ATS Resume Checker 2026: Score Your Resume for Free (Developer's Guide)

Nearly 99% of Fortune 500 companies now use applicant tracking systems to process incoming resumes, according to SelectSoftware Reviews' 2026 ATS statistics report. If you have ever submitted a carefully crafted resume and heard nothing back, an ATS likely sat between you and the hiring manager. But here is the part most career advice gets wrong: the ATS probably did not reject you. A human did, or never got to your resume in the pile. Understanding how ATS resume checkers actually work, and how to use a free ATS score checker to improve your odds, is the difference between landing interviews and shouting into the void.

This guide is written specifically for software engineers, developers, and tech professionals who want to understand the real mechanics behind ATS scoring. We will debunk pervasive myths with recent recruiter research, explain the NLP techniques that power modern ATS checkers, compare the top free and paid tools, and walk you through a step-by-step ATS optimization workflow using KraftCV's free scanner.

What You'll Learn
- Why the "75% of resumes get rejected by ATS" statistic is fabricated, and what actually happens to your application
- How modern ATS systems use NLP techniques like stemming, TF-IDF, and semantic matching (not just keyword counting)
- A side-by-side comparison of free ATS checker tools including Jobscan, Resume Worded, SkillSyncer, and KraftCV
- How to interpret your ATS score bracket and what each range means for your callback chances
- Developer-specific ATS optimization tactics: the right keywords, formats, and structures for tech resumes in 2026
- Step-by-step instructions for scoring your resume for free using KraftCV's NLP-powered scanner

Summary: Key ATS Statistics for 2026

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What Is an ATS Resume Checker and Why Should Developers Care?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that employers use to collect, organize, search, and rank job applications. When you submit your resume through a company career portal, the ATS parses it into structured data fields (name, contact information, work history, skills) and stores it in a searchable database. Recruiters then use the ATS to filter, sort, and rank candidates against the job description requirements.

An ATS resume checker is a separate tool that simulates this process on your behalf. It analyzes your resume against a target job description and produces a compatibility score, typically expressed as a percentage. The purpose is to let you see how well your resume aligns with the role before you submit it, giving you the chance to improve your match rate.

For software engineers and tech professionals, ATS optimization carries specific challenges. Technical resumes contain framework names, programming languages, infrastructure terms, and architectural patterns that must be expressed precisely. Writing "React" when the job description says "React.js," or listing "AWS" when the posting specifies "Amazon Web Services," can create a match gap that a basic keyword-matching tool would miss entirely. Developer-focused ATS checkers that use natural language processing (NLP) can recognize these aliases and score your resume more accurately.

Key Finding: According to SelectSoftware Reviews' 2026 report, 88% of employers believe they are losing out on highly qualified candidates who are screened out of hiring processes by ATSs due to non-ATS-friendly resumes.

The stakes are real. Even if your resume is not automatically rejected (more on that myth shortly), a poorly optimized resume will rank lower in the recruiter's search results. When a recruiter searches their ATS database for "senior React developer with TypeScript experience," your resume needs those terms in the right places to surface near the top. An ATS resume checker helps you verify that alignment before you apply.

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Why Does the "75% Rejection Rate" Myth Persist?

One of the most widely cited statistics in career advice is that "75% of resumes are rejected by ATS before a human ever sees them." This number has been repeated by major publications, career coaches, and resume services for over a decade. The problem is that it was never based on research.

According to a 2025 investigation by The Interview Guys, the 75% rejection rate originated from a 2012 sales pitch by a company called Preptel. No research methodology was ever published. Preptel went out of business in 2013. Despite this, the statistic took on a life of its own because it served a useful narrative for companies selling ATS optimization services.

The reality is far more nuanced. In a 2025 study by Enhancv based on 25 in-depth interviews with U.S. recruiters conducted between September and October 2025, researchers found that only 8% of recruiters configure content-based auto-rejection in their ATS. The remaining 92% reject candidates manually or use only basic knockout filters (such as work authorization or minimum education requirements). As the study concluded: "ATS systems are primarily organizational tools, not ruthless gatekeepers."

