Before a human ever reads your resume, software usually reads it first. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan resumes for keywords and structure, and they routinely reject good candidates simply because their resume used a fancy layout, columns, or graphics the software couldn't parse. EZCV and SmoothApply both exist to prevent that — but they take very different approaches to pricing and how much help they give you writing the thing in the first place.
EZCV: genuinely free, pay once if you want more
EZCV keeps things simple: five ATS-friendly templates, role-tailored starter content so you're not staring at a blank page, and live editing with auto-save. The core product — unlimited CVs and cover letters, every template, full customization, even PDF export — is free, full stop. The only paid option is a one-time "Supporter" upgrade starting at $3 that removes a watermark from your exported PDF and unlocks a shareable public CV link. That's it — not a subscription, not a feature-gated free tier designed to wear you down into upgrading. It's also privacy-conscious: passwordless login and GDPR compliance, which matters for a tool holding your entire career history.
Who it's for: job seekers who want a clean, ATS-safe resume fast and don't want a recurring subscription for something they'll use a handful of times.
Price: free forever for the core product; one-time $3+ to remove the watermark and get a public link.
Honest limits: only 5 templates, versus 90+ at SmoothApply. No built-in AI to help you write or improve bullet points — you're on your own for the actual wording.
SmoothApply: more templates, plus AI writing help and ATS scoring
SmoothApply goes further than formatting: it runs an 11-point ATS compatibility check that scores your resume and flags specific issues before you submit it, and its AI assistant rewrites vague bullet points into results-focused ones while catching grammar mistakes along the way. It also includes a cover letter generator, a job application tracker so you're not juggling spreadsheets for every role you've applied to, and job-description matching that highlights keywords you're missing for a specific posting. The template library is large — 90+ ATS-friendly designs — and the core builder (templates, PDF/DOCX downloads) requires no account and is free.
Who it's for: job seekers who want active writing help and a compatibility score, not just a clean template, and who are applying to enough roles that a built-in tracker is worth having.
Price: free forever for the builder and 25 AI uses; unlimited AI features cost $19.95/month (with a $2.95, 14-day trial), cancel anytime.
Honest limits: the AI features that make SmoothApply distinctive are metered on the free tier, and unlimited access is an ongoing monthly cost — meaningfully more expensive over time than EZCV's one-time fee if you're using AI regularly.
| Feature | EZCV | SmoothApply |
|---|---|---|
| Templates | 5 | 90+ |
| ATS scoring | No — templates are ATS-safe by design | Yes, 11-point compatibility check |
| AI writing help | None | Yes, rewrites bullet points, checks grammar |
| Application tracker | No | Yes |
| Free tier | Unlimited use, watermarked PDF | Unlimited templates, 25 AI uses |
| Paid tier | $3+ one-time, no subscription | $19.95/month for unlimited AI |
Pick EZCV if you know what you want to say and just need a clean, ATS-safe format without paying a subscription for a resume you'll update a few times a year. Pick SmoothApply if you want active help rewriting weak bullet points, a compatibility score before you hit submit, and a tracker for the dozens of applications a real job search usually involves — and you're fine paying monthly for that help.