Best AI Resume Builders 2026 Part 2: Resume.io vs Canva vs Teal vs Jobscan vs JobSprout

In Part 1 of our comparison, we covered JobSprout, Rezi, Kickresume, Zety, Enhancv, and Novoresume. But the CV builder landscape is bigger than that.

This is Part 2: a detailed look at Resume.io, Canva, Teal, Jobscan, and how they compare to JobSprout. Each serves a different purpose: multilingual support, design freedom, job tracking, ATS optimization, and AI-powered document creation.

Same rules as Part 1: no marketing fluff. Just the facts that matter when you're trying to land your next job.

The Complete Comparison

Here's everything you need to know in one table:

What Actually Matters: Key Takeaways

1. Pricing Reality Check

Most Affordable:

• JobSprout at $12/month (or $72/year, $99 lifetime)
• Canva Pro at $12.99/month ($119.99/year)

Mid-Range:

• Resume.io at $29.95/month (or $49.95/quarter)
• Teal at $29/month (or $79/quarter)

Premium:

• Jobscan at $49.95/month ($89.95/quarter)

Lifetime Options: Only JobSprout offers a lifetime option at $99. Everyone else requires ongoing subscriptions.

2. Free Plan Reality

Genuinely Usable Free Plans:

• JobSprout: 100 AI credits, 1 CV, 1 cover letter, unlimited PDF downloads, no watermark
• Canva: Unlimited designs, unlimited downloads (premium elements watermarked)
• Teal: Unlimited resume creation, job tracking, 10 templates, limited AI credits

Restrictive Free Plans:

• Resume.io: Only Vancouver template for PDF, TXT downloads otherwise (essentially a demo)
• Jobscan: 5 scans on signup + 5 monthly (taster, not a real plan)

3. AI Writing: Who Does It Best?

Context-Aware AI (understands your full situation):

• JobSprout: AI Assistant knows your CV, work history, and target role. Ask it anything: "Make this more confident," "Tailor for startups." Plus inline AI Writer for surgical edits at word/phrase/section level. Deep Research pulls real company info for cover letters.

Keyword-Focused AI (optimizes for job descriptions):

• Teal: Bullet generation, summary generation, keyword matching. Limited credits on free.
• Jobscan: Tells you what keywords to add, not how to write compellingly.

Basic/No AI:

• Resume.io: Pre-written phrases and suggestions. No conversational AI.
• Canva: Generic Magic Write. Not trained for resumes.

4. The Typesetting Difference

Only JobSprout uses professional typesetting (Typst):

• Mathematical precision in spacing and layout
• Perfect kerning and line spacing
• Print-quality PDFs
• The visual quality of LaTeX without the learning curve

Everyone else uses HTML/CSS or canvas-based rendering, which works but doesn't achieve the same professional quality.

5. ATS Compatibility

ATS-First Design:

• JobSprout: Templates designed to pass ATS from the start
• Teal: Basic keyword matching, ATS-friendly templates

ATS Scanning (check after you build):

• Jobscan: Best-in-class scanning, match scores, keyword analysis

ATS Risk:

• Canva: Beautiful templates, but many won't parse correctly
• Resume.io: Templates are generally safe, but no verification tools

JobSprout: The AI-Powered Option

What it is: An AI-powered CV and cover letter builder with professional typesetting.

Pricing

What Makes JobSprout Different

1. Context-Aware AI Assistant: Unlike keyword-matching tools, JobSprout's AI knows your entire background. Ask it to tailor your summary for a specific company, check grammar across your document, or make a section more confident. No re-explaining your situation every time.

2. AI Writer (Inline Editing): Select any text from a single word to entire sections. Choose tone, length, and style. You stay in control of your narrative.

3. Deep Research (Pro): For cover letters, AI researches the company: recent news, products, culture. Creates genuinely personalized content, not templates with names swapped.

4. Professional Typesetting (Typst): Documents look professionally typeset, not like web pages saved as PDFs. In competitive hiring, visual quality signals attention to detail.

5. No Download Hostage-Taking: Unlimited free PDF downloads. No watermarks. No "build free, pay to download" tricks.

Strengths

• Lowest monthly price ($12) with lifetime option ($99)
• Context-aware AI that understands your full situation
• Professional Typst typesetting
• Genuinely usable free tier
• Deep Research for personalized cover letters

Weaknesses

• No job tracking (use spreadsheet or Teal's free tracker)
• No LinkedIn optimization
• English-focused (no multilingual support)
• Template library is growing but smaller than established players

Who Should Choose JobSprout?

