TheirThe best online will creator depends on your needs, budget, and the additional services you want. The U.S. Will Registry and FreeWill offer free will creation, Trust & Will provides a guided estate planning experience, LegalZoom offers wills alongside broader online legal services, Nolo WillMaker provides extensive DIY estate planning documents, and Rocket Lawyer includes wills within a larger legal-document service.
Most leading online will creators are relatively simple to use. The biggest differences are cost, additional estate planning documents, future updates, trust options, document storage, and services available after your will is created.
| Online Will Creator | Best For | Cost | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| The U.S. Will Registry | Free will creation plus ongoing will services | Free will maker | Registration, unlimited updates, annual reminders, Advance Directives, bequest forms, storage and will-location services |
| FreeWill | Straightforward free estate planning | Free | Free will creation and charitable giving options |
| Trust & Will | Guided estate planning | Paid | Guided experience and additional estate planning options |
| LegalZoom | Broader online legal services | Paid | Estate planning alongside other online legal services |
| Nolo WillMaker | Comprehensive DIY estate planning | Paid | Extensive collection of estate planning documents |
| Rocket Lawyer | Multiple legal-document needs | Membership based | Personal and business legal documents in addition to estate planning |
Services, features, and pricing can change. Review each provider’s current offerings before selecting an online will creator.
Each online will creator offers a slightly different combination of price, documents, and additional services. Here is a closer look at the six options and where each one stands out.
The U.S. Will Registry provides a free online will program for people who want to create a Last Will and Testament from home.
The program guides users through decisions involving beneficiaries, executors, property distribution, guardians, and specific gifts.
Its primary difference is the range of services available after the will is created.
Users receive unlimited updates and can register a will for free. Additional services include annual will-review reminders, Advance Directives, bequest forms, secure document storage options, and a Missing Will Search service that can help families search for registered will information later.
Will registration does not mean the Registry takes possession of the original will. Instead, it creates a record of the existence and location of the document.
Best for: People who want free will creation combined with services that help keep their estate planning documents current and easier to locate.
FreeWill provides a free online will-making process designed to make basic estate planning accessible.
Users answer questions about family, property, beneficiaries, and final wishes. FreeWill also places considerable emphasis on charitable giving, making it particularly relevant for people interested in leaving gifts to nonprofit organizations.
Best for: People looking for straightforward free will creation, particularly those interested in charitable giving.
Trust & Will provides a guided online estate planning experience.
The platform walks users through estate planning decisions step by step and provides options beyond a basic Last Will and Testament.
Best for: People who prefer a polished, highly guided estate planning process or want to explore additional estate planning options.
LegalZoom offers online wills as part of a much broader collection of online legal services.
Estate planning is only one area of its business. Consumers can also use the platform for business and other personal legal needs.
Best for: People who prefer a larger online legal-services platform offering services beyond estate planning.
Nolo has provided do-it-yourself legal information for decades.
Their WillMaker offers a substantial collection of estate planning documents and resources rather than concentrating exclusively on a Last Will and Testament.
Best for: People who want access to a broad collection of DIY estate planning documents.
Rocket Lawyer provides wills and estate planning documents as part of a broader legal-document platform.
Its services extend into numerous personal and business legal documents.
Best for: People who expect to need other personal or business legal documents in addition to a will.
One of the greatest benefits of online will creators is that they have made estate planning affordable and accessible to people who once believed they did not own enough to need a will.
For years, many people associated wills with wealthy families and substantial estates. Others understood the importance of having a will but did not believe their assets justified the cost of traditional estate planning.
Online will creators helped remove those barriers.
Most services guide users through straightforward questions from home. Some charge relatively modest fees, while others allow people to make a free will.
People can also work at their own pace rather than feeling that every estate planning decision must be made during an appointment.
As a result, creating a will has become a practical option for far more people.
A will is not only about distributing substantial wealth.
It can identify a beneficiary of a will, help you choose an executor, name a guardian in a will, provide instructions for personal property, and document charitable wishes.
Even a modest estate may contain:
Personal belongings with sentimental value
These possessions do not have to be worth millions of dollars to matter.
