You're almost done with your resume, and it looks great! But you're starting to wonder if there are any blind spots you're missing.

Maybe you’re unsure if it’ll pass the ATS, whether you’ve used the right keywords, or if hidden mistakes could cost you an interview.

Wouldn't it be nice to have someone (or something) else take a look?

Well, we’ve got the perfect solution: an ATS Resume Checker.

These tools scan your resume, flag issues, and ensure it’s optimized to pass ATS filters and reach a recruiter’s desk.

With 99% of Fortune 500 companies and 70% of large companies using ATS to screen resumes, getting past this first hurdle is crucial—otherwise, your resume may never reach human eyes.

So, how do you ensure your resume gets through?

We’ve tested and rounded up the 5 best ATS resume checkers to help you optimize your resume and boost your chances of landing an interview.

But first…

What’s an ATS? How do ATS resume checkers work?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software that companies use to sort, filter, and rank job applications before a human ever sees them.

Here’s how it works: When you submit your resume online, the ATS collects all applications, scans each resume, analyzes the content, and filters out candidates who don’t meet the company’s criteria. Instead of a recruiter reading every single application, the system narrows the pool down to the most “qualified” candidates based on predefined requirements.

But how does the ATS decide who makes the cut?

When a company posts a job, they set specific criteria for the ATS to look for—typically in the form of keywords. These could include:

  • A required degree level (e.g., Master’s in Computer Science)
  • A minimum number of years of experience (e.g., 5+ years in marketing)
  • A specific certification (e.g., PMP for project managers)
  • Technical skills (e.g., Python, SQL, or SEO)

The ATS then scans each resume for these keywords. If your resume contains the right terms in the right places, it moves forward. If not, it might get filtered out before a recruiter ever lays eyes on it.

Why resume design matters?

It’s not just about keywords—resume formatting also plays a big role. ATS software doesn’t “read” a resume like a human would. Instead, it parses (extracts and organizes) the text.

If your resume is poorly formatted (such as using fancy graphics, tables, or unconventional layouts) the ATS might struggle to read it correctly. 

This can result in missing or jumbled information, making it harder for you to get through the first round. A clean, well-structured resume increases your chances of passing the ATS scan.

What is an ATS Resume Checker?

An ATS resume checker is a tool that simulates how an ATS scans your resume and flags potential issues before you submit your application. 

These checkers analyze your resume for:

  • Formatting compatibility. Is your resume structured in a way that ATS can read?
  • Readability score. How easy is it for both ATS and recruiters to understand?
  • Keyword match. Do you have the right skills and qualifications listed?
  • Section organization. Are key details (experience, education, skills) correctly labeled?
  • Missing information. Are there any gaps that could hurt your chances?

Using an ATS resume checker before applying helps you optimize your resume so it actually gets seen by a recruiter—rather than getting lost in the system.

Now, let’s finally have a look at the Top 5 ATS Resume Checkers available today. 

1. Kickresume

Kickresume ATS resume checker

Disclaimer: You might notice that Kickresume is the first ATS checker on our list and wonder if there's a bit of bias—especially since you’re reading this on kickresume.com. The truth is, there might be. We genuinely believe in our product and work tirelessly to make it the best resume builder available.

That being said, let’s take a closer look at it. 

Kickresume’s ATS Resume Checker is designed to identify any potential errors or technical issues that might affect your resume during an ATS scan. 

That’s why Kickresume’s ATS Checker performs over 20+ different checks, covering things like formatting, structure, and missing keywords. These checks help you optimize your resume and ensure it's fully ATS-friendly.

Plus, it provides valuable feedback and even lets you compare it with top resumes in our database.

Kickresume’s ATS Checker scans these parameters: 

  1. Design. Does the resume's design interfere with the ATS's ability to process it?
    • Resume template. Checks if you’ve used an ATS-friendly template.
    • Font. Checks if you’ve used standard, easy-to-read fonts.
    • Skills section. Try using text to describe skill level instead of graphics. 
    • Background. Is there a background pattern in your design?
  2. Structure. Does your resume include all necessary information & resume sections?
    • Profile section. Checks if you included all necessary personal information.
    • Dates. Did you include start and end dates where appropriate?
    • Standard resume sections. There are certain sections that need to be in all resumes.
  3. Content. How does your resume stack up against successful resumes in our database based on the following parameters?
    • Word count. Does your wordcount fall into the average wordcount typical for successful resumes
    • Paragraphs per section. Checks if you’ve used bullet points and structured your content into paragraphs.
    • Experience description. You might need to expand the bullet points in your work experience, volunteer work, and education sections. 
    • Characters per paragraph. Your bullet points and paragraphs can’t be too long or too short.
  4. Non-ATS metrics. Analyze the language used on your resume and see how it compares against other successful resumes in our database (only for premium users).
    • Word choice analysis. Analyzes the language and words in your resume, categorizing them to help you understand the impact of your choices. For instance, are you using too many cliché phrases? Are you using enough action-oriented verbs?
    • Repetitive verbs. Checks if there are any words that repeat too much and whether your resume uses a variety of actions verbs to make your resume more engaging.

