FoliumA free Zety alternative — no sign-up, no download paywall
You spent an hour polishing your resume, hit Download… and met a checkout page. If that is why you are searching for a Zety alternative, here is one that is actually free: Folium lets you build your resume with 30 professional templates and download a pixel-perfect PDF — no account, no subscription, no watermark.
Open the free editor → 30 seconds to your first preview. Nothing to install.
4.7/5 (363 real reviews)8,000+ resumes downloaded every month
Why people look for a Zety alternative
Zety is a polished resume builder — that is not in question. The friction is the pricing model: you can build your resume for free, but at the time of writing, downloading it as a PDF requires a paid subscription (the free plan offers a plain-text .txt file only), and the discounted trial converts into a recurring charge unless you cancel. Many people only discover this at the very last step, with a finished resume held on the other side of a checkout.
Folium vs. Zety at a glance
| Feature | Folium | Zety |
|---|---|---|
| PDF download | Free, unlimited | Paid subscription |
| Account required | No — only for AI tools or sync | Yes |
| Templates | 30, all included | Included in subscription |
| Live preview while you type | Yes | Yes |
| Watermark-free | Always | With paid plan |
| Where your data lives | Your browser, unless you opt into sync | Their servers (account) |
| Import an existing PDF with AI | Yes — PDF, Word, a photo or pasted text, no account needed | No |
| Tailor your resume to a job posting (AI) | Yes, free account (300/30 days) | Varies by plan |
| AI cover letter | Yes, free account (300/30 days) | With paid plan |
| Interface languages | 23 languages | Multiple |
| Price | US$ 0 — forever | Subscription (see their site) |
Comparison based on publicly available information, July 2026. Zety is a trademark of its respective owner; Folium is not affiliated with Zety.
What you get with Folium
- 30 professional templates — from sober and ATS-safe to modern designs with photo, color and dark sidebars.
- Pixel-perfect PDF with real selectable text (what ATS filters need), unlimited downloads.
- Privacy by design: everything runs in your browser unless you choose to sync. There is no server storing your resume by default.
- Import your current résumé: a PDF, a Word file, a photo or pasted text. The AI rebuilds it into editable sections, no account needed.
- Tailor to each job: paste the posting to see your match score and the ATS keywords you're missing, and get a tailored copy plus an editable cover letter — free account, part of a 300-action pool every 30 days.
- Colors, ink tones, density, page size (A4/Letter), dark mode, undo/redo — all included.
- Multiple resumes: keep one per role you are applying to, and export each as a JSON backup.
- Also free: Word (.docx) download, spell checking in 21 languages and a signature with place and date. With a free account, translation into 23 languages.
Moving from Zety in three steps
- 1. On Zety’s free plan, download your resume as a .txt file (or copy its text).
- 2. Open the Folium editor and choose Import: upload the PDF (or a Word file or a photo), or paste the text. The AI rebuilds your sections — no account needed.
- 3. Pick a template, adjust colors, and download your PDF. Done — no card required.
When Zety might still be your pick
Honesty ranks better than hype: Zety bundles extras like a cover-letter builder and content suggestions written by their team, and some people prefer having their documents stored in a cloud account. If those are must-haves for you and the subscription fits your budget, it is a legitimate choice. If what you need is a great resume as a PDF, free and private — that is exactly what Folium does.
Your resume, free in minutes
30 templates · live preview · PDF without paywall · no sign-up
Create my CV — freeFrequently asked questions
Is Folium really 100% free?
Yes. All 30 templates, every customization option and the PDF download are free, with no trial and no watermark. A free account adds AI tools — a 300-action AI pool to use anytime over 30 days, no daily cap — and résumé sync.
Do I need to create an account?
Not to build and download your resume — there's no sign-up for that. It's saved in your own browser, and you can export it as a small JSON file to back it up or move it to another device. A free account is only needed for the AI tools or to sync across devices.
Is Zety free?
You can build a resume for free, but at the time of writing the PDF download requires a paid subscription — the free plan only offers a plain-text (.txt) download.
Can I move my Zety resume to Folium?
Yes. Zety’s free plan lets you download your resume as a .txt file: paste that text into Folium (Import → paste text) and the AI rebuilds it into editable sections, no account needed. If you have it as a PDF, upload that instead.
What's the catch?
Folium runs almost entirely in your browser, so it costs very little to operate — the free tools stay genuinely free. The AI tools just need a free account: a 300-action pool to use anytime over 30 days, no daily cap and no paid tier required.