18 Powerful Online Resume Builders to Create a Stellar CV in 2020

In this roundup, we are going to take a look at some of the best online resume builders and how they can help your CV stand out.

According to a 2018 study, the average recruiter spends 7.4 seconds to review a resume. That is all the time they need to decide whether or not the candidate is a good fit for the job.

The study also says that during those 7 seconds, six key elements are being looked for in your resume more than 80% of the time. These six elements are your:

• Name,
• Contact details,
• Present employment,
• Employment history,
• Employment duration, and
• Educational qualifications

As data suggests, what you put on your CV and how you present it matters. An online resume builder can help you greatly influence potential employers when looking at your resume.

We decided to put together a list of some of the best online resume builders that are easy to use but do not compromise on the functionality. Hopefully, you can use one of these to build your resume online.

The Best Online Resume Builders in 2020

1. ResumeHelp – Best Online Resume Builder

Pricing: $24.90 per month or $94.80 per year

Resume Help is one of the best online resume builders that is user-friendly, which has a large variety of solid templates that have customization options.

Members are given access to countless resources, including sample resumes, writing tips, and career counseling for job seekers.

Once the users have committed to a membership they are given access to customer support through email, phone, and live chat support.

The customer support representatives are available seven days a week. Resume Help is user-friendly and gives free services, such as preparation, networking, interview, job search, and other guides.

Pros:

1. There are 23 customizable templates for users to choose from.
2. Users create a resume from scratch or upload and edit an existing resume.

• Resume Help has a directory of title and industry-specific examples sample resumes from thousands of documents.

Cons:

1. Prices are only shared and shown once the users have purchased a subscription, and that is only made aware once they attempt to download their final version resume after creating/editing it.
2. If users signup for the 14-day plan and forget to cancel the subscription, they will be charged every four weeks until they remember to terminate.

2. Wozber – Free Resume Builder

Pricing: Free to use

Wozber is one of the best free resume builders, and also provides a cover letter writing tool. Unfortunately, it doesn’t’ have pre-written content like most apps.

However, it does have a special feature called the Relevance Meter that shows if your resume meets the requirements of the job offer.

One of the great things about this software is that it is powered by intelligent technologies, which means it will save you time and guide you to make the best resume for you.

You can also create and download your resume with a cover letter entirely in the browser, and that too anonymously.

Pros:

1. This tool is great for those who are looking aggressively for a job since it also states the requirements for the job.
2. There is no cost, completely free of charge.
3. There is no need to store your information on the server unless you want.

Cons:

1. It seems that all templates look very much alike.
2. Wozber has layouts that are difficult to read.

3. VisualCV – Online Resume Editor

Pricing: $12 per month

Even though you can create a single cover letter and resume for free, you cannot call VisualCV one of the free online resume builders. You also have to buy a premium subscription if you want to have access to more than one document and template.

There are a few ready-made examples and basic cover letter functionality.

However, we would recommend VisualCV since it is easy to sign up and navigate around. The templates are tasteful to use and they provide a good input experience.

The customer service is top-notch and if the user chooses to change or cancel their subscription plan they can do so.

Pros:

1. Old resumes can be reformatted and edited with ease and from the phone app as well.
2. The user has complete control of their privacy settings, in which they can publish or private VisualCV on your web, and convert it into a mobile or PDF format.
3. You can also send your resume with specifically tagged links, notifying you once an employer has opened their email and viewed your resume.

Cons:

1. There is minimal service given and PDF versions sometimes cannot be exported due to feature glitches.
2. They automatically renew the account without any authorization from the user.

4. CakeResume – Powerful Resume Builder

Pricing: $10.95 per month

CakeResume is one of the best resume builders and free online resume builders. The purpose of CakeResume’s existence is to help job seekers show their full potential and add value to their credentials.

Users can build highly-customized resumes with simple and easy-to-use features.

The features can be used by dragging and editing sections of images, videos, and slides. CakeResume gives users access to 500+ resume examples from diverse industries and 50+ professional templates.

CakeResume’s users are allowed cross-platform sharing and resume PDF free download options.

