FreeWill
FreeWill provides web-based tools for making wills and other estate-planning documents.
What FreeWill is
FreeWill provides web-based tools for making wills and other estate-planning documents. Its questionnaire takes about 20 minutes, and its documents can be used in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Users can make unlimited free edits and re-finalize updated versions. Available tools include wills, revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, financial powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and supplemental needs trusts. Users can include charitable gifts in estate plans; FreeWill also provides nonprofit staff with gift visibility, verified donor contact information, campaign analytics, and alerts for new commitments. Its giving support includes donor-advised funds, stock and securities gifts, qualified charitable distributions, and cryptocurrency. FreeWill says it encrypts data at rest and in transit and does not sell users’ personal data. Its free plan requires no credit card and includes a last will and testament, a California revocable living trust, an advance healthcare directive, and a financial power of attorney. The company cautions that online planning may not suit people with complex needs and encourages them to seek legal counsel.
Good
- Documents cover all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
- Unlimited free edits and re-finalization.
- Includes several estate-planning document types.
- Free plan requires no credit card.
- Supports charitable gifts and multiple giving methods.
Watch out
- Document storage is not included.
- Online planning may not suit complex needs.
- The listed revocable living trust is for California.
Who it suits
FreeWill suits people looking for online estate-planning documents and the ability to revise them. People with complex needs should consider the service’s recommendation to seek legal counsel.
Verdict
FreeWill offers a range of estate-planning documents and free edits through a web platform. Its own guidance says people with complex needs should seek legal counsel.
Plans and prices
From FreeWill's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| FreeWill estate planning tools | Free | Last Will & Testament · Revocable Living Trust (California) · Advance Healthcare Directive · Financial Power of Attorney · No credit card required |
| Estate-planning tools | Free | Will · advance healthcare directive · financial power of attorney · beneficiary designations · revocable living trust for California residents · No credit card required; unlimited updates |
| Nonprofit Planned Giving and Smart Giving suites | Priced on request | Legacy gifts · DAFs · stocks and securities · QCDs · crypto · portal · custom sites/widgets · strategist and training services · Custom subscription pricing; no public price |
The facts
Each one read from FreeWill's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API and SDK availability
- An independent API directory reports no public developer portal, OpenAPI specification, SDK or API documentation.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Beneficiary designations
- The beneficiary tool covers non-probate assets such as 401(k)s, IRAs and life insurance.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Charitable giving
- Users can include charitable gifts in their estate plans, and FreeWill partners with more than 2,400 nonprofits and businesses.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Compliance
- FreeWill reports successful completion of an AICPA SOC 2 Type II audit and says its 2025 report is available on request.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Core purpose
- FreeWill provides online estate-planning tools that let people create legal wills and other documents.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Crypto fee
- FreeWill states that its crypto donation tool charges zero transaction fees to supporters.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Crypto gifts
- Its crypto tool supports more than 300 cryptocurrencies and automatically converts gifts into cash grants.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Document updates
- Users can make unlimited free edits to their documents and re-finalize updated versions.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Donor-advised funds
- The Smart Giving Suite lets supporters make donor-advised-fund grants to participating nonprofits.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Featureships
- National or regional Featureships place a nonprofit in front of unaffiliated FreeWill will-makers.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Financial power of attorney
- Users can appoint someone to manage financial accounts and bills if they become unable to do so.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Funding
- FreeWill reports a $30 million Series B led by Bain Capital Double Impact, following a Series A led by ICONIQ Growth.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Giving integrations
- FreeWill supports donor-advised funds, stock and securities gifts, qualified charitable distributions, and cryptocurrency giving.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Healthcare directive
- The platform includes an advance healthcare directive for recording medical wishes and appointing a decision-maker.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Help documentation
- The Help Center contains articles covering wills and trusts, beneficiary designations, accounts, troubleshooting, donations and powers of attorney.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Legal limitation
- FreeWill says online estate planning may not suit people with complex needs and encourages them to seek legal counsel.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Limit: complex estates
- WalletGrower reports no attorney consultation, no general revocable living trust and limited support for conditional or complex beneficiary arrangements.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Limit: editing workflow
- WalletGrower says updates require redoing the will rather than editing it in place.checked 15 Oct 2001
The company
- Company founding
- FreeWill says it was founded at Stanford University in 2017 by Jenny Xia Spradling and Patrick Schmitt.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase identifies the operating legal name as FreeWill Co.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists FreeWill as a privately held company with 51–200 employees.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Founded
- 2016checked 28 Sep 2001
- Headquarters
- LinkedIn lists New York City as the primary location and company headquarters.checked 15 Oct 2001
Money
- Estate-planning tools
- The platform includes wills, revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, financial powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and supplemental needs trusts.checked 30 Sep 2001
The full review of FreeWill
Overview
FreeWill is a browser-based service for preparing wills and related estate-planning documents. It suits people who want a no-cost way to organize a broad set of plans and update them as circumstances change. The trade-off is important: its online process is not a substitute for legal counsel when a person’s needs are complex.
Key features
FreeWill’s will questionnaire takes about 20 minutes, and its documents can be used in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. That makes it a convenient starting point for people who want to prepare documents online, but broad geographic reach does not resolve individual legal complexities.
