The 10 Best Online Will Makers in 2022 (Including Free Options)

Are you wondering how to make a will without a lawyer? Online will makers could be the solution you need.

Most people think making a will is expensive or time-consuming. Many of us have term life insurance to protect our family. However, we have never gotten around to making a will.

The best online will makers let you draft your last will and testament or provide you with other necessary legal documents. Sometimes, you can even do it for free!

Your online will can be legally binding, just like the one a local lawyer drafts. 

Top Online Will Makers

Most households can make an online will in less than 15 minutes. You can appoint guardians for your children and choose an executor. 

Your online estate plan is state-specific and legally valid. Instead of watching TV one evening, you and your spouse can draft your will to protect your assets.

While anyone can get an online will, complex estates should consider using a local legal professional to ensure their legal documents are valid. Some examples include owning a business or having property in multiple states. 

1. Fabric

Fabric is a free online will maker. You start by answering several questions to personalize your will. Free will revisions can be made at any time. 

It’s even possible to add these features to your will:

• Child guardians
• The executor of the will
• Beneficiaries
• Final arrangements
• Mirror wills (identical wills for spouses)

You can store your online will and bank account information in the Fabric Vault. This cloud storage tool is free. It is an easy way to reduce the stress that a widow or family faces trying to transfer your accounts into their name.

Fabric offers term life insurance, as well. You are never required to purchase life insurance through Fabric to make an online will.

But if you need to get a policy, you might qualify for a no medical exam life insurance policy in as little as 10 minutes.    

Why We Like Fabric

• Lets you create a free online will
• Can store your online will and personal information in their data vault
• Term life insurance is available

Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5

Cost: Free

2. Trust and Will

You can nominate guardians, make a will or create a trust at Trust and Will. Plans start at $39, and you can make unlimited updates free of charge for the first year.

Although Trust and Will isn’t free, getting legal support with this company is cheaper than hiring a lawyer who can easily cost $300.

Below is a quick overview of the three plans Trust and Will offers.

Guardian

Best for nominating guardians for your children, you pay $39 and can other estate planning documents like spousal documents for a total cost of $69.

This plan doesn’t include a last will and testament, which states your final arrangements and who inherits your assets.

After the first year, it costs $12 a year to make additional changes. 

Will

This mid-tier plan costs $159, and you can add spousal documents for $100 more. Choose this plan if you want to make a last will and testament.

For instance, to decide who inherits your assets, list your retirement plan beneficiaries and your final arrangements. Living wills can also be made to express your medical care wishes. 

If you have pets, you must pick this plan to nominate their guardians. You can make all document revisions after the first year for $19 annually.   

Trust

Making a trust costs $599 plus $100 to add documents for your spouse. Revisions to this legal document are free for the first year, and you pay $39 each additional year to make changes.

This is the only trust and online will option that lets you avoid probate court. Avoiding probate reduces the time and cost it takes to distribute your estate.

Why We Like Trust and Will

• Can make a basic or complex estate plan
• Avoid probate by creating a trust
• Money-back guarantee with every plan
• Provides other legal documents

Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5

Cost: $39

3. FreeWill

You can use FreeWill to create a will at no cost. Even their power of attorney and living will forms are free.

California residents can make free revocable living trusts.

Although it costs money, FreeWill can pair its forms with an attorney if you need expert legal documents and advice.

The FreeWill lawyer service may still be cheaper than a local lawyer. It can be worth your time to compare costs.

The main reason FreeWill is free to use is that they encourage charitable giving. Nonprofits partner with FreeWill to cover the expense of making online wills.

Why We Like FreeWill

• Free to use
• Can pair with an attorney (for an extra cost)

Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5

Cost: Free

4. Rocket Lawyer

You can make a living will, financial power of attorney and more using Rocket Lawyer. It’s free to try Rocket Lawyer for seven days.

After that, you pay $39.99 per legal document plus fees for legal support like asking a lawyer questions. 

Becoming a premium member costs $39.99 a month and includes these benefits:

• Access to all printable legal documents
• Ask legal questions to a lawyer
• Review disputes with an attorney
• 30-minute phone consultation with an attorney
• Discounts on hiring a Rocket Lawyer attorney

The one-time fee for these options for non-members costs between $9.99 and $59.99. If you only want to make a document once, Rocket Lawyer can cost less than other online will makers.

The one-time attorney service fees are affordable if you don’t want to become a monthly member.

