Virtual-Assistant Formatting Service (VA Formatting Service) is a common choice for recruitment agencies needing CV formatting support. Yet many agency owners and ops managers look beyond it for reasons including cost, turnaround times, and specialised compliance needs. This article compares seven alternatives to VA Formatting Service, helping you understand which tools fit different agency workflows and compliance demands.
TL;DR
VA Formatting Service works well for basic CV tidying but can struggle with blind hiring compliance, ATS compatibility, and quick turnaround at scale. Alternatives vary — some focus on automation, others on anonymisation or workflow integration. Distill handles CV formatting and anonymisation efficiently, while other tools complement with screening or sourcing. Choosing the right mix depends on your team's priorities around cost, compliance, and volume.
Why agencies look beyond VA Formatting Service
VA Formatting Service typically outsources manual CV tidying to virtual assistants. This approach has advantages: human eyes can catch odd formats and errors that software misses. But it comes with drawbacks:
- Scalability: Virtual assistants can't instantly scale for spikes in volume. Backlogs build quickly.
- Blind Hiring Compliance: Manual formatting rarely includes anonymisation steps needed under the Equality Act 2010 and other blind hiring programmes.
- ATS Safety: Some VAs don't fully understand how to format CVs for ATS parsing, causing client dissatisfaction.
- Cost and Control: Outsourcing can be costly and limits direct visibility into formatting quality or data handling.
- Turnaround: Turnaround times depend on VA availability and workload. Not ideal for last-minute submissions.
These gaps push agencies to explore alternatives that offer faster, more compliant, or more automated formatting.
Comparison table: 7 VA Formatting Service alternatives
| Tool | Focus | Pricing | Blind Hiring Support | ATS Safety | Workflow Fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distill | CV formatting + anonymisation | From £X/month (see /pricing) | Strips name, contact, photo | Formats CVs to ATS specs | Integrates with email workflows | Fast, automated anonymisation + formatting |
| Skillate | AI screening + parsing | Pricing not publicly listed | Limited anonymisation | AI-enhanced parsing | Screening + sourcing | Positioned as screening tool with parsing |
| Jobalign | Blind hiring compliance workflow | Pricing not publicly listed | Strong anonymisation | CV formatting unclear | Blind hiring workflows | Focused on compliance, less on formatting |
| Workable | Recruiting platform + sourcing | From £XX/month | Basic anonymisation features | ATS native | End-to-end recruitment | ATS + sourcing, some formatting |
| CV Compiler | CV optimisation + ATS scanning | Pricing not publicly listed | No anonymisation | ATS parsing advice | Candidate-facing tool | Focus on candidate CV improvement |
| Anonymiser.io | Free anonymisation tool | Free | Removes personal data | No formatting | One-off anonymisation | Simple, free, no formatting |
| Breezy HR | Recruitment platform with ATS | From £XX/month | Some anonymisation | ATS native | Full recruitment cycle | Not focused on formatting |
Distill (where it fits)
Distill automates the formatting and anonymisation of CVs. It strips names, emails, phone numbers, photos, graduation years, and other identifiers before you submit. It also formats CVs to client ATS specs, reducing parsing errors and speeding up review.
Distill is designed for agencies that handle 20+ CVs a week and want reliable, consistent formatting without manual rework. It fits well alongside sourcing and screening tools that don't cover formatting or anonymisation. Distill doesn't replace sourcing or candidate assessment but complements those workflows.
5 commercial alternatives — strengths and gaps
Skillate
Skillate is positioned as an AI-powered screening and parsing platform. It focuses on candidate scoring, reducing recruiter time spent sifting through CVs. While it offers parsing improvements, anonymisation features appear limited. Pricing isn't public, and it's unclear if Skillate handles formatting to client specs. Agencies looking for screening automation may consider it alongside a formatting tool like Distill.
Jobalign
Jobalign brands itself as a blind hiring compliance platform. It helps agencies anonymise CVs and manage compliance workflows. Its CV formatting capabilities aren't clearly outlined. Jobalign's strength lies in compliance and anonymisation but may require pairing with a formatting service for ATS safety.
Workable
Workable is a full recruitment platform with sourcing, ATS, and basic anonymisation features. It supports end-to-end recruitment but isn't specialised in CV formatting. Agencies using Workable might still need a dedicated formatting tool for complex ATS compatibility or blind hiring compliance.
CV Compiler
CV Compiler focuses on candidate-facing CV optimisation and ATS scanning. It's designed to help candidates improve their CVs rather than serve agency formatting needs. It lacks anonymisation and formatting features but can be useful for coaching candidates.
Breezy HR
Breezy HR is a recruitment platform with ATS capabilities and some anonymisation tools. It covers full recruitment cycles but isn't focused on formatting. Agencies relying on Breezy might still require a separate formatting and anonymisation solution.
Free / open-source alternative
Anonymiser.io is a simple, free tool for removing personal identifiers from CVs. It doesn't format CVs or ensure ATS safety but can be useful for quick anonymisation in blind hiring processes. It's best suited for agencies with low volume or those testing blind hiring workflows before investing.
How to choose
Start by identifying your agency's priorities:
- Volume: If you submit 20+ CVs weekly, automation with Distill reduces manual overhead.
- Blind Hiring Compliance: Choose a tool that removes personal identifiers reliably or integrates with your compliance workflows.
- ATS Compatibility: Ensure formatting matches client ATS parsing requirements to avoid rejections.
- Budget: Free tools like Anonymiser.io help test concepts, but scale and quality usually require paid solutions.
- Workflow Integration: Consider whether you want an all-in-one recruitment platform or a best-of-breed toolset combining formatting, anonymisation, sourcing, and screening.
Most agencies benefit from combining tools. Distill handles formatting and anonymisation efficiently. Pair it with screening tools like Skillate or a recruitment platform like Workable depending on your broader needs.
FAQ
Q: Can Distill replace my virtual assistant formatting team? A: Distill automates formatting and anonymisation but doesn't replace human judgement on candidate suitability or sourcing. It's best as a complement to existing recruitment workflows.
Q: Do these alternatives guarantee ATS compatibility? A: No tool guarantees perfect ATS parsing due to client-specific variances. Distill formats CVs to common specifications to reduce errors but some manual checks may still be needed.
Q: Are free anonymisation tools enough for blind hiring? A: They can help but usually lack formatting and quality controls. For compliance and volume, paid tools offering integrated anonymisation and formatting are safer.
Q: How does pricing compare? A: Pricing varies widely. Distill's pricing is transparent on /pricing. Others require direct quotes. Factor in the cost of manual formatting or compliance risks when comparing.
If you're sending 20+ CVs a week to clients requiring blind hiring or ATS-safe formatting, Distill formats them to spec automatically and strips personal data before submission. Start free Distill trial to see how it fits your workflow.