Choose if:

• You want AI that understands context, not just keywords
• Professional typesetting matters to you
• Budget is a concern ($12/month or $99 lifetime beats everyone)
• You hate paywalls and want unlimited free downloads
• Deep Research for cover letters appeals to you

Skip if:

• You need multilingual support (Resume.io is better)
• You need job tracking built in (Teal is better)
• You need maximum creative design freedom (Canva is better)

Resume.io: The International Option

Founded: 2013 (originally CVster.nl) Users: 58+ million resumes created Daily signups: 25,000+

Pricing

The trial trap: Resume.io's $2.95 trial is the most common source of complaints in their reviews. It auto-renews to $29.95/month after 7 days. Set a reminder if you try it.

Strengths

1. Multilingual support: 20 languages with localized content and examples. Unmatched for international job seekers.
2. Established platform: 58+ million resumes means they've seen every use case.
3. Step-by-step guidance: Good for first-time users who need hand-holding.
4. Pre-written phrases: AI suggests content as you write.

Weaknesses

1. Trial trap pricing: $2.95 auto-renews to $29.95. Trustpilot reviews are full of billing complaints.
2. Restrictive free plan: Vancouver-only PDF downloads make the free tier essentially a demo.
3. Limited design flexibility: Templates suit traditional roles but lack options for creative fields.
4. No lifetime option: Ongoing subscription required.
5. More expensive than JobSprout: $29.95/month vs $12/month.

Who Should Choose Resume.io?

Choose if:

• You need to create resumes in languages other than English
• You're applying to international roles
• You want localized content for specific countries

Skip if:

• You want a genuinely usable free plan (JobSprout is better)
• You're budget-conscious (JobSprout is cheaper)
• You're applying primarily in English
• You've been burned by auto-renewal subscriptions before

Trustpilot Rating: 4.3/5 (55,000+ reviews)

Canva: The Design Powerhouse

Founded: 2012 Users: 170+ million monthly active users Purpose: General design platform (resumes are one of thousands of use cases)

Pricing

Note: Canva Pro gives you access to the entire Canva platform, not just resume tools.

Strengths

1. Unmatched design flexibility: Complete control over layout, fonts, colors, graphics.
2. Massive template library: Thousands of resume templates across every style.
3. Free downloads: Unlike most competitors, Canva lets you download unlimited PDFs for free.
4. Creative fields: Graphic designers, marketers, and creatives can showcase design skills.

Weaknesses

1. ATS compatibility is uncertain: Many beautiful templates may never reach a human because ATS can't parse them.
2. Not resume-focused: No resume-specific AI, no ATS checking, no keyword analysis.
3. No cover letter AI: You're designing, not writing with assistance.
4. No Word export: Some applications require .docx format.
5. No professional typesetting: Canvas-based rendering vs JobSprout's Typst.

Who Should Choose Canva?

Choose if:

• You're in a creative field where design skills matter
• You know your resume will be reviewed by humans (direct applications, networking)
• You're applying to startups or small companies without sophisticated ATS
• You already pay for Canva Pro
• You want maximum creative control

Skip if:

• ATS compatibility is important (JobSprout or Teal are better)
• You want resume-specific AI assistance (JobSprout is better)
• You need help with what to write, not just how it looks

Design vs. Content Warning

A beautiful resume that ATS rejects is worse than a simple resume that gets through. Consider having two versions: a Canva design for direct applications and an ATS-friendly version (JobSprout) for online applications.

Teal: The Career Management Platform

Founded: 2020 Users: 4+ million Purpose: All-in-one job search platform (resume + tracking + insights)

Pricing

Both Teal and JobSprout offer weekly billing: JobSprout at $6/week vs Teal's $13/week. Useful for short sprints.

Strengths

1. Best job tracking: Chrome extension saves jobs from LinkedIn, Indeed, company pages. Kanban board tracks applications.
2. Generous free tier: Unlimited resume creation and job tracking without paying.
3. Interview practice: Built-in AI interview prep is unusual and valuable.
4. Flexible pricing: Weekly option for short-term needs.
5. Resume matching: See how your resume aligns with specific job descriptions.

