Zety

What Zety is

Zety is a web-based resume and cover letter builder aimed at job seekers who want a guided, template-driven path from blank page to a polished, ATS-friendly application. You pick from a library of professionally designed templates, and the editor walks you through each section while offering AI content suggestions: ready-to-edit bullet points and phrasing tailored to your job title and industry, so you are not staring at an empty box. A matching cover letter builder lets you produce a cover letter that visually pairs with your resume, sharing the same template styling for a consistent personal brand. Real-time tips flag missing sections and weak phrasing as you work. Zety has a very large user base and is one of the most recognized names in the online resume space.

The important catch is the billing model. Building and previewing are free, but downloading a usable formatted file (PDF or Word) requires payment; the only free download is plain text that discards all formatting. Paid access begins with a low-cost trial (recently $1.95 for 14 days) that automatically converts into a recurring subscription at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel before the trial ends. An annual plan (around $71.40) lowers the effective monthly cost. To cancel, sign in and use the account or settings area to end the subscription, or contact support; many users recommend cancelling right after downloading if they only need a one-time resume. The trade-off is convenience and polish versus an auto-renewing cost that can surprise people who expected a free tool.

Where Zety is the strongest pick

Zety is strongest at fast, structured resume creation: its guided editor, profession-specific AI bullet suggestions, and large library of cohesive, ATS-friendly templates help non-designers produce a clean resume quickly. The matching cover letter builder is a genuine plus, letting applicants ship a visually consistent resume and cover letter pair. For people who value hand-holding and template polish over a free download, it delivers a smooth experience.

Pricing

No free plan. You can build a resume or cover letter for free and preview it, but downloading a formatted PDF or Word file requires a paid plan. The only no-cost download is plain text, which strips all formatting and templates. Access to usable output starts with a $1.95 14-day trial that auto-renews into a paid subscription at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel.

• 14-Day Trial: $1.95 (14-day access, auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks until cancelled). Full builder access, premium templates, unlimited PDF and Word downloads, cover letter builder, AI content suggestions, ATS-friendly formatting.
• Monthly (post-trial): $25.95 (Recurring every 4 weeks (about 13 charges per year)). Everything in the trial: unlimited resumes and cover letters, all templates, AI features, PDF and Word exports.
• Annual: $71.40 (Billed once per year (about $5.95/mo equivalent)). Same full feature set as the recurring plan at a lower effective monthly cost.

Pricing verified June 2026 from the official site. Confirm current pricing before purchase.

Best for

Best for active job seekers and career changers who want a guided, low-effort way to build a professional, ATS-friendly resume and a matching cover letter from proven templates. It suits people willing to pay for polished, downloadable output and who will set a reminder to cancel the auto-renewing subscription if they only need a one-time document rather than ongoing access.

Key features

• Guided step-by-step resume builder with section-by-section prompts
• AI content suggestions with profession-specific bullet points and phrasing
• Matching cover letter builder that pairs visually with your resume
• Large library of professionally designed, ATS-friendly templates
• Real-time content tips that flag missing sections and weak wording
• PDF and Word (.docx) export for finished documents
• Template and styling customization (fonts, colors, layout)
• Multiple resumes and cover letters saved to one account

Pros

• Fast, beginner-friendly guided editor that lowers the blank-page barrier
• AI suggestions tailored to job title and industry speed up writing
• Cohesive, ATS-friendly templates with a matching cover letter builder
• Clean PDF and Word output suitable for real applications
• Well-established, widely used product with extensive career-advice content

Cons

• No real free tier for usable output: formatted downloads are paywalled (only plain text is free)
• Low-cost trial auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks, which surprises some users
• 4-week billing means roughly 13 charges a year, not 12, if not cancelled
• Customization is template-bound and less flexible than a full design tool
• Cancelling requires proactive action before the trial converts

Best-fit use cases

• Building a polished, ATS-friendly resume from scratch quickly
• Creating a matching cover letter to pair with a resume
• Tailoring resume bullet points to a specific job title with AI help
• Refreshing an outdated resume into a modern, professional template

FAQ

Is Zety free?

Not for usable output. You can build and preview a resume or cover letter at no cost, but downloading a formatted PDF or Word file requires a paid plan. The only free download is plain text, which removes all formatting and template styling, so it is not practical for most job applications. To get a properly formatted, downloadable document you must start a paid subscription, which begins with a low-cost trial that then auto-renews. In short, the builder is free but the polished output is paid.

How much does Zety cost and does it auto-renew?

Zety typically starts with a $1.95 14-day trial that unlocks premium templates and PDF and Word downloads. That trial automatically renews into a recurring subscription at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel before it ends. Because billing is every 4 weeks rather than monthly, that works out to roughly 13 charges per year. Zety also offers an annual plan around $71.40 (about $5.95 per month equivalent), which is cheaper if you expect ongoing use. Always check the current price at checkout, since promotional trial amounts can change.

How do I cancel my Zety subscription?

Sign in to your Zety account and look for the subscription or settings area to end auto-renewal, or contact Zety customer support to request cancellation. Because the trial converts into a recurring subscription automatically, it is wise to cancel as soon as you have downloaded the documents you need if you only wanted one-time access. Set a reminder before the 14-day trial ends so you are not charged the full $25.95 renewal. Cancelling stops future charges; it does not retroactively refund a renewal that has already processed, so act before the billing date.

Does Zety have a cover letter builder?

Yes. Zety includes a dedicated cover letter builder alongside its resume builder. It uses the same guided, template-driven approach and offers content suggestions to help you draft each paragraph. A key benefit is that the cover letter templates are designed to visually match the resume templates, so you can present a consistent, professional personal brand across both documents. Like the resume builder, you can create and preview a cover letter for free, but downloading the formatted file requires a paid subscription.

Are Zety resume templates ATS-friendly?

Zety markets its templates as ATS-friendly, meaning they use clean, standard structures that applicant tracking systems can parse, and it provides content tips to help you include the right sections and keywords. The templates are professionally designed and aim to balance visual appeal with machine readability. As with any builder, results depend on how you fill in the content and which template you choose, and heavily graphic layouts can still trip up some older ATS software. Sticking to the simpler, single-column templates generally gives the safest ATS results.

How does Zety compare to other resume builders?

Zety competes with builders like Resume.io, Kickresume, Canva, and Novoresume. Its strengths are a smooth guided editor, profession-specific AI suggestions, and a matching cover letter builder. The main drawback versus some rivals is that there is no genuine free download tier; formatted exports are paywalled and the trial auto-renews. Tools like Canva offer more design freedom and some free output, while Zety leans toward structured, ATS-focused templates and hand-holding. If you want guided writing help and will pay for polished output, Zety is competitive; if you need a free formatted download, compare alternatives first.