Did you know that three out of four job applications don’t get past robot recruiters? And if your resume is chosen, it only has six seconds to impress distracted hiring managers.
Unless you use the best free resume builder, you’ll find it difficult to get interviews, let alone land your dream job. Not only does your resume need to impress human recruiters to put you on shortlists, it also must have the qualities necessary to pass the filtering algorithms of applicant tracking systems (ATS).
To help simplify resume creation for you, we compiled a list of solutions you should consider.
– Top 4 Free Resume Builders –
ResumeGiants offers a huge range of templates to choose from, so you can find the perfect one for your needs. You can also customize your resume with colors, fonts, and layouts to make it truly unique. And if you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry – ResumeGiants also offers helpful tips and examples to get you on the right track.
- Deployment: Web-based software
- Pricing model: Free
- Import of data: Copy and paste
- Number of available templates: 10+
- Customization: Limited
- Export of output: PDF
- Personalized advice: Available
- Best for: Beginners
- No registration required
- Straightforward process
- 100% free features
Our Resume.io review isn’t the first to express mixed feelings about the service. On its own merits, the software has wonderful editing and customization features. The company cares about privacy and cybersecurity too. But the resume builder has at least one unhelpful tool and is limited by a rather restrictive pricing policy.
- Deployment: Web-based software
- Pricing model: Freemium
- Import of data: Use of editable examples and copy and paste
- Number of available templates: 18
- Customization: Ample
- Export of output: PDF, Word, or plain text with an option to generate a link
- Personalized advice: Available
- Best for: Non-English-speaking job seekers
- Editable resume and cover letter examples
- Customizable editor
- Over a dozen language sets
The goal of such professional resume makers is to provide users with the right tools, information, and guides they need to create an outstanding resume. Still, there are some drawbacks. The bare-bones app works, but some standard features are grossly missing.
- Deployment: Web-based software
- Pricing model: Free
- Import of data: Copy and paste
- Number of available templates: 30+
- Customization: Limited
- Export of output: PDF
- Personalized advice: Unavailable
- Best for: High school students
- Downloadable resume examples
- Rearrangeable sections
- One-click downloading mechanism
Providing Swiss Army knives-like apps and offering the best free resume templates that captivate recruiters lie at the heart of VisualCV’s blueprint for success. With creative pricing options, you can harness VisualCV’s full functionality without parting ways with your money. Also, the company helps you host your resume on your domain.
- Deployment: Web-based and mobile apps
- Pricing model: Freemium
- Import of data: Upload from hard drives, transfer data from LinkedIn, use of editable examples, and copy and paste
- Number of available templates: 23
- Customization: Decent
- Export of output: PDF or Word with an option to generate a link
- Personalized advice: Available
- Best for: Job seekers in creative fields
- Dedicated resume/CV and cover letter builders
- Separate editors
- Thousands of editable resume and CV examples
– Short Resume Builder Reviews –
Resume.io
Essential Features:
◊ Diverse editable examples
◊ Free customization features
◊ Multi-language support
◊ Free cover letter downloads
Additional Features:
♦ Automatic spell checker
♦ Cover letter builder
♦ Job-hunting tools
♦ Third-party resume consultation
Resume.io is a likeable resume and cover letter maker because it can get the job done for casual job applicants, despite its downsides. No resume builder review will support Resume.io if it claims to be the industry’s sole provider of job-hunting tools. But the company does more to help job seekers find jobs by offering expert tips.
Deployment
This browser-based app has adequate free features to make decent resumes and cover letters. Resume.io has a profile completeness bar, an automatic spell checker, and a random summary generator. The last one is a waste since it doesn’t provide contextual suggestions. At least the software has keyword-based pre-written phrases that propose relevant text for employment history.
Pricing Model
A paid subscription is a must if you want to maximize the app. The company offers 3 premium plans, each with a 7-day money-back guarantee. Is Resume.io safe? Yes, if you’re mindful of the plan you select. The semi-annual and annual plans don’t auto-renew. But the $2.95 7-day trial can turn into a monthly plan with recurring payment.
Import of Data
Another deficiency in the software is the inability to scan existing documents. You can’t update your old resume or cover letter with it. Instead, you have to start with a blank page or edit examples in Resume.io’s library. You may not have to type in text that much, though, since there are built-in tools that can handle that.
Number of Available Templates
The Resume.io free account gives you access to 18 matching resume and cover letter templates only. While more is better, you can explore and adopt the conventional designs in many countries with such a limited selection. With more than 300 editable examples, you won’t be hard-pressed to find something that matches your prospective job title.
Customization
As a free member, you can change the font color, make bold, italicized, underlined, and strikethrough text, add or remove a photo, form numbered and bullet lists, and renate and create more sections. As a premium member, you can do all of the above, plus unlock more color palettes, adjust the line spacing, and reorder sections.
Export of Output
Without paying the Resume.io price of a premium plan, you can only download your resume or a combination of it and a cover letter in plain text. Curiously, you may export a cover letter in PDF or plain text as a free member. Furthermore, you can generate a link to your resume, which is seamlessly shareable on social media.
