JobSprout vs Kickresume: Which Resume Builder is Right for You in 2026?

Kickresume has been around since 2015 and has helped over 8 million job seekers create CVs and cover letters. It's a well-established player in the resume builder space, with a strong reputation for templates and ease of use.

But is it the right choice for you in 2026? Or would JobSprout, a newer platform with a different approach to AI-assisted writing, better fit your needs?

This is a direct, honest comparison. We'll cover pricing, features, AI capabilities, and real user feedback so you can make an informed decision.

Full disclosure: We built JobSprout, so we believe in our product. But we're committed to being fair. Kickresume has genuine strengths we'll acknowledge, and we'll be upfront about where they might be the better choice.

Quick Comparison Table

Pricing: The Real Costs

Let's start with what matters most to many job seekers: price.

JobSprout Pricing

• Free: 100 AI credits (one-time), 1 CV, 1 cover letter, 10 AI assistant messages/day, unlimited PDF downloads
• Pro Weekly: $6/week
• Pro Monthly: $12/month
• Pro Annual: $72/year ($6/month, 50% savings)
• Lifetime: $99 (one-time payment)

Kickresume Pricing

According to Kickresume's official pricing page:

• Free: 4 resume templates, 4 cover letter templates, 1 website template, limited customisation
• Premium Monthly: $24/month
• Premium Quarterly: $54/quarter ($18/month)
• Premium Yearly: $96/year ($8/month)

Note: Kickresume offers free Premium access to students and teachers who can verify their status through ISIC, ITIC, or UNiDAYS.

The Pricing Verdict

The comparison depends on how you plan to pay:

• Weekly: $6/week (JobSprout) vs None (Kickresume)
• Monthly: $12 (JobSprout) vs $24 (Kickresume)
• Annual: $6/month (JobSprout) vs $8/month (Kickresume) - JobSprout cheaper
• Lifetime: Only JobSprout offers this option ($99)

If you want month-to-month flexibility, JobSprout saves you money. If you're committing to a full year, Kickresume's annual plan is comparable. If you want to pay once and never think about it again, JobSprout's lifetime option is the only choice.

Student/teacher? Kickresume's free Premium offer makes it hard to beat. If you qualify, it's worth checking out before paying anything.

Free Plan Comparison: What You Actually Get

Both platforms offer free plans, but they work differently.

JobSprout Free Plan

• CVs: 1 CV
• Cover Letters: 1 cover letter with full AI features
• AI Credits: 100 one-time credits for AI writing
• AI Assistant: 10 messages per day
• Downloads: Unlimited PDF downloads
• Templates: Basic template (Pro templates require upgrade)

Kickresume Free Plan

According to Kickresume's pricing page:

• Resume Templates: 4 basic templates
• Cover Letter Templates: 4 matching templates
• Website Templates: 1 template
• Fonts: 2 fonts only
• Icons: 6 basic icons
• Pre-written Phrases: 20,000 phrases to choose from
• Resume Examples: 1,500+ samples to reference
• Downloads: Unlimited
• AI Writer: Not included (premium only)
• ATS Checker: Not included (premium only)

The Free Plan Verdict

It depends on what you value:

Choose JobSprout's free plan if:

• You want AI-powered writing assistance
• You need AI help with cover letters
• You prefer a conversational AI assistant
• You only need one template but want unlimited AI support

Choose Kickresume's free plan if:

• You want more template variety upfront (4 vs 1)
• You're comfortable writing content yourself
• You want matching CV and cover letter designs
• You need a simple personal website

The key difference is AI access. JobSprout gives you genuine AI writing assistance on the free plan. Kickresume's free plan focuses on templates and pre-written phrases rather than AI generation.

AI Features: Different Approaches

Both platforms use AI, but they've built very different systems.

Kickresume's AI Approach

Kickresume uses what they call a "GPT-4.1-powered" AI Resume Builder. Here's how it works:

1. Full Resume Generation: Enter your job title and basic info, and the AI generates a complete resume
2. Section-by-Section Writing: AI can write individual sections like work experience or skills
3. Pre-written Phrases: 20,000+ professionally written phrases to choose from
4. AI Rewriter: Take existing content and have AI polish it
5. Resume Translation: Translate resumes into 8 languages

According to Kickresume's AI page, their AI is "fine-tuned specifically for resume writing" and "trained on thousands of successful resumes, job ads, and recruiter feedback."

What reviewers say:

Looking at Trustpilot reviews and third-party analysis from Teal, the feedback is mixed:

• "The AI Resume Builder creates polished, professional resumes in minutes"
• "AI needs quite a bit of improvement"
• "GPT is far better" (suggesting users prefer using ChatGPT directly)
• "AI writer does not customize to job descriptions"

The consensus: Kickresume's AI is good for generating first drafts and providing phrase suggestions, but it doesn't deeply personalise content to specific job postings.