Why We Like Rocket Lawyer

• One-time or ongoing fee to make an online will
• Attorney assistance is available
• Can create documents for other events like buying rental property 

Trustpilot: 4.7 out of 5

Cost: Free

5. WillMaker.com

WillMaker.com offers a subscription service that can help you create a suite of estate planning documents. There are three levels to map out your estate plans:

• Starter. The Starter bundle is $89 per year. With it, you can make wills, health care directives, and final arrangements.
• Plus. The Plus bundle is $129 per year. With this download, you can make wills, health care directives, final arrangements, durable power of attorney, letters to survivors, and living trusts.
• All Access. The All Access bundle is $199 per year and allows you to create wills, health care directives, final arrangements, durable power of attorney, letters to survivors, and living trusts. It also includes a one-year subscription to everplans to help you organize and securely store important documents.

The cost of each plan is billed as an annual subscription. You can log into the platform to make changes as necessary along the way. The Plus and All Access options allow you to download the software to your PC or Mac to draft your documents.

Why We Like WillMaker.com

• Can store documents in a secure place and share them with trusted advisors
• Relatively painless way to create essential documents
• Knock out several important documents with one software

Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5

Cost: $89 to $199

6. LawDepot

LawDepot gives you free access to all documents for the first week. You can print your documents during the free trial. 

After the free trial ends, a license costs $35 monthly or $107.88 for an annual subscription. Either membership options provides full access to the LawDepot document library.

Another option is paying a flat fee between $7.50 to $119 to access a single document.

There are a variety of documents you can create, such as:

• Last will and testament
• Living will
• Financial power of attorney
• Revocable living trust
• Gift deed

After deciding which documents you need, you can choose the best membership plan. For example, you can use other LawDepot documents if you start your own business. 

Why We Like LawDepot

• Offers a free trial so you can test out the service
• Not just for wills

Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5

Cost: Free to start

7. US Legal Wills

Many of the best online will makers only provide service if you live in the 50 U.S. states. US Legal Wills offers wills for expatriates who live outside the United States.

You can also get a will if you have assets in Canada or the United Kingdom.

The following documents are also available for U.S. residents:

• Last will and testament
• Power of attorney
• Living will

For expats, the cost is $39.95. Adding a spouse brings the total cost to $59.95.

Living wills cost $19.95 for individuals and $29.95 for couples.

It’s possible to make unlimited revisions to every document for the first year.  After that, you pay $11.95 per year to continue storing your documents in the US Legal Wills vault and have unlimited revisions. 

Purchase a multi-year storage plan is a great way to save money. For instance, a lifetime plan only costs $129.95.

This is the better option if you plan on keeping your will at US Legal Wills for more than ten years. 

For extra peace of mind, you can pay $69 for their legal support team to review any legal document you feel needs additional attention.

Why We Like US Legal Wills

• Expatriate wills available
• Lifetime unlimited revisions and vault storage
• 40% discount for spouses
• Lawyers can review your documents

Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5

Cost: Start at $39.95

8. TotalLegal

If you want a low-cost online will making service, TotalLegal is a great option. Their estate planning documents include a living will, power of attorney and more.

Each document costs $19.95 without a paid membership.

The TotalLegal Plan membership costs $9.95 monthly or $89 a year ($7.49 monthly). Paying the fee lets you make unlimited documents and access attorney services.

Premium members can print their legal forms or store them on TotalLegal’s online vault.    

Membership is open to majority of location in the US. Check their site to make sure your state is included.

Why We Like TotalLegal

• Low monthly or annual fee
• Can make most estate planning documents
• Attorney services available to premium members

Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5

Cost: $19.95

9. LegalZoom

LegalZoom is an online will making service that has pricing starting at $39. You get a state-specific will, and you can make free revisions for the first 30 days.

If a court finds your online will to be invalid solely because it was created online, LegalZoom will pay you $50,000.

Upgrading to the Last Will and Testament bundle costs $179. This bundle includes free revisions for the first year, financial power of attorney and a living will.

Bundling also gives you access to LegalZoom’s Legal Advantage Plus service for additional legal support.

You can have 30-minute phone consults to get personalized legal advice. Plus, membership includes a free attorney review of LegalZoom documents and unlimited revisions.

This legal access is free for the first year and costs $119.88 annually after that.

Why We Like LegalZoom

• Access to independent attorneys
• $50,000 Peace of Mind guarantee
• Free digital download for all plans
• 4.53/5 from Better Business Bureau

Trustpilot: 4.4 out of 5

Cost: Start at $39

10. Gentreo

You can make living wills, powers of attorney and last wills and testament with Gentreo. This legal support service is also excellent for establishing a pet trust or a pet power of attorney.

