When comparing DashResume vs Kickresume, DashResume offers flat pricing, an ATS score that is free to use, and an AI Job Match feature that tailors your resume to a specific job posting. Kickresume has a larger template catalog, a built in personal website builder, and a more permanent free plan on their basic templates.
TL;DR: Kickresume is one of the more polished resume builders out there, with 40+ templates, GPT powered AI writing, and a genuinely usable free tier that gives you unlimited downloads on 4 basic templates. But its ATS Resume Checker and full AI tools sit behind a paid plan that starts at $19 per month or $84 per year. DashResume is a more focused alternative: fewer templates (16, all ATS safe by default), an explicit 0 to 100 ATS score you can run on the free plan, and an AI Job Match that compares your resume to a specific job posting. Paid plans start at $19 per month or $59 per year.
This page lays out how the two tools compare across pricing, templates, ATS features, and AI capabilities, along with the cases where each one is the better pick. We built DashResume because most of the resume tools on the market today, including Kickresume, either locked meaningful ATS feedback behind a paywall or shipped creative template designs that quietly failed ATS parsing. DashResume takes a narrower approach: a smaller template set where everything is designed to parse cleanly, and ATS feedback baked into the free plan rather than gated behind a subscription.
The short version
DashResume
Flat pricing at $19/month or $4.92/month billed yearly. ATS score is free to use on the free plan. AI Job Match tailors your resume to a specific job posting. 16 templates, all designed to be ATS safe. Best if you value job specific feedback and consistent ATS compatibility across every template.
Kickresume
40+ templates, GPT powered AI writing, and a personal website builder included. Paid plans start at $19/month or $7/month billed yearly. Free plan is permanent with unlimited downloads, but locks AI tools and the ATS Resume Checker behind a paid subscription. Best if you want design variety and extra features like a personal site.
Side by side at a glance
The table below covers the features most job seekers actually care about. You will find the detailed breakdown of each one further down the page.
| Feature | DashResume | Kickresume |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest monthly plan | $19 per month, flat | $19 per month |
| Cheapest yearly plan | $59 per year ($4.92/mo equivalent) | $84 per year ($7/mo equivalent) |
| Free plan template count | 1 template (ATS-friendly) | 4 basic templates (unlimited downloads) |
| Free PDF downloads | 1 included (unwatermarked) | ✓ Unlimited on free templates |
| Total templates (paid) | 16, all ATS focused | 40+, mix of ATS and creative |
| ATS safety across templates | ✓ Every template designed ATS-friendly | Mixed. Some design forward templates can fail parsing |
| ATS score on free plan | ✓ 5 ATS checks included | × ATS Resume Checker is paid only |
| AI job description matching | ✓ 30 AI Job Match analyses/month on paid plans | General AI writing, not job posting specific |
| AI content generation | Contextual writing prompts per section | ✓ Full GPT powered AI writer (paid) |
| Cover letter builder | ✓ Matching cover letters | ✓ Matching cover letters |
| Personal website builder | × Not included | ✓ Included on paid plans |
| Money back guarantee | 14 days on paid plans | 14 days on quarterly and yearly plans |
| Dedicated mobile app | Browser only | ✓ iOS and Android apps |
| Student discount | Not currently offered | ✓ Free via ISIC / ITIC / UNiDAYS |
Pricing, compared fairly
Unlike some builders in this space, Kickresume does not run a $2.95 trial that auto renews into a full subscription. Their pricing is straightforward: sign up free, pay if you want AI writing, premium templates, and the ATS Resume Checker. That makes the comparison tighter than some others. Here is how the two products line up when you compare the same commitment level on each side.
Yearly vs yearly
DashResume Yearly is $59 per year, which works out to $4.92 per month. Kickresume Yearly is $84 per year, which works out to $7 per month. We are $25 per year cheaper at the yearly tier, or about $2 per month less. Again, not a huge gap, but the yearly plan is where the difference adds up most visibly over a job search.
Free plan comparison
The free tiers tell two very different stories, and honestly, Kickresume’s is more generous in terms of pure download volume. Their free plan includes unlimited watermark free downloads on 4 basic templates, which for someone who just needs one clean resume and does not care about AI tools or ATS scoring is genuinely excellent value.
Our free plan is more limited on downloads (1 PDF included) but more useful on feedback. The ATS score is available on the free plan, which Kickresume gates behind a paid subscription. So the free plan choice comes down to: do you want unlimited downloads of a basic template (Kickresume), or do you want to see how your resume actually scores against ATS best practices before you commit (DashResume).
$59 /year
Equivalent to $4.92/month. 14 day money back guarantee.
