the best will writing service

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Best Online Will Makers of 2024

on LegalZoom's website

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

A will ensures your possessions go to the right people after your death. If you have a complicated family situation or large estate, you may want to hire an attorney to help craft yours. But online wills and online will makers can cost less and meet your state’s legal requirements, too.

Best online will makers

The best online will makers are reasonably priced, easy to use and tailored to each state’s requirements and offer online wills that are customizable to your life circumstances. Online will makers also can guide you through the process with good support and help you start estate planning on your timeline. Here are our top picks.

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker: Best all-inclusive

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker

Nolo’s services are among the most comprehensive on the market.

• Straightforward, user-friendly process.
• One year of free updates to your documents.
• Access to over 35 estate planning documents depending on plan.
• Software download available with only Windows 8.1/10/11 or macOS 10.13 and higher.
• Documents aren’t valid in Louisiana or U.S. territories.
• No access to attorney support.

on Nolo's website

What it looks like

Why we like it

Nolo’s services are among the most comprehensive on the market. Its Quicken WillMaker offers over 35 state-specific estate planning documents in one place, available online or as a software download. The service can be used to make a pour-over will, health care directive , living trust , letters to survivors and other financial management documents, depending on your annual plan.

All three plans help you craft a will via a simple, straightforward questionnaire that guides you to the documents you need. If you decide not to use the cloud version, be sure you have enough space on your computer (54 megabytes) to download the software.

» MORE: See our full review of Quicken WillMaker

GoodTrust: Best for digital assets

GoodTrust's “Digital Vault” feature is helpful for incorporating your online assets into your estate plan for a reasonable cost.

• Digital vault for organizing online accounts and digital assets.
• Unlimited updates.
• Family plan (each adult member can create their own documents) for no additional cost.
• No attorney support.
• Documents aren’t state-specific but are binding in all 50 states when following state-specific instructions.

on GoodTrust's website

GoodTrust stands out for its “Digital Vault” feature, an encrypted online platform for secure storage of any online asset, including social media accounts, subscriptions and online banking information. You can add a trusted contact to any account on an item-by-item basis and provide detailed instructions, such as how to memorialize your Facebook account or where to transfer your Venmo balance.

GoodTrust offers key estate planning documents for a reasonable fee compared to other estate planning services. The service includes customer support via email ticket and live chat during the will-making process.

» MORE: Learn what can happen if you die intestate (without a will)

Trust & Will: Best for ease of use

Trust & Will

Trust & Will stands out for its quick and easy-to-use process.

• Simple and straightforward process for an online will.
• Unlimited updates with an annual membership.
• Add a year of attorney support for $300.
• Not great for complex family or financial situations.

on Trust & Will's website

Trust & Will stands out for its quick and easy-to-use process. The online will maker service includes HIPAA authorization, living will and power of attorney documents. You can download your documents, but all documents also ship free for first-time users with state-specific notarization instructions.

The Trust & Will website also includes a library of educational content to help users understand estate planning, and unlimited attorney support is available for $200 per year.

» MORE: See our full review of Trust & Will

Rocket Lawyer: Best customer service

Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer stands out for its customer service, which includes the option to contact a lawyer for legal assistance via phone, email or online chat.

• Free seven-day membership trial.
• 30-minute phone consultation with a lawyer included with membership.
• Built-in chat feature to ask a lawyer questions.
• Membership can be costly.
• Must have membership to make changes after the trial period expires.

on Rocket Lawyer's website

Rocket Lawyer stands out for its customer service, which includes the option to contact a lawyer for legal assistance via phone, email or online chat. This service is included in Rocket Lawyer’s $39.99 monthly fee, which gives you access to all estate planning documents on the platform.

Otherwise, you can fill out the company’s free will template. The seven-day free trial is a great way to take advantage of the upgraded customer service, but you’ll have to pay to make updates after the trial ends.

» MORE: See our full review of Rocket Lawyer's Online Will

LegalZoom: Best state-specific legal advice

LegalZoom’s online will maker, like its other legal services, uses flat-fee pricing and offers attorney assistance for an added fee.

• Attorneys available for consultation in all 50 states.
• Flat-fee pricing.
• More expensive than some other online will makers.
• Relatively narrow document offerings.

LegalZoom’s online will maker, like its other legal services, uses flat-fee pricing and offers attorney assistance for an added fee. The company has independent attorneys available in all 50 states who can help make sure your documents comply with your state’s laws.

You can craft an online will starting at $89 and add other forms, such as a power of attorney for $35 and a living will for $39.

» MORE: See our full review of LegalZoom's online will maker

Do Your Own Will: Best free will software

Do Your Own Will

Do Your Own Will offers wills, living wills and power of attorney documents for download as PDFs and Word documents.

• Free documents, including living will and power of attorney.
• No account or credit card information needed.
• You’ll need to check state laws to make sure your will complies.
• No legal support available.

on Nerdwallet

Do Your Own Will offers wills, living wills and power of attorney documents for download as PDFs and Word documents. You can select your state and fill in basic information to craft a basic will at no cost. This service doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other online will makers, and you may need to double-check the legal standards for your state, but it’s simple, functional and free.

» MORE: See our full review of Do Your Own Will

Fabric by Gerber Life: Best online will maker for young families

Fabric by Gerber Life

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a free online will maker catered to families with young children.

• Free online will template.
• Option to buy life insurance through the website.
• Specifically made for families with young children.
• No attorney access available.
• Wills aren’t state-specific.

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a free online will maker catered to families with young children. Fabric’s will template isn’t state-specific, though the website does provide instructions to make your will legally binding in your state. The process is fairly quick and offers an easy way to appoint guardians and beneficiaries , with the option to sign up for life insurance through the platform as well.

» MORE: See our full review of Fabric by Gerber Life Will

What other services does each will maker offer?

Are online wills legit.

Online wills can be legally binding if they’re specific to your state and properly notarized. Notarization requirements can vary from state to state; in some, you may need only two witnesses to sign and won’t need an attorney. Also, make sure to use a reputable, well-reviewed online will maker if you’re going the do-it-yourself route.

Other ways to write a will

Download a template.

Many websites have free and low-priced will templates available for download. You can find templates specific to your state and estate situation, though more specific forms may cost extra.

A template is a decent starter option if you can’t invest in a more comprehensive effort, but make sure the template meets your needs and state legal requirements.

Hire an attorney or estate tax professional

If your estate is complex or large, it might be worth your time and money to consult an estate planning attorney right away, especially if you live in a state with its own estate or inheritance taxes .

Hiring a professional can help ensure that you’re protected in specific situations you may have concerns about, including special child care provisions, business issues or a blended family with multiple heirs.

Hybrid approach

You can start writing your will yourself and then ask an attorney any lingering questions. By starting the process, you'll have answered or anticipated most questions a legal adviser would have and be able to discuss any concerns.

Your fees might also be lower because you’ll have done much of the prep work before consulting an attorney. However, even a partial lawyer's fee is more expensive than other will-writing methods, and working with a professional can be time-consuming and require multiple appointments.

• Search Search Please fill out this field.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

• Trust & Estate Planning

Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is our top pick because it's comprehensive and affordable

An online will maker is a service that helps an individual create a will from the comfort of their home, potentially for less than an estate attorney would charge. Online will makers work with attorneys and other legal professionals to generate a will based on the information you provide, which (so long as it's accurate and executed correctly) is just as legally binding as a standard will. If you have a relatively simple estate, an online will maker can be an affordable way to ensure your affairs are in order and your loved ones will be taken care of.

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust is the best overall online will maker due to its downloadable software, free software updates, and access to a catalog of estate planning documents. We researched 13 companies and evaluated them on several factors, including company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, ease of use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

The 6 Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

• Best Overall: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• Best Value: U.S. Legal Wills
• Best for Ease of Use: Trust & Will
• Best Comprehensive Estate Plan: TotalLegal
• Best for Free: Do Your Own Will
• Best for Making Changes: Rocket Lawyer
• Our Top Picks
• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• U.S. Legal Wills
• Trust & Will
• Do Your Own Will
• Rocket Lawyer
• See More (3)

The Bottom Line

• Compare Providers

How to Write a Will

Alternative to a will, why you should trust us.

• Methodology

Best Overall : Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

• Price : Starting at $99
• Legal support : No
• Free trial : No
• Update period : One year of software updates included

Customers get access to a large number of estate planning documents with this Nolo product, and the software itself is easy to use. You’re not required to have an internet connection except to download and update the software.

Get comprehensive estate planning documents for a flat rate

Free software updates for version year

Downloadable software

Estate planning documents aren’t valid in Louisiana

Must meet minimum operating system requirements

Downloadable software not available for Starter price tier

Nolo, which is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, started by publishing DIY legal guides back in 1971. It was one of the first websites to provide online legal assistance and information. It's branched out into other products, like its Quicken WillMaker & Trust software tools.

You can download the program for $99 to $209, depending on the version. They include key estate planning documents like a legal will, a living trust , a financial power of attorney (POA) , a healthcare directive, final arrangements, and a letter to survivors, in addition to other types of personal finance and home and family management documents.

The software is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and it's easy to use. It allows you to create customized legal documents using a simple interview survey to fill out forms. You can then save your information and download completed documents in PDF format. You can update your will at any time and receive legal and technical updates via the internet.

There's a legal manual to help you answer common questions within Quicken WillMaker & Trust, and you can contact technical support for additional help. Louisiana residents won’t be able to use this software because it doesn’t address the estate planning requirements for this state.

Best Value : U.S. Legal Wills

 US Legal Wills

• Price : Starting at $49.95
• Legal support : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited

U.S. Legal Wills is one of the most affordable will options we've seen. It offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and it also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. It’s one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have personal property or other assets located outside the U.S.

Free unlimited updates

Includes forms for assets outside the U.S. and for expats

Discounts for documents for your spouse or partner

No living revocable trust available

Website not as intuitive as other competitors

Signup process for spouses can be clunky

Formed in 2000 and based in New York City, U.S. Legal Wills is operated by PartingWishes Inc., an independent organization that works with U.S.-based lawyers to create legal documents, without being tied to a particular law firm. Services are available in all U.S. states (except Louisiana) and provide some of the best values and discounts of all the websites we reviewed.

Starting at $49.95 for a last will and testament, U.S. Legal Wills customers also get free storage for their documents on the company's secure servers, in addition to unlimited updates. You can pay annually or opt for the lifetime feature if you want to keep storing your documents with U.S. Legal Wills, which is only $129.95. It's a more economical choice if you plan on storing your will on its servers for more than a few years. Spouses or partners can get mirror wills (plus additional documents) for 40% off.

You can create a variety of estate planning documents on the U.S. Legal Wills website, then designate what the company calls Keyholders. These are people who have access to your documents, such as trusted family members or the individual you've named as executor .

Members can receive additional support by submitting a ticket through the customer service portal.

Best for Ease of Use : Trust & Will

 Trust & Will

• Price : Starting at $199
• Update period : One year

Customers can create their estate planning documents quickly and simply with Trust & Will. The company offers an easy way to decide which option is best through the "Get Started" section of its site. You can then fill in relevant details using an interview-style format.

We also like that Trust & Will makes it easy for you to make your documents legally binding by mailing you your completed documents for free and providing complete instructions.

Comprehensive learning center

Choose from three options so you can feel less overwhelmed

The website is intuitive to use

Only one year of unlimited updates available

Doesn’t offer free upfront legal consultations

Founded in 2017, Trust & Will aims to modernize the estate planning process by providing an easy and secure way to create your estate plan online. Document creation is seamless using its user-friendly website and its step-by-step path to getting started. The process can take as little as 15 minutes, and the company even mails your completed documents to you for no extra charge, along with instructions to make sure everything is legally binding.

The fintech expert's state-specific trusts offer pretty much everything you'll need, including a living will’s schedule of assets and a revocable living trust to help your loved ones avoid probate. It's one of the only do-it-yourself companies to offer this option.

Trust & Will has a flat fee for wills of $199 for an individual and $299 for couples. A customized trust costs $499, or $599 for couples. This includes unlimited updates for a year. You'll pay $19 annually after the first year for unlimited updates for wills and $39 for trusts.

Best Comprehensive Estate Plan : TotalLegal

Total Legal

• Price : Starting at $19.95 or $99 per year
• Update period : 60 days

TotalLegal is one of the only companies that provides comprehensive legal services that include do-it-yourself business and estate planning documents plus free and discounted access to attorneys through its TotalLegal™ plan.

Low annual or monthly fee

Premium members have access to free and discounted legal services

Ability to create a wide variety of documents

Customers who purchase one-off documents have limited update period

No living trusts available

No online access for executors

TotalLegal is part of Pro Se Planning Inc., which provides self-guided legal products, including estate planning and business formation documents. Pro Se Planning was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Customers can purchase and complete individual estate planning documents starting at $19.95 for a last will and testament, which remains available in your online account for 60 days, then offers unlimited updates.

The biggest advantage of TotalLegal is its yearly subscription plan. You get access to legal services for $99 a year, including a consultation, attorney-reviewed documents, and a will with free updates each year. All this provides the most comprehensive resources for those who need some guidance.

Document creation is simple. You’ll go through a series of questions to inform and complete your document, which can then be downloaded and printed. TotalLegal’s help center provides extensive information, and you can always call or email customer support if you have any additional questions.

There are discounted services that include creating a simple will with a trust. You'll also get access to its document storage digital vault service, where there are no storage limits.

Best for Free : Do Your Own Will

 Do Your Own Will

• Price : Free
• Free trial : N/A

This free option offers one of the widest varieties of forms without paying for extras. There's no need to create an account or hand over any credit card details. You can download your documents instantly.

No need to sign up for an account to get access to documents

Available to residents of all 50 states

Ability to save your will as either a PDF or Word document

No legal support

You must check state laws yourself

Do Your Own Will is a completely free way to make a last will and testament, POA, or a living will. Beyond the unbeatable price, one of the major perks is that it’s simple to use. There's no need to sign up for an account, but you'll have to provide your email address if you want to make updates or changes later.

Users complete forms online by filling in details such as marital status, information on your dependents, how you want your assets to be divided, and who you want to name as your executor. Download the document as a PDF or Word document, then you can sign it.

Originally founded in 1999, Do Your Own Will is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It’s available nationwide, but there's one caveat: There's no legal support, so make sure you do your own research to ensure your will is legally binding.

Best for Making Changes : Rocket Lawyer

 Rocket Lawyer

• Price : Starting at $39.99 per month by subscription
• Free trial : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited with subscription

You get access to all Rocket Lawyer's estate planning documents for one monthly price and you can make updates whenever you like. What makes Rocket Lawyer stand out is its ability to get legal advice for new legal issues and the ability to sign your documents securely online. This allows any changes you make to go into effect immediately.

Offers a wide variety of legal and estate planning documents

A free seven-day trial to try out its services

Ability to pay a low monthly fee for premium access

Monthly membership pricier than other options

You must provide credit card information even for a free trial

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rocket Lawyer offers online legal services that include documents and attorney services. Rocket Lawyer provides customers with two monthly subscription models, which cost $39.99 per month or $239.88 per year, depending on the membership chosen. You get unlimited access to all its legal documents, including the ability to make updates and attorney services. The price also includes a free 30-minute consultation on new legal matters, an “ask a lawyer” option for your legal questions, and other professional services.

You can download wills, trusts, and powers of attorney immediately after you complete all the required information online, and then you'll receive instructions to make the documents legally binding. They can be securely signed online, plus you can invite others to sign them digitally as well. This allows you to make updates and changes quickly. You can also contact customer service by email, online chat, or calling its hotline.

We’re a fan of Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust because you can make your will or trust and other documents with one download for one flat price. But you may want to choose another option if you want additional help from a live lawyer. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is an option with great features for your estate planning forms if you're computer savvy.

Compare Online Will Makers

While writing your own will may seem like an intimidating task, the actual complexity will depend on the nature of your estate. You may be better served hiring an estate planning attorney if you possess an intricate web of assets. If your estate is relatively uncomplicated, then you can follow the steps below to put a will together yourself (though it may still be a good idea to have a lawyer review the finished document).

• Catalog your assets : Before you start writing your will, take an inventory of every asset you own/have in your name that you are legally permitted to bequeath in your state. You'll want to be as detailed as possible when you list these assets in your will to avoid any confusion about what a beneficiary should receive.
• Find a template : You can certainly write a will from scratch, but you can also make things easier on yourself by utilizing a free online template from a reputable source. This will reduce the amount of time you'll spend writing and minimize the chances of making any errors. Ensure the template you choose includes any additional clauses important to you, such as what powers your executor should have or how assets not assigned to any beneficiaries ought to be handled.
• Start with your name and address : While the exact identifying information you'll need in your will may vary based on the template, you'll typically have to include your full legal name, city (and possibly county), and state. Make sure your template includes a sentence revoking any prior wills you may have had.
• Name your executor(s) and guardian(s) (if applicable) : In your will, you'll need to identify the executor administering your will (as well as their successor if your first choice is unavailable) and the guardian (plus their successor) you're granting custody of your minor children (if you have any). You'll also likely have to include the mailing address and Social Security number (SSN) of each individual you name in your will. Be sure to first communicate with each individual you want to name as an executor or guardian to ensure they're willing to accept their respective roles.
• Choose your beneficiaries and the asset(s) they will receive : As with your executor(s) and guardian(s), you'll have to name the beneficiaries receiving your assets, in addition to potentially providing their mailing addresses, SSNs, and relations to you. You'll then need to specify which asset(s) each person or organization will be given.
• Sign and date your will : Once you've finished writing your will, the final step is signing it before the witnesses required by your state. If you don't complete this step, then your will won't be legally binding.

After making copies of your completed will, store the original somewhere safe and inform your executor(s) of where they can find it. You'll also want to review and revise your will every few years and after any major upheavals in your life.

The primary alternative to a will is a living trust . The latter is a legal arrangement wherein an individual designates assets that are transferred to a trust account, which is managed by a trustee of the account opener's choosing. A living trust is created when the account opener signs a trust agreement, which typically specifies the trust's purpose, what kinds of assets it holds, the trustee's duties and responsibilities, and which assets each beneficiary will receive after the grantor dies.

Wills and living trusts share many similarities, but there are a few key differences that set them apart from one another:

• A will is a straightforward document that only details how the testator's assets should be distributed after their passing. Meanwhile, a living trust is a complicated arrangement wherein the grantor sets aside specific assets to fund a trust account while they're alive.
• A will doesn't go into effect until after the testator dies, whereas a living trust is in effect as soon as it's signed.
• In most cases, a will goes into probate after the testator dies, and a trust avoids the probate process entirely.
• A will becomes part of the public record, whereas a living trust's details will only be known to the grantor, trustee, and beneficiaries.

Although a living trust can be considered an alternative to a will, they aren't mutually exclusive. If you want to have an especially comprehensive estate plan , you can have both a will and a living trust. However, if your estate isn't particularly complex, then a will by itself may be sufficient.

Investopedia collected and analyzed several key data points from over 13 companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing an online will maker. We used this data to review each company for price, availability, compatibility with various devices, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right financial decisions for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best online will makers since 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online wills legitimate.

Online wills are legitimate as long as they comply with federal and state laws. Online will companies hire licensed attorneys and legal professionals to carefully word their estate planning documents so that each is legally binding, but you'll want to make sure that your final documents will carry the same weight as one that an attorney creates. Check the fine print of the online will company to make sure it’s compliant in your state.

Is Paying for an Online Will Maker Worth It?

Using a free online will service can suffice if your estate is simple and straightforward: You don’t have any children, your only beneficiary is your spouse, and your estate is very small. But you'll probably benefit from using a paid service if you have a larger estate or a more complex situation, or if you want a legal professional to help you work through your documents and other financial matters.

Who Should Draw Up a Will?

It's a good idea for anyone with assets that multiple heirs can legitimately claim. Not dividing up assets can cause litigation among family members, creating resentment and heartache after the individual passes.

Should an Individual Write Their Own Will?

It's inadvisable to write your own will without any sort of legal guidance unless you have an up-to-date background in and knowledge of estate law. Otherwise, it's too easy to inadvertently sidestep a rule or law in your state that you didn't even know about. This could result in your final wishes not being carried out, throwing your estate into chaos as the court looks for alternate solutions. Always touch base with a legal professional before writing and finalizing your own will.

What Should You Avoid Putting in a Will?

Your will is not a private document after your death, so don't include anything that you don't want to become a matter of public record. Forming a living trust is a much more private estate-planning alternative. It will avoid airing out all the most intimate details of your life in probate court. A will must pass through probate in order for your estate to be settled.

What Is the Best Site to Create a Will?

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust website offers the best online will maker. However, depending on your needs, you may be better suited with another company. Do Your Own Will, for example, is a great free option, so long as you're confident in your ability to create a legally binding will without any legal support.

Are Wills Really Necessary?

In most cases, a will is an indispensable part of an estate plan. If you pass away without a will, then you risk your assets being distributed to different persons or parties than you might have wished for. Having a will in place can give you the peace of mind that this won't come to pass. There are a few cases where a will isn't strictly necessary, such as if you lack sufficient assets or any beneficiaries.

How Do You Make an Online Will?

When creating a will online, you'll first want to shop around for the best online will maker to suit your needs. Once you've made that decision, you'll next need to take stock of your assets, such as any real estate in your name. You should then choose your beneficiaries and how you'll want your assets divided between them. After that, you'll need to pick an executor you trust to distribute your assets to the correct beneficiaries. All that's left at this point is to fill out the template provided by your will maker and store a physical copy somewhere safe.

It would likely be a good idea to hire an attorney to review your will to ensure it's legally binding. Don't forget to also ensure that the beneficiary designations for any of your assets with death benefits (such as bank accounts, retirement accounts, or a life insurance policy) are aligned with your new estate plan.

How We Pick the Best Online Will Makers

Our goal is to make sure our recommendations are ones we would share with our family and friends when looking to choose an online will maker company. We looked at 13 companies before choosing the top providers. Factors we looked at include company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, whether the product was simple to use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by the payment we receive from advertisers.  Click here to learn more about our review process.

Investopedia / Zoe Hansen

LinkedIn. " Nolo ."

Nolo. " About Us ."

Quicken Willmaker & Trust 2024. " A Powerful Estate Planner Without the High Costs ."

US Legal Wills. " About Us ."

United States Legal Wills. " Prices ."

Trust & Will. " Founding Story ."

Trust & Will. " Pricing for Our Estate Planning Products ."

LinkedIn. " Pro Se Planning, Inc ."

TotalLegal. " Prices ."

CBInsights. " DoYourOwnWill.com ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Rocket Lawyer Introduces Rocket Tax ."

LinkedIn. " Rocket Lawyer ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Memberships and Pricing ."

National Council on Aging. " Living Trust vs. Will: Key Differences ."

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. " How Does a Revocable Trust Avoid Probate? "

• Terms of Service
• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices

The Best Online Will Making Programs

These sites can help you create an affordable will online.

Getty Images

Finding the right will making software for your family situation can streamline the process and allow you to have everything in order for your heirs.

Rather than walking into an attorney's office and paying a high hourly rate, you can opt for a range of online will options to help create a will from the comfort of your home at a reasonable price.

These will makers aid with documents ranging from basic wills to intricate estate plans. Finding the right will making software for your family situation can streamline the process and allow you to have everything in order for your heirs .

The following programs can help you create a will online and provide other estate planning solutions :

• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust - Visit Now .
• Fabric by Gerber Life - Visit Now . 
• LegalZoom - Visit Now .
• Do Your Own Will - Visit Now .
• U.S. Legal Wills - Visit Now .
• FreeWill - Visit Now .
• Rocket Lawyer - Visit Now .
• Total Legal - Visit Now .
• Trust & Will - Visit Now .
• Gentreo - Visit Now .

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

If you want nearly everything for a customized estate plan in one place, Quicken provides software to create a will, power of attorney, health care directive, living trust and other estate-related documents. A questionnaire guides you through the process of deciding which documents you need. Nolo's WillMaker starter bundle is $99, which includes a will, health care directives and final arrangements. More features come with the Plus version at $139 and the All-Access version for $209.

Fabric by Gerber Life

To make a will without having to sign up for anything or create an account, you can use Fabric's free online will tool . If you have a basic estate or simple family situation, this service could be a good fit. After answering a few questions, you can print the will and make it legally binding. The process takes approximately five minutes. While the service is free, the site also sells life insurance policies for a range of prices.

If you want a professional's input when making an online will, LegalZoom provides access to an independent attorney who is knowledgeable about laws in your state. Legal counsel is available at the start of the will making process. You can also begin making a will on your own with the site's self-guided questionnaire. If you have questions, you can reach out to an attorney. Legal counsel is also available after you finish the will to help you make updates or address concerns for up to a year. Prices start at $89.

Do Your Own Will

If you're looking to spend as little as possible, Do Your Own Will provides a free way to make a will. By answering questions, you create a simple will. You can then download the document as a Word or PDF file. There are also other estate planning documents available for free, including a pet guardian trust and durable power of attorney. While the services are free, the site states that if you have a complicated estate, it may be useful to seek legal counsel and use other estate planning tools.

U.S. Legal Wills

To set up specific instructions for loved ones, you can create a will through U.S. Legal Wills . The online will making tool asks questions about your estate to help you line up information your executor can use to properly distribute assets. According to the site, you can have a will in just 20 minutes. The standard cost is $39.95, along with additional charges for services such as setting up a power of attorney for finances or storing documents in a digital vault that can be passed on to your family and executor. Plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

You can use FreeWill to help you create a basic document. As you work through the steps, if you realize that your estate is more complex than you initially perceived, you can still benefit from the site. FreeWill provides free forms you can fill out to take to an attorney, which can save time and funds. The site states that you might want to pair its services with a lawyer if you have a large or complicated estate. In addition to wills, the site offers related legal planning tools like advanced health care directives, beneficiary designations and durable financial power of attorney. FreeWill is able to offer its tools for free via partnerships with nonprofits.

Rocket Lawyer

If you're not sure what to include in a will, Rocket Lawyer provides free templates of wills that can be customized to your situation. The site will guide you through the process, helping you decide what exactly to include in your will. It also provides information on other legal documents related to estate planning. You can pay $39.99 for a will or become a premium member for $39.99 per month to gain access to additional legal services.

Total Legal

You can complete an online interview through Total Legal to help understand what you need for your will. After creating a will online, you can print it out or choose to receive it by mail. The site then provides instructions on how to have your will signed in your state. A last will and testament costs $19.95, and the site offers other estate planning documents in a range of prices.