Once the scan is ready, you get a resume score along with flagged issues and suggestions on how to fix them—directly in the interface. You’ll see your resume score change in real time as you’re fixing the issues.

As a free user you’ll get access to your overall resume score, as well as individual scores in the three categories—design, content, and structure. To unlock the full report you can upgrade to premium. But here’s a little loophole for you—because we value all our users! Check the Pro Tip below.

Pro tip

As a free user, you can still see your score update in real time as you make changes—just refer to the parameters we outlined earlier. A low design score could mean issues with your template, font, graphics, or background. A low structure score might indicate missing details in your profile section, start and end dates, or missing standard resume sections. You get the idea!

Kickresume’s pricing

  • Can I use the ATS Checker feature for free? Yes, you can. However, as a free user you’ll get access to your overall resume score, as well as your score in the three categories—design, content, and structure. To unlock the full report you can upgrade to premium. (But there’s a hack you can use—check the Pro Tip above)
  • Premium. If you want to see the full ATS analysis, you can upgrade to a Premium subscription at any time for as little as 7 USD (7 EUR) per month. 

Don’t forget Kickresume is free for students and teachers for 6 months.

2. EnhanCV

EnhanCV Resume checker

EnhanCV, similar to Kickresume, offers various handy career tools to its users, including an option to test your resume with an ATS Resume Checker. 

You will receive a score and find whether your resume can pass the ATS.

This ATS Checker evaluates your resume across 16 criteria in 5 categories crucial for successfully passing the ATS.

EhanceCv’s ATS Checker scans for these parameters:

  1. Content
    • ATS Parse Rate
    • Quantifying Impact in experience section with examples (only for premium users)
    • Repetition
    • Spelling & Grammar (only for premium users)
  2. Format
    • File Format & Size
    • Resume Length (only for premium users)
    • Long Bullet Points with suggestions on how to shorten them (only for premium users)
  3. Resume Sections
    • Contact Information
    • Essential Sections (only for premium users)
    • Personality showcase with tips on how to improve (only for premium users)
  4. Skills
    • Hard Skills
    • Soft Skills
  5. Style
    • Design
    • Email Address
    • Active voice (only for premium users)
    • Buzzwords & Cliches

With each uploaded resume, EnhanceCV looks at these parameters to find any possible issues an ATS might encounter.

In other words, if the ATS will be able to read your resume, and if your resume contains quality content and contains the right keywords.

After scanning your resume, you will receive a resume score with highlighted issues and areas for improvement. EnhanceCV will provide suggestions for each section with answers to FAQs on how to fix these issues. 

What we appreciate about his tool is that it not only tells you what you did correctly but also provides visual examples of both good and bad ways to handle any issues in your resume. It explains why each section is important for passing the ATS.

On the other hand, when you decide to fix the issues in your resume with EnhanCV, it takes you back to the editing interface, where you won’t be able to see the mentioned suggestions and areas for improvement. This change in the interface can be confusing for some. In contrast, Kickresume lets you make changes directly in the ATS checker and see results in one place.

Additionally, you can attempt to improve your resume using EhanceCV’s tools, but to access the full report, or fix (premium) content, you'll need to upgrade to the premium version.

EnhanCV’s pricing

  • Can I use the ATS Checker feature for free? Yes, you can (to a certain extent), although some of the parameters are only available for premium users.
  • With Premium you can choose to pay: Monthly Pro plan for $24.99 per month, Quarterly Pro plan for $16.66 per month (pay $49.97 every 3 months), or a Semi-annual Pro plan for $13.33 per month (pay $79.94 every 6 months)

3. Resume Worded

resume worded resume checker

Resume Worded is an online platform designed to help you improve your resume and LinkedIn profile. One of its key features is the ATS Resume Checker, which runs over 20 checks to evaluate your resume. 

Once you upload your resume, you’ll be prompted to specify your current seniority level (entry, mid, senior) to personalize your resume review to you. Nice touch!

Resume Worded’s ATS resume checker then scans for these parameters:

  • Repetition
  • Quantify impact
  • Length & depth

If you decide to upgrade to a premium account these are the additional scans you can improve:

  • Line Analysis
  • ATS Keywords
  • Magic Write
  • Sample Bullets
  • Action Verbs
  • Resume Templates
  • Consistency 
  • Growth signals 

When the scan is done, you get a score and a list of issues along with the option to “fix” them. A great feature is that once you click on the Fix button, it shows you both the original line and the new suggested line, and you can decide if you want to go with it or not. 

We also appreciate the ATS keywords analysis (you’ll find it in the left sidebar). It basically scans your resume and matches it with keywords that hiring managers often look for on resumes like yours. However, as a free user you only get a preview of 2 keywords. 

While this ATS Resume Checker is highly detailed and provides valuable suggestions for all aspects of your resume, only premium users can unlock the full access. 

You must subscribe to the premium version; otherwise, you will only have access to a limited number of suggestions and scans.

