How to Use a Free Resume Builder to Create a Top-Notch Resume

Resume builders are interactive online resume templates that allow you to plug in information and build a cohesive resume. To build a resume using a resume builder, follow these easy steps:

Find a resume builder you like (see our take on the best free resume builder tools below). Make sure you have your materials ready, including your resume and the job description of the position you’re applying for. Follow the prompts from the resume builder you choose. Note: our simplicity ratings beside each builder can help you determine which prompts will require the most/least effort on your part. Last but not least, scan your resume with Jobscan to make sure it is optimized for those pesky applicant tracking systems

These are our top 10 most popular free resume builders that you can use online. Many of these builders will try their best to get you to pay for them, but we’ve found loopholes to help you use each one for free.

10 Free Resume Builder Tools

Simplicity rating: Extremely Easy

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: Cake Resume really is a piece of cake to use. Just drag and drop pre-made sections from the column on the right of the resume builder and update the sample information. You can also create a public profile and upload your LinkedIn information, if you choose to, which lets hiring managers who come to the site to view your information.

How to use it for free: This resume builder allows you to create one free resume (paid plans range from $4.95-$21.95 per month). We suggest using the free download to create a basic resume that you can edit and update for different jobs. Once you’re ready to download, just click the PDF button in the upper left corner to save a free copy of your resume to your computer.

Done building your resume with Cake Resume? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Extremely Easy

Value Rating: 8



Why we like it: Resume Genius is as easy as a resume builder gets. This builder asks the job seeker a series of multiple choice questions about education and experience, and only requires you to fill in the blanks with dates, roles, and other simple answers. We especially love the option to “Add Pre-Written Bullet Points” for creating customized job responsibilities, which we suggest using as ideas for your job responsibilities.

Based on your job title, Resume Genius generates pre-written bullet points to choose from.

How to use it for free: When you’ve finished building your resume, you will be directed to a plans page that makes it look like the cheapest option is to try Resume Genius for 14-days for $1.95 (followed by a $39.95/month subscription charge). BUT, there is another option that requires no credit card info: redirect away from the plans page by clicking this link. It will lead you to your saved resume where you can download for free as a .txt file (which is a very basic document that removes formatting).

Done building your resume with Resume Genius? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Medium

Value Rating: 8

Why we like it: My Perfect Resume highlights important skills and keywords, which we know from all of our research at Jobscan is vital to the job search process. This builder lets you search skills by job title and add them with one click. The final step of the My Perfect Resume builder process is to add optional sections like certifications, accomplishments, and affiliations. These additional sections are ideal for job seekers changing careers or just starting out.

How to use it for free: When you reach the final step of the builder and you see the full layout of your resume, rather than clicking “save and next,” select “download” on the left toolbar (if you reach the plans page, you’ve gone too far). Then, choose “Plain Text (.txt)” from the pop-up window to download your resume for free.

Select “Plain Text (.txt) for free resume download.

Done building your resume with My Perfect Resume? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Medium

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: Indeed not only has an awesome resume builder, but it also allows you to automatically share your completed resume on the site with employers. The more visibility your resume gets, the better, so this is a great perk. This resume builder is one of the fastest on this list, with the option of uploading a current resume and automatically having it reformatted.

How to use it for free: Indeed doesn’t cover up free options the way many of the other builders do. Just sign up with your email and password, use the resume builder, and download your resume. You’ll never be asked to upgrade to a paid account throughout the process.

Done building your resume with Indeed? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Easy

Value Rating: 10



Why we like it: Zety offers the most customization options of any other resume builder, and it makes it easy. Customize color, font size, line spacing, date formatting, and more. Add links to your social channels (LinkedIn is great to include for all industries, and Twitter and Facebook can be worth linking for certain positions, like social media marketing jobs) and get tips and examples for writing a summary statement.

Zety makes resume customization easy.

How to use it for free: Zety does not offer a free resume download, but you can create a free link to your resume and download it from there. Here’s how: once you’ve built your resume, select “Online Resume” from the header, create a link and open it in your browser. Finally, just right click to save.

Done building your resume with Zety? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Medium

Value Rating: 7

Why we like it: This resume builder is actually set up like a resume, so it’s easy to visualize the final product while filling in each section. It’s more of a guide than a builder, which we like for job seekers who want a little more control over the resume building process. Plus, one of the unique features Resume.com offers is an “Import LinkedIn” option–just click the button and Resume.com will populate the template with information from your LinkedIn profile.

Choose “Import LinkedIn” to import your LinkedIn profile as a resume.

How to use it for free: Resume.com lets you download your resume as a PDF, Word Document, Rtf, and Txt file for free.

Done building your resume with Resume.com? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Easy

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: Novoresume takes resume building a step further by scanning your resume and offering customized suggestions for missing information like a summary statement, contact info, title, achievements and more. This resume builder is especially beneficial for job seekers just starting out in the professional world or those who are a little rusty at the whole job search process.

How to use it for free: Sign up with your name and email address, and Novoresume won’t bug you with pricing or plans. When you’re finished building your resume, just click “Download” for a free PDF download.

Done building your resume with Novoresume? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

8. Resume-Now

Simplicity Rating: Medium

Value Rating: 7

Why we like it: Like Resume.com, Resume-Now is a resume builder without the training wheels. Choose from several templates and add information manually. This resume builder isn’t fussy–the whole process occurs on one single screen. It’s quick, gives total control to the job seeker, and offers enough template options to meet each job seeker’s needs.

How to use it for free: When you’re finishing constructing your resume, rather than directing away from the page by selecting “Finish Resume,” select “Download,” then “Plan Text” for a free resume download.

Done building your resume with Resume-Now? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Medium

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: Hloom takes the pre-written options to another level. Summary statements are notoriously difficult to write, and Hloom offers a selection of summary statement templates within the resume builder that require the job seeker to simply fill in the blanks or drag and drop pre-written selections. Resume editing doesn’t get much easier.

How to use it for free: When you get to the final stage of editing, select “Download” from the left toolbar.

Done building your resume with Hloom? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Extremely Easy

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: This resume builder is a fan favorite, and it’s easy to see why. On the surface, it’s set up like traditional resume builders, with each section set up as tabs (which you can expand or condense as you move through the resume). When you dive into each section, though, you’ll see how intuitive this builder really is. For example, get resume coach suggestions for each section and search by keyword phrase to see examples of how the section should look.

How to use it free: All features are available for free–the paid options will be offered upon downloading your resume. Students and library users can download their resume for free as a PDF, .doc, .docx, ODT file, or email it for free. All other users can download their resume for free as a .txt file.

Done building your resume with Got Resume Builder? Upload it to Jobscan to see how well it matches the job.

Simplicity Rating: Easy

Value Rating: 9

Why we like it: We may be biased, but we think Power Edit is pretty great. It’s a different type of resume builder in that it allows you to make changes to your resume and watch your match rate improve in real time. Get content and formatting insights, and increase your chances of getting past applicant tracking systems. When you’re finished updating, you can save to PDF or save to .docx. Either way, your formatting will stay intact.

How to use it for free: Power Edit is available to Jobscan Premium users. Try Premium for free with our 30-day free trial. While using the free trial, there is no limit to how many times you use Power Edit.

Try Power Edit today!