Trust & Will

You'll be able to carry out the will process in a step-by-step way at Trust & Will . The site provides customized, state-specific wills and instructions to walk you through the documents you need. Wills start at $159 for an individual or $259 for a couple. You can also set up trusts and guardians.

For a complete estate planning service that is customizable to your exact situation, Gentreo offers a way to create, store and share your estate plan. If you have a blended family, specific gifts or distinct wishes for a pet, the site walks you through the details of sorting out your preferences and making a will that suits your needs. Once the will is complete, you can upload it to your family vault and choose which beneficiaries can have access to it. The site also offers additional estate planning documents such as a health care proxy and power of attorney. You can get all the documents you need for $150 for the first year and $50 for each following year.

Estate Planning Tips You Need to Know

Maryalene LaPonsie Oct. 17, 2023

Tags: retirement , money , wills , death , aging

The Best Financial Tools for You

Credit Cards

Find the Best Loan for You

Comparative assessments and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other entities, such as banks, credit card issuers or travel companies. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get investing advice, rankings and stock market news.

See a newsletter example .

You May Also Like

15 retirement gift ideas.

Rachel Hartman May 10, 2024

How ERISA Impacts Your Retirement

Rachel Hartman and Rodney Brooks May 10, 2024

A Guide to Social Security Disability

Rachel Hartman May 8, 2024

10 Best Places to Retire in Canada

Rachel Hartman and Kathleen Peddicord May 7, 2024

Should AI Manage Retirement Plans?

Brian O'Connell May 6, 2024

Save More for Retirement

Rachel Hartman May 3, 2024

Are I Bonds a Good Investment?

Brian O'Connell May 3, 2024

How to Include Crypto in Your Retirement

Brian O'Connell April 30, 2024

Build a Balanced Retirement Portfolio

Kate Stalter April 29, 2024

Ask a Pro: Why Save for Retirement?

Brandon Renfro April 29, 2024

Save in a 401(k) and IRA

Rachel Hartman and Emily Brandon April 29, 2024

Retire Abroad on Social Security Alone

Rachel Hartman April 26, 2024

10 Sources of Retirement Income

Brian O'Connell April 25, 2024

How to Make Extra Retirement Income

Bill Would Repeal Social Security Taxes

Maryalene LaPonsie April 24, 2024

How to Take a 401(k) Loan

Rachel Hartman April 24, 2024

Affordable Retirement in Europe

Erica Sandberg April 23, 2024

12 Ways to Achieve a Happy Retirement

Jessica Walrack and Rachel Hartman April 23, 2024

Average Retirement Savings by Age

Maryalene LaPonsie April 22, 2024

Protecting Your Pension From Bankruptcy

Rachel Hartman April 19, 2024

• Older Adults
• Professionals
• Explore NCOA.org
• Get Involved
• Best Hearing Aids
• Best OTC Hearing Aids
• Most Affordable Hearing Aids
• Best Medical Alert Systems
• Best Fall Detection Devices
• Life Alert Review
• Best Portable Oxygen Concentrator
• Best Mattress
• Best Mattress for Back Pain
• Best Adjustable Beds
• Best Walk-In Tubs

Find us on Social

The NCOA Adviser Reviews Team researches these products & services and may earn a commission from qualified purchases made through links included.

The NCOA Adviser Reviews Team researches these products & services and may earn a commission from qualified purchases made through links included. NCOA does not receive a commission for purchases. If you find these resources useful, consider  donating to NCOA .

The 5 Best Online Will Makers of 2024

• An online will maker service for your estate planning needs costs anywhere from $0–$299.
• You can create a legally binding will for free in a few hours when you use Rocket Lawyer.
• Our top choice for online will makers of 2024 is Quicken WillMaker & Trust because of its customizable service and affordable price.

Our  Reviews Team  is made up of credentialed attorneys who researched and used the online will-making services we reviewed so we can help you decide which is best for you. We selected our top choices based on:

• 200+ hours of research
• 100+ hours of estate law education
• Eight brands reviewed
• Five brands selected
• Four experts consulted
• 500+ third party reviews referenced

To better explain our research, we’ve listed pros and cons, best uses, and rankings of common features.

Creating a will can be an overwhelming and expensive process, which might be why only 46% of all American adults have one, according to a Gallup poll . [1] Gallup.com. How Many Americans Have a Will? June 23, 2021. Found on the Internet at https://news.gallup.com/poll/351500/how-many-americans-have-will.aspx Miranda M. Riva, Esq. headshot Miranda M. Riva But it is possible to create a long-lasting will for an affordable price. If an attorney isn’t in your budget, an online will-making service can be a good alternative.

Online will-making services ask a series of questions to help you generate your will document, and use your responses to generate a state-specific form you can download and print. Experienced estate attorneys design or review the state-specific forms. As long as you provide accurate information and execute your will in accordance with your state’s laws, your online will should be legally acceptable.

While an online will is a viable option for most people, the following circumstances might be better handled with the help of an attorney:

• Complex financial situation (for example, large amounts of debt)
• Complicated family structure (for example, questions of disinheritance)
• Undecided wishes (for example, how to divide your estate)

Our Reviews Team researched and tested the best online will-making services. In this article, we summarize our experience and compare and contrast picks for the best will-making services on the internet.

A quick look at the best online will maker services

• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust : Editor’s Pick
• Trust & Will : Best for Customer Assistance
• LegalZoom : Best for Legal Assistance
• Rocket Lawyer : Most Affordable
• U.S. LegalWills : Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates

Comparison of best online will makers, as of January 2024

*Feature is an additional fee **Create a will for free during the seven-day trial period.

The best online will maker services of 2024

Editor’s pick: nolo’s quicken willmaker & trust.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust gets the top “Editor’s Pick” from our Reviews Team because it generates comprehensive and high-quality estate planning documents for the best value of all the companies we reviewed. Although its starting cost ($99) is higher than most companies on this list, it stands apart by offering free unlimited updates for one year, a 30-day full refund, and wills for multiple family members. Since family members are meant to share the service, you can make separate wills for different people for no additional cost.

• Cost:  $99–$209
• Promotions:  25% off with code T1040
• Document storage:  Yes, with the top package through a partnership with  Everplans
• Access to an attorney:  Not through platform, but Nolo can connect you with a local attorney
• Unlimited updates:  Free for the first year, then cost varies based on package ($99–$209)
• Satisfaction guarantee:  30-day full refund

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust packages

Quicken WillMaker & Trust offers three different customized estate plan packages:

Starter ($99):

• Living will
• Health care power of attorney
• Final arrangement forms

Plus ($139):

The plus package has all the starter package features and:

• Financial power of attorney
• Letters to survivors
• Living trust
• Transfer on death deed
• Estate planning tools available as downloadable software

All-access ($209):

The all-access package has all the starter and plus package features and:

• One year subscription to  Everplans  (document and information storage service)

If you can’t decide which package you want, our Reviews Team recommends beginning with the starter package. You can upgrade at any time in your dashboard.

Quicken WillMaker & Trust has been helping customers make their wills for the last 30 years. The online questionnaire format doesn’t require you to download anything, which keeps the process simple. But if you want to keep your personal information off the internet, the downloadable software guarantees your documents are only accessible through your personal device. Along with increased privacy, the software offers a high-contrast mode for people with  vision loss .

To make the process easy, Quicken WillMaker & Trust provides a checklist before starting the questionnaire. A “helpful information” box below the prompt will guide you if you are unsure of how to answer. Quicken WillMaker & Trust also provides an  extensive book (available online)  with detailed instructions and additional information to help create your will.

Customer reviews

Quicken WillMaker & Trust has 4.5 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 230 reviews. Of those reviews, 74% give the service 5 out of 5 stars, specifically mentioning how easy the product is to use and its inclusivity for people of all ages and backgrounds. Only 5% of users gave 1 out of 5 stars, mentioning never hearing back from customer service after making an inquiry and having technical issues with the software.

Our experience

Quicken WillMaker & Trust was by far the easiest platform for our Reviews Team to purchase and use. The language throughout the questionnaire was clear, and the option for further information provided an extra layer of guidance. We were specifically impressed with the number of high-quality documents you can get for such an affordable cost.

We found it difficult to get in contact with the company, since you don’t have access to direct contact links or a chat feature on the website. But we were able to reach a representative within five minutes using the toll-free phone number. An email response took around one business day. Customer service can only help with service- and product-related issues. They cannot answer legal questions.

For more information about this online will service, read our in-depth  LegalZoom Review .

Customer service options

• Phone:  800-728-3555 available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday
• Email:   [email protected]
• Contact on the website:  N/A

Best for Customer Assistance: Trust & Will

Trust & Will earned “Best for Customer Assistance” for two main reasons: The site gave helpful explanations and tips throughout the will-creation process, and it provided thorough and well-researched resources for additional information on estate planning topics. Each time we asked a question using any of the provided channels of contact, our Legal Reviews Team received an accurate answer within two hours. Compared with other companies on this list that took at least one day to respond, the quick turnaround time is impressive.

• Cost:  $199
• Promotions:  $10 off with code Gimmie10
• Document storage:  Yes, with annual Trust & Will membership
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, for an additional cost (currently only available in 17 states)
• Unlimited updates:  Free for the first year, then $19 per year

Trust & Will Estate Planning Package

Trust & Will currently only offers a single package for creating an online will.

Will-based estate package ($199):

Last will and testament

• Power of attorney
• HIPAA authorization form A HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) authorization form is important when you execute a living will or advance health care directive because it gives the person in charge of medical decisions access to your medical history.

For more information about this online will service, read our in-depth Trust & Will review.

Trust & Will was founded in 2017 and has quickly become established in the online estate planning industry. The company offers a free year of unlimited updates with your $199 purchase. To make changes to your documents after the year has passed, you can become a member for $19 per year, and you can make unlimited updates for as long as you retain membership. Trust & Will also offers do-it-yourself probate tools executors of a will (those who carry out the will) can purchase if they need state-specific assistance when entering   probate Probate is the legal procedure your estate goes through after you pass away.  court.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for when completing your estate documents, you can use the chat function at the bottom of the page,  send an email , or  fill out an inquiry form  to get help from an expert. You can use the chat function to connect with someone  during business hours  or find out more information about a topic. find recommended resources, and connect to an expert if you need help.

Trust & Will has 4.6 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 3,400 reviews. Close to 90% of the reviews left by customers are 5 out of 5 stars. Customers called out the simplicity and clarity of the platform overall, as well as great customer service when issues or questions arose. Complaints focused on issues with the website timing out and no room for customizations when answering questions.

At first glance, Trust & Will has one of the most visually organized website designs in the industry. The layout is intuitive and easy to navigate.

One thing our team didn’t like is its lack of a simple will option and overall inability to customize. While it offers high-quality documents, you may not need all four of the documents in the package.

The auto-response that appears when you ask a question leads to a number of related resources we found helpful. We waited five minutes to talk to an expert on chat, and the wait for an email response was a few hours.

Read more in our full  Trust & Will  review.

• Phone:  866-908-7878 available 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT
• Email:  [email protected]
• Contact on the website:   Submit a request

Best for Legal Assistance: LegalZoom

LegalZoom was one of the first companies in online legal assistance. Since its founding in 2001, it has helped more than 3.5 million customers with their estate planning needs. Unlike its competitors, LegalZoom offers direct attorney assistance in several legal specialties, making it qualified to assist customers with a wide variety of legal needs and earning it our distinction of “Best for Legal Assistance.”

• Cost:  $89–$249
• Promotions:  N/A
• Document storage:  Yes, with LegalZoom account
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, with certain packages or membership
• Unlimited updates:  Free for 30 days
• Satisfaction guarantee:  60-day full refund

LegalZoom estate planning packages

LegalZoom offers three different estate planning packages, and each has varying access to attorneys.

Basic last will ($89):

• Unlimited updates for 30 days from the date of purchase

Comprehensive last will ($99):

The comprehensive package has all the basic package features and:

• Attorney Assist for 30 days from the date of purchase

Estate plan bundle ($249):

The estate plan bundle has all the comprehensive package features and:

• Unlimited updates for one year from the date of purchase
• Attorney Assist for one year from the date of purchase

The questionnaire to generate your will is easy to use. You can download the packet immediately, and it includes instructions for making your will valid under your state’s laws. Unlike other services with an annual or monthly membership and unlimited updates, LegalZoom doesn’t have a process for you to update your documents outside of the specified time period with your package. For example, if you purchase the basic last will for $89, but you wait to make changes until after the 30-day unlimited update window, you’ll have to pay $89 to make revisions.

Attorney Assist and Legal Assist plan membership

LegalZoom offers two types of direct attorney assistance—both allow users to make an over-the-phone appointment with attorneys in the LegalZoom network. The main difference is the topic of legal advice.

The first is the  Legal Assist plan membership , which is available to all users seeking legal advice on any topic, including those who purchase the basic will package. You can purchase a year-long membership for $199 or six months for $119. The membership offers unlimited 30-minute consultations on new legal matters. A new legal matter is completely unique from, and not at all related to, a legal matter you previously inquired about.

For example, you may be limited to a single 30-minute discussion about your will document. If you need to go over 30-minutes or make a second inquiry about it, it may not be considered a “new legal matter.” In that case, the attorney you’re connected with will give you their fee structure (which varies by attorney) and bill you for any additional time. You’re always connected with an attorney in your state, so that fee will vary based on your location and their firm’s billable hourly cost. If you’re a LegalZoom member, you’ll get  25% off  the firm’s standard rate for representation.

The second is called  Attorney Assist , and it’s only available with the comprehensive and estate bundle plans. With it, you’ll get on-demand legal advice from attorneys in the LegalZoom network who can answer unlimited questions about your estate plan and review your final estate documents. When you upgrade to the comprehensive plan you’ll have access for two weeks, and with the estate plan bundle you’ll have access for one year.

If you anticipate needing more than 30 minutes of legal assistance while completing your will, the attorney assist option that comes with the middle and top-tier packages might be a better option.

LegalZoom has 4.5 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on 3,300 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers mentioned they were longtime subscribers and the service continues to meet their needs. We found 13% of all reviewers gave LegalZoom 1 out of 5 stars, complaining the website often directs to an error page and provides unclear descriptions of deadlines and fees.

The overall questionnaire process for completing a will was straightforward and in easy-to-understand language.

While it was easy to sign up and purchase a package, the cost of add-on services was hidden at the end of the process. We were impressed with the value of the middle tier, which is an extra $10 but comes with 30 days of on-demand attorney assistance.

When we asked questions through chat, a helpful response followed within five minutes. We reached a representative by phone within 10 minutes. An email response took around one business day.

• Phone:  888-379-0854 available 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, weekends
• Email:  [email protected]
• Contact on the website:   Contact us

Most Affordable: Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is the only online will service we reviewed that generates a downloadable will for free, which is why we named it “Most Affordable.” It ties with U.S. LegalWills for the lowest starting price ($39), but it offers more forms with no extra cost and has attorneys available, unlike U.S. LegalWills.

• Cost:  $0–$19.99 per month
• Promotions:  Seven-day free trial followed by a month-long trial for $5
• Document storage:  Yes, with monthly Rocket Lawyer membership
• Access to an attorney:  Yes, unlimited 30-minute consultation on new legal issues
• Unlimited updates:  Free for seven days, $5 for the second month, then $39.99 per month
• Satisfaction guarantee:  No

Rocket Lawyer estate planning package

Rocket Lawyer doesn’t offer a specific estate package, but for the free seven-day trial and while you’re an active member paying the monthly $39.99 fee, you’ll get access to hundreds of other state-specific legal forms, and you’ll be able to make unlimited changes to your documents.

When you pay for the membership, you’ll also get one free 30-minute consultation with an attorney regarding any new legal matters (new and unrelated to previous inquiries) that arise.

Rocket Lawyer is known mostly for its quick and easy-to-use website with free legal forms and templates. It may be a good option if you’re about to have surgery and want to quickly get a will in place.

After you create an account and answer questions to create your will, you’ll need to put in your credit card information before you can download your document. You’ll have access to your will and any other legal form you can find on the Rocket Lawyer database for free during the initial seven-day trial. After your trial expires, Rocket Lawyer will automatically charge $39.99 per month, unless you cancel ahead of time.

While our team chose Rocket Lawyer as a great free option for creating your will, this service doesn’t provide extra assistance or guidance when completing the questionnaire. Additionally, if you forget to cancel the free trial, you may end up paying more for your documents than if you chose a different service.

Rocket Lawyer has 4.7 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 7,000 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers highlighted the free document feature and the range of legal forms available on the database. Only 4% of customers gave it 1 out of 5 stars, reporting difficulty canceling the subscription and issues connecting with an attorney.

Rocket Lawyer is a great resource for legal forms, especially for estate planning. We also like that you can get a custom-made will for free.

What we didn’t like is how you go through the questionnaire process before you’re asked to put in credit card information. It felt misleading at first, since it’s advertised as a free will but also asks for payment before you can view the finished document. If you call or email to cancel your subscription within the seven-day period you can complete and download whatever legal forms you want for free. When we emailed, we got a response back within five hours. When calling, it took about 15 minutes to connect with a representative.

Customer Service Options

• Phone:  877-881-0947 available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday
• Email:  N/A
• Contact on the website:  ( Contact us )

Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates: U.S. LegalWills

What makes U.S. LegalWills stand out is the cost of unlimited updates, which is why we named it “Best for Lifetime Unlimited Updates.” Most notably, the lifetime deal costs a flat fee of $129.95. For other online will services, the cost to make unlimited updates ranges from $19 to more than $300 per year. Cost varies depending on how long you want to be able to make updates.

• Cost:  $39.95–$129.95
• Promotions:  When you join, your partner will get 40% off their membership; refer a friend, they get a 10% discount, and you get a $20 Amazon gift card
• Document storage:  Yes, with purchase
• Access to an attorney:  No
• Unlimited updates:  Yes, cost varies

U.S. LegalWills estate planning packages

Last will and testament ($39.95):

Premium last will and testament ($69.95):

The premium package has all the last will and testament package features and:

• Personalized messages and wishes
• Family access to your documents

Complete estate plan ($99.95):

The complete estate plan has all the premium package features and:

Premium estate plan ($129.95):

The premium estate plan has all the complete estate plan features and:

• My Life Locker
• Digital Vault

Unlimited updates:

• First year: Free
• Two years: $11.95
• Five years: $29.95
• 10 years: $39.95
• 25 years: $79.95
• Life: $129.95

U.S. LegalWills offers three different and affordable estate planning bundle packages. You can also choose a “build your own” option and add the documents you need, instead of paying for documents you don’t need. This makes U.S. LegalWills one of the most customizable will-making services we reviewed.

U.S. LegalWills also has advanced information storage available with  My Life Locker , which stores personal information, and  Digital Vault , which contains documents you want to upload for future use by your executor. These two storage options are only available with the highest tier package.

U.S. LegalWills has 4.6 out of 5 stars on  Trustpilot  based on more than 400 reviews. More than 80% of reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Customers highlighted how easy the process was and how quickly they were able to complete the forms.

Some customers complained the forms weren’t upheld in a court of law. To each of those reviews, a customer service representative defended U.S. LegalWills and gave citations to the law supporting the forms.

Despite the website platform appearing outdated, the questionnaire process was simple. The “try now for free” option at the bottom of the package prices was misleading. This is not the same as the free trial Rocket Lawyer offers. You’ll move through the will-creation process, but at the end, only a preview of the first page of your will is available to you. To see the rest, you’ll need to purchase the product. It took about 10 minutes to connect with a representative by phone, and an email response took around 10 hours.

• Phone:  888-660-9455 available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday
• Email:  [email protected]

What to look for in the best online will makers

Estate planning is a customizable experience, so flexibility is important. Most platforms offer some variation of the features below, whether in a bundle or as add-on services.

The most important document in the estate planning process is a last will and testament , often referred to as a “will.” This document specifies who will be responsible for distributing your estate and can give detailed instructions about which beneficiaries are entitled to certain items or sums of money. Many wills also include guardianship details if the will writer has minor children or pets.

When you create an online will, you’ll answer a series of personal and financial questions that will help create your final document. Each one of the services we’ve selected has state-specific forms created by estate planning experts. After finishing the questionnaire, you can download the completed documents, print them out, and execute them according to the instructions provided by your online will service.

Additional estate planning documents

Creating a simple will is important at any stage in your life, but you should consider additional documents as well. The most common estate documents, in addition to a will, are a power of attorney and a living will (also called a health care directive). Most online services offer these legal documents as an add-on feature, but some offer a package deal for all three. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to invest in a service that offers a bundle. Read our guide to learn how to make a will without a lawyer .

Unlimited updates

Celeste Robertson , Esq., a member of the Texas Bar Foundation and practicing attorney since 1994, advised “you should review your will and other estate planning documents every three to five years” and always “revisit these documents whenever significant life changes occur.” Robertson gave the following examples of significant life changes:

• Birth of a child [or grandchild]
• A substantial change in assets.

That means it’s important to note whether you can make changes to your documents in the platform you choose. Many services offer free, unlimited changes for at least the first 30 days after purchase. Others offer free changes for up to a year or without limits. With services that offer a membership, you’ll generally be able to make unlimited updates to your estate documents so long as you pay the monthly or annual subscription.

Document storage

While you should always have an original paper copy of all your important documents, it’s a great idea to have virtually accessible backup copies. Most of our top choices have a virtual storage space for your will and any other documents you completed using the service. Some even allow you to upload additional important documents, such as:

• Identification cards
• Real estate deeds
• Account numbers
• Life insurance policy
• Tax documents

When choosing a virtual storage base, security is a top concern. Each of the services on this list that offers document storage has one or two layers of encryption (converting information into a code to prevent unauthorized access) to protect sensitive information from anyone who doesn’t have authorization to access your account. Quicken WillMaker & Trust and Trust & Will both took an extra step by undergoing Type 2 Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2 Type 2) auditing ⓘ SOC 2 Type 2 is an exam used to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of a service organization’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. , which provides an independent, third-party assessment of a service organization’s security during a period of time.

Family plan

Some online services offer a second will for a discounted price. This is ideal if your spouse or close family member is also interested in creating a will. Even if spouses or partners own property and assets together, it’s common for them to create reciprocal wills. These are two separate wills, each making the other the beneficiary of the entire estate. For services that offer a family plan, you can often get the second will at a discounted price, and you can easily add it on at checkout.

Helpful hint: If this feature is essential for you, Quicken WillMaker & Trust allows you to make an unlimited number of wills with a single purchase of one of its products. In other words, you can get estate documents for the whole family for the cost of one package.

Attorney assistance

While most people creating a will online can do so without additional assistance, you might be interested in seeking general legal advice or having a lawyer look over your will, especially if you have a complex estate plan. Some services offer specialized legal assistance throughout the creation process—usually at a higher cost. If you anticipate needing an estate planning attorney to look over your documents at any point during the process, you should consider choosing a service that offers this as an add-on feature.

Helpful hint: If this feature is essential for you, you might consider one of the middle or top-tier packages with LegalZoom. You’ll have on-demand attorney access to ask whatever estate questions you have for 30 days after purchase. Other services cost more than $200 per year for this level of accessor limit your questions to “new legal matters” only.

Satisfaction guarantee

Many services are backed by a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. Some guarantees may come with limitations or will only apply refunds to certain services.

How we reviewed online will-making services

The Reviews Team curated a scoring system for online will-making services that considers the value for money, ease of use, customer support, features, and customer satisfaction. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Value for money (35% of total score): We rated the value of every online will maker’s basic package. We also considered whether the service offered free or unlimited will revisions and a money-back satisfaction guarantee.
• Ease of use (25% of total score): We looked at whether we could navigate the website successfully and where the roadblocks, if any, came up. Did we have trouble adding features or signing into our account? We compared our experiences before and after account setup.
• Customer support (20% of total score): We reviewed each company’s customer service offerings through email, phone, and chat, and gave a score based on timeliness and accuracy of responses.
• Features (15% of total score): We looked at the essential estate planning features and add-on services the company offers and whether the packages are customizable.
• Customer satisfaction (5% of total score): We looked at customer ratings across trusted third-party review sites, like Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot, and rated our own satisfaction with the process.

Bottom line

After hundreds of hours researching, our Reviews Team found the above online will maker companies to be the top five in the market. We found Quicken WillMaker & Trust to be the best overall because of its combination of document quality, user-friendly creation process, and affordable prices.

If you want to have an attorney review your will and answer questions along the way, LegalZoom is our top pick for legal assistance. With its free will option, Rocket Lawyer is best for those on a budget. If making unlimited lifetime updates is high on your priority list, U.S. LegalWills is a great option. If you want a guided will-making experience, to chat with a representative, and find detailed information about estate planning, Trust & Will is our top choice for customer support.

For more resources about planning for the future:

• Visit NCOA’s Age Well Planner
• Read our guidance on managing someone else’s legal, financial, and medical decisions
• Be informed about estate recovery , how it works, and how it can affect you or a loved one

Frequently asked questions

Yes, it’s completely legitimate to use an online service to create your will. As long as you execute the document in accordance with your state’s laws, your online will is legally binding.

Among those reviewed services, Quicken WillMaker & Trust was our number one “Editor’s Pick.” Next, we chose Trust & Will, followed by Rocket Lawyer, LegalZoom, and U.S. LegalWills.

The main pros of online wills are they’re more affordable than hiring an estate attorney, they can be created from home, and they’re easier than writing a will from scratch.

The main cons of online wills are that an attorney review is not available with all services, they might not be the best option for those with a complicated estate, and unlimited updates not available with all services (requiring re-purchase to make updates).

The price to create a simple online will range from $0–$89. Some packages offering several documents, in addition to a will, can cost up to $299.

While an online will is designed to be legally binding if you provide accurate information and follow your state’s laws, its validity could be contested if someone has reason to believe it wasn’t written properly.

In some circumstances, such as complex financial situations, complicated family structures, or undecided wishes, it’s best to consult an attorney.

Have questions about this review? Email us at [email protected] .

• Gallup.com. How Many Americans Have a Will? June 23, 2021. Found on the Internet at https://news.gallup.com/poll/351500/how-many-americans-have-will.aspx

• Search Search Please fill out this field.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

• Trust & Estate Planning

Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is our top pick because it's comprehensive and affordable

An online will maker is a service that helps an individual create a will from the comfort of their home, potentially for less than an estate attorney would charge. Online will makers work with attorneys and other legal professionals to generate a will based on the information you provide, which (so long as it's accurate and executed correctly) is just as legally binding as a standard will. If you have a relatively simple estate, an online will maker can be an affordable way to ensure your affairs are in order and your loved ones will be taken care of.