Resume Worded’s pricing

  • Can I use the ATS Checker feature for free? Yes, you can, but you’ll only get access to a pretty limited report. 
  • For the premium account you can either choose to pay: Premium Monthly $49 per month, Quarterly $33 per month, One Year $19 per month.

4. SkillSyncer

SkillSyncer resume checker

Unlike the other tools mentioned, SkillSyncer is not a resume builder.

It’s primarily a resume optimization tool that focuses on matching your resume with the job you're targeting and improving its compatibility with ATS. And does a great job at it. 

However, if you're looking for a tool to actually build a resume (as you typically would when using an ATS resume checker in the first place), you might want to try a tool that can do both.

What’s different about this ATS resume checker is that, in addition to uploading your resume, you’re asked to provide more details such as the company name, job title, and to copy and paste the job description. This makes it easier to tailor your resume to the specific job posting.

Like with the rest checkers, you’ll get a score and you’ll be able to see issues and suggested tips for improvement in each section of your resume. 

Skillsyncer also has an auto-optimizing feature, which automatically adjusts your resume to achieve a higher score. 

This feature runs on AI credits which are not for free, but it makes it incredibly easy to fix the issues in your resume.

If you prefer to make changes yourself, you can still take advantage of AI-powered suggestions to help you edit and improve your resume.

SkillSyncer’s ATS Resume Checker scans for these parameters:

  • Impact (high, medium, low)
  • Job title match
  • Degree match
  • Word count
  • Personal information
    • Email 
    • Phone number
  • Accomplishments
  • Buzz words (available for premium users)
  • Verb choice (available for premium users)
  • First-person language check (available for premium users)
  • Data formatting (available for premium users)
  • Skills visualization is a visual representation of your skills and keywords, categorized according to the job description. It allows you to see in detail what types of keywords are used, in what category they belong to, and where they appear.

Ultimately, you can perform a scan for free. However, like many other ATS resume checkers, several features are locked, and to access them, you'll need to upgrade to a premium account. 

Each scan uses AI credits, which are provided when you register. And you can probably guess what happens when you run out of AI credits. Yup, you'll need a premium account.

SkillSyncer’s pricing 

  • Can I use the ATS Checker feature for free? Yes, you can do the ATS Resume Scan for free. But like with the rest of the ATS checker tools, some of the premium features will be locked and you have to upgrade to premium to unlock them.
  • For the premium you can choose between: Premium Quarterly for $11.62/month, $34.86 billed every 3 months, or Premium Monthly for $14.95/month $14.95 billed every month.

5. Myperfectresume

Myperfectresume resume checker

Another resume builder that includes an ATS resume checker as part of its toolbox is MyPerfectResume. 

Myperfectresume’s ATS Resume Checker scans for over 30 criteria and provides instant suggestions to help improve your resume score. 

Here are some of the parameters:

  1. Customization
    • Job Title & Keywords. Extracts essential skills, keywords, and certifications
  2. Content
    • Summary Statement. Analyzes if your summary includes top skills and qualifications
    • Measurable Results. Evaluates concrete achievements and measurable outcomes from past roles
    • Word Choice. Identifies action verbs and relevant keywords
    • Contact Information. Ensures clear and complete contact details
    • Comprehensiveness. Checks if the resume contains everything it should.
  3. Format
    • ATS Optimization. Checks if your resume is optimized for accurate ATS parsing.
    • Resume Length. Aims for one page or around 1,100 characters.
  4. Style
    • Spelling & Grammar. Flags any errors in spelling and grammar, but for the free users, it doesn’t provide the specifics or shows how to fix them.

Once you upload your resume, the ATS Checker scans it just like other tools.

However, if you’re using the free version, it only tells you that issues exist—without specifying what they are.For example, it might flag three problems in your Work History section, but it won’t tell you where or what’s wrong. 

Instead, free users only receive general suggestions on what an ATS-friendly resume should look like.

If you select “Fix my resume,” you’re taken to a questionnaire that—oddly—asks you to upload your resume again. At this point, the ATS check feature disappears entirely, leaving you in a standard resume editor without any ATS feedback, which can be quite confusing.

In short, the free version doesn’t give you the detailed ATS insights you might expect. To fully access this feature, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium plan.

If you’re looking for a free tool that provides actual feedback and helps you check whether your resume is optimized, you’re better off using one of the other tools in this article.

Myperfectresume pricing

  • Can I use the ATS Checker feature for free? No, not really. You run the ATS check and find out your resume score (1 to 100), however, you won’t be able to see what the issues are or how to fix them without upgrading to a premium version.
  • With Premium, you can try 14-Day Access for $2,95  or choose to pay Annual Access for $5,95 a month. 

After 14 days it auto-renews $23,95 billed every 4 weeks. With this billing plan, you can try unlimited edits and downloads of both resumes and cover letters. 


Optimizing your resume for ATS is just one step in landing your dream job.

If you want to take it even further, check out our guide to the 6 Best AI Resume Writers to help you craft a standout resume.

And, don’t forget the 10 Best AI Cover Letter Generators to complete your application!