Online will makers have come a long way in the last few years. While your only option used to be to write your will yourself or work with an attorney, it’s now possible to generate a legal, comprehensive will in just a few clicks. Doing everything online can not only make the process more affordable, but feels also a lot simpler than writing it by hand or going into an attorney’s office.
Overview: Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Best Value
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What's an Online Will Maker?
- How Did We Test Each Online Will Maker?
- Best Overall: Online Will Tools Compared
- How to Make Your Online Will Legal
But, a quick online search reveals one problem. With so many online wills to choose from, how do you know which one is best for you?
In this guide, we’re taking on the challenge of trying 13 of the leading online will tools ourselves. We’re uncovering which are best for what needs, and whether there are any standout tools.
What’s an Online Will Maker?
To begin, let's explain how an online will maker works. These platforms are a way to create a will or estate plan without needing to step foot in an attorney’s office. You create an online will from the comfort of your own home by just answering a few questions about your current situation and end-of-life wishes.
Online wills handle things like:
- Who takes guardianship of your children, pets, or dependents if you pass away?
- How are your assets to be distributed to your beneficiaries?
- Who is to be named as your beneficiary?
- What charities would you like to donate to upon your death (if any)?
- How are your digital assets (photos, social accounts, etc.) to be handled when you die?
- Who do you want to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable?
- What are your final wishes for your burial, funeral, or memorial?
As you might have guessed, not every online will platform covers each situation above. We’ll let you know what platform each covers.
Tip: If you're interested in a virtual end-of-life event or memorial page, you can use an online service like GatheringUs. They even have specialists who can guide and support you through the planning process.
How Did We Test Each Online Will Maker?
Before starting our own online wills, we came up with criteria for measuring each tool. It’s important to note that each will was completed for myself, a married 20-something who currently resides in Florida. I did want to make a plan for my dog, Barbie, and I also had specific final plans I wanted carried out.
After testing each online will maker myself, Michael T. Flannery, an attorney and estate planning expert, independently reviewed each platform to see if they had the elements to make a legal will, were comprehensive, or left out any vital information. You’ll find that he left notes under each service to flag any tips, things to watch out for, and his perspective throughout this article.
With this in mind, we created a point system for rating these forms. Each online will had the opportunity to earn a certain number of points in each category.
Here’s what we graded them on:
- Price: Products ranged from free to upwards of $100.
- How you receive your completed documents: How long does it take to receive your completed documents?
- User experience: This included considerations for the design, ease-of-use, and access to legal definitions or FAQs as you complete your will.
- Time to complete: These online will makers include some big claims about how quick they are to use. Our own times were between 10 and 35+ minutes, depending on the platform.
- Policy for updating will: Is it possible to update your will whenever you please, or is this limited by the platform?
- Support: Is there any customer support and in what form?
We found that each of the 13 services listed below will produce a valid will—but which is the best? Now that you understand how we started this process, it’s time to share the rankings.
Best Overall: Online Will Tools Compared
After trying all the online will platforms above, it’s clear there are standout performers. While none of the tools were bad or produced a poor product, some were simply a better value and a better experience. Some were also more beginner-friendly for those who had no experience with wills or end-of-life planning.
Here’s a shortlist of our picks:
Best Overall
Best Value
Again, there is no magic formula for finding the “perfect” online will platform. It comes down to your budget, assets, and unique wishes. If you have any doubts or questions, it’s always worth talking with a professional attorney who can lead you down the right path.
1. Trust and Will
- Cost: $159
- How you receive your will: Printed copy mailed to you
- User experience: Sleek interface, easy to understand
- Time to complete: 10 minutes
- Policy for updating: One update per year
- Support: Option to talk to support agent
- Read our full Trust & Will Review
Trust & Will is the Apple of online will makers. It’s unbelievably sleek, easy to understand, and it has an impressive range of coverage. When you start the process, you answer questions one-by-one. Everything is simple, and there’s an indication of which response is “most common,” so you know what to expect.
