HeyCV vs Zety (2026) - Free Resume Builder Comparison | HeyCV AI Resume Builder
2026 Comparison Guide

HeyCV vs Zety: The Honest Comparison

Zety's free plan only offers TXT downloads. To get a PDF, you need a trial that auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks. HeyCV gives you PDF exports for free.

How Zety Pricing Works

$1.95 for 14 days, then auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks.

Zety's Basic Package is free and includes the resume builder, templates, and cover letter tools. However, downloads are limited to TXT format only.

To access PDF and Word downloads, you need the Pro plan, which starts with a 14-day trial for $1.95 and then auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks. There is also an Annual plan at $5.95 per month, billed as $71.40 per year.

This means you cannot download a formatted PDF resume on the free tier. The trial automatically converts to a paid subscription unless you cancel before the 14-day period ends.

At HeyCV, we believe your career tools should empower you, not exploit you. We will never ask for your credit card to download a PDF. We will never hide fees in fine print. Your time is valuable, your data is yours, and your resume should be accessible the moment you finish it.

Side-by-Side Breakdown

See exactly how HeyCV stacks up against Zety on the features that matter most to job seekers.

Feature
HeyCV
Zety
Pricing Model
Free: unlimited local resumes + 2 cloud resumes. Pro: $12.99/mo (20 cloud resumes + AI grammar). Unlimited: $24.99/mo (unlimited cloud + AI optimizations).
$1.95 for 14 days, then auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks.
Free Tier Limits
Unlimited local resumes, unlimited PDF/TXT/DOCX exports, full offline editing.
Free tier includes TXT downloads only. PDF and Word require a paid plan.
Data Privacy
On-Device Storage. Your resume lives on your computer, not our servers.
Cloud-based storage.
Export Options
Unlimited PDF, TXT, and DOCX downloads at no cost.
Free tier: TXT only. Pro/Annual: PDF, Word, and TXT.
AI Grammar Check
Available on Pro ($12.99/mo) and Unlimited ($24.99/mo). Purpose-built for resumes.
Not included in free tier on most competitors.
Offline Access
Full offline functionality. Edit without internet.
Requires internet connection.
Sign-up Required
No signup required to build and download.
Mandatory account creation.

Privacy-First Philosophy

When you build a resume, you are documenting your full identity. Contact details, employment history, and sometimes sensitive information like certifications or medical specializations. Handing that data to a third-party cloud database means you lose control over who can access it.

Why on-device storage matters:

  • We cannot see your data. It never touches our servers by default.
  • We cannot sell your data. No database to harvest, no advertisers to feed.
  • Breaches cannot touch you. A hack on our end exposes nothing about you.

For users who want cross-device convenience, we offer optional encrypted cloud sync that you explicitly opt into. The default mode is zero-knowledge local storage.

Compare that to competitors who require you to upload your entire career history just to change a font. The difference is night and day.

Built-in AI Grammar Checker

A single typo can cost you an interview. Hiring managers and applicant tracking systems are unforgiving when it comes to sloppy writing.

Most free resume builders offer zero writing assistance. You are left to proofread a dense, high-stakes document on your own. Most competitors do not include resume-specific grammar checking in their free tiers.

What our AI grammar checker catches:

  • Awkward phrasing and inconsistent verb tenses
  • Missing Oxford commas in skill lists
  • Industry-specific terminology errors
  • Proper capitalization for job titles and technologies like “JavaScript”
  • Strong action verbs in bullet points

This is purpose-built for resumes. It understands the patterns that actually matter to recruiters.

The AI grammar checker is included with our Pro plan ($12.99/month) and Unlimited plan ($24.99/month). HeyCV lets you build and download your resume for free while offering genuinely valuable AI upgrades at a fraction of the cost of competitor subscriptions.

Even on the free tier, you still get unlimited local resumes, PDF exports, and offline editing.