JobSprout's AI Approach

JobSprout takes a different approach with three integrated AI tools:

1. AI Assistant: A conversational chat that understands your work history and target role. Ask questions like "help me quantify my achievements" or "what skills should I highlight for a product manager role?"

2. AI Writer: Select any text in your CV or cover letter and give it instructions: "make this more confident," "shorten this," "add a specific metric." The AI edits inline, keeping your voice while improving the content.

3. Deep Research: For cover letters, JobSprout researches the target company and role, pulling in recent news, company values, and specific talking points that make your letter genuinely personalised.

The key difference: JobSprout's AI understands context. It knows your background and the role you're targeting, so suggestions aren't generic. Kickresume's AI generates content based on job titles and templates, which is faster but less personalised.

Templates and Design

Kickresume Templates

Kickresume is known for its template variety:

• 40+ resume templates (premium)
• 40+ cover letter templates that match resume designs
• 7 personal website templates (premium)
• 26 fonts (premium, 2 on free)
• 300+ custom icons (premium, 6 on free)
• Unlimited colour combinations

According to Kickresume, their templates are "designed by a team of experienced recruiters and typographers" and are ATS-friendly.

What reviewers say:

• "The templates are absolutely stunning"
• "Found the resume templates library limiting"
• "Many people commented on the underwhelming ways they could edit the templates"
• "Difficulty in modifying the layout of different resume sections"

The pattern in reviews: templates look professional, but customisation options can feel restrictive. If a template doesn't quite fit your content, adjusting spacing or section sizes can be frustrating.

JobSprout Templates

JobSprout takes a different approach:

• Professional templates powered by Typst typesetting
• ATS-friendly by default: clean formatting without complex layouts
• Perfect spacing: Typst handles typography professionally, preventing awkward line breaks
• Matching cover letters: designs that complement your CV

JobSprout has fewer templates than Kickresume, but focuses on typographic quality over quantity. Templates are designed to look polished regardless of content length.

The Templates Verdict

Choose Kickresume if:

• You want maximum design variety
• Visual customisation (colours, fonts, icons) is important to you
• You want matching personal website templates

Choose JobSprout if:

• You prioritise typographic quality over variety
• You want templates that handle any content length gracefully
• You prefer clean, professional layouts that pass ATS systems reliably

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Features

Kickresume's ATS Checker

Kickresume offers a dedicated ATS Resume Checker (premium only) that:

• Simulates an ATS scan
• Provides a numerical ATS score
• Runs 20+ different checks
• Compares your resume to successful resumes in their database
• Suggests improvements for better ATS compatibility

This is a standalone tool you can use after building your resume.

JobSprout's ATS Approach

JobSprout doesn't have a separate ATS checker, but takes a preventive approach:

• ATS-friendly templates by design: Clean HTML structure, standard headings, no complex formatting
• Typst typesetting: Professional output that's easily parsed by ATS systems
• AI guidance: The AI assistant can help you include relevant keywords naturally

The ATS Verdict

Choose Kickresume if: You want a dedicated tool that scores your resume and tells you exactly what to fix for ATS compatibility.

Choose JobSprout if: You prefer templates designed from the ground up to be ATS-friendly, without needing to check separately.

Both approaches work. Kickresume's is more diagnostic (telling you what's wrong after), while JobSprout's is more preventive (building it right from the start).

Additional Features

Kickresume Extras

• Mobile App: iOS and Android apps for editing on the go
• Website Builder: Turn your CV into a personal website
• Career Map: AI tool that suggests career paths based on your skills
• AI Interview Prep: Generate potential interview questions
• AI Resignation Letter: Help writing professional resignation letters
• Grammar Correction Service: Human proofreading for $28/resume

JobSprout Extras

• Deep Research: AI researches target companies for personalised cover letters
• Inline AI Editing: Edit any text with natural language instructions
• Chat-based Assistant: Ask career questions, get personalised advice
• Custom CV Sections: Create sections that match your career (Pro only)
• AI Role Tailoring: Adjust your CV for specific job applications (Pro only)

The Extras Verdict

Kickresume has more breadth: mobile apps, website builder, interview prep, resignation letters. It's a fuller career toolkit.

JobSprout has more depth in AI: The AI assistant, inline editing, and Deep Research are more sophisticated than Kickresume's phrase suggestions.

