The first thing people notice on LinkedIn is your profile photo.
I spent $650 testing different AI tools that make LinkedIn headshots so you don’t have to waste your time or money.
In this post, I’ll show you my results and rank the tools from best to worst.
Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links at no cost to you.
Top Picks
But now, let’s jump into the detailed reviews.
1. HeadShotPro
The first tool I tried for LinkedIn profile pictures is HeadShotPro.
The headshots I got were sharp and professional. They look natural, not stiff, and would work well in a business setting.
My Results & Experience
Making headshots with it is simple. Just go to their website and start.
You’ll need to upload at least 15 photos.
This part was tricky for me since I don’t usually keep a bunch of high-quality selfies on hand.
My package let me pick 10 different styles for the headshots.
I liked the “Choose for me” button since picking each background and outfit style one by one felt a bit slow.
Now let’s look at some of my results.
I like these a lot. They look professional while still feeling natural.
One big reason I ranked this tool #1 is the preview feature.
It lets you see how your headshot would look on LinkedIn or in an email signature. Super handy.
They also offer an editing feature. You can swap outfits, adjust expressions, or change the background.
I tested the “Emotion” option to make my face look a bit more cheerful. The result is on the right. It’s not the most natural look, but I get it—expressions are tough to get right.
I also tried the background change. I asked it to swap a gloomy interior for a leather couch.
The result on the right looks more natural, and the edit didn’t hurt the image quality or my face.
Pros
- Lots of backgrounds and clothing combos to pick from.
- Helpful extras like the “Choose for me” button and the LinkedIn preview.
- Headshots come out sharp and professional.
- They also look great as small icons.
Cons
- Uploading 15 selfies was harder than I expected.
- The edit feature isn’t the best. Background change worked fine, but that’s about it.
Pricing
- Basic – €29: 40 headshots, 4 backdrops/outfits, 3-hour turnaround, standard resolution.
- Professional – €39: 100 headshots, 10 backdrops/outfits, 2-hour turnaround, 10 edit credits, standard resolution.
- Executive – €59: 150 headshots, 15 backdrops/outfits, 1-hour turnaround, 20 edit credits, print-ready 4K resolution, portrait/landscape format.
To Take Home
For LinkedIn profile photos, HeadShotPro is my top pick. The results look realistic and professional. And if you want to tweak things, the edit feature is there.
I’d definitely recommend this tool. The LinkedIn preview is the nice extra that makes it even better.
2. InstaHeadshots
This is the second best AI LinkedIn headshot generator on the list today.
This tool creates AI headshots from selfies that are perfect for LinkedIn. Those images are professional selfie-style photos that match perfectly what you need for LinkedIn.
My Results & Experience
Here’s how to make your own headshots. Just go to their website and click “Create your Headshots.”
Next comes the most important step—choosing your selfies.
Take your time here and pick the best ones that really show you. The quality of your headshots depends on it.
Once your selfies are uploaded, you can pick the looks for your headshots.
With the Premium plan, you get to choose up to 10 different styles.
Here are my results.
My first thought is that they look accurate.
I like these a lot. They look realistic and capture my features well.
They also don’t make me look older or distorted in any way.
The tool also has an edit feature. I tested it by swapping my hoodie for a more formal outfit.
You can pick from a list of different clothing styles.
Here are the results.
In my opinion, they don’t look very natural.
Pros
- One of the fastest turnarounds — only 15 minutes with the Premium plan.
- Very easy to use.
- I got some solid and accurate headshots.
Cons
- Some shots came out blurry or unfocused.
- The editing feature isn’t great (though I only tried one edit).
- Pricier than many other tools.
Pricing
Here are the pricing plans for InstaHeadshots.
If you don’t like your results, they give a full money-back guarantee.
- Starter – $49 USD: 40 headshots, 2 looks, ready in 90 minutes.
- Basic – $59 USD (was $124, save 52%): 100 headshots, 5 looks, ready in 60 minutes.
- Premium – $69 USD (was $249, save 72%): 200 headshots, 10 looks, ready in 15 minutes.
To Take Home
InstaHeadshots gave me a batch of realistic headshots that look professional enough for LinkedIn.
The quick turnaround is the main highlight, along with the edit option.
Of course, there are always some weak results, but you can just skip those. It is a bit pricier than other tools, but I’d still recommend it for LinkedIn profile photos.
3. Portrait Pal
Portrait Pal makes epic LinkedIn profile picture images for a fair price.
You get plenty of clothing and background styles to pick from. The downside is that there aren’t many customization options.
My Results & Experience
First, let’s walk through how to create your headshots.
Go to their website and Get Started.
After signing up, you upload the selfies. I really recommend taking the time to find suitable selfies that follow their guidelines, as these will determine the accuracy of your selfies.
You’ll be asked a few questions about your features.
You’ll get an email when your images are ready. This takes about 2 hours.
Here are my favorites. They look realistic and would work well in a professional setting. My hair even turned out nice, which isn’t always the case.
Pros
- Headshots look accurate and professional.
- Plenty of variety in poses and angles.
- Images are high-quality and don’t look overly AI-generated.
Cons
- No option for customization.
- Not the best value since the price per headshot is higher.
- Takes longer to deliver the results.
Pricing
These are their current prices.
- Starter – $35 (was $45): 20 high-quality headshots, 3-hour processing time.
- Basic – $45 (was $75): 60 high-quality headshots, 2.5-hour processing time.
- Premium – $75 (was $129): 100 high-quality headshots, 2-hour processing time.
To Take Home
Portrait Pal gave me realistic photos, and I found a few I’d actually use on LinkedIn. There was also a good mix of poses and styles.
The price feels a bit high, though. There’s no edit feature, and with the Starter plan you only get 20 headshots.
