# JSON Resume review (2026): is it any good? > Open resume standard: one JSON file, many community themes Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Resume Builders - **Made by:** JSON Resume (since 2014) - **Website:** https://jsonresume.org - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a template-and-wizard builder, as the main workflow is editing JSON. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, JSON Resume is free to use. - **Pricing model:** 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 https://jsonresume.org/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with JSON Resume before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Developers who want their resume as portable, versionable data - People who want a free tool with no subscription or account wall - Theme authors and tool builders working with a shared schema ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: A.** Everything is free and open source under the MIT licence, including the schema, command line and themes. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright with no plan or cap: the schema, CLI, 227 themes and hosted site all cost nothing. - **Features: C.** An 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. - **Ease of use: D.** No store rating on record. The workflow is editing JSON and running a Node command line, with no wizard. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** A web site plus the CLI, GitHub, npm and RenderCV. No phone apps are listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/resume-builders ## Keep it, 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. - You could make: Resume builder and templates: an app builder makes these well. - You could not: It plugs into other products, GitHub, npm and RenderCV among them, and has an API. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with GitHub, npm, RenderCV **Tags:** Resume builder, Open source, Templates, Public API ## Alternatives - [RenderCV](https://toolgpa.com/tools/rendercv): Open-source CV builder that turns YAML into a typeset PDF. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/json-resume-vs-rendercv) - [Reactive Resume](https://toolgpa.com/tools/reactive-resume): Free open-source resume builder you can host yourself. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/json-resume-vs-reactive-resume) - [Open Resume](https://toolgpa.com/tools/open-resume): Free open-source resume builder and ATS parser, no sign-up. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/json-resume-vs-open-resume) - [FlowCV](https://toolgpa.com/tools/flowcv): Free resume builder with watermark-free PDF downloads. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flowcv-vs-json-resume) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://jsonresume.org/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/json-resume Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).