- No free trial, no forced card entry
- ATS score available on free plan
- Unlimited resumes and cover letters
- 30 AI Job Match analyses per month
- Unlimited PDF downloads
- 7 day Week Pass available for $9
$84 /year
Equivalent to $7/month. 14 day money back guarantee.
- Unlimited downloads on free plan basic templates
- Full access to 40+ premium templates
- GPT powered AI resume writer
- ATS Resume Checker (20+ checks)
- Personal website builder included
- ATS checker gated behind paid plan
Feature by feature
1. Templates and design
This is an area where Kickresume has a clear lead in raw variety. Their catalog includes 40+ professionally designed templates covering corporate, creative, modern, and minimalist styles, plus 40+ matching cover letter designs and 7 personal website templates. The visual range is genuinely impressive, and their team includes professional typographers and recruiters who test for ATS compatibility.
That said, not every Kickresume template is equally ATS friendly. Some of their more design forward layouts can be less reliable for ATS parsing. Their own ATS checker flags the worst offenders, but the templates still ship in the catalog. If you pick a creative layout, you are trusting that their designer balanced aesthetics against parsing risk correctly.
DashResume takes the opposite approach: fewer templates (16), every one built and tested to parse cleanly through an ATS system. We have single column designs and a few two column layouts, but all of them follow structural conventions (standard section headings, clean typography, parse friendly hierarchy) that keep them ATS-friendly. You can switch between designs without losing content, and accent colors are independent of the layout. It is a smaller library, but there is no “creative” category where you have to guess whether it will parse cleanly.
2. ATS scoring and checking
Both products have ATS checkers, which is less common than you might expect in this space. The implementation is where they differ.
Kickresume’s ATS Resume Checker runs 20+ checks covering formatting, design, and content, scoring your resume on a 100 point scale with recommendations. It is a solid tool. The catch is that it lives behind the paid plan, so you cannot run it until you have committed to a subscription.
DashResume runs an explicit 0 to 100 ATS score across five weighted areas: Contact (10 points), Experience (30), Education (20), Skills (20), and Format (20). Each area gives specific feedback tied to fixable issues like thin bullet points, missing keywords, or formatting inconsistencies. The important difference is that 5 ATS checks are included on the free plan, so you can see your score before you decide whether to upgrade.
3. AI features
This is where the two tools are designed for different workflows. Both use AI, but they solve different problems.
Kickresume’s AI Resume Writer is powered by GPT and is focused on content generation from scratch: summaries, bullet points, cover letter drafts, and full first drafts based on your target role. If you are staring at a blank page, it writes the first version for you. It is generic in the sense that it does not know what specific job you are applying to.
DashResume’s AI Job Match is built around the opposite workflow. You paste a specific job description, and the tool compares it against your existing resume. What comes back is targeted: missing keywords, skill gaps, and phrasing you could adapt into your experience bullets. The paid plan includes 30 analyses per month, which is enough to genuinely tailor each application during an active job search. If you already have draft content and want to sharpen it for each posting, our workflow fits better. If you need a complete draft written for you, Kickresume’s AI does that job well.
4. Personal website builder
Kickresume includes a feature DashResume does not: a personal website builder with 7 templates on paid plans. It lets you publish your resume as a branded portfolio page with a custom URL, which is useful for creative fields, consulting, and anyone who wants to share a link rather than a PDF. If that matters to you, Kickresume is genuinely the better tool for it. We do not offer this today.
5. Export and file quality
Both products export clean, text based PDFs that are safe for ATS parsing. Kickresume also supports DOCX export and multiple formats across paid plans. DashResume currently exports PDF only. If you specifically need Word format for an employer’s application system, Kickresume has the edge.
6. Extras and integrations
Kickresume includes a few extras that add up: 20,000+ pre written phrases, 1,500+ real resume examples for reference, LinkedIn and PDF import on paid plans, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and multi language support. It is a more feature rich product overall.
DashResume is more focused: resume builder, cover letter builder, ATS score, AI Job Match, and resume import. Fewer features, but the ones we ship are tuned around the core problem of getting a tailored, ATS safe resume into a specific job application.
Where Kickresume is a better pick than DashResume
Fair is fair. Here are the cases where we think you should pick Kickresume over DashResume:
- Design variety. 40+ templates versus our 16, with a wider range of styles including creative and design forward options.
- Unlimited downloads on free plan. If you only need one basic resume and will not use AI tools or ATS scoring, Kickresume’s free plan is more generous than ours.
- AI content generation. If you are starting from a blank page, their GPT powered AI drafts full first versions. Ours is designed for tailoring existing content, not drafting from zero.
- Personal website builder. Nothing comparable on our side. If a portfolio site matters, Kickresume is the tool.
- Word (DOCX) export. Their paid plans support DOCX. We are PDF only right now.
