The best online will makers in 2026
Eight online will services compared on price, the documents you get, attorney help and what it costs to keep your will up to date, with our pick for each kind of need.
How we make money: some links on OakTrust may earn us a commission. It does not change our picks, and FreeWill, which pays us nothing, is on the list because it is the best free option. Affiliate disclosure.
Key facts
- Most online will packages cost $0 to $299 for one person in 2026, and up to $399 for a couple.
- The better packages include a financial power of attorney and a health care directive with the will.
- FreeWill’s will is free in all 50 states; LegalZoom Pro, at $149, includes 30 days of attorney calls.
- Some services charge every year to keep editing or downloading your documents.
- Nolo WillMaker and U.S. Legal Wills do not cover Louisiana.
Our picks at a glance
| Best for | Pick | Will price, one person |
|---|---|---|
| Adding a living trust later | Trust & Will | $199 |
| Attorney help | LegalZoom | $149 (Pro, with 30 days of calls) |
| Free | FreeWill | $0 |
| Do-it-yourself software | Nolo Quicken WillMaker & Trust | $109 |
| Lowest-cost paid will | U.S. Legal Wills | $49.95 will only |
| Will and trust on a budget | GoodTrust | $149 the first year |
| Wider legal needs | Rocket Lawyer | Membership from $149 a year |
| Buying life insurance | Ethos | Free with an eligible policy |
The picks in detail
Trust & Will: best if you may want a living trust later
The Will Plan costs $199, or $299 for a couple, and includes a financial power of attorney, a health care directive, a HIPAA authorization and guardian nominations for children and pets. If you later upgrade to the $499 Trust Plan, what you paid for the will counts toward it.
- Extras: a year of attorney support for $299, not offered in seven states; an optional $49-a-year membership; a mobile notary with two witnesses for $170 to $210.
- Watch out for: LegalZoom Pro includes the same core documents for $50 less, though its attorney plan then renews at $25 a month unless you cancel.
See Trust & Will Read our review
LegalZoom: best for attorney help
The Basic will costs $129 and covers the will only. Pro, at $149, adds a health care directive, medical and financial powers of attorney, a HIPAA authorization and 30 days of unlimited 30-minute attorney calls. Premium, at $299, includes a year of calls and revisions, plus an annual one-hour plan review. Couples pay $229, $249 or $399.
- Watch out for: attorney plans renew automatically, at $25 a month after Pro’s 30 days and $199 a year after Premium’s first year.
See LegalZoom Trust & Will vs LegalZoom
FreeWill: best free will
FreeWill’s will, advance health care directive and durable financial power of attorney cost nothing, and its wills are valid in all 50 states and Washington, DC. California residents can also make a free revocable living trust. Partner charities pay for the service; you can leave them a gift, but nothing on FreeWill’s site says you must.
- Watch out for: no attorney help, and the free trust is for Californians only.
Nolo Quicken WillMaker & Trust: best do-it-yourself software
Starter, at $109, covers a will, a health care directive and final arrangements, online only. Plus, at $149, adds a durable power of attorney, a living trust, a transfer-on-death deed, letters to survivors and a PC or Mac download. You can make up to five of each document for yourself and immediate family, guided by Nolo’s legal explanations.
- Watch out for: on Starter and Plus, online access lasts a year, then $39.99 a year; after a 90-day grace period you lose access to your online documents. Not available for Louisiana residents, and support staff cannot answer legal questions.
U.S. Legal Wills: lowest-cost paid will
A will alone costs $49.95. The $69.95 Essentials package adds funeral wishes and messages to loved ones, and the $99.95 Premium package adds a power of attorney and a living will. Prices include taxes, a year of updates is included, and the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Watch out for: updates cost $14.95 a year after the first; no living trust; not available in Louisiana.
GoodTrust: will and trust on a budget
One $149 plan covers a will or a revocable living trust with a pour-over will, plus a financial power of attorney, a health care directive, funeral and pet directives and a digital vault, with up to four family accounts included.
- Watch out for: after the first year, you pay $39 a year to keep editing or downloading your documents; refunds only within 14 days; no attorney help.
Rocket Lawyer: best if you need other legal documents too
A membership at $149, $249 or $349 a year, after a 7-day free trial, includes unlimited legal documents, among them a will, a living trust, powers of attorney and a living will. Every plan includes written Ask an Attorney questions, and the higher plans add live attorney consultations.
- Watch out for: it is a paid membership, billed yearly at these prices, with a monthly option also offered; live legal advice sessions cost extra, from $149 for 30 minutes.
Ethos: best if you are buying life insurance
Ethos includes a free will, or a fuller set of estate planning tools with a trust and powers of attorney, with eligible life insurance policies. It is not sold on its own.
- Watch out for: not available in Alaska, Louisiana, South Dakota or Washington, and not every policy qualifies. Buy the insurance for its own sake, not for the will.
