Applying in 2025 means you have to beat two gatekeepers: humans and hiring software. Nearly 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies now run every résumé through an applicant-tracking system (ATS), and 89 percent of recruiters still want a cover letter. Meanwhile, 65 percent of applicants already lean on AI for their drafts. This guide spotlights seven résumé builders that bundle cover-letter tools with ATS-safe templates—helping you clear both hurdles in one go.
How do we pick the seven standouts?
AI-powered resume builders help job seekers create ATS-friendly resumes and cover letters that reach human recruiters
We didn’t toss darts at a wall. We scored each builder on five factors, then applied a weighted rubric.
Cover-letter integration and ATS readiness mattered most because those two features determine whether your documents get read at all.
Applicant-tracking systems scan resumes for role-specific keywords and standard section headings before ranking candidates, as outlined in Novorésumé’s ATS guide.
According to Enhancv’s ATS resume guide, interviews with recruiters across North America and Europe indicate that modern systems rarely auto-reject resumes purely because of formatting, so clean templates that use columns or color accents are usually safe if key details remain in plain text.
That nuance is why this comparison focuses on builders that balance human-readable design with simple, ATS-aware structure instead of forcing you into bare-bones layouts.
Including a tailored letter, even when it is listed as optional, can help you stand out from candidates with similar experience, according to Novorésumé’s cover letter guide.
So in this comparison, we favored builders that keep formatting simple while helping you personalize each letter in the same workflow; here is how each factor weighed in:
We scored each resume builder on five weighted criteria, with cover-letter integration and ATS readiness carrying the most weight
| Factor | Weight | What we checked |
| Cover-letter integration | 30 percent | Does the résumé flow into a matching letter automatically, or do you copy and paste? |
| ATS readiness | 25 percent | Single-column layouts, no text boxes, plus live keyword or “bot check” tools |
| AI writing assistance | 20 percent | From light phrase tips to full GPT-4 drafts you can edit line by line |
| Template variety and visual polish | 15 percent | Coordinated résumé/letter sets that balance professionalism with style |
| Pricing transparency and free access | 10 percent | Clear trial terms and at least one download before you pay |
Quick compare: seven builders side by side
Need the gist fast? Skim the grid below, then jump to the deep-dive sections that follow.
| Tool | Ideal for | Cover-letter feature | AI depth | Free plan / trial | Entry price* |
| Novorésumé | Polished, ATS-tested résumés | Matching templates and autofill | AI paragraph suggestions | One-page PDF | $8.33 per month (annual) |
| Enhancv | Creative personal branding | Drafts letter from résumé and job ad | Full GPT draft | Seven-day trial | $13.33 per month (six-month plan) |
| Resume Genius | First-time writers | Guided cover-letter wizard | Phrase library | 14-day trial | $7.95 per month |
| Kickresume | Students and tech fields | One-click GPT-4 letter | Full draft plus ATS scan | Basic templates free | from $10 per month (annual) |
| Zety | Step-by-step help | Paragraph prompts | Phrase library | 14-day trial | $5.95 per month (annual) |
| Resume.io | Speed and mobile use | Simple editor and snippets | Light suggestions | TXT download free | $2.95 per week |
| Rezi | Hardcore ATS targeting | AI-tailored letter plus score | Full draft and keyword score | One résumé free | $29 per month |
Prices shown are the lowest monthly equivalent on each provider’s most economical paid plan; confirm current rates on the vendor site.
List of top 7 Resume Builders
1. Novorésumé: polished design with built-in ATS checks
Novorésumé feels more like a design studio than a form. Add experience, tweak a color, and the layout stays single-column, so parsing bots will not stall on extra columns.
- Cover-letter flow. Tap the Cover Letter tab and your header, spacing, and accent color transfer automatically. An AI side panel suggests sentences you can accept or edit line by line.
- Live ATS score. Paste the job description, select Scan, and receive an instant compatibility score with keyword prompts. Fix the red flags, rescan, and watch the meter turn green.
- Novorésumé highlights that 75 percent of qualified candidates never reach a human reviewer because their résumés fail automated scans, so it also lets you test your resume for ATS even if the file was drafted in Word or Google Docs.
- Design range. Sixteen coordinated résumé and letter templates cover minimalist through creative styles, each tested against major ATS systems.
- Trust factor. Novorésumé holds a 4.5-out-of-5 Trustpilot rating across more than 1,400 reviews as of January 2025, which signals strong usability and results.
Pricing. The free tier lets you build and preview a one-page résumé. PDF download and multi-page layouts unlock at about eight dollars and thirty-three cents per month when billed annually.
Bottom line: choose Novorésumé if you want modern aesthetics plus a real-time safety net that confirms your résumé and cover letter will survive the digital gatekeepers.
2. Enhancv: story-driven design with AI cover-letter drafts
Enhancv treats your résumé as a personal brand sheet. The editor invites sections like “Life philosophy” and “Biggest achievement,” adding human texture that recruiters remember.
- AI cover letter in one click. Paste the job ad, select Generate, and Enhancv’s GPT-powered tool writes a full letter that echoes the posting while pulling highlights from your résumé. You can adjust tone, add metrics, and rerun the checker for keyword coverage.
- Design range. Templates range from stark white space to bold color blocks; whichever you pick, a matching cover-letter layout updates automatically without extra formatting.
Trial and pricing. New users receive seven days of full access (two résumés and two cover letters) at no charge. After that, the plan with the lowest monthly rate costs about $13.33 per month when billed every six months.
Choose Enhancv if your field values personality and you would rather refine a strong AI draft than start from a blank page.