The tools cover wills, revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, financial powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives and supplemental needs trusts. The free plan includes a Last Will & Testament, an Advance Healthcare Directive, a Financial Power of Attorney and a Revocable Living Trust for California. That state-specific trust is a meaningful limitation for users elsewhere. Unlimited free edits and the ability to re-finalize updated documents make the service more useful when plans need to change.
Charitable giving is another focus: users can include gifts in their plans, and FreeWill works with more than 2,400 nonprofits and businesses. Its giving options include donor-advised funds, stocks and securities, qualified charitable distributions and cryptocurrency. For nonprofits, the platform offers gift visibility, verified donor contact details, campaign analytics and alerts about new commitments, as well as branded planned-giving microsites that connect FreeWill products with other tools.
FreeWill says it encrypts stored data with AES-256 GCM and data in transit using modern SSL/TLS settings. It reports completing an AICPA SOC 2 Type II audit, with its 2025 report available on request, and says it does not sell users’ personal data. Questions can go to its Help Center or support team, including [email protected].
Pricing
FreeWill estate planning tools: free. No credit card is required. The plan includes a will, a California revocable living trust, an advance healthcare directive and a financial power of attorney. It is an unusually broad no-cost starting point, with unlimited document edits, but the trust’s California scope may make it unsuitable for users seeking a trust in another state. FreeWill’s broader toolkit includes beneficiary designations and supplemental needs trusts, but those are not among the documents named in this plan.
Platforms
FreeWill runs on the web. It does not offer a device-specific platform in the product details provided, so it is best suited to people comfortable completing estate planning in a browser.
Who it's for
FreeWill is a strong fit for people seeking a free way to create core estate documents, include charitable gifts and revise plans over time. Its nonprofit tools are aimed at organizations that need planned-giving visibility and campaign support. People with complex needs should seek legal counsel instead of relying on an online questionnaire alone.
Pros and cons
- Pros: The free plan covers several core documents, and unlimited free edits make it easier to keep them current.
- Pros: Charitable-giving options span several gift types, while nonprofit features support campaign visibility and donor follow-up.
- Pros: Documents can be used nationwide, including Washington, D.C.
- Cons: The included revocable living trust is specifically for California.
- Cons: FreeWill cautions that online planning may not suit complex needs, limiting its value for people who need tailored legal advice.
Alternatives
Trust & Will is worth considering for users who want a choice of web, Android or iOS access; its Basic membership offers estate plan creation at no ongoing membership cost, while Essentials is $49 a year.
InterActive Legal may suit people seeking elder-law, special-needs or firearms-trust planning. WealthCounsel is a paid option for professionals seeking trusts-and-estates document and practice tools, with membership pricing dependent on firm user count and selected products.
EncorEstate Plans offers a free plan and paid one-time options such as Business Assignments for 100.00 USD and Powers Only Plan for 125.00 USD. Quicken WillMaker & Trust is a paid desktop-and-web alternative, with a Starter Plan at $109, paid once and a Plus Plan at $149, paid once.
Wealth.com is a paid web and mobile option with annual-contract pricing for advisors. LegalWills lets buyers purchase specific documents individually, including a MyWill™ for $49.95, paid once. Rocket Lawyer Estate Planning may suit people who also want attorney Q&A and broader legal-document tools; its Standard plan is $149 a year and includes 12 Ask an Attorney and unlimited AI legal Q&A.
Browse Estate Planning Software or Legal Forms Software for more options.
Verdict
Choose FreeWill if you want a free, revisable set of core estate-planning documents and charitable-giving options in a web service. Its breadth and unlimited edits are compelling, but the California-specific trust and its warning about complex situations are good reasons to look elsewhere or consult a lawyer when your needs call for tailored guidance.
Getting started
- Visit freewill.com.
- Start the online estate-planning questionnaire.
- Complete the questionnaire, which takes about 20 minutes.
- Select the documents you need, such as a will, trust, directive, or power of attorney.
- Finalize the documents and make free edits later if needed.
- Add charitable gifts or supported giving methods when preparing your plan.
Limits worth knowing
The free plan includes a Last Will & Testament, a California Revocable Living Trust, an Advance Healthcare Directive, and a Financial Power of Attorney. FreeWill does not provide document storage, and it cautions that online planning may not fit complex needs.
Questions
What does FreeWill cost?
The estate-planning tools plan costs nothing and requires no credit card.
Which documents are included?
The plan includes a Last Will & Testament, California Revocable Living Trust, Advance Healthcare Directive, and Financial Power of Attorney. The platform also offers beneficiary designations and supplemental needs trusts.
Where can FreeWill documents be used?
FreeWill says its documents can be used in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Can I update my documents?
Yes. Users can make unlimited free edits and re-finalize updated versions.
Does FreeWill support charitable giving?
Yes. Plans can include charitable gifts, and supported methods include donor-advised funds, securities, qualified charitable distributions, and cryptocurrency.
Is FreeWill suitable for complex estates?
FreeWill says online estate planning may not suit complex needs and encourages users to seek legal counsel.
Alternatives to FreeWill
- 1
Trust & Will
Free planAndroidiOSWebAPI8.0From $4.08 a month - 2
Everplans
Free planiOSWebAPI7.5From $8.33 a month - 3
InterActive Legal
AndroidiOSWebLinux7.4$99, paid once - 46.7From $12.42 a month
- 5
Wealth.com
AndroidiOSWebAPI6.7 - 6
LegalWills
WebAPI6.6$19.95, paid once