Zety is one of the most popular resume builders. It's also one of the most expensive, once you get past the trial. Here's how it compares to PickedCV.
This is where the difference is starkest. Zety advertises a $1.95 "trial" that auto-renews at $25.95 every 4 weeks. That's 13 billing cycles per year, approximately $71–337/year for a resume builder.
PickedCV's free tier lets you download PDFs with zero watermarks, no time limit, no download cap. Pro is $59/year flat, a fraction of Zety's recurring cost.
| Feature | PickedCV | Zety |
|---|---|---|
| Free PDF download | Yes, no watermark | No, paywall at download |
| True annual cost | $0 – $59 | ~$71–337 |
| Trial traps | None | $1.95 auto-renew trial |
| Templates | 40 (6 free) | 20+ (all paywalled) |
| Languages | 30 with non-Latin scripts | English-first |
| Europass template | Yes | No |
| AI features | Claude (Anthropic) | GPT-based |
| AI Act compliance | Yes, labeled per Art. 50 | Not disclosed |
| Cover letter | Free + AI-assisted | Paywalled |
| Data used for training | Never | OpenAI default policy |
Zety has more templates, but every single one requires a paid subscription to download. PickedCV gives you 6 templates for free, including an Europass template for EU job applications, with 34 more on Pro.
PickedCV supports 30 languages with full non-Latin script rendering: Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Hindi. Zety is primarily English with limited localization.
Both offer AI-powered suggestions. PickedCV uses Claude by Anthropic; Zety uses OpenAI. PickedCV labels all AI-generated content per the EU AI Act Article 50 and explicitly prohibits using your data for model training.
If you want a resume builder that's actually free, PickedCV is the better choice. If you want to pay, PickedCV Pro at $59/year gives you everything Zety offers at a fraction of the cost, without the auto-renewing trial surprise.
Try PickedCV, Free, No Watermark →