Job search websites in the UK 2026: a ranking built on verified facts
A ranking of UK job boards, vacancy aggregators and the government's Find a job service, built only on verifiable facts from their official pages: whether they are free for job seekers, whether they check employers or job ads, whether they publish guidance on job scams, whether you can stop recruiters finding your CV, whether the operator is named with its Companies House number, the privacy policy, how many vacancies they state, and the App Store rating of their app. Recruitment agencies and freelance platforms are not included. Every fact links to its source with the date we checked it. This is not advice to use a particular site. Places are not for sale.
| # | Company | Who it serves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reed.co.uk | 97 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 95,531 | Employers checked Scam advice Hidden CV Free Operator named |
| 2 | jobs.ac.uk | 45 | Not verified | Yes | Not verified | 2,524 | Scam advice Free |
| 3 | s1jobs | 45 | No | Not verified | Not verified | 5,796 | Free Operator named |
| 4 | CharityJob | 44 | No | Not verified | Not verified | 3,000 | Free Operator named |
-
- Employer checks or ad moderation
- Yes
- Anti-scam guidance for job seekers
- Yes
- Hide CV from employers
- Yes
- Vacancies (as stated by the site)
- 95,531
Pros
- Free for job seekers
- Says it checks employers or moderates job ads
- Publishes advice on avoiding job scams
- Names the operator and its registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 100% backed by facts
-
- Employer checks or ad moderation
- Not verified
- Anti-scam guidance for job seekers
- Yes
- Hide CV from employers
- Not verified
- Vacancies (as stated by the site)
- 2,524
Pros
- Free for job seekers
- Publishes advice on avoiding job scams
- Publishes a privacy policy
Cons
- Operator's registration number not found on the website
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- Employer checks or ad moderation
- No
- Anti-scam guidance for job seekers
- Not verified
- Hide CV from employers
- Not verified
- Vacancies (as stated by the site)
- 5,796
Pros
- Free for job seekers
- Names the operator and its registration number
- Publishes a privacy policy
Cons
- No stated check of employers or job ads
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- Employer checks or ad moderation
- No
- Anti-scam guidance for job seekers
- Not verified
- Hide CV from employers
- Not verified
- Vacancies (as stated by the site)
- 3,000
Pros
- Free for job seekers
- Names the operator and its registration number
- Publishes a privacy policy
Cons
- No stated check of employers or job ads
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Adzuna (site closed to automated checks, )
- CV-Library (site closed to automated checks, )
- Careerjet (site closed to automated checks, )
- Civil Service Jobs (site closed to automated checks, )
- Find a job (GOV.UK) (22% backed by facts)
- Guardian Jobs (site closed to automated checks, )
- Indeed UK (site closed to automated checks, )
- Jobsite (site closed to automated checks, )
- Jooble (site closed to automated checks, )
- Monster UK (site closed to automated checks, )
- Totaljobs (site closed to automated checks, )
Sites marked as closed refuse automated reading (403 error, captcha or a robots.txt ban). We don't bypass such protection, so we can't verify their facts and they are not ranked. This says nothing about their quality. A company can send links to its official pages to [email protected].
How we calculate the Score
20%
Reliability
Whether the website names its operator with a registration number (in the imprint, terms or contacts), and whether a privacy or personal data policy is published.
30%
Safety for job seekers
Whether the site says it checks employers or moderates job ads before they go live, and whether it publishes its own guidance on recognising fake vacancies and job scams.
25%
Terms for job seekers
Whether searching, applying and posting a CV are free for job seekers, and whether you can hide your CV from chosen companies or make it invisible.
25%
Vacancies and app
How many vacancies the site itself says it has (the first tens of thousands matter most), whether it has its own job seeker app, and that app's App Store rating weighted by the number of ratings.
How to look for work safely
Never pay to be hired
A genuine employer does not charge for an interview, training, a uniform or a work permit. A request for money, a deposit or card details before a contract is the most common sign of a scam.
Check who the employer is
Look the company up in the official business register, compare the contact details with its own website and be careful if the employer only talks through messengers or personal email.
Protect your personal data
Do not put your ID number, passport details or home address in your CV. Send document copies only after an offer, to the company's official address, and never share codes from text messages.
Use the privacy settings of your CV
If you are employed, hide your CV from your current employer or make it visible only to the companies you apply to. Check what your profile looks like to others before publishing it.
Read the offer in writing
Ask for the salary, working hours, type of contract and place of work in writing before you start. An employment contract should be signed before the first working day.
Report suspicious ads
Use the report button on the job site, and if you have lost money or data, contact the police. Save screenshots of the ad and the messages before they are deleted.
Frequently asked questions
Can a job site or agency charge me for finding work?
GOV.UK guidance for employment agencies and employment businesses says they cannot charge a fee to a work-seeker for work-finding services. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay before you are offered a job.
Is there an official government job site?
Yes. Find a job on GOV.UK lets you find and apply for full or part-time jobs in England, Scotland and Wales. There is a different service to search for jobs in Northern Ireland.
What must a job advert from an agency include?
According to GOV.UK, an agency must not advertise a job without the full details of the position and must make sure the hirer is really looking to fill it. Every advert must include the full name of the agency, say whether the job is temporary or permanent, and be advertised in Great Britain and in English. If the rate of pay is included, the advert must also give the nature of the job, the location, the minimum experience and any training needed.
What may an employer not say in a job advert?
GOV.UK guidance says an employer must not state or imply in a job advert that it will discriminate against anyone, including saying it cannot cater for workers with a disability. Phrases like 'recent graduate' or 'highly experienced' should only be used when they are actual requirements of the job.