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust is the best overall online will maker due to its downloadable software, free software updates, and access to a catalog of estate planning documents. We researched 13 companies and evaluated them on several factors, including company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, ease of use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

The 6 Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

• Best Overall: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• Best Value: U.S. Legal Wills
• Best for Ease of Use: Trust & Will
• Best Comprehensive Estate Plan: TotalLegal
• Best for Free: Do Your Own Will
• Best for Making Changes: Rocket Lawyer
• Our Top Picks
• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• U.S. Legal Wills
• Trust & Will
• Do Your Own Will
• Rocket Lawyer
• See More (3)

The Bottom Line

• Compare Providers

How to Write a Will

Alternative to a will, why you should trust us.

• Methodology

Best Overall : Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

• Price : Starting at $99
• Legal support : No
• Free trial : No
• Update period : One year of software updates included

Customers get access to a large number of estate planning documents with this Nolo product, and the software itself is easy to use. You’re not required to have an internet connection except to download and update the software.

Get comprehensive estate planning documents for a flat rate

Free software updates for version year

Downloadable software

Estate planning documents aren’t valid in Louisiana

Must meet minimum operating system requirements

Downloadable software not available for Starter price tier

Nolo, which is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, started by publishing DIY legal guides back in 1971. It was one of the first websites to provide online legal assistance and information. It's branched out into other products, like its Quicken WillMaker & Trust software tools.

You can download the program for $99 to $209, depending on the version. They include key estate planning documents like a legal will, a living trust , a financial power of attorney (POA) , a healthcare directive, final arrangements, and a letter to survivors, in addition to other types of personal finance and home and family management documents.

The software is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and it's easy to use. It allows you to create customized legal documents using a simple interview survey to fill out forms. You can then save your information and download completed documents in PDF format. You can update your will at any time and receive legal and technical updates via the internet.

There's a legal manual to help you answer common questions within Quicken WillMaker & Trust, and you can contact technical support for additional help. Louisiana residents won’t be able to use this software because it doesn’t address the estate planning requirements for this state.

Best Value : U.S. Legal Wills

 US Legal Wills

• Price : Starting at $49.95
• Legal support : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited

U.S. Legal Wills is one of the most affordable will options we've seen. It offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and it also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. It’s one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have personal property or other assets located outside the U.S.

Free unlimited updates

Includes forms for assets outside the U.S. and for expats

Discounts for documents for your spouse or partner

No living revocable trust available

Website not as intuitive as other competitors

Signup process for spouses can be clunky

Formed in 2000 and based in New York City, U.S. Legal Wills is operated by PartingWishes Inc., an independent organization that works with U.S.-based lawyers to create legal documents, without being tied to a particular law firm. Services are available in all U.S. states (except Louisiana) and provide some of the best values and discounts of all the websites we reviewed.

Starting at $49.95 for a last will and testament, U.S. Legal Wills customers also get free storage for their documents on the company's secure servers, in addition to unlimited updates. You can pay annually or opt for the lifetime feature if you want to keep storing your documents with U.S. Legal Wills, which is only $129.95. It's a more economical choice if you plan on storing your will on its servers for more than a few years. Spouses or partners can get mirror wills (plus additional documents) for 40% off.

You can create a variety of estate planning documents on the U.S. Legal Wills website, then designate what the company calls Keyholders. These are people who have access to your documents, such as trusted family members or the individual you've named as executor .

Members can receive additional support by submitting a ticket through the customer service portal.

Best for Ease of Use : Trust & Will

 Trust & Will

• Price : Starting at $199
• Update period : One year

Customers can create their estate planning documents quickly and simply with Trust & Will. The company offers an easy way to decide which option is best through the "Get Started" section of its site. You can then fill in relevant details using an interview-style format.

We also like that Trust & Will makes it easy for you to make your documents legally binding by mailing you your completed documents for free and providing complete instructions.

Comprehensive learning center

Choose from three options so you can feel less overwhelmed

The website is intuitive to use

Only one year of unlimited updates available

Doesn’t offer free upfront legal consultations

Founded in 2017, Trust & Will aims to modernize the estate planning process by providing an easy and secure way to create your estate plan online. Document creation is seamless using its user-friendly website and its step-by-step path to getting started. The process can take as little as 15 minutes, and the company even mails your completed documents to you for no extra charge, along with instructions to make sure everything is legally binding.

The fintech expert's state-specific trusts offer pretty much everything you'll need, including a living will’s schedule of assets and a revocable living trust to help your loved ones avoid probate. It's one of the only do-it-yourself companies to offer this option.

Trust & Will has a flat fee for wills of $199 for an individual and $299 for couples. A customized trust costs $499, or $599 for couples. This includes unlimited updates for a year. You'll pay $19 annually after the first year for unlimited updates for wills and $39 for trusts.

Best Comprehensive Estate Plan : TotalLegal

Total Legal

• Price : Starting at $19.95 or $99 per year
• Update period : 60 days

TotalLegal is one of the only companies that provides comprehensive legal services that include do-it-yourself business and estate planning documents plus free and discounted access to attorneys through its TotalLegal™ plan.

Low annual or monthly fee

Premium members have access to free and discounted legal services

Ability to create a wide variety of documents

Customers who purchase one-off documents have limited update period

No living trusts available

No online access for executors

TotalLegal is part of Pro Se Planning Inc., which provides self-guided legal products, including estate planning and business formation documents. Pro Se Planning was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Customers can purchase and complete individual estate planning documents starting at $19.95 for a last will and testament, which remains available in your online account for 60 days, then offers unlimited updates.

The biggest advantage of TotalLegal is its yearly subscription plan. You get access to legal services for $99 a year, including a consultation, attorney-reviewed documents, and a will with free updates each year. All this provides the most comprehensive resources for those who need some guidance.

Document creation is simple. You’ll go through a series of questions to inform and complete your document, which can then be downloaded and printed. TotalLegal’s help center provides extensive information, and you can always call or email customer support if you have any additional questions.

There are discounted services that include creating a simple will with a trust. You'll also get access to its document storage digital vault service, where there are no storage limits.

Best for Free : Do Your Own Will

 Do Your Own Will

• Price : Free
• Free trial : N/A

This free option offers one of the widest varieties of forms without paying for extras. There's no need to create an account or hand over any credit card details. You can download your documents instantly.

No need to sign up for an account to get access to documents

Available to residents of all 50 states

Ability to save your will as either a PDF or Word document

No legal support

You must check state laws yourself

Do Your Own Will is a completely free way to make a last will and testament, POA, or a living will. Beyond the unbeatable price, one of the major perks is that it’s simple to use. There's no need to sign up for an account, but you'll have to provide your email address if you want to make updates or changes later.

Users complete forms online by filling in details such as marital status, information on your dependents, how you want your assets to be divided, and who you want to name as your executor. Download the document as a PDF or Word document, then you can sign it.

Originally founded in 1999, Do Your Own Will is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It’s available nationwide, but there's one caveat: There's no legal support, so make sure you do your own research to ensure your will is legally binding.

Best for Making Changes : Rocket Lawyer

 Rocket Lawyer

• Price : Starting at $39.99 per month by subscription
• Free trial : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited with subscription

You get access to all Rocket Lawyer's estate planning documents for one monthly price and you can make updates whenever you like. What makes Rocket Lawyer stand out is its ability to get legal advice for new legal issues and the ability to sign your documents securely online. This allows any changes you make to go into effect immediately.

Offers a wide variety of legal and estate planning documents

A free seven-day trial to try out its services

Ability to pay a low monthly fee for premium access

Monthly membership pricier than other options

You must provide credit card information even for a free trial

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rocket Lawyer offers online legal services that include documents and attorney services. Rocket Lawyer provides customers with two monthly subscription models, which cost $39.99 per month or $239.88 per year, depending on the membership chosen. You get unlimited access to all its legal documents, including the ability to make updates and attorney services. The price also includes a free 30-minute consultation on new legal matters, an “ask a lawyer” option for your legal questions, and other professional services.

You can download wills, trusts, and powers of attorney immediately after you complete all the required information online, and then you'll receive instructions to make the documents legally binding. They can be securely signed online, plus you can invite others to sign them digitally as well. This allows you to make updates and changes quickly. You can also contact customer service by email, online chat, or calling its hotline.

We’re a fan of Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust because you can make your will or trust and other documents with one download for one flat price. But you may want to choose another option if you want additional help from a live lawyer. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is an option with great features for your estate planning forms if you're computer savvy.

Compare Online Will Makers

While writing your own will may seem like an intimidating task, the actual complexity will depend on the nature of your estate. You may be better served hiring an estate planning attorney if you possess an intricate web of assets. If your estate is relatively uncomplicated, then you can follow the steps below to put a will together yourself (though it may still be a good idea to have a lawyer review the finished document).

• Catalog your assets : Before you start writing your will, take an inventory of every asset you own/have in your name that you are legally permitted to bequeath in your state. You'll want to be as detailed as possible when you list these assets in your will to avoid any confusion about what a beneficiary should receive.
• Find a template : You can certainly write a will from scratch, but you can also make things easier on yourself by utilizing a free online template from a reputable source. This will reduce the amount of time you'll spend writing and minimize the chances of making any errors. Ensure the template you choose includes any additional clauses important to you, such as what powers your executor should have or how assets not assigned to any beneficiaries ought to be handled.
• Start with your name and address : While the exact identifying information you'll need in your will may vary based on the template, you'll typically have to include your full legal name, city (and possibly county), and state. Make sure your template includes a sentence revoking any prior wills you may have had.
• Name your executor(s) and guardian(s) (if applicable) : In your will, you'll need to identify the executor administering your will (as well as their successor if your first choice is unavailable) and the guardian (plus their successor) you're granting custody of your minor children (if you have any). You'll also likely have to include the mailing address and Social Security number (SSN) of each individual you name in your will. Be sure to first communicate with each individual you want to name as an executor or guardian to ensure they're willing to accept their respective roles.
• Choose your beneficiaries and the asset(s) they will receive : As with your executor(s) and guardian(s), you'll have to name the beneficiaries receiving your assets, in addition to potentially providing their mailing addresses, SSNs, and relations to you. You'll then need to specify which asset(s) each person or organization will be given.
• Sign and date your will : Once you've finished writing your will, the final step is signing it before the witnesses required by your state. If you don't complete this step, then your will won't be legally binding.

After making copies of your completed will, store the original somewhere safe and inform your executor(s) of where they can find it. You'll also want to review and revise your will every few years and after any major upheavals in your life.

The primary alternative to a will is a living trust . The latter is a legal arrangement wherein an individual designates assets that are transferred to a trust account, which is managed by a trustee of the account opener's choosing. A living trust is created when the account opener signs a trust agreement, which typically specifies the trust's purpose, what kinds of assets it holds, the trustee's duties and responsibilities, and which assets each beneficiary will receive after the grantor dies.

Wills and living trusts share many similarities, but there are a few key differences that set them apart from one another:

• A will is a straightforward document that only details how the testator's assets should be distributed after their passing. Meanwhile, a living trust is a complicated arrangement wherein the grantor sets aside specific assets to fund a trust account while they're alive.
• A will doesn't go into effect until after the testator dies, whereas a living trust is in effect as soon as it's signed.
• In most cases, a will goes into probate after the testator dies, and a trust avoids the probate process entirely.
• A will becomes part of the public record, whereas a living trust's details will only be known to the grantor, trustee, and beneficiaries.

Although a living trust can be considered an alternative to a will, they aren't mutually exclusive. If you want to have an especially comprehensive estate plan , you can have both a will and a living trust. However, if your estate isn't particularly complex, then a will by itself may be sufficient.

Investopedia collected and analyzed several key data points from over 13 companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing an online will maker. We used this data to review each company for price, availability, compatibility with various devices, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right financial decisions for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best online will makers since 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online wills legitimate.

Online wills are legitimate as long as they comply with federal and state laws. Online will companies hire licensed attorneys and legal professionals to carefully word their estate planning documents so that each is legally binding, but you'll want to make sure that your final documents will carry the same weight as one that an attorney creates. Check the fine print of the online will company to make sure it’s compliant in your state.

Is Paying for an Online Will Maker Worth It?

Using a free online will service can suffice if your estate is simple and straightforward: You don’t have any children, your only beneficiary is your spouse, and your estate is very small. But you'll probably benefit from using a paid service if you have a larger estate or a more complex situation, or if you want a legal professional to help you work through your documents and other financial matters.

Who Should Draw Up a Will?

It's a good idea for anyone with assets that multiple heirs can legitimately claim. Not dividing up assets can cause litigation among family members, creating resentment and heartache after the individual passes.

Should an Individual Write Their Own Will?

It's inadvisable to write your own will without any sort of legal guidance unless you have an up-to-date background in and knowledge of estate law. Otherwise, it's too easy to inadvertently sidestep a rule or law in your state that you didn't even know about. This could result in your final wishes not being carried out, throwing your estate into chaos as the court looks for alternate solutions. Always touch base with a legal professional before writing and finalizing your own will.

What Should You Avoid Putting in a Will?

Your will is not a private document after your death, so don't include anything that you don't want to become a matter of public record. Forming a living trust is a much more private estate-planning alternative. It will avoid airing out all the most intimate details of your life in probate court. A will must pass through probate in order for your estate to be settled.

What Is the Best Site to Create a Will?

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust website offers the best online will maker. However, depending on your needs, you may be better suited with another company. Do Your Own Will, for example, is a great free option, so long as you're confident in your ability to create a legally binding will without any legal support.

Are Wills Really Necessary?

In most cases, a will is an indispensable part of an estate plan. If you pass away without a will, then you risk your assets being distributed to different persons or parties than you might have wished for. Having a will in place can give you the peace of mind that this won't come to pass. There are a few cases where a will isn't strictly necessary, such as if you lack sufficient assets or any beneficiaries.

How Do You Make an Online Will?

When creating a will online, you'll first want to shop around for the best online will maker to suit your needs. Once you've made that decision, you'll next need to take stock of your assets, such as any real estate in your name. You should then choose your beneficiaries and how you'll want your assets divided between them. After that, you'll need to pick an executor you trust to distribute your assets to the correct beneficiaries. All that's left at this point is to fill out the template provided by your will maker and store a physical copy somewhere safe.

It would likely be a good idea to hire an attorney to review your will to ensure it's legally binding. Don't forget to also ensure that the beneficiary designations for any of your assets with death benefits (such as bank accounts, retirement accounts, or a life insurance policy) are aligned with your new estate plan.

How We Pick the Best Online Will Makers

Our goal is to make sure our recommendations are ones we would share with our family and friends when looking to choose an online will maker company. We looked at 13 companies before choosing the top providers. Factors we looked at include company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, whether the product was simple to use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by the payment we receive from advertisers.  Click here to learn more about our review process.

Investopedia / Zoe Hansen

LinkedIn. " Nolo ."

Nolo. " About Us ."

Quicken Willmaker & Trust 2024. " A Powerful Estate Planner Without the High Costs ."

US Legal Wills. " About Us ."

United States Legal Wills. " Prices ."

Trust & Will. " Founding Story ."

Trust & Will. " Pricing for Our Estate Planning Products ."

LinkedIn. " Pro Se Planning, Inc ."

TotalLegal. " Prices ."

CBInsights. " DoYourOwnWill.com ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Rocket Lawyer Introduces Rocket Tax ."

LinkedIn. " Rocket Lawyer ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Memberships and Pricing ."

National Council on Aging. " Living Trust vs. Will: Key Differences ."

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. " How Does a Revocable Trust Avoid Probate? "

• Terms of Service
• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices

• Search Search Please fill out this field.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

• Trust & Estate Planning

Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is our top pick because it's comprehensive and affordable

An online will maker is a service that helps an individual create a will from the comfort of their home, potentially for less than an estate attorney would charge. Online will makers work with attorneys and other legal professionals to generate a will based on the information you provide, which (so long as it's accurate and executed correctly) is just as legally binding as a standard will. If you have a relatively simple estate, an online will maker can be an affordable way to ensure your affairs are in order and your loved ones will be taken care of.

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust is the best overall online will maker due to its downloadable software, free software updates, and access to a catalog of estate planning documents. We researched 13 companies and evaluated them on several factors, including company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, ease of use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

The 6 Best Online Will Makers of May 2024

• Best Overall: Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• Best Value: U.S. Legal Wills
• Best for Ease of Use: Trust & Will
• Best Comprehensive Estate Plan: TotalLegal
• Best for Free: Do Your Own Will
• Best for Making Changes: Rocket Lawyer
• Our Top Picks
• Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• U.S. Legal Wills
• Trust & Will
• Do Your Own Will
• Rocket Lawyer
• See More (3)

The Bottom Line

• Compare Providers

How to Write a Will

Alternative to a will, why you should trust us.

• Methodology

Best Overall : Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust

• Price : Starting at $99
• Legal support : No
• Free trial : No
• Update period : One year of software updates included

Customers get access to a large number of estate planning documents with this Nolo product, and the software itself is easy to use. You’re not required to have an internet connection except to download and update the software.

Get comprehensive estate planning documents for a flat rate

Free software updates for version year

Downloadable software

Estate planning documents aren’t valid in Louisiana

Must meet minimum operating system requirements

Downloadable software not available for Starter price tier

Nolo, which is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, started by publishing DIY legal guides back in 1971. It was one of the first websites to provide online legal assistance and information. It's branched out into other products, like its Quicken WillMaker & Trust software tools.

You can download the program for $99 to $209, depending on the version. They include key estate planning documents like a legal will, a living trust , a financial power of attorney (POA) , a healthcare directive, final arrangements, and a letter to survivors, in addition to other types of personal finance and home and family management documents.

The software is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and it's easy to use. It allows you to create customized legal documents using a simple interview survey to fill out forms. You can then save your information and download completed documents in PDF format. You can update your will at any time and receive legal and technical updates via the internet.

There's a legal manual to help you answer common questions within Quicken WillMaker & Trust, and you can contact technical support for additional help. Louisiana residents won’t be able to use this software because it doesn’t address the estate planning requirements for this state.

Best Value : U.S. Legal Wills

 US Legal Wills

• Price : Starting at $49.95
• Legal support : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited

U.S. Legal Wills is one of the most affordable will options we've seen. It offers 40% off forms for partners or spouses, and it also has an add-on service to get an attorney to review your estate plan. It’s one of the only websites that accommodates affordable wills for expats and those who have personal property or other assets located outside the U.S.

Free unlimited updates

Includes forms for assets outside the U.S. and for expats

Discounts for documents for your spouse or partner

No living revocable trust available

Website not as intuitive as other competitors

Signup process for spouses can be clunky

Formed in 2000 and based in New York City, U.S. Legal Wills is operated by PartingWishes Inc., an independent organization that works with U.S.-based lawyers to create legal documents, without being tied to a particular law firm. Services are available in all U.S. states (except Louisiana) and provide some of the best values and discounts of all the websites we reviewed.

Starting at $49.95 for a last will and testament, U.S. Legal Wills customers also get free storage for their documents on the company's secure servers, in addition to unlimited updates. You can pay annually or opt for the lifetime feature if you want to keep storing your documents with U.S. Legal Wills, which is only $129.95. It's a more economical choice if you plan on storing your will on its servers for more than a few years. Spouses or partners can get mirror wills (plus additional documents) for 40% off.

You can create a variety of estate planning documents on the U.S. Legal Wills website, then designate what the company calls Keyholders. These are people who have access to your documents, such as trusted family members or the individual you've named as executor .

Members can receive additional support by submitting a ticket through the customer service portal.

Best for Ease of Use : Trust & Will

 Trust & Will

• Price : Starting at $199
• Update period : One year

Customers can create their estate planning documents quickly and simply with Trust & Will. The company offers an easy way to decide which option is best through the "Get Started" section of its site. You can then fill in relevant details using an interview-style format.

We also like that Trust & Will makes it easy for you to make your documents legally binding by mailing you your completed documents for free and providing complete instructions.

Comprehensive learning center

Choose from three options so you can feel less overwhelmed

The website is intuitive to use

Only one year of unlimited updates available

Doesn’t offer free upfront legal consultations

Founded in 2017, Trust & Will aims to modernize the estate planning process by providing an easy and secure way to create your estate plan online. Document creation is seamless using its user-friendly website and its step-by-step path to getting started. The process can take as little as 15 minutes, and the company even mails your completed documents to you for no extra charge, along with instructions to make sure everything is legally binding.

The fintech expert's state-specific trusts offer pretty much everything you'll need, including a living will’s schedule of assets and a revocable living trust to help your loved ones avoid probate. It's one of the only do-it-yourself companies to offer this option.

Trust & Will has a flat fee for wills of $199 for an individual and $299 for couples. A customized trust costs $499, or $599 for couples. This includes unlimited updates for a year. You'll pay $19 annually after the first year for unlimited updates for wills and $39 for trusts.

Best Comprehensive Estate Plan : TotalLegal

Total Legal

• Price : Starting at $19.95 or $99 per year
• Update period : 60 days

TotalLegal is one of the only companies that provides comprehensive legal services that include do-it-yourself business and estate planning documents plus free and discounted access to attorneys through its TotalLegal™ plan.

Low annual or monthly fee

Premium members have access to free and discounted legal services

Ability to create a wide variety of documents

Customers who purchase one-off documents have limited update period

No living trusts available

No online access for executors

TotalLegal is part of Pro Se Planning Inc., which provides self-guided legal products, including estate planning and business formation documents. Pro Se Planning was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Customers can purchase and complete individual estate planning documents starting at $19.95 for a last will and testament, which remains available in your online account for 60 days, then offers unlimited updates.

The biggest advantage of TotalLegal is its yearly subscription plan. You get access to legal services for $99 a year, including a consultation, attorney-reviewed documents, and a will with free updates each year. All this provides the most comprehensive resources for those who need some guidance.

Document creation is simple. You’ll go through a series of questions to inform and complete your document, which can then be downloaded and printed. TotalLegal’s help center provides extensive information, and you can always call or email customer support if you have any additional questions.

There are discounted services that include creating a simple will with a trust. You'll also get access to its document storage digital vault service, where there are no storage limits.

Best for Free : Do Your Own Will

 Do Your Own Will

• Price : Free
• Free trial : N/A

This free option offers one of the widest varieties of forms without paying for extras. There's no need to create an account or hand over any credit card details. You can download your documents instantly.

No need to sign up for an account to get access to documents

Available to residents of all 50 states

Ability to save your will as either a PDF or Word document

No legal support

You must check state laws yourself

Do Your Own Will is a completely free way to make a last will and testament, POA, or a living will. Beyond the unbeatable price, one of the major perks is that it’s simple to use. There's no need to sign up for an account, but you'll have to provide your email address if you want to make updates or changes later.

Users complete forms online by filling in details such as marital status, information on your dependents, how you want your assets to be divided, and who you want to name as your executor. Download the document as a PDF or Word document, then you can sign it.

Originally founded in 1999, Do Your Own Will is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It’s available nationwide, but there's one caveat: There's no legal support, so make sure you do your own research to ensure your will is legally binding.

Best for Making Changes : Rocket Lawyer

 Rocket Lawyer

• Price : Starting at $39.99 per month by subscription
• Free trial : Yes
• Update period : Unlimited with subscription

You get access to all Rocket Lawyer's estate planning documents for one monthly price and you can make updates whenever you like. What makes Rocket Lawyer stand out is its ability to get legal advice for new legal issues and the ability to sign your documents securely online. This allows any changes you make to go into effect immediately.

Offers a wide variety of legal and estate planning documents

A free seven-day trial to try out its services

Ability to pay a low monthly fee for premium access

Monthly membership pricier than other options

You must provide credit card information even for a free trial

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rocket Lawyer offers online legal services that include documents and attorney services. Rocket Lawyer provides customers with two monthly subscription models, which cost $39.99 per month or $239.88 per year, depending on the membership chosen. You get unlimited access to all its legal documents, including the ability to make updates and attorney services. The price also includes a free 30-minute consultation on new legal matters, an “ask a lawyer” option for your legal questions, and other professional services.

You can download wills, trusts, and powers of attorney immediately after you complete all the required information online, and then you'll receive instructions to make the documents legally binding. They can be securely signed online, plus you can invite others to sign them digitally as well. This allows you to make updates and changes quickly. You can also contact customer service by email, online chat, or calling its hotline.

We’re a fan of Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust because you can make your will or trust and other documents with one download for one flat price. But you may want to choose another option if you want additional help from a live lawyer. Nolo’s Quicken WillMaker & Trust is an option with great features for your estate planning forms if you're computer savvy.

Compare Online Will Makers

While writing your own will may seem like an intimidating task, the actual complexity will depend on the nature of your estate. You may be better served hiring an estate planning attorney if you possess an intricate web of assets. If your estate is relatively uncomplicated, then you can follow the steps below to put a will together yourself (though it may still be a good idea to have a lawyer review the finished document).

• Catalog your assets : Before you start writing your will, take an inventory of every asset you own/have in your name that you are legally permitted to bequeath in your state. You'll want to be as detailed as possible when you list these assets in your will to avoid any confusion about what a beneficiary should receive.
• Find a template : You can certainly write a will from scratch, but you can also make things easier on yourself by utilizing a free online template from a reputable source. This will reduce the amount of time you'll spend writing and minimize the chances of making any errors. Ensure the template you choose includes any additional clauses important to you, such as what powers your executor should have or how assets not assigned to any beneficiaries ought to be handled.
• Start with your name and address : While the exact identifying information you'll need in your will may vary based on the template, you'll typically have to include your full legal name, city (and possibly county), and state. Make sure your template includes a sentence revoking any prior wills you may have had.
• Name your executor(s) and guardian(s) (if applicable) : In your will, you'll need to identify the executor administering your will (as well as their successor if your first choice is unavailable) and the guardian (plus their successor) you're granting custody of your minor children (if you have any). You'll also likely have to include the mailing address and Social Security number (SSN) of each individual you name in your will. Be sure to first communicate with each individual you want to name as an executor or guardian to ensure they're willing to accept their respective roles.
• Choose your beneficiaries and the asset(s) they will receive : As with your executor(s) and guardian(s), you'll have to name the beneficiaries receiving your assets, in addition to potentially providing their mailing addresses, SSNs, and relations to you. You'll then need to specify which asset(s) each person or organization will be given.
• Sign and date your will : Once you've finished writing your will, the final step is signing it before the witnesses required by your state. If you don't complete this step, then your will won't be legally binding.

