FlowCV vs Open Resume (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Open Resume grades higher than FlowCV: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FlowCV grades higher on features. Open Resume grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FlowCV
Free resume builder with watermark-free PDF downloads
Open Resume
Free open-source resume builder and ATS parser, no sign-up
Which one is for you
Pick FlowCV if
- Fits if you need one resume and one cover letter and want to download without a watermark
- Works for people changing jobs who want a tracker alongside the resume, on Pro
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you keep several versions of your resume, since free allows one and extra documents cannot be edited
- Skip it if you want AI writing or the Job Tracker for free, as both are Pro
- Watch out: after cancelling Pro only your oldest resume and cover letter stay editable
- Watch out: the pricing page lists a web app only, with no mobile or desktop apps
Pick Open Resume if
- Fits if you want one plain US-style resume without making an account
- Works for people who want to check how an ATS parser reads their PDF
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want AI writing help or cover letters, as it has neither
- Not for you if you want a photo or a non-US resume layout, since the options are few
- Watch out: data stays in your browser, so clearing storage or changing device loses it
- Too light for tracking applications, which it does not do
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFlowCVGood | 2.8GPAOpen ResumeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $5 a month billed yearly ($60), inside the cheaper quarter of resume builders, which starts at $7.95. The free plan covers the basics. | AFree, with no sign-up, and the code is open source. That is under 60% of the $4.77 the cheapest resume builders start near. |
| Free plan and trial | B1 resume, 1 cover letter, all templates and unlimited PDF downloads with no watermark, with no card. One person with one resume could live on it. | AFree with no account and no cap. The cost is that your data lives in the browser, so clearing storage or switching devices loses it unless you keep the PDF. |
| Features | BTemplates and design controls, import, cover letters, AI writing and translation, and a job tracker. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job of a resume builder. | CA live PDF preview, import of an existing PDF and a resume parser. It offers core sections only, no photo, no AI writing, no cover letters and no tracking, so the gaps are plain. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you build the resume yourself. | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you build the resume yourself, with no setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web app only. No phone or desktop app is named, and no integrations are listed. | CWeb only, with no accounts and no integrations. |
| Best for | a free resume with no watermark | a free resume builder with no sign-up |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FlowCV and Open Resume. How we grade
Price against what you get
FlowCV starts at $5 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Open Resume has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
FlowCV scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other resume builders on the chart, none scores higher than FlowCV for less, and none scores higher than Open Resume for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Open Resume is open source, according to its own site.
- FlowCV also covers templates and documents.
At a glance
| FlowCV | Open Resume | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $5 per month, billed yearly ($60) | Free |
| Free plan | One resume and one cover letter, all templates and design options, unlimited PDF downloads without watermarks, and 3 content imports. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Uniqkorn Creative GmbH | OpenResume |
| Price read from | flowcv.com | open-resume.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FlowCV
- Free accounts keep one resume and one cover letter; extra documents stay stored but cannot be edited until you upgrade.
- After cancelling Pro, only your oldest resume and cover letter remain editable on the free plan.
- AI writing tools and the Job Tracker are Pro features.
- The pricing page lists a web app only; no mobile or desktop apps are named.
Open Resume
- Offers only core sections such as profile, work experience, education and skills, with no profile photo option.
- It is built for US job-market conventions, so it has few options for other regional formats.
- No AI writing help, cover letters or job tracking; it builds and parses resumes only.
- Data lives in the browser, so clearing browser storage or switching devices loses it unless you keep the PDF.
Key features
FlowCV
- Templates and design controls
- Over 100 resume templates, with control over layout and styling, and the option to save a design of your own.
- Import an existing resume
- Upload a PDF, DOCX or image, or paste text, to fill the sections. The free plan allows 3 imports; Pro is unlimited.
- Cover letters
- Build a cover letter in the same editor. Free accounts keep one; Pro allows unlimited.
- AI writing and translation
- Pro includes built-in AI writing tools and translation for resume content.
- Job Tracker
- Pro adds a tracker for the applications you have sent.
- No watermark on free downloads
- Free resumes download as PDF without a FlowCV logo and without a download cap.
Open Resume
- Live PDF preview
- The resume PDF updates as you enter information, so you see the finished layout while editing.
- Automatic formatting
- Fonts, sizes, margins and bullet points are set for you, which avoids the inconsistent formatting that copied text brings.
- Import an existing PDF
- Upload a current resume PDF and the builder reads its fields into the form, so you can move to the new layout.
- Resume parser
- Shows what an ATS-style parser can extract from a resume PDF, such as name, contact details and education. The file is read in your browser.
- Data kept in your browser
- No account is required, and the entered data is stored locally in the browser rather than on a server.
- Source code on GitHub
- The project is open source and can be run locally with npm or Docker, per its README.
Plans
FlowCV
Free$0
1 resume and 1 cover letter, all templates, full design customization and unlimited watermark-free PDF downloads.
Pro$5
per month, billed yearly ($60)
Unlimited resumes, cover letters and imports, plus AI writing tools and the Job Tracker. Monthly and quarterly billing also exist; yearly is shown as a 74% saving.
Open Resume
Free$0
The full builder and parser, with no sign-up; the code is open source.
Ways to pay less
FlowCV
- Education
25% off Pro for university students
Students who verify an academic email address get 25% off FlowCV Pro for up to three years, per the pricing FAQ.
- Annual discount
Yearly billing saves 74%
The pricing page marks the yearly plan as a 74% saving compared with its other billing periods.
Open Resume
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FlowCV or Open Resume?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Open Resume is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month for FlowCV. FlowCV starts at $5 per month, billed yearly ($60), and Open Resume is free.
Which has a free plan, FlowCV or Open Resume?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FlowCV and Open Resume have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.