Resume Genius vs Zety (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Resume Genius and Zety share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and Zety starts cheaper, at $5.95 a month against $7.95 a month.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Resume Genius
Resume and cover letter builder with AI writing aids and a job board
Zety
Resume and cover letter builder with expert-written content
Which one is for you
Pick Resume Genius if
- Fits if you need the finished resume as a Word file as well as a PDF
- Works for US job seekers who want a job board next to the builder
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free PDF or Word file, as free downloads are TXT only
- Watch out: the $2.95 trial renews at $23.95 every four weeks after 14 days unless you cancel
- Pricey if you only need it for a month or two, since $7.95 a month means $95.40 up front, renewed yearly
- Not for you if you tailor each resume to a job ad, since nothing on record matches it against one
- Watch out: credit cards only, refunds within 14 days of paying, and the job board is US only
Pick Zety if
- Fits if you'd rather pick and edit suggested phrases than write bullet points yourself
- Works for job seekers who need the resume as a Word file as well as a PDF
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free PDF, as the free plan downloads TXT only
- Watch out: the $1.95 trial renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks after 14 days unless you cancel
- Pricey if you only need it for a month or two, since $5.95 a month means one $71.40 charge, renewed yearly
- Not for you if you tailor each resume to a job ad, since nothing on record matches it against one
- Watch out: it's web only, with no phone app
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAResume GeniusFair | 2.2GPAZetyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Annual Plan works out at $7.95 a month, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($8), but it's one $95.40 charge that renews each year. After the trial, the other way to pay is $23.95 every four weeks. | BThe Annual Package works out at $5.95 a month, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($8), but it's one $71.40 charge that renews each year. Pay as you go and it's $25.95 every 4 weeks, close to the dear end. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree Access builds a resume and a cover letter, with the AI summary generator and free Word and Google Docs templates, but the builder downloads TXT only. The 14-day trial costs $2.95, so it isn't free. | CThe Basic Package gives you the builders, templates, resume check and job matches, but downloads TXT only. PDF and Word need a paid plan, and the 14-day trial costs $1.95, so that isn't free either. |
| Features | CA step-by-step builder with AI summaries, skills and spellcheck, a parser for an old resume, a checker with a score, 25-plus premium templates, cover letters and a job board. The gap: nothing on record tailors a resume to a job ad, and the job board is US only. | CPre-written phrases by job, 18 templates, an old-resume makeover, a checker for typos and 30-plus other issues, and matching cover letters. The gap: nothing on record tailors a resume to a pasted job ad, and 18 templates is a short list here. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. A step-by-step web builder, with an upload option if you already have a resume. | CNo App Store rating on record. You build section by section in a web builder, though clicking in phrases means less writing from scratch. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. It offers free Word and Google Docs templates, but no phone or desktop app and no other integrations on record. | CWeb only, with no phone or desktop app and no integrations on record. |
| Best for | a resume in Word as well as PDF | picking pre-written phrases instead of writing |
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: Resume Genius and Zety. How we grade
Price against what you get
Resume Genius starts at $7.95 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zety starts at $5.95 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Zety starts $2 a month lower. Of the other resume builders on the chart, none scores higher than Resume Genius for less, and none scores higher than Zety 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
At a glance
| Resume Genius | Zety | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7.95 per month, billed yearly ($95.40) | $5.95 per month, billed yearly ($71.40) |
| Free plan | Free Access: build a resume and download it as TXT only, plus the cover letter builder, free Word and Google Docs templates, and the AI summary generator. | Basic Package: the resume and cover letter builders and templates, the resume check and job matches, with downloads in TXT format only. |
| Free trial | 14-day trial for $2.95; it renews at $23.95 every four weeks unless cancelled | 14-day trial for $1.95; it renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless cancelled |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Sonaga Tech Limited | Works Limited |
| Price read from | resumegenius.com | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Resume Genius
- The free plan downloads resumes as TXT only; PDF and Word downloads need a paid plan.
- The $2.95 trial renews at $23.95 every four weeks after 14 days unless cancelled first.
- The pricing FAQ says only credit cards are accepted, not PayPal, debit or prepaid cards.
- Refunds are promised only within 14 days of paying.
Zety
- The free Basic Package downloads only in TXT; PDF and Word need a paid plan.
- The $1.95 trial renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks after 14 days unless cancelled first.
- The Annual Package is paid as one $71.40 charge and renews each year.
Key features
Resume Genius
- Resume builder with AI aids
- Step-by-step builder with an AI summary generator, a skills generator for the job you want and an AI spellchecker.
- AI resume parser
- Upload an existing resume to keep improving it in the builder or to test how ready it is for applicant tracking systems.
- Resume checker and review
- The checker gives a score with instant feedback, and a resume review offers an expert evaluation of your resume.
- Templates and downloads
- Hundreds of free templates in Word and Google Docs, plus 25+ premium templates. Paid plans download in PDF, Word and TXT.
- Cover letter builder
- An AI cover letter generator and builder that exports to PDF, Word and TXT, with free cover letter templates.
- Job board
- Paid plans open a premium job board, which the pricing page limits to the US.
Zety
- Pre-written content
- Job-specific phrases written by career experts that can be added to a resume with a click and then edited.
- 18 resume templates
- Templates whose colors, fonts and layout can be changed, with matching cover letter templates.
- Old resume makeover
- Upload an existing resume and the builder moves its content into a new template.
- Resume checker
- Scores an uploaded resume, checks for typos and more than 30 other issues, and suggests improvements.
- Cover letter builder
- Creates a cover letter that matches the resume's design, from templates and suggested content.
- Job matches and Bold.Pro
- Suggests jobs matched to your resume and includes Bold.Pro, a networking profile meant to help recruiters find you.
Plans
Resume Genius
Free Access$0
Resume builder with TXT download only, cover letter builder, free templates and the AI summary generator.
Annual Plan$7.95
per month, billed yearly as $95.40
Everything in the paid builder for 12 months, paid at once. Renews each year. The page labels it as saving 75%.
14-day Trial Plan$23.95
per 28 days, after a 14-day trial for $2.95
Starts at $2.95 for 14 days, then bills $23.95 every four weeks. PDF, Word and TXT downloads, premium templates and the US job board.
Zety
Basic Package$0
Resume and cover letter builders, templates, resume check and job matches. Downloads in TXT only.
Annual Package$5.95
per month, billed yearly as $71.40
Paid at once for the year and renews each year. PDF, Word and TXT downloads. Labelled as saving 79%.
Pro Package$25.95
per 28 days, after a 14-day trial for $1.95
Starts with a $1.95 trial for 14 days, then bills $25.95 every 4 weeks. PDF, Word and TXT downloads.
Ways to pay less
Resume Genius
- Annual discount
Save 75% with the Annual Plan
The pricing page labels the Annual Plan, $95.40 for 12 months, as saving 75% against the four-weekly plan at $23.95.
Zety
- Annual discount
Save 79% with the Annual Package
The pricing page labels the Annual Package, $71.40 a year, as saving 79% against the Pro Package at $25.95 every 4 weeks.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Resume Genius or Zety?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Zety is cheaper to start with: $5.95 a month, against $7.95 a month for Resume Genius. Resume Genius starts at $7.95 per month, billed yearly ($95.40), and Zety starts at $5.95 per month, billed yearly ($71.40).
Which has a free plan, Resume Genius or Zety?
As of Oct 24, 2026, both Resume Genius and Zety 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.