Pros:

1. Resume customization is pretty easy, and it is free to create and download one.
2. The website gives you guidance as to which direction you should take your resume, allowing you to amplify your needs.
3. There is a drag and drop feature, which speeds up the designing layout of the resume.

Cons:

1. Unless you have bought one of the paid packages, the Cake logo will appear on your PDF and online resume.
2. There are many detailed functions, however, they lack the ones from Office-Word.

5. ResumeBuild – Online CV Builder

Pricing: $59.00 per quarter or $95.40 per year

ResumeBuild is one of the best online resume builders, which is great for people who want to create their resume from scratch. You can get a vast range of templates, guidance for the writing process, and some pre-written content.

Unfortunately, users cannot upload their previous resume, and prices aren’t disclosed outright.

However, ResumeBuild states in their terms and conditions that each subscription includes a money-back guarantee. You can choose from more than 20 templates that are tailored to industry specifications, which have helped over hundreds of job seekers land the job of their dreams.

Pros:

1. It provides its users with a vast number of HR-approved resume templates that are instantly generated by the most advanced resume builder technology available.
2. The designing of the resume is assisted with effortless crafting and real-time preview with pre-written resume examples.

Cons:

1. ResumeBuild shows and charges a subscription plan of $1.95 and after seven days it charges you for $59 automatically without your permission.
2. The website is a little tedious and not very customer-oriented.

6. Resume.com – Free Resume Builder Tool

Pricing: Free to use

Resume.com is one of the best resume builders and it helps you build your resume online.  You can craft your cover letter and resume and immediately share it with the hiring employers.

If you already have a resume you can upload it and edit it online with ease. How is that for one of the free online resume builders?

It lets you choose from resume templates that amplify your credentials, and you can print, download, and share your resume immediately in flexible formats (PDF, DOC, DOCX, etc.).

Resume.com also provides free job search options per industry and they give their users’ career counseling for those who need it.

Pros:

1. Multiple download formats available: DOC, PDF, RTF, or TXT document. No registration is required.
2. Resume templates are made through extensive research from the hiring party’s perspective.
3. Resume.com is free, there are no ads and no limitations to using its features. It is one of the best free resume builders.

Cons:

1. The formatting of the resume allows too much white space for a one-page format, it kind of looks tacky and a waste of paper when it gets printed.
2. The writing tool rejects the apostrophe in a person’s name, and calls it is an “invalid character.” This can be problematic since a person’s legal name cannot be added to the resume.

7. Zety

Pricing: $71.40 per year

Zety is one of the free online resume builders that is also a career website. Over 2.5 million people use Zety because it is easy-to-use and is also a cover letter generator.

It gives you over 20 customizable templates that help you design your resume and cover letter with expert advice throughout the process.

Zety’s broad range of templates offers three types of main resume styles, such as chronological, functional, and combination. And since it is a career site it will help you craft a resume and cover letter tailored to your expertise in just a few minutes.

They also provide their users with professional advice for the next step in their careers.

Pros:

1. Choose from hundreds of pre-built resume templates to create a professional resume online in minutes.
2. The resume and cover letter builder are easy-to-use, provide resume enhancing tips and prompts.
3. There are many highly customizable resume templates that you can choose from.

Cons:

1. Even though the site can be used for free, you can only download your resume and cover letter at the end of the process only if you pay for it.
2. Many resume templates use color blocks and color codes that are frowned upon by some of the hiring managers.

8. ResumeNow – Simple Online Resume Builder

Pricing: $39.90 per month

LiveCareer has developed one of the best online resume builders, called ResumeNow.

The main purpose of this website is to help people create their cover letter and resume with ease, and in the process guide them to find the right type of employment that is suitable for their skill set and credentials.

To build a resume online using ResumeNow, pick a resume template that will work for you and fill it in with your work, experience, and education details.

ResumeNow has templates that are designed for various specified industries, and they also give you templates for cover letters.  This is by far one of the best resume builders.

Pros:

1. They provide you with great customer service that is very well-informed and friendly.
2. You get to pick templates with outlines that meet your needs and are provided guidance throughout the design process.
3. There are various formatting options – the usage of sliders, margin adjustments for all sides, line-height/weight, paragraph spacing, section spacing, and font size.

