According to GetFive, only 30% of resumes are approved by applicant tracking systems (ATS). Once the resumes are approved, a hiring manager will only spend an average of six seconds reading each resume.
With a resume builder, you can build a personalized professional resume that passes ATS, stands out to the hiring manager, and helps you land your next job interview.
Resume builders are incredibly helpful when creating a resume and can help you showcase your unique personality. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best free resume builders. Keep reading, and then get to work designing your own with these tools.
Best Free Resume Builders
- Zety: Best for expert resume creation tips.
- Resume Genius: Best for easy and fast resume creation.
- My Perfect Resume: Best for guided resume creation help.
- Standard Resume: Best for active LinkedIn users.
- Canva: Best for design creativity and expression.
- Indeed: Best for in-platform jobseekers.
- Resume.com: Best for minimalist resume creation.
We’ve discovered the best free resume builders on the market. These resume builders are great for all jobseekers, from entry-level to executive level. Each free resume builder has a simple interface, customization options, and templates that help you create the perfect resume for your next job.
Featured Resource: HubSpot Resume Templates
Download these free templates to get your thoughts on paper and plan your resume before using a free online resume builder.
1. Zety: Best For Expert Resume Creation Tips
Zety is an excellent online resume builder because of its state-of-the-art templates. You can quickly start from scratch and input your information. My favorite element of this tool is that the site will walk you through the process. All you need to do is fill out the information, and then — voila! You have a resume. While this tool is free, you’ll need to make an online account.
To use Zety for free, click “Download” on the left toolbar once you reach the final step of the builder — instead of selecting “Save and next.” Then, choose “Plain Text (.txt)” to download your resume for free.
Best For
Zety is best for those looking for expert help in creating their resumes. The tool provides tips and prompts to help you create the content for your resume, and there are a variety of customization options to ensure your resume is tailored to your needs. While you can download a .txt file for free, it costs $2.70 for a different file format, and some templates use graphics and colors that interfere with ATS.
| PROS | CONS |
| Guides users through each step of the process and offers tips and prompts | Free download is a .txt file; $2.70 for a different format |
| Variety of customization options to create a unique resume | Some templates interfere with ATS |
| Auto-suggestion feature provides ATS-optimized descriptions of work experience and skills |
2. Resume Genius: Best For Easy and Fast Resume Creation
Resume Genius is undoubtedly one of the easiest and fastest free resume tools you have at your disposal. With a clean and easy-to-use interface, the tool walks you (speedily) through the sections of your resume, including education, work experience, and references. It offers different templates varying from “Taj Mahal” to “Classic.” Resume Genius provides you with easy fill-in-the-blank sections so you can have an impressive, comprehensive resume in no time.
Best For
Resume Genius is best for those looking for step-by-step guidance when creating a resume. The tool offers tips and advice at each stage of the process. Resume Genius’ search options help you build an ATS-optimized resume that’s customized to fit your industry and position.
| PROS | CONS |
| Easy to use interface | Free download is a .txt file; you must pay for a 14-day trial to download as a PDF or different format |
| URL for sharing and performance tracking | No option to upload an existing resume, so you must start from scratch each time, making it difficult to make updates |
| Can search for positions and choose from 50,000+ job description bullet points that relate to what you’re applying for |
3. My Perfect Resume: Best For Guided Resume Creation Help
My Perfect Resume allows you to either start from scratch and input information into a blank template, or upload a pre-existing resume if you already have one. Additionally, the tool provides you with expert recommendations as you move throughout the process, including suggested phrases you can include for specific roles.
My Perfect Resume also enables you to include optional sections like certifications, accomplishments, and affiliations. This is vital, particularly if you’re just starting out, or switching industries. This tool is particularly useful if you’re applying for a creative role and want to add color or a unique design to your resume.
To use My Perfect Resume for free, click “Download” on the left toolbar once you reach the final step of the builder — instead of selecting “Save and next.” Then, choose “Plain Text (.txt)” to download your resume for free.