Personalized Advice
Resume.io doesn’t critique documents. If you need a fresh pair of eyes, the company recommends its partner, TopResume. This third party provides a free, confidential review. TopResume can email your personalized, actionable feedback within 48 hours. Since this service is free, consider using it to make your resume friendly to both robot recruiters and HR managers.
Best For
Resume.io is the best resume builder for you if you want to articulate your qualifications in a different tongue. The software supports 13 other European language sets. To wow employers in Russian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Polish, or Czech using Resume.io, you have to use one of its local sites.
ResumeBuilder.com
Essential Features:
◊ Replicable resume examples
◊ Rearrangeable sections
◊ Basic typographical commands
◊ Changeable templates
Additional Features:
♦ Unlimited downloads
♦ Mobile-responsive site
♦ Heaps of downloadable resources
♦ Phone and email support
ResumeBuilder.com’s software lets you create a resume easily using its resume wizard. You can choose from over 30 customizable templates and tweak them to your liking. Recent ResumeBuilder.com reviews indicated that the company used to have plans. As of this writing, its app requires no credit card information at any point, though.
Deployment
Clearly, ResumBuilder.com needs to soup up its app. But to be fair, its interface isn’t that bad. You can modify sections on the left, enter text in the middle, and see the document’s preview on the right. Other than the labeled fields, the editor offers zero instructions. You can play with sections with reckless abandon.
Pricing Model
Is ResumeBuilder.com free? We found no evidence that it isn’t. And judging by the company’s privacy policy, it seems that it generates revenue through third-party advertisements. However, the site displays no ads whatsoever. Outside any affiliate marketing efforts, it’s a mystery why ResumeBuilder.com doesn’t capitalize on its traffic to monetize its platform.
Import of Data
This resume maker doesn’t let you upload any document. You can’t edit any of its resume examples either. If you borrow phrases from them, you have to copy and paste the blocks of text. Unlike other resume builders, the app doesn’t suggest pre-written snippets to fill blank fields more quickly.
Number of Available Templates
The site says that you can choose from more than 30 ResumeBuilder templates. Unfortunately, these designs don’t have dramatic visual differences. They have minimal layout distinctions, but that’s it.
Customization
With ResumeBuilder.com, you can bold, italicize, and underline words in sentences when you’re not filling out a form. Likewise, you can add up to 14 custom sections you can rename or rearrange however you like. The app’s customization capability ends there, though. And there’s no ResumeBuilder.com cost you’d pay to enjoy more features.
Export of Output
The only way to export your work is by downloading it as a PDF file. You can’t save it in any other format or email, print, or upload it to the cloud. At least you can save multiple drafts if you sign up. But the site offers no means to manage your account, though.
Personalized Advice
ResumeBuilder.com has no human proofreaders and editors. To improve your resume, you can consult the site’s extensive knowledge base. Online resume builder reviews of the company will admit that this feature is one of the best features that ResumeBuilder.com has to offer.
Best For
This app is a good platform to practice creating resumes. High school grads or people planning to join the workforce whose credentials are limited may find the site’s resume wizard adequate.
Visual CV
Essential Features:
◊ Multi-editor apps
◊ About two dozen templates
◊ Zillions of editable examples
◊ Unrestricted customization
Additional Features:
♦ Lenient pricing structure
♦ Resume formatting service
♦ Resume performance analytics
♦ Premium integrations
To bring more charisma to your personal brand, using VisualCV is worth your while. In terms of ingenuity, maybe the company offers the best program to make a resume. Few resume builders could match VisualCV’s dazzling designs. With a premium account, you can take your personal brand to great heights and monitor the effectiveness of your resumes.
Deployment
VisualCV apps consist of basic and visual editors. The first one contains tools for managing sections while the second handles the document’s formatting and appearance. The software’s completeness bar and revision history help make writing and editing a breeze. Because of its unobtrusive design, VisualCV’s interface stays neat without compromising navigation.
Pricing Model
The VisualCV pricing structure is something to emulate. The free version allows full customization with one resume (with VisualVC branding) download. With any of the paid subscriptions, you can enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee. Moreover, the company offers a $2.95 paid trial to access all premium features at a fraction of the cost of a regular paid plan.
Import of Data
VisualCV allows all means of transferring data, except for downloading files from third-party cloud storage services. You can upload documents from your computer, import your LinkedIn profile data, edit VisualCV resume and cover letter examples, and copy-paste information. However, the software lacks in-app text suggestions that let you fill in fields with stock phrases.
Number of Available Templates
Only three Visual CV templates are accessible to free users. To lay your hands on the other 20 ATS-friendly designs, having a premium plan is a must. By VisualCV’s standards, basic templates are still charming. By adding a punch of color to your document and enlarging the text font to lend more interest to your free resume.
Customization
VisualCV lets you choose from dozens of header and body fonts as well as primary, secondary, link, and background colors. Also, you can adjust section and paragraph margins and add and remove page breaks. Although you can’t make bold, italicized, and underlined text, you can rename and rearrange sections and create new ones with charts, portfolio items, and more.