User Reviews and Reputation

Kickresume Reviews

• Trustpilot: 4.6/5 stars from 3,356 reviews
• Google Play: 4.7/5
• App Store: 4.6/5
• Chrome Web Store: 5/5 (from 11 reviews for their browser extension)

Common praise:

• Easy to use, intuitive interface
• Professional-looking templates
• Quick to create a resume
• Good for people who don't enjoy writing

Common criticisms:

• Template editing options feel limiting
• AI isn't as personalised as expected
• Premium features feel overpriced
• Customer support can be slow

According to Teal's analysis: "Only 73 percent of Kickresume's reviews have a 5-star rating, showing that a decent portion of customers experienced hiccups."

JobSprout Reviews

JobSprout is newer and has fewer reviews overall. Users appreciate the AI assistant's conversational approach and the quality of Typst-powered templates, but the platform is still building its reputation.

The Reviews Verdict

Kickresume has the track record: 8+ million users, thousands of reviews, established reputation.

JobSprout is newer but focused: Fewer users, but the AI-first approach appeals to those who want more than template filling.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Kickresume If:

• You're a student or teacher: Free Premium access is hard to beat
• You want mobile apps: Kickresume's iOS/Android apps let you edit anywhere
• Template variety matters: 40+ designs give you options
• You want a personal website: One-click website from your CV is convenient
• You prefer pre-written content: 20,000 phrases help if you don't like writing from scratch
• You want an established platform: 8+ million users, proven track record

Choose JobSprout If:

• AI writing assistance is important: More sophisticated AI with context awareness
• You want conversational help: Ask the AI assistant questions, get personalised answers
• Cover letter personalisation matters: Deep Research creates genuinely tailored letters
• You prefer one-time payment: Lifetime option ($99) isn't available from Kickresume
• You want month-to-month flexibility: $12/month is half Kickresume's monthly price
• Typography quality is important: Typst produces professional-grade documents

Choose Either If:

• You need basic CV creation: Both handle this well
• You want ATS-friendly output: Both prioritise ATS compatibility
• You need unlimited downloads: Both free plans allow this

The Bottom Line

Kickresume is a mature, well-rounded resume builder with excellent templates, a mobile app, and extras like website building and interview prep. Its AI generates content quickly based on job titles and templates. It's best for users who want variety, established reputation, and a full career toolkit.

JobSprout is built around AI-first principles. The AI assistant understands your background, the inline writer lets you edit naturally, and Deep Research creates genuinely personalised cover letters. It's best for users who want smarter AI, flexible pricing, and typography-quality output.

If you're price-sensitive and want AI help: JobSprout's free plan gives you more AI access. Kickresume's free plan focuses on templates.

If you're a student: Check Kickresume's free Premium offer first.

If you want lifetime access: JobSprout is your only option at $99.

If mobile editing matters: Kickresume's apps make this easy.

Both are legitimate tools that have helped job seekers land roles. The right choice depends on whether you value template variety and a full toolkit (Kickresume) or AI sophistication and flexible pricing (JobSprout).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kickresume worth it?

For students and teachers, absolutely. Free Premium access is excellent value. For paying users, it depends on whether you value template variety and mobile apps over AI sophistication. At $8/month annually, it's reasonably priced for what you get.

Is JobSprout better than Kickresume?

For AI-powered writing assistance, yes. JobSprout's conversational AI and Deep Research are more sophisticated than Kickresume's phrase-based approach. For template variety and mobile access, Kickresume has the edge.

Can I use Kickresume for free?

Yes. The free plan includes 4 templates, unlimited downloads, and pre-written phrases. However, AI writing and ATS checking require Premium.

Does Kickresume have a lifetime plan?

No. Kickresume offers monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscriptions only. JobSprout offers a $99 lifetime option.

Which is better for cover letters?

JobSprout's Deep Research creates more personalised cover letters by researching your target company. Kickresume's cover letter builder is template-based, which is faster but less tailored.

Is Kickresume ATS-friendly?

Yes. Kickresume's templates are designed to be ATS-compatible, and Premium users get access to a dedicated ATS checker that scores resumes and suggests improvements.

How does Kickresume's AI compare to ChatGPT?

According to user reviews, some feel that using ChatGPT directly produces better results. Kickresume's AI is convenient (built into the platform) but may not match the flexibility of using a general-purpose AI tool.

Can I import my LinkedIn profile to Kickresume?

Yes. Kickresume supports LinkedIn import, though some users report that once imported, the data is difficult to modify or remove.

Try Both and Decide

The best way to choose is to try both free plans. Create a sample CV on each platform and see which interface, templates, and AI approach feel right for your workflow.

Try JobSprout Free - AI-powered CV and cover letter builder with Deep Research

Try Kickresume Free - Template-rich builder with 8+ million users