JSON Resume review (2026): is it any good?
Open resume standard: one JSON file, many community themes
JSON Resume report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for an open standard for resumes written as JSON
JSON Resume is a free, open-source resume schema with 227 community themes and a command-line tool. You edit JSON and run a Node-based tool, theme quality varies, and the site is run by volunteers.
Who JSON Resume is for
- Fits if you are a developer who wants a resume as a JSON file
- Works for people who like choosing from community themes
Who JSON Resume is not for
- Skip it if you want a template-and-wizard builder, as the main workflow is editing JSON
- Not for you if you avoid a command line, since PDF export is done with the CLI
- Watch out: theme quality varies, because contributors write the themes and not the project
- Watch out: the site is run by volunteers, and pages from the old registry have partly moved
Why JSON Resume gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyEverything is free and open source under the MIT licence, including the schema, command line and themes.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright with no plan or cap: the schema, CLI, 227 themes and hosted site all cost nothing.
- CFeaturesAn open schema, 227 community themes, a command-line tool and publishing from a gist cover the job, but PDF export goes through the CLI, not a button.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. The workflow is editing JSON and running a Node command line, with no wizard.
- CPlatforms and integrationsA web site plus the CLI, GitHub, npm and RenderCV. No phone apps are listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from JSON Resume's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make JSON Resume? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/json-resume#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/json-resume.svg" alt="JSON Resume: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where JSON Resume stands among resume builders
JSON Resume's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 37 of the 45 other resume builders we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 41 of 45) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
JSON Resume has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 46 resume builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. JSON Resume’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 40 of 45, level with 5
- AFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 45, level with 4
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 45, level with 26
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 45, level with 2
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 45, level with 39
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 32 resume builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep JSON Resume, or make your own?
Keep it
JSON Resume is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 37 of the 45 other resume builders we grade.
What you could make
- Resume builder and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, npm and RenderCV among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. JSON Resume’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is JSON Resume?
JSON Resume is an open schema for describing a resume as data, plus a command-line tool and a library of community themes that render the same file as HTML, PDF, Markdown or text. The schema, the CLI, the themes and the site are MIT licensed and run by volunteers; a resume can be published from a GitHub gist.
Worth knowing
- The main workflow is editing JSON and using a Node-based command line; there is no template-and-wizard flow as in commercial builders.
- Theme quality varies, since themes are written by community contributors and not by the project.
- The site is maintained by volunteers, and pages from the old registry have partly moved to a new site.
- PDF export is done with the CLI rather than through a download button.
Key features
- Open JSON schema
- Work history, education, skills and projects are described once in a documented schema that can be validated in an editor, in CI or from any language.
- 227 community themes
- Themes are open-source npm packages, so the same resume.json can be previewed and swapped between looks without editing the data.
- Command-line tool
- The resume CLI starts a file, validates it, serves a preview and exports to PDF, HTML, Markdown or text.
- Publish from a gist
- Saving the file as a GitHub gist named resume.json makes it available as a public page on the site.
- Theme development kit
- A theme is an npm package with one render function that takes the resume and returns HTML, which makes it practical to build your own.
- Developer integrations
- The site lists an MCP server for agents, a Rust crate and a RenderCV converter for tools built on the schema.
JSON Resume pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, JSON Resume is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Everything is free: the schema, the CLI, the 227 themes and the hosted site are open source under the MIT license.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Schema, CLI, themes and hosted site, all MIT licensed; no paid plan is listed. |
Read from jsonresume.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with JSON Resume before you buy.
Works with
- GitHub
- npm
- RenderCV
JSON Resume alternatives
- JSON Resume vs RenderCV
Free plan · from $10/mo
- JSON Resume vs FlowCV
Free plan · from $5/mo
Common questions
Does JSON Resume have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. JSON Resume is listed for Web.
Does JSON Resume have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. JSON Resume is listed for Web.
Is JSON Resume open source?
Yes. JSON Resume is open source, according to its own site.
Does JSON Resume have an API?
Yes. JSON Resume offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.