After making copies of your completed will, store the original somewhere safe and inform your executor(s) of where they can find it. You'll also want to review and revise your will every few years and after any major upheavals in your life.

The primary alternative to a will is a living trust . The latter is a legal arrangement wherein an individual designates assets that are transferred to a trust account, which is managed by a trustee of the account opener's choosing. A living trust is created when the account opener signs a trust agreement, which typically specifies the trust's purpose, what kinds of assets it holds, the trustee's duties and responsibilities, and which assets each beneficiary will receive after the grantor dies.

Wills and living trusts share many similarities, but there are a few key differences that set them apart from one another:

• A will is a straightforward document that only details how the testator's assets should be distributed after their passing. Meanwhile, a living trust is a complicated arrangement wherein the grantor sets aside specific assets to fund a trust account while they're alive.
• A will doesn't go into effect until after the testator dies, whereas a living trust is in effect as soon as it's signed.
• In most cases, a will goes into probate after the testator dies, and a trust avoids the probate process entirely.
• A will becomes part of the public record, whereas a living trust's details will only be known to the grantor, trustee, and beneficiaries.

Although a living trust can be considered an alternative to a will, they aren't mutually exclusive. If you want to have an especially comprehensive estate plan , you can have both a will and a living trust. However, if your estate isn't particularly complex, then a will by itself may be sufficient.

Investopedia collected and analyzed several key data points from over 13 companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing an online will maker. We used this data to review each company for price, availability, compatibility with various devices, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right financial decisions for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best online will makers since 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online wills legitimate.

Online wills are legitimate as long as they comply with federal and state laws. Online will companies hire licensed attorneys and legal professionals to carefully word their estate planning documents so that each is legally binding, but you'll want to make sure that your final documents will carry the same weight as one that an attorney creates. Check the fine print of the online will company to make sure it’s compliant in your state.

Is Paying for an Online Will Maker Worth It?

Using a free online will service can suffice if your estate is simple and straightforward: You don’t have any children, your only beneficiary is your spouse, and your estate is very small. But you'll probably benefit from using a paid service if you have a larger estate or a more complex situation, or if you want a legal professional to help you work through your documents and other financial matters.

Who Should Draw Up a Will?

It's a good idea for anyone with assets that multiple heirs can legitimately claim. Not dividing up assets can cause litigation among family members, creating resentment and heartache after the individual passes.

Should an Individual Write Their Own Will?

It's inadvisable to write your own will without any sort of legal guidance unless you have an up-to-date background in and knowledge of estate law. Otherwise, it's too easy to inadvertently sidestep a rule or law in your state that you didn't even know about. This could result in your final wishes not being carried out, throwing your estate into chaos as the court looks for alternate solutions. Always touch base with a legal professional before writing and finalizing your own will.

What Should You Avoid Putting in a Will?

Your will is not a private document after your death, so don't include anything that you don't want to become a matter of public record. Forming a living trust is a much more private estate-planning alternative. It will avoid airing out all the most intimate details of your life in probate court. A will must pass through probate in order for your estate to be settled.

What Is the Best Site to Create a Will?

According to our research, Nolo's Quicken WillMaker & Trust website offers the best online will maker. However, depending on your needs, you may be better suited with another company. Do Your Own Will, for example, is a great free option, so long as you're confident in your ability to create a legally binding will without any legal support.

Are Wills Really Necessary?

In most cases, a will is an indispensable part of an estate plan. If you pass away without a will, then you risk your assets being distributed to different persons or parties than you might have wished for. Having a will in place can give you the peace of mind that this won't come to pass. There are a few cases where a will isn't strictly necessary, such as if you lack sufficient assets or any beneficiaries.

How Do You Make an Online Will?

When creating a will online, you'll first want to shop around for the best online will maker to suit your needs. Once you've made that decision, you'll next need to take stock of your assets, such as any real estate in your name. You should then choose your beneficiaries and how you'll want your assets divided between them. After that, you'll need to pick an executor you trust to distribute your assets to the correct beneficiaries. All that's left at this point is to fill out the template provided by your will maker and store a physical copy somewhere safe.

It would likely be a good idea to hire an attorney to review your will to ensure it's legally binding. Don't forget to also ensure that the beneficiary designations for any of your assets with death benefits (such as bank accounts, retirement accounts, or a life insurance policy) are aligned with your new estate plan.

How We Pick the Best Online Will Makers

Our goal is to make sure our recommendations are ones we would share with our family and friends when looking to choose an online will maker company. We looked at 13 companies before choosing the top providers. Factors we looked at include company history, price, availability in all states, offerings for online resources, whether the product was simple to use, compatibility with various devices, and whether it was easy to make updates.

Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by the payment we receive from advertisers.  Click here to learn more about our review process.

Investopedia / Zoe Hansen

LinkedIn. " Nolo ."

Nolo. " About Us ."

Quicken Willmaker & Trust 2024. " A Powerful Estate Planner Without the High Costs ."

US Legal Wills. " About Us ."

United States Legal Wills. " Prices ."

Trust & Will. " Founding Story ."

Trust & Will. " Pricing for Our Estate Planning Products ."

LinkedIn. " Pro Se Planning, Inc ."

TotalLegal. " Prices ."

CBInsights. " DoYourOwnWill.com ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Rocket Lawyer Introduces Rocket Tax ."

LinkedIn. " Rocket Lawyer ."

Rocket Lawyer. " Memberships and Pricing ."

National Council on Aging. " Living Trust vs. Will: Key Differences ."

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. " How Does a Revocable Trust Avoid Probate? "

• Terms of Service
• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices

May We Suggest?

Is this it, how about this, search results.

Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

The Best Will Services

The 11 best will services.

• U.S. Legal Wills
• Rocket Lawyer
• LegalShield
• Trust & Will
• Parting Wishes
• LegalNature
• Find Legal Forms
• Legal Contracts

Which Will Service is the Best?

Creating a will can be an emotional process. Most of us don't like to think about leaving our loved ones behind. Who will take care of our pets? Who will be the guardians of our children? Who should receive the family heirlooms? However, having a will can be one of the best - and easiest - ways to make our wishes known, and to spare them from having to make heart-wrenching decisions in the midst of their grief.

Wills are just one document that is often included in estate planning. You may also have heard of Living Trusts, Power of Attorney, Living Wills (also known as Advance Directives), and more. What's the difference among all of them, and which ones do you need?

Wednesday, May 15th

2024 Will Service Reviews

• Pricing starts at $39.95
• Optional lawyer review for $69
• Unique Keyholder service lets you grant access to particular documents for specific people you name (up to 20)
• Unlimited updates in the first year
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• No automatic subscriptions
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 2000

US Legal Wills is a service offered by Parting Wishes. The company has been around for more than 20 years, and their platform offers a wide range of features you won't find with other will creation services in our review.

Consider trying US Legal Wills risk-free. Click the "Get Started" button to start creating your will, and you'll be walked through all of the questions needed to get your document in place. Not sure what it's asking or why? Look for the blue question mark icon to get further information. If you want to save your progress, though, you'll be asked to create an account (and pay for the plan that corresponds to the document/service package you want). The good news is that US Legal Wills also gives you a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee, with no monthly fees or automatic subscriptions when you sign up.

Save money with packages

You can always put together your own package of documents and services with US Legal Wills, paying a la carte for whatever you need. The list of available options includes just a Last Will and Testament ($39.95) - which can also be an Expatriate Will if you live outside of the US or have assets in the UK or Canada, a Living Will ($19.95), Power of Attorney ($29.95), and Life Locker for storing personal information ($29.95). However, you can save money by purchasing one of US Legal Wills' packages:

• Advanced: along with creating your Last Will and Testament, this bundle includes the ability to document your funeral wishes and organ donation preferences, write final messages, and assign Keyholders. This package is priced at $69.95.
• Complete Estate Plan: for $99.95, you get everything in the Advanced package plus Power of Attorney for Finances and Living Will.
• Premium Estate Plan: US Legal Wills' top-tier package adds on to the Complete Estate Plan with access to both the Life Locker (for storing personal information) and Digital Vault (for storing important documents and files), both of which can be passed on to your executor and/or family at the time of your death. This bundle costs $129.95.

Lawyer review available but probably not necessary

Finally, you can add on a lawyer review of your will for $69. US Legal Wills asserts that most people don't need it and won't get any significant benefit from it, but they offer it to give clients that extra peace of mind if needed.

Unique Keyholder feature

Our favorite aspect of using US Legal Wills is the Keyholder feature. As part of creating your will, you designate up to 20 different individuals as your "Keyholders" . These people will have permission to access any features you specify, but only after you become mentally incapacitated or pass away. Each Keyholder only gets access to what you designate, and that can be different for every one of them: maybe you want your kids to be able to access just your funeral wishes and final messages, but you want your executor to have authorization for every US Legal Wills feature (your will, uploaded documents, health care directives, and so on).

No recurring fees

We love that US Legal Wills doesn't make you pay any ongoing subscription fees to use the service. The one exception is your document storage. You automatically have access to every feature for the first year, and you can make any updates to your will that you like during that time. After that year, you have the option of storing everything for $11.95 for one year, $29.95 for five years, $39.95 for ten years, or $79.95 for 25 years. The good news is that your account will not be deleted if you don't pay the storage fee: if you change your mind later and want to get back into your account, you'll just have to pay $11.95 to reactivate it for a year. US Legal Wills doesn't charge you for the years your account was inactive.

No trusts, no access for residents of Louisiana

There are only two drawbacks with this will creation service. The first is the lack of options for creating trusts. If you already know you want a trust instead of a will, you'd need to look at another provider in our review because US Legal Wills focuses solely on Last Will and Testament creation plus other related documents. Second, this service can't be used to generate legal documents in the state of Louisiana, the only one of the 50 that isn't included here.

Glowing feedback from customers

US Legal Wills has lots of recent, positive feedback from clients: an average of 4.9/5 stars across more than 300 reviews in the last year alone. They describe the process as being easy to understand, with plenty of instructions at every step. Some clients who had tried rival will services said that US Legal Wills gave them much more for their money. And, under the name of its sister site (Parting Wishes), US Legal Wills enjoys an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau as well.

Peace of mind for you and your loved ones

US Legal Wills makes the process of creating a will much less stressful for you, and it makes everything after your passing much easier for those you leave behind. They'll never have to wonder where to find your will, who you've designated to be in charge of the various aspects of your final arrangements and distribution of your estate, or what your preferences are for advance directives. This service is straightforward, affordable, and reliable - all without sneaky recurring subscription fees. We're pleased to give US Legal Wills our highest recommendation.

• 7-day free trial
• $39.99/month after trial
• Membership (or $5 Premium trial) comes with Document Defense, Ask A Lawyer service, and access to hundreds of additional legal documents

Rocket Lawyer has helped more than 25 million people with their affordable, simple, and easy-to-use platform for accessing legal documents.

7-day trial

Rocket Lawyer lets you create your will for free - kind of. You'll walk through the entire process, answering questions about your executor(s), whether you have children or pets, if you'd like to make any specific bequests, and so forth. After you enter your email address and desired password to create an account, your draft is saved. What's next? You'll have to choose between a Free trial, which includes your customized document and instant digital signatures, or a Premium trial for $5 that lets you try out Rocket Lawyer's top-tier membership services (more on those later) . Either way, you'll have to provide your credit card information - and make sure to cancel it within the 7-day trial if you don't want to subscribe. So yes, it's free to make a will within that one-week period.

Perks of membership

What's included if you decide to be a Rocket Lawyer member? For $39.99/month, you'll have access to hundreds of documents, a 30-minute consultation on every new legal matter plus Ask A Lawyer service for any questions that come up as you're preparing your will or other forms. Your documents are also protected by Document Defense: if there's any kind of dispute, the situation can be reviewed with an attorney. (That might be hard to take advantage of if there's a dispute with your will - since you won't exactly be here as a client to ask for Rocket Lawyer's help. But it's good to know that it's available if you are accessing other legal forms too.)

Related estate planning documents also available

We were surprised to see that Rocket Lawyer didn't have anything recommended in the "Related Documents" section of the Last Will and Testament page. What about Power of Attorney or Advance Directive (Living Will)? Trusts? Rocket Lawyer offers those - and more - but you'll need to jump over to the Estate Planning section (under Family and Personal) to find them. That section has some additional documents that might be helpful as you make decisions, like Memorial Plans and an Estate Planning Worksheet for Married People. They're not legal documents per se, but they can guide you as you work through creating a will or living trust.

Clients recommend this service

Rocket Lawyer gets a lot of praise from clients: over 90% of them give the service a 4- or 5-star rating. Subscribers who pay for the service long-term for a variety of legal documents say it's easy to use and worth the money; others who just need a one-time document creation typically have no trouble using the week-long free trial to get it drafted and then canceling the service. In fact, most of the small handful of complaints about Rocket Lawyer come from customers who didn't pay attention to the terms when signing up for the trial and are caught off guard by the subscription fees posted to their credit cards.

Affordable way to create a will

If you opt for the free trial and all you need is a will, Rocket Lawyer can absolutely help you get your document created at no cost. And, for just $5, you could use this service to draft not just your will but also any other documents - estate planning-related or not - within that first week. Rocket Lawyer should be one of the first places you turn when creating a will.

• Pricing on wills starts at $89
• Estate plan bundle starts at $249
• Living trust starts at $399
• On-demand legal advice included with some packages
• 60-day refund policy
• "A-" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 2001

LegalZoom is on a mission to "democratize law" . Over more than two decades in operation, this service has helped clients create over 3.5 million estate planning documents including Last Will and Testaments, Living Wills, Living Trusts, and Powers of Attorney.

One-time cost to create a will

LegalZoom's will creation services are straightforward. You'll pay $89 for LZ's most basic plan, going step-by-step online to create a will that's valid in your state, and it comes with free revisions for 30 days after purchase. For $10 more, you can get Attorney Assist for a year. That last perk gives you access to real attorneys in the LegalZoom network at no extra cost: for example, you can ask your estate planning questions, or request a document review. Just be aware that you'll automatically be subscribed for ongoing legal advice for $25/month if you don't cancel.

Access other estate planning documents too

If you're not sure that a will is the only thing you need, we recommend clicking over to the main Estate Planning page. There, you'll find a blue "Help me decide" button linking to LegalZoom's comparison page that clearly spells out the benefits and considerations of each available document.

Save with document bundles

In most cases, we'd recommend one of LegalZoom's Estate Plan Bundles, either for a will or a living trust. This package includes your choice of will or living trust, plus a living will (or advance directive) and financial power of attorney, plus unlimited revisions and Attorney Assist for a year.

Check out the sample

We suggest looking at LegalZoom's sample documents before getting started. You can see how your Last Will and Testament (or other estate planning document) is likely to be put together based on your state.

Satisfaction guarantee - in certain circumstances

LegalZoom offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee for the first 60 days. But, there are some terms that make it a little less cut-and-dried to get a refund: "we can only refund our fee for issues we're directly responsible for." In other words, if you sign up for the will creation service and then change your mind, you won't get any money back - but if you buy a plan with Attorney Assist and are unhappy with the turnaround time for getting answers to questions, that would potentially be a refundable situation.

Strong overall reputation

How about reputation? Clients use LegalZoom for a variety of situations, not just wills, and the company's overall track record is good. At the time of this review, the Better Business Bureau had given LZ an "A-" rating and accreditation. Why not an "A+" ? Probably because of the nearly 1,000 complaints filed with the BBB over the last three years, 400+ of which came from the last 12 months. Of course, with over four million customers since 2001, it stands to reason that LegalZoom would have its fair share of issues - and the BBB rating means that the company is doing a satisfactory job of handling problems that are reported. We also found almost 1500 five-star reviews from very happy LegalZoom clients, balancing out those complaints.

Solid choice for will creation

LegalZoom is a good option for getting your will created. You don't have to worry about subscribing to an entire library of legal documents when you just need one service - but do watch out for that Attorney Assist feature that converts to a month-to-month if you opt for a package that includes it.

• Pricing: one-year subscription for $107.88 or $35/month
• Documents can also be purchased individually ($49.95 for a will)
• $10,000 legal guarantee
• 100% satisfaction guarantee

LawDepot was founded in 2001. Their legal document library includes over 150 templates, including Wills, Powers of Attorney (standard and medical), and Revocable Living Trusts, created for use in all 50 states. The company has helped more than ten million users, saving clients an estimated $2 billion in legal fees by helping them take a DIY approach to creating legal documents.

Easy-to-use will creation questionnaire

LawDepot lets you jump right in and start creating your Last Will and Testament. We like that this platform lets you skip any questions you're not ready to answer as you work through the process. You can also click the Document Preview at any time, if you'd like to see how your will is shaping up.

Pay per document, month-to-month, or annually

When you get to the final step, LawDepot prompts you to select a license in order to download and print your completed will. You've got a couple of pricing options there. If you anticipate the need to create many documents, a one-year Pro subscription at $107.88 might be your best bet. Otherwise, you can buy documents one by one: flat rate prices per document range from $7.50 to $119, and at the time of this review the one-off fee for a Last Will and Testament was $49.95 with ten years of access (edit, update, print and/or download). Finally, you can use LawDepot's 7-day free trial; if you don't cancel within that timeframe, your account will automatically convert to a month-to-month plan at $35.

Add-on service if you have legal questions

What if you want to consult a lawyer? LawDepot isn't a law firm and can't provide legal advice. However, they've partnered with JustAnswer, a service that connects people with lawyers instantly. That's offered as a separate subscription, and you'd need to set that up with JustAnswer directly. At the time of this evaluation, the service had a one-week trial for $1 and unlimited access to lawyers was priced at $61/month; one-question fees were listed as up to $63.

Documents are guaranteed to be legal

LawDepot offers a generous legal guarantee. If a customer suffers any damage in a legal settlement due to a mistake that is clearly LawDepot's fault, LD will reimburse the client up to $12,000. We're not exactly sure how that would apply with a will (after all, wouldn't the client be dead if and when the mistake was discovered?) but it's good to know that protection is out there if you decide to use LawDepot for other documents too.

Lots of five-star reviews

Reputation-wise, LawDepot is pretty solid. The company has earned an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, and nearly 4,000 people have given this service a flawless five-star rating. Where it falls down a bit is when it comes to cancellation: there aren't a ton of complaints for LawDepot, but the ones we did see almost always described issues with being charged after the clients closed their accounts.

Reliable way to create your will and other legal documents

LawDepot offers a straightforward way to get your will done, along with several other estate planning-related documents you might need. You'll see exactly what your will looks like before deciding if you want to pay to download and print it, and you've got multiple options for getting that access (i.,e. one-time fee, monthly membership, annual plan). While we recommend paying very close attention to your credit card statements after you cancel, LawDepot is a solid choice overall for will creation.

• $29.95/month or $299.40/year for unlimited access to specific legal documents
• Spouse/partner and dependent children are included at no extra charge
• 25% discount on additional services not included in the plan
• 24/7 legal help hotline included
• Over 2,000 five-star reviews

LegalShield connects you with a network of seasoned lawyers who can provide advice on an almost limitless type of legal issues: for yourself, your business, or even your spouse/partner and dependent children living at home, all for a monthly fee of $29.95 (or pay $299.40 annually).

Everyone in the household gets a will

When it comes to getting your will done, LegalShield offers a great value: for that monthly fee, everyone in your household (your spouse/partner and all dependent children under age 26 living at home or full-time students) can get a will drawn up. In other words, you could subscribe for a month and take care of it for everyone in your family for under $30. Then again, you might find LegalShield's services helpful for other areas of your life, like uncontested divorce or document review.

Some documents aren't automatically included

We would love to see LegalShield make it a little clearer upfront which services come with the monthly membership fees, though. Many documents related to wills - like Power of Attorney or Trusts - might not be included with the $29.95 plan. In that case, you'd get a 25% discount on services with the lawyer you're matched with. When we reached out to LegalShield via online chat, we were told that the Power of Attorney would only be available at a 25% discount; however, the Estate Planning section of the site says that Durable Power of Attorney comes with the standard membership, no extra fees required.

Work directly with a lawyer to create your will

Still, you may want to consider using LegalShield if you prefer to have an attorney walk you through the entire will process instead of using a strictly-online, fill-out-the-questions platform like many of the services we evaluated. Once you've signed up for LegalShield, it'll take up to 24 hours for them to review your application, and then you'll be in contact with a provider lawyer shortly after that. Feel free to browse LegalShield's Law Firm Finder if you'd like more information about the attorneys and teams in their network.

Favorable reviews from clients

More than 2,000 clients have given LegalShield a perfect five-star rating. We were pleased to see comments from people who have used the service for many years and gotten peace of mind from knowing they have a legal team at the ready whenever needed. We don't think that's necessarily the case for clients looking to get their wills done (which is typically something you don't need more than once in your life - maybe slightly more often if you want to make some changes), but you absolutely can use your LegalShield membership in many aspects of your life. The Better Business Bureau's "A+" rating and accreditation of LegalShield supports the company's positive reputation.

Well worth considering

LegalShield offers a nice mix of affordability and convenience, especially for anyone who doesn't like the idea of having their will done as a fill-in-the-blank document online. You risk very little by subscribing for a month and getting a will drafted for everyone in your household, and you may find other ways that this membership benefits you as you explore its perks. LegalShield is a solid option among will creation services.

• Comprehensive will and trust document creation service
• Wills start at $159 ($259 for couples)
• Trusts start at $599 ($699 for couples)
• Payment plans available
• First year of document storage is free, $19-$39/year afterwards
• Add one year of attorney support for just $200 (not available in all states)
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee
• In business since 2017

Trust & Will has been offering estate planning services since 2017. Partnered with leading organizations like AARP and Fifth Third Bank, and backed by some of the top names in venture capital, thousands of clients have used this service to create an estate plan that matched their needs, situation, and the legacy they hope to leave.

Do you need a will or a trust?

If you're not sure whether you should create a will or a trust, use the quiz on the site to help narrow it down. Typically, the more complex your situation - children under 18, over $160K in assets, and so forth - the more likely it will be that a trust is a better fit. With Trust & Will, the pricing is higher than most options in our reviews: wills start at $159 and trusts at $599. Fortunately, Trust & Will offers a payment plan to break it down into four more manageable pieces instead of paying all at once.

Includes a comprehensive document package

What will you get when you purchase the will creation service here? Your final documents will include a Last Will & Testament, HIPAA Authorization, Living Will, and Power of Attorney. You can either print off your documents right away or have them printed and shipped to you (the first delivery is free), and you'll get a year of digital storage for your documents. After that, you'll pay $19/year (or $39/year if you've opted for the living trust service).

Unlimited legal advice for an extra fee

Another add-on to consider is Trust & Will's attorney support. For a one-time fee of $200, you can get line-by-line document review, step-by-step instructions, legal advice, and tax law advice - unlimited for a full year. And, if you need to transfer the deed of your home into a living trust, Trust & Will offers those services for a flat fee of $499.

Excellent ratings from clients

Despite only being in business for a few years, Trust & Will has already established an excellent reputation for online will creation. The Better Business Bureau gives the company its highest rating and accreditation, and there were no complaints filed with the BBB - ever. Beyond that, 97% of Trust & Will clients give the service a 4- or 5-star rating, with over 2,000 people awarding it a perfect score.

Not always easy to contact

Our experience wasn't exactly stellar, though. We didn't have the easiest time getting in touch with Trust & Will's support team. When we called the number during regular business hours, we got a generic "our team is busy" message (that didn't even mention their company name) and then it invited us to leave a voicemail or a callback number. Both options disconnected us; eventually, we were at least able to leave a message. Similarly, when we clicked on the "Chat with a Trust & Will Specialist" link on the Deed Transfer page, it didn't go anywhere.

Customer support can be lacking

Filling out the online inquiry form was the way we finally heard from this will service. We got a response via email within a few hours: that's how we found out that Trust & Will doesn't actually offer phone support on weekends (despite it being advertised on the website), and that attorney support isn't currently available in all 50 states. At the time of this review, the only states with that feature were AR, CA, CT, IN, MI, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, and Washington DC. The email we received didn't answer all of our questions, and it was almost impossible to reach anyone to ask for further information.

Good, not great

We really wanted to make Trust & Will our highest-ranked provider of will services: we love the idea of being able to get attorney support, and we were impressed with the numerous five-star reviews. And, who knows, that could be exactly the kind of experience you have as well - especially if you live in one of the states where attorney support is offered. But, for us, we were left feeling like it was a big spend for a service that might not deliver - like we'd do better to either bite the bullet and pay for a local attorney or to spend far less and use one of the other services in our review. We suggest looking at Trust & Will after you've considered its higher-rated rivals.

Parting Wishes is a will creation service based in Canada and a sister site to US Legal Wills. The site walks you through a series of questions about your family status, how you want your estate distributed, if you need to set up a guardianship or trust, and so on. The process should take 20 minutes or less, and at the end you'll have a document you can print and get signed and notarized.

Get just the documents and services you need

There are several different services you can use through Parting Wishes, either a la carte or as part of a document bundle. For example, the basic Last Will and Testament is priced at $39.95, but for $99.95 you can get the Complete Estate Plan with documents including Power of Attorney, Living Will, Funeral Wishes, and more. If you don't see the particular configuration of services you need, Parting Wishes also lets you build your own bundle.

Nice features you might not see elsewhere

Some of the services you might want to include in your purchase from Parting Wishes are fairly unique:

• Keyholders: this lets you designate up to 20 friends/family members who should be given access to your information at the appropriate time. You can select which Parting Wishes features each Keyholder can access (you may want your spouse to have all of them, but just a few specific ones for your children, siblings, and executor).
• Final Messages: write anything you'd like your loved ones to receive after you pass away.
• Life Locker: store any critical personal information that should be passed along to your family and/or executor
• Digital Vault: upload any other important documents and files that will also be passed along.

Only ongoing fee is for storage

Parting Wishes doesn't charge a subscription fee - at least, not in the first year. During that year, you can make unlimited changes to your will. Once that timeframe is up, you can choose to pay for continued online document storage: $11.95/year, five years for $29.95, ten years for $39.95, or $79.95 for 25 years. But, don't worry if you forget (or choose not to): you would just pay the one-year fee to reactivate your account whenever you need to access it again. (Parting Wishes says that they've never removed an account in all of their years in operation.)