Cons:

1. You have to pay the monthly fee if you don’t cancel within 14 days.
2. Some of the templates have technical glitches and don’t allow proper input of the user’s information.

9. EnhanCV – Professional Resume Builder

Pricing: $21.99 per month

As one of the best online resume builders, EnhanCV is very powerful that lets you take a pick from the hundreds of templates it has to offer.

It focuses on being a modern builder for formatting, so that way you know your resume will stand out and there will be a distinct difference from your resume and the standard ones.

EnhanCV has a WYSIWYG editor, which users can easily edit within the template itself. The editor is easy-to-use which means no separate training is required.

It takes a few minutes to create a stellar resume that shows the hiring manager your personal and professional strengths with class and grace.

Pros:

1. Choose from a large collection of pre-built resume templates from hundreds of different professions.
2. EnhanCV guides throughout the creation of your resume to make sure that it sings your achievements effortlessly.
3. You can easily create simple yet beautiful modern designs that come with thousands of combinations of backgrounds, colors, sections, icons, and templates.

Cons:

1. Customers deem it to be too expensive for the AI glitches in the services it provides.
2. It lacks flexibility, such as it doesn’t export the document to Word, lack of an obvious spell checking tool.

10.  StylingCV

Pricing: There are free of cost templates and resume builders, however, there are paid subscriptions that are introduced to the user once they have signed up.

If you are looking to build your resume online professionally, then we recommend that you use StylingCV for outstanding templates.

StylingCV is a smart digital platform that has been used and helped 250,000 people all over the world find job placements and progress with their careers.

The main purpose of creating StylingCV was to make it less intimidating for people who need to make their resume from scratch.

Although some of the templates that people use online, sometimes look amateurish, therefore, lack a certain level of sophistication when creating a resume, StylingCV is still one of the best online resume builders you can use.

Pros:

1. As one of the free online resume builders, it is very powerful in helping you showcase your credentials with ease.
2. They have done extensive research and invested in developing this smart digital platform, therefore, it helps you create the best possible resume or CV you can offer to hire management.
3. The best part is that they provide resume advice especially to students that have no work experience.

Cons:

1. They keep charging you for the subscription until or unless you cancel it yourself.
2. The website is a low rated one since it uses a generic domain name.

11. ResumeNerd

Pricing: $24.75 per month

We can’t say that ResumeNerd is one of the best resume builders since you have to write all of the resume content yourself. However, they have a very impressive site that has a great cut-and-paste text tool.

This tool operates as a resume creation wizard and lets users scroll through the industry-wise available jobs.

ResumeNerd gives tips that are helpful to you when creating a resume. These tips are available under the Advice tab that is on the menu bar. They even give you cover letter formatting advice, which is industry-specific, with many resume examples as well.

In the end, you have a very polished resume.

Pros:

1. Resume check. There is a resume check done to make sure that it fits all the professional requirements.
2. They have pre-written content to make it easier for the user to develop their resume.
3. Many types of formats can be downloaded.

Cons:

1. The cover letter builder can only be used as a premium feature with the paid subscription.
2. Even though they offer a free-trial period, some customers complained that ResumeNerd takes their credit card details and then later charges them for the full subscription without notifying them.

12. CV Maker

Pricing: $16 per month

CV Maker is one of the best online resume builders that allows you to craft your resume. We felt as if it had a very attractive and intuitive interface.

Start building your online resume with CV Maker by inputting some essential data into a few forms and you have an eloquent and elegant resume ready to be saved or downloaded.

Apart from the standard information that needs to be put in, you can also personalize some of the sections if you want to provide employers with different information.

Pros:

1. Users are allowed to download CVs directly in PDF format.
2. Multiple CVs can be saved online that can be edited later.
3. You don’t have to register specifically, an account can be created through Facebook.

Cons:

1. Some users are not satisfied with the templates and they feel there should be more choices.
2. There seem to be not enough features for the premium subscription and users find that expensive.

13. Resumonk

Pricing: $29 per year, or $89 for lifetime use

Resumonk is one of the best free resume builders that anyone has access to online. It is easy and simple to use and is a huge time-saver since it takes very little time to get your resume ready.

All you have to do is visit the Resumonk website, choose a template to your liking, enter your details and you are done!

