The 7 Best Resume Builders of 2025

You’ve been there. You find the perfect job posting, spend hours tailoring your resume, write a thoughtful cover letter, and hit “submit.” And then… silence. Days turn into weeks, and the deafening quiet from the “application black hole” makes you question everything. Is it your experience? Your skills? Or is something else going on?

The truth is, the problem often isn’t you—it’s the system. Before a human ever sees your application, it must pass through an unseen gatekeeper: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This software is the primary reason why up to 75% of resumes are rejected before they ever reach a hiring manager.

This isn’t just another list of pretty templates. This is a strategic guide to choosing a resume builder that understands the modern hiring landscape. We’ve evaluated the best tools on the market based on one critical question: Will this help you beat the bots and impress the human on the other side? We’ve assessed them on ATS compliance, design quality, ease of use, and the power of their content-writing tools.

Let’s dive in and find the right tool to build a resume that doesn’t just get seen, but gets you the interview.

First, What Is an ATS and Why Does It Matter?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by over 98% of Fortune 500 companies to manage the high volume of job applications they receive. When you apply online, the ATS scans your resume, extracts your information, and ranks you against the keywords and qualifications listed in the job description.

If the ATS can’t read your resume, you are automatically disqualified.

This is why formatting is non-negotiable. Complex layouts with columns, tables, graphics, or fancy fonts can confuse the software, rendering your resume a garbled mess. The goal isn’t to “trick” the system, but to create a clean, well-organized document that the software can parse correctly, ensuring your qualifications are properly recognized.

The Best Resume Builders for a Job-Winning Resume in 2025

The following Resume builders have been selected because they excel at producing professional, effective, and, most importantly, ATS-friendly resumes.

Kickresume

Kickresume strikes the perfect balance between powerful AI assistance and modern, visually appealing design. It’s more than a template tool; it’s a full career toolkit that uses GPT-4 to offer genuinely helpful, context-specific writing suggestions. This allows you to quickly generate a strong, ATS-compliant resume that also looks polished and professional enough to capture a recruiter’s attention.

Best for : Job seekers at any level who want a powerful AI writer and great design without sacrificing ATS compatibility.

Key Pro : The AI can generate an entire first draft from just a job title, saving you hours of work.

Key Con : The most powerful features and best templates require a premium subscription.

Zety

Zety is the ultimate guided experience, making it perfect for anyone who feels intimidated by the resume-writing process. The platform walks you through each section with simple, clear prompts and offers a vast library of pre-written, customizable bullet points for hundreds of job roles. Zety prioritizes function and safety, ensuring every template is conservative in design and guaranteed to be parsed correctly by any ATS.

Best for : Students, entry-level professionals, or career changers who need significant guidance and content suggestions.

Key Pro : The step-by-step process makes it nearly impossible to create a poorly structured resume.

Key Con : You can build your resume for free, but you hit a paywall when you try to download the final document.

Enhancv

Enhancv is for professionals who need to do more than list job duties—they need to tell a story. With visually striking templates and the ability to include unique sections like “A Day In My Life” or “My Strengths,” it’s built for roles where personality and creativity are key differentiators. While it offers more design freedom, it does so with an awareness of technical constraints, including an “ATS check” to guide you toward safer, parsable layouts.

Best for : Marketers, designers, and professionals in creative fields where a visually distinct resume is an asset.

Key Pro : Unmatched design customization allows you to create a resume that truly reflects your personal brand.

Key Con : Not all templates are fully ATS-friendly; you must be careful. The free version includes a prominent watermark.

Novoresume

Novoresume excels at producing clean, elegant, and highly professional resumes with a minimalist, European-inspired aesthetic. It’s the perfect choice for professionals who are confident in their experience and need a sophisticated, uncluttered design to present it. Every template is built from the ground up for readability and ATS compliance, making it a safe bet for conservative industries.