Not so recently departed?

We had to laugh a little bit as we scrolled through the "Recent Memorials" section on the Parting Wishes site - not because the obituaries were amusing, but because they represented deaths from 5-15 years earlier. That didn't quite fit the definition of "recent" , in our opinion, and it left us wondering if not many people actually use this service to complete their wills.

Good reputation with the BBB

And yet, Parting Wishes has an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. There were no complaints filed there in the three years leading up to this review (but again, that could indicate this service isn't working with very many clients too). Also, as we've mentioned, this site is really a sister platform to another will service in our review, US Legal Wills - so many clients likely use that site if they're based in the US. You can read more about US Legal Wills in its separate evaluation.

Best for residents of Canada

Overall, Parting Wishes is a decent service that's hard to recommend to clients in the US when so much of it is geared towards Canadians. If you're based in Canada, we encourage you to see what Parting Wishes can do for you - but for anyone in the United States, US Legal Wills makes more sense as a starting point for accessing the same will services offered here.

• Pricing is $39/month or $119/year
• Free seven-day trial on monthly subscriptions

LegalNature is one of several all-purpose document services in our evaluation. You can get just about everything here, with legal documents for individuals, businesses, real estate, and yes, estate planning documents like wills.

A little more expensive than rival services

This is one of the most expensive subscription-based services we evaluated. You'll pay $39/month after your 7-day free trial, or you can skip the month-to-month and save by paying $119 for a year-long membership to LegalNature. Either way, if you don't like the service and decide you'd like a refund, you've got 30 days to reach out and ask.

Site navigation isn't always smooth

Navigating the LegalNature site was somewhat inconsistent. It was discouraging to click on the Estate Services link under the Products dropdown at the bottom of the site and get a "404 Not Found" error. But, when we resized the window to full screen, that dropdown moved to the top of the page - and worked just fine. You may need to play around with how you move through this site to get it to work for you (on your phone vs. laptop).

Document creation process is straightforward

You could just jump right in and start creating your will here, or you can go step-by-step through the Estate Planning questionnaire to see if there are any additional documents that would be wise to include (like Power of Attorney or Living Will). There's plenty of information whichever route you choose, and we like the straightforward, easy-to-understand explanations of the many different facets of writing a will and planning other estate issues.

Preview your will without an account

And, before you even consider signing up for LegalNature, you can click the "Preview" button to see what the resulting document might look like - based on how you answer the document questions, of course. Walking through all of those questions can be done without entering payment information: that comes at the end, so there's no mystery here, leaving you wondering what kind of will you're creating.

Mixed reviews

We wanted to be excited by the 4,000+ five-star reviews we found for LegalNature, but most of them seemed to have come from people who had just barely signed up for the service and hadn't really tested it out yet. Still, the Better Business Bureau also gives this service an "A+" rating and accreditation, another good sign that LegalNature is on the up-and-up. However, almost 900 users gave the company a three-star rating or lower; we found more than a few mentions of documents that weren't able to be opened or printed (which LegalNature says isn't their problem), legal forms that didn't wind up being appropriate for what they were intended for, and challenges getting help from customer service - particularly when trying to cancel the monthly subscription.

Some room for improvement

LegalNature gets a "just average" rating from us. While we like their easy step-by-step process for creating a will, and the ability to preview the document without entering any information first, there's nothing that makes LegalNature stand out significantly from other multi-purpose legal document services. You'll pay more for it here, and you might be disappointed by the customer service (or lack of it). If you've got your heart set on subscribing to an all-in-one service for legal document creation, we'd suggest looking at LegalNature's rivals before committing to one of their memberships.

• All wills priced at $75
• Optional online notarization available in some states
• No subscription required
• Free changes for life

Wills comes right out and tells you that they're not a law firm and they don't provide legal advice. And, if you haven't guessed by the name, this service does one thing: wills. It's one of the newer platforms we evaluated, only in business for a few years at the time of this evaluation.

They know it's stressful to create a will

Start by entering your name, email address, and city/state. You'll then be taken to a welcome letter unlike anything we've seen in the process of creating a will - reassuring you that the process might be emotional and overwhelming and that you can take a break anytime. Thanks?

Answer the questions

You'll then be taken to the first of several questionnaires used to fill out your will. While you can't skip around from section to section, you can preview which ones you'll be completing: About You, About Your Will, Family Members, Other Beneficiaries, Residuary Estate, Executor(s), and Prepare to Sign. At any time, you can click on "Preview will" or "Save for later" at the top of the page. You'll have to verify your email before you can do so, and that's also required to find out if you can take advantage of Wills' online notarization (only available in some states).

No fees after you create your will

One plus of using Wills compared with other services is that you pay a one-time fee of $75. That's it. You'll get lifetime changes and no recurring fees. That could be a breath of fresh air compared with subscription-based will creation services or others that charge you for storage after the first year.

Limited but positive feedback from customers

How about reputation? There isn't a ton of client feedback for this will creation website. The handful of reviews we found were mostly positive, saying that they had no problems using Wills to get their documents done quickly or with accessing their accounts at a later date to make changes.

No guarantees or legal advice

Still, we're not completely sure this service is established enough to get our endorsement. We found some obvious typos as we browsed, and it was only by going through the Terms and Conditions that we discovered there is zero satisfaction guarantee here: you pay your $75 and that's that. Plus, since it's not a law firm, there's no legal advice available if you get stuck or if you want to make sure that your will is absolutely acceptable in your state.

Look at other services first, for now

We're stuck feeling middle-of-the-road with Wills. We love the simplicity of the interface and the one-off, no-hidden-fees pricing. On the other hand, there's nothing on the site that addresses how the service goes about making sure that the documents created here are valid in each state. $75 is cheap, but it could be an expensive mistake if you create your will here and then find out that it wasn't prepared according to your state's laws (or your loved ones find that out after the fact). You may want to keep Wills in mind as a backup choice if you don't find another will service you prefer.

• Pricing starts at $19.99
• Attorney-prepared wills and other related documents
• Guaranteed to be valid in your state
• Free eSignature
• 60-day money-back guarantee
• "A+" rated by the BBB
• In business for over 20 years

Find Legal Forms was started in 2001 by two attorneys in California who wanted to offer low-cost access to the most frequently-needed legal documents. More than three million customers have used this site to buy the forms they need a la carte, without any ongoing subscription fees or hefty lawyer bills.

Multiple options for estate planning documents

If you're looking for wills and other related documents, Find Legal Forms has several different types to choose from:

• Wills for Married/Single/Divorced/Widowed individuals
• Mutual Wills for Couples
• Living Trusts
• Will Amendments, Codicils and Revocations

These documents can be purchased a la carte, but you may want to consider a Combo Kit. For example, you could pay $19.95 for a Will with Trust for married people with minor children - or spend $39.95 and get that document and six others (two different Durable Power of Attorney documents, Anatomical Gift, General Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive, and Quitclaim Deed).

Downloadable wills

We encourage you to click on the Sample Form to see what you can expect with your downloaded Will document through Find Legal Forms. This is not going to be a service that walks you through step-by-step as you fill it out: you'll get a document of instructions and guidelines, but if you want help from an actual person, you'll have to submit an online request and wait to hear back.

Watch out for the monthly fee

We're glad that this service offers a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee. That's important because some customers inadvertently wind up with Find Legal Forms' $4.99 "secure online storage and editing" monthly plan; watch out for the pop-up window and check the "no thanks, just complete my order" box if you'd like to avoid that recurring fee too.

Is anybody home?

There's no big cause for concern here, though. The Better Business Bureau gives the company an "A+" rating, which is always a good sign. Still, there's not a ton of customer feedback either - despite Find Legal Forms' having more than three million clients since its inception. Their social media channels were equally silent, with posts stopping sometime in 2018 (not to mention the fact that Google+ isn't even a thing anymore, but there's still an icon/link on their website) . Not sure about you, but that definitely has us wondering just how "up-to-date" their legal forms really are.

Not our first choice for will creation

Could you get the will documents you need at a very reasonable price through Find Legal Forms? Sure. Are there other options that are similarly affordable and that also give you a little (or a lot) more guidance? Absolutely. You may want to keep Find Legal Forms as a last choice option if you don't find the help you need through one of our higher-ranked will creation services.

• Hundreds of legal documents available
• $33/month subscription

Legal Contracts gives you access to hundreds of legal forms ranging from LLC Operating Agreements to Automobile Bills of Sale and much more. There's not much preamble to their process for any document you need: jump right in and start filling it out, then enter your payment details to get a document you can print out.

Many different estate planning documents available here

In the Wills category, you can get the following legal forms:

• Last Will and Testament
• Child Medical Consent
• Health Care Directive
• Living Will
• Medical Power of Attorney
• Power of Attorney
• Revocable Living Trust
• Revocation of Power of Attorney

Get answers to your questions

As you fill out the will question-and-answer form, there are plenty of FAQs on the right side of the page if you're confused about anything. What's a self-proving will? Can a beneficiary or executor be one of your witnesses? What's a wipeout clause and should you include one? Those are just some of the areas where Legal Contracts offers guidance.

Pricing varies after free trial

How much will it cost to develop your Last Will and Testament through Legal Contracts? It could be free, if you take advantage of their 7-day free trial. You could even use the site for other documents during that time. However, at the end of the initial week, you'll be switched to a recurring subscription of $33/month. Another option is to purchase a one-year license for $95.88, or purchase access to individual documents as needed (which will cost anywhere from $7.50 to $79 per form).

Cancellation doesn't always work

Despite having an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, Legal Contracts doesn't have a reputation we're excited about. Not only is there not a ton of feedback from LC clients, but what we did find was pretty much always negative. The biggest issue seems to be the month-to-month subscription that begins after the 7-day free trial. Legal Contracts says that customers won't be billed as long as they cancel the service within that first week; however, we found multiple complaints from people who took the trial, canceled before the 7-day period ended and got confirmation through the website... only to find charges on their bank or credit card statements afterwards.

Better will creation options are out there

With so many different ways to get a will done online, we're just not impressed by Legal Contracts. Their rivals offer a lot more - either by not connecting the service to a somewhat sneaky recurring fee or by giving you a wider range of documents (and a more up-to-date interface to access them) - and it's hard to find anyone that absolutely loved their client experience here. We'd recommend using a higher-rated platform to get your will done.

Continued from above...

Most experts agree that your first priority is to decide between a Will and a Trust. Both will allow you to specify how you want your assets distributed upon your death, but they accomplish this in different ways. The biggest difference is that wills require your estate's distribution to be overseen by a court, known as probate; trusts, on the other hand, skip the probate process altogether and are handled privately. But, trusts can be more complicated to create and establish - transferring real estate and investment accounts into the ownership of the trust - and so it's perfectly acceptable to create a will first, then decide if you need to take the extra steps required for a trust.

Either way, it's a good idea to have a Power of Attorney and Advance Directive as part of your documents too. A Power of Attorney gives a person you specify the authority to act in your behalf: if you're incapacitated and you need someone to pay a bill, get information from a doctor, or make arrangements for your care, someone with Power of Attorney can do those things.

Advance Directives (often consisting of a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare) give you the ability to state what interventions you want (or don't) if you become unable to communicate. In other words, your will or trust details your wishes after you die, and a Power of Attorney and Advance Directive gives you say-so over what you prefer while you're alive.

Fortunately, creating a will doesn't have to be time-consuming, especially if you've already given some thought to your preferences. There are a number of services online that can help you draft your will within a matter of minutes and have it ready for printing, witnessing, and notarization. Which one is right for you? Here are some factors to consider:

• One-time fee or subscription-based. Some will creation services charge a one-time fee to make the document, while others (typically those that provide legal documents for a variety of other purposes) have a month-to-month subscription. Those membership-based plans often have a one-week free trial; as long as you cancel before the time period ends, you could very likely create your will for no cost.
• Document storage. How will your documents be maintained? Can you access them as long as you want and make changes, or is there an expiration date? Will you have to pay ongoing digital storage fees?
• Access for loved ones. Will your family members, executor, or other relevant individuals be able to access your will online after you die? Does the will creation service offer any means of storing your signed copies, or is that on you?
• Reputation. What do clients say about their experience with the will creation service? Is it easy to use? Were there any issues canceling the free trial? What does the Better Business Bureau say about the company?

To help you with your estate planning, TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the most popular will creation services available today. We're sure that this information will make it easy, affordable, and relatively hassle-free to get this important task checked off your to-do list.

Will Service FAQ

What is a will, who needs to make a will, how soon does a will go into effect, how much does it cost to make a will, is it hard to make a will, what if i want to make changes to my will, is a will made public, what happens if i die without a will, compare will services.

Select any 2 Will Services to compare them head to head

Trending Will News

U.S. News & World ...

Primaries in Maryland and West Virginia Will Shape the Battle This ...

Voters across Maryland and West Virginia will decide key primary elections with big implications in the fight for the Senate majority this fall ...

  Mon, 13 May 2024

Fox News on MSN

JESSE WATTERS: Michael Cohen will say anything to convict Trump and ...

Jesse Watters discusses Michael Cohen's history of lies and his testimony during former Presidnet Trump's New York trial on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’ ...

Planet of the Apes: What Happened to Will Rodman?

What Happened to Will Rodman? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.

Will There Be a Shardlake Season 2 Release Date & Is It Coming Out?

Curious about the potential release date of Shardlake Season 2? Let us take you through the details regarding the premiere of the second season. Shardlake is a mystery period drama series based on C.

Reuters on MSN

Japan will keep close communication with BOJ on forex, finance ...

The Japanese government will closely work with the Bank of Japan on currency market matters to ensure there is no friction between their mutual policy objectives, finance minister Shunichi Suzuki said ...

The Associated ...

Argentina will get next installment of bailout as IMF praises Milei's ...

Argentina's biggest creditor, the International Monetary Fund, agreed to release the next portion of loans due under a bailout program; $792 million will soon be available to the country's government.

Related Will Service Reviews

Since you're interested in Will Services, here are some other reviews you might find interesting.

Anti-Aging Supplements

Which Anti-Aging Supplements Are The Best? Whether you're a baby boomer looking for the fountain of youth, or you're in your 20s and 30s wanting to keep that youthful feeling and ...

Health Insurance Plans

Where can you get the best health insurance? About half of Americans have health insurance from their employer.

Life Insurance Plans

Where can you get the best Life Insurance policy out there today? In an era where financial uncertainties and unexpected events can strike at any moment, securing your family's ...

Menopause Relief Products

Which menopause products offer the most relief? Despite the fact that every woman who lives past a certain age will experience this natural process, it's often been left undiscussed and ...

Passport Services

Where can you get a passport fast? Maybe you've found a last-minute travel deal to that far-flung destination you've always dreamed of visiting.

People Search Providers

Which people search platform offers the most accurate results? There are hundreds of sites out there that promise to connect you with long-lost relatives, childhood friends, former ...

Newest Reviews

BBQ Sauce Clubs

Where Can You Find the Best BBQ Sauce Clubs? Barbecue sauce and rubs have earned a revered status in culinary culture, captivating taste buds with their rich, complex flavors and enhancing the succulence of ...

Beauty Stores

What are the best online beauty stores? If you stop and think about how many products you use to get ready in the morning, it might blow your mind.

Where Can You Find the Best Dryer? Modern dryers offer tons of benefits that make them essential to any household.

Logo Design Companies

Where Can You Find the Best Logo Design? Whether you're a budding entrepreneur launching a brand new startup, or a well-established business aiming to rebrand your company for a fresh, modern look, the ...

Prom Dress Stores

Where Can You Find the Best Prom Dresses? The quintessential high school experience, prom, is one of the most exciting moments for teenagers across the US.

Washing Machines

Where Can You Find the Best Washing Machine? There are tons of benefits to a modern washer.

Protect your family Write a will from home

• Legally valid and built based on state-specific laws
• Flat $99, Enjoy 50% off for spouse will
• Online support, 9am-6pm everyday

Introduction from our CEO

Priya Surya quickly shows how Goodwill can work for you.

Why Goodwill?

Verified will documents.

Ironclad, legally enforceable documents based on state-specific laws.

Privacy and Convenience

Modern estate planning from comfort and safety of home through a secure interface.

Global Coverage

Made in the US, to cover assets locally and abroad, for common law countries.

Update Anytime

Adding a new home, or changing your distribution? Just log in, take a minute to make the change, and print your new will.

Help from Live Experts

Speak with real humans online, via video or over the phone. Talk to us

How does it compare?

Traditional estate planning.

Lots of questions and paperwork

Find, visit, and pay for a lawyer

3-6 weeks for a will

Bait and switch pricing

Using Goodwill

Create a legally valid will at home, live help from will writing experts, flat, affordable pricing, update your will, anytime, doing nothing.

What are the consequences?

Who looks after your family?

Where are all your accounts?

How will the bills get paid?

Our partners:

Interested in offering wills to your affiliate audience, customers, or employees? Chat to us online.

Create your will in minutes, store online and update anytime

Answer a few easy questions.

Easily decide what is right for you and your family, with all the options you would have if you used a lawyer.

Review & sign

We pack everything you need into a handy, easy to understand document that you just need to sign.

Store forever, update anytime

Lifetime account with every will. Access your will at anytime and update it as life circumstances change.

Proud Military.com Partner

Serving DBS customers since 2020

I was dreading doing this and spending lots of money on a lawyer, but their price is affordable!

David Williams, Father of 2

So easy and fast, there’s no reason to wait or put if off. One big item off the to-do list!

Sara Thompson, New Zealand native, Singapore resident

Built by lawyers

Our will writing tool has been created based on statutes such as the Wills Act, the Probate and Administration Act, and US case law.

Your will is designed around your state's laws and your specific cirumstances.

Based on US law, your will is:

Fully legal after proper signing

No need to notarise your will

No need to register your will

Your will is built around you, with expert support when you need it

Guardians for children.

Ensure your children’s wellbeing by naming someone you trust. If they live abroad, name a temporary guardian as well.

Gift anything to anyone

Anything you own can be gifted to any individual you want. Got that record collection that you want to go to that special person, not a problem. You can also choose to leave vehicles, collections of items and even simple money gifts.

Your estate split how you want

Your will, your way. Ultimate flexibility around who gets your assets and possessions.

Naming an executor

Guidance on how to choose the right person to distribute your assets. Read about Choosing an executor

Organise all your assets

Give your executor all the information about your finances and properties in one place, attached to your will.

Personal Messages to loved ones

Leave personal messages to make your gifts even more meaningful.

Commonly asked questions

What happens when someone passes away in the us.

If they have a will , their appointed executor locates the will, applies to the courts for a ‘Grant of Probate’, approaches financial institutions to close accounts, distributes assets from the accounts according to the will.

If they don’t have a will , someone step up to represent the deceased in the middle of your family’s grief. Others who qualify must give their written consent.

They must create a Schedule of Assets, and apply to the court for ‘Letter of Administration’, and once granted, approach financial institutions, and then distribute assets according to the state’s own formula. You and your family have no say.

Do I need a will?

Main reasons

• Ensures your assets are not lost/go unclaimed by your family
• Secure guardianship for any minor children, and ensure they are financially and emotionally cared for by someone you trust
• Appoints a person you trust and have informed to execute your estate
• Prevents confusion regarding your wishes
• Give to charitable causes you care about

It is particularly important if:

• you have children under 21
• you have no clear heirs, and there’s a high likelihood your assets could go to the state
• you are in a domestic partnership

When do I not need a will?

If you have assets less than $50,000, then your estate need not go through the probate process. In this case, it may not be necessary to set out your assets in a will. If your wishes exactly match the law of intestacy, and you don’t have any minor children, and don’t care about who executes your estate,

What do I put in my will?

Seems like you’ll have to pull your hair out with sorting out bank statements and insurance policies, while the lawyer runs an expensive hourly bill.

At Goodwill, we want to remove all the stress and make it easy to create a will in minutes, and keep it updated throughout your life.

Step 1: About you

When you write your will, you’ll be asked some basic information that goes into your will such as your full name, address, marital status, children, pets

Step 2: Guardians for children

If you have children under 21 or pets, you’ll be able to appoint guardians here

Step 3: Distributing your wealth

You’ll have a chance to indicate who gets what percentage of your overall wealth between your family, friends, and social causes you care about.

We’ll ask for:

• Your primary beneficiaries (for example, your spouse or partner)
• Your secondary beneficiaries (children, parents, friends, others) if your primary beneficiaries pass away before you do.

Step 4: Choosing executors

Choosing someone you trust who is capable of navigating the legal and financial process if something happens to you is one of the most important parts of writing a will.

You can appoint a family, friend, or a professional in this section in minutes.

Optional step: Gifts

You may wish to give sums of money to the caretaker of your pet, or a beloved possession to your favourite niece or nephew. Here’s where you specify who gets what, along with a personal message to them.

You can leave:

• A specified sum of money
• An specific possession such as an heirloom ring, or automobile
• A collection of items

You can leave these items to anyone you wish, because US laws allow for full testamentary freedom.

If you leave a gift or percentage of estate to a child under 21, it will be held by the guardian for safekeeping until they reach adulthood.

Optional step: Assets

This is a helpful list of your assets so your executor and family can locate them easily. You can add just the name of the institutions where you have accounts, or more information such as account number and current balance. This is not required or legally binding.

How do I make my will legally valid?

Goodwill ensures your will is written in accordance with the laws in the US.

But until your will is printed and signed properly (with two witnesses), it’s just a piece of paper.

After you create a will on Goodwill, you’ll be able to download your will. Check your Downloads folder for the file.

Print and bind you will

Three staples down the left side will do nicely

Choose two people to witness your signing

They must be over 21 and they cannot be a beneficiary in your will or their spouse. They must also be identified clearly in the will.

The Signing

Together, you and your witnesses all watching, sign the will.

According to the Wills Act in the US, your will is now legally valid.

Store your will

Store in a safe place at home, or somewhere accessible to your executor. Inform him/her of its location.

According to the Wills Act in the US, your will is fully legal:

Do I need to submit my will to the authorities?

• after it is signed properly with two neutral witnesses
• no need to notarise your will
• no need to register your will

After signing, store in a safe place that your executor can access, and inform them.

Can I register my will?

It is not required but if you wish, you can register your will with the US Will Registry . The service only notes that you have a will, and does not store original or copies of your actual will.

How do I update my will?

Goodwill provides unlimited lifetime access. Simply login using your user name and password (or social login), make necessary changes, and re-download your will.

The remainder of your information is securely stored and accessible at any time

Why is Goodwill so much more affordable than going to a lawyer?

Our mission at Goodwill is to create an affordable and accessible will writing service that anyone can use. Using technology allows us to create efficiencies in how we serve our customers.

Goodwill offers live expert customer support 7 days a week, and unlimited lifetime access for only $99.

Who is behind Goodwill?

Goodwill was started by estate planning experts Priya Surya and Jonathan Summers-Muir, with support from Entrepreneur First, and SG Innovate, an effort to create a digital ecosystem in the US.

Priya is a Fulbright scholar and graduate of Harvard University where she obtained her MPA/ID in 2010. She previously worked with World Bank in Washington DC to bring technology to financial inclusion, and was head of New Market Growth in Asia for Bima Mobile, a company that makes insurance accessible to millions of emerging market consumers. Her interest in legal and financial planning stems from her own experience as a mother and daughter was the impetus behind starting Goodwill.

Jonathan is a web developer and graphic designer. He has led teams across a diverse range of data sensitive products from professional football software, door access security and data analytic aggregation software. He has a keen interest in making the complicated processes of estate planning into a straight forward simple process. He was born in the UK, and now calls the US home.

Can I have a will expert double check my will?

Yes, your will includes full post-sales support every day of the week. Click on the chat icon at the bottom of the screen to speak to us over chat or easily schedule a call.

After receiving your will, we advise you read it from top to bottom, and speak with us about any questions.

We can also refer a lawyer for thorny legal issues specific to your situation.

Should my spouse and I have a separate will or joint will?

Joint wills.

Joint wills are highly inflexible. Both partners must agree to make any changes. If one person passes away, it’s difficult for the other person to make changes.

Individual wills

With Individual wills, both partners create an account with their own email address and password.

Individual wills are as easy as mirror wills, and have the benefits without the draw backs.

The advantages are the following:

• Flexible - you can make your will exactly like your partner’s or completely different, or anywhere in between. It is up to you.
• Affordable - it’s even more pocket-friendly with our partner discount
• Update anytime. No back and forth, just login, make your changes, and print your new ill.
• Support from expert will writing team with any questions you may have

Get started here

Why would I want to update my will?

If you bought a new home, added a new family member, gotten married or divorced, if your pet passed away or if you have started investing in a new robo advisory investment account, you should update your will to reflect these changes.

Often our children may be more or less independent as they grow older, and one might need more help than another.

Change is the only constant. Don’t let an outdated will disturb your peace of mind.

Still not sure? Explore our learning centre

Learn about will writing and probate

• 5 min read How to choose the right executor for your will?
• 6 min read The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Will
• 1 min read How do I get started with writing a will?

Update anytime

All your documents can be accsesed at anytime, and can be updated whenever you like. No more future lawyer fees.

30-day money back guarantee

If you are dissatisfied in any way with your will, you can contact us within 30 days and we’ll refund you, no strings attached.

We’re here to help anytime

Our expert will writing team of real humans are ready to talk to you 7 days a week

Make a will online

America 's .css-rqgsqp{position:relative;z-index:1;} .css-6n7j50{display:inline;} Online Will Writers

Ours wills include.

Guardians for your children

Ensure that your children will be protected

Protection for your partner

Ensure your partner is sufficiently provided for

Legal in America

Our Wills are based on precedence and are kept up to date

Data protection

Your information is encrypted and will never be shared

Real human support

Speak with our Will specialists when you need help

Legacy donations

Leave a legacy by giving back to charities in your Will

Protect your pets

Make sure all members of your family are looked after

Assets list

Organize all your assets and help your executors find what you own

Gift giving

Give away items, properties, or cash gifts to loved ones

Unlimited updates

Keep your Will up to date with our editing membership

A Human Touch

We don't leave your family's future up to bots. All our documents are personally reviewed by our own Will specialists, who are themselves qualified lawyers (and real humans).

Online Will service

Writing and maintaining your Will just got much easier with NobleWill's online Will writing service. Answer some questions about yourself and your wishes in as little as 15 minutes to receive an estate planning bundle custom tailored for you.

