If your agency needs to anonymise candidate CVs, you've probably come across both Distill and Blind CV. Each tackles candidate anonymisation differently, with distinct features and workflows. Choosing the right tool depends on whether you prioritise anonymisation alone or need CVs formatted to pass ATS scans too.
TL;DR comparison table
| Feature | Blind CV | Distill |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Candidate anonymisation for blind hiring | CV anonymisation plus ATS-safe formatting |
| CV formatting/cleaning | Limited or none | Yes — reformats CVs for ATS compatibility |
| Data retention | Not publicly detailed | Retains data only as needed; GDPR compliant |
| GDPR compliance | Focus on bias reduction, anonymisation | GDPR compliant; removes PII like name, photo, email, phone, graduation year |
| Integration focus | In-house recruiters and HR teams | Recruitment agencies handling multiple clients and ATS submissions |
| Pricing | Not publicly listed — contact for quote | Transparent, tiered pricing on Distill pricing |
| Workflow fit | Blind hiring workflows | Agency CV processing and anonymisation workflows |
What Blind CV actually does
Blind CV is positioned as a blind hiring platform aimed primarily at in-house recruitment teams and hiring managers. Their platform focuses on anonymising candidate information to reduce bias in hiring decisions. By stripping or masking personal details like names, photos, and possibly other identifiers, Blind CV helps hiring teams evaluate candidates solely on experience and skills.
Their website describes Blind CV as a tool to support diversity and fairness in recruitment by removing unconscious bias linked to personal data. The product appears to fit within internal HR processes rather than external agency workflows. Pricing isn't publicly listed — agencies will need to contact Blind CV directly for a quote.
There is limited public information about whether Blind CV reformats or cleans CV layouts for ATS compatibility. The emphasis seems to be on anonymisation as part of blind hiring rather than CV processing or formatting.
What Distill actually does
Distill caters specifically to recruitment agencies sending CVs to UK, Australian, and European clients. Its core function is twofold: anonymising candidate details and reformatting CVs to meet ATS specifications.
Distill strips personal identifiers such as name, email, phone, photo, and graduation year automatically. This removes compliance risks around GDPR and helps agencies meet client blind hiring policies.
Beyond anonymisation, Distill cleans messy CV formatting. It removes tables, fixes inconsistent fonts, and ensures the CV passes parsing engines used by Bullhorn, JobAdder, and other ATS. This reduces time wasted on manual reformatting and prevents CVs being rejected or misread by clients' systems.
Distill supports agency workflows where dozens of CVs need formatting and anonymising quickly before client submission.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Blind CV | Distill |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate anonymisation | Yes — focused on removing personal identifiers and bias-related info | Yes — removes name, email, phone, photo, graduation year |
| CV formatting and cleaning | Not clear or absent | Yes — reformats CVs for ATS parsing, removes tables, cleans layout |
| ATS compatibility | Likely limited | Designed to ensure ATS parses CVs correctly |
| Data retention policy | Not publicly detailed | GDPR compliant; minimal retention for processing |
| Integration with ATS or CRM | Not publicly detailed | Works alongside ATS submissions; no native ATS integration |
| Blind hiring workflow support | Primary use case | Secondary; supports anonymisation as part of agency process |
| User base | In-house recruiters, hiring managers | Recruitment agencies and consultants |
| Pricing | Not publicly listed; quote-based | Transparent pricing tiers on Distill pricing |
| Compliance focus | Bias reduction, diversity | GDPR compliance, data privacy, client specs |
Pricing breakdown
Blind CV doesn't list pricing publicly. Agencies interested will need to contact them directly for a quote. This model is common for platforms targeting enterprise or in-house recruitment teams.
Distill's pricing is transparent and tailored to agency volume, with plans for occasional users up to large teams submitting hundreds of CVs weekly. You can view the full breakdown on our pricing page.
If budget is a key consideration and your anonymisation needs are straightforward, Blind CV's quote-based approach may involve negotiation or customised pricing. Distill's clear pricing means no surprises.
Which agency type fits which tool
Blind CV fits best for in-house recruitment teams or employers focused on blind hiring policies. If your main goal is to remove bias from candidate evaluation and you already have well-formatted CVs, Blind CV may suffice.
Distill suits recruitment agencies managing multiple client submissions, where CV formatting errors cause parsing failures or delay candidate presentation. If you need anonymisation plus guaranteed ATS compatibility, Distill does both in one step.
Many agencies use both tools: Blind CV for the anonymisation stage within client HR, and Distill for agency-side formatting and compliance before submission.
FAQ
Does Blind CV reformat CVs for ATS?
Public information suggests Blind CV focuses on anonymisation for blind hiring and doesn't offer CV layout cleaning or ATS-specific formatting.
Can Distill handle blind hiring compliance?
Distill anonymises key personal data to support GDPR and blind hiring compliance but doesn't provide the full blind hiring workflow or bias reduction tools that Blind CV offers.
How does data retention compare?
Blind CV doesn't publicly disclose data retention policies. Distill retains only the data needed to process and anonymise CVs and complies with GDPR standards.
Can I integrate Blind CV or Distill directly with ATS?
Neither tool offers native ATS integration. Distill outputs formatted CVs ready for upload; Blind CV's integration details aren't publicly listed.
Which tool is better for UK, EU, and Australian markets?
Distill is tailored for these regions with compliance features and formats matching local ATS expectations. Blind CV targets global clients but lacks detailed regional focus publicly.
If you send 20 or more CVs weekly to clients using Bullhorn, JobAdder, or other ATS that choke on tables and inconsistent formatting, Distill reformats and anonymises your CVs in one step — saving time and reducing parsing errors. Start free Distill trial to see how it fits your agency workflow.