Best for : Mid-level to senior professionals, academics, and those in traditional corporate fields like finance or law.

Key Pro : The templates project a sense of authority and professionalism that is ideal for experienced candidates.

Key Con : The free version is very limited, and it offers less AI writing assistance than its competitors.

Jobscan

Jobscan is not a resume builder, but an essential optimization tool that should be every job seeker’s final step. You upload your finished resume and the job description you’re targeting, and Jobscan gives you a data-driven analysis of how well you match. It provides a match score, highlights missing keywords, and flags formatting issues, giving you a concrete checklist to improve your odds against the ATS.

Best for : Every serious job seeker who wants to tailor their resume for each application.

Key Pro : Provides direct, actionable feedback to increase your resume’s ATS match rate before you apply.

Key Con : It doesn’t help you write your resume, only optimize it. The free version is limited to a few scans per month.

Resume.com

Owned by the job board Indeed, Resume.com is one of the few truly free resume builders available. It’s a no-frills, straightforward tool for creating a functional, professional resume without hidden fees or surprise paywalls. While the design options are basic, it handles the fundamentals of ATS-friendly formatting correctly and integrates seamlessly with your Indeed profile.

Best for : Job seekers on a tight budget, students, or anyone needing a simple, traditional resume at no cost.

Key Pro : It’s 100% free to create, edit, and download your resume in multiple formats.

Key Con : The template selection is very small and generic, offering almost no customization.

Canva

Canva is a graphic design powerhouse, not a dedicated resume builder. It offers unparalleled creative freedom and thousands of visually stunning templates. However, this comes with a critical warning: Canva resumes are NOT ATS-friendly. The templates are built with design elements that will scramble the text when read by an ATS, leading to an automatic rejection. Use Canva only when you are bypassing an online portal and sending your resume directly to a person via email.

Best for : Creative professionals who are sending their resume directly to a recruiter or networking contact.

Key Pro : Limitless creative freedom to design a resume that doubles as a portfolio piece.

Key Con : Almost guaranteed to fail an ATS scan. Do not use for online applications.

Beyond the Template: How to Craft Killer Content

A great template is just a starting point. The content you put in it is what will get you the interview.

Focus on Achievements, Not Duties : Don’t just list what you were “responsible for.” Show what you accomplished. Instead of “Managed social media,” write “Grew Instagram following by 25% in 6 months by launching a targeted content campaign.”

Quantify Everything : Numbers prove your impact. Use data to show how you saved money, saved time, or increased revenue. For example: “Streamlined the reporting process, reducing time spent on weekly updates by 10 hours.”

Tailor for Every Job : A one-size-fits-all resume doesn’t work. Read the job description carefully and customize your resume to mirror its keywords and prioritize the most relevant skills and experiences. This is the single most effective way to increase your callback rate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long should my resume be in 2025?

For most people, a resume should be one page. This is the standard for anyone with less than 10 years of experience. A two-page resume is acceptable for senior-level professionals or those in academic/technical fields with extensive publications or projects.

Should I put a photo on my resume?

No. In the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., photos are considered unprofessional and can introduce unconscious bias. They also cause errors with ATS software. The only exception is if you are in a country where it’s the cultural norm or applying for an acting/modeling job.

Is it bad to use a resume template?

No, it’s highly recommended. A good template from a reputable builder ensures proper, ATS-compliant formatting. The mistake isn’t using a template; it’s using a bad one or filling it with generic, untailored content.

Conclusion: Your Resume Is a Marketing Document

Choosing the right resume builder is the first step toward taking control of your job search. By understanding that your primary audience is often a machine, you can make strategic choices that get your resume past the filters and into human hands.

But the tool is only half the battle. The real work lies in crafting content that sells your skills and proves your value. Use these tools to build a strong foundation, but remember to fill it with quantified achievements and tailor it for every role. The path out of the application black hole is clear. It’s time to build the resume that lands your next great opportunity.