Watch Out: If you see a career article citing "75% of resumes are rejected by ATS," treat the rest of that content with skepticism. The stat has no research backing. As The Interview Guys found: "Nearly all recruiters interviewed said the same thing: ATS systems don't reject resumes. People do."

This does not mean ATS optimization is pointless. Even though most ATS platforms do not automatically reject resumes based on content, they do rank and sort candidates. A resume that matches more job description keywords and skills will appear higher in recruiter search results. The difference is between being invisible (page 5 of search results) and being discoverable (page 1). The goal of an ATS resume checker is to improve your ranking, not to avoid some mythical robot gatekeeper.

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How Does Modern ATS Scoring Actually Work?

Understanding how ATS scoring functions under the hood helps you optimize more intelligently. Most career advice treats ATS as a simple keyword-matching black box, but modern systems are considerably more sophisticated. The scoring pipeline typically involves three stages: parsing, analysis, and scoring.

Stage 1: Resume Parsing

When your resume enters an ATS, the system first converts it into machine-readable text. According to Mokahr's 2025 guide on ATS resume parsing, ATS platforms use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert resumes into a text-only format. The parser then attempts to identify and extract structured fields: your name, contact details, work history entries, education, and skills. This is where formatting matters. Complex layouts with multiple columns, text boxes, embedded images, or unusual fonts can cause the parser to misread or skip sections entirely.

Stage 2: NLP Analysis

After parsing, modern ATS platforms apply natural language processing techniques to understand the content. According to a 2025 academic paper published in MDPI Electronics, transformer-based deep learning models (including BERT, RoBERTa, and DistilBERT) are now being used to create embeddings for resumes and job descriptions. These embedding techniques "allow systems to recognize similar competencies expressed in varied terms or across different contexts."

This means a well-built ATS or ATS checker does not just look for exact keyword matches. It uses techniques including:

• Stemming and lemmatization: Recognizing that "developing," "developed," and "developer" share the same root concept
• TF-IDF (Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency): Weighing keywords by how important they are to the specific job description, not just whether they appear
• Alias resolution: Understanding that "JavaScript" and "JS," or "Amazon Web Services" and "AWS," refer to the same technology
• Semantic matching: Using neural embeddings to recognize that "built microservices architecture" is contextually related to "distributed systems design"

Pro Tip: When evaluating an ATS checker tool, ask whether it uses NLP-based analysis or simple keyword matching. A tool that only counts keyword occurrences will miss synonyms, aliases, and contextual relationships that modern ATS platforms actually understand.

Stage 3: Scoring and Ranking

After analysis, the ATS compares your resume content to the job description and assigns a match score based on keyword alignment, skills coverage, and contextual relevance. As Mokahr's ATS parsing guide explains, advanced approaches employ NLP techniques like TF-IDF and cosine similarity to measure the distance between your resume and the job requirements. The result is a percentage score that determines where you appear in the recruiter's candidate ranking.

KraftCV's ATS scanner is built on these same NLP principles. Rather than counting keywords, it applies stemming, alias resolution, and TF-IDF weighting to give you a score that reflects how a modern ATS would actually evaluate your resume. This is a meaningful difference from tools that rely on simple string matching.

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How Do You Interpret Your ATS Score?

Getting an ATS score is only useful if you know what it means. Different score ranges correspond to different levels of competitiveness. Industry benchmarks from ATS scoring platforms suggest the following general brackets:

Key Finding: Industry reports suggest that improving your ATS score from the 60-70% range to the 80%+ range can meaningfully increase your chances of receiving a callback. The exact callback rate varies by role, company, and industry, but optimized resumes consistently outperform unoptimized ones in recruiter search results.

It is important to note that there are over 200 different ATS platforms on the market, each using unique algorithms to evaluate candidates. No ATS score checker can perfectly replicate every system. What a good checker does is approximate the general scoring methodology and highlight areas where your resume falls short of the job description requirements.

