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

Q: Is Folium really 100% free?

Yes. All 15 templates, the live preview, every customization option and the PDF download are free. There is no premium tier, no trial and no watermark.

Q: Do I need to create an account?

No. Folium has no sign-up at all. Your resume is saved in your own browser and you can export it as a small JSON file to back it up or move it between 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.

Q: What's the catch? How does Folium make money?

There is no catch. Folium runs entirely in your browser and costs almost nothing to operate, so it does not need to charge, show ads or sell data. Your resume never touches our servers.

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 13 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 — none at all	Yes
Templates	15, 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	No
Tailor your resume to a job posting (AI)	Yes, free	Varies by plan
AI cover letter	Yes, free	With paid plan
Interface languages	English · Spanish · Portuguese	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

15 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. There is no server storing your resume.
AI import: drop in your existing PDF (from Zety or anywhere else) and the editor fills itself.
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.
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 — the AI rebuilds your sections automatically.
3. Pick a template, adjust colors, and download your PDF. Done — no card, no account.

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

15 templates · live preview · PDF without paywall · no sign-up

Create my CV — free

Frequently asked questions

Is Folium really 100% free?

Yes. All 15 templates, every customization option and the PDF download are free. No premium tier, no trial, no watermark.

Do I need to create an account?

No. There is no sign-up. Your resume is 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.

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 and the AI rebuilds it in the editor. Otherwise, pasting your content section by section takes a few minutes.

What's the catch?

No catch. Folium runs entirely in your browser and costs almost nothing to operate, so it does not need to charge, show ads or sell data.