Zety Resume Builder Review: Is It the Right Tool for Your Job Search?

One of the most widely used resume editors is Zety’s resume builder. Discover its key features and major pros and cons.

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If you’re hunting for a new job, you’ve likely come across some AI resume-building tools. Zety’s resume builder is often suggested to jobseekers, but how well does it deliver, and how does it compare to other tools?

In this review, we take a close look at Zety’s features, pricing, and real customer feedback to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your job search.

TL;DR: Quick Verdict of Zety’s Resume Builder

Zety’s resume and cover letter tools offer an intuitive, beginner-friendly resume builder with modern templates, instant content suggestions, and a built-in resume scoring tool to check compatibility with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). However, while it’s quick to use, some users find the customization limited, the designs too stiff, and the pricing model less transparent than expected.

What Is Zety?

Zety is an online resume and cover letter creation platform aimed at making the task of producing professional, recruiter-ready documents simpler. Its web-based builder helps you write each section of your resume, including contact info, skills, and your work experience, while offering pre-written content tailored to job titles and experience levels.

It’s designed for users who want:

• A resume ready in minutes without starting from scratch
• Advice on what to include for specific roles
• Templates with a clean, modern look

The process is straightforward in its builder, simply pick one of Zety’s resume templates, enter your details (or import directly from an existing resume), and follow the instructions.

Customer Reviews & Reputation

When evaluating a resume builder, reviewing feedback from users helps reveal its strengths and weaknesses beyond the marketing promises. Here’s a closer look at Zety reviews from Trustpilot.

Zety’s Trustpilot ratings

At the time of this review, on Trustpilot, Zety’s reviews hold a 4.0 out of 5-star rating, based on over 10 thousand reviews.

Common positives:

• Users praise the clean, beginner-friendly interface, which makes building a resume fast and simple.
• Content suggestions from the tool’s artificial intelligence help speed up the writing process for those unsure of what to include.

Common complaints:

• Some users feel the templates are too rigid.
• Several reviews mention formatting issues when submitting resumes through automatic application systems.
• Customer support does not respond to user concerns.
• The subscription model can be frustrating due to the difficulty for users cancelling their subscription and unexpected charges.
• A few users question the accuracy of the scoring system.

Zety’s Key Features

There are a number of tools that stand out when using Zety’s resume builder. Below are some of its most important features:

• User-friendly Interface: The editor is intuitive, with a straightforward step-by-step process for each section.
• Customizable templates: A variety of template designs are available to help you adjust colors, sections, and layouts.
• Helpful content suggestions: Pre-written bullet points and summaries are offered for different job titles, helping you save time writing.
• Resume scoring & ATS check: Zety’s Resume Checker analyzes your resume and provides a score and highlights potential ATS compatibility issues.
• Cover letter builder: Similar to the resume editor, this is a guided tool that creates a cover letter matching templates, expert tips, and pre-written text.
• Multiple formats: You can download your resume in TXT (free), or PDF and Word (paid).

Zety’s Pricing & Plans

While Zety lets you build a resume for free, downloading your resume in PDF or Word formats requires payment.

• Free: Build your resume and download as a TXT file.
• Pro package: $2.70 for 14 days, then auto-renews at $23.70 every 4 weeks.
• Annual Package: $5.95/month, billed annually ($71.40 total).

Some users have pointed out that they have been surprised by subscription renewals or finding cancellation less straightforward than expected.

What We Like (Pros)

There are a number of tools and characteristics that stand out in a positive way when creating a resume. Here are some of Zety’s best features: 

• User-friendly interface: Zety has a simple, intuitive design that makes it easy to get started.
• Customizable templates: Designs can be tailored to fit your sector and brand.
• Helpful content suggestions: Faster writing process with role-specific bullet points and summaries.
• Resume scoring & ATS check: Valuable insights into how your resume might perform in machine-generated evaluations.
• Cover letter builder: Zety’s cover letter builder creates a letter that matches your resume design for an organized application set.

What We Don’t Like (Cons)

While there are a few positives, there are some negatives when using Zety’s resume templates and builder, such as: 

• Subscription concerns: There are user complaints of unclear subscription terms regarding renewals or cancellations.
• Limited customization: Some templates feel inflexible in terms of layout or formatting.
• Potentially generic designs: Without heavy editing, resumes can appear bland and fail to stand out.
• Not entirely free: Downloading in professional formats, such as PDF or Word, requires payment.
• Formatting issues: Auto-formatting and suggestions may sometimes overlook unique career paths.

Zety vs. ResumeCoach

When comparing ResumeCoach’s resume builder and Zety’s online tools, there are similarities; however, there are some differences that stand out between the two, especially when it comes to customer support. 

Take a look at the following table to understand what each offers:

Template customization

Zety’s designs are considered modern, though several elements stay fixed and options are constrained. 

With ResumeCoach’s templates, you can get higher flexibility for fonts and layout inside the editor, paired with a broader template set. You can nudge a design toward conservative or creative without leaving the builder.

ATS‑focused resumes

Both tools aim to create resumes that can impress Applicant Tracking Systems. But, Zety’sits more stylized templates can require careful selection for stricter parsers. 

ResumeCoach leans on clean, ATS‑first templates by default with clear headings and minimal decoration to reduce detection issues.

Formatting flexibility

When formatting your resume, Zety offers consistent layouts with moderate flexibility, making it useful for quick builds. 

ResumeCoach, on the other hand, gives more precise control over spacing, section order, and line breaks without breaking the template. That extra control makes it easier to hit a clean one‑pager or adapt layouts for different roles.

You can also use ResumeCoach’s summary generator and skills generator to add those sections easily. 

Multilingual options

While zety.com’s builder is focused on only English-speaking jobseekers, both ResumeCoach’s resume generator and our support are available in 13 languages.

You can build multiple versions of your resume, each adapted  to the sections and formats of different countries, all within the same platform.

Final Verdict: Is Zety Worth It?

Zety offers an organized, user-friendly platform that makes it easy to create resumes and cover letters quickly. Its clean interface and a built-in resume scoring and ATS check tool make it especially attractive to first-time resume creators or those who want a quick, guided process.

However, user reviews also show some recurring problems. Templates, while attractive, can be difficult to customize beyond some basic changes, even within the tool. Some users report formatting issues when uploading to automated application systems, and others find the subscription model less transparent than they’d like. 

For AI-powered suggestions, full formatting control, and responsive customer support, ResumeCoach’s resume builder, for example, offers a more advanced and flexible solution, along with better customer support that can give your application a competitive edge.

ResumeCoach is an independent platform to Zety that publishes reviews, comparisons, and informational content about third-party products and services. All trademarks, brand names, logos, and service marks mentioned or displayed herein are the property of their respective owners. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by the brands mentioned, unless explicitly stated otherwise

FAQs

Is Zety legit?

Yes. Zety is a legitimate and widely used online platform for building resumes and cover letters.

However, you should review their pricing and subscription terms before signing up, as users have complained about not being able to unsubscribe and unclear details.

Is Zety’s resume builder free?

Zety allows you to create a resume for free and even run it through its ATS check and scoring tool. However, you can only download your resume in TXT format for free.

Many users start with the trial, but it’s essential to remember that it will auto-renew into a subscription if not canceled.

If you want to create and download your document in PDF or Word formats you will need to subscribe to a paid plan.

Is Zety safe?

Yes. Zety uses secure connections and protects user data while you build and store resumes or cover letters without sharing them with third parties. 

As for signing up for a subscription, like with any online purchase, it is important to review the terms and conditions before making a payment.