Weaknesses

1. AI is credit-limited on free: 10 bullet credits, 2 summaries, 2 cover letters. You'll hit limits quickly.
2. Higher pricing than JobSprout: $29/month vs $12/month.
3. No lifetime option: Ongoing subscription only.
4. Templates are basic: Designed for ATS, not visual appeal.
5. No professional typesetting: HTML/CSS vs JobSprout's Typst.
6. No context-aware AI: Keyword matching, not conversational assistance.

Who Should Choose Teal?

Choose if:

• You're applying to many jobs and need to track them
• You want resume building + job tracking in one tool
• Interview practice appeals to you
• You need short-term premium access (weekly billing)

Skip if:

• You just need a resume builder (JobSprout is simpler and cheaper)
• Budget is tight ($29/month vs JobSprout's $12/month)
• You want context-aware AI, not just keyword matching (JobSprout is better)
• You prefer managing applications in a spreadsheet

Jobscan: The ATS Specialist

Founded: 2014 Users: 1+ million Purpose: Resume optimization for ATS (scanning first, building second)

Pricing

Jobscan is the most expensive option here.

Strengths

1. Best ATS scanning: No one else offers this level of keyword analysis and match scoring.
2. LinkedIn optimization: Unique feature for passive job seekers.
3. Detailed feedback: Exact keywords missing, not just general advice.
4. Confidence boost: Seeing an 80%+ match score before applying feels good.

Weaknesses

1. Expensive: $49.95/month is 4x JobSprout's price.
2. Resume building is secondary: The builder exists but isn't the focus.
3. No context-aware AI: Tells you what keywords to add, not how to write compellingly.
4. Keyword suggestions can lack nuance: Sometimes the "missing keywords" aren't relevant to your actual experience.
5. No lifetime option: Ongoing subscription required.
6. No professional typesetting: HTML/CSS vs JobSprout's Typst.

Who Should Choose Jobscan?

Choose if:

• ATS optimization is your primary concern
• You have an existing resume and want to optimize it
• LinkedIn optimization matters for your job search
• You want exact match scores before applying

Skip if:

• You need to create a resume from scratch (JobSprout is better)
• Budget is a concern ($49.95/month is 4x JobSprout's price)
• You want help writing content, not just adding keywords (JobSprout's AI is better)
• You're in creative fields where ATS matters less

Head-to-Head Pricing Comparison

JobSprout is the most affordable across every duration, with the added benefit of being the only platform offering lifetime access.

Feature-by-Feature Summary

The Bottom Line

Best Overall Value: JobSprout offers professional typesetting, context-aware AI, Deep Research for cover letters, and unlimited free downloads at $12/month or $99 lifetime. The only platform with professional Typst typesetting and a lifetime option.

Best for International Users: Resume.io offers 20 languages and localized content. No one else comes close for multilingual support.

Best for Creative Freedom: Canva gives you complete design control. Just be aware of ATS limitations for corporate applications.

Best for Job Search Management: Teal combines resume building with the best job tracker in the industry. Great for organized, high-volume job searches.

Best for ATS Obsessives: Jobscan's scanning technology is unmatched. If you want exact match scores and missing keywords, this is the tool.

Best Free Plan: JobSprout (100 AI credits, unlimited downloads, no watermark) and Canva (unlimited designs, unlimited downloads) are both genuinely usable. Teal is good for job tracking. Avoid Resume.io and Jobscan if you want real free functionality.

Using Multiple Tools Together

Some job seekers combine tools strategically:

1. Create in JobSprout (AI assistance, professional typesetting)
2. Scan in Jobscan (verify keyword coverage for specific roles)
3. Track in Teal (manage applications with Chrome extension)
4. Design version in Canva (for creative roles or direct applications)

This gives you the best of each platform. Use free tiers where possible: JobSprout for creation, Teal for tracking, Jobscan's limited free scans for verification.

Try JobSprout

If context-aware AI, professional typesetting, and affordable pricing sound right for your job search, give JobSprout a try.

Create your CV and cover letter for free. Unlimited downloads. No credit card required. No auto-renewal surprises.

Last Updated: January 2026 Information accurate as of: January 2026

Pricing and features are subject to change. Always verify current details on each platform's website.

Sources:

• Resume.io Pricing
• Canva Pro Pricing
• Teal Pricing
• Jobscan Pricing