Top 5 Affordable Resume Parsers with a Free Trial in 2025

Bad hires can cost you a significant 30% of an employee's annual salary. No wonder 43% of HR professionals already use the right AI-powered hiring tools for efficient and fast hiring.

To avoid poor hiring, you need an accurate and affordable resume parser. The right parser can help cut inefficiencies, reduce costs, and save time.

You can also simplify your hiring process, just like 55% of companies using these market-leading, affordable resume parsers. Some of them offer a free trial, ensuring you can choose the one that suits your needs.

Top 5 Affordable Resume Parsers in 2025

Here's a comparison table of 5 affordable CV parsers:

We ranked these resume software for businesses based on their features, pricing, supported formats, ease of integration, and security.

1. Skima AI

Skima AI offers a cutting-edge resume parser that combines accuracy, speed, and affordability. It extracts over 200 data points, including contact info, work history, skills, and education. Plus, Skima’s parser integrates seamlessly with your ATS and HR platforms for ATS friendly parsing. This significantly reduces manual effort.

The tool enhances hiring efficiency, cuts recruitment costs, and lowers the risk of bad hires. Moreover, its advanced technology is optimized for various industries. It ensures fast, reliable results tailored to your business needs. In addition, it has a "Free Forever" plan which is easy to start and allows you to explore the tool.

2. Affinda

Affinda is a cost-effective solution for bulk resume parsing. It makes extracting data from CVs easy. The tool works well with ATS systems and supports PDFs and Word files. Using AI, it captures over 100 data fields from each resume. This ensures accuracy and helps sort candidates.

Unlike other tools, Affinda saves recruiters time and reduces manual work. However, extracting 100+ fields is fewer than that of competitors, which raises questions about accuracy.

3. Rchilli

Rchilli offers a powerful resume parsing solution designed to extract critical data from resumes. It supports multiple languages and formats, including PDFs, Word, and scanned docs. Rchilli’s API integrates with most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and CRM tools.

Its parsing engine identifies key sections like other parsers do. However, it stands out in terms of integration and language support, although other competitors' advanced AI-driven resume parsing and accuracy can deliver better results.

4. Textkernel

Textkernel provides a resume parsing tool designed for precision and efficiency. Its LLM Parser integrates proprietary AI with GPT-3.5 to extract data from resumes accurately. It supports multiple languages and seamlessly handles complex formats.

Textkernel has a compliance-focused design and secure data handling. However, while Textkernel is good for large-scale operations, it may not suit every budget or need. Other parsers offer more flexibility and affordable options.

5. Daxtra

Daxtra offers a powerful CV parsing tool designed for recruitment efficiency. It extracts data from over 150 fields and structures it for integration with ATS or CRM systems. Key features include automatic data loading, deduplication, and source tracking.

Besides, Daxtra's tools for intelligent skill coding and auto-shortlisting candidates based on job requirements are effective. Also, its add-ons allow for custom branding and privacy enhancements, ensuring tailored solutions. 

While Daxtra's parsing capabilities are good, its pricing and plans are not visible on the website, which raises questions about transparency.

How to Choose an Affordable Resume Parser for Your Needs?

The right resume parser is essential for efficient and accurate recruitment processes. Here are 5 key features to prioritize when choosing a cost-effective parser:

1. Parsing Accuracy

Recruiters and HR professionals should look for a resume parser that delivers high accuracy in extracting data. Tools like Skima AI resume parser boast almost 99% accuracy.

It uses advanced AI and OCR technologies. It can handle various file formats, like PDFs and Word docs. This ensures precision in capturing applicant information.

2. Integration with ATS and HR Tools

Ensure the resume parser integrates with your existing Applicant Tracking System and other HR platforms. It must enable smooth workflows and eliminate manual data entry.

3. Bulk Processing Capabilities

If your company or agency processes high volumes of CVs, prioritize parsers with bulk processing features. It should parse thousands of resumes at once. This will cut processing time and effort for HR teams.

4. Affordability vs. Functionality

Check if the parser is worth the money. Consider the basic package's features and any hidden costs, like API fees. Also, check for a free trial to test the tool before buying. Balancing costs with robust features ensures you don’t overpay for unnecessary extras.

5. GDPR and Data Security Compliance

Prioritise tools that meet data security standards, like GDPR and SOC 2. They must have strong measures to protect sensitive applicant data.

How to Check and Test a Resume Parser Before Buying?

To ensure resume parsing tools meet your hiring needs, test them effectively before purchasing. Here's how to do it:

1. Upload Resumes in Various Formats

Test the resume reading software with various resume file formats like PDFs, Word documents, and scanned images. This ensures it can process all formats you typically receive. It won't lose data accuracy due to file type limits. For example, many tools use advanced OCR to process scanned resumes.

2. Verify Parsing Accuracy

Check how well the parser extracts key details, like:  

• Contact information  
• Work experience  
• Skills  
• Education

Compare the parsed results with the original resumes to identify any missing or incorrectly captured data. Accurate parsing minimizes the risk of incomplete or erroneous records in your system.

3. Test API Integration with Your Existing Systems

Check if the parser integrates smoothly with your ATS, CRM, or other recruitment software. Seamless integration ensures efficient workflows. This includes automatic resume imports and streamlined candidate management.

4. Compare Parsed Results Against Manual Inputs

You can manually enter data from sample resumes and compare it to the parser's output. This step highlights discrepancies, offering insight into the parser's reliability. This test measures whether the parser is better than manual entry. It should save time and reduce errors.

5. Use the Free Trial to Test Scalability

Use free trial offers to test the tool in real-world conditions. Process a large batch of resumes to see how it performs when dealing with high volumes. You must ensure it stays fast and accurate when handling bulk uploads, without crashing or slowing down.

Are Affordable Resume Parsers as Accurate as Premium Ones?

An affordable resume parser lets you test the tool without overspending. It can be a smart starting point for your recruitment needs. The same parser offers premium features with its higher-tier plans.

As your hiring volume increases or your requirements become more complex, upgrading to a premium plan gives you access to advanced features like enhanced AI capabilities and bulk processing.

This approach helps you get the most value out of the tool while keeping costs in check. Choose a plan that aligns with your current and future goals, ensuring the best balance between affordability and functionality.

Research Methodology

After thorough research, these affordable resume parsers were ranked based on their ability to meet the recruitment needs of businesses and offer strong value for money. We considered the following criteria when ranking them:

• Starting Price: Tools were compared for cost-effectiveness without compromising on essential features.
• Formats Supported: Parsers were evaluated for their ability to handle diverse resume formats like OCR files, PDFs, DOCs, and more.
• Integration Ease: We prioritized tools that integrate with popular ATS and recruitment platforms.
• SOC 2 Security Compliance: Security was a key focus, ensuring the tools meet industry standards for data protection.
• Free Plan: We highlighted parsers with free versions or long trials for their accessibility.

This approach ensures our rankings are tailored to businesses looking for affordable, secure, and efficient resume parsing software.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can these affordable parsers integrate with ATS?

Yes, most resume parsers, including Skima AI, Affinda, and Textkernel, are designed to integrate with popular ATSs. They aim to streamline recruitment workflows.

2. Are affordable resume parsers GDPR compliant?

Yes, many affordable resume parsers, such as Skima AI and Rchilli, ensure GDPR compliance by prioritising secure data handling and processing. Always verify the compliance of each tool before using them.

3. Which tool works best for bulk processing?

Skima AI is ideal for bulk processing as it can handle high-volume resumes without compromising accuracy.