Gemini vs roasted.cv: convenient vs hired
Gemini lives in your Google Docs. roasted.cv lives for one job: getting you past the filter.
Gemini is Google's general AI assistant, wired into Search and Workspace, and plenty of people now ask it to review their resume. It is fast, free to start, and convenient if you live in Google Docs and Gmail.
But convenience is not the same as a resume product. Because it is right there in Docs, it is easy to skip the step that matters. Gemini does not test your file against an ATS, the applicant tracking software that screens resumes, its knowledge has a training cutoff, and it gives the same general advice to everyone. roasted.cv is built specifically for the resume: current hiring signal, industry-specific judgment, an in-place rewrite, and an ATS-tested export.
What Gemini does well
- Convenient in Google's stack. Built into Search, Docs, and Gmail, so it is right there while you work.
- Fast drafting. Quick at rephrasing, summarizing, and generating first-draft bullets.
- Free to start. A capable free tier and a paid Advanced tier.
- Broad general knowledge. Decent at common resume conventions and general career questions.
For quick edits inside Google's tools, Gemini is handy.
Where Gemini falls short
- Advice with a training cutoff. Hiring norms, in-demand skills, and ATS behavior change constantly, and a general model can confidently hand you guidance that is already out of date.
- No ATS test, no template, no export. It produces text in a chat or a Doc. It does not parse your file like an applicant tracking system or give you a tested, exportable layout.
- Generic and agreeable. Without heavy prompting it gives the same checklist to everyone, and it leans toward praising your draft rather than roasting the weak lines.
- Can be confidently wrong. Like any chatbot, it will state a plausible-sounding best practice that does not hold up, with no recruiter behind it.
How roasted.cv is different
- 1Built for the step you skip. Gemini is convenient inside Docs, which is exactly why people stop at a quick polish. roasted.cv does the part that matters: it names the lines a recruiter would skim and rewrites them in the same editor.
- 2A real ATS test and export. Templates tested against the ATS systems recruiters use, with a finished PDF export, not chat text to reformat.
- 3Current hiring signal, not a training cutoff. roasted.cv's recommendations are gathered from closed communities of job seekers, recruiters, and hiring managers, so the advice reflects the market now, not a snapshot from training time.
- 4Industry-specific feedback. The roast changes by role and field instead of one generic rubric for everyone.
- 5A focused product, fairly priced. Free 30 credits that never expire, a $13 one-time fix, or packs, all aimed at one outcome: a resume that converts.
Side by side
| Feature | Gemini | roasted.cv |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | General writing assistant | Resume roast, rewrite, and export |
| Knowledge freshness | Training cutoff, can be stale | Current hiring-community signal |
| Industry-specific advice | Generic unless heavily prompted | Built in, varies by role |
| ATS testing | No | Yes, ATS-tested |
| Templates and PDF export | No | Free |
| Rewrites in the document | No, returns chat text | Yes, AI editor in place |
| Blunt recruiter critique | Praises, rarely blunt | Yes, recruiter-voice roast |
| Built into Google Docs and Gmail | Yes | No |
| Job-description tailoring | Manual prompting | Apply Kit (resume plus cover letter) |
| Entry price | Free / paid Advanced tier | $13 one-time, or 100 credits for $10 |
Pricing, side by side
Gemini (2026)
- Free: capable general tier
- Advanced: paid tier bundled with Google One for higher limits and newer models
- Not a resume product: no ATS test, no templates, no export
roasted.cv (2026)
- Free forever: 30 credits on signup (a roast costs 5 credits, so that is about 6 roasts), never expire, no card. Includes the roast, AI editor, ATS templates, PDF export, and a public link.
- Credit packs (one-time, never expire): 100 for $10, 250 for $22, 500 for $40.
- Fix my resume: $13 one-time, a full rewrite plus a list of every problem and its fix.
- Hunter Pass: $19/month, or $13/month billed quarterly. 200 credits/month, up to 40 roasts/month, autofix, and live job search.
Gemini is convenient inside Google's tools, but it is a general assistant. roasted.cv's free tier is built for the resume and includes the ATS test and export Gemini does not.
Pricing checked June 2026. Vendors change tiers often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Who should pick Gemini
- You live in Google Docs and Gmail and want quick edits right there.
- You want fast first-draft phrasing and are comfortable judging quality yourself.
- You have broad career questions, not just the resume.
Gemini is a convenient assistant inside Google's stack. Convenient is not the same as built to get you hired.
Who should pick roasted.cv
- You want feedback grounded in current hiring signal, not a training cutoff.
- You want industry-specific judgment, not one generic checklist.
- You want a real ATS test and an exportable resume, not chat text.
- You want the weak lines rewritten in the document and a verdict on what is failing, not a polish.
When not to pick roasted.cv
If you just want quick edits inside Google Docs or to ask general career questions, Gemini is convenient and free to start. Use roasted.cv when you want the resume itself roasted, fixed, and ATS-tested.
FAQ
- Is Gemini good for resumes?
- It is convenient for quick edits inside Google's tools, but it is not a resume product. It cannot test against an ATS, it has a training cutoff, and it tends to praise rather than critique hard. roasted.cv is built for the diagnosis, rewrite, and ATS test.
- Why choose roasted.cv over Gemini for a resume?
- roasted.cv's advice is built from current hiring-community signal, it is industry-specific, it tests against the ATS systems recruiters use, and it rewrites and exports the resume in one place. Gemini returns text in a chat or a Doc.
- Can Gemini check ATS compatibility?
- No. Gemini does not parse your file like an applicant tracking system. roasted.cv tests templates against the ATS systems recruiters use and flags what breaks parsing.
- Is Gemini's resume advice up to date?
- Not reliably. A general model has a training cutoff while hiring norms shift constantly, so it can repeat advice that no longer holds. roasted.cv tracks what is getting people hired right now.
Living in your Docs is convenient. It will not get you past the filter.