3. Resume Genius: guided building for first-time writers
Resume Genius works like a chat. Answer bite-size questions and the builder drops trusted phrases straight into your résumé.
- Cover-letter flow. When you finish the résumé, select Write my cover letter. The tool reuses your header, asks a few motivation prompts, and assembles a letter with matching margins and fonts.
- Speed stats. In our test, a résumé and cover letter took about 12 minutes from first click to download.
- Beginner extras. A library of 800-plus job-specific bullet examples appears beside every field, so you’re never stuck for wording.
Pricing. Build for free and download as plain text. To export PDF or Word files, start a 14-day trial for $2.95. It renews at $7.95 per month on the annual plan if you keep it.
Choose Resume Genius if you want clear guidance and a finished application tonight, not tomorrow.
4. Kickresume: GPT-4 speed for quick, modern applications
Kickresume puts an AI engine front and center. Type a job title, choose Generate, and its GPT-4 writer produces a full cover letter in about 10 seconds. The draft pulls skills from your résumé and mirrors phrases in the job ad. You can accept, rewrite, or refine each paragraph.
Beyond the basics
- ATS checker. A built-in scanner flags missing keywords before you download.
- Design range. More than forty résumé templates with matching letters keep fonts and colors aligned.
- Extras. One-click personal website, interview-prep Q&A, and iOS or Android apps.
Pricing. The yearly plan costs about $10 per month, billed $120, while the free tier offers four basic templates and one AI credit for testing. Monthly access is $24 if you prefer a short commitment.
Choose Kickresume if you juggle many applications and want AI to break writer’s block without losing ATS safety.
5. Zety: step-by-step guidance with pre-written phrases
Zety feels like a guided tour. A progress bar tracks every section, while a side panel offers job-specific bullet suggestions pulled from a library of more than 800 examples.
Cover-letter flow. Select Write my cover letter after the résumé, and the wizard walks you through opening, body, and close, dropping in matching fonts and margins along the way.
Beginner-friendly extras
- Content score. A live meter shows résumé strength as you add skills and metrics.
- Format lock. Templates stay single column and image free, so ATS bots read every line.
Pricing. Build and preview at no cost. To download PDF or Word files, start a 14-day trial for $1.95. The plan renews at $25.95 every four weeks, or $5.95 per month when billed annually if you prefer longer access.
Choose Zety if you want clear guidance at every step and a polished résumé–cover-letter pair in under 20 minutes.
6. Resume.io: fast, mobile-ready builder you can test for free
Resume.io opens in your browser or phone and shows a live preview as you fill each field. A side panel offers sample phrases you can click to drop into the document.
- Cover-letter flow. Open the Cover Letter tab and your résumé header appears instantly. Write in a single rich-text column, or insert suggested sentences for each section.
- Free option. The forever-free plan lets you create one résumé and one cover letter, then download them as a TXT file, the safest format for older applicant portals.
Premium speed. Need PDFs? Start a seven-day trial for $2.95. It renews at $29.95 every four weeks unless you cancel. Premium access provides unlimited documents and more than thirty recruiter-tested templates in PDF or DOCX.
Choose Resume.io when you’re on a tight deadline and want a mobile-friendly builder that still keeps your files ATS-clean.
7. Rezi: data-driven builder that scores your résumé against the job ad
Rezi approaches each application like a software sprint. Upload a résumé or import LinkedIn, paste the job description, and the platform assigns a Rezi Score from 0 to 100 based on 23 ATS checkpoints. It flags missing keywords, headers, or formatting glitches; fix them, rescan, and watch the score climb.
Cover-letter generator. Select Generate letter and Rezi’s AI pulls your top achievements and target-company phrases into a draft, then reruns the score so you can confirm keyword coverage.
Plans and pricing
- Free. One résumé, limited AI, and three PDF downloads.
- Pro. Unlimited résumés plus full AI for $29 per month.
- Lifetime. Same features forever for a $149 one-time fee. All paid options include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Choose Rezi if you want clear metrics for every résumé, cover letter, and interview answer, and prefer data to guide revisions until the score turns green.
FAQs — your biggest questions, answered
Are cover letters still worth writing?
According to a ResumeLab survey, 77 percent of hiring decision-makers will prefer a candidate who attaches a cover letter—even when it’s listed as optional—and 60 percent of roles still require one outright.
Will these tools help me beat the ATS filter?
Jobscan estimates that nearly 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies use an applicant-tracking system to screen résumés, and every builder on our list produces single-column, text-based files. Novorésumé and Rezi even provide live ATS scores so you can add missing keywords before you hit send.
Is using AI to draft my letter considered cheating?
Think of AI as a first draft. Generators mine your résumé and the job ad for phrasing, but you control the final wording—edit specifics, add metrics, and keep claims honest. Recruiters care about relevance, not who typed the first line.
Which platform is truly free?
All seven let you build at no cost. For a download without watermarks, Novorésumé offers a one-page PDF and Resume.io allows a TXT export. Polished multi-page PDFs usually cost a few dollars via a short trial—far cheaper than a professional writer.
How common is AI in job applications now?
The 2025 Career Group Companies Market Trend Report says 65 percent of job seekers use AI during the application process—up from 16 percent in early 2024. CNBC reported on February 28, 2025, that hiring managers know this, so focus on tailoring each document rather than hiding AI use.
Conclusion
The seven résumé builders above all pair ATS-friendly templates with tools that draft or refine cover letters, saving you hours of formatting and writing. Pick the platform that matches your design taste, budget, and need for AI assistance, then tailor each application to the job description. With the right builder and a bit of customization, you’ll clear both human and software gatekeepers in 2026.