- Disclosure: this review is published by OneTwo Resume, which makes a competing resume builder. Every pricing fact below was taken from Zety's own public pricing page on September 10, 2026, and is quoted so you can verify it. We'll tell you where Zety is genuinely good.*
Zety is one of the most-used resume builders on the web, and the product itself is competent: polished templates, a guided editor, matching cover letters. The thing to understand before you start — because you'll only be told at the download step — is the pricing model.
In short: Zety's builder is free to use but free downloads are TXT-only. Getting your resume out as a PDF or Word file requires the Pro package: a 14-day trial for $1.95 that auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks unless you cancel, or an annual plan at $71.40/year. The product is good; the model is a subscription bet that you'll forget to cancel. If you're fine with calendar reminders, the $1.95 trial is genuinely cheap. If you're not, use a one-time-payment tool instead.
What Zety does well
Credit where due: the template collection (18+ per their pricing page) is professional and safely formatted; the guided flow — pre-written bullet suggestions by job title — genuinely helps people who freeze at a blank page; and the resume-check feature gives basic feedback inline. The matching cover-letter builder is a real convenience. As an editor experience, it's one of the more polished tools in the category.
The pricing, exactly (from zety.com/pricing, Sept 10, 2026)
| Plan | Price | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (free) | $0 | Downloads in TXT format only — no PDF, no Word |
| Pro, 14-day trial | $1.95 | Auto-renews at $25.95 billed every 4 weeks after day 14 |
| Annual | $71.40/year ($5.95/mo) | Auto-renews yearly |
Three things to notice. First, "every 4 weeks" is 13 charges a year, not 12 — that's ~$337/year if the trial runs unattended. Second, TXT-only free downloads mean the free tier can't produce a file you'd actually send. Third, cancellation is real and "cancel anytime" is accurate — the model depends on you not getting around to it, not on refusing to let you.
Who Zety fits — and who it doesn't
Fits: someone who needs a strong resume this week, will download everything they need inside 14 days, and will set a reminder to cancel on day 12. Total cost: $1.95. That's a fair deal, used deliberately.
Doesn't fit: anyone whose job search runs longer than a billing cycle, or who has ever paid for a forgotten subscription. A three-month search on the 4-week plan costs ~$78 — more than most flat-price alternatives charge once.
The alternative model
The comparison worth making isn't Zety vs. another trial-and-renew builder (most big ones share the model) — it's subscription vs. one-time payment. OneTwo Resume charges $4.99 once for a 7-day pass — no renewal, nothing to cancel, PDF and Word included — with plain-language cancellation and refund terms. Our full comparison table of AI resume builders puts the whole category side by side, pricing models included.
FAQ
Is Zety a scam? No. It's a legitimate product with disclosed terms. Frustration with it is almost always the auto-renewal being noticed late — the terms are on the pricing page, but the emphasis isn't.
How do you cancel Zety? Per their site: from your account settings, or by contacting support. Do it before day 14 to avoid the first $25.95 charge; the confirmation email is worth keeping.
Can you get your resume out of the free tier at all? As TXT — which loses all formatting. Treat the free tier as a preview, not a product.
Is the resume content itself good? The suggested bullets are decent starting points and generic on purpose — every Zety user in your job title sees similar ones. Whatever tool you use, rewrite suggestions in your own specifics; the ChatGPT prompt guide shows the honest way to do that with AI.