For software engineers, the most common gaps include missing specific framework versions (e.g., "React 18" vs. "React"), omitting infrastructure terms the job description emphasizes (e.g., "Kubernetes," "Docker," "CI/CD"), and using informal abbreviations that the ATS parser cannot resolve. A developer-focused ATS checker will flag these specific issues.

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What Are the Best Free ATS Resume Checker Tools in 2026?

The ATS checker market has grown rapidly, with search interest for ATS score checker tools rising over 49% year-over-year according to keyword research data. Here is how the major tools compare in 2026:

Jobscan

Jobscan is the most established player, with branded search volume growing significantly in recent years. Its key differentiator is identifying which specific ATS a company uses (Workday, Greenhouse, Taleo) and providing company-specific optimization tips. At $49.95 per month, it is the most expensive option. The tool compares your resume to a job description and provides a "Match Rate" percentage. While useful, its core methodology relies primarily on keyword matching rather than semantic analysis.

Resume Worded

Resume Worded evaluates resumes across more than 20 criteria including bullet point effectiveness, action verb usage, formatting consistency, and filler words, according to their comparison page. It also includes LinkedIn profile optimization, which is unique among ATS checkers. At $49 per month, it targets the same price bracket as Jobscan. Its weakness for developers is the lack of alias resolution and tech-stack-specific guidance.

SkillSyncer

SkillSyncer positions itself as the budget alternative at $14.95 per month, roughly 70% less expensive than Jobscan for core resume scanning features. It provides keyword matching and skills gap analysis but does not offer the NLP depth that developer resumes require.

KraftCV

KraftCV takes a different approach. Built by developers for tech professionals, KraftCV's free ATS scanner uses NLP techniques including stemming, TF-IDF weighting, and alias resolution to score your resume against a job description. Unlike standalone checkers, KraftCV integrates the scanner directly into its resume editor, so you can see your score, make edits, and rescan without switching tools. The scanner is free with no credit card required. For a broader comparison of free resume building tools, see our guide to truly free resume builders.

Pro Tip: Expensive does not mean better when it comes to ATS checkers. A tool that uses semantic analysis and alias resolution will give you a more accurate score than one that simply counts keyword occurrences, regardless of price.

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How Can You Optimize a Developer Resume for ATS in 2026?

Tech resumes present unique ATS challenges that generic career advice does not address. Software engineers use highly specific terminology, and small phrasing differences can affect your match score. Here are the developer-specific optimization strategies that actually move the needle.

Use Current Technology Terms

ATS systems match your resume against the job description's terminology. If the posting says "TypeScript," listing "TS" alone may not register as a match in a basic keyword-matching ATS. Best practice is to include both the full term and the common abbreviation on first use. For example: "Built production APIs using TypeScript (TS) and Node.js."

Industry guidance suggests that in 2026, you should be using current resume keywords like "TypeScript," "GraphQL," or "Cloud Infrastructure" rather than outdated equivalents. Terms like "jQuery," "SOAP," or "SVN" signal an older skill set unless the job specifically requires them.

Quantify Your Impact with Metrics

Resumes with metrics score higher than generic descriptions in most ATS scoring systems. Instead of writing "Improved application performance," write "Reduced API response time from 800ms to 120ms, a 85% improvement serving 2M daily requests." The specificity gives recruiters concrete evidence and helps your resume stand out once it passes ATS screening.

Pro Tip: Use the XYZ formula for technical bullet points: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]." Example: "Reduced deployment time by 73% (from 45 minutes to 12 minutes) by implementing a CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions and Docker."

Match the Job Description's Section Structure

If the job posting separates "Required Skills" from "Preferred Skills," mirror that structure in your resume. List required technologies prominently in your skills section and work experience. Preferred skills can appear in projects or a secondary skills section. This alignment helps both ATS parsers and human recruiters quickly verify your qualifications.

Choose the Right File Format

File format compatibility varies by ATS platform. Modern ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) parse text-based PDFs reliably. However, older systems like Taleo can have parsing issues with PDFs, making DOCX the safer choice for those platforms, according to Careery's 2026 ATS guide. When in doubt, a clean, single-column PDF with standard fonts is your safest option for most applications.