Export of Output
In almost every VisualCV review, the company gets praises for being considerate and letting free users download their work in PDF at no cost. If you wish to export it as an MS Word file, generate a shareable link, or get rid of the one-download limit, you have to upgrade your free account.
Personalized Advice
VisualCV doesn’t offer in-house proofreading and editing services. But the company recommends TopResume, which provides a free resume review with emphasis on confidentiality. For premium users, VisualCV provides resume formatting support at no extra charge. This service can put your credentials in the best light.
Best For
If you belong to an industry where nontraditional designs are in vogue, VisualCV could be the best choice for you. Despite some customization limitations, the software lets you manipulate enough key formatting and visual elements to creatively use your resume to accentuate your competence and personality.
– Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Right Free Professional Resume Builder for You –
Comparing the finest resume builders is harder than you think. If you don’t know what to look for, you can easily get lost and waste your time using a
Comparing the finest resume builders is harder than you think, but it’s crucial. Also, a good resume can improve your chances of getting a job through job search engines. That’s why you need to find a suitable resume builder.
If you don’t know what to look for, you can easily get lost and waste your time using a tool that lacks the features you need and doesn’t produce the kind of output you want.
To give you some sense of direction, answer the questions below to winnow down your options.
How Is the Best Resume Builder Software Delivered?
The delivery model of resume builders can define your experience with them. Many of these apps are web-based, while others are available as mobile apps.
Web-based resume builders are generally convenient to use since desktop and laptop keyboards are more conducive to typing. With no installation required, you’ll just need a good browser to begin putting your credentials together on a document.
Mobile apps offer flexibility, for they let you compose and polish drafts while on the go. Think of how you want to use a resume builder. If you have a preferred device, software deployment is a major factor you shouldn’t overlook.
How Does the Resume Builder Make Money?
Everything has a price—even free resume builders. The best resume builder sites with no paid version may sell your data and rely on ads to generate revenue, whereas free software trials provide access to some or all premium features for a certain amount of time.
Usually, the disadvantages of no-cost resume-building tools are the cumbersome user experience and limited functionality. Typically, the downsides of free trials are auto-renewal and unwanted billing.
It’s not uncommon for a piece of premium software to turn into a regular subscription after the period of trial use. Find out how free your chosen free resume builder actually is to avoid a bill shock.
How Does the Resume Builder Support Data Transfer?
The best resume-building apps that let you seamlessly transfer data from one software to another are convenient to use. Having the ability to drag and drop the file of your existing resume or CV is even better.
The problem is that some tools leave you no choice but to start with a blank canvas. Many others at least let you edit templates, use stock phrases, and get inspiration from real-life examples.
Then again, just because a program can scan documents doesn’t mean it can accurately capture the information 100% of the time. No tech is completely infallible, so read reviews and use empirical data to know which programs that seem impressive on paper are actually not that good in practice.
How Many Free Resume Builder Templates Are Available?
A broad selection of templates means nothing to a free resume builder user when accessible options are scarce. The good news is that traditional designs are almost universally for public consumption. The bad news, however, is that creative resumes are the norm. Of course, every industry has its resume design conventions. But you’d rather have more options than settle for what’s available.
Resume builders that impose no restrictions on template access are a godsend. However, there’s generally a catch—and it’s usually a paywall. So if the best free resume sites offer complete access to their template libraries, welcome the privilege with some skepticism.
How Much Customization Does the Resume Builder Allow?
A potent tool lets you customize your resume to the last detail. Sadly, not every app deserves such a description. Most resume, CV, and cover letter builders adequately allow formatting and style changes. But recruiters in many domains pay closer attention to documents with eye-popping elements in a boring pile.
If you need to make your credentials jump off the page with bold colors and dramatic graphics, you may find tools that allow more extensive customization. But if you feel that your qualifications speak for themselves, you can go with no-frills software.
What Export Options Does the Top Rated Free Resume Builder Provide?
Do you like to export your resume in PDF, plain text, or DOC? Is being able to download a copy of the document to your computer enough for you? Perhaps you want to save the file to the cloud for later use. Or maybe you want to email your updated resume straight to an employer to beat other qualified candidates to the punch.
Whatever you want to do with your freshly minted resume, it’s nice to have several choices to export your work. Otherwise, you may have one or two more hoops to jump through just to upload your resume on your chosen platform or send it to your intended recipient.
Does the Best Free Resume Software Provider Offer Personalized Advice?
Every trusted resume-building service provider maintains an ever-growing knowledge base full of helpful tips to guide you every step of the way. Despite that, there’s no denying that expert advice on your actual work can come in useful, which is where resume writing services come in.
Who Benefits the Most From the Resume Builder?
The best resume-building services strive to be as inclusive as possible. However, two different users could find the same app unequally advantageous. Logically, you should use the software that allows you to do what you want to do with your resume.
Using a resume builder not tailored for you can still get the job done. But missing a desirable feature or two could mean the difference between getting hired now or later. If your prospective resume builder doesn’t offer the features you’re looking for, don’t settle. In all probability, there’s another that suits you.