Premium Personalized Will Service

Plan your worldwide estate with the personalized guidance of our Will writing experts. Write Wills for every country where you own assets, each with their own customizations to fit your specific wishes, save on taxes, and speed up the process for your family.

Unsure which Will service is best for you? Take our quick questionnaire.

Why use NobleWills?

Your data is encrypted and the Wills are based off precedence and are carefully written by qualified Lawyers and STEP members.

Complete the questions in as little as 15 minutes. Receive the completed Will within 2 working days.

Flat fees starting from $149 for a single Will. $223.5 for couple Wills. Unlimited edits for $39 per year.

See how NobleWills compares with other options out there.

Personalized attention

Help from real Will writing experts is always a click away. When you use our on-site chat window, our Will specialists will personally tend to your questions and concerns. Have a question about the process? Want advice on who you should appoint as a guardian? Or perhaps you just want to give some feedback? Simply click on the green chat button in the bottom right corner of the screen to speak with us! We are available Monday to Friday .

Invite your partner

Save time and money when doing your Will together with your partner! How does it work?

• Complete the online Will process for yourself.
• Invite your partner and share details you have in common.
• Select to pay for you and your partner at a discounted rate.

Charities we support

Did you know that you can give away part of your estate or even cash gifts to charities when you use our online Will service? NobleWills is proud to support these charities and we hope you will consider doing so too!

Over $153,000 in donations committed so far

Free Guides

Our Will writing experts have written useful articles about general estate planning, guides to help you with our online Will writing service, and explanations about the contents of our products.

UK Inheritance Tax and how you can mitigate your liability

We are happy to have David Snelling from Charlton House Wealth Management (“CHWM”) to share their financial planning expertise through this…

One Will vs Multiple Wills: Managing International Assets

If you are considering estate planning and have assets in different jurisdictions, you may be wondering whether having one Will to cover ev…

Can I use ChatGPT to write my Will?

Spoiler Alert: Read to the end to see how ChatGPT responded to our questions. A Will is an essential document that forms the foundation of …

Looking for help?

Check out our help center for answers to common questions or our guides to help you navigate the estate planning process. Still can't find what you're looking for? Send us a message!

Plan your future with us .

Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

We don’t recognize that sign in. Your username maybe be your email address. Passwords are 6-20 characters with at least one number and letter.

We still don’t recognize that sign in. Retrieve your username. Reset your password.

Forgot your username or password ?

Don’t have an account?

• Account Settings
• My Benefits
• My Products
• Donate Donate

Save products you love, products you own and much more!

Other Membership Benefits:

Suggested Searches

• Become a Member

Car Ratings & Reviews

2024 Top Picks

Car Buying & Pricing

Which Car Brands Make the Best Vehicles?

Tires, Maintenance & Repair

Car Reliability Guide

Key Topics & News

Listen to the Talking Cars Podcast

Home & Garden

Bed & Bath

Top Picks From CR

Best Mattresses

Lawn & Garden

TOP PICKS FROM CR

Best Lawn Mowers and Tractors

Home Improvement

Home Improvement Essential

Best Wood Stains

Home Safety & Security

HOME SAFETY

Best DIY Home Security Systems

REPAIR OR REPLACE?

What to Do With a Broken Appliance

Small Appliances

Best Small Kitchen Appliances

Laundry & Cleaning

Best Washing Machines

Heating, Cooling & Air

Most Reliable Central Air-Conditioning Systems

Electronics

Home Entertainment

FIND YOUR NEW TV

Home Office

Cheapest Printers for Ink Costs

Smartphones & Wearables

BEST SMARTPHONES

Find the Right Phone for You

Digital Security & Privacy

MEMBER BENEFIT

CR Security Planner

Take Action

How to Make an Online Will

Companies that prepare wills and other end-of-life legal documents have seen an uptick in business during the pandemic, sharing is nice.

We respect your privacy . All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story.

In uncertain times, it's natural for people to start thinking about whether they have their affairs in order and whether their loved ones and assets would be protected if something happens to them. Now those concerns are prompting many who don't have a will to stop stalling and get their estate plans in order—even if it's impossible to get to a lawyer just now.

Indeed, companies that help consumers execute online wills, including big players such as Legal Zoom and Quicken Will Maker as well as smaller startups like Trust & Will and Cake, have seen a surge in customers. One newer online trust and estate company, Gentreo, says business is up 223 percent over the past two months. 

But while online wills may be a good solution if you feel pressed to get your affairs in order right now, there are caveats to consider, especially if you need a sophisticated estate plan. 

Plus, because of stay-at-home orders in many cities and states across the U.S., the process of completing an online will may be complicated. For example, it can be hard or impossible to access a notary or get witnesses to sign your will, if they are needed.

On the other hand, it can still be better to get started now making important, if difficult, decisions about guardianship for your children and how you'd like your assets divided, than to wait until it is too late.

If you die without a will, state laws will determine who gets what and where your kids will go. Half of U.S. adults don't have an estate plan, and for the half who do, those documents are often out of date, says Cody Barbo, founder and CEO of Trust & Will. 

Consumer Reports spoke with several experts in estate law and executives from estate planning companies to find out how to navigate the process of writing an online will at such a trying and tricky time. We also offer important information on how to prepare an advance health directive, which spells out your wishes for medical care at the end of your life, and a healthcare proxy, which allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf.

The Main Pros and Cons of Online Wills

The most obvious advantage of creating a will online is that it can be fast and won't cost much. You don't have to wait for a meeting with a lawyer, and there are no legal fees, says David Horton, professor of law at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in wills and estate planning. Most online services offer a simple will for about $100, Horton says, which he estimates is anywhere from one-fifth to one-fifteenth of the cost of an attorney-drafted will. Many can be completed within an hour. 

Still, if you complete the process online, experts caution to be wary of legal issues that could arise. Something as simple as not signing the documents correctly could lead to future problems, says Jennifer L. VanderVeen, an Indiana-based elder law attorney. She also says it's possible that without proper legal guidance you might unwittingly fail to dispose of your entire estate. 

"One of the benefits of having an attorney prepare your estate planning documents is that we can guide you through your situation and make suggestions as to how to put together a plan that will work for your family," VanderVeen says. She points out that many law offices are open and working remotely during the current pandemic, holding video conferences to help clients get documents in place. 

Some of the potential issues with online wills were highlighted in a forthcoming paper by Horton, the UC Davis law professor. He examined hundreds of estates filed in two California counties over several years and found that mistakes can happen with online wills because their boilerplate nature can make them ambiguous, which can lead to litigation.

"At least judging by reported cases, people who try to make their own wills sometimes make catastrophic mistakes," he says. 

Given the current crisis and the imperative that some kind of will is better than none at all, a smart strategy might be to create an online will now and reexamine your plan with the help of a lawyer once the pandemic is over. 

If You Go the DIY Route

Whichever online service you choose, you'll be provided templates or questionnaires to help you create your plan. These typically include questions about your debts, whether you have dependents, who would be the guardian of your children and pets, and so on.  Trust & Will , for example, says you just need to answer a "few simple questions" and, in about 10 minutes, will have completed estate documents to review and sign. 

When your will is complete, you will need witnesses and, depending on your state, maybe a notary, both of which can be complicated to arrange for when so much of day-to-day life is, for now, being handled remotely. But even during the coronavirus pandemic, it's possible. Barbo, of Trust & Will, says some clients are signing their documents and waiting for lockdown restrictions to be lifted. Others are heading to banks and UPS stores that remain open and provide notary services. He's even heard of people arranging for mobile notaries, and setting up tables in their driveway and asking neighbors to be witnesses, then placing the documents in a bag to leave in the garage for a few days before touching them again.  

"It's better to have a signed set of documents than an unsigned set," Barbo says. 

Some states have enacted emergency provisions that in certain situations allow for a remote notary or witness. The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel maintains a page about laws and accommodations in every state .

After you've completed your will, it's important to tell people who are named in it where the document is located. You can keep your will in a personal home safe or locking file cabinet, provided someone else will be able to gain access. Another possibility is to store the information electronically, says attorney VanderVeen, who suggests the American Bar Association's Mind Your Loved Ones app.

Advance Directives and Healthcare Proxies

An advance directive is a document that spells out the medical care you wish to receive at the end of your life, including, for example, how aggressively you want to be treated if you have a terminal condition and develop, say, pneumonia. A healthcare proxy is someone you appoint to make medical decisions on your behalf in the case of a medical emergency when you can't speak for yourself. 

You can also fill out both of these documents online. Some online estate planning companies offer these services, as do several nonprofits.

For help thinking through the questions you need to ask yourself about your end-of-life care, and to choose the person you want to serve as your healthcare proxy, you can go to the American Bar Association's Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning or the guide from The Conversation Project  (PDF), a public engagement initiative of the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement. 

For the forms themselves, go to the  AARP , the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization , and Prepare for Your Care , an initiative that focuses on aiding individuals who seek to plan end-of-life options.

As with wills, legal requirements for advance directives and proxies vary by state, and completing them is a trickier task while remote. Requirements for a notary and witnesses vary across all 50 states, says Susan Enguídanos, associate professor at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles. 

If you have a scanner, you can email the forms to witnesses to hand sign, scan, and email back, says Rebecca Sudore, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine and developer of the Prepare for Your Care initiative. If that's not an option, she says, you can sign the forms and take pictures with a smartphone, then send them to witnesses, who can do the same. 

Once you've completed the process, experts say it's good to discuss with friends and family, as well as your doctor, what your wishes are and who you've chosen as a proxy.

"We like to say [that these advance plans] are only as good as the conversations that people have about their wishes with the individuals who may be involved in medical decision-making," Sudore says. 

She also recommends updating the directive over time. "This should not be a ‘one and done' situation but should be an ongoing process as people's context may change over time," Sudore says. 

At a minimum, it's helpful to get the process started.

"The legal documentation has always been an important step of advance care planning—but not the only step," says Kate DeBartolo, senior director of The Conversation Project. "I'd argue that having conversations is even more important now than ever." 

More From Consumer Reports

Be the first to comment

Helping you make the most out of your money

Searching Money Mentor . . .

Best online will writers.

| Editor-at-large

Updated December 13, 2023

In this guide

If you have relatively simple financial affairs, then an online will could be a cheap and convenient option for you.

This guide looks what an online will writer is, who the service might be suitable for and lists our top picks.

In this article, we explain:

• What is an online will service?
• Who is it suitable for?
• What are the top online will writers?
• How are our ratings calculated?

Read more: Guide to wills

This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue *

What is an online will writing service?

Online will writing services allows those with simple financial affairs to write a legal will, quickly and simply, without the need for face-to-face meetings and expensive solicitors fees. It can offer greater peace of mind than a DIY will.

A number, such as Farewill use in-house legal experts to check over your will to ensure it’s written correctly and your wishes are clear.

Below, we cover in more detail what else the services offer, along with other online will writers that we rate highly, including Bequest, Bequeathed and Guardian Angel. Many services will also offer lasting power of attorney services.

Word of warning: an online will writer is not for everyone

An online will writing service is unlikely to be suitable if you have complicated affairs and inheritance tax issues, own your own business or you have remarried.

Online will writing services also aren’t authorised and regulated in England and Wales in the same way as solicitors.

Remember, once you have your written will, it will need to be signed and witnessed to make it legally binding.

Read more: Do I need a lawyer to make a will?

Want to watch rather than read? Tips for drawing up a will

This video lists the top tips on how to create your own will. Or alternatively, read how to write a will .

Top online will writers

Makeawillonline.co.uk

Best for: Legal advice

Best for: free service (no legal check)

Best for price

Farewill Online Will

Best for customer experience

Guardian Angel

Best for transparency

*All products, brands or properties mentioned in this article are selected by our writers and editors based on first-hand experience or customer feedback, and are of a standard that we believe our readers expect. This article contains links from which we can earn revenue. This revenue helps us to support the content of this website and to continue to invest in our award-winning journalism. For more, see How we make our money and Editorial promise

Important information

Some of the products promoted are from our affiliate partners from whom we receive compensation. While we aim to feature some of the best products available, we cannot review every product on the market.

Preparing for the cost of death

Losing a loved one is always difficult. But it can be even harder when the cost of death causes financial strain and concern about how the funeral will be paid for. Nobody likes to think about what will happen when they die. However, spending time thinking about its impact and doing some financial planning for […]

What is Free Wills Month?

If you haven’t got round to writing your Will yet, now might be the time to do it because March is Free Wills Month. Instead of paying a solicitor fee, those over the age of 55 are invited to donate to charity. Here we explain how it works and who is eligible. Free Wills Month […]

What happens to debts when you die?

Debts aren’t inherited but are paid off out of your estate when you die. This means that your loved ones are off the hook, unless they had a joint loan with you or provided a loan guarantee for you. If your estate doesn’t have sufficient funds to pay for the debts, then they are likely […]

Sign up to our newsletter

For the latest money tips, tricks and deals, sign up to our weekly newsletter today

Your information will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up

You’re now subscribed to our newsletter, you’ll receive the first one within the next week.

Write your will easily online with Which?. You can even get it reviewed by our specialists to make sure it’s completed correctly.

• How our process works
• Why write a will
• Get started
• Common questions

Our specialist lawyers and paralegals have thought of everything to make it quick and easy for you.

Get started, save where you’ve got to, take breaks, come back to it when you like.

Create professional, legally binding documents without paying expensive solicitors’ fees.

Our guidance notes should cover everything but we’re here to help if you get stuck.

If you die without leaving a will, your money and possessions won’t automatically go to those closest to you. The law will decide who gets what, not you, and this can cause distress for your loved ones. But a will correctly written and witnessed makes things clear-cut and conflict less likely. Best get your will done now with a name you can trust.

Things to think about

Who are we.

We are Which? part of the Which? group, wholly owned by the Consumers' Association.

Completely independent

The unique thing about Which? is that we are completely independent. We have no owners, shareholders or government departments to answer to and you'll never see an advert in our magazines or on our websites.

This means we work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer, and nobody else – so you can rest assured that you're getting the very best advice available.

The Which? Group

As a not-for-profit charitable organisation, all the money we make from our commercial operations is used to support the activities of the Which? Group.

Who reviews my documents?

One of our team of specialist paralegals. Each member of the team has undergone professional training in wills and powers of attorney.  The team is supervised by a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Are you regulated?

We are part of Which? Limited that is an unregulated organisation. The team is supervised by a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Completing your document

What happens after i buy my document.

You can start filling it out when you’re ready with our easy to use software.

How long does it take to complete a document?

We suggest you set aside around 1 hour to complete a document, although it can take less or more time, depending on the type of document you're creating and how much information you have to hand.

Do I have to complete my document in a set time period?

No, there isn't a time limit, you are very much in control of when you complete your documents. So you can start, then pause and come back when you are ready. But now you have purchased your documents, we suggest you complete them sooner rather than later.

What happens once I've completed the document?

If you bought a 'Self Service' document, it is now ready to be printed, signed and witnessed.

If you have chosen a document that includes a review, you can now submit it to our specialists by clicking 'Send for review' next to your document. They’ll review it and send you any feedback, guidance and suggestions. Then we’ll send you an email confirming the next steps.

How long does the legal review take?

We aim to complete the review in 10 working days. At busy times it might take slightly longer.

Can I upgrade my self service document to get a review?

Yes. Log in to your account and go to the 'My documents’ section. Next to the document you want to be reviewed, click on 'Upgrade to legal review'.

You’ll need to pay the difference in the price between the two service levels.

Do you certify documents?

This isn’t a service we offer. Here are some ways you can get your document certified.

How will I know if my document is legally binding?

With our review service, specialist paralegals go through your document with a fine-tooth comb to iron out errors and to make sure it’s legally compliant. When they’re 100% satisfied that it is, and once it’s been printed, signed and witnessed correctly, it will be legally binding.

Which web browser do I need?

The website is designed to work in all current versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. If you do experience any technical difficulties, in the first instance try using an alternative browser. We recommend using Google Chrome.

What happens once my document has been reviewed?

Once your document has been reviewed, our specialists will return it to you with their feedback. You'll receive an email including the details. If there are no issues, your document will be approved. Alternatively, our feedback could highlight some changes you may need to consider. When you've taken any action needed, send the document back to our specialists to approve by clicking 'Send for review'. Once approved, you can then print your document by clicking 'Print' next to your document in the 'My documents' section of your account. It's really important to follow our guidance to make sure your document is signed and executed correctly. We do not review documents once they have been signed and executed, as this is not part of our service.

If the document is for someone else, do they need to create their own account?

No, all documents are completed within the same account. The person who created the account will be the person that fills in the details for all documents. 

What’s the difference between mirror wills and a pair of wills?

Mirror wills are usually made by married couples or civil partners. Normally, the first to die leaves their estate to the survivor. When the survivor dies, the estate passes to the beneficiaries (who are the same people in both wills).

A pair of wills is two wills made by two people with the flexibility to make them similar to each other or completely different.

Who can witness my will?

In England & Wales, a will must be witnessed by two independent people over the age of 18. Your witnesses don’t need to know what’s in your will.

Witnesses cannot be:

• beneficiaries in your will,
• spouses or civil partners of beneficiaries in your will, or
• anyone related to you.

What type of gift can I make in my will?

• Specific gifts – such as your jewellery, shares or property
• Cash – known as ‘pecuniary’ gifts
• Residuary gifts – what's left after all debts have been paid and all other legacies have been accounted for.

Can I use Which? if I have foreign assets?

If you have assets outside the UK, you can include them in your will. But we cannot guarantee that it will be accepted in the country where your assets are located.

We strongly suggest you take independent specialist advice about whether or not our service is likely to meet your needs.

I own a business. Can I use your services?

Can you advise on things such as inheritance tax and care fees.

Unfortunately not. If you’re a member of Which? and your membership includes access to our legal advice service, you can discuss inheritance tax with one of their expert lawyers. Please call 0117 911 8270 to make an appointment.

The government’s MoneyHelper service may also be able to help. Visit www.moneyhelper.org.uk to find out more.

Payments and refunds

How and when do i pay for my document.

You can pay online once you’ve added a document to your basket. We accept all major debit and credit cards and your payment is processed securely.

I’ve paid for a document but now I’ve changed my mind. Can I have a refund?

You are entitled to a refund within 14 days of purchase unless:

• You’ve completed a Self Service document 
• Your Legal review or Premium document has been reviewed by our specialists.

The easiest way to organise a refund is to log in to your account and send us a message via the 'Contact us' function.

We are only able to refund what you paid via the original method of payment.

Will Writing Firm of The Year (online) 2023

• Terms & conditions

• Do your parents need more help?
• Care definitions
• Navigating care services
• Care assessments
• Local NHS services
• Plan for an emergency
• Hospital discharge process
• Live-in care
• Tech solutions
• Tips to prevent falls
• Hiring a carer
• Finding the right care home
• Moving to a care home
• Complaints about care
• Care for the carer
• Emotional help
• Practical help
• A carers assessment
• Working and caring
• Respite care
• Death and grief
• Visit Care Section
• What is Dementia?
• Early signs of Dementia
• Diagnosing Dementia
• Alzheimer's or Dementia?
• Dementia treatments
• Dementia care options
• Caring for someone with Dementia
• Dementia sleep disturbance
• Dementia eating issues
• Dementia support
• Managing legal affairs
• Living well with Dementia
• Types of Dementia
• Guide to Alzheimer's disease
• Guide to Vascular Dementia
• Guide to Lewy Body Dementia
• Guide to Frontotemporal Dementia
• Visit Dementia Section
• Funding later life/care
• Getting a care assessment
• Local Authority funding guide
• State benefits funding guide
• State benefits - Attendance allowance
• State benefits - Carer's allowance
• NHS funded care guide
• Self-funding care guide
• Immediate care needs annuities
• Equity release
• Lifetime mortgages
• Deferred payment agreements
• Inheritance tax planning
• Visit Finance Section
• Introduction to legal matters
• Guide to writing a Will
• Will writing services
• Dying without a Will
• Guide to probate
• Applying for probate
• Inheritance tax guide
• Guide to Power of Attorney
• Setting up a Power of Attorney
• Guide to the Court of Protection
• Power of Attorney for someone with Dementia
• Guide to Living Wills
• Guide to Do not rescuscitate orders (DNRs)
• Visit Legal Section
• Staying healthy in old age
• Good bone health
• Healthy eating
• Elderly mental health
• Avoiding dehydration
• Preventing falls
• Mobility aids
• Tech products at home
• Fall alarms
• Renew a driving licence
• Alzheimer's disease
• Eyesight - macular degeneration
• Hearing loss
• Heart disease
• Incontinence
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Activities for elderley parents
• Holidays with care
• Holiday planning
• Travel insurance for over 70s
• Virtual travel
• Best Personal Alarms
• Taking Care
• Best Video Calling Devices
• CallGenie Video Calling
• Komp Video Calling
• Best Home Monitoring Services
• SECOM CareTech Care Alert
• Best GPS Trackers
• Best Mobile Phones
• Best Live-in Care Companies
• Elder live-in care
• Best Mobility Scooters & Mobility Aids
• Wheelfreedom
• Tenura Non-Slip Living Aids
• SureSafeGO 24/7 Alarm
• SureSafe 24/7 Connect Alarm
• Telecare24 Pendant Plan
• Taking Care Anywhere Alarm
• Lifeline24 GO GPS Alarm
• Lifeline24 GSM Alarm
• Komp Video Calling Device
• End of life care
• Prepare for emergencies
• Advance Decisions/Living Wills
• Do not rescusitate orders
• What you need to do when someone dies
• Planning a funeral
• Dealing with grief
• Bereavement support services
• Visit At The End Section
• Buckinghamshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Hertfordshire
• Hampshire & IoW
• Find Home Care

Get a Weekly Round-up of our best bits

Receive tips and advice. Plus, useful products, real-life stories and discounts.

10 of The Best Online Will Writing Services

Making a Will using an online Will-writing service is an excellent and simple way of securing the future of your estate. Online Will-writing services are affordable, easy to use, and can enable you to  write your Will  in as little as 10 minutes.

Age Space has compiled this helpful guide to some of the best online Will-writing services in the UK. This includes information about how each online Will-writing service works, how long the process takes, and how much you can expect to pay. We have also secured some exclusive discounts for Age Space users. 

• Which? Wills
• ActiveWills
• Properwills
• LegalWills.co.uk
• MakeAWillOnline
• Will Drafters Ltd
• Co-Op Legal Services

If you have a simple estate, then you can create a Will with Which? in as little as half an hour. Which? provide you with a simple guide to their Will-writing forms and process. You can fill these out in your own time and their dedicated support team are available by phone or email with any questions you have during the Will-writing process. 

Which? also operate a Review Service, ensuring that your Will is looked-over by one of their dedicated Will experts before you sign it to provide peace of mind that everything makes sense and is in order.

Prices start at £84 for a single Will, and £156 for a mirror Will. 

With our 15% discount you can also get your Will written and reviewed by an expert from only £72.00 

2. ActiveWills

Making an online Will through ActiveWills’ Will-writing service involves completing a simple online template devised by their expert estate-planning solicitors. You fill in each section, print the Will yourself, and then just need to get it signed and witnessed. There is a friendly chat facility if you need support whilst writing it. 

The process of writing an online Will through ActiveWills takes very little time, and you can have a simple Will put together in just 10 minutes! ActiveWills score 4.9 out of 5 on TrustPilot and with a Single Will costing £19.99 and a Mirror Will costing £29.99 they are one of the most affordable online Will-writing services. Plus you receive free lifetime storage of your legal documents.

The process of writing an online Will through ActiveWills takes very little time, and you can have a simple Will put together in just 10 minutes! ActiveWills score 4.9 out of 5 on TrustPilot and with a Single Will costing £19.99 and a Mirror Will costing £29.99  they are one of the most affordable online Will-writing services. Plus you receive free lifetime storage of your legal documents.

The process of writing an online Will through ActiveWills takes very little time, and you can have a simple Will put together in just 10 minutes! ActiveWills score 4.9 out of 5 on TrustPilot and with a Single Will costing £19.99  £9.99 and a Mirror Will costing £29.99 £14.99 they are one of the most affordable online Will-writing services. Plus you receive free lifetime storage of your legal documents.

50% Spring Discount for Age Space readers! Until 18th April Active Wills are offering Age Space readers Will writing at £9.99 for Single Wills and £14.99 for Mirror Wills. Click the link below to get this deal!

3. Properwills

Their step-by-step online questionnaire is sleek, easy to use and takes less than 15 minutes to complete. Each Will is checked by a legal expert and usually ready to sign in less than 48 hours, making them one of the fastest services in the UK. And if you can’t print your Will, Properwills offer to deliver it for free. 

We like that the process is very intuitive and easy to follow and that their support team is responsive and always happy to help. Included in the price is 5 years of free, unlimited updates to the Will. 

Their Wills cost £99 (or £149 for couples) and includes everything to get your Will(s) sorted, checked and sent to you. It’s a fixed fee service so you only pay this – no surprise fees down the line.

Age Space Exclusive : Get 12% off online when you use our discount code – “ AGESP12 ″

4. Farewill

Writing your Will with Farewill is a quick and easy process, taking as little as 15 minutes. You can choose to create your Will either by answering some questions online, or with one of their friendly team of experts over the phone. Whichever method you choose, their helpful support team are available to you every step of the way. Farewill then finalise your Will in under 5 working days, and send it to you to sign in front of witnesses. 

Farewill are rated 4.9 out of 5 by over 13,000 happy customers on Trustpilot, and were awarded the National Will Writing Firm of the Year award at the British Wills and Probate Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The price for making an online Will with Farewill costs £100 (£160 for couples) and making a Will over the phone costs £240 (£380 for couples). Farewill also have an optional £10 a year update service, meaning you can make unlimited updates to your Will throughout the rest of your life.

Age Space Exclusive:  Get 15% off your Will when you use our discount code – “agespace15”

5. LegalWills.co.uk

To make a Will online at LegalWills.co.uk, you answer a series of questions about your wishes, spanning 9 different sections. Their Will experts can offer help at each step of the online Will-making process, to make sure your wishes are being met.   LegalWills.co.uk can produce a Last Will and Testament from £39.95. You also have the option to request that your Will is looked over by one of their expert solicitors for an additional cost of £50.00 

An advantage of using the LegalWills.co.uk service is that they allow you to make unlimited updates to your Will, free of charge. Age Space Exclusive : Save 10% when you buy a Will using the link below

6. Make A Will Online

The process for producing a Will with Make A Will Online will only take between 5-10 minutes with one simple form. At the end of doing a single Will you are also able to add an additional Will for half the price of the first. 