It is great to use Resumonk to build your resume online, especially if you are building your resume for the first time. However, you only get basic designs for free, but they still make your resume look very professional.

The best part is that you don’t need to create an account to get yourself a free resume.

Pros:

1. You can create resumes and cover letters using templates that turn into PDF and Word output, and can, later on, be tweaked to your needs.
2. It has an organized dashboard that files all of your resume versions in a designated order for future reference.
3. The customer service team is very responsive to the feedback given and they act on it.

Cons:

1. There are free trials for first-time customers, they have to register and make an account to use their services.
2. The free plan can be used after registration, however, it has limited services.

14. CV Owl

Pricing: ~$13.33 per month

CV Owl is one of the free online resume builders, which helps you create a resume with the choice of various templates and professional designs for jobs from different industries.

The templates you can choose are divided into 4 themes:

1. Professional,
2. Elegant,
3. Creative, and
4. Modern

You can build your resume online with extreme ease and within only five minutes! They give you many types of resources at your disposal to make a top-notch resume so you can get the job of your skillset. They give professional resume examples, resume samples, and resume templates.

Pros:

1. It has a real editing view, it gives you an amazing experience while creating your resume.
2. CV Owl lets you upload your previous resume and revamp it to a professional-looking one.
3. The resume is made with the guidelines that most recruiters prefer within 15 minutes.

Cons:

1. Resume templates have a limited selection to choose from.
2. The resume sharing option is not available.

15. Standard Resume

Pricing: $15 per month, $48 per year

Standard Resume is exactly what its name suggests, simple and easy-to-use with standard features. There is nothing extraordinary about it, and it doesn’t offer any distinct features when it comes to design, layouts, or even features.

However, you need to create an account before you can use their services.

One of the major reasons why we recommend the use of Standard Resume is because it allows you to import your data from LinkedIn. This feature saves a lot of time and you don’t have to waste it by typing in all the details.

Pros:

1. The simple basic format that isn’t overwhelming when used.
2. You can import data from your LinkedIn profile and use templates approved by hiring managers.
3. You can immediately share your resume with ease as a PDF and responsive website.

Cons:

1. You can’t have paragraphs, and when you edit a bullet point you can only see one line of the text.
2. You don’t have a lot of control over the layout.

16. ResumeGenius

Pricing: $39.95 per month, $95.40 per year

ResumeGenius is by far one of the best free resume builders. As a resume builder, it comes with variations of preset templates that you can choose from to design your resume. Like most online resume builders you need to create an account to use all its features to the fullest.

It is a standard resume building tool, but ResumeGenius does have many different and valuable premium functions. Unfortunately, editing options are quite limited with its free subscription.

If you are using the free version, you can only download one copy of your resume and only use 1-2 free templates.

Pros:

1. The professional resume templates have three types of formatting: basic, modern, and creative styles.
2. It helps you complete and fill-out the resume regardless of your work history, skill set, or education.
3. You can also receive a free critique from a resume expert.

Cons:

1. There is no clarity when it comes to the subscription cost charges being renewed on its own and why.
2. There are restrictions on downloading the new resume unless the subscription has been paid.

17.  MyPerfectResume

Pricing: $24.95 per month

If you want one of the best resume builders, My Perfect Resume is the one for you. The main purpose of this builder is to take away the hassle of writing out your resume.

It has a vast number of templates for you to choose from, which gives prompts to create a resume that is perfect for the job you want. It also has a cover letter builder that helps you produce a personalized cover letter that matches your resume.

Most of the design templates have been tested and sampled by employers in different industries to help you create the resume you may need to land the job with the right credentials.

Pros:

1. Have access to your resume from anywhere, including your mobile phone.
2. Save and download your resume in multiple formats (DOC, PDF, TXT, RTF, HTML).
3. Easily track where you have sent your resume.

Cons:

1. You may get charged for the free 14-day trial even though you are allowed to try it for free.
2. The customer service is lacking when it comes to their representations.

18.  FlowCV

Pricing: Completely free to use

FlowCV is one of the best online resume builders. It allows you to format and design resumes immediately allows you to have an instant preview of how it would look like when published.

