A free Teal HQ alternative — more templates, AI that doesn't run out
Teal's free plan is one of the more generous ones for job tracking — unlimited saved jobs and a genuinely handy Chrome extension. The catch, at the time of writing, is the AI: résumé generation and job-match scoring are capped at 10 credits total, not renewing, and picking up Teal+ afterward means a weekly subscription with no annual option. Folium's AI tools reset every day instead of running out for good, and its 30 templates are all free from the start.
Open the free editor → 30 seconds to your first preview. Nothing to install.
Why people look for a Teal alternative
To be fair, Teal's free tier isn't a bait-and-switch — unlimited job tracking and its browser extension are real, ongoing value with no card required. Where it gets tight is the AI: once your 10 free credits are spent, continuing needs Teal+, billed weekly (around $13/week at the time of writing) rather than monthly or annually — which is easy to forget you're paying for, and adds up to hundreds of dollars a year if left running through a long job search. Folium's free account renews its AI quota daily instead of spending down a fixed pool.
Folium vs. Teal at a glance
| Feature | Folium | Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Templates | 30, all included | 10 on the free plan |
| Number of résumés | Unlimited, free | Unlimited, free |
| AI tools | 3/day, every day (free account) | 10 credits total, then paid |
| Tailor your résumé to a job posting (AI) | Yes, free account (3/day) | Counts against the 10-credit pool |
| Job-application tracking | Yes, via the Folium browser extension | Yes, core feature |
| Account required | No — only for AI tools or sync | Yes |
| Paid plan billing | $5/year (optional) | Weekly, no annual option |
Comparison based on publicly available information, August 2026. Teal is a trademark of its respective owner; Folium is not affiliated with Teal.
What you get with Folium
- 30 professional templates, all included, no plan tiers.
- Pixel-perfect PDF with real selectable text (what ATS filters need), unlimited downloads, no watermark.
- Privacy by design: everything runs in your browser unless you choose to sync.
- AI that renews daily: 3 AI actions a day on a free account (20/day with Premium) — not a pool that runs out for good.
- Tailor to each job: paste the posting to see your ATS match score and get a tailored copy plus an editable cover letter.
- Job tracking: Folium's browser extension saves postings and tracks applications as you browse.
Moving from Teal in three steps
- 1. Get your résumé 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. (Or paste your content by hand with no account at all.)
- 3. Pick a template, adjust colors, and download your PDF. Done — no card required.
When Teal might still be your pick
If job-application tracking is your main need and you only expect to use AI features occasionally, Teal's free plan can genuinely cover you. If you'd rather have your AI quota renew every day instead of spending down a fixed pool, plus 30 templates and a private-by-default PDF — that's exactly what Folium does.
Your résumé, free in minutes
30 templates · live preview · PDF without paywall · no sign-up
Create my CV — freeFrequently asked questions
Is Teal HQ free?
Teal's free plan is genuinely useful for job tracking — unlimited saved jobs, a Chrome extension, and 10 résumé templates — but its AI features are capped at 10 credits total, not per day. Once they're gone, Teal+ is billed weekly, with no annual option.
Is Folium really free?
Yes. All 30 templates, the live preview and the PDF download are free, with no account and no watermark. A free account adds AI tools (3 actions a day, renewing daily) and résumé sync; an optional $5/year Premium raises that to 20 AI actions a day and a full-resolution photo.
Do I need to create an account?
Not to build and download your résumé — that part has no sign-up at all. A free account is only needed for the AI tools or to sync between devices.
Can I move my Teal résumé to Folium?
Yes. Export it as a PDF and use Import PDF — AI reads the text and rebuilds it in the editor automatically (needs a free account).
What's the catch?
Folium runs almost entirely in your browser, so it costs very little to operate — the free tools stay genuinely free, and the AI quota renews every day. The AI tools need a free account and are capped at 3 uses a day; an optional $5/year Premium plan raises that to 20 a day and adds a full-resolution photo.