Resumap vs Zety
Polished templates, opaque billing — and the $1.95 trial that converts to $337/year if you forget to cancel.
Verdict
Zety is a competent resume builder with strong template design and step-by-step writing assistance. The thing it doesn't make obvious is that you can't download a usable resume on the free plan — only a plain text file — and the $1.95 trial converts to $25.95 every four weeks (which works out to roughly $337 a year if you forget to cancel).
If you want a free, unwatermarked PDF without entering a card, Resumap does that. If you genuinely want a subscription resume tool and you commit to Zety's $71.40 annual plan upfront, Zety is a fair product.
How Zety's pricing actually works
Zety publishes three plans.
Free (Basic Package)
$0
Build a resume, edit as much as you like, preview on screen, print directly from the browser.
The only file you can download is a plain text (.txt) file — all formatting stripped. For most job applications, that file isn't usable.
Trial trap
14-day trial
$1.95 / 14 days
Unlocks the formatted PDF download and the full Pro feature set — AI bullet generator, resume checker, cover letter builder.
$1.95 charges at signup. On day 14 it converts automatically to $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel. 4-week billing = ~13 cycles/year ≈ $337 annualized. No reminder email is typically sent before the conversion charge.
Annual plan
$71.40 upfront (≈ $5.95/mo)
Removes the every-4-weeks billing mechanic. Same total cost as roughly three months of the recurring rate.
If you definitely want to use Zety, this is the plan that makes the math work.
For comparison: Resumap is free for unlimited unwatermarked PDF downloads. Optional paid features (ATS analysis against a specific job description, CV import from PDF, Pro template unlocks) are sold as pay-as-you-go credits ($1 = 100 credits) that never expire — no subscription, no card required for the free tier.
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Resumap | Zety |
|---|---|---|
| Free PDF download | Yes, unwatermarked | Plain text only on free; formatted PDF requires paid plan |
| Credit card to use free tier | Never | Only for the $1.95 trial |
| Trial price | No trial | $1.95 / 14 days |
| Post-trial price | N/A | $25.95 every 4 weeks (auto-renew) |
| Billing cadence | Per-credit purchase, no recurring | Every 4 weeks = ~13 cycles/year (not 12) |
| Annualized cost if forgotten | $0 | ~$337 |
| Annual plan | None — base product is free | $71.40 upfront (≈ $5.95/mo effective) |
| Number of templates | 22 (15 free + 7 Pro) | 18+, mostly ATS-tested |
| Templates available free | 15 of 22 unlocked, no card | None usable — TXT-only on free |
| ATS analysis (score + recommendations) | Built-in, credits per scan | Built-in, paid plan only |
| Import existing CV (PDF) | Built-in, credits per import | LinkedIn import only |
| AI bullet rewriting | Not currently | Included in paid plan |
| AI cover letter builder | Not currently | Included in paid plan |
| Cancel friction | Nothing to cancel | Account → My Plan → Cancel; retention step before final confirm |
| Refund policy | N/A — no subscription | Full refund within 7 days of charge if no files downloaded |
| Customer support | Email ([email protected]) | Phone, chat, email |
| Trustpilot rating | New product — no review base yet | 4.2 ★ from 11,693 reviews |
| Years in business | New | ≈ 10 years |
| Ownership | Indie, founder-led | SaaS Industries (Poland) |
| GDPR-compliant | Yes | Yes (Polish/EU operation) |
Zety — what they do well
- Template design — among the cleanest and most recruiter-friendly in the category. ~18+ templates with a solid visual baseline.
- Step-by-step builder walks you through each section with pre-written, job-title-specific phrase suggestions. Genuinely useful for first-time resume writers.
- AI content assistance — pre-written bullet library tailored to the job title you select, not generic filler.
- Built-in ATS resume checker — scores against parsing criteria and flags missing keywords. Sanity check, not a JD-specific test.
- Live phone support (US: 800-985-7561) — unusual in this category. Most competitors are email-only.
- 11,693 Trustpilot reviews at 4.2 ★ — real social proof if you want a subscription product.
Zety — where it bites users
- Free tier exports plain text only. The formatted PDF requires at least the $1.95 trial. Many users describe finding out at the download step, after they've finished building.
- Billing is every 4 weeks, not monthly. $25.95 × 13 cycles ≈ $337/year — about $26 more than a naive monthly mental model suggests.
- No proactive trial-end email. Zety doesn't typically send a reminder before the $1.95 trial converts. Users often find out via bank statement.
- Refund window is short — within 7 days of charge AND only if no files downloaded. Once you've pulled the PDF, that billing period is non-refundable.
- Cancellation flow includes a retention step. The path from "Cancel" to actual cancellation goes through at least one retention offer.
- Sidebar-template families (Cubic / Cascade / Diamond) carry ATS sidebar-parsing risk in older configurations — pick the Modern / Simple families if you're applying to ATS-strict roles.
ATS compatibility — what actually parses
Most Zety templates use single-column layouts and parse cleanly in Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and Taleo. The standard Modern and Simple template families are particularly safe — proper PDF text layers, standard section headings, predictable reading order.
The riskier choices are Zety's two-column templates with sidebars (the Cubic, Cascade, and Diamond families). In older ATS configurations, sidebar contact information can be merged into the body of the resume or read out of order. If you're applying through a corporate ATS in legal, government, finance, or older enterprise environments, the single-column variants are the safer pick.
Zety's built-in resume checker provides a proprietary score and flags formatting and keyword issues. It's not a substitute for testing your resume against a specific job description in a dedicated tool — but it catches the basics.