As you create the resume, it gives you tips on the type of content you should use. You can make the resume for free.

It is one of the best free resume builders, which allows you to adapt your resume and customize it to your job specification. You can use modern designs that are also fully customizable.

You can also download the PDF version for free or share your resume with the employer via a private link.

Pros:

1. It is easy to create amazing looking resumes, with added sections to make your resume look more professional.
2. Bug-free, it has no glitches with the features when using it.
3. It is mobile friendly and allows a real-time view of the resume.

Cons:

1. There are not that many different designs in the templates to choose from.
2. There is no data import feature from LinkedIn, and there is no grammar check on the content.

Top 10 Tips for Building A Stellar CV

1. Formatting

You need to pick the right format that goes well with the industry you are applying within. Traditional careers such as; banking, finance, and law have a different approach as opposed to the creative ones; advertising, fashion, art, and innovative technologies.

Traditional fields prefer the standard resume formats and the creative ones prefer innovative ones with videos, websites and portfolios in them. Some industries have mixed formats, meaning a bit of traditional and with a hint of creativity.

2. Personalization

Many employers prefer a resume that has been customized to the requirement of the position. It makes it easier for them to sift through the resume easily and shortlist their candidates. That way they don’t take much time reading through monotonous resumes.

So it would be wise to be adventurous and customize your resume to the relevant experience and skillset. Normally people use bullet points to highlight the relevance.

3. Short vs. Lengthy CVs

Some industries have preferred receiving one-page resumes and others prefer two pages. It all depends on what is the range of experience they are looking for in that particular position.

Just make sure you choose your words wisely, do not feature any outdated or irrelevant skills either.

4. Proofread

There might be times where most resume writers will try too hard to sound witty or smart, and start using clichés and out-of-date expressions.

A word of caution, don’t! Avoid using expressions that are overly used and may trigger recruiters and hiring managers to think you are not original.

Most hiring managers would like to see words that provide clarity and are to the point. For example; achieved, improved, trained/ mentored, managed, and created.

5. Proofread Again

Nowadays, machines normally scan resumes to determine if you have the relevant requirements for the position.  You need to make sure that your resume is machine-readable, and one way to do that it is by keeping a standard font and not using any special features.

Most employers prefer only having text and no images or graphics, and they recommend not to make your resume too glossy. Just make sure you mention your credentials, such as your academics, etc.

6. Use Keywords

When you insert or incorporate a keyword into your resume, you explain to the hiring manager what skills you have to offer for the job. It is also easier to pick your resume from the database when they have keywords incorporated in them.

The technically correct and easy way to do this is to add a Skills Section to the resume so it is easier to review it. This way it will be efficient to identify your resume with the relevant employment placement.

7. Categorization

The best way to organize and structure your resume is to put most of it in bullets. Once you have done that make sure you group them with the experience you have. For example; project management, program management, business management, etc. All of these should be kept in the same column.

It is okay if you want to play with the formatting to make the bullet points look consistent as well.

8. Be Specific

Make sure your skills section doesn’t have vague and redundant words because when you do hiring managers use this as an excuse to pass your resume. When you are specific about your skillset, you show the hiring party of why you are eligible for the position.

For example; if they ask about your computer skills, tell them what software you are proficient in – MS Word, Adobe Photoshop etc.

9. Relevance vs. Flexibility

Without a doubt being specific and relevant when communicating for a job is important. However, there might be times not all your skills may meet the employers’ requirements. You may want to showcase your professional success and what skills have made you thrive and evolve.

The key to showing that you as an employee are relevant is to showcase and repurpose your skills from what you may have learned from your professional and personal experiences.

10. Other Details

You might be working in an industry that requires specialized skill sets. It would be wise to create two sections in your resume to amplify those skills separately. After the first skills section, a summary of your professional timeline should follow to lead up to the technical skills.

The Technical Skills section plays an important role in certain industries, such as Graphic Design, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Medicine. This section allows you to showcase things that might not be a good fit under professional experience.

We all could use some help evolving our careers to the next level. Why not use the best online resume builders to help amplify your professional experiences?

Have you ever tried to build your resume online? If so, which resume builder did you use and why? Please do share your experiences with us in the comment below so we can create further analytical reviews.

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