Crystal vs AuthoredUp
Crystal
- Platform: LinkedIn, Gmail, CRM integrations
- Best For: B2B sales personalization and hiring
- Strength: DISC-based behavioral intelligence
- Users: Not specified
Starting at $49/month
AuthoredUp
- Platform: LinkedIn only
- Best For: Content creation and analytics
- Strength: Advanced post editor and performance tracking
- Users: 2,011+ professionals
Starting at $12.46/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Platform Support
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Integration | ✓ Chrome extension for personality insights in LinkedIn | ✓ Full LinkedIn post creation and scheduling |
| Gmail/Email Integration | ✓ Personalized email tips via Chrome extension | ✗ Not supported |
| CRM Integration (HubSpot, Salesforce) | ✓ Enrichment and insights in CRM workflows | ✗ No CRM support |
| Multi-Platform Support | ✗ Focused on communication tools, not multi-social | ✗ LinkedIn-only |
Personality & Insights
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| DISC Personality Profiles | ✓ Predictions for millions of professionals | ✗ No personality features |
| Communication Tips | ✓ Tailored for emails, calls, meetings | ✗ General content tips via templates |
| Self-Assessments (Enneagram, Strengths) | ✓ In-depth personal and team insights | ✗ Not available |
| Behavioral Intelligence Reports | ✓ Executive and stakeholder reports | ✗ No behavioral data |
Content Creation
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Post Editor with Formatting | ✗ No content creation tools | ✓ Rich editor with bold, bullets, emojis, preview |
| Drafts and Snippets Library | ✗ Not applicable | ✓ Unlimited drafts and reusable snippets |
| Hooks, Endings, CTA Templates | ✗ Not available | ✓ 300+ templates for inspiration |
| AI Post Generation | ✗ No AI content tools | ✗ No native AI, relies on user input and templates |
Scheduling & Management
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Content Calendar | ✗ No scheduling | ✓ Centralized calendar for posts |
| Post Reuse and Historical Analysis | ✗ Not applicable | ✓ 1-click reuse from top performers |
| Multiple Profile Support | ✓ Team and group profiles in Business plan | ✓ Supports company pages |
| Playbooks for Workflows | ✓ Sales, team, hiring playbooks | ✗ No playbook builder |
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Analytics | ✗ No social analytics | ✓ Impressions, engagement, growth timelines |
| Follower Growth Tracking | ✗ Not available | ✓ Best times to post recommendations |
| Personality Fit Scoring | ✓ For hiring and team dynamics | ✗ No such features |
| CSV Export and Filters | ✓ For profile enrichment | ✓ For saved posts analysis |
Hiring & Team Features
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate Assessments | ✓ Job fit scoring, benchmarking | ✗ Not applicable |
| Team Playbooks and Assessments | ✓ Group dynamics insights | ✗ No team assessment tools |
| Draft Collaboration | ✗ Not available | ✓ For team members in Business plan |
| Organization Management | ✓ Group admin tools | ✓ Sub-accounts for teams |
Integrations & Extensions
| Feature | Crystal | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome Extension | ✓ Embedded in LinkedIn, Gmail, etc. | ✓ Direct in-LinkedIn editing |
| API Access | ✓ For high-volume data in Data plan | ✗ No API |
| Calendar Integration | ✓ Pre-meeting playbooks | ✗ No calendar sync |
| CSV Enrichment | ✓ Personality data enrichment | ✓ Posts export |
Pricing Comparison
Crystal starts at $49/month with a focus on personality insights and scales to custom enterprise pricing, while AuthoredUp offers better entry-level value at $12.46/month (yearly) for LinkedIn content tools. Crystal's higher tiers emphasize team and data features, suiting sales/HR needs, whereas AuthoredUp provides scalable per-profile pricing for creators and teams.
