Head-to-head review

Resume Genius vs. Zety

Zety is a Bold LLC brand, the same company behind Resume Now and MyPerfectResume; Resume Genius is a separate company registered in Switzerland. Here's how they actually compare, plus a third option built differently.

Published 2026-09-23Pricing verified 2026-09-23Reviewed by Steve Marcum
Pricing

What each one actually costs over twelve months

The two builders land close to the same numbers on the recurring plan, read from their own pricing pages on 2026-09-23. ResumeFox is a different kind of plan: 7 days free, then $79 a month, with a career professional you can write to included rather than software alone. Cheaper per month is not the same product, so the comparison worth making is what a year of each one costs and what you get for it.

Resume Genius
Sonaga Tech Limited
$2.95for 14 days
Then $23.95 every 4 weeks, auto-renewing.
Every 4 weeks, uncancelled
≈ $314
13 charges of $23.95 plus the trial
Annual Plan, paid once
$95.40
$7.95/month, billed annually
  • Free plan includes a downloadable cover letter in PDF, Word and TXT
  • The resume itself stays TXT-only until you pay
Zety
Bold LLC
$1.95for 14 days
Then $25.95 every 4 weeks, auto-renewing.
Every 4 weeks, uncancelled
≈ $339
13 charges of $25.95 plus the trial
Annual Package, paid once
$71.40
$5.95/month, billed annually — confirmed on their own pricing page
  • Free plan includes a resume checker and job matching
  • Free resume export is plain text only
OUR PICK
ResumeFox
TopStack Resume
7 daysfree, then $79 a month
One plan at $79 a month, with a career coach of your own included.
A year, uncancelled
$948
12 charges of $79, with the coach included throughout
A 30-minute call with your coach
$20
Bought when you want one. Written messages are unlimited.
  • A career coach of your own, a career professional in the US from TopStack.com
  • Standards from 80,000+ resumes written by real US career writers
  • Tailoring, tracking, job sourcing and every download included, plus a 6 month job offer guarantee

Prices are read from each company's own pricing page on 2026-09-23 and can change or vary by promotion. Zety's 4-weekly renewal, $25.95, is actually the highest of the three even though its trial and annual prices are the lowest — confirm the exact price and renewal terms on the checkout screen before entering a card.

Feature by feature

The full side-by-side comparison

Grouped by what actually matters: where the writing comes from, whether the file survives the software, whether the resume gets aimed at the job you want, and what it costs to keep using.

Compared on
Resume Genius
Sonaga Tech Limited
Zety
Bold LLC
ResumeFox
TopStack Resume
(this site)
Built on real resume-writing experience
Where the writing standards come from
A phrase library isn't the same as someone who has actually done this.
Partly. CPRW staff named on its About page review editorial content; the resume builder itself runs on an AI phrase library, not writer-authored standards
No. Career-advice writers build the site's guides; the resume builder pulls from a library of "professionally curated phrases," with no professional-writer credential named for who built it
Yes. Standards drawn from 80,000+ resumes written by hand by 100+ CPRW-certified US writers and recruiters
Rewrites the resume you already have
Not importing it: rewriting it.
Partly. An 'Upload My Existing Resume' start option feeds the file into an AI parser that checks ATS readability; rewriting each section is still done by hand
Partly. Upload your resume to the free checker, get a score, and use "Fix My Resume" to apply automatic fixes; rewriting the wording into your own voice is still on you
Yes. Upload it and the AI rebuilds it section by section, against the same standards above
ATS readability check
What actually gets checked, not just a number.
No. Free Resume Checker 'grades' the file and returns a resume score in seconds
No. Free Resume Check scores your file and suggests keyword fixes for a job title you choose
Yes. 12 named problems checked against real parsing behavior, not a score out of 100
Templates that actually parse
Templates with sidebars, photos or skill graphics
The three things that break a parse.
No. Its 'Photo' and 'Two-Column' categories include named templates ('Social', 'Fun') built around a headshot or a sidebar
No. Its own template filters include 'Two Column' and 'With Photo' layouts across the library
Yes. None. No sidebar, no photo, no skills chart, anywhere
Number of templates
Choice for its own sake is cheap.
Yes. 138 templates by its own gallery count, described elsewhere on its site as 90+ free plus 30+ premium
Yes. 18+ base designs, shown as 773 template-and-color combinations in its live gallery
Partly. 10 designs plus a US federal layout
Targeting the job, not just building the resume
Tailoring to a specific job posting
One resume per application, without rebuilding it.
No. Its AI parser flags formatting and ATS issues but does not rewrite content against a posting
No. Its checker suggests keywords for a job title you pick; there's no version of the resume built around a specific posting
Yes. Targeted version per posting; master resume stays untouched, every change reported
Cover letter for that same posting
Written from the posting and the tailored resume together.
Partly. AI Cover Letter Generator drafts a letter, but not from the text of a specific job posting
Partly. Cover Letter Builder generates a matching letter in seconds; not shown to read a specific job posting
Yes. Drafted from the posting and your targeted resume, with the reasoning behind it shown
Job search read against your resume
Matching, not a job board embed.
No. Pricing page lists 'Job Board Access'; no matching or fit-check against your resume is documented, and it has no link in the site's own navigation
Partly. 'Instant Job Matches' is included on every plan; how closely it reads against your specific resume isn't documented
Yes. Live postings from the major boards, with a fit check against your master resume; a stretch role is labeled a reach
Interview preparation
Company-specific, or a tips article.
Partly. General interview articles in the resource center
Partly. A 'Job Interviews' blog category with general advice articles; no interactive prep tool
Yes. Prep built from live research on the company and role, plus a browser mock interview; video never leaves your machine
LinkedIn optimization
Recruiter search terms differ from parser terms.
No. Not offered
No. Not offered
Yes. Headline, About and experience rewritten from your master resume
Application tracker
One record per job, everything hanging off it.
No. Not offered
Partly. A dashboard stores your resumes and cover letters, plus 'Instant Job Matches'; not a job-by-job status tracker
Yes. An application tracker with one record per job, linking the targeted resume, cover letter, prep and offer notes
Billing and support
What it renews at
The number nobody puts in headline size.
No. $23.95 every 4 weeks, or $95.40 once a year
No. $25.95 every 4 weeks, or $71.40 once a year
Partly. $79 a month after the 7 free days, with the coach included. Nothing is charged during the trial
Support
Partly. Phone and chat, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM Eastern
Partly. Phone support; no stated chat option found on its own site
Yes. A career coach of your own, a career professional in the US from TopStack.com, included: unlimited written messages, and $20 for a 30-minute phone call
Try it free

