Levels.fyi vs Glassdoor vs Blind
Negotiating salary without data is negotiating blind. Three tools give you the numbers and context you need — each covers different terrain.
Walking into a salary negotiation without data is walking in with a disadvantage. The tools below give you the compensation data, cultural context, and insider perspective that eliminates the information asymmetry between you and the company that’s offered you a job — or the one you currently work at.
At a glance
| Levels.fyi | Glassdoor | Blind | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Tech industry comp | All industries, company reviews | Candid insider info + community |
| Data type | Self-reported, verified (email verification) | Self-reported, unverified | Anonymous community discussions |
| Compensation detail | Base + equity + bonus + total comp | Base + bonus (limited equity) | Discussed conversationally |
| Company culture data | Basic | Extensive (reviews, ratings) | Excellent (anonymous candid) |
| Interview questions | Limited | Extensive | Community-sourced |
| Tech industry depth | Excellent (FAANG + all tiers) | Good | Good (tech-heavy community) |
| Non-tech industry | Limited | Good | Limited |
| Free access | Most data free | Limited (requires account + data share) | Free app |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes (primary interface) |
Levels.fyi — the tech compensation standard
Levels.fyi was built to solve one problem: at tech companies, the difference between a software engineer at “level 4” and “level 5” is enormous — $50,000+ in total compensation. Knowing what level you’re being offered and what peers at that level make elsewhere is the core negotiation data point. Levels.fyi collects verified total compensation reports (base + equity + bonus) at specific companies and levels.
- Verified reports: unlike Glassdoor, Levels.fyi verifies submissions via company email — you confirm your data with your work email before it’s published. This makes the data significantly more reliable.
- Total compensation, not just base: at top tech companies, equity and bonuses can equal or exceed base salary. Levels.fyi reports total comp, not just the base number that’s easiest to share. This makes the comparison meaningful.
- Level mapping: FAANG companies use different level names (Google L5, Amazon SDE II, Meta E5, Apple ICT4). Levels.fyi maps these to a common framework so you can compare across companies accurately.
- Beyond FAANG: Levels.fyi has expanded well beyond big tech to cover thousands of companies, including growth-stage startups, consulting firms, and financial companies with significant tech teams.
- Weakness: limited for non-tech roles. A marketing manager or product designer will find less useful data than a software engineer. Non-tech industries are better covered by Glassdoor or LinkedIn Salary.
Glassdoor — the broad-industry pick
Glassdoor covers compensation across all industries, not just tech. It also collects company culture reviews, interview question reports, CEO approval ratings, and benefits information. For someone researching a company before accepting an offer — or deciding whether to apply — Glassdoor’s qualitative data is as valuable as the salary numbers.
- Interview questions: Glassdoor’s most underrated feature. Search a company name + role and see questions that candidates report being asked in interviews. Not exhaustive, but a useful preparation tool for companies you’re interviewing with.
- Company reviews: anonymous employee reviews with ratings on culture, management, work-life balance, and career growth. Bias exists (unhappy employees over-report), but patterns across many reviews are signal.
- The data-for-data model: Glassdoor requires you to submit salary data to view full salary details. This keeps the data fresh but creates a barrier for first-time users. The data you submit is validated less rigorously than Levels.fyi, which affects precision.
- Weakness: tech comp data is less precise than Levels.fyi — Glassdoor reports base salary but often lacks equity detail, which is where the gap is largest in tech. Company ratings can be distorted by coordinated positive reviews from HR or coordinated negative reviews from disgruntled ex-employees.
Blind — the candid community
Blind is an anonymous professional community app where tech workers (and increasingly other industries) post candidly about compensation, company culture, career moves, and industry gossip. It’s verified by work email but anonymous in posting — so the conversations are more candid than you’ll find anywhere with names attached.
- Real conversations about real numbers: search a company on Blind and you’ll find threads where employees discuss exact offers, negotiation results, leveling decisions, and compensation packages in detail that Glassdoor reviews never include.
- Culture signal: Blind is where employees go to complain, celebrate, warn each other about layoffs, and share career advice. The signal is noisy but real. A pattern of negative posts about a company’s management is meaningful even if individual posts are venting.
- Job offer negotiation threads: “Got an offer for X at Level Y with $Z equity — should I negotiate?” threads are common and get real responses from peers at that company or level. This is unique to Blind — you can’t get this on Glassdoor.
- Weakness: anonymous = unverified. Individual posts can be fabricated, exaggerated, or biased. Use as signal, not as fact. The culture skews tech and finance — less useful for other industries. Content quality varies enormously.
Who should pick which
The takeaway
Start at Levels.fyi for the comp number if you’re in tech. Cross-reference with Glassdoor for culture signal. Check Blind for the candid insider take.
For non-tech roles: Glassdoor + LinkedIn Salary cover more ground than Levels.fyi in most industries.