You can choose from two different estate plan options. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t offer on-demand documents.

The costs can be less than some of the other online will makers requiring an annual subscription. For example, you can get all of your documents for $100 and then pay $50 each subsequent year.

Gold Plan

The entry-level Gold Plan costs $100 for the first year and then $50 each additional year. This plan can be great for most people needing help making a will.

You can enjoy these estate planning documents and services:

• Will
• Living trust
• Health care proxy
• Power of attorney
• Pet documents
• Unlimited document revisions
• Annual estate planning checkup
• Digital vault
• Funeral wishes
• Step-by-step action plans
• Connection to partner lawyers (additional fees apply)

Platinum Plan

Consider the Platinum Plan if you want hands-on help. Additional benefits include:

• One notarization session per year
• Verification of vital information and people
• One-hour coaching session

It costs $500 for your first year to make your estate plan documents and $100 every following year.

Why We Like Gentreo

• Fair costs for living wills and power of attorney forms
• Can store documents in an online vault for family members to access
• Offers pet documents
• Legal counsel available once per year

Trustpilot: 4.1 out of 5

Cost: Start at $100

Are Online Wills Valid?

Online wills can be legally binding once you print them and have several signatures.

The first signature is the person (the testator) who makes the will. So if the will is for you, then you must sign it as the testator. Your spouse will need to sign their will.

More importantly, two non-involved people must sign your will, and these signatures must be notarized. Your bank may offer free notary services. 

You will also need to see which services each online will maker offers. For example, you might only be able to legally assign guardians for your children but not your pets. 

Also, a last will and testament that isn’t a trust must go through a probate court. The court will legally decide who receives your property and gains custody of your children under age 18.

Finally, none of the statements in this article are formal legal advice. Check your local laws and ask your attorney for personalized assistance.

Do You Need More Than an Online Will Maker?

You should consider hiring a lawyer if you have a complicated estate plan or anticipate legal struggles between the heirs. They can also provide personalized advice that online platforms may not have the capability of offering.

For example, lawyers specializing in estate planning can help heirs receive their inheritance or pension benefits sooner.

A lawyer can also make it easier for your will executor to correctly follow your intentions, even if you have a simple will. The executor may not feel comfortable handling your estate plan if they don’t have a legal background or are a first-time executor.

Finally, a local lawyer can help complete your other estate plan documents, such as:

• Funeral wishes
• Power of attorney
• Health care directives
• Living trust

While hiring a lawyer costs more money than an online will maker, you may appreciate the extra peace of mind if you have a sizable estate or complicated financial and family conditions.

When Should I Get an Attorney Involved with my Estate Planning?

Hiring an estate lawyer can be worth the investment when you need personalized advice or help finalizing a complex estate plan.

Some of the sensible situations include:

• You don’t feel comfortable making your own will
• Review plan for overlooked topics or potential surprises
• Verify legal compliance with current laws
• Help develop a living will and accompanying documents
• Build a plan for taxes, wealth transfers, charity donations and debt payoffs
• Appoint legal guardians for your children

Essentially, if you have a heirs and survivors or plenty of wealth, a lawyer can be worth hiring. However, you may still decide to build your own plan first and your attorney can put on the finishing touches.

What is a Living Trust and Should I Use One Instead?

A living trust is similar to a will in that it’s a written plan to distribute your personal property and liquid wealth to heirs.

Here are the primary differences between living trusts and wills:

• Court involvement: A living trust has a simpler legal process as you appoint a trustee and don’t have to follow court-ordered probabte. Wills have an executor and must go thorugh court (probate) to close the estate which can be time-consuming.
• Appointing guardians for surviving children: Living trusts don’t let you appoint guardians for your children under age 18. If you’re a parent with minor children, you will need a will to appoint guardians.
• Costs: Living trusts can be more expensive to set up and maintain than a last will and testament.

A living trust might be the only document you need if you’re transferring property to your heirs. If so, consider this option to minimize the legal process so the survivors can receive their inheritance sooner.

For more complicated estates, an attorney may recommend having a living trust and will.

FAQ

If you still aren’t convinced that an online will maker is right for you, these questions might be able to help clear up any hesitations you have.

Summary

An online will maker can be the easiest way to get a legally binding will. Making your will online instead of hiring a local lawyer helps you save money. 

Whether you can make a will for free or even pay extra for attorney service, having the necessary estate planning documents in place will protect your future.