Best For
My Perfect Resume is excellent for those looking for guided help when creating their resumes. The tool recommends templates based on your experience level and provides expert recommendations for skills to include based on your job titles. Compared to other tools on the list, there are fewer customization options, and there are only nine templates to choose from.
| PROS | CONS |
| Recommends templates based on experience level | Fewer customization options, and only nine templates to choose from |
| Provides expert recommendations for skills and job responsibilities based on job title | Some templates interfere with ATS |
| Free download of a .txt file; you must pay $2.95 for a 14-day trial to download your resume as a PDF or Word document |
4. Standard Resume: Best For Active LinkedIn Users
Standard Resume allows you to import your information straight from LinkedIn, making it an ideal time-saver if your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date.
The white background and minimalist features enable you to focus on what really matters — your content. You can switch back and forth between “Write” and “Design” to see how your resume looks as you go along and download it as a PDF when you’re finished. Best of all, the tool also makes your resume mobile-responsive so that you can view it on your smartphone.
Best For
Standard Resume is great for LinkedIn users looking to quickly create an ATS-compatible resume. The tool uses your LinkedIn profile to automatically build a professional resume. Standard Resume also provides tips to improve your resume.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free | Not many customization options or design-focused tools |
| Easy import from existing LinkedIn profile | |
| Minimalist, helping you focus on your experience and achievements |
5. Canva: Best For Design Creativity and Expression
If you’re applying for a creative role or want a resume that truly lets you stand out, you might consider using one of Canva’s hundreds of free designer templates. Canva’s selections are incredibly varied and unique, so you’ll undoubtedly find one you like, and inputting resume sections can be as easy as copy-and-paste. Additionally, the templates are separated into categories, such as “Graphic Design,” “Corporate,” and “Creative,” making it easier to choose based on your preferred industry.
Best For
Canva is best for those looking for design creativity and expression in their resumes. Although not specifically designed for resume building, the tool offers a wide variety of templates, layouts, and designs to choose from when creating your resume.
| PROS | CONS |
| Easy to use interface | No option to upload an existing resume, so you must start from scratch each time, making it difficult to make updates |
| Hundreds of free designer templates | Difficult to edit design elements |
| Templates are categorized by industry | Canva’s PDF formatting can interfere with ATS |
6. Indeed: Best For In-Platform Job Seekers
Creating an Indeed resume is an incredibly quick process. Best of all, the site allows you to automatically share your resume with employers on Indeed as soon as you’re finished. If you’ve already completed a resume, it’s still a good idea to upload it to the site for exposure to potential employers. While it admittedly doesn’t offer as many options for creativity as some of the others on this list, Indeed is an impressive option if you want to create a more traditional resume and start sharing it immediately.
Best For
Indeed’s free resume builder is best for those looking to immediately jumpstart their job search after creating their resume. It guides you through the resume creation process with expert advice and prompts to help your resume catch employers’ attention. Resumes created using Indeed’s free resume builder are designed to be viewed and picked up by ATS.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free | Only eight templates |
| Includes expert tips and advice | Limited design and customization options |
| Templates compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) | Unable to import or upload an existing resume or LinkedIn profile |
| Automatically share your completed resume on the site for employers and recruiters to see |
7. Resume.com: Best For Minimalist Resume Creation
With Resume.com, you can build a beautiful resume in minutes. This tool is an excellent option if you’re looking for recommendations on what to include in your resume. Additionally, the site has popular templates for various job categories to help you stand out from the competition.
To use this for free, when you’re at the last stage, you’ll see a pop-up that says to create an account — instead, just click “Skip for now.” Then, in the top right-hand corner, you can click the download button.
Best For
Resume.com is great for jobseekers looking to quickly create a professional resume. This 100% free resume builder provides examples to help you during the process.
| PROS | CONS |
| Completely free | Limited options for design and customization |
| LinkedIn importing | No pre-written content |
| Share, print, and download in multiple formats | Minimal guidance for resume creation |
Building a resume can feel like you’re staring at a blank canvas. But with an online resume builder, you can get recommendations and build a beautiful document that will stand out without needing a graphic design degree.
What’s the best resume builder?
The best resume builder for you will vary depending on your needs.
If you prefer a tool that guides you through the process of creating a resume, we recommend using a builder that provides tips and suggestions. If you prefer a resume builder that automatically creates a resume, we recommend a tool that pulls information from LinkedIn. If you prefer having creative freedom when building your resume, we recommend using a tool that includes customization options.
Choose the resume builder that meets your needs and fits your industry and personal style, and you’ll be well on your way to earning a second look from hiring managers.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and was updated for comprehensiveness.
