Open Resume vs VisualCV (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Open Resume grades higher than VisualCV: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Open Resume grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Open Resume
Free open-source resume builder and ATS parser, no sign-up
VisualCV
Resume and CV builder with online resume sites and view tracking
Which one is for you
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
Pick VisualCV if
- Fits if you want to send recruiters a link and see when, and roughly where, it was opened
- Works for people outside the US who need a CV rather than a resume
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free PDF, as the free account can't download or share a resume
- Not for you if you tailor each resume to a job ad, since nothing on record scores it against one
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $16 a month only on quarterly billing, and the monthly price isn't shown
- Watch out: Word download is still in beta, and there's no phone app
- Watch out: refunds come only on request by email within the first 30 days
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOpen ResumeGood | 2.0GPAVisualCVFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CPro is $16 a month billed quarterly, so $48 every three months. That's just under this category's middle ($16.50) and double its cheaper quarter ($8). Monthly billing costs more, and the page doesn't say how much. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CThe free account lets you try every template and build one resume, but it can't download a PDF or share the resume online. To send it anywhere, you pay. A 30-day refund on request by email isn't a trial. |
| Features | 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. | CMore than 30 templates with LinkedIn import, an AI writer for experience and summaries, cover letters, a Career Journal, and an online resume that logs each view's date and rough location. The gap: nothing on record scores a resume against a job ad, and Word download is still in beta. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you build the resume yourself, with no setup. | CNo App Store rating on record. It's a web builder where you fill in each section yourself, with LinkedIn import or the AI writer to get you started. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no accounts and no integrations. | CWeb only, with LinkedIn import. No phone or desktop app, and no other integrations on record. |
| Best for | a free resume builder with no sign-up | an online resume that shows who viewed it |
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: Open Resume and VisualCV. How we grade
Price against what you get
Open Resume has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. VisualCV starts at $16 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Open Resume starts $16 a month lower. Of the other resume builders on the chart, none scores higher than Open Resume for less, and 6 score higher than VisualCV 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.
- VisualCV also covers templates.
At a glance
| Open Resume | VisualCV | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $16 per month, billed quarterly |
| Free plan | None | Free account: try every template and keep 1 resume, 1 website, 1 cover letter and 1 Career Journal entry; PDF downloads and online sharing need Pro. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | OpenResume | Workstory Inc. |
| Price read from | open-resume.com | visualcv.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
VisualCV
- The free account cannot download a PDF or share a resume online, so in practice Pro is needed to send one.
- Pro is priced at $16 a month when billed quarterly; the monthly option costs more and its price is not in the page text.
- VisualCV refunds Pro within the first 30 days on request by email, per the pricing page.
Key features
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.
VisualCV
- Templates for resumes and CVs
- More than 30 templates, including an ATS-friendly one and full-width designs, with LinkedIn profile import to start from.
- AI Resume Writer
- Writes or rewrites a work experience entry from a job title and optional company and description, and drafts a summary.
- Online resume and personal website
- Publish a resume at its own URL, set a custom domain and share it by link. Pro only.
- Resume view tracking
- Logs each view of an online resume with the date, IP address and approximate location, per resume.
- Cover letters and downloads
- A cover letter builder, unlimited PDF downloads and a Word download in beta, all with Pro.
- Career Journal
- A place to record achievements as they happen; free accounts get a trial and one entry, Pro is unlimited.
Plans
Open Resume
Free$0
The full builder and parser, with no sign-up; the code is open source.
VisualCV
Free$0
Test drive all templates and build a first resume, with no PDF download, sharing link or cover letter builder.
Pro Quarterly$16
per month, billed quarterly
Up to 100 resumes, unlimited PDFs, a personal website, shareable links, cover letters and view analytics. Monthly billing costs more.
Ways to pay less
Open Resume
No public discounts listed.
VisualCV
- Annual discount
36% off with quarterly billing
The pricing page's Monthly and Quarterly switch marks quarterly billing at 36% off the monthly rate, which gives the $16 a month price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Open Resume or VisualCV?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Open Resume is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $16 a month for VisualCV. Open Resume is free, and VisualCV starts at $16 per month, billed quarterly.
Which has a free plan, Open Resume or VisualCV?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Open Resume and VisualCV 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.