11 Best Free ATS Resume Checkers & Scanners

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When looking for a brand new job, the resume is the most important part of the application process.

Many modern businesses and companies use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to filter resumes, so what free ATS resume checkers and scanners are best to use before sending a resume to a real employer?

Here are some of the best free ATS resume checkers and scanners to use and get the job of your dreams!

After crafting the best possible resume, use a website or software like Jobscan, CakeResume, or Enhancv to get helpful direction on how to improve your resume. Other services like Zety, Live Career, and Rezi also work well. Use the other services below to get great feedback for any resume!

What are some of the best ATS resume checkers and scanners that are free for public use? What makes each website, service, or software different and unique from the next?

Let’s go over in depth what to look out for and use to create and fine-tune the best resume possible!

  1. Jobscan
  2. CakeResume
  3. Enhancv
  4. Zety
  5. Live Career
  6. Resume Shine
  7. Rezi
  8. Resume Worded
  9. Kick Resume
  10. Zip Job
  11. ResumeGo

1. Jobscan

Jobscan homepage

Free ATS resume checkers and scanners are so valuable since they provide a wide variety of useful benefits to job applicants.

Free ATS resume checkers and scanners can provide accurate suggestions on how to refine the formatting, alter the word count, change the file type, inform on the average sentence length, and most often used keywords of a resume.

These listed resume ATS checkers and scanners can inform the users if the resume is ATS compliant, what words should be avoided, and what words are repeated, all so it can bring to their attention any grammar mistakes and spell checks needed.

These websites and tools can even give direction on how to improve the overall layout and design of submitted resumes.

Jobscan is a terrific resume scanner that is made to aid job seekers in learning how to best optimize their cover letters or resumes for specific job postings!

There are a lot of benefits to using this specific scanner. Jobscan is simple to use and very first-time user-friendly. It can offer details related to the resume’s word count, words to avoid, and measurable results.

This tool can evaluate the resume section headings, paragraph lengths, and date formatting to perfect the form’s presentation.

Jobscan’s only downside is that it offers limited resume scans per month for a free account, but this resource is sufficient as a starting point for resume fixing.

Use this nifty link to explore the Jobscan website and services. Their optimization can help you land a job interview in no time flat!

Jobscan

Jobscan helps you optimize your resume for any job, highlighting the key experience and skills recruiters need to see.

Optimize your resume
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Related: How to Beat an Applicant Tracking System

2. CakeResume

CakeResume homepage

Next on the list is CakeResume. This service began as a resume builder, and today it offers an even wider array of incredible job-hunting tools for anyone interested.

CakeResume has a free ATS resume checker that helps someone create their professional brand. People can log on and match their resume with a specific job posting in the CakeResume system.

You just need to copy and paste your resume or pick an existing resume in the system, copy and paste the job title and description of your choice, then click on “Start Analyzing” to view the results.

The strengths of CakeResume in particular are that it is easy, simple, fast, focuses on keyword optimization, it displays the match rate between the submitted resume content and the submitted job ad, and it prioritizes keyword optimization. Their services can be accessed here at their online website.

One of the weaknesses of this particular service is that users will need to upgrade their subscription plan for more detailed tools. CakeResume also lacks further guidance for resume editing after their key tools are used.

This is still a very direct, easy way to create a valuable resume. There are even a variety of professional templates and models to use and choose from so that resume-making is as easy as can be with CakeResume.

3. Enhancv

Enhancv homepage

Next in Enhancv. This service provides direction on how to improve a resume’s structure, spelling, keywords, and grammar. Cover letters can even be submitted to Enhancv so that they can be fine-tuned and improved.

This tool is invaluable for people who need their resumes edited immediately. It can provide feedback results in only 2 minutes to help users better the format, details, design, and content of their resume.

Unfortunately, it only allows for one resume upload on the free trial version, and it is more expensive than other resume checkers and scanners after the free trial is used up, but it’s still a terrific resource.

Go to their website here and look through the dozens of primed resume templates they have, waiting and ready to go for customization.

4. Zety

Zety homepage

Zety is another helpful resume scanner and checker that is free to use for the public. This service is one of the top leading online resume builders that is used all around the world.

Users can use it to scan and check their resume scores in just a few minutes. Zety can be used to scan for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors so they can be corrected.

It even offers additional tips about related keywords and skills that can be added to a resume. It does require payment for additional resume-checking tools, but a lot can be done with Zety’s free resources.

Their website is referenced here and can be a lifesaver for those who need resume help as quickly as possible.

5. Live Career

LiveCareer homepage

Live Career is a super service for resume improvement. It hosts Resume Check as a stupendous feature that works to ensure that reviewed cover letters and resumes are perfect and customized for the desired job opening.

This scanner and checker can handle and review a wide array of different file types, such as .doc, .docx, .pdf, .html, .rtf, and .txt. It focuses on the top 30 most common mistakes that occur in cover letters and resumes to help correct things like word choice, formatting, measurable results, and more!