For a deeper dive into formatting best practices, see our guide to ATS-friendly resume templates.

Avoid Common Formatting Pitfalls

ATS parsers struggle with text boxes, multi-column layouts, headers and footers that contain critical information, and embedded images. Older ATS platforms like Taleo skip headers entirely, which means contact information placed in the header section will be invisible to the system. Keep your resume in a clean, single-column, reverse-chronological layout to ensure maximum parsing accuracy.

Watch Out: Do not put your name, email, or phone number in the header or footer of your document. Some ATS platforms (particularly Taleo) ignore header and footer content entirely, which means the recruiter may never see your contact information.

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How Do You Use KraftCV's Free ATS Scanner Step by Step?

KraftCV's ATS scanner is designed to integrate directly into your resume-building workflow. Here is how to use it:

Step 1: Create or Upload Your Resume. Start by building your resume in KraftCV's editor or uploading an existing resume. KraftCV supports PDF and DOCX imports, and its LinkedIn PDF import feature can extract your profile data automatically using AI.

Step 2: Paste the Target Job Description. Navigate to the ATS Tailor tab in the editor. Paste the full job description you are targeting. The scanner works best with the complete posting, including requirements, responsibilities, and preferred qualifications.

Step 3: Run the NLP-Powered Scan. KraftCV's scanner analyzes your resume against the job description using stemming, TF-IDF weighting, and alias resolution. Unlike keyword-counting tools, it recognizes that "JavaScript" and "JS" are the same skill, and it weighs terms by importance rather than simple frequency.

Step 4: Review Your Score and Insights. Your ATS compatibility score appears as a percentage along with a detailed breakdown. The scanner highlights missing keywords, suggests where to add them naturally, and identifies skills gaps between your resume and the job description.

Step 5: Make Targeted Edits. Because the scanner is integrated into KraftCV's editor, you can immediately update your resume based on the insights. Add missing technologies, rephrase bullet points to include key terms, and adjust your skills section.

Step 6: Rescan and Iterate. After making changes, rescan to see your updated score. Aim for the 80%+ range for competitive applications. Each scan is free and unlimited.

Step 7: Export Your Optimized Resume. Once you are satisfied with your score, export your resume as a clean, ATS-compatible PDF. KraftCV generates PDFs with proper text encoding, no watermarks, and clean parsing structure.

TL;DR:
- Upload your resume to KraftCV (free)
- Paste the job description into the ATS Tailor tab
- Review your NLP-powered score and keyword insights
- Edit directly in the integrated editor
- Rescan until you hit 80%+
- Export as ATS-friendly PDF

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What ATS Myths Still Mislead Job Seekers in 2026?

Despite growing awareness, several ATS myths continue to circulate in career communities, Reddit threads, and even professional coaching. Here is what the research actually shows.

Myth 1: "ATS Systems Automatically Reject 75% of Resumes"

Reality: As discussed above, this statistic originated from a 2012 sales pitch by Preptel, a company that went out of business in 2013. No research methodology was ever published. According to Enhancv's 2025 study of 25 U.S. recruiters, 92% of recruiters do not configure their ATS to auto-reject candidates based on resume content. The culprit behind unread resumes is not software but scale: the sheer volume of applications that no human can realistically read.

Myth 2: "You Must Stuff Your Resume with Keywords to Pass ATS"

Reality: Keyword stuffing (repeating the same terms excessively, or hiding white-text keywords) is counterproductive. Modern ATS platforms use TF-IDF-based analysis, which means a keyword's value diminishes with excessive repetition. More importantly, even if keyword stuffing inflates your ATS score, a human recruiter will immediately notice the unnatural writing and discard your resume. The goal is natural keyword integration, not repetition.

Myth 3: "PDFs Always Get Rejected by ATS"

Reality: This was true for some older ATS platforms, but modern systems like Greenhouse, Lever, and Workday parse text-based PDFs reliably. The key distinction is between text-based PDFs (which contain selectable text) and image-based PDFs (such as scanned documents), which do require OCR. If you are applying to a company using Taleo, DOCX may be safer, but for most 2026 applications, a clean PDF works fine.