Full comparison
| Service | Will price | Also included | Attorney help | After year one |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust & Will | $199, couples $299 | Powers of attorney, health care directive, HIPAA, guardians | +$299 for a year | Optional $49-a-year membership |
| LegalZoom | $129 to $299, couples $229 to $399 | Powers of attorney, directive and HIPAA on Pro and Premium | Pro: 30 days; Premium: 1 year | Attorney plans renew at $25 a month or $199 a year |
| FreeWill | Free | Health care directive, financial power of attorney; trust in California | None | Free |
| Nolo WillMaker & Trust | $109 | Directive, final arrangements; Plus ($149) adds power of attorney, trust and TOD deed | None | $39.99 a year to keep access |
| U.S. Legal Wills | $49.95 to $129.95 | Power of attorney ($29.95) and living will ($19.95) as add-ons, or both in the $99.95 package | None | $14.95 a year for updates |
| GoodTrust | $149 the first year | Trust option, power of attorney, directive, funeral and pet directives | None | $39 a year to edit or download |
| Rocket Lawyer | Membership, $149 to $349 a year | Trust, powers of attorney, living will | Ask an Attorney on every plan | Membership renews yearly |
| Ethos | Free with an eligible policy | Trust and power of attorney with the full tools | None | Not stated by Ethos |
Not offered in Louisiana: Nolo WillMaker, U.S. Legal Wills and Ethos’s estate benefit, and Trust & Will’s trusts. Ethos’s benefit is also unavailable in Alaska, South Dakota and Washington. For living trusts specifically, see online wills and living trusts compared.
How we chose
We looked at more than a dozen online will services and picked by what matters after you buy: whether the package includes a power of attorney and a health care directive, the price for one person and for couples, access to an attorney, what it costs to keep your will up to date, refund terms and state coverage. We used each company’s published plans and terms, checked in November 2026; we did not buy or test any of the services.
Also worth knowing: LegalShield is a prepaid legal plan, from $39.95 a month or $35.95 a month billed yearly, whose attorneys prepare your will; and Do Your Own Will and Fabric by Gerber Life also offer free wills.
Signing your online will
An online will becomes valid only when you sign it under your state’s rules. In most states that means signing in front of two adult witnesses who are not named in the will. Many people also add a notarized self-proving affidavit, which makes probate simpler. In Louisiana, a typed will must be signed before a notary and two witnesses. Follow your service’s signing instructions exactly: an improperly witnessed will can fail.
Will or living trust? If you own a home, a will alone may leave it to probate. The living trust quiz tells you in two minutes whether a will is enough.
When to skip online and hire an attorney
Online services fill in documents from your answers; they don’t review your situation. Hire an estate planning attorney if a beneficiary has special needs, you own a business or property in several states, you have a complicated blended family, you expect someone to contest your will, or your estate is near the estate tax limits. Our will vs living trust guide explains the trade-offs.
Not sure which document you need?
Six questions point you to a will, a living trust or an attorney.
Take the quizFAQ
Are online wills legal?
Yes. A will made online is as valid as one drafted by a lawyer, as long as it meets your state’s requirements and you sign it correctly, usually in front of two witnesses.
What is the best free online will?
FreeWill is our pick: a free will valid in every state, plus a free health care directive and financial power of attorney, paid for by partner charities. Do Your Own Will and Fabric by Gerber Life also offer free wills.
How much does an online will cost?
Most packages cost $0 to $299 for one person and up to $399 for a couple in 2026, before any optional attorney plans or yearly fees for updates. Rocket Lawyer works differently, as a membership from $149 a year.
Can I make a will online if I live in Louisiana?
Yes, for example with Trust & Will, LegalZoom or FreeWill, but not with Nolo WillMaker, U.S. Legal Wills or Ethos’s free will benefit. A typed Louisiana will, including one made online, must be signed before a notary and two witnesses.
Does an online will need to be notarized?
Usually not, except in Louisiana. Adding a notarized self-proving affidavit is optional in most states but can save your executor time in probate.
Sources
- Trust & Will: Will Plan, Pricing upgrading a will to a trust, Attorney Support by state and mobile notary
- LegalZoom: Last will packages
- FreeWill: Home, FAQ, Products and About
- Nolo Quicken WillMaker & Trust: Pricing, online and download versions and Support
- U.S. Legal Wills: Prices
- GoodTrust: Pricing, cost and renewal and refund policy
- Rocket Lawyer: Pricing and Estate planning documents
- Ethos: Free will and trust
- Louisiana Civil Code art. 1576 (notarial wills)
- LegalShield: Pricing, Do Your Own Will and Fabric by Gerber Life
OakTrust.com provides general information, not legal advice. Each company sets its own prices and terms and may change them; confirm them before you buy.