The 4 best resume builder apps for Mac in 2024
Building a resume is personal. One of the reasons there are so many competing resume maker apps is none of them feel "just right" or work for everyone.
Mac users are particular about the software they use. It's why they're prepared to pay a premium for a Mac. Software on a Mac looks and feels a certain way, and that usually stays consistent between different apps.
The problem then, is apps that aren't designed specifically for macOS can just feel wrong. Menus, notifications, and keyboard shortcuts don't work as expected. It doesn't matter how popular the app is on Windows, if it doesn't respect macOS conventions, it'll disrupt people's workflows.
I've been a Mac user, recruiter, and software engineer. I've thought about all these factors while I tested every Mac resume builder app I could find. Here are the best resume maker apps for macOS.
The best resume builder apps for Mac
CV Engineer for a blend of powerful features with clean design
CV Maker - Resume Builder for simple UX and resume templates with multiple columns
Professional Resume Builder for creating and saving multiple different resumes
CV Master for resume templates with a large profile picture
What makes the best resume builder app for Mac?
Our best apps roundups are written by people who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about recruitment software. We spend hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it was meant to be used and evaluating it against our recruitment software criteria.
There's a huge range of Mac resume builder apps, all looking to serve different kinds of users. Some are simple forms which output a PDF resume, while others use advanced AI to help rewrite your resume to sound more professional. Which one you prefer will boil down to personal taste but, in my opinion, the best Mac resume builder apps need to do the following:
Offer a native macOS experience. This includes supporting native macOS features like widgets and notifications, but also extends to the general feel of the app.
Make it fast to add and update your career info. Ideally with plenty of keyboard shortcuts and similar features.
Format your career info into a professional resume document. You want the app to output a beautifully formatted, easy-to-read resume.
Advice and examples. Writing a resume can be a daunting task. You want advice to guide you through the process and examples to give you ideas on what to write.
All of the apps in this article offer a free trial in some form, so try out any that look useful to you. Some apps are great for ease of use while others offer extensive formatting options.
Best resume builder for Mac with a blend of powerful features and clean design
CV Engineer
CV Engineer pros:
Manages to feel light and minimalist while still packing in the resume creation features
Built by a former recruitment consultant who knows what hiring managers look for
Advice and examples to guide you through the resume writing process
Available in 10 languages including English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish
CV Engineer cons:
No web version
Resume builder apps usually fall into one of two categories: the complex and the minimalist. CV Engineer is somehow both.
Open CV Engineer for Mac, and it looks simple. You have one screen per resume section to input your details. Dig a little deeper however, and there are advanced tools here too. There's an AI Assistant which helps rewrite each section of your resume to sound more professional. It also corrects spelling and grammar. A Resume Scan tool checks your resume for common mistakes that could lead to your application being auto-rejected by Applicant Tracking Systems.
Other applications offer features like this, but CV Engineer manages to do so without feeling cluttered. And as a native application with no Windows or web equivalent, CV Engineer feels at home on macOS.
The key selling point though, is the advice and examples for each resume section. These were written by a professional recruitment consultant, Matthew Callery, to help users standout to hiring managers.
Here's a guide on how to make a resume on Mac with CV Engineer.
CV Engineer price: You can use the macOS version for free to build your resume. They also offer a Pro version, which costs $6.99/month, that includes tools to help maximize your resume's success.
CV Engineer has been featured in multiple "Best resume builder" lists by sites including Wired, CNET, and Popular Science.
Best resume builder for Mac with multi-column resume templates
CV Maker - Resume Builder
CV Maker - Resume Builder pros:
2 column resume templates (see image above)
Huge selection of languages
CV Maker - Resume Builder cons:
UI feels dated
Premium templates will include a watermark on your resume unless you upgrade to their Premium offering
Some people prefer a 2 column resume template, as they feel it's the most effective way of fitting their career info onto 1 page. If you're one of those people, this app has a great template selection.
The app's UI is simple, meaning it doesn't take long to get up to speed. There are forms for each resume section, including Objective, Work Experience, and Education. Input your info and this app will format it into a multi-column resume in no time.
If you're the kind of Mac user who likes their software to be beautiful as well as functional, you may want to take a look at the other apps on the list. CV Maker - Resume Builder is in need of a design refresh!
Download CV Maker - Resume Builder
CV Maker - Resume Builder price: You can use this app for free but some premium templates will include a watermark unless you upgrade. The Premium package is priced at $12.99/month or $64.99 for lifetime access.
Best resume builder for Mac that always displays your resume as you're writing it
Professional Resume Builder
Professional Resume Builder pros:
View your resume template as you're inputting your career info. Handy if you're trying to limit your resume to 1/2 pages
Create and save more than 1 resume
Professional Resume Builder cons:
You can create your resume for free, but you can't download it for free. There's a one-time charge to unlock downloads (see pricing below)
Limited selection of resume templates
There are times when it's useful to have multiple different versions of your resume. For example, if you're a recent graduate applying for jobs in 2 different fields. If that's you, then Professional Resume Builder is worth checking out. You can create and save as many resumes as you want.
The other main selling point of this app is that you can always view your resume. It's ever present on the right-hand side of your screen. This allows you to keep an eye on the length and format of your resume as you're writing it. Useful if you're trying to limit your resume to 1 page (which some job adverts require).
There is an obvious downside however. While it's free to create as many resumes as you want, it's not free to download them. You have to pay a one-time fee to unlock downloads.
Download Professional Resume Builder
Professional Resume Builder price: There's a one-time $16.99 cost to unlock your resume once it's built.
Best resume builder for Mac that features templates with large profile pictures
CV Master
CV Master pros:
Resume templates all include a large profile picture
Options to change the formatting of your resume including background picture, colors, fonts, columns, and profile picture location
CV Master cons:
Resumes include a watermark unless you upgrade to their Premium plan
Free version includes adverts
In some countries and professions, it's normal to include a profile picture on your resume. If that's the case for yourself, then CV Master includes a range of templates with large profile pictures to show yourself off.
The other key advantage of CV Master is their formatting options. You can move the profile picture around the page. Fonts, colors, and even background pictures can be edited to create a resume that matches your personality and chosen profession.
One thing to watch out for is that while you can create your resume for free, it will include a watermark unless you upgrade to their Premium package.
CV Master prices: Premium offering costs $14.99/month.
Other options for a resume builder on Mac
I tried a load of different types of resume maker apps for this article, so here are a few more options for you to consider if you're not concerned about keeping your resume on a dedicated resume builder app:
Pages is Mac's native word processor app. It's not specifically designed to create resumes, but if you're confident in your design skills then it's a solid option.
Rezi is a popular web-based resume builder powered by AI. It doesn't have the native feel of a Mac app and it's pricey at $29/month. However, if you want a tool that you can use across both Mac and Windows devices, it's a good choice.
And of course, there's always the pen and paper option. Although it may look a touch old school.
Download CV Engineer for FREE
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