Their website is simple, quick and easy to use and is perfect for busy people who would prefer to avoid expensive solicitor fees. What makes Make A Will Online extra special is that every Will has a qualified solicitor check it over after it has been created.

A single Will costs £60 and a pair of Wills costs £90. 

Beyond’s online Will-writing service can take as little as 15 minutes to answer a series of key questions. Beyond then puts together your fully-legal Will for you. Their online support team provide live support throughout the Will-writing process, ensuring you get everything right. Every Will that is created with Beyond is checked over by their in-house legal expert. Once you are happy with the Will all you need to do is print and sign it in front of two witnesses.

Making an online single Will with Beyond costs £90, and you pay only when you print and sign. Wills for couples cost £135, meaning you save money compared to purchasing two separate Wills.

The process of writing a Will online with Kwil takes just 30 minutes, and you don’t have to pay anything until you’re happy to print and sign. All you need to do is answer some qualifying questions and work your way through their step-by-step process for putting the Will together. Kwil has a very helpful Online Lockbox Service in which you can securely store all of the information your executor may need once you die,

including details about your bank accounts, credit cards, pensions etc. The Kwil will-writing service costs £90 for individuals, and £120 for couples. Any amendments in the first year are free, and there is an optional £10 annual fee per person to be able to update the Will anytime after that.

9. Will Drafters Ltd.

Will Drafters Ltd’s Will writing service is conducted over the phone and a good choice for those who prefer communicating in person rather than using online forms. Following an initial conversation, their specialist legal team will prepare and mail you your Will to sign. Will Drafters Ltd have helped over 100,000 customers to write their Will online since 1990. 

Their prices start at £43 for a single, simple Will, and they also offer a WillPlus service which includes free lifetime storage and the ability to make unlimited updates to your Will.

10. Co-Op Legal Services

With Co-Op Legal Services you just need to answer some quick questions online, and then speak on the phone to one of their Will-writers who will help you to put together the final document. Once the Will is ready, they will post you a copy to sign in front of your witnesses. Co-op Legal Services was named as the National Will Writing Firm of the Year in 2018. 

They operate a fixed fee service, meaning that once they’ve quoted you a price there are no nasty surprises later down the line. The price for a single Will from Co-Op Legal Services starts at £150, and Mirror Wills cost from £245.

FAQs on How to Make a Will Online

How long does it take to make a will online.

In most cases, writing a Will online does not take very long. If you have a simple estate then making the will can take as little as 10 minutes, but it will take longer the more complicated your Will is. Some online Will-writing services require a few days for their legal experts to look over the online Will before you are able to sign it.

How much does an online Will cost?

The cost of writing a Will online varies from provider to provider, and on the type of Will you are looking to buy. The starting cost for a simple Single Will can be as little as £19.99 as from Active Wills, but with other providers costs can start from over £100. Mirror Wills cost more than single Wills, but tend to be cheaper than the cost of 2 Single Wills.

Are online Wills legal in the UK?

Online Wills are legal in the UK, as long as they have been correctly signed and witnessed in line with UK law. Two witnesses, who are not beneficiaries of the Will, must sign and date it also. This can now be done  online .

Can I update a Will made online?

You can update a Will made online. Some providers allow you to opt-in to pay a small annual fee in order to make unlimited updates to your Will in the future. If you choose not to opt-in, you can still be able to make updates to your Will, but there will usually be a one-off cost on each occasion you make an update.

To enable Age Space to keep providing content for our readers, for some of the links on this page we receive a small commission if you decide to buy a Will with a provider. 

What to read next...

Writing a Will

Writing a Will is one of those things which few of us want to think about. If your elderly relatives don't ...

The power of attorney - why everyone should have one

Setting up a Power of Attorney with and for your elderly parents or relatives is one of the most useful things...

Tips & advice from our founder Annabel + discounts on useful products!

• Name First Last
• 1 Prepare To Care
• 2 Smart Home Monitoring Services
• 3 Personal Alarms
• 4 Live-in Care Companies
• 5 Best GPS Trackers for Elderly
• 6 Will Writing Services
• 7 Video Calling Devices for the Elderly
• 8 Dementia Sleeping Tips
• 9 Useful Dementia Products
• 10 Equity Release Calculator

Useful products and services

Personal Alarms

• Agespace in the News
• Advertising
• Terms & Privacy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.

Cookie Settings

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Births, deaths, marriages and care
• Death and bereavement

Making a will

Write your will.

Your will should set out:

• who you want to benefit from your will
• who should look after any children under 18
• who is going to sort out your estate and carry out your wishes after your death (your executor)
• what happens if the people you want to benefit die before you

You can also include a charity in your will .

When you need legal advice

You can get advice from a professional if your will is not straightforward, for example:

• you share a property with someone who is not your husband, wife or civil partner
• you want to leave money or property to a dependant who cannot care for themselves
• you have several family members who may make a claim on your will, such as a second spouse or children from another marriage
• your permanent home is outside the UK
• you have property overseas
• you have a business

Keep your will safe

You can keep your will at your home or store it with:

• your solicitor
• a company that offers the storage of wills - you can search online
• the national probate registry in Newcastle

Read full guidance on storing your will with the Probate Service .

You should tell your executor (the person you’ve chosen to carry out your will), a close friend or relative where your will is.

Related content

Is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey .

Watch CBS News

The 5 best digital notepads in 2024 will free you from paper clutter forever

By Jason R. Rich

Updated on: April 2, 2024 / 7:38 PM EDT / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Forget about writing down your ideas on sticky notes, paper napkins or scraps of paper -- all of which create clutter and can easily get lost. Now you can create handwritten notes and drawings, organize them in customized virtual notebooks, back up your notes in the cloud and then share them with others -- all with a digital notepad. And you can use these devices to read, annotate and sign PDF files, too. 

The best digital notepads look like tablets, but they have an e-ink display that's easily readable in almost any lighting -- just like the best e-readers . Using a stylus, you handwrite or draw directly on the screen, within the pages of customizable virtual notebooks. Then, in most cases, you can automatically convert your handwritten notes into editable text, or store the notes as you created them. 

Digital notepads give you plenty of virtual paper style options and even let you to choose your simulated writing instruments, such as a ball-point pen, fountain pen, pencil or highlighter. While some of the latest digital notepads can also be used as e-readers or offer basic tablet functionality, their main purpose is to replace a traditional notepad.

Best digital notepad overall : reMarkable 2

Best digital notepad and e-reader combo : amazon kindle scribe.

• Best compact digital notepad : Moleskine Smart Writing Set

Best digital notepad with a color display : Boox Note Air3 C

Best digital notepad with tablet functions: boox ultra c pro.

Keep in mind, with a specialty app (like Goodnotes 6 or Notability) and an Apple Pencil , any  Apple iPad tablet can be used as a feature-packed, full-color digital notepad, as can any tablet that has a stylus available for it.

Our top picks of the best digital notepads for 2024

Our in-house consumer tech experts have jotted down their research notes and compiled this roundup of the best digital notepads out there. Get ready to handwrite or draw directly on an e-ink display using a pen-shaped stylus. This nicely recreates the experience of handwriting on paper using a traditional pen or pencil. Organize and access all of your notes in one place. And because these devices rely on an e-ink display, battery life is typically up to several weeks, not mere hours, like a traditional tablet.

Display size : 10.3 inches | Display type : E-ink | Resolution : 1,872 x 1,404 pixels, 226 DPI |  Color or monochrome display : Monochrome | Internal   storage : 8GB | Expandable : No | Stylus included : Yes | Connectivity : USB Type-C, Wi-Fi | Operating system : Codex | Battery life : Up to 2 weeks

Unlike a traditional tablet that's built for a ton of tasks, or an Amazon Scribe that's for both note-taking and e-reading, the reMarkable 2 is first and foremost a digital notepad. It's designed to replicate writing on paper with a pen.

What we like most about this device is that it's extremely thin and lightweight. The monochrome, e-ink display is also quite readable, with minimal glare. And the rechargeable battery lasts up to two weeks.

As a digital notepad, you can create custom-named notebooks, and each can contain any number of individual pages filled with your handwritten notes. As you're writing, you can opt to leave the content as is, or convert it automatically into editable, typed text. This makes it great for note-taking, managing to-do lists or organizing important information.

Another task the reMarkable 2 handles exceptionally well is PDFs; you can view, annotate, highlight, sign, organize and store them. All content within the reMarkable 2 can be synced with your choice of cloud-based services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive. 

Beyond PDF files, this note taking tool is compatible with Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. It also can serve as an e-reader that accepts ePub files, but that's not the intended purpose of this device. If you're looking for a versatile digital notepad that provides a writing experience that feels like you're using real paper and a pen, reMarkable 2 is a great option.

Display size : 10.2-inches |  Display type : Paperwhite |  Resolution : 300 ppi |  Color or monochrome display : Monochrome |  Internal   storage : 16GB, 32GB, 64GB |  Expandable : No |  Stylus included : Yes |  Connectivity : USB Type-C, Wi-Fi |  Operating system : Amazon FireOS |  Battery life : Up to 12 weeks

We're huge fans of the Amazon Kindle Scribe, mainly because it can serve as a digital notepad and full-featured e-reader compatible with any Kindle-friendly e-books. The 10.2-inch paperwhite display is very easy to read, and the device's battery lasts up to three months between charges.

For our coverage of the five best e-readers for 2024 , the Scribe was named best e-reader for note taking. Be sure to read our in-depth review of this powerful tool to discover all that it can do.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe also offers yet another cool feature that other Kindles don't. It's a digital notepad. You can handwrite or draw on the display using a stylus. Use the note-taking app to create custom digital notebooks and then fill them with pages containing thoughts or sketches. These notes are stored within the Scribe, but can easily be shared when the device is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi.

As you're reading, you can annotate the content of e-books with handwritten notes, or annotate PDF files. A basic stylus comes with the Scribe and a three-month trial subscription to the Kindle Unlimited service is included, as is a USB Type-C charging cable. 

Best compact digital notepad : Moleskine smart writing set

Stylus included : Yes |  Connectivity : Bluetooth |  Battery life : Up to 11 hours | Notebook compatibility : Moleskine Smart Notebooks ( small or large ) | App : Moleskine Notes app (iOS/Android)

Most digital notepads have all of their technology built into the tablet. That's not the case with the Moleskine smart writing set. In this case, there's a lot of tech bundled into a smart pen that works just like a ball-point. In fact, the smart pen also writes on paper.

The pen must be used with one of Moleskine's smart notebooks, which come in two sizes and in either a hardcover or softcover. As you're writing using the Moleskine pen within one of these notebooks, the pen actually records everything you write and draw. Transfer the work wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet and replicate it on the screen of a mobile device.

Using the Moleskine Notes app, your can view your handwritten notes, store them as PDFs, sync them in the cloud or share them with others. Content can be kept in your own handwriting or converted into text that can be edited. And all of your notes can be associated with keywords or tags that make them easier to locate quickly. 

Another useful feature: It can simultaneously record audio from a class or meeting and link those audio files with your handwritten content. This system is ideal for someone who wants to continue writing with a pen on paper, but store and share all of their notes or drawings digitally, too. 

Display size : 10.3-inches |  Display type : E-paper |  Resolution : 2,480 x 1,860 pixels, 300 ppi (monochrome); 1,240 x 930 pixels, 150 ppi (color) |  Color or monochrome display : Color |  Internal   storage : 16GB |  Expandable : Yes (microSD card) |  Stylus included : Yes |  Connectivity : USB Type-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |  Operating system : Android 12 |  Battery life : Up to 16 hours

Boox is one of the few companies that offers digital notepads and Android tablets with full-color, e-paper displays. The Boox Note Air3 C has a 10.3-inch color screen. It's primarily designed to be a digital notepad for writing or drawing using different colored virtual inks, or for annotating full-color PDF files. 

As an e-reader it accepts 17 e-book formats. The device itself is a mere 5.8mm thick and it's extremely lightweight. As a note taking tool, it offers a paper-like experience for handwriting ideas and sketches.

Because the device uses an e-ink display, it's battery lasts for many hours. But it lacks a traditional display, so don't expect to work with high-resolution photos or video with the sharpness of a traditional tablet. The colors appear more muted. Resolution improves dramatically when viewing content in monochrome. As you're handwriting, the Note Air3 C can convert your handwriting into editable text. You can also use this device to view, annotate, sign and share PDF files. The handwriting and drawing capabilities are extensive, while the e-reader features are also robust. 

Because this is an Android device, it can be used for basic tasks that a tablet can also handle, like checking email, but this is primarily a digital note-taking tool for notes. Overall, we're very impressed with the note-taking capabilities of the Note Air3 C and recommend it to someone who prefers to handwrite, store and share their notes digitally.

For slightly less money, the Note Air3 ($400) is available with a monochrome screen.  It can handle everything that the Note Air3 C can do, just without the color. If you're going to invest in a Boox digital notepad, however, we suggest going with the full-color version. The use of color gives you more options when handwriting notes, drawing or annotating PDF files. There's even a virtual highlighter that allows you to highlight text in PDF files using the colors of your choice. 

Display size : 10.3-inches |  Display type : Kaleido 3 |  Resolution : 2,480 x 1,860 pixels, 300 ppi (monochrome); 1,240 x 930, 150 ppi (color) |  Color or monochrome display : Color |  Internal   storage : 128GB |  Expandable : Yes (microSD card) |  Stylus included : Yes |  Connectivity : USB Type-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |  Operating system : Android 12 |  Battery life : Up to 21 hours | Keyboard : Optional

The Boox Ultra C Pro can do everything that the Boox Note Air3 C can do as a note taking tool, but it also serves as an Android tablet.

It comes with the same collection of preinstalled apps as other Android tablets and allows you to install additional apps from the Google Play Store. The Boox Ultra C Pro has a full-color, e-ink display. This means it can be viewed in any lighting situation with virtually zero glare. 

Be warned: Between the speed of the processor and the sluggishness of the display's refresh rate, the Boox Ultra C Pro is not suitable for video. And while it can display full-color, high-resolution photos, the colors will appear muted and the images will lack detail. But this digital notebook is great for basics like web surfing, email, word processing, spreadsheets or any tasks that don't rely on video or graphics. 

Also on the plus side, the Ultra C Pro comes with a stylus and runs Android 12. It also has a built-in camera, speakers and a microSD memory card slot. It supports 24 digital file formats. A variety of optional cases (that also serve as stands) and a detachable keyboard are sold separately. While not for everyone, the Boox Ultra C Pro is a great option for people who prefer hand-writing over typing, but who want the core features of a tablet in a single, lightweight device.

How to choose a digital notepad

A digital notepad should be as comfortable and intuitive to use as a traditional pad and pen. Here are five things to consider when choosing which digital notepad is best suited to meet your needs:

• Design : The best digital notepads are compact, thin and lightweight. They rely on an e-ink display that's easy to read in any lighting (including direct sunlight) and they come with a pen-shaped stylus that's as comfortable to use as a pen. You also want the ability to choose a paper style (blank, lined, graph, etc.) and create customize notebooks that can contain any number of individual pages. The operating system should allow you to store your handwritten notes locally, sync them with a cloud account and share them with others via email. 
• Display : An e-ink display should be glare-free and easy to read in any lighting. The higher the resolution, the better (especially when it comes to full-color e-ink displays). Most displays built into digital notepads have a resolution that's measured in horizontal and vertical pixels, or in pixels per inch.
• Functionality : Beyond handwriting or drawing on the display, you might want to automatically convert writing into editable text. Other useful functions include the ability to markup, annotate and sign PDF files. Some of the best digital notepads also serve as e-readers, audiobook players and more. Also, while some digital notebooks only sync files with the manufacturer's own cloud-based service, others are compatible with services like Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Dropbox and Evernote.
• Stylus : All of the digital notepads featured in this roundup come with a pen-shaped stylus. However, in some cases, you can upgrade to a premium stylus for an additional fee. To get the most out of a digital notepad, you want a stylus that feels like a pen in your hand and that replicates the experience of handwriting on paper. If you flip over the stylus, the opposite end should work as a digital eraser (just like a traditional pencil). When using one of the best digital notepads, you can choose your virtual writing instrument. Options typically include a ball point pen, pencil, felt tip market, highlighter and fountain pen. 
• Battery life : Because these devices rely on e-ink displays, their battery life tends to be much longer than a traditional tablet. In some cases, you can expect to use a digital notepad regularly for up to four weeks before needing to recharge it.

When it comes to keeping up with the latest  technologies , our team of consumer tech experts has you covered with comprehensive product roundups, in-depth product reviews and details about where and how to find the best deals. We cover everything from  laptops  and  action cameras , to the best  TVs ,  smart grills ,  tablets ,  smartwatches  and noise canceling  earbuds  and  headphones .

Jason R. Rich ( www.JasonRich.com ) is an internationally recognized consumer technology expert with more than 30 years' writing experience. He's also an accomplished author and photographer. One of his most recently published books, The Remote Worker's Handbook: How to Effectively Work From Anywhere ($24.99, Entrepreneur Books) is now available from Amazon and wherever books are sold.

More Essentials

Google Pixel 8a vs. Pixel 8 Pro: Is the new budget phone worth it?

Google just released a scaled-down version of the flagship Pixel 8 Pro phone. Is the new model worth it?

Amazon has a huge sale on Beats headphones and earbuds

Shop some of the best-selling Beats headphones and earbuds at Amazon to save hundreds on your favorite pair.

The new Outdoor Rolling Duffle from Away is the perfect companion for your extended vacation

This new check-sized outdoor wheeled duffle bag from Away can take you anywhere you want to go this summer.

Best barbecue grill deals to take your Memorial Day weekend BBQ up a couple notches

BBQ season is finally here. If you're shopping for a new grill, Memorial Day is the best time to save some cash.

The best smart thermostats for keeping summer electric bills in check

The best smart thermostats of 2024 are all about keeping you cool and saving you money.

Get a 4-pack of Apple AirTags for one of the best prices we've seen

Apple AirTags are perfect for travel. Get a four-pack for $79 at Amazon and Walmart ahead of Memorial Day.

How to watch the Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers NHL Playoffs game tonight: Game 5 livestream options, more

Here's how to watch Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the teams' NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

Best deals on microSD memory cards: Save up to 41%

Save money shopping for microSD memory cards for your phone, camera, drone or other tech gear,

How to watch Caitlin Clark play in the 2024 WNBA season opener game today: Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun

Don't miss Caitlin Clark's WBNA debut as the Indiana Fever face the Connecticut Sun tonight.

Sage, a miniature poodle, wins the Westminster Dog Show

Sage bested six other finalists to claim the best in show award at the United States' most illustrious canine event.

U.S. poised to send $1 billion in weapons to Israel, sources say

The move comes days after the U.S. withheld shipments of certain munitions to Israel over concerns about a ground offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah.

New Jersey quintuplets graduate from same college

The Povolos missed their high school graduation because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but four years later, the quintuplets from New Jersey are making up for it in college.

Michael Cohen faces questions from Trump's defense team for the first time

Former President Donald Trump's attorneys got their first chance to question Michael Cohen on his second day of testimony and took aim at his credibility.

Feds: Boeing could be prosecuted after it allegedly breached agreement terms

This comes after the cabin door of an Alaska Airlines plane blew off mid-flight in January, sparking congressional and federal investigations.

Meta to shut down Workplace app for business

The business collaboration tool will be phased out over the next year as Meta focuses on AI and the metaverse.

Should you tip your Parisian waiter? What to know ahead of the Olympics.

Servers in France don't depend on tips like they do in the U.S. — but some restaurants don't want tourists to know that.

The Fed is struggling to break the back of inflation. Here's why.

The Federal Reserve's campaign to snuff out runaway inflation has bogged down this year. Blame housing costs.

Comcast unveils streaming bundle that includes Apple TV+, Peacock, Netflix

Comcast's StreamSaver arrives at a time when major entertainment companies are teaming up to try to turn a profit from streaming.

Bumble dating app removes ads mocking celibacy after backlash

The company released an apology and is offering billboard space to groups advocating for individuals it offended.

Nearly 80 officials overseeing elections in 7 swing states doubt 2020 results

And these officials, a CBS News investigation finds, are charged with certifying election results for the presidential election and other races.

TikTok users sue over new law that could lead to ban

Eight TikTok users said that the new law signed by President Biden violates their First Amendment rights.

HealthWatch

The lure of specialty medicine pulls nurse practitioners from primary care

Nurse practitioners have been viewed as a key to addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. But data suggests that, just like doctors, they are increasingly drawn to better-paying specialties.

Drowning deaths surged during the pandemic — and it was worse among Black people, CDC reports

Nearly 4,000 people die from accidental drowning ever year, according to the CDC.

Influencers promote raw milk despite warnings as bird flu raises risk

Interest in raw milk is rising in the U.S., fueled by both "wellness" and conservative influencers on social media — even though it can make people very sick.

FDA said it "never" inspected dental lab that made controversial AGGA device

Johns Dental Laboratories stopped making the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance last year after a KFF Health News-CBS News investigation into allegations of patient harm.

Reducing mental health, substance use stigmas

Eighty-four million Americans had a mental disorder in 2022, while 34 million people had a substance use disorder. About 11 million people dealt with both, but many did not receive professional treatment, partially because of a persistent stigma leading to silence and shame around mental health problems. Michelle Miller reports on how former congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and author Stephen Fried are hoping to make change with their new book.

11 killed in cartel-plagued part of Mexico as mass shootings continue

The bloodshed in Chiapas marks at least the fourth mass killing in Mexico in about a week.

• updated 45M ago

5th American detained at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo in luggage

Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police have arrested five Americans for bringing ammunition into the Caribbean territory.

American doctor trapped in Gaza discusses challenges of treatment amid war

Dr. Mohammed Abdelfattah, from California, told CBS News many patients are young children suffering burns and explosive injuries.

Sun emits its largest X-class flare of the solar cycle

The large explosion of energy and light from the sun comes just days after Earth was slammed with the biggest geomagnetic storm in more than 20 years.

Entertainment

Caitlin Clark just made her WNBA debut. Here's how she and her team did.

Caitlin Clark struggled early in her WNBA debut​ before finishing with 20 points and 10 turnovers as the Indiana Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun 92-71.

The making of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

The special anniversary covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has seven new covers that feature Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen, Hunter McGrady and "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King.

Alice Munro, Nobel laureate revered as short story master, dies at 92

Munro was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction.

Desi Lydic on dream job at "The Daily Show"

Desi Lydic is a writer, producer and Emmy Award-nominated actress who currently serves as one of the hosts of "The Daily Show." She joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about how she landed her "dream job" and what she's learned from having conversations with people all over the country.

Models on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue features industry icons Kate Upton and Hunter McGrady on the cover. They join "CBS Mornings" to talk about the milestone.

Google goes all in on AI at developer event

Google's highly-anticipated, annual developer conference began Tuesday. The event focused mainly on the company's artificial intelligence advancements. Lisa Eadicicco, senior mobile editor for CNET, joins CBS News with highlights.

How AI powered robots are helping small farms

From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.

Latest ChatGPT model revealed

OpenAI showed off its latest iteration of ChatGPT, GPT-4o, in a livestream presentation on Monday. The update is supposed to be faster and has increased text, voice and vision abilities, including engaging in spoken conversations. Bloomberg News reporter Shirin Ghaffary joined CBS News to talk about the new offer.

Solar storms can affect electronics and the power grid – an expert explains

Solar storms can dazzle, bringing displays of the northern lights to large parts of the globe. But geomagnetic storms can also affect electronic systems.

Cicadas pee from trees. And they urinate a lot, a new study finds

Scientists who study such things have found that cicadas urinate in a jet stream because they consume an incredible volume of fluid during their brief time above ground.

U.S. honey bee population reaches record high

In 2006, bees across the U.S. started dying rapidly. Now, the U.S. honey bee population is at an all-time high, according to the Census of Agriculture. Clay Bolt, manager of pollinator conservation for the World Wildlife Fund U.S., joins CBS News to explain what happened.

Raging Canadian wildfires threaten thousands

Wildfires are forcing thousands from their homes in Canada after burning more than 13,000 acres so far. Terry Cavaliere, emergency operations director for the Fort Nelson First Nation, joins CBS News with the latest.

Northern lights set the sky aglow amid powerful geomagnetic storm

Parts of the country saw the aurora borealis on Friday night, and the dazzling show was expected to continue on Saturday night, according to experts.

Vessel of interest ID'd in deadly boat hit and run

Florida officials say a "vessel of interest" has been identified in connection with a deadly hit and run that killed a 15-year-old ballerina who was waterskiing over the weekend. Cristian Benevides has the details.

Ohtani's former interpreter to enter plea

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, is expected to enter a not guilty plea Tuesday to bank fraud and tax charges that he allegedly illegally transferred almost $17 million from the baseball star's bank account. However, the not guilty plea is a formality, as federal prosecutors previously announced that Mizuhara will plead guilty at a later date as part of a plea deal. CBS News' Adam Yamaguchi reports.

Man accused of sending "So I raped you" message caught after 3-year-search

Ian Cleary had been the subject of an international search since authorities in Pennsylvania issued a 2021 felony warrant in the case.

Video shows smugglers testing remote-controlled "narco sub"

Investigators made the unusual discovery during probes into suspects who were cultivating marijuana under the cover of managing car wash stations.

Researchers discover "super fluffy" planet with cotton candy-like density

WASP-193b is 50% larger than Jupiter — the largest planet in our solar system — but seven times less massive because of it's extraordinarily low density.

Satellite images show what the historic geomagnetic storm looked like from space

Millions of Americans looked to the night sky and snapped magical photos and videos of the northern lights this past weekend during the momentous geomagnetic storm.

Boeing Starliner launch retargeted for May 21

The oxygen valve that derailed a launch try last week has been replaced, but engineers want more time to verify an unrelated helium leak has been fixed.

More geomagnetic storms likely to continue today

The forecasted conditions come after a weekend of jaw-dropping northern lights seen as far south as Florida and as "magnetically complex" sunspots bigger than Earth continue to emit solar flares.

Latest Galleries

Notable Deaths in 2024

A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.

Roger Corman, "King of the B Movies" 1926-2024

A look back at the hallowed career of the indie "B-movie" filmmaker, known for exploitation films, monster flicks, and some bizarre movie posters.