- Mobile apps. Their iOS and Android apps work well. DashResume runs in a browser on mobile.
- Students and teachers. Free premium via ISIC, ITIC, or UNiDAYS verification. We do not have a student program yet.
DashResume is a strong Kickresume alternative for job seekers who want ATS scoring on the free plan and slightly cheaper flat pricing, without giving up on ATS-friendly templates or AI content help.
So, which one should you pick?
Pick DashResume if…
- You want to see your ATS score before committing to a paid plan
- You are applying to multiple jobs and want each resume tailored to the posting
- You want every template to be ATS-friendly by default, no guessing
- You already have draft content and want to sharpen it, not start from zero
- You prefer flat, slightly cheaper pricing ($59/year vs $84/year)
- You want a focused tool that does a few things well
Pick Kickresume if…
- You want the widest template catalog, including creative layouts
- You are starting from a blank page and want AI to draft first versions
- You need a personal website as part of your application package
- You specifically need DOCX or Word export
- You strongly prefer a dedicated mobile app
- You are a student or teacher and can verify with ISIC / ITIC / UNiDAYS for free access
- You want unlimited free downloads on a basic template and do not need AI or ATS checking
A suggestion, if you are still on the fence: Run your resume through DashResume’s free ATS score first. It takes a minute and you will know immediately whether our feedback is useful for you. If it is, the paid plans are a bit cheaper than Kickresume’s anyway. If you decide you want AI drafting from scratch or a personal website instead, Kickresume is genuinely a strong tool for that workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Is DashResume really free, or is there a catch?
DashResume’s free plan includes one saved resume, one cover letter, five ATS checks, and one unwatermarked PDF download. No credit card is required, and there is no trial that converts to paid. If you want more saved resumes, unlimited downloads, or the AI Job Match feature, you can upgrade to a paid plan. Otherwise the free plan stays free.
Is Kickresume actually free?
Yes, Kickresume has a permanent free plan with no expiration or watermarks. It includes 4 basic resume templates, 4 cover letter templates, 1 website template, and unlimited downloads on those free templates. However, the AI Resume Writer (beyond a small tryout), the ATS Resume Checker, LinkedIn import, and the 40+ premium templates are all gated behind paid plans.
How much does Kickresume cost per year?
Kickresume’s yearly plan is $84, which works out to $7 per month. Their monthly plan is $19 per month, and their quarterly plan sits in between. Pricing has been stable from their own pricing page, though third party sources sometimes show slightly different numbers. Check their pricing page directly before committing.
Are DashResume templates more ATS friendly than Kickresume’s?
On a per template basis, yes, because every DashResume template is built and tested to parse cleanly through ATS systems. Kickresume has solid ATS templates in their catalog too, but it also includes design forward layouts that can be less reliable for parsing. Kickresume’s own ATS checker flags the worst offenders, which is a useful safety net, but only if you are on a paid plan where the checker is available.
What is DashResume’s AI Job Match feature?
You paste a full job description into DashResume, and it compares your resume against the posting. The output is a set of targeted suggestions: missing keywords, skill gaps, and phrasing you could work into your experience section. Paid plans include 30 analyses per month, which covers most active job searches. This is different from Kickresume’s AI, which is focused on generating content from scratch rather than tailoring existing content to a specific posting.
Does DashResume include a personal website builder?
No, DashResume focuses on resumes and cover letters. If a personal website or portfolio page is part of your job search strategy, Kickresume includes a website builder on paid plans and would be the better tool for that specific need.
Does DashResume have a mobile app?
Not yet. DashResume runs in any modern browser on mobile, which works for editing and downloads, but there is no native iOS or Android app. Kickresume has dedicated mobile apps on both platforms.
Can I export my resume as a Word document in DashResume?
Not currently. DashResume exports ATS-friendly, text based PDFs only. Kickresume supports DOCX and multiple formats on paid plans, so if Word export is a hard requirement for a specific application, Kickresume or another tool with DOCX support would be the better fit.
Can I switch from Kickresume to DashResume easily?
Yes. DashResume has a built in resume import feature: upload your existing Kickresume PDF and we will automatically parse your contact details, experience, education, and skills into our editor. From there you can pick a template, tweak the content, and run it through our ATS score. Most imports take a minute or two.
Why is DashResume’s template catalog smaller than Kickresume’s?
Intentionally. We focused on building a tight set of templates that are all ATS-friendly by default rather than a large catalog where you have to vet each one. Kickresume’s 40+ templates offer more variety, but a portion of them (design forward and creative layouts) can have parsing issues that their ATS checker flags. Our 16 templates are all built to parse cleanly, so the trade off is fewer choices but more reliable output.
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