A half-filled circle means the feature exists but with a real limitation, described in the cell.

Templates & ATS

More templates is not the same as more good templates

A large share of the designs these builders promote use two columns, a headshot slot, or skills drawn as dots and bars. Those choices are the reason a resume arrives shredded: the sidebar gets read straight across into the middle of your job history, and a skills graphic says nothing once the picture is gone.

ResumeFox ships 10 templates plus a US federal layout. Not one has a sidebar, a photo or a chart. They differ in typography and emphasis, never in whether they parse.

Single column, top to bottomContact details as plain textHeadings a parser recognizes
Check which of these your file trips over
12
deterministic readability checks, run free on your own file
  • Whether a parser reads your name, email, phone and dates
  • Whether anything is trapped in a table, column or image
  • Named problems, not a grade out of 100
Deep dive

What each one is genuinely good and bad at

Resume Genius
4.6★ / 45k+
Sonaga Tech Limited · founded 2009

The only one of the three whose free plan includes a fully downloadable cover letter, in PDF, Word or TXT rather than plain text alone.

Strengths
  • Free plan includes a cover letter downloadable as PDF, Word or TXT
  • Annual plan is $95.40, paid once for the year
  • Phone and chat support on weekdays
  • CPRW-certified writers named on its team page
Watch out for
  • The resume itself stays TXT-only free; PDF and Word need the paid plan
  • Its 'Photo' and 'Two-Column' categories include headshot and sidebar templates
  • ATS checker returns a numeric score rather than a named fix list
  • No tailoring to a specific posting, no LinkedIn help, no application tracker
Zety
4★ / 10k+
Bold LLC · founded 2016 as Uptowork

The cheapest of the three however you pay for the trial or the annual plan, and a Bold LLC brand, the same company behind Resume Now and MyPerfectResume compared elsewhere on this site.

Strengths
  • Cheapest trial and annual price of the three: $1.95 and $71.40
  • Free plan includes a resume checker and job matching, not just a builder
  • Phone support
  • Template filters include 'Two Column' and 'With Photo' options across a large library
Watch out for
  • Highest 4-weekly renewal of the three: $25.95
  • Free resume download is plain text only; PDF and Word need a paid plan
  • ATS checker returns a numeric score rather than a named fix list
  • No LinkedIn help, no per-posting tailoring, no true application tracker
ResumeFox
4.8★ / 2.5k+
TopStack Resume · US writers, founded 2018

Built by a resume-writing firm rather than a template shop, and sold as one plan with a career coach included. The standards come from real work, not a phrase library, and the plan covers the whole job search: a person to ask, tailoring, tracking and sourcing, not just the document.

Strengths
  • A career coach of your own, a career professional in the US from TopStack.com, with unlimited written messages and a $20 30-minute call whenever you want one
  • Standards drawn from 80,000+ hand-written resumes by 100+ CPRW-certified US writers and recruiters
  • Built around targeting: per-posting tailoring, a matching cover letter, job sourcing, interview prep, LinkedIn and an application tracker
  • 6 month job offer guarantee: If you have paid for our service for 6 consecutive months, and you have not received a job offer, we'll continue to work with you for 6 additional months at no cost.
Watch out for
  • $79 a month, several times what either builder subscription costs
  • 10 templates, not hundreds, deliberately, but it is fewer
  • Coaching is written messages; a phone call is a $20 add-on rather than part of the price
  • The card is taken at the start of the 7 free days, though nothing is charged until they end
Built by a resume-writing firm

See your resume rebuilt against standards from 80,000+ real resumes

Upload the resume you already have. We rewrite it against the standards our writers built over 80,000 resumes, then help you target it, application by application, instead of leaving you with just a document.

