A free Zety alternative — no sign-up, no download paywall

Q: Is Folium really 100% free?

Yes. All 30 templates, the live preview, 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.

Q: Do I need to create an account?

Not to build and download your resume — that part has no sign-up at all, and it's saved in your own browser (export it as a small JSON file to back it up or move it between devices). A free account is only needed for the AI tools or to sync your résumés across devices.

Q: Is Zety free?

You can build a resume on Zety for free, but at the time of writing downloading it as a PDF requires a paid subscription; the free plan only offers a plain-text (.txt) download.

Q: Can I move my Zety resume to Folium?

Yes. If you have your resume as a PDF, use Folium's 'Import PDF' feature: it reads the text and rebuilds your resume in the editor automatically using AI. You can also paste your content manually — the editor guides you section by section.

Updated July 2026

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.

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 only	Their servers (account)
Import an existing PDF with AI	Yes, free account (300/30 days)	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	English · Spanish · Portuguese · French · German · Russian · Turkish · Arabic · Hindi · Indonesian	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.
AI import: drop in your existing PDF (from Zety or anywhere else) and the editor fills itself (free account, part of a 300-action pool every 30 days).
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.

Moving from Zety in three steps

1. Get your resume as a PDF (or have your content at hand).
2. Open the Folium editor and click Import PDF — sign in free and the AI rebuilds your sections automatically.
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 — free

Frequently 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. If you have it as a PDF, use Import PDF (free account) and the AI rebuilds it in the editor. Otherwise, pasting your content section by section takes a few minutes with no account at all.

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.