Free ATS Resume Templates 2026: 32 Templates That Actually Pass Screening

You found the perfect job posting. You wrote a great resume. You hit apply.

Then silence.

The problem isn't your qualifications. It's your template.

Most resume rejections happen before a human ever reads the document. Applicant Tracking Systems filter out resumes with layouts they can't parse — columns, graphics, embedded text, inconsistent formatting.

If you're not sure whether your current template is ATS-safe, read our complete ATS resume guide for the full breakdown. This post focuses on giving you 32 tested templates to choose from.

32 Free ATS Resume Templates

ResumeMD includes 32 professionally designed templates — every one built with ATS-compatible structure (single-column layouts, standard headings, selectable text). Here's the full catalog:

Classic & Professional

Classic — Clean single-column layout with traditional formatting. Works everywhere.
Professional — Subtle design touches while staying fully ATS-compatible.
Executive — Designed for senior roles with emphasis on leadership sections.
Academic — Structured for academic CVs with publication and research sections.
Serif — Traditional typography for conservative industries (law, finance, consulting).

Modern & Clean

Modern — Contemporary design with clean lines and subtle color accents.
Minimal — Maximum whitespace, zero clutter. Content speaks for itself.
Clean — Streamlined layout that prioritizes readability.
Airy — Generous spacing for a light, approachable feel.
Centered — Centered header with left-aligned content sections.

Creative & Distinctive

Creative — Stands out while staying ATS-parseable.
Bold — Strong typography and prominent section headers.
Statement — Makes an impression without sacrificing machine-readability.
Coral — Warm color palette with professional layout.
Gradient — Subtle gradient accents in an ATS-safe format.
Retro — Vintage-inspired typography with modern structure.

Technical & Developer

Tech — Monospace-inspired design built for engineering resumes.
Compact — Fits more content per page for detailed technical backgrounds.
Monochrome — High-contrast black and white for maximum clarity.
Split — Clean content division without breaking ATS parsing.
Tight — Dense layout for candidates with extensive experience.

Design-Forward

Swiss — Inspired by Swiss typography principles: grid-based and precise.
Elegant — Refined design for design-adjacent roles.
Editorial — Magazine-inspired layout that ATS can still parse.
Aurora — Soft color transitions with clean structure.
Cosmos — Space-themed accents with professional fundamentals.
Polaris — Star-inspired minimal design.
Zenith — Peak-inspired clean aesthetic.
Stellar — Light and bright with subtle design elements.
Timeline — Chronological markers for career progression.

Specialty

Sidebar — Two-panel layout using a smart split approach that maintains ATS readability.
Dark — Dark background template for creative industries (exports as standard ATS-friendly PDF).

Template Selection by Industry

Choosing the right template depends on your industry's expectations. Here's what works:

Industry	Recommended Templates	Why
Tech / Engineering	Tech, Compact, Monochrome	Clean, scannable, content-dense
Finance / Consulting	Serif, Executive, Classic	Traditional, conservative formatting
Marketing / Design	Modern, Creative, Bold	Shows personality while staying ATS-safe
Healthcare / Education	Professional, Academic, Clean	Clear structure, easy to scan
Entry Level	Minimal, Airy, Modern	Doesn't highlight sparse experience
Executive / C-Suite	Executive, Swiss, Elegant	Authoritative without being flashy
Government / Legal	Classic, Serif, Professional	Formal, no-frills, maximally readable

A Note on "Creative" Templates

If you're in a creative field, you might be tempted to use a highly designed template. Resist that urge for online applications — ATS doesn't care about aesthetics. Use a visually distinctive but structurally simple template like Creative, Bold, or Editorial. Save the portfolio-style designs for in-person interviews or direct emails.

How to Switch Between Templates

Go to ResumeMD — no signup required
Write your content in the editor (or paste from ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini)
Open the Design panel and click any template to preview instantly
Export as PDF — the output is ATS-optimized automatically

Your content stays the same when you switch templates. This means you can write once and try every template to see which fits your style and industry.

Template Mistakes That Get Resumes Rejected

Using Canva or Figma templates without testing. They look beautiful, but some templates produce PDFs where text is embedded as images — ATS sees a blank page. Always run the Cmd+F test on any exported PDF: if you can't search for your name, ATS can't parse it either.

Two-column layouts from Word. Microsoft Word's column feature creates formatting that many ATS platforms can't parse. Stick to single-column unless the template is specifically designed for ATS (like ResumeMD's Sidebar template).

Templates with headers and footers. Your name in the header? Many ATS systems ignore headers entirely. Keep your name and contact info in the main body.

Overdesigned templates. If it looks like a magazine, ATS probably can't read it. Visual flair should come from typography and spacing, not graphics and color blocks.

The Bottom Line

A great resume needs two things: strong content and a format that reaches human eyes.

Every template in ResumeMD is designed to do both — look professional to recruiters and parse correctly through ATS software.

Try all 32 templates free at ResumeMD — no account needed, no watermarks, unlimited exports.