Upload my resumeCheck my resume free
7 days free, then $79 a month · 6 month job offer guarantee
FAQ

Questions people ask before they pick one

Still stuck? Email a human: someone answers, usually within one business day.

Are Resume Genius and Zety the same company?

No. Zety operates under BOLD LLC, the same company behind Resume Now and MyPerfectResume, confirmed on Zety's own Terms of Use. Resume Genius's business operations sit under Sonaga Tech Limited, registered in Lucerne, Switzerland, with a marketing office in Taipei, Taiwan. The two are unrelated companies with different builders and different template libraries.

Which is cheaper, Resume Genius or Zety?

Zety, on the trial and the annual plan: $1.95 against Resume Genius's $2.95 for the 14-day trial, and $71.40 against $95.40 for the year. Zety's 4-weekly renewal is actually the higher of the two though, at $25.95 against Resume Genius's $23.95, so left running on the recurring plan for a year the two land close together: about $339 for Zety against about $314 for Resume Genius.

Do either of them use real resume writers?

ResumeFox is built by TopStack Resume, a US career-services firm, and the standards its AI follows came out of more than 80,000 resumes written by hand by over 100 CPRW-certified writers, recruiters and coaches. Resume Genius names Certified Professional Resume Writers on its team page, though they work on advice content and template design rather than a stated volume of individually written resumes. Zety's team page names career-advice writers; no CPRW credential is claimed for the phrase library its builder uses.

Is a good resume enough to get hired?

Not by itself. A resume that isn't tailored to the posting is one of the most common reasons a strong candidate gets passed over. ResumeFox pairs the resume with per-posting tailoring, a cover letter written for that same posting, job sourcing that checks live postings against your resume, interview prep and an application tracker, so the resume is the start of the process, not the whole thing. Neither Resume Genius nor Zety tailors a resume to a specific posting or tracks what happens after you apply.

Is ResumeFox cheaper than Resume Genius or Zety?

No, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. Zety's Annual Package is $71.40 and Resume Genius's Annual Plan is $95.40; ResumeFox is $79 a month after 7 free days, which is $948 for a year. These are different purchases: ResumeFox is built by a US resume-writing firm on standards from real work, and the price includes a career coach in the US you can write to as often as you like, per-posting tailoring, a matching cover letter, job sourcing, interview prep, LinkedIn, a tracker and the 6 month job offer guarantee.

Which one is best for getting past an applicant tracking system?

Template choice matters more than any score. Resume Genius's 'Photo' and 'Two-Column' categories and Zety's 'With Photo' and 'Two Column' filters both offer designs built around a headshot or a sidebar, either of which a parser reads as noise or scrambles across the page. ResumeFox offers none that do either. On feedback, both competitors' checkers return a numeric score; ResumeFox names twelve concrete problems in your file instead.

Can I download a resume for free from either of them?

As plain text, yes, from both. Resume Genius's free plan is TXT-only for the resume itself, though its cover letter downloads as PDF, Word or TXT even on the free plan. Zety's free Basic Package is also TXT-only for the resume. PDF and Word for the resume require a paid plan on both sites; ResumeFox includes Word, PDF and plain text in its one plan.

What happens if I don't like it?

ResumeFox charges nothing during its 7 free days, so cancelling inside them costs you nothing, and you can cancel anytime from your account. The 6 month job offer guarantee covers what comes after: If you have paid for our service for 6 consecutive months, and you have not received a job offer, we'll continue to work with you for 6 additional months at no cost. Resume Genius states a 14-day money-back guarantee on its own pricing page, and Zety's Terms of Use say a refund can be requested if you cancel before the end of your trial period. Read the exact terms on each checkout page before paying, since conditions can change.

How we compared these

Pricing is read from each provider's own checkout or pricing page. Feature claims are checked against each product's live interface. Where we could not confirm something ourselves, it is not on this page.

Where numbers disagree

Entry prices in this category differ across landing pages and promotions. Where that happens we give the observed range rather than one figure, and say so.

Our disclosure

This page is published by ResumeFox, one of the products compared. We have an obvious interest in your choosing it. That is why every claim about a competitor is one you can check on their own site, and why we name the rows they win.

Published 2026-09-23Pricing verified 2026-09-23Next review 2027-01-15Review scores shown for ResumeFox are TopStack Resume's
Sources

ResumeFox Full Access is $79 a month, and your first 7 days are free. We take your card to start the trial; cancel before it ends and you are not charged. A 30-minute call with your coach is $20 whenever you want one. Cancel anytime.