Unlimited Exports, Zero Restrictions

Your resume is a living document. You tweak it for every job application, adjust keywords for different industries, and refine formatting based on feedback.

A resume builder that limits your exports or charges per download makes the job search harder. Many competitors cap downloads, restrict file formats, or require a paid plan for PDF access.

HeyCV export policy:

  • Unlimited PDF downloads at no cost
  • TXT exports for online applications
  • DOCX exports for further editing
  • No watermarks, no page limits, no format restrictions
  • No credit card required to export

Apply to ten jobs in one day and generate a tailored resume for each. HeyCV will not stop you or ask for your credit card.

This policy is especially critical for professionals in healthcare, software engineering, and finance, where resumes often run two or more pages and require precise formatting. You should never have to choose between paying a monthly fee and presenting your full qualifications. With HeyCV, you never will.

Time Investment Before Export

Zety's builder guides you through every section of your resume, asking for detailed information about your work history, skills, and education. The process can take 20 to 30 minutes or more, depending on how much content you add.

Only after you have completed the entire builder do you reach the download step, where you discover that PDF and Word formats require a paid plan. By that point, you have already invested significant time.

HeyCV lets you start editing immediately and download a PDF at any point, even with just a draft. There is no minimum time investment or hidden step between building and exporting.

HeyCV vs Zety (2026)

Zety offers a capable resume builder, but its free tier is limited to TXT downloads and its trial auto-renews into a paid subscription. HeyCV gives you formatted PDF exports, unlimited local resumes, and full offline access from the start, with no automatic billing.

No credit card required • Get started in seconds

Role-Specific Resume Templates

HeyCV offers professionally designed, ATS-optimized templates tailored to your industry. Pick yours and start editing instantly.

Technology & Software Engineering

Marketing, Product & Growth

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers about pricing, privacy, and how HeyCV compares to Zety.

Learn

Is HeyCV really free, or will I hit a paywall like Zety?

HeyCV is genuinely free for core usage. You can build, edit, and download your resume in PDF, TXT, and DOCX formats without ever entering a credit card. The free tier includes unlimited local resumes and 2 cloud resumes with community support.

For users who want more, we offer transparent Pro plans: Pro at $12.99/month includes the AI resume grammar checker, 20 cloud resumes, and email support. Unlimited at $24.99/month adds unlimited cloud resumes, unlimited AI optimizations, and priority email support. All pricing is clearly labeled upfront. There are no hidden fees, no automatic subscriptions, and no surprise charges.

Learn

How does HeyCV keep my resume data private compared to cloud-based builders?

HeyCV stores your resume locally on your device by default. This means your personal information, work history, and contact details never touch our servers unless you explicitly choose to enable cloud sync. Even then, your data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

Cloud-based resume builders typically store your data on their servers. That creates risks you cannot fully control, including server breaches and compliance gaps across jurisdictions. With HeyCV's on-device storage, you are the only one who holds the keys to your career data.

Learn

Can I download my resume as a PDF without entering payment details?

Yes. HeyCV allows unlimited PDF downloads from the moment you finish your resume. You do not need to sign up, subscribe, or provide any payment information. The export engine renders a clean, ATS-friendly PDF that preserves your formatting and fonts accurately.

Many competitors limit what you can download on their free tier. Some restrict you to plain text, cap the number of resumes, or require a paid plan for PDF access. HeyCV treats the download as a fundamental feature, not a premium privilege. Whether you are applying to one job or one hundred, every export is free, fast, and watermark-free.

Learn

How does Zety's 14-day trial work?

Zety offers a 14-day trial for $1.95 on the Pro plan. During the trial, you have full access to premium features including PDF and Word downloads. After the 14 days, the subscription auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks.

If you do not cancel before the trial ends, you will be charged. The Annual plan works differently: it is billed upfront at $71.40 per year with no trial period.

At HeyCV, there is no trial because there is no automatic subscription. Our free tier is genuinely free forever, and our Pro plans are clearly labeled with upfront pricing you can see before you start building.