TL;DR: According to customer reviews of Zety, job seekers are satisfied with the basic features Zety promises, such as its online resume builder’s ease of use and the eye-catching resumes it can create; but many expressed frustration with Zety’s pricing transparency, subscription models, and customer service. Conversely, users of Teal’s all-in-one AI Resume Builder, Cover Letter Generator, and Job Application Tracker loved Teal’s robust functionality for customizing resumes to unique job postings and for its convenient pricing options.
Resume Review: How Job Seekers Review the Zety Resume Builder
If you’re contemplating a job change, nailing your resume is critical for career satisfaction.
But job-hunting can be time-consuming and stressful. Finding the right tool to craft your professional resume can make the difference between landing your dream position or toiling away in applications—or worse yet, settling for a new job that doesn’t move you forward in your career.
So, does the Zety resume builder stand up to the test?
Zety is an online resume builder that enables you to create a custom-looking resume from a variety of design templates to help you stand out from the crowd.
Zety’s features help you convert a basic resume into a professional-looking document to catch the attention of hiring managers and applicant-tracking systems (ATS) alike, such as different design templates, formatting options, and AI enhancements.
Zety’s resume builder is designed to save you time when writing a resume and to improve your chances of landing an interview with three core features:
- An easy, step-by-step online resume builder to quickly build a resume from scratch or update an existing resume
- ATS-optimized resume templates to choose from to help your resume pass automated software screeners
- AI suggestions for different resume sections to help personalize your achievements based on the job title
But how does Zety’s resume builder hold up based on customer reviews? How do Zety users actually feel about its features, customer service team, and pricing?
And does Zety stand up to other career tools, such as Teal’s advanced AI Resume Builder?
This overview summarizes key findings from Zety customer reviews to break down not just how well Zety can help you create a resume but if Zety is worth it compared to other resume builders.
Trustpilot Reviews of Zety
3.4 / 5 ⭐
Zety primarily solicits customer reviews via its Trustpilot profile. On Trustpilot, Zety has an average score of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on over 5,300 reviews from customers.
They have over 3,800 5-star reviews, but only 71% of all reviews give a 5-star rating.
Generally, customers appreciate the resume-maker dashboard and its simple, easy-to-use interface.
For instance, looking at some positive customer reviews about Zety, such as the one below, most users valued the Zety resume builder’s basic functionality for creating a resume quickly when you simply need a professional resume in a pinch.
However, while most customers didn’t critique the overall quality of the resume templates, some were underwhelmed by the amount available and also noted some missing features, like the ability to add images or hyperlinks into the resume template, such as for professional certificates.
Other customers noted in their reviews that Zety’s customer service was disappointing, as Zety made it both difficult and time-consuming to cancel a subscription.
It turned out that the above reviewer wasn’t the only person who had trouble accessing the “Cancel Subscription” option in their account settings, forcing them to email Zety support to have their issue resolved.
According to one Zety user, the “Cancel Subscription” button generates a pop-up that asks customers to confirm their cancellation request but Zety didn’t program the pop-up to bypass commonly used ad-blocker extensions.
As a result, there are many concerns of customers struggling to contact Zety’s customer support, as seen below in a comment from this Reddit thread about the same issue.
Lastly, in what is also a recurring theme among many reviews, multiple customers noted how Zety’s claims of free services appear to be misleading, as Zety doesn’t disclose their pricing until after you’ve created a resume and then requires payment for most types of download options.
Social Reviews of Zety
Zety also has no shortage of informal reviews from customers posting about their experiences on social media, such as on Reddit and X.
The most common sentiments expressed on social reviews about Zety were about the company’s apparently misleading pricing policies and the subscription model.
Some people commented on their satisfaction with using Zety’s resume builder and the quality of the resumes, but still critiqued how they felt about the pricing in the following discussion on Reddit and X post.
Almost all of the reviews on social media expressed customers’ disappointment with Zety’s pricing policies.
Product Reviews of Zety
Although most customers reviewing Zety’s resume builder complimented the features overall (e.g., they were mostly happy with the template options and how the resumes looked), a few did have particular critiques about certain product features.
For instance, some templates feature circles next to your name overlaid with your initials, a circle that some users felt would be better served with an option to fill it in with a photo.
One customer pointed out in their Zety review on Trustpilot that, although Zety bills itself as an ATS-friendly resume builder, there isn’t additional functionality to optimize for ATS outside of ATS-compliant templates.
Lastly, in another Trustpilot review of the Zety resume builder, one customer conveyed disappointment in the lack of AI functionality.
Although Zety promotes itself as an AI tool, its AI features are limited to offering generic copy suggestions for job descriptions based purely on the job title.
