CV writing services in the UK range from around £9 to well over £500. That's a huge spread — and it's not always obvious what you actually get at each price point, or whether paying for a rewrite is genuinely worth it. This guide gives you an honest breakdown.
The market for professional CV help has changed significantly in recent years. AI tools have driven prices down at the lower end, while established career consultants and executive CV specialists continue to charge premium rates for a more personal service.
There's also a lot of variation in quality at every price point. A £200 service isn't automatically better than a £30 one — and a £10 service isn't automatically a waste of money. What matters is what you're getting and whether it fits your situation.
Canva, CV Library, Reed, and various online tools offer free CV templates and builders. These are fine for formatting but won't improve your content. They also tend to produce heavily templated CVs that look identical to thousands of others — which is a problem when recruiters see the same layout dozens of times a day.
Best for: Someone who just needs a clean layout and is confident writing strong content themselves.
A growing category of services use AI to rewrite and optimise CVs at low cost. Quality varies significantly. The best of them — particularly those built specifically for CV writing rather than general AI tools — can produce genuinely strong results: proper ATS optimisation, keyword matching to the job description, and coherent professional language. The worst produce generic output that reads like it was written by a machine, which it was.
The key differentiator at this price point is whether the service tailors output to a specific job description or just produces a generic rewrite.
Best for: Job seekers on a budget who want ATS optimisation and a significant content improvement without the cost of a human consultant.
Platforms like Fiverr and PeoplePerHour have many freelance CV writers at this price point. Again, quality varies enormously. The best have HR or recruitment backgrounds and will ask detailed questions before writing. The worst will produce a lightly edited version of what you gave them and call it a rewrite. Reading reviews carefully and asking for samples before committing is essential at this tier.
Best for: Mid-career professionals who want a human touch but don't want to spend hundreds of pounds.
Established services like TopCV and The CV Centre operate in this range. They typically offer a consultation process, multiple revisions, and a more structured approach. They also tend to have dedicated writers for different sectors, so your CV is handled by someone with relevant industry knowledge. The price reflects genuine human expertise and time investment.
Best for: Senior professionals, executives, or career changers who want thorough human involvement and are comfortable with the cost.
At this level you're typically getting a comprehensive package: CV rewrite, LinkedIn profile optimisation, interview coaching, and ongoing career strategy support. The CV itself is one component of a broader engagement. For C-suite candidates targeting roles that pay £100k+, this investment can make sense. For most job seekers, it doesn't.
Best for: Senior executives, board-level candidates, or those making a high-stakes career transition where every detail matters.
The honest answer: it depends on what the alternative costs you.
If you're applying for a role that pays £35,000 a year and you've been out of work for two months, the cost of that unemployment is already £5,800 in lost earnings. A £10 or £50 investment in a better CV is trivially small by comparison.
The question isn't really "can I afford a CV rewrite?" — it's "can I afford not to fix this if my current CV isn't working?"
A CV that consistently gets rejected is costing you far more in lost salary than any rewrite service charges. The maths almost always favour investing in fixing it.
We offer CV rewrites from £9.99, tailored to your specific target role and job description. You share your current CV and the role you're applying for, and receive a professionally rewritten, ATS-optimised document within 24 hours. No subscription, no hidden fees. If you're not happy, get in touch within 48 hours and we'll make it right.
Professional CV rewrite tailored to your role. ATS-optimised. Delivered within 24 hours.
See pricing — from £6.99