The JSON Resume Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about JSON Resume in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
JSON Resume
The Insider’s Guide
Open resume standard: one JSON file, many community themes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among resume builders, read from JSON Resume’s own pages.
Made by JSON Resume · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from JSON Resume’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on JSON Resume’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 37 of the 45 other resume builders we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about JSON Resume, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The workflow is editing JSON and running a Node command line, with no wizard.
- 1
Best for an open standard for resumes written as JSON
You edit JSON and run a Node-based tool, theme quality varies, and the site is run by volunteers.
- 2
It is free
JSON Resume has no paid plan at all. Everything is free: the schema, the CLI, the 227 themes and the hosted site are open source under the MIT license.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Command-line tool
The resume CLI starts a file, validates it, serves a preview and exports to PDF, HTML, Markdown or text.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 37 of 45
That is against the other resume builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
JSON Resume is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
JSON Resume at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- JSON Resume, since 2014
- Category
- Resume Builders
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
JSON Resume is free to use.
Everything is free and open source under the MIT licence, including the schema, command line and themes.
Open source
$0
Schema, CLI, themes and hosted site, all MIT licensed; no paid plan is listed.
The free plan
Everything is free: the schema, the CLI, the 227 themes and the hosted site are open source under the MIT license.
Read from jsonresume.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open resume standard: one JSON file, many community themes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, public API, templates, resume builder.
A web site plus the CLI, GitHub, npm and RenderCV.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- GitHub
- npm
- RenderCV
JSON Resume is made by JSON Resume, and has been around since 2014.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
37/45
Other resume builders it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 45
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 45
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 45
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 45
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 32 resume builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. JSON Resume is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
RenderCV, Reactive Resume, Open Resume and FlowCV
The 4 tools JSON Resume is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
RenderCV
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source CV builder that turns YAML into a typeset PDF.
- RenderCV also covers Markdown.
- 3.0GPA
Reactive Resume
Free
Free open-source resume builder you can host yourself.
- Reactive Resume is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Reactive Resume also covers documents.
- 2.8GPA
Open Resume
Free
Free open-source resume builder and ATS parser, no sign-up.
- JSON Resume also covers templates.
- 2.6GPA
FlowCV
Free plan · from $5/mo
Free resume builder with watermark-free PDF downloads.
- JSON Resume is open source, according to its own site.
- FlowCV also covers documents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is JSON Resume free?
Yes. JSON Resume is free to use.
How much does JSON Resume cost?
JSON Resume lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does JSON Resume work on?
JSON Resume is available on Web.
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.
What does JSON Resume integrate with?
JSON Resume's listing names GitHub, npm and RenderCV. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes JSON Resume?
JSON Resume is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2014.
What are the alternatives to JSON Resume?
The closest alternatives to JSON Resume in our directory are RenderCV, Reactive Resume, Open Resume and FlowCV.
How does JSON Resume compare with other 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.
Is JSON Resume good value for money?
ToolGPA grades JSON Resume A for value for money. JSON Resume has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of JSON Resume?
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from JSON Resume’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by JSON Resume. Prices change, so check jsonresume.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- JSON Resume, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/json-resume
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "JSON Resume: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/json-resume
Know someone choosing between resume builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/json-resume/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded resume builders after JSON Resume, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Resume Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 46 resume builders we grade, compared
- Kickresume Insider's GuideResume, cover letter and personal website builder with an AI writer3.2 GPA
- Reactive Resume Insider's GuideFree open-source resume builder you can host yourself3.0 GPA
- Europass Insider's GuideFree European Commission CV and cover letter editor2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what JSON Resume’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. JSON Resume is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by JSON Resume. Prices and plans change: check jsonresume.org before you buy.