---
title: "Reactive Resume vs CareerCircle"
description: "Compare Reactive Resume and CareerCircle by free PDF and Word exports, career resources, accounts, open source, and self-hosting."
---

CareerCircle is a better fit when you want resume drafting alongside job listings, courses, and professional-development resources. Reactive Resume is a better fit when resume ownership, export formats, and self-hosting are the main concerns.

## Quick comparison

| Consideration | Reactive Resume | CareerCircle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Resume workflow | Structured resume editor with reusable versions | Resume builder within a career-services platform |
| Downloads | PDF, DOCX, Markdown, and JSON | PDF and Microsoft Word downloads |
| Writing support | Direct editing and optional AI | Guidance and tips from staffing experts |
| Career services | Resume and application tools | Jobs, courses, and professional-development resources |
| Account | An account stores resume versions | Sign-up is required to use the service |

CareerCircle documents PDF and Microsoft Word downloads from its resume builder. It also places staffing-expert guidance, job search, courses, and professional-development resources in the same service.

Reactive Resume supports [PDF, DOCX, Markdown, and JSON exports](/guides/exporting-your-resume), and its [dashboard](/guides/managing-resumes-from-the-dashboard) supports separate resume versions. Its source is public under the [MIT license](/legal/license), with a Docker self-hosting path.

## Where CareerCircle is a better fit

Choose CareerCircle when you want the resume builder connected to job search, courses, and professional-development resources. Its staffing-expert guidance is also useful when you prefer help within that career-services workflow.

## Where Reactive Resume is a better fit

Choose Reactive Resume when you want to keep multiple resume versions and export them in document or data formats. It is also an option when you want to run the software yourself; see the [self-hosting guide](/self-hosting/docker).

## Which should you choose?

Choose CareerCircle for a sign-up-based career service with its resume builder, jobs, courses, and professional-development resources. Choose Reactive Resume for a standalone resume system with reusable data and self-hosting.

## Reactive Resume limitations in this comparison

Reactive Resume does not provide CareerCircle's broader course, job, and community services. If those resources should live alongside the resume workflow, CareerCircle is the closer fit.

## Sources

- [CareerCircle resume builder](https://www.careercircle.com/resume-builder)
- [Reactive Resume: exporting your resume](/guides/exporting-your-resume)
- [Reactive Resume: managing resumes from the dashboard](/guides/managing-resumes-from-the-dashboard)
- [Reactive Resume self-hosting](/self-hosting/docker)

Last checked: July 28, 2026

<Card title="Use a standalone resume system" icon="arrow-right" href="https://rxresu.me">
  Try Reactive Resume when resume ownership, multiple export formats, and self-hosting matter more than bundled career
  services.
</Card>
