Best Free Resume Builder Apps in 2023

Looking for a way to create a professional-looking resume without spending a fortune? Whether you’re a recent graduate just entering the job market, or an experienced professional looking to make a career change, these tools will help you create a winning resume that stands out from the competition. With many job applicants vying for the same positions, it helps to have a well-designed and professional-looking resume. Online resume builders offer an easy and affordable way to create a top-notch resume that will catch the eye of potential employers.

If you’re looking to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes, try Gyfted’s Personality Resume Builder. It’s fast and easy to use, and provides ready-made content to add to describe your personality and culture fit easily. 

What are Resume Builders?

Resume builders are web-based tools that allow users to create and customize professional looking resumes without design, tech or recruiting experience. These apps typically offer a variety of templates to choose from, as well as the ability to add text, images, and other elements to the resume. Many provide helpful tips to guide users through resume building.

How do Resume Builders Work?

Using an online free resume builder app is straightforward. First, select a template that matches your desired style and industry. Then, enter your personal information, work history, education, and other details into the app’s form. The app will then generate a polished and professional-looking resume based on the information provided. Some apps also offer the ability to save and download the resume in various formats, such as resume PDF, Word, and HTML.

Advantages of Using Online Free Resume Builder Apps

Free resume builder apps are:

• Affordable: unlike hiring a graphic designer or paying for expensive resume-building software, online free resume builder apps are free to use. 
• Easy to use: they’re designed with the user in mind and are easy to navigate, even for those with limited tech skills. Simply fill in the form with your personal and professional information and the app does the rest.
• Professional: with a wide range of templates to choose from, users can create a resume that looks professional and polished. The app will handle all of the formatting and design elements, so users don’t have to worry about making mistakes or designing their own.
• Faster resume creation: creating a resume from scratch can be time-consuming, but with an online resume builder you can create a top-notch resume in minutes.

What makes a great resume? 

A great resume is a concise and clear document that showcases your values, skills, education, and experience in a way that’s easy to follow. Cluttered resumes can reflect negatively on your attention to detail, organizational skills, and communication abilities, potentially costing you an interview. Overcomplicating your resume also increases the chances of it not being properly understood by applicant tracking software.

When submitting your resume, many companies use application tracking software (ATS) to filter applicants based on information extracted from your resume. It’s crucial that your resume is clear, concise, and organized so the software doesn’t dismiss your qualified application. Hiring managers also often review hundreds of candidates, making it essential to be as clear and concise as possible. It’s important to note that a resume differs from a curriculum vitae (CV), which is a detailed explanation of your career and academics. To make your resume stand out, it should be up-to-date, descriptive, and specific, with accurate information. Using design to your advantage can help guide the reader’s attention to the most valuable information. 

Choosing a Resume Builder

When choosing a platform, consider these: 

• Price: many free services only offer downloading in .txt files, which recruiters may not want. Check pricing for PDF or .docx before using the service.
• Functionality: choose a platform that allows you to easily edit and download various resumes tailored to the job you’re applying for.
• Design: consider the industry or company you’re applying to and choose a platform that offers a suitable design, whether it’s clean and straightforward. 
• Consistency: if your job search requires a CV, choose a platform with a consistent aesthetic for each document.
• Customization: if you’re an entry-level job seeker, look for a platform that allows customization of sections like certifications, affiliations, and extra skills.

Top Online Free Resume Builder Apps of 2023

The Best 7 Resume Builders

Here are the top 7 resume builders, each with its pros and cons to help you out:

Gyfted – Gyfted’s Personality CV® offers 2 templates with visualizations, and crucially with personality measures that are psychometrically validated. It is ideal for those job-seekers who are entry-level, juniors and career changers. It is 100% free with unlimited PDF downloads.

• Pros: user-friendly resume wizard with personality insights into you, your preferences, strengths at work, communication styles, work styles, values at work, and what motivates you. Those make it easier to signal who you are and why you would be a fit for a certain company and/or position. 
• Cons: only 2 templates, no option to add a photo. 

Zety – offers a wide range of templates, as well as the ability to add custom sections and elements to the resume. It also provides helpful tips and suggestions to guide users through the resume-building process, including chronological and functional resumes, with visual elements. Ideal for those starting from scratch or without an existing resume. Offers freemium access and free unlimited downloads in multiple formats.

• Pros: User-friendly with helpful tips, resume wizard with expert suggestions, matching resume and cover letter templates, customizable.
• Cons: some templates are not ATS-friendly. 

My Perfect Resume – ideal for more experienced resume writers. Offers a variety of resume formats, suggestions for ATS-optimized keywords, and sections for entry-level workers.

• Pros: easy to use with responsive chat feature, additional sections like certifications, social media, affiliations, languages, public speaking.
• Cons: free version only allows downloading in .txt, must sign up for 14-day trial to download in .docx or .pdf.

Canva – free resume builder with hundreds of creative templates designed by graphic designers. Ideal for those who want to express themselves visually.

• Pros: customizable with a large library of fonts, text sizes, colors, and photo editing capabilities. Multiple versions can be edited and saved.
• Cons: no option to upload resume, many fonts and templates not ATS-friendly.

Resume.io – offers 18 classic resume templates with a clean and simple design. Ideal for those applying for senior or corporate positions.

• Pros: easy to use, intuitive, and provides hundreds of examples. Includes built-in grammar checker and suggests phrases based on job title.
• Cons: templates cannot be modified, must sign up for 7-day trial to download in PDF.

Resume Genius – free resume builder with a selection of conventional-looking templates. Ideal for senior, corporate, or specialized positions.

• Pros: 50,000 pre-written bullet points for every industry, word and PDF formats, AI-generated content, unlimited downloads, 14-day trial with full refund option.
• Cons: limited visual components, outdated “References Upon Request” option.