Honest Comparison

ResumeHQ vs Zety

What each product actually costs, what you get, and what they don't tell you upfront.

ResumeHQ
$19
One-time. Forever.
Zety
$1.95
then $25.95 every 4 weeks

ResumeHQ is an AI-powered resume builder that costs $19 as a one-time payment with no recurring charges, no auto-renewal, and no subscription. It uses Claude AI to generate unique, personalized resume content and offers 20 ATS-optimized templates.

Zety is a resume builder owned by BOLD LLC.Zety offers a $1.95 for 14 days trial that auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks if not cancelled within 14 days. Zety uses pre-written phrases rather than AI-generated content. It has a 4.2/5 rating on Trustpilot from 11,693 reviews, with the most common complaint being unexpected billing charges.

The real cost of Zety

If you cancel in time
$1.95
14-day access
If you forget to cancel
$337
per year (13 × $25.95)
ResumeHQ
$19
one-time, forever

Feature-by-feature comparison

FeatureResumeHQZety
Price$19 one-time payment✓$1.95 trial → $25.95/4 weeks
Subscription trapNo subscription. Pay once, done.✓Auto-renewing subscription that's hard to cancel
AI writingFull AI generation — unique content from your experience✓Pre-written phrases — same bullets everyone else uses
Free downloadWatermarked PDF (still usable for review)✓.txt only — all formatting stripped
ATS optimizationBuilt-in ATS scorer with breakdown✓Basic ATS check
Templates20 professionally designed18 templates
CancellationOne click in account settings✓Difficult — users report it doesn't work
Billing transparency$19 means $19. No recurring charges.✓$1.95 trial → $25.95 auto-renew every 4 weeks
Cover letterAI-generated cover letter add-onCover letter builder included with paid plan
Live previewReal-time preview while editingReal-time preview while editing

What Zety doesn't tell you upfront

⚠

Zety advertises "$1.95 for 14 days" but the subscription auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel before the trial ends.

⚠

Because Zety bills every 4 weeks (not monthly), you're actually charged 13 times per year — that's $337.35/year if you don't cancel.

⚠

Multiple Trustpilot reviewers report being charged months after cancellation, with one user charged continuously for 4 years after a 2020 trial.

⚠

Zety is owned by BOLD LLC, the same company behind MyPerfectResume, LiveCareer, Monster, and CareerBuilder — all using the same billing playbook.

The honest take on Zety

What they do well
✓18 professional templates with good visual variety
✓Step-by-step guided builder that's easy to follow
✓Pre-written achievement phrases you can click to add
✓Built-in resume scoring and suggestions
✓Cover letter builder included with paid plan
Where they fall short
✕$1.95 trial silently auto-renews at $25.95/month — users report surprise charges
✕Bills every 4 weeks (13x/year) not monthly — designed to confuse
✕Cancellation is difficult — users report buttons not working, charges continuing after cancellation
✕"Free" version is useless — .txt download strips all formatting
✕Pre-written phrases, not real AI — your resume sounds like everyone else's Zety resume
✕Owned by BOLD LLC, a company that runs 6 resume builders with identical billing practices
✕Trustpilot reviews show pattern: "great product, terrible billing"
✕One user reported being charged continuously for 4 years after a 2020 trial

Who owns Zety?

Zety is owned by BOLD LLC (also owns MyPerfectResume, LiveCareer, Monster, CareerBuilder). All BOLD properties use the same billing practices: low-cost trials that auto-renew at high prices, difficult cancellation, and aggressive retention. When you see resume builders competing against each other in search results, many are actually the same company.

Trustpilot:4.2/5(11,693 reviews)

Frequently asked questions

The alternative that doesn't trap you

$19 one-time. Full AI generation. 20 templates. No subscription.

Build Your Resume — Free