It also includes a section for giving to charity, sharing passwords to digital accounts, and funeral arrangements. Trust & Will offers you your documents in two ways: you can ship them to your house for free or immediately download them and print at home. Ultimately, this platform is worth the cost for the ease of use.
Attorney’s take: Trust and Will includes several more legal issues and explanations than some of the other services. For example, it raises issues like “simultaneous death,” compensation for executors, digital assets, some tax references, an “in terrorem” or “no-contest” clause, and a focus on the specific powers of the executor.
2. FreeWill
- Cost: Free
- How you receive your will: PDF for download
- User experience: Sleek interface, easy to understand
- Time to complete: 15 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update anytime
- Support: No support
- Read our full FreeWill Online Will Review
FreeWill offers the greatest value in terms of what you get for your money and time. While very basic, it’s perfect for anyone who has a simple situation and doesn’t need complex customizations. The platform is sleek and easy, and you can also fill in specific requests for your burial and final resting place.
Unlike other platforms, you have immediate access to your completed will via download as soon as you complete the questionnaire. FreeWill partners with well-known charities in a variety of causes, so this is the ideal platform for those hoping to give to organizations after they die.
Attorney’s take: FreeWill provides more detail and a broader scope of legal issues, such as guardians for children, provisions for pets, charitable donations, digital assets, and a no-contest clause, and includes a self-proving affidavit. It also provides more specific advice to see an attorney for large or complex estates, so take note if you have a more complicated situation.
3. Cake
- Cost: $96
- How you receive your will: PDF for download
- User experience: Very easy to use, modern, and simple-to-understand terminology
- Time to complete: 10 minutes
- Policy for updating: Access to updates with an active premium subscription
- Support: Comprehensive FAQ, help guides, and the option to message support team
After years of planning and production, our expert team finally launched our own online will tool. Though not as comprehensive as other providers with add-ons like trusts, property transfers, and so on, Cake’s online will tool is perfect for beginners. This is an affordable alternative to using an attorney, and it only takes 10–15 minutes. Though you can't create other legal documents (trust, power of attorney, etc.), Cake is unique because of it's full suite of end-of-life planning tools. Easily save your legal will within your planning profile, sharing important documents with those you trust.
To create a will with our tool, you simply need to fill out basic information and plan how you want to distribute your assets. From there, decide who will care for dependents (pets, children, etc.) as well as who you trust to execute out the terms of your will. You can easily add special gifts for loved ones, and make decisions about your final arrangements.
At the end of the simple process, you have quick access to your downloadable will. Created with the support of our trusted attorneys, we’re confident this online tool is a great choice for those looking to create a legal will in minutes. There’s no waiting for your download, and no complicated hoops to jump through.
Attorney’s take: Cake’s will is state-specific, and this is an easy option for those who don’t have the need for a more comprehensive estate plan. Each section is broken down easily, making it possible for anyone to understand their options without an attorney’s guidance.
4. Tomorrow
- Cost: Free
- How you receive your will: PDF for download
- User experience: Sleek interface, easy to understand, mobile-only
- Time to complete: 30 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update anytime through app
- Support: Option to talk to non-attorney agent or chatbot
- Read our full Tomorrow Online Will Review
Tomorrow is a will planning mobile app. It isn’t available through a website, and you need to download their mobile app to use it. For those that want access to their plan on-the-go, this could be a big plus. The app itself is very user-friendly, though it takes a few minutes to get the hang of the layout. Everything is incredibly simplified, and adding contacts like your spouse, beneficiaries, children, and so on is easy to do without exiting the app.
There are additional add-ons for your Tomorrow account at no extra cost. You can add a trust, wealth management, valuable inventory, and more. Once complete, accessing your will is as simple as sending an email. You can always edit your current document through the app, making this a very easy option for mobile-friendly will makers.
Attorney’s take: This app definitely appeals to a specific, younger demographic that values design over content. For some, it may feel like the cartoonish experience might minimize a document that addresses sensitive information and difficult decisions.
