Comparison
Resumeily vs Zety
Zety is a polished resume builder with plenty of guidance, but you only find out at the download step that a formatted resume needs a paid plan. Resumeily lets you download a clean, watermark-free PDF without ever entering a card, using free points you get when you sign up.
Resumeily vs Zety: the short version
Zety is one of the best-known resume builders. Its step-by-step editor walks you through each section, suggests pre-written phrases for your job title, and offers a large library of designed templates plus a cover letter builder. For someone who wants a lot of hand-holding, the experience is smooth.
The catch is the business model. You can build and edit for free, but the only free download is a plain-text file with all the formatting stripped out. A properly formatted PDF or Word file requires a paid plan, which starts as a low-cost short trial and then renews automatically into a full-price subscription billed every four weeks unless you cancel. Many users only discover this after spending an hour on their resume.
Resumeily has no subscription at all. Every account starts with free points that cover downloading your resume as a formatted PDF, and you can earn more for free by referring friends or leaving a review. There is no card to enter and nothing to cancel, so the resume you build is the resume you can download.
Resumeily vs Zety at a glance
| Feature | Resumeily | Zety |
|---|---|---|
| Download a formatted PDF without paying | ||
| No credit card or subscription needed | ||
| No auto-renewing plan to cancel | ||
| No watermark on downloaded resume | Paid | |
| AI writing help | ||
| Built-in ATS resume checker | ||
| ATS-friendly templates | ||
| Cover letter builder |
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Downloading your resume
This is the biggest difference. Zety's free plan only exports plain text, which loses every bit of layout and design, so in practice you need a paid plan to get a usable PDF or Word file. Resumeily lets you download a formatted, watermark-free PDF using free points included with every account. No card, no trial, no subscription.
Pricing model
Zety charges a small fee for a short trial, which then renews automatically at a much higher price billed every four weeks (13 times a year, not 12), unless you cancel in time. Resumeily has no paid plan. Downloads, AI writing and ATS checks run on points you get free at sign-up and can earn more of for free through referrals or a review.
AI writing help
Zety suggests pre-written bullet points and summaries based on your job title, which is a quick way to fill in a section. Resumeily's AI writes a summary, generates achievement-focused bullet points, and can tailor your resume to a specific job description you paste in, so the wording fits the role you're applying for.
ATS compatibility
Both builders offer ATS-friendly layouts and a resume checker. Resumeily's ATS checker scores your resume and lists specific fixes for keywords, formatting and missing sections, and every Resumeily template is built to be parsed cleanly by applicant tracking systems.
Templates and design
Zety has a large, polished template library, though downloading any of them in a formatted file needs a paid plan. Resumeily offers 18 templates, single-column and sidebar layouts, with and without photo, and lets you change colours, fonts, font sizes and spacing, then download the result without paying.
Beyond the resume
Resumeily also includes a cover letter builder, LinkedIn and PDF import to get started faster, and a job tracker to keep your applications organised, all in the same free account.
Templates and design
Resumeily
18 ATS-friendly templates (single-column and sidebar, with or without a photo), with live control over colours, fonts, font sizes and spacing.
Zety
A large library of professionally designed templates. Building with them is free, but downloading in a formatted file (PDF or Word) requires a paid plan.
AI writing help
Resumeily
Writes your professional summary, generates achievement-focused bullet points and tailors your resume to a pasted job description, using the free points included with your account.
Zety
Pre-written, job-title-based suggestions for bullet points and summaries, plus AI writing help inside the step-by-step editor.
Pricing compared
Resumeily
- No paid plan and no subscription: every account gets free points at sign-up.
- Points cover PDF downloads, AI writing and ATS checks. Earn more free by referring friends or leaving a review.
- No credit card required, ever, and nothing to cancel.
Zety
- Free plan: build and edit, but the only download is an unformatted plain-text file.
- Paid access starts with a low-cost short trial that auto-renews into a full-price subscription billed every four weeks.
- An annual plan is also offered. Both renew automatically until cancelled.
Ease of use
Zety's guided, step-by-step flow is easy to follow and good for first-time resume writers. Resumeily is just as quick to pick up, with a live preview of your resume as you type, and the main difference shows up at the end: with Resumeily, clicking download gives you the PDF instead of a payment screen.
Pros and cons
Resumeily
- Download a formatted, watermark-free PDF without paying
- No subscription, no card, nothing to cancel
- AI writing and job-description tailoring
- Built-in ATS checker, cover letters and job tracker
- Downloads, AI and ATS checks use points (free, but limited until you earn more)
- Smaller template library than Zety
Zety
- Polished, guided step-by-step editor
- Large library of designed templates
- Pre-written phrases for many job titles
- Formatted PDF/Word download requires a paid plan
- Trial auto-renews into a recurring subscription
- Billed every four weeks, so 13 charges a year
Which one should you use?
Choose Resumeily if…
- You want to download your finished resume without paying or subscribing
- You only need a resume occasionally and don't want a recurring charge
- You want AI writing help and an ATS check in the same free tool
Choose Zety if…
- You want heavy step-by-step guidance and pre-written phrases
- You're happy to pay a subscription and will remember to cancel it
- You want the widest possible choice of designed templates
The bottom line
Zety is a well-built product, but its free plan stops short of the one thing most people need: a formatted resume they can send. If you'd rather not start a trial that turns into a recurring subscription, Resumeily gives you AI writing help, an ATS checker and a watermark-free PDF download, with no card and nothing to cancel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zety actually free?
You can build and edit a resume on Zety for free, but the only free download is a plain-text file without formatting. To download a formatted PDF or Word file you need a paid plan. With Resumeily you can download a formatted PDF using the free points every account starts with.
Does Zety's trial renew automatically?
Yes. Zety's low-cost trial renews automatically into a full-price subscription billed every four weeks unless you cancel before it ends. Resumeily has no trial or subscription, so there's nothing to renew or cancel.
How does Resumeily stay free?
Resumeily uses points instead of a subscription. Every new account gets free points, which cover downloading your resume, AI writing and ATS checks. You can earn more for free by referring friends or leaving a review. There's no option that asks for your card.
Does Resumeily add a watermark to the free download?
No. The PDF you download from Resumeily is clean and watermark-free, in the template, colours and fonts you chose.
Are Resumeily's templates ATS-friendly?
Yes. Resumeily's templates are designed to be read cleanly by applicant tracking systems, and the built-in ATS checker scores your resume and lists specific fixes.
Can I move my Zety resume to Resumeily?
Yes. Upload your existing resume PDF or import from LinkedIn, pick a template, check it with the ATS checker, and download. Most people finish the switch in a few minutes.