Crystal
Free Trial
$0/month
Testing basic features
- 5 free profile credits
- Basic personality assessments
- Shareable downloads
Premium (annual)
$49/month
Individual sales pros
- Everything in Free Trial
- 240 profile lookups per year
- Chrome Extension for LinkedIn and Gmail
- Pre-meeting playbooks
- Calendar integration
Premium (monthly)
$59/month
Flexible individual use
- Everything in Free Trial
- 20 profiles per month
- Chrome Extension for LinkedIn and Gmail
- Pre-meeting playbooks
- Calendar integration
Business
Custom
Teams in sales or HR
- Everything in Premium
- Unlimited profiles
- Team assessments
- Hiring candidate assessments
- Hiring candidate job profiles
- Group admin tools
- Chrome Extension for HubSpot, Salesforce, and Outreach
- Dedicated success manager
Data
Custom
High-volume data users
- High-volume profile credits
- Access to Crystal API
- CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot
- Direct CSV enrichment
Intelligence
Starting at $999/month
Enterprise intelligence needs
- Executive Intelligence reports
- Account Intelligence
- Competitive Intelligence
- Personality Intelligence
- Stakeholder Intelligence
- Behavioral Intelligence
- Additional bespoke research
AuthoredUp
Individual (Yearly)
$16.63/month
Solo creators
- 1 LinkedIn profile connection included
- Billed at $199.50 per year
- Full editor with formatting and preview
- Full extension and platform access
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, and company pages
- 300+ hooks and post endings
- Content analytics and performance insights
- Access to all saved posts in one place
Business (Yearly)
$12.46/month per profile
Teams and agencies
- Minimum 3 LinkedIn profiles
- Billed at $149.50 per profile per year
- Everything in the yearly Individual plan
- Multi‑profile connection and management
- AuthoredUp sub‑accounts for teams and agencies
- Organization management for admins
- Team analytics and reporting
- Draft collaboration and shared workflows
Individual (Monthly)
$19.95/month
Flexible solo use
- 1 LinkedIn profile connection included
- Full editor with text styling, bullet points, emojis, and preview
- Full Chrome extension and web platform access
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, and company pages
- 300+ hooks and post endings templates
- 1‑click post reuse from historical content
- Content analytics for posts and profile performance
Business (Monthly)
$14.95/month per profile
Monthly team billing
- Minimum 3 LinkedIn profiles
- Everything in the Individual plan
- Connect and manage multiple profiles in one organization
- AuthoredUp sub‑accounts for team members and clients
- Organization management for centralized control
- Team analytics across profiles
- Draft collaboration between team members
Custom Growth Plan
Custom
Large teams/agencies
- Fast‑tracked LinkedIn success for teams and agencies
- Personalized onboarding and setup
- Dedicated training sessions for teams
- Flexible invoicing options for procurement processes
- Custom offer tailored to team size and needs
Feature Deep Dive
Personality Insights and Communication
Crystal
Strengths
- DISC predictions for millions of professionals
- Self-assessments for DISC, Enneagram, strengths
- Personalized tips for emails, calls, meetings
- Sales playbooks for deal stages
- Pre-meeting insights and blind spots analysis
Workflow
Search profile → View DISC insights → Apply communication tips → Customize outreach
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- No personality features
- General content templates for engagement
Workflow
N/A
Limitations
- Lacks behavioral data
- No personalized communication guidance
Crystal dominates in personality-driven personalization for sales and hiring, providing actionable behavioral insights. AuthoredUp has no equivalent features, focusing instead on content. Choose Crystal for humanizing B2B interactions; AuthoredUp for generic LinkedIn posting.
Content Creation Capabilities
Crystal
Strengths
- Communication tips for personalized content
- Playbook builder for sales narratives
- No direct post editor
Workflow
Use insights to tailor messages → Build playbook → Apply in LinkedIn/Gmail
Limitations
- Not a content studio
- Focus on personalization, not creation tools
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- Rich editor with formatting, live preview
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, 300+ templates
- Historical post reuse suggestions
- Support for multiple company pages
Workflow
Ideate with templates → Draft and format → Preview in LinkedIn → Save or schedule
AuthoredUp is purpose-built for LinkedIn content creation with advanced editing and inspiration tools. Crystal offers indirect support via personalized tips but lacks creation features. AuthoredUp wins for creators; Crystal for insight-driven content.
Analytics & Reporting
Crystal
Strengths
- Personality fit scoring for hiring
- Group and team dynamics reports
- CSV enrichment for data analysis
- Intelligence reports (executive, stakeholder)
Limitations
- No social media performance analytics
- Focus on behavioral, not engagement metrics
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- In-depth LinkedIn analytics: impressions, engagement
- Follower growth and best post times
- Posts table with filters, CSV export
- Team analytics across profiles
Limitations
- LinkedIn-only, no behavioral insights
AuthoredUp provides robust LinkedIn-specific social analytics for content optimization. Crystal excels in behavioral and hiring reports but lacks engagement tracking. Select AuthoredUp for post performance; Crystal for people analytics.
Hiring & Team Collaboration
Crystal
Strengths
- Job profiles, fit scoring, benchmarking
- Candidate assessments and libraries
- Team assessments and playbooks
- Group admin tools
Workflow
Create job profile → Assess candidates → Score fit → Build team playbook
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- Draft collaboration for teams
- Sub-accounts and organization management
- Team analytics
Workflow
Assign sub-accounts → Collaborate on drafts → Review analytics
Limitations
- No hiring-specific tools
- Collaboration limited to content
Crystal is superior for personality-informed hiring and team dynamics. AuthoredUp offers basic content collaboration but nothing for HR. Crystal is ideal for talent acquisition; AuthoredUp for creative teams.