5. Do Your Own Will
- Cost: Free
- How you receive your will: PDF for download
- User experience: Stylish interface, easy to understand
- Time to complete: 15 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update easily through account
- Support: No support
- Read our full DoYourOwnWill.com Online Will Review
Do Your Own Will is a comprehensive, easy-to-use online will maker. Unlike other platforms, the questionnaire fills a single page, which cuts down on load times. While it’s very basic, there are free options to add more or less depending on your needs. You can add a living will, durable power of attorney, pet guardian, digital agent, and general power of attorney, which isn’t typical for a free online tool.
In addition, Do Your Own Will makes it easy to choose alternatives for your beneficiary and executor. Adding funeral information and final wishes is also a breeze, making this a surprisingly complex tool. This is one of the best-value options.
Attorney’s take: I couldn’t find a way to make children the primary beneficiaries rather than the spouse, and unless I was missing something, it forced me to choose a spouse as the person I would give my remainder estate to. It didn’t let me choose my children or anyone else. In other words, it assumed that because I was married, I'd want my estate to go to my surviving spouse. I might've been missing some other way to change the variables, but even if it were my fault, that's not good.
Likewise, when I set up a trust for children, the only options it provided were that the children receive their benefit at either age 18 or 21. What if I wanted to choose 25 or 30? Do Your Own Will offered limited options for that.
6. eForms
- Cost: Free with seven-day trial or $45 for unlimited access to a single document
- How you receive your will: PDF or Word Doc for download
- User experience: Outdated interface, easy to understand
- Time to complete: 25 minutes
- Policy for updating: No updates without paid plan
- Support: Option to talk to non-attorney support agent
- Read our full eForms Online Will Review
eForms is one of the most well-known platforms for free fillable online forms. Their online will maker is one of their cornerstone options, but their questionnaire interface is clunky and outdated. Though they have extensive guides on completing your own will and a FAQ, it’s not a smooth experience compared to other will makers, and there’s limited access to support.
eForms does make it simple to have lifetime access to your will with their individual form plan ($45). Otherwise, you’ll need to hand over your credit card info for a seven-day free trial to download your completed form. They do allow users to download their form as both a PDF and Word Document, which is great perk if you plan on revising your form yourself or consulting with your own attorney.
Attorney’s take: This seemed to be fairly standard in terms of legal provisions. It was comprehensive and seemed to be balanced in terms of effectiveness and simplicity. It was limited to providing for a spouse for primary devise, but included unique provisions, such as those about other property, beneficiaries who predecease, and omitted heirs. Overall, it was satisfactory, but pretty standard.
Try eForms' Last Will and Testament Template
7. Legal Zoom
- Cost: $89
- How you receive your will: PDF after a review period
- User experience: Clunky interface, somewhat difficult to understand
- Time to complete: 25 minutes
- Policy for updating: Only with a paid account
- Support: Option to talk to an attorney
- Read our full LegalZoom Online Will Review
LegalZoom is similar to Rocket Lawyer in that it has a more outdated looking platform. But, the online will maker was very comprehensive and covered several scenarios that aren’t seen in the more basic tools. It really shined when it came to backup and alternative arrangements. For example, you can make several alternatives for beneficiaries, executors, and so on. This provides a lot of peace of mind.
Within the system, you could also name a trustee to manage gifts on someone’s behalf, which would be useful for young children. There’s also an option to create a credit shelter trust and to add your own final wishes. Because each document is individually vetted by an attorney, there is a longer processing time for Legal Zoom. Instead of having instant access to your documents, you’ll need to wait a few business days.
Attorney’s take: This platform offered a few items that others did not, such as the option to choose a residuary beneficiary other than a spouse and to establish a trust, including a credit shelter trust.
It also included options for the designation of digital assets and co-personal representatives. However, if it is going to introduce more expansive items like these, it could have offered a little more in-depth legal explanation.
8. Rocket Lawyer
- Cost: Free with seven-day trial
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will
- User experience: Clunky interface, somewhat difficult to understand
- Time to complete: 25 minutes
- Policy for updating: Only with paid account
- Support: Only with paid account
- Read our full Rocket Lawyer Online Will Review
The Rocket Lawyer Last Will and Testament was very comprehensive, and it included a few extras that help it stand out from other tools. First, you can have witnesses sign virtually within the online will maker. This could be helpful if you’re filling out your will with your witnesses present.