Myth 4: "ATS Cannot Understand Context"

Reality: While basic ATS platforms do rely on keyword matching, the technology is evolving rapidly. A 2025 academic paper in MDPI Electronics describes how transformer-based models (BERT, RoBERTa, DistilBERT) now enable semantic matching beyond simple keyword screening. These models "capture semantic relationships and context within resumes," meaning that advanced ATS systems can understand that "built microservices architecture" is related to "distributed systems experience."

Myth 5: "Once You Pass the ATS, You're Home Free"

Reality: ATS screening is one step in a multi-stage hiring process. Even with a perfect ATS score, your resume still needs to impress a human recruiter within 6-8 seconds of review. Focus on clear formatting, quantified achievements, and a compelling professional summary alongside your ATS optimization. ATS gets you into the stack; your content gets you the interview.

Key Finding: According to SHRM's 2025 Talent Trends survey of 2,040 HR professionals, AI adoption in HR tasks climbed to 43% in 2025, up from 26% in 2024. As AI integration in hiring accelerates, understanding how these systems work becomes increasingly important for job seekers.

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What Are the 2026 Trends Shaping ATS and Resume Screening?

The ATS landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by advances in AI and shifting regulatory attention. Here are the key trends shaping resume screening in 2026.

AI-Augmented ATS Is Becoming Standard

According to SHRM's 2025 survey, AI adoption in HR tasks nearly doubled from 26% in 2024 to 43% in 2025. This acceleration means more ATS platforms are integrating AI-powered features including semantic matching, automated candidate scoring, and predictive analytics. For job seekers, this means that simple keyword matching is no longer sufficient. Your resume needs to demonstrate contextual relevance, not just keyword presence.

Semantic Matching Is Replacing Keyword Counting

The Resume2Vec research published in MDPI Electronics in 2025 represents the frontier of resume-matching technology. Using transformer-based deep learning models, these systems create vector embeddings for both resumes and job descriptions, then measure similarity using cosine distance. This approach allows systems to "recognize similar competencies expressed in varied terms or across different contexts." For developers, this means writing naturally about your experience is becoming more important than mechanical keyword insertion.

Algorithmic Bias Is Drawing Regulatory Attention

The EEOC's 2024 guidance on Employment Discrimination and AI for Workers explicitly states that employers remain fully liable under Title VII if AI tools produce disparate impact on protected groups. The guidance notes that AI screening algorithms can perpetuate historical biases embedded in training data. One example cited: a major technology company's resume-screening algorithm learned to systematically downrank female candidates because historical hiring patterns favored men in technical roles. As a job seeker, this is important context for understanding that ATS scoring is imperfect, and that advocacy for fair hiring practices matters alongside individual optimization.

Skills-Based Hiring Is Gaining Ground

LinkedIn's Future of Recruiting 2025 report, based on a survey of 1,271 recruiting professionals across 23 countries, found that recruiters focusing on skills-based searches are 12% more likely to hire the right fit. This shift away from degree-based filtering means that your skills section and demonstrated competencies carry increasing weight in ATS scoring algorithms. For developers, clearly listing your tech stack with specific versions and proficiency levels is more important than ever.

Pro Tip: As ATS systems become more sophisticated, the best optimization strategy is also the simplest: write an honest, well-structured resume that clearly articulates what you built, what technologies you used, and what impact you had. This approach works for both AI scoring and human review.

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Frequently Asked Questions About ATS Resume Checkers

What is a good ATS resume score?

Industry benchmarks suggest that an ATS score of 80% or higher indicates a strong match between your resume and the job description. Scores in the 70-80% range represent the minimum viable threshold for most applications, while scores above 85% place you in the strongest competitive position. These thresholds can vary across ATS platforms, so aim for the highest score you can achieve without keyword stuffing.

Do ATS systems really reject resumes automatically?

According to a 2025 Enhancv study of 25 U.S. recruiters, only 8% configure their ATS to auto-reject candidates based on resume content. The vast majority (92%) use ATS as an organizational and ranking tool, with rejection decisions made manually by humans. The primary issue is not automatic rejection but low ranking in search results.