N.J. woman survives a home invasion, brutal stabbing by a young stranger

Despite losing three quarters of the blood in her body, Donna Ongsiako was able to help police find the person who almost took her life.

• May 21, 2023

PHOTOS: Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship rams into overpass

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.

Could an Alabama woman have shot herself twice?

When Tiffiney Crawford was found dead inside her van, authorities believed she might have taken her own life. But could she shoot herself twice in the head with her non-dominant hand?

Latest CBS News Videos

Crisis | 60 Minutes Archive

American youth struggled with mental health challenges in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. In 2022, Sharyn Alfonsi sat down with kids confronting those challenges – and the health care providers working to make care more accessible.

Pioneering a new wellness system designed by the honeybee

How Mānuka Health’s investment in research, sustainable beekeeping and land preservation is transforming the beauty & wellness category.

The Future of Enterprise is Autonomous

The AI Revolution is transforming enterprises and Digitate is leading the charge to a ticketless future

Small Changes Make A Big Difference: How A Simple Label Connects The Physical and Digital Worlds

Avery Dennison, a global materials science and digital identification solutions company, connects the physical and digital to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. As the inventor of the self-adhesive label nearly 90 years ago, the company specializes in using innovation to create new possibilities.

Four unexpected lessons about writing that lawyers can learn from cake decorating competitions

Those four lessons are:

1. Baking and decorating are two separate See more + In this video, Wayne Pollock (Founder of Copo Strategies and the Law Firm Editorial Service) explains four lessons cake decorating competitions can teach lawyers about writing and editing, especially writing and editing thought-leadership marketing and business development content.

1. Baking and decorating are two separate steps. So too are writing and editing.

2. Both steps, baking and decorating, are required for a contestant to be successful. So too are both steps, writing and editing, required for a piece of content to be well-received by its target audience.

3. A mistake in one of the steps—baking/decorating or writing/editing—can take down the entire project.

4. Just like contestants were judged on both the baking and the decorating, you will be judged by your audience on both your writing and editing.

+ Learn more about Wayne Pollock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynepollock

+ Learn more about Copo Strategies: https://www.copostrategies.com

+ Learn more about the Law Firm Editorial Service: https://www.lawfirmeditorialservice.com

+ Do you have any idea how much money your firm is losing when its lawyers write thought leadership marketing and business development content themselves?

Learn how much with the Law Firm Editorial Service's Thought Leadership Cost Calculator: https://www.lawfirmeditorialservice.com/thought-leadership-cost-calculator

+ Sign up for the Copo Strategies + Law Firm Editorial Service email newsletter and receive a free copy of the Law Firm Editorial Service's Attorney Thought-Leadership Scorecard: https://copostrat.link/email

+ Check out blog posts and videos designed to help you and your colleagues improve their content marketing and thought-leadership marketing efforts:

https://www.lawfirmeditorialservice.com/blog

Related Posts

• Four tips for converting webinars into thought leadership articles people will actually read
• In today's world, your content is a credential   Video
• Four reasons why, with thought leadership, the best ability is availability
• Four reasons you should be using original research in your marketing and BD efforts   Video
• Five reasons you should be curating content if you're too busy to create content   Video
• Your clients’ (and referral sources’) industry jargon is their love language
• Here's why you need not worry about giving away your "special sauce" in your thought leadership   Video
• You should be taking a stand in your thought leadership   Video
• The benefits of using thought leadership as “after hours” client advocacy
• Your thought leadership strategy should consider angles, not just topics

Other MultiMedia by Copo Strategies + Law Firm Editorial Service

In today's world, your content is a credential

Four reasons you should be using original research in your marketing and BD efforts

Five reasons you should be curating content if you're too busy to create content

Here's why you need not worry about giving away your "special sauce" in your thought leadership

You should be taking a stand in your thought leadership

The best writers put their readers on the slide, not the monkey bars

You won't be successful with your thought leadership unless you do this

A better way for corporate law firms to handle client alerts regarding legal developments

Don’t give your readers a whole chicken when they just want the nuggets

This is a key benefit of thought leadership marketing for lawyers that no one talks about

Building a law firm through 100K social media followers - Legally Contented podcast

Best practices for multimedia thought leadership - Legally Contented podcast

This attorney has amassed 18K+ LinkedIn followers by balancing legal content with personal content - Legally Contented podcast

All legal marketing comes down to these 2 things (plus nine more legal marketing nuggets) - Legally Contented podcast

The Future of Copywriting in the Era of AI - Legally Contented podcast

Brand-building research, Niche blogs, and 1.7 million TikTok followers - Legally Contented podcast

The secrets of a prolific legal content creator - Legally Contented podcast

The anatomy of a successful law firm PR campaign - Legally Contented podcast

Building a law firm off of 1.7 million TikTok followers - Legally Contented podcast

Refine your interests »

Written by:

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

• Increased visibility
• Actionable analytics
• Ongoing guidance

Published In:

Copo strategies + law firm editorial service on:.

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

• Services & Software

Wordle Tips: The Very Best Start Words, Tips and Strategies

Learn to use your six guesses most effectively and keep your streak alive.

• Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.

Winning Wordle is tricky but start words are key. "ADIEU" has been popular since the beginning and that makes sense, since it includes four vowels. But not everyone wants to know the vowels right away.

On the day that the wordle answer is ‘adieu’ social media will implode — vasili (@mockdownblues) January 20, 2022

Want some statistically supported help? I consulted with the people behind the Oxford English Dictionary, who shared an analysis they did showing which letters are most frequently used in English words. Here's the entire alphabet ranked by frequent use .

Use the list, share it, bookmark it, whatever you'd like to do. It will surprise absolutely no one that A and E are the top two. But I was shocked that J was the second-lowest, right in front of Q.

Lately I've been starting Wordle with the one-two punch of "TRAIN" and "CLOSE." That combo uses every single one of the top 10 letters, and it almost always leaves me with a decent group of correct guesses -- though not always in the right spots. That's what guesses three through six are for.

Check out this CNET TikTok , which recommends starting with ADIEU and then throwing in STORY. It's a great one-two punch that covers a lot of popular letters. The first time I tried it out, I was able to use the letter info I gained from those guesses to get the word easily on my third attempt.

I asked more CNET staffers, past and present, to share their Wordle strategies and favorite starting words. Hope it gives you a BOOST or maybe a NUDGE.

Big AUDIO dynamite

AUDIO. Get 4 out of 5 vowels out of the way immediately and focus on narrowing down consonants. Don't be afraid to deviate from your regular starter word, though -- sometimes a random word that pops into your head ends up being way more intuitive than you could have ever imagined. -- Ashley Esqueda

A blank STARE

My go-to is STARE. I'm inspired a little by the Wheel of Fortune move of guessing RSTLNE first, and with this, I also knock off two vowels. At the very least, this often seems to give me something on the board early. -- Eli Blumenthal

I cycle through TEARY, PIOUS and ADIEU as a first word, to knock out some common letters and make inroads with vowels. I then choose my next word based on the results, though sometimes I just throw up my hands and use both TEARY and PIOUS one after the other no matter what. -- Amanda Kooser

MAKER's mark

MAKER. That word puts me in the mood to 'create' the answer based on the data I get from knocking out the above letter combo. Then I move on to animal names like TIGER. It's not so much tactical as it is about just having fun for five or so minutes. -- Mike Sorrentino

Use weird words

You aren't playing Wordle correctly if you use the same word to start every day. That's my official rule and I'm flabbergasted y'all use the same word each day. What? Use weird words. Grab a dictionary, close your eyes and flick to a random page. Start with YACHT one day, try ULCER the next. Look around the room! TOAST? Why not? Just do it! Come on, people. It's not about clearing each day in the least amount of moves, it's about learning to love yourself . -- Jackson Ryan

CHEAT, and try the NYT Spelling Bee

I've been playing around with using FIRST, MANIC or CHEAT to start with. I don't know if that says more about my frame of mind than my word solving skills, but this approach has pretty much led to me solving within three words. (I got PANIC the other day in two!) But I have to say that while I enjoy Wordle, I'm still a bigger fan of the NYT's Spelling Bee , where you're asked to create words using seven letters, and each word has to use the letter at the center of the puzzle. I play Spelling Bee with my husband (he gets half the points to Genius; I get the other half). With Wordle, we play against each other to see who can solve faster. So Spelling Bee just seems nicer. -- Connie Guglielmo

Wheel good plan

First, I make sure to do it before my morning coffee, for an added layer of difficulty. I don't have a go-to word, since that feels sorta cheap, but I do generally aim for initial words that are high in either vowel count or the good old-fashioned Wheel of Fortune letters: RSTLNE. If it works for Pat Sajak's crew, it's good enough for me. -- Andrew Krok

More on Wordle

• Wordle Explained: What You Need to Know
• Best Wordle Memes and Jokes: 'I Think I'm Doing This Wrong…'
• Apple Pulls Wordle Clones From App Store

An argument for ADIEU

I've been using ADIEU from day one. Hilariously, I still sometimes misspell it. Sometimes to shake things up -- mostly based on pressure from Jackson Ryan -- I'll try something different. But every time I stray from ADIEU, it manifests into a gigantic uphill struggle I barely recover from. Either way, I dunno what we're all arguing about. Someone did an experiment on this. The best word is ROATE .  -- Mark Serrels

I steal Mark's word, ADIEU, and follow it up with STORY. Then it's just a matter of putting all the letters I uncovered into the spots I think they're in, and banging my head on the table, saying, "I'm not this stupid, am I?" until I figure it out. -- Oscar Gonzalez

The first word you think of

I'm a high-risk, high-reward Wordle player. I truly pick the first word that pops into my mind, with absolutely no strategy whatsoever. Aside from this being the purest form of Wordling (as the experts say, obviously), when I'm lucky enough to accidentally guess three or four of five letters correctly, it's immensely satisfying. -- Monisha Ravisetti

Not easy being green

TREAD is a winner, but I like to mix up my first word. That said, I always have a few first-guess rules. At least two vowels. Never use an S. (That S guess will come in handy down the track when you realize you're incredibly dim-witted and you can only think of four-letter guesses. Final rule: Your second guess should never include your greens from guess one (unless you're on hard mode). Save those greens for later and throw five new letter guesses into the mix. If I see you post a Wordle answer on Twitter that has tall green columns of letters staying in the same place, I  will  judge you. -- Claire Reilly

Guess it in two

My ultimate goal in Wordle is to guess the word by my second try. To that end, I use STEAR as my first word, which provides a solid set of letters in unusual positions -- so I can often predict where they'll go if they turn up yellow. From there, I make aggressive guesses, even if they're strategically inadvisable (duplicate letters, few vowels, low-likelihood letters, etc.). Since starting this strategy, my average is about the same as ever, but now I occasionally win in two guesses. So, success? - -David Priest

Don't fail

I don't believe in strategies. Pick the word that speaks to you most in the morning and follow your heart. Starting with a tactically effective word makes it too easy anyway. So what if you fail? It's just Wordle! (But I would like to make it clear that I never fail, not even when there's an X in the word.) -- Sarah McDermott

Read more : Over Wordle? Try One of These Other Puzzle Games

Services and Software Guides

• Best iPhone VPN
• Best Free VPN
• Best Android VPN
• Best Mac VPN
• Best Mobile VPN
• Best VPN for Firestick
• Best VPN for Windows
• Fastest VPN
• Best Cheap VPN
• Best Password Manager
• Best Antivirus
• Best Identity Theft Protection
• Best LastPass Alternative
• Best Live TV Streaming Service
• Best Streaming Service
• Best Free TV Streaming Service
• Best Music Streaming Services
• Best Web Hosting
• Best Minecraft Server Hosting
• Best Website Builder
• Best Dating Sites
• Best Language Learning Apps
• Best Weather App
• Best Stargazing Apps
• Best Cloud Storage
• Best Resume Writing Services
• New Coverage on Operating Systems

11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services in 2024

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

As a writer, it's not always easy to find typos or spelling errors in your own work. 

However, online editing services make error-free writing easy so you can focus on writing, not editing.

Below, we've listed the top 11 best editing and proofreading services for 2024 while considering years of experience, turnaround times, pricing, and quality. 

What Is the Difference Between Editing and Proofreading? 

Many people will hire a proofreader when they are really looking for an editor, and vice versa. However, editing and proofreading have different functions, and you will need one or the other depending on the requirements of your document. 

With editing services , your editor will: 

• Focus on improving the flow of language
• Check the overall readability
• Verify the accuracy of language
• Ensure the content follows a logical order
• Make sure your transitions are clear
• Verify that every paragraph is relevant to the overall argument
• Determine whether the tone fits the audience
• Ensure gendered language is used properly

With proofreading services , your proofreader will: 

• Check for grammatical errors
• Point out mechanical mistakes, such as misspelled words
• Correct missing or incorrect punctuation
• Verify correct and consistent capitalization 
• Fix sentence structure errors, such as run-on sentences or fragments

If you want in-depth feedback and revisions to improve your writing, editing is what you need.

If you need a final check to ensure your document is error free, proofreading is what you need.

What to Look for When Hiring an Editing or Proofreading Service

When hiring an editing or proofreading service, there are a few things to keep in mind!

Editor Qualifications

Experience and education play a large role in selecting the right editor or proofreader. You want to work with someone who is qualified, who has expertise doing the type of editing you're looking for, and who has had satisfied customers in the past. 

Check each service's ratings on review sites to ensure their customer satisfaction levels match what the service promises.

An editing or proofreading sample can give you an excellent idea of what to expect from your editor. Samples may be free or paid and allow you to evaluate the quality of an editing or proofreading service.

Communication

Good communication is also crucial. Will you be able to ask your editor questions during or after the process? 

The goal of any editor is to help you develop your best work, so clear communication throughout the process is key.

You might be wondering what is a fair price to pay for proofreading. Professional proofreading rates vary, and so does quality. To get the best-value proofreading, you will need to find a reputable proofreading company.

Read More: How Much Does Proofreading Cost?

11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services for 2024

1. scribendi.

Since 1997, Scribendi has been providing high-quality editing and proofreading services to students, academics, and authors from around the world. 

An ISO-certified industry leader in editing and proofreading services, Scribendi has a global team of hand-picked editors, many of whom hold master's degrees and PhDs. The onboarding process for new editors at Scribendi is intentionally rigorous so that only the highest-quality editors are selected—around 5% of all applicants. 

With Scribendi, you can expect affordable services and turnarounds in as little as 2 hours. The type of content Scribendi edits ranges from websites and blogs to essays and personal documents, with many other document types in between. Scribendi offers extensive feedback to its clients to help them develop their best work.

On the Scribendi website, you can also find case studies and reviews , along with a breakdown of how Scribendi customizes each service to specific clients. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours

Number of years in business: 25+

Free sample: Yes, 1,000-word free sample for editing or proofreading

ISO certified: Yes

Account deposit feature: Yes

Competitive Advantages

When it comes to fast turnaround times, affordable services, and professional, high-quality revisions, Scribendi has a competitive advantage over many other editing services.

With 25+ years' experience, their 480+ editors are available to proofread academic essays, novels, business materials, personal documents, or student essays 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Polish Your Writing with Our Book Proofreading Service

2. proof-reading-service.com.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers high-quality English editing and proofreading services exclusively for professionals in science and academia. 

An England-based company, the proofreaders at Proof-Reading-Service.com are native English speakers with experience in various academic disciplines. Each proofreader on their team is personally selected and holds at least a master's degree, so their academic clients are fully supported.

The types of editing they help with range from journal and scientific editing to PhD thesis and manuscript editing. Since their specialty is in science and academia, this service would be most helpful to professors, lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, and research students.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers a flat rate per 1,000 words. This rate does not change based on the type of content, so you always know how much proofreading will cost you.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: No instant quote

Number of years in business: 16

Free sample: No

ISO certified: No

An affordable option for academics and scientists, Proof-Reading-Services.com offers highly educated editors with expertise in many fields. 

Fiverr is a marketplace for digital services that allows buyers and sellers to work with each other through Fiverr's transactional platform. 

Through Fiverr, many freelance proofreaders offer their services at different rates and turnaround times. Within the platform, editing services can be filtered by budget, delivery time, and content type.

You can also sift through the profiles of freelance editors, read their reviews, and learn about their history with editing and with Fiverr itself. Each editor offers different rates depending on their experience and turnaround time.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: N/A

Number of years in business: 12

Account deposit feature: Yes (for Fiverr Business users)

With Fiverr, you have the flexibility to choose a specific editor, and many niche options are available. The process is simple and easy, and each transaction is made through the Fiverr platform.

4. True Editors

True Editors offers professional editing services for academics, business owners, authors, and job applicants.

Their editing team is composed of engineers, research scholars, postgraduates, physicians, and even journal peer reviewers. Each editor on the True Editors team receives specialized training in academic editing and must take a language proficiency exam to qualify for their editing team.

To use True Editors' services, you can upload a file or enter your word count and choose your turnaround time. Their pricing varies by word count, and their website provides editing samples so you can get a feel for their editing style. If you're ever unhappy with their work, they also offer a free revision of your document.   

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 4 hours

Number of years in business: 10+

Free sample: 300 words or less for editing

True Editors has editors with specific subject-matter expertise.

5. ProofreadingPal

Operating out of Iowa City, IA, ProofreadingPal is an editing service that utilizes a two-proofreader model. This means that two proofreaders work on every piece of content ordered through their service.

ProofreadingPal offers editing services for students, professionals, and authors, including academic editing for writing styles such as APA, Chicago, MLA, or CSE. Their services are available 24/7, 365 days per year, with turnaround times ranging from 30 minutes to 7 days.

What also makes this service unique is that they accept orders both online and by phone, and their customer service team is available every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. They offer free sample edits of up to 400 words, and they don't have a minimum word requirement if you'd like to submit a small document for review.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 1.5 hours

Free sample: 400 words or less for editing

With ProofreadingPal, you get two proofreaders reviewing every submission instead of one and quick turnaround times. 

6. PaperTrue

PaperTrue started in 2014 as an editing service but has since expanded its services to include essay writing, formatting, and plagiarism checking for students, as well as cover design, typesetting, and online distribution for authors.

Operating with the belief that language shouldn't be a barrier to success, PaperTrue helps a global audience of businesses, authors, and researchers edit their writing so they're able to reach their full potential. To date, they've served over 52,000 clients and have 4.5+ stars on review sites, including Google Reviews and Sitejabber. 

PaperTrue also offers a three-step quality checking process and hand-picked, qualified editors for each document reviewed. With locations in the US, Singapore, the UK, and India, they offer round-the-clock editing services with a turnaround time of 12 hours for documents up to 6,000 words. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 12 hours

Number of years in business: 8

With PaperTrue, you get not only editing and proofreading services but publication services as well, including typesetting, cover design, and online distribution.

Proofed is an editing and formatting service that helps students, businesses, authors, academics, researchers, and other professionals communicate effectively. Its mission is to provide the highest quality proofreading and editing services in the world.

With a diverse group of editors, the team at Proofed offers extensive knowledge on nearly every subject. All editors have undergone Proofreading Academy training, a course developed by Proofed, to ensure the highest standard of editing possible. 

Proofed offers speedy delivery (up to 10,000 edited words within 24 hours), with express and rapid turnaround times that range from 2 to 12 hours for select word counts. Their system supports over 15 different document formats, which makes the submission process easy, and their team offers 24-hour support.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours  

Free sample: 500 words for proofreading only

ISO certified: Yes 

Account deposit feature: No

Proofed offers proofreading expertise in many fields, as well as formatting services.

Enago provides 24/7 editing services for the global research community. More than just a team of editors, Enago works with researchers in over 125 countries to help them publish their work in international journals. 

With end-to-end publication support services, such as pre-submission peer review, journal selection, and post-submission review, Enago also offers competitive quality assurance with unlimited edits and a money-back guarantee for manuscripts that are rejected due to language issues.  

Enago's editors all hold a PhD or master's degree, and they have an average of 19.4 years of academic editing experience. Each manuscript is assigned to an editor with similar subject area expertise, assuring high-level accuracy. 

Like ProofreadingPal, Enago also operates on a two-editor model, where all manuscripts are reviewed by no fewer than two native English-speaking editors. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 24 hours

Number of years in business: 17

Enago offers highly educated editors in the fields of science, academia, and business, along with help and support during the academic publication process. 

American Journal Experts (AJE) offers in-depth scientific and academic editing services, in addition to translation and manuscript formatting services, to help researchers publish their best work. Its mission is to improve the exchange of discoveries in the international research community by identifying opportunities to improve the research, publishing, and discovery cycle.  

In addition to providing quality editing services, their team of PhDs supports researchers when they have questions regarding manuscript submission and publishing. AJE also matches each manuscript with an editor who is a subject-matter expert. 

Prices and turnaround times, as well as more in-depth information regarding the details of each type of editing offered (standard, advanced, or premium), can be found on the AJE website. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours  

Number of years in business: 18

Free sample: Editing of up to 500 words for an abstract

AJE's editors have subject-matter expertise, and the service also offers translation and formatting services. 

10. Editage

Editage partners with researchers to offer advanced and premium editing as well as publication support and translation services. Their goal is to assure the publication success of hopeful researchers, scholars, and students. 

Each document submitted to Editage is assigned to an editor who best matches the content subject matter. Editage even offers the option to select your expert, price, deadline, and style, so researchers have full control of the service they receive. Researchers can also collaborate with their editing expert to ensure the paper follows their vision. 

Editage also has local language support, turnaround times of as little as eight hours, and a two-step revision process for quality. Their team of over 2,000 native English editors has publication expertise and covers over 1,000 subjects.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 8 hours

Number of years in business: 20

At Editage, two editors review every submission. They also offer client-to-editor Q&A interaction and translation services.

LetPub offers editorial services for researchers in the scholarly publishing community. In addition to editing, LetPub offers scientific illustration services, plain language summaries, and graphic and video abstracts. 

The LetPub team is composed of experts and senior editors who come from a wide range of disciplines, each one a native English speaker with experience editing both scientific and technical documents. The types of editing included in LetPub's services range from grant and language editing to response letter and scientific editing. 

Because many of LetPub's editors and staff have research backgrounds, they're familiar with the level of effort it takes to write a paper for publication, and they will reedit a paper at no cost if it is rejected for language reasons.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours

ISO certified: Yes (for translation services)

Competitive Advantages 

LetPub offers expertise in science for scientists and academics, as well as translation and formatting services. 

Perfect Your Writing with High-Quality Academic Proofreading

There's a lot to consider when choosing an editing service. Save our table as a quick reference for your next document.

As long as you understand the important factors that go into choosing a great editing service, like experience, customer satisfaction, and quality, you'll be well equipped to choose the right one for you.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

Achieve Perfect Writing with High-Quality Proofreading

Try our essay proofreading service.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

Related Posts

10 Reasons to Hire a Professional Editor

Value Proofreading: How Much Does Proofreading Cost in 2024?

Why Hiring a Copy Editor Is a Good Idea

Upload your file(s) so we can calculate your word count, or enter your word count manually.

We will also recommend a service based on the file(s) you upload.

English is not my first language. I need English editing and proofreading so that I sound like a native speaker.

I need to have my journal article, dissertation, or term paper edited and proofread, or I need help with an admissions essay or proposal.

I have a novel, manuscript, play, or ebook. I need editing, copy editing, proofreading, a critique of my work, or a query package.

I need editing and proofreading for my white papers, reports, manuals, press releases, marketing materials, and other business documents.

I need to have my essay, project, assignment, or term paper edited and proofread.

I want to sound professional and to get hired. I have a resume, letter, email, or personal document that I need to have edited and proofread.

 Prices include your personal % discount.

 Prices include % sales tax ( ).

site categories

Jodie whittaker short film fund value upped (exclusive); itv studios rejigs distribution team; dare pictures signs md – global briefs, ‘mulan’ actor yoson an signs with sovereign talent group for writing and directing.

By Zac Ntim

International Reporter

More Stories By Zac

• ‘Alarum:’ Shooting Wraps On Action Pic Starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood & Willa Fitzgerald, Highland Film Group Launches Sales
• Emile Hirsch And Rory Culkin Crime Pic ‘Degenerate’ Lands Sales Deal Ahead Of Cannes Market Preview 
• Hugh Jackman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sydney Sweeney & Kristen Stewart Among Talent Headlining Slew Of Cannes Packages: Will U.S. Buyers Go Big? – Market Preview + Hot List

EXCLUSIVE: Chinese-Kiwi actor Yoson An has signed with Sovereign Talent Group . Sovereign will rep An’s writing and directing work. 

An is best known for his breakout role in Disney‘s live-action Mulan . In the pic, he played Chen Honghui, a military recruit, and Mulan’s love interest. Born in China, An migrated to New Zealand as a child. 

Related Stories

Coco Lee Dies: 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' & 'Mulan' Singer Was 48

'Cruella' First Weekend On Disney+ Was 39% Behind 'Mulan' In Households, Samba TV Data Shows

After originally working in theatre, An’s first role on-screen was in the short film Death Note (2012) . He next starred in Kiwi filmmaker David Blyth’s horror film Ghost Bride, where he played a Chinese immigrant forced into a marriage.

Yoson is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin and is a martial artist with a black belt in Karate. Behind the camera, An also exec produced the short project The Harvest with his Mulan costar Doua Moua. The film was screened at Outfest. He wrote a second short film, John , directed and starred in.

LA-based Sovereign Talent Group represents the likes of Oscar nominee Eric Roberts, Valeria Lamm, and Chris Doubek.

Must Read Stories

Anya taylor-joy talks ‘furiosa’; opening night; all of deadline’s reviews.

Breaking Baz @ Cannes: Meryl Streep And ‘Mamma Mia! 3’; ‘Second Act’ Scene Stealer

Kimmel targets iger’s rare appearance at upfront; highlights; ‘only murders’ date, dunst & brühl join keanu in östlund’s ‘entertainment system is down’.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

No comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

GPT-4 vs GPT-4o? Which is the better?

Hi! downstream from yesterday’s OpenAI live, I wanted to compare with you on which model version is actually the best. GPT-4 or GPT-4o? I’m not interested in image generation, or document/speech analysis, I’m really interested from a hyperparameter point of view, ability to avoid hallucination, understanding and validity of output, in short which one is more reliable in your opinion for a dedicated customer service chatbot? Thank you very much in advance

Writing good prompts is a big part of avoid hallucination, if the model is not given enough context it may invent things. What issues are you facing?

Related Topics