In addition, you can also download an optional self-proving affidavit that speeds up the probate process if you have it properly notarized. At the same time, the Rocket Lawyer system felt outdated and slow compared to other tools. Some of the questions were hard to understand, and the terminology wasn’t very friendly to those not familiar with legal terms.
At the end of the questionnaire, you have to hand over credit card information to gain access to your free seven-day premium trial, which is the only way to download your documents. Then, your document is only accessible online while your premium account is active. This is a limitation that gets in the way of Rocket Lawyer’s effectiveness.
Attorney’s take: At first, I was unsure if this was state-specific as I reviewed the “Legal Will Checklist.” There were many points in the checklist that said, “Some states do X” and “Most states do Y.” So by the end, I thought, “Ok, so I guess I am supposed to contact one of the lawyers to find out what the state I’m in does?” But, it includes an option to choose your state, so if it is state-specific, but the language can be confusing. Take note if you end up using Rocket Lawyer.
But, some rules were left out, like state-specific rules for witnessing the will. Again, leaving out that information could cause you to question whether you’re getting it right. Do you need to take any extra steps for witnessing? Are you missing something else? Instead of providing enough information, Rocket Lawyer’s platform suggests talking to a lawyer to answer questions several times through the process, which is something you’ll have to pay for.
The bottom line is that it seems to be missing a lot of legal definitions and depth that could have been easily included and help you feel confident in writing your online will.
Try Rocket Lawyer's Online Will
9. Fabric
- Cost: Free
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will through email
- User experience: Good design, mobile app available, hyper-focused on life insurance
- Time to complete: 10 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update online easily
- Support: Option to talk to a non-attorney agent
- Read our full Fabric Online Will Review
Fabric is an average platform with just enough features to create a basic will. Though it’s a bit bare bones compared to others on this list, it does have a sleek, easy-to-use design. Everything is simply explained, and there is no confusion about what everything means.
Fabric also has a mobile app, which is an easy way to take your end-of-life documents on the go. Still, the online application focused heavily on life insurance, which could get in the way of your will planning. It’s impossible to learn more about your completed will until you fill out the form for a life insurance quote which is frustrating. Overall, this was a limited but efficient option.
Attorney’s take: Fabric seemed to offer very black-and-white statements of law (i.e., witnesses cannot be named in the will), however, this isn’t necessarily accurate in most states. So, as I used the service, I was left to wonder, is this provision specifically accurate for my state? Or is it trying to make things so simple and general that it could be inaccurate? On the other hand, it made some specific provisions of law, such as offering that Ohio and the District of Columbia don’t use self-proving wills.
Also, the will includes some fairly practical information, such as where to keep your executed will once and how to ask the executor and witnesses to serve in these roles. It also ended with a specific list of reasons to see a lawyer first, which other services lacked. It included the modern Uniform Probate Code version of the simultaneous death act—this isn’t necessarily uncommon, but including it stood out from most of the other services.
Try Fabric's Online Will Maker
10. Law Depot
- Cost: Free with seven-day trial
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will
- User experience: Very simple, but easy to use
- Time to complete: 10 minutes
- Policy for updating: Only with paid account
- Support: Option to talk to non-attorney agent
- Read our full LawDepot Online Will Review
LawDepot is the simplest of online will makers. For those with very basic situations, this is a good way to speed through the process. While it makes everything simple to understand no matter your experience level, it has limited support, and you’re not able to update your will without a paid account.
There’s no indication that you need to give your credit card information (for a free trial) until the very end when your form is complete.
Try LawDepot's Online Will Maker
11. Total Legal Wills
- Cost: $19.95
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will or the document shipped to you
- User experience: Outdated design, not easy to understand
- Time to complete: 10 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update online easily
- Support: Option to talk to a non-attorney agent
- Read our full TotalLegal Online Will Review
TotalLegal Wills has a simple design, but it feels much more outdated compared to any of the others. If you search “Total Legal Wills,” you’ll see that a lot of other users assume this is a scam site because it looks like it’s from 1995.
