Introduction
AI tools are rapidly changing how job seekers craft their resumes and cover letters. But with dozens of AI cover letter generators flooding the market, how do you know which one actually delivers?
To help you decide, we tested five of the most popular AI cover letter generators using the same resume and job description for a real marketing role. Our goal was to evaluate ease of use, quality of output, personalization, and ATS-friendliness.
In this post, we break down our experience and tell you which AI tools impressed us—and which fell short.
Methodology: How We Tested
We used a sample resume and a real job posting for a Marketing Manager role at a mid-size tech company. For each AI tool, we evaluated:
Ease of Use: How intuitive the process is
Speed: Time taken to generate a complete cover letter
Customization: How well the tool tailored the letter to the job
Quality: Tone, grammar, and overall professionalism
ATS Optimization: Keyword usage and formatting
Pricing: Free features vs. paid limitations
The 5 AI Cover Letter Tools We Tested
CoverLetterCopilot.ai
Kickresume
Resumaker.ai
Zety
Teal
1. CoverLetterCopilot.ai – Best Overall Quality
Ease of Use: 5/5
Speed: Under 2 minutes
Customization: Excellent
ATS Optimization: High
Free Plan: 1 free cover letter
Price: Starts at $7.99/month
Our Experience:
CoverLetterCopilot was incredibly fast and impressively specific. We pasted in the job description and uploaded a resume, and the resulting letter used targeted keywords, a confident tone, and achievements that matched the role. It also offered a built-in editor for fine-tuning.
Standout Feature:
Recruiter-validated phrasing and job-tailored personalization with minimal input.
Bottom Line:
This tool created the most human-like and job-relevant letter with minimal effort.
2. Kickresume – Best for Design and Layout
Ease of Use: 4.5/5
Speed: 3 minutes
Customization: Moderate
ATS Optimization: Medium
Free Plan: Available
Price: Premium starts at $9/month
Our Experience:
Kickresume produced a clean, structured cover letter with modern formatting. It offered pre-written content and tone selection but required more manual adjustments for keyword optimization.
Standout Feature:
Sleek visual templates and real-time grammar suggestions.
Bottom Line:
Ideal for those who care about aesthetics and layout, especially in design or creative industries.
3. Resumaker.ai – Best Free Tool for Quick Drafts
Ease of Use: 5/5
Speed: Under 1 minute
Customization: Basic
ATS Optimization: Low
Free Plan: Fully free
Price: Free
Our Experience:
No login required, no waiting. This tool generated a simple, well-structured cover letter quickly. It lacked deeper personalization but served as a decent draft to build on.
Standout Feature:
No signup or payment required.
Bottom Line:
Great for fast, no-frills generation, but you’ll want to edit heavily before submitting.
4. Zety – Best Guided Builder for Beginners
Ease of Use: 4.5/5
Speed: 5–7 minutes
Customization: Good
ATS Optimization: Medium
Free Plan: Requires workaround
Price: Starts at $2.70 (14-day full access)
Our Experience:
Zety uses a fill-in-the-blank builder that walks you through each paragraph of your cover letter. The suggestions were solid, but the tool required a paid plan to download the final letter.
Standout Feature:
Helpful step-by-step guidance.
Bottom Line:
Best for first-time applicants or those unsure of what to say. Use the copy-paste trick before the payment screen if you want to save your letter for free.
5. Teal – Best for Multi-Application Management
Ease of Use: 4/5
Speed: 3–5 minutes
Customization: Strong
ATS Optimization: High
Free Plan: Available
Price: Pro starts at $9/week
Our Experience:
Teal shines when you’re applying to dozens of jobs. It pulled data from the job posting and resume to generate a clear, role-specific letter. Bonus: it integrates with Chrome to track saved jobs and tailor each application.
Standout Feature:
Built-in job tracker and resume-matching system.
Bottom Line:
Ideal for power users applying to multiple roles simultaneously.
Final Rankings: What Worked Best
Rank Tool Best For Free Plan Final Score (Out of 10)
1 CoverLetterCopilot Best overall quality + customization Yes 9.5
2 Kickresume Best design/layout Yes 8.5
3 Teal Best for high-volume applications Yes 8.3
4 Zety Best beginner experience Yes* 7.9
5 Resumaker.ai Best fast & free tool Yes 7.5
Conclusion
AI cover letter tools have come a long way. In our hands-on testing, CoverLetterCopilot.ai emerged as the top choice for quality, relevance, and overall user experience. Whether you’re crafting one letter or applying to 50 roles, these tools can save you hours while improving your chances of standing out.
Just remember—the best results come when you personalize. Start with AI, then fine-tune the output to reflect your voice and enthusiasm for the role.
FAQs
1. Can I use these tools for any job type?
Yes, most tools support a wide range of industries and roles.
2. Are AI cover letters accepted by recruiters?
Yes, especially when they sound natural and are customized to the company.
3. Do I need to pay to use them?
Most tools offer a free tier or workaround, but premium features (like downloads or unlimited letters) may require payment.
4. How do I make an AI-generated letter sound less robotic?
Add a sentence about why you like the company or mention a recent campaign or initiative they launched.
5. Which is best for applying to multiple jobs fast?
Teal and CoverLetterCopilot are both optimized for high-volume applications.