Best Trust & Will alternatives in 2026 (online estate planning compared)

Trust & Will made online estate planning approachable. Before platforms like theirs, getting a will meant either hiring a lawyer ($1,000+) or buying a generic template and hoping you filled it in correctly. For $199, Trust & Will gives you state-specific legal documents -- a will, power of attorney, healthcare directive -- and the process takes about 15 minutes.

But $199 gets you legal documents. That's it. No place to store the letter you want your kids to read. No vault for the account credentials your spouse will need. No way to tell your family where the life insurance policy is or what you want done with grandma's ring. Trust & Will handles the legal scaffolding and leaves everything else to you.

If you've been considering Trust & Will and wondering what else is out there -- whether because of pricing, scope, or the feeling that legal documents alone aren't enough -- here are six alternatives.

What to look for in an estate planning tool

Trust & Will anchors itself on legal document creation, which is an important baseline. But a complete estate plan usually involves more:

• Legal documents -- will, trust, power of attorney, healthcare directive
• State-specific compliance -- templates that hold up in your jurisdiction
• Document storage -- a secure place for your family to find everything
• Personal messages -- letters, stories, explanations that no legal document captures
• Family access controls -- the right people see the right things at the right time
• Affordability -- one-time costs vs. ongoing subscriptions that add up
• Attorney access -- professional review when you need it

The best approach often combines a legal tool with a legacy tool. Legal documents say what happens to your assets. Legacy tools say why, and give your family the human context that paperwork can't.

The 6 best Trust & Will alternatives in 2026

1. FreeWill (free for basic wills)

FreeWill lives up to its name. The basic will-creation tool is completely free, funded by nonprofit partnerships. You answer a series of questions, designate beneficiaries, name guardians for your children, and get a state-specific will you can print and sign.

The trade-off is simplicity. FreeWill works well for straightforward estates -- you want everything to go to your spouse, and then to your kids. If you need a trust, complex asset distribution, or business succession planning, you'll outgrow it quickly. There's no attorney review, no trust creation, and limited customization.

But for a young family that just needs the basics documented, FreeWill removes the cost barrier entirely.

Best for: Simple estates where cost is the primary concern.

Pricing: Free for basic wills. Trust planning and attorney access available through partner services.

2. When I Die Files (pre-launch)

This is our product. When I Die Files doesn't create legal documents -- we think tools like Trust & Will and FreeWill do that well already. What we do is everything that comes after the legal paperwork.

Your will says who gets the house. When I Die Files is where you write the letter explaining why. It's where you store the account credentials your executor will need. It's where you record the story of how you and your spouse met, so your grandchildren can read it someday. It's where you leave specific messages for specific people, delivered when you choose.

The vault uses end-to-end encryption. The letter-writing system is built around guided prompts that make the writing less daunting. Family sharing is controlled so the right people access the right things. And you pay once -- no annual subscription.

If you're using Trust & Will for the legal side, When I Die Files is designed to be the companion for everything else.

Best for: People who already have (or are getting) legal documents and want to handle the personal and practical legacy alongside them.

Pricing: One-time purchase (pricing announced at launch). Join the waitlist for early access.

3. LegalZoom (from $99)

LegalZoom has been in the online legal space longer than almost anyone. Their estate planning products include wills ($99 for a basic plan), trusts, and a range of legal services from business formation to trademark registration. They're the generalist to Trust & Will's specialist.

The basic will plan is cheaper than Trust & Will at $99, but the experience is less polished. LegalZoom was built as a broad legal services marketplace, and the estate planning workflow feels like one product among many rather than the core focus. Attorney review is available as an add-on.

If you need legal services beyond estate planning (LLC formation, trademarks, etc.), the LegalZoom ecosystem has more range. If you only need a will and trust, Trust & Will's focused approach is typically smoother.

Best for: People who want estate planning alongside other legal services.

Pricing: Basic will from $99; premium plans with attorney support cost more.

4. Nolo's Quicken WillMaker ($99)

Quicken WillMaker has been around in various forms since the 1990s. It's desktop software (now also available online) that lets you create a will, living trust, healthcare directive, power of attorney, and other legal documents. The software includes Nolo's plain-English legal guidance, which is some of the best legal education available to consumers.

The $99 price is one-time (for the current edition), which is a structural advantage over Trust & Will's $19-$39/year renewal. The software covers all 50 states and updates annually. The downside is that it's a DIY tool with no attorney review option built in, and the user experience feels like what it is: productive software rather than a modern web platform.

Best for: Self-directed people who want a one-time purchase and don't need hand-holding.

Pricing: $99 one-time for the current edition.

5. Everplans ($99.99/year)

Everplans doesn't create legal documents. What it does is give you a digital vault to store the documents you've created elsewhere, alongside all the other information your family will need: account credentials, insurance details, medical wishes, funeral preferences, and more.

The deputy system lets you assign trusted contacts who gain access to your vault either immediately or after you die, with configurable waiting periods. The free tier stores up to 10 items. Premium ($99.99/year) gives you unlimited storage and deputies with 5 GB of document space.

Where Everplans falls short is the personal side. There's no letter-writing feature, no story prompts, no way to leave emotional messages for individual family members. It's a vault and an organizer, not a legacy tool.

Best for: Secure document storage and family information sharing.

Pricing: Free tier (10 items) or $99.99/year for premium. Read our full Everplans comparison.

6. An estate planning attorney ($1,000-$3,000)

Sometimes the right answer isn't software. If your estate involves a business, property in multiple states, blended family dynamics, significant assets, or charitable giving structures, an attorney is worth the investment. Online tools work well for straightforward situations. Complex ones benefit from someone who can anticipate problems you haven't thought of.

Most estate planning attorneys charge $1,000-$3,000 for a full package: will, trust, power of attorney, healthcare directive, and asset funding guidance. Some offer flat-fee packages; others charge hourly. A good attorney will also review your beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, which is something online tools often miss.

You can also combine approaches: use Trust & Will or FreeWill for the basic documents, then pay an attorney for a one-time review. This typically costs $300-$500 and gives you professional validation at a fraction of the full-service price.

Best for: Complex estates, blended families, business owners, or anyone who wants professional guidance.

Pricing: $1,000-$3,000 for a full package; $300-$500 for document review.

How these alternatives compare

Which alternative is right for you?

Stay with Trust & Will if you need a straightforward will or trust, want state-specific legal documents, and don't mind the annual renewal for editing access. It's a polished experience that does the legal side well.

Choose When I Die Files if you want everything that comes after the legal documents: a secure vault, legacy letters, story preservation, and family access controls. Pair it with Trust & Will or FreeWill for the legal side and you have a complete solution. Join the waitlist for early access.

Choose FreeWill if cost is your biggest barrier and your estate is straightforward. A free will is better than no will.

Choose LegalZoom if you need estate planning alongside other legal services and want a one-stop shop.

Choose Quicken WillMaker if you want a one-time purchase, prefer working at your own pace, and are comfortable with a DIY approach.

Choose Everplans if secure document storage and family access controls are your top priority and you already have your legal documents created.

Choose an attorney if your situation is complex. No software tool is a substitute for professional advice when the stakes are high.

The legal documents are the foundation. But they're not the whole building. If you're thinking about the full scope of what your family will need from you someday, our guide on combining legacy letters with a digital will explains how the legal and personal sides fit together.

For a complete checklist of what to include in your end-of-life plan, start with our essential end-of-life planning checklist.

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When I Die Files is currently in pre-launch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when we go live.

Compare other tools: Best Storyworth Alternatives | Best Everplans Alternatives | When I Die Files vs. Trust & Will