The questionnaire itself is a bit difficult to understand, though it has a lot of flexible options to suit a variety of needs. If you have any questions, the only way to reach a representative is through a phone number (with limited hours) or email. Overall, TotalLegal Wills is a fair option for the price, but it could use some updates.
Attorney's take: TotalLegal Wills offers just a standard, basic package for a simple will. It was not overly complicated but, like most, could have included more depth and more descriptions of the legal consequences of all the provisions.
12. US Legal Wills
- Cost: $39.95
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will
- User experience: Outdated design, not easy to understand
- Time to complete: 25 minutes
- Policy for updating: Update online easily
- Support: Option to talk to an attorney
- Read our full US Legal Wills Review
US Legal Wills provided online wills for over 20 years, making them possibly the longest-running online will platform. The questionnaire begins by sharing the eight-step process, which includes a section for your will (or expat will if you live overseas), as well as add-on features like power of attorney, living will, funeral plans, and password management for an added fee.
While the process was straightforward, it was outdated in a few key areas. Unlike other platforms, you’re not able to re-select individuals you’ve already entered previously in the questionnaire. For instance, once you’ve completed the spouse section, you’ll need to re-enter your spouse’s information for the executor and beneficiary section manually. It becomes tedious quickly. Some of the buttons (i.e. “delete executor”) are placed in a way where they’re easy to click on accident, re-starting the frustration. Overall, it’s just not well designed.
US Legal Wills did shine when it came to naming alternatives and including forgiven debts within your will. However, they’re negated by the clunky features and high cost.
Attorney’s take: US Legal Wills covered all of the major issues that you should think about. If you go with this service, make sure to read the practical tips that can be relevant to problems down the road, such as signing the document in blue ink, covering pages when the witnesses sign, where to keep the will after signing, and what challenges to anticipate in probate court.
13. Quicken WillMaker & Trust by NOLO
- Cost: $67
- How you receive your will: PDF download of your will
- User experience: Have to download software, lengthy
- Time to complete: 35+ minutes
- Policy for updating: Update easily within software
- Support: Option to talk to a non-attorney agent
- Read our full Quicken WillMaker & Trust Review
The Quicken WillMaker & Trust by NOLO software is comprehensive, but it has one fatal flaw. Namely, it’s only available through a software download. Not only is this a complicated process, but it feels like a holdover from 2003. Most people interested in will software will pick something up from a local store.
While there’s nothing wrong with this tried-and-true method of software applications, it isn’t what most people have in mind when they want to complete a will online.
Once downloaded, the software runs smoothly. It’s very comprehensive and does a fair job explaining terms. Ultimately, the process is very time consuming and doesn’t need to exist as a software download. There’s also limited access to support, despite the higher cost. There are better tools for the price.
Try NOLO's Quicken WillMaker & Trust
How to Make Your Online Will Legal
None of these online will makers above enable you to walk away with a 100% legal will. While your document is sound, you need to continue through a few steps to ensure it’s actually enforceable by law.
These instructions are included with your online will download, but they’re as follows:
- Witnesses: You need two witnesses. These individuals should not be named in your will. Additionally, some states require them to be from your state.
- Notary: If you’d like to help your beneficiaries receive assets from your estate without needing probate court, some online wills include what’s called a self-proving affidavit. This is a sworn statement attesting to the validity of the will, and it’s notarized.
Be sure to review the will laws in your state to make sure you’re covered. While your online will is a good first step, it’s not the only step.
Create Your Own Will Online Today
Though this list might seem overwhelming, it only means there are more options than ever for creating an online will. If you don’t have a complicated situation and want to skip the trip to an attorney’s office, an online will might be the right solution for you.
Making plans for your assets and final wishes is one of the ways you can reduce the burden on your family when your time comes. Otherwise, they’re left picking up the pieces without your input. Take control by asking the hard questions and getting your wishes in writing. As you can see from the list above, it’s easier than you think.
