist is mainly a local classifieds site, and it’s best used for finding work near where you live. If you want to get a job quickly or even pick up gig work, try Craigslist. Keep in mind, however, that a high volume of listings are posted on the website, and you may need to scroll through some spam to find quality job posts.
Handshake

Pros

Connects you to talent at over 1,600 colleges and universities

Specializes in AI fields

Cons

Fewer job listings than other platforms

HIGHLIGHTS

Monthly visits
14.9 million

Job alerts
Yes

Premium version
Only for employers; free for job seekers

Handshake calls itself a “three-sided job marketplace” — one that connects over 25 million workers, 1,600 educational institutions and 1 million employers. It offers exclusive job and internship opportunities for college students and a wide variety of AI-related job postings. The company also recently launched Handshake A, an audit and assurance tool for AI agents.
4 tips for job searching online
Selecting the right job search site is important, but so are the strategies you employ when you’re using these sites.
Here are four tips from career experts for a successful online job search:
Use more than one job search site
If you’re hunting for a job, make sure to use at least two different job search sites. While employers often post the same job listing across multiple sites, that’s not always the case. Using multiple search sites will reduce the chances of missing a good opportunity in your field.
In addition to general job search sites like LinkedIn, Kyle Elliott, a tech career coach, recommends using industry-specific job search sites. For technology roles, he prefers Built In, a site focused on tech job opportunities.
Job seekers looking for creative careers or remote jobs, meanwhile, would benefit from checking job boards that are specific to those types of roles. There are often fewer applicants on industry-specific job search sites, so it’s easier to stand out, Elliott says.
Set up alerts for your preferred role
Email notifications and app alerts can help you stay on top of any new job listings that get posted under your targeted search terms or job preferences. LinkedIn had the most user-friendly job alerts in our testing. Here’s a guide to setting them up.
Apply directly on company websites
Job applicants will sometimes encounter the choice of a) applying for a job on the job search site where they came across the listing or b) applying on the company website or application portal.
Short on time? It may be quicker to apply on the job search site. For example, if there’s an option to “Easy Apply” (LinkedIn) or “Easily Apply” (Indeed), you can efficiently fill out an application based on pre-saved information from your resume.
However, if you have the time, Meredith Bowen, executive partner at Walker Bowen Talent Partners, recommends filling out a traditional application. Quick apply features can attract large, but lower quality applicant pools that recruiters may review less seriously. “It’s definitely better to apply directly to the company website,” she says. “It’s a higher quality application.”
Narrow your search
To the extent you can narrow your search, doing so will likely help you focus your time on relevant listings that match your desires for your next job. Whether you’re setting up job alerts or filtering a search entry, job search sites have tools for selecting company size, location, salary range, industry and type of company, Bowen says. Using these filters — plus appropriate search keywords — should yield the best available jobs for you.
By narrowing your search, you won’t be overwhelmed by hundreds or even thousands of listings that may not be a good match for you.
“If you just cast a broad net, you’re going to do a lot of applying without a lot of responses, and that can be very defeating,” Bowen says. “The more strategic you can be, the greater the likelihood you’re going to get responses.”
How to spot and avoid job scams
Hiring scams are on the rise, and job seekers must stay alert when using online job sites. According to the latest FBI data, employment scams were one of the top 10 internet crimes in 2025, with almost 25,000 reported that year alone. That’s nearly 10,000 more employment scams than just two years earlier.
Scammers often create fake job listings to try to steal applicants’ personal data. They may even use voice spoofing to conduct online interviews of applicants. Be wary of requests for upfront payment for job training or equipment — that’s a telltale sign of a scam. Work-from-home scams are some of the most common.
To avoid job scams in your online search, stick with reputable job sites like those featured in this article. Watch out for opportunities that feel too good to be true and be skeptical of any requests for personal information, such as account numbers, that aren’t typically required on job applications.
Not sure if a listing is fake? On sites like LinkedIn, you can filter your job searches to only view listings from verified companies.