Pricing Reviews of Zety
As discussed above, pricing is the most sensitive topic on customers’ minds in their reviews of Zety.
Zety promotes their resume builder as free, and then after you’ve spent time and effort crafting your perfect resume, you then have to sign up for a paid subscription to download your resume as either a PDF or a Doc.
Zety claims this enables people to try the resume builder before buying, but there is a general dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency upfront.
As one reviewer pointed out in their criticism mentioned above in this article, “The fee is quite nominal but that’s not the point.”
As for the claim that the resume builder is free, Zety will point out that payment isn’t required for all services, such as downloading your resume in TXT format or using the resume builder.
But a resume in a TXT file is rarely helpful for most people applying for a job, and as one Reddit user clarified in the below thread about Zety, “It’s a free builder, not a free downloader.”
Summary of Zety Reviews
Zety Reviews: The Pros
- Satisfactory template options
- Easy-to-use resume builder
- Quality-looking resumes
Zety Reviews: The Cons
- Misleading pricing model
- Subpar customer service
- Lack of AI features
Who’s Zety For?
Zety is best for job seekers looking to make a resume quickly who want to visually enhance an existing resume they can use in mass job hunt instead of professionally tailoring their resume as part of a strategic job-search plan.
Pro Tip: If you’re considering any Zety alternatives, try to find one that will not only let you build your resume for free, but will also let you tailor your resume to each job you’re applying for and download it for free, like Teal.
Teal Reviews vs. Zety Reviews
Looking at Teal reviews, it’s clear customers feel Teal is a better overall option for job seekers who want a customized resume with more advanced AI features and flexible payment options.
Feedback on Teal stands out as generally more positive than Zety reviews. Customers rank Teal an average of 4.2 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot, surpassing Zety’s average score of 3.4 out of 5.
Additionally, because Teal offers an extension for Chrome browsers, they receive reviews in the Chrome Web Store where they have 4.9 stars out of 5 from over 2,300 reviews.
Customers love the Teal Chrome extension as they can easily import job postings and customize how they describe their career history and accomplishments to a particular job posting, which includes a side-by-side comparison of resumes and postings.
Customers also appreciate the superior AI functionality, which crafts custom resume sections not merely based on the job title but on keywords from specific job postings.
Plus, you can create your own prompts. Teal provides a Match Score to let you know how well your resume stacks up to the job posting.
Lastly, in contrast to Zety, customers value Teal’s transparent and flexible pricing options that make their job search less stressful, as shown by the below example from a LinkedIn review.
Why Job Seekers Prefer Teal
When comparing Zety to Teal, Teal stands out for its features in helping you craft a resume tailored to the unique jobs you’re applying for and for its flexible pricing options that don’t push you into subscriptions.
With flexible pricing, Teal offers:
- A generous free plan
- Weekly pricing options
- Hassle-free cancellations
Paid Plan Pricing: Teal vs. Zety
- Teal+: $9/week or $29/month
- Zety: Offers a paid 14-day trial for $2.70 (after which you have to cancel manually it will auto-renew at $23.70/month)
Unlike Zety’s pricing options, neither of Teal's, weekly or monthly, auto-renew. Customers have to opt in, so you’re never paying for something you’re not using.
Teal Features
But what truly sets Teal apart is its all-in-one approach to personalized job hunting to help you grow in your career and not simply land a paycheck.
Not only does Teal offer AI resume and cover letter creation, without needing an existing resume to get started, but it also includes:
- Resume Analysis so you don’t miss any key details
- A Match Score to ensure your resume aligns with every role
- A Job Application Tracker to organize your search every step of the way
- Contacts and Company Trackers help you remember who you know from where
- Email follow-up templates and reminders so you never miss a follow-up again
- Excellent customer service to lean on if you get stuck
- An extensive Career Hub chock-full of free resources for expert guidance
With Teal, you're not just sending applications into the void—you're tracking your entire job-search pipeline, learning from each step and improving as you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zety a free resume builder?
Zety offers both free and paid versions of its resume builder. The free version allows users to create and download basic resumes with limited customization options. Upgrading to a paid subscription unlocks additional features such as more templates, cover letter creation, advanced formatting options, and access to premium content.
Is Zety completely free?
Zety offers a free version of its resume builder that allows users to create basic resumes with limited customization options. However, certain features and premium templates are only available with a paid subscription. While you can use Zety for free to create a simple resume, accessing advanced features and additional templates requires upgrading to a paid plan.
How much does Zety cost?
Zety costs $2.70 for their trial period, and charge $23.70 every 4 weeks after the trial is done. A paid plan is required in order to use one of Zety's resume templates, however you can always download your resume for free as a text file.
