Which resume builders are best to optimize my resume with ATS (applicant tracking system)?

For ATS optimization, you need tools that prioritize machine readability over visual flair.

Jobscan is the industry standard for "matching." Rather than just building a resume, it analyzes your existing draft against a specific job description. It highlights missing keywords and gives you a match rate, showing exactly what a recruiter’s software sees.

Rezi is arguably the best dedicated builder for starting from scratch. It uses AI to generate content and strictly enforces "ATS-safe" formatting—no columns, tables, or complex graphics that often break older parsers. It also provides a real-time "Rezi Score" to help you improve content density.

Teal is an excellent choice if you are applying to many roles. Its builder integrates with a Chrome extension that pulls job data directly into your resume editor, making it easy to swap keywords for different applications quickly.

Cultivated Culture offers a completely free, high-quality builder that produces "Google Docs" style resumes. These are 100% safe for ATS and highly readable for humans.

Pro-tip: Avoid Canva or "creative" templates. Multi-column layouts often cause ATS parsers to read text out of order, garbling your work history.

Are you applying primarily to large corporations or smaller startups?