Best Job Search Sites FAQs
What are the best job search sites?
LinkedIn is the best job search site overall, according to Money’s review of more than 40 sites, thanks to its networking features and consistently high-quality listings. Indeed is the best choice for sheer job diversity, Glassdoor for salary data and anonymous company reviews, and ZipRecruiter for searching and applying on mobile.
Is it worth paying for a job search site?
No, it’s generally not necessary to pay for a job search site if you only need standard functionality such as the ability to search jobs, filter results and receive alerts. Many job search sites are even completely free for job seekers.
What’s the best job search site for AI features?
Simplify is Money’s pick for the best AI job search features. Its AI Copilot browser extension autofills your resume and personal details on company application sites like Workday, and Simplify+ (which starts at $19.99) tailors cover letters to specific jobs. LinkedIn Premium also offers AI profile editing and message drafting, while Indeed has a new ChatGPT integration that allows job seekers to search for roles without leaving ChatGPT.
Is LinkedIn better than Indeed?
For most job seekers, yes — LinkedIn is Money’s top overall pick because it’s one of the only platforms where you can reach hiring managers directly. It also offers professional networking opportunities, high-quality job listings, profile endorsement features and AI tools that can help you stand out. Indeed wins on volume and variety of listings. The best approach may be to use both.

Latest news

Job search sites are rushing to launch new AI features for job seekers. For example, Indeed launched its ChatGPT app integration in February. In chats, you can now summon the Indeed feature and enter job search requests like, “Help me find an engineering job in Chicago,” according to Indeed. ZipRecruiter also launched a new AI feature in June, and LinkedIn’s agentic AI tools, meanwhile, are on track to rake in $450 million in the next year. Indeed.com also credits its AI tools with increasing its hire-per-minute rate from 28 to 31 this year.
The unemployment rate remains low — at 4.1% by most recent numbers — but the drop in job openings means it’s harder to find the type of role you want. This is, in part, because employees aren’t changing jobs as often as they were, and it’s no wonder why: The wage premium for changing jobs has officially fallen under 2% — down from the 8.4% premium of a few years ago, payroll processing company ADP found. Hiring plans are “historically low” compared to pre-pandemic times, according to placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Job seekers increasingly expect to see salary ranges in job listings, and at least 14 states have enacted pay transparency laws requiring employers to disclose salary information for their open positions. Many multi-state employers now include salary ranges in job listings for all positions nationally to comply. This shift means job seekers don’t have to waste time applying to jobs that don’t meet their compensation expectations, and it can empower new hires to secure higher salaries. Here’s how pay transparency is changing job ads and what it means for you.
There’s a lot of opportunity out there for those willing to get into the trades. According to new ZipRecruiter data, trade worker openings are on the rise, and job openings in construction, manufacturing and transportation jumped 34% in the last year alone. The typical trade worker now earns a salary of $65,000, and a whopping 50% say they get the training they need on the job.

How we chose the best job search sites
We researched and tested over 40 jobs sites, evaluating the features they offer job seekers in the U.S. To create our initial list of job search sites, Money conducted an extensive review of online resources, user discussions on forums and app store reviews to ensure our initial list encompassed the largest and most popular sites as well as industry-specific sites with strong reputations.
To narrow it down to a shortlist of 10 job search sites, Money assessed sites on the accuracy and relevance of their search results, the usefulness of their features, the login experience, site design and other criteria. Of all the factors we considered, user fees were among the most important. Job sites that are completely free (or have powerful free tools) were rewarded: Considering how much you can do with the free versions of the largest job search sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, many job seekers will find that paying for extra services isn’t necessary.
The sites that made our final cut have large databases of job listings, highly accurate and relevant search results, unique or must-have features, seamless user experiences free of spam, well-designed mobile apps and/or effective systems for job alerts.
The monthly visits data in this article (U.S. traffic for January 2026), was provided by Similarweb, a digital intelligence platform.
Summary of our top picks for job search sites of September 2026

LinkedIn — Best Overall
Indeed — Best for Job Diversity
Glassdoor — Best for Salary Information
Simplify— Best for AI Features
ZipRecruiter — Best Mobile App