A will allows you to decide who should receive them rather than leaving important decisions unanswered.
This accessibility is one of the reasons online wills have become so important. People who once thought, “I don’t own enough to need a will,” now have an affordable way to document their wishes.
Most established online will creators are designed for people without legal training.
Instead of requiring users to draft legal language, they generally ask straightforward questions:
The program uses those answers to prepare the will.
Although the interfaces differ, simplicity is one of the major benefits of making an online will.
Online wills can also be useful for people with complex estates, even when an estate planning attorney will ultimately prepare or review the final plan.
One major advantage is time to think.
You can consider beneficiaries, property distribution, executors, specific gifts, charitable bequests, guardians, and other wishes at your own pace. You can gather information, reconsider decisions, and discuss certain choices with family members when appropriate.
The completed online will can then serve as a useful starting point for an estate planning attorney.
Instead of spending valuable meeting time making basic decisions, you can concentrate on complicated matters involving trusts, tax planning, business ownership, blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, or other unusual circumstances.
Understanding the difference between a simple vs. complex estate can help determine when additional professional guidance may be appropriate.
In these situations, an online will does not have to replace an attorney. It can be an estate planning preparation tool that helps you arrive better prepared.
For more information, see online wills vs. attorney wills.
Since most leading online will creators are relatively easy to use, look beyond the basic questionnaire.
Consider:
The best online will creator is not necessarily the service offering the greatest number of features. It is the one that provides the features that matter for your particular estate plan at a price that makes sense.
Online wills can be legally valid when the completed document satisfies applicable state law.
The fact that a will was created online does not, by itself, determine its validity.
Proper execution matters.
Depending on state requirements, that may involve signatures, witnesses, and other formalities. A self-proving affidavit may also be appropriate.
If you have concerns, learn more about whether an online will is legal and carefully follow the execution instructions that apply to your state.
Creating the document is not the final step.
The original should be stored safely, and someone you trust should know where important estate planning documents can be found.
You should also review your will after major life changes involving marriage, divorce, children, beneficiaries, assets, executors, or guardians.
Some online will creators provide future updates, storage, or additional estate planning services. The U.S. Will Registry also provides annual review reminders and will registration.
Registration can be particularly useful because creating a will and finding a will years later are two different issues.
A well-prepared will cannot provide instructions to a family if nobody knows that it exists or where it is stored.
The best online will creator depends on your needs and budget. The U.S. Will Registry and FreeWill offer free will creation, while Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Nolo WillMaker, and Rocket Lawyer provide different combinations of estate planning documents and additional services.
Yes, a will can still be valuable. It can identify beneficiaries, nominate an executor, address guardianship of minor children, make specific gifts, and provide instructions for personal property.
Without a valid will, state intestate succession laws generally determine how probate assets are distributed.
Many people with straightforward estates use online will creators. You can learn more about how to make a will without a lawyer.
People with complex legal, tax, business, trust, or family circumstances should consider professional legal guidance.
Yes. Creating an online will first can help you think through beneficiaries, executors, guardians, property distribution, and specific gifts. You can then bring those decisions to an estate planning attorney and spend more time addressing the complex parts of your estate.
Many services allow changes, although costs and policies vary. The U.S. Will Registry provides unlimited updates to wills created through its online will program. Review a provider’s update policy before choosing a service.
The best online will creator is the one that fits your needs, budget, and the level of estate planning support you want.
The U.S. Will Registry, FreeWill, Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Nolo WillMaker, and Rocket Lawyer each offer different advantages. Most make creating a basic will relatively simple. Their primary differences involve price, additional documents, updates, trust options, storage, and services available after the will is created.
More importantly, online will creators have made estate planning accessible to people who once believed they did not own enough to need a will.
You don’t have to be wealthy to have people you want to protect, possessions you care about, or wishes worth putting in writing.
Last Updated: August 20, 2026
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Will requirements vary by state.
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This article was prepared by estate planning researchers and reviewed by S. Miller and staff. With more than 25 years of experience in estate planning documentation and probate processes, our editorial oversight ensures clarity and accuracy. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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