Use Case Comparison
B2B Sales Prospecting
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
DISC insights and personalized tips humanize outbound outreach on LinkedIn and email.
Best Plan: Premium ($49/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Fair
Good for creating engaging posts to attract prospects, but no personalization insights.
Best Plan: Individual ($16.63/month)
Score: 6/10
Solo LinkedIn Content Creator
Crystal
Poor
Lacks content tools; insights don't aid creation directly.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Powerful editor, templates, and analytics optimize posting workflow.
Best Plan: Individual ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
HR Talent Acquisition
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
Hiring tools like fit scoring and assessments streamline personality-based recruitment.
Best Plan: Business (Custom)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Poor
No HR features; limited to LinkedIn employer branding content.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Personal Branding Agency
Crystal
Fair
Insights help tailor client comms, but no content management.
Best Plan: Business (Custom)
Score: 5/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Multi-profile support, collaboration, and analytics for client LinkedIn management.
Best Plan: Business ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 9/10
Sales Team Collaboration
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
Team assessments, playbooks, and CRM integrations enhance group dynamics.
Best Plan: Business (Custom)
Score: 9/10
AuthoredUp
Good
Draft collaboration for social selling content, but no sales insights.
Best Plan: Business ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 7/10
LinkedIn Performance Analytics
Crystal
Poor
No engagement tracking; only behavioral data.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Deep metrics, growth tracking, and CSV exports for optimization.
Best Plan: Individual ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
Hiring Manager for Small Team
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
Candidate libraries, job fit, and comparative analysis simplify decisions.
Best Plan: Business (Custom)
Score: 9/10
AuthoredUp
Poor
Irrelevant for hiring.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
B2B Marketer Focused on Content
Crystal
Good
Personalization tips aid thought leadership, but no creation tools.
Best Plan: Premium ($49/month)
Score: 6/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Tailored for B2B LinkedIn content with editor and reuse features.
Best Plan: Individual ($16.63/month)
Score: 9/10
Enterprise Sales Organization
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
API, intelligence reports, and unlimited profiles scale for complex deals.
Best Plan: Intelligence ($999+/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Fair
Good for social selling content, but no enterprise sales insights.
Best Plan: Custom Growth Plan
Score: 5/10
Solo Consultant Building Brand
Crystal
Good
Insights for client comms, but limited content support.
Best Plan: Premium ($49/month)
Score: 7/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Affordable tools for consistent LinkedIn posting and analysis.
Best Plan: Individual ($16.63/month)
Score: 9/10
Manager Improving Team Dynamics
Crystal 🏆
Excellent
Assessments and playbooks for one-on-ones and collaboration.
Best Plan: Business (Custom)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Fair
Collaboration on content, but no team insight tools.
Best Plan: Business ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 4/10
Content Agency Managing Clients
Crystal
Poor
No multi-client content tools.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Sub-accounts, collaboration, and analytics for client LinkedIn.
Best Plan: Business ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 10/10
Pros and Cons
Crystal
Pros
- Deep DISC-based insights for sales and communication personalization
- Strong integrations with LinkedIn, Gmail, HubSpot, Salesforce
- Comprehensive playbooks for sales, teams, and hiring
- Robust hiring features like job fit scoring and candidate comparisons
- API and CSV for scalable data use
- Pre-meeting tools and behavioral reports add practical value
Cons
- Complex interface for small teams or simple needs
- Opaque custom pricing requires sales contact
- Learning curve for playbooks and workflows
- Value relies on organizational adoption
- DISC focus may not suit other frameworks
- No content creation or social analytics
AuthoredUp
Pros
- Tailored for LinkedIn with advanced editor and preview
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, and 300+ templates streamline ideation
- Deep analytics including engagement and growth tracking
- Easy post reuse and historical analysis with CSV export
- Multi-profile support and team collaboration in Business plan
- Affordable scaling for solo to agency use
Cons
- Interface complexity for basic users
- No native AI generation; manual drafting required
- Chrome-dependent; limited on other browsers
- Per-profile pricing escalates for teams
- LinkedIn-only; no multi-platform or personality features
- Lacks sales/hiring tools
Final Verdict
Crystal and AuthoredUp both enhance LinkedIn usage but target different needs: Crystal for personality-driven sales, hiring, and communication personalization, and AuthoredUp for content creation, scheduling, and analytics on LinkedIn. Crystal suits B2B teams seeking deeper human connections, while AuthoredUp empowers creators and marketers with publishing efficiency.
Opt for Crystal if personality insights drive your sales or hiring processes. Choose AuthoredUp for streamlined LinkedIn content workflows. For hybrid needs, use both: AuthoredUp to create content that attracts prospects, and Crystal to personalize follow-ups.
Overall Scores
Crystal
Content Creation: 3/10
Value: 7/10
AuthoredUp
Content Creation: 10/10
Value: 9/10
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