Is the "75% rejection rate" statistic true?

No. The 75% figure originated from a 2012 sales pitch by Preptel, a company that went out of business in 2013. No research methodology was ever published to support the claim. Despite this, the statistic has been widely repeated by career advice websites and resume services.

Should I use PDF or DOCX format for ATS?

Modern ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) parse text-based PDFs reliably. However, older systems like Taleo can have issues with PDF parsing, making DOCX the safer choice for those specific platforms. When you are unsure which ATS a company uses, a clean, single-column PDF with standard fonts is the generally recommended format for 2026 applications.

How is KraftCV's ATS scanner different from Jobscan or Resume Worded?

KraftCV uses NLP-based analysis including stemming, TF-IDF weighting, and alias resolution to score resumes, whereas most competitors rely primarily on keyword matching. KraftCV is also free and integrates the scanner directly into its resume editor, so you can edit and rescan in one workflow. Jobscan's differentiator is identifying which ATS a company uses, while Resume Worded offers LinkedIn optimization.

Can I trick the ATS by hiding keywords in white text?

No. Modern ATS platforms detect hidden text, and even if they did not, a human recruiter reviewing your resume would likely notice formatting anomalies. White-text keyword stuffing is a practice from the early 2010s that is no longer effective. Focus on naturally integrating relevant keywords into your work experience and skills sections.

How often should I customize my resume for ATS?

You should tailor your resume for every job application, or at minimum for each distinct type of role you are applying to. Each job description emphasizes different keywords, skills, and qualifications. Running your resume through an ATS checker against each specific job description helps you identify and close the match gaps for that particular role.

Does KraftCV's ATS scanner cost anything?

KraftCV's ATS scanner is free to use with no credit card required. You can run unlimited scans against job descriptions as part of the resume building workflow. The scanner is integrated into KraftCV's editor, so you can build, scan, edit, and export all in one place.

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Sources

1. The Interview Guys (2025). "The ATS Resume Rejection Myth: Why the '75% of Resumes Never Get Seen' Claim is Wrong." https://blog.theinterviewguys.com/ats-resume-rejection-myth/

2. Enhancv (2025). "Does the ATS Reject Your Resume? 25 Recruiters Explain What Really Happens." https://enhancv.com/blog/does-ats-reject-resumes/

3. MDPI Electronics (2025). "Resume2Vec: Transforming Applicant Tracking Systems with Intelligent Resume Embeddings for Precise Candidate Matching." https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/4/794

4. SelectSoftware Reviews (2026). "Applicant Tracking System Statistics (Updated for 2026)." https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/blog/applicant-tracking-system-statistics

5. SHRM (2025). "2025 Talent Trends." https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/2025-talent-trends

6. LinkedIn Talent Solutions (2025). "The Future of Recruiting 2025." https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/future-of-recruiting

7. SkillSyncer (2026). "SkillSyncer vs Jobscan: A More Affordable Resume Scanner | 2026 Comparison." https://skillsyncer.com/jobscan-alternatives

8. Resume Worded (2025). "Jobscan vs Resume Worded: Which Actually Gets You Hired?" https://resumeworded.com/blog/jobscan-vs-resume-worded/

9. Mokahr (2025). "Ultimate Guide — The Best ATS with Resume Parsing Feature of 2025." https://www.mokahr.io/articles/en/the-best-ats-with-resume-parsing-feature

10. Careery (2026). "How to Get Your Resume Past ATS in 2026: The Complete Guide." https://careery.pro/blog/resume-applications/how-to-get-resume-past-ats

11. EEOC (2024). "Employment Discrimination and AI for Workers." https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/20240429_Employment%20Discrimination%20and%20AI%20for%20Workers.pdf

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KraftCV helps tech professionals create ATS-optimized resumes in minutes. Our free ATS scanner uses real NLP techniques — stemming, TF-IDF, alias resolution — to give you an accurate compatibility score, not just a keyword count. Built by developers, for developers. No credit card required.

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