Resumap's templates use ATS-friendly DOM order across the board: main column → sidebar, labelled section headings, no images-as-text. Most are two-column (Compact, Beacon, Boardroom, Linen, and others), but the column structure doesn't hurt parsing because the DOM sequence is what ATS engines read. Every template is tested for compatibility with the major ATS systems before it ships.
Cancellation, refunds, and the every-4-weeks math
The cancellation flow itself is straightforward when you know where to look: Account → My Plan → Cancel Subscription. Zety also accepts cancellations by phone (US: 800-985-7561) and through the support contact form. The friction users typically describe isn't a hidden button — it's the retention step inserted between clicking “Cancel” and the cancellation actually processing. Most users get through it on the first try; some describe a second attempt being needed.
Zety's published refund policy: a full refund is available if you cancel within 7 days of the chargeand you haven't downloaded any files. After 7 days, refunds are at company discretion and typically denied if files have been downloaded. Trustpilot replies from Zety in 2026 consistently cite this policy.
The practical implication: if you start the $1.95 trial, treat day 12 as your decision day. Set a calendar reminder. If you want to keep the subscription, do nothing. If you want to cancel, cancel before day 14 to recover the $1.95.
For users who'd rather not manage that calendar entry, Resumap's free tier produces an unwatermarked formatted PDF without a card, a trial, or a renewal date.
The annualized math.Zety's $25.95 every 4 weeks means 13 billing cycles per year, not 12. The effective annual cost is approximately $337 — about $26 more than a naive monthly mental model would suggest.
When to pick Zety instead
Pick Zety if:you actively want a subscription resume tool and you'll commit to the $71.40 annual planupfront. At ≈$5.95/mo effective, the annual plan removes the every-4-weeks billing mechanic and pays for itself if you'll use the product more than twice. The template aesthetic, AI bullet generator, cover letter builder, and live phone support are all real differentiators.
It's roughly a tie if:you only need one resume, you'll use the $1.95 trial, you'll download everything within the first week, and you'll cancel inside the 7-day refund window. The math works — but you have to manage the calendar entry.
Pick Resumap if:you want a free, unwatermarked PDF without entering a credit card; you only need to build resumes occasionally and don't want a recurring charge; or you prefer pay-as-you-go credits (which never expire) instead of an always-on monthly bill.
Try Resumap free — no card, no trial countdown.
Build, edit, export. The PDF is yours, watermark-free, on the free tier.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zety really free?
You can build and edit a resume on Zety for free, but the only download format on the free plan is plain text (.txt), which removes all formatting. The formatted PDF download requires at least the $1.95 trial or a paid plan. Resumap's free tier exports an unwatermarked PDF with full formatting and no card.
How much does Zety actually cost?
The $1.95 14-day trial converts to $25.95 every 4 weeks unless cancelled. Because there are roughly 13 four-week periods in a year, the annualized cost is approximately $337. The annual plan is $71.40 upfront — significantly cheaper if you'll use the product for a full year.
Why was I charged $25.95 instead of $1.95?
The $1.95 was the 14-day trial price. On day 14, the subscription automatically converts to the standard rate of $25.95 every 4 weeks. Zety doesn't typically send a reminder email before the conversion. If you're within 7 days of the charge and haven't downloaded any files, you may still be eligible for a refund — contact support.
How do I cancel my Zety subscription?
Log in, then go to Account → My Plan → Cancel Subscription. You'll be offered a retention discount before the final cancel — click through it to reach the actual cancellation. Zety also accepts cancellations by phone (US: 800-985-7561) and via the support contact form. Save the confirmation email.
Why does Zety bill every 4 weeks instead of monthly?
The $25.95 is billed every 4 weeks (every 28 days), which results in roughly 13 billing cycles per year rather than 12. The mechanic is in the terms but isn't surfaced on the pricing page in headline-size text. The practical difference: about $26 more per year than a strict monthly billing would produce.
Did Zety charge me twice in one month?
Possibly — because Zety bills every 4 weeks rather than monthly, two charges can fall in the same calendar month roughly once per year. This is mechanical, not a duplicate-charge error.
Are Zety templates ATS-friendly?
The single-column "Modern" and "Simple" template families parse cleanly in standard ATS systems. The two-column "Cubic," "Cascade," and "Diamond" templates carry sidebar-parsing risk in older configurations. If you're applying to ATS-strict roles (legal, finance, government), pick a single-column variant. Resumap's templates use ATS-friendly DOM order (main → sidebar) regardless of column count, and every template is tested before it ships.
Can I download my Zety resume for free?
Only as a plain text (.txt) file. The free .txt download strips all design elements — fonts, spacing, headings, formatting. For most job applications, you'd need a formatted PDF, which requires the trial or paid plan. Resumap exports an unwatermarked formatted PDF on the free tier.
Will Zety delete my data after I cancel?
Account data persists after cancellation — you can log back in and edit your resume, but you can't download formatted files without an active plan. To request full data deletion, contact Zety support. Zety is GDPR-compliant.
What does Resumap charge for, if anything?
The base product is free: unwatermarked PDF export, all editor features, and 15 of 22 templates. Optional paid features — ATS analysis against a specific job description, CV import from PDF, and the 7 Pro template unlocks — are sold as pay-as-you-go credits ($1 = 100 credits) that never expire. No subscription, no card required for the free tier.
Try Resumap free — no card, no subscription.
Build, edit, export. The PDF is yours, watermark-free, on the free tier. Five minutes from now you can have the resume on your desktop.