There are a few cons that come with Live Career’s many advantageous pros. Some customers and users have reported that their pricing terms can quickly get confusing.

There are some high rates attached to some of their services, and customer tech support can be lacking. Live Career also dishes out a slower operation speed when compared side-by-side with other similar resume scanners and checkers.

It is still worth it to check this service out to see if Live Career is the right fit for you.

Check out the assorted free and paid tools of Live Career by clicking this link.

6. Shine Resume

Shine Resume homepage

This next option is Shine Resume, an efficient and professional resume score checker that delivers a report on the current quality of an applicant’s resume.

Shine Resume will help its users to get an idea of how potential, real job recruiters will perceive them. Users can also pay money to also get additional expert help to further perfect their cover letter or resume.

This platform is great since it accepts and gives feedback on submitted material types like .pdf, .doc, .docx, and .txt.

The services review the key elements of all resumes, like the objective, the summary, the previous education level, past work experiences, skills, format, and contacts to know how to help better the user’s documents.

Be aware, some users feel that Resume Shine is more vague in its feedback and suggestions than other resume scanners and checkers.

It also may calculate a slightly different score for the same submitted resume, but it’s still helpful in resume construction.

Related: Applicant Tracking System Guide for Job Seekers

7. Rezi

Rezi homepage

This is yet another stupendous resume checker for the prospective employee. Rezi is a platform that is uniquely powered by AI, or artificial intelligence, to help all job seekers refine and focus their resume content.

It focuses on the wording and makeup of the document over the aesthetic or formatting choices. It is often called an ATS resume scanner and provides stellar suggestions on how to add more efficient keywords to resumes so that applicants can get through the usual applicant tracking systems.

One of Rezi’s strengths is how it prioritizes a resume’s keywords and wording optimization. Some of its weaknesses are how only one resume can be submitted and reviewed in the free subscription plan and there is limited access to resume feedback tools in the free subscription tier.

Anyone can log on and use Rezi at this attached website link.

8. Resume Worded

Resume Worded homepage

This online resume checker is a great choice for those looking for a resume editing tool that is powered by AI. Resume Worded has been built and designed by top job recruiters to let users compare their resumes with other professional cover letters.

Their approach means that users can figure out what makes resumes excellent and apply these elements to their documents and resumes. Use this service to tailor an existing resume until it ideally fits the targeted job position.

Resume Worded is unique from other resume checkers since it can provide tailored resume feedback and also offers direction and feedback for a user’s professional LinkedIn profile.

Explore their free and paid options to figure out if it is worthwhile to use Resume Worded. Their terrific services can be found and used here.

9. Kick Resume

Kickresume homepage

One of the final resume checkers is Kick Resume. This amazing resume scanner is built to proofread and offer helpful criticism on resumes and documents.

This is one of the fastest resume checkers, able to review a document in only 60 seconds. It is a beautifully designed service that offers plenty of clear directions and details on how to fix up a resume.

People who use Kick Resume will need to create an account to sign up for and use the service. There are only limited features for resume checking when users are on Kick Resume’s free trial plan.

Here is the linked Kick Resume online homepage for you to peruse and use for all your resume editing needs.

10. Zip Job

ZipJob homepage

Another incredible free ATS resume checker and scanner is Zip Job–a professional service that matches job customers to certified resume writers!

These professional resume writers under Zip Job also use ATS in their work to screen submitted resumes and help customers workshop, edit, and get their resume to where it needs to be.

Zip Job is ideal to use if you want to upload your resume right into the platform without the need for copying and pasting any information or text.

From there, a very in-depth review will be summarized, offering how to improve the topics in the resume that hiring managers and job recruiters prioritize and most care about.

This service isn’t as speedy as others, with reviews sent to users within 48 hours of submission, but it still creates impressive feedback and reports for any resume and job applicant.

This hyperlink can lead you directly to Zip Job so you can start formatting and fixing your resume today.

11. ResumeGo

ResumeGo homepage

Last but not least is Resume Checker. This free ATS resume checker and scanner use ResumeGo software and services to help over half a million job seekers around the world to get accepted and hired into their dream jobs.

Anyone can upload a resume to Resume Checker for a free resume scan. Even if you don’t have a personal resume, there’s a button on the linked Resume Checker website above to use a sample resume. From there, users can get valuable info about their resumes so they can then know where and how to start improving.

Resume Checker also offers professional help so that users can access their resume services and get ahead of their competitors to make their resume shine above the rest.

Related: How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume

Final Thoughts

If Resume Checker isn’t sufficient, feel free to shop around and try out the many options on this list to discover and use the best free ATS resume checker or scanning service.

Even friends and family with English or grammar skills can help you to review and edit your existing resume and cover letter materials before applying to the big job!

Jobscan

Jobscan helps you optimize your resume for any job, highlighting the key experience and skills recruiters need to see.

Optimize your resume
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Donny is the founder of SMB Guide. He is a seasoned small business owner and entrepreneur, with over 17+ years of experience growing and building companies. He is a well traveled and multi-faceted individual with several successful six figure business exits.