Epilogue Wills vs FreeWill

Epilogue Wills is a paid online service for creating a custom Will and following step-by-step signing instructions. It is available on Android, iOS, and the web in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Saskatchewan. The Will Only package costs $139, paid once and includes final-wish details, executor and guardian notifications, an asset and key-contact record, a Social Media Will, signing instructions, free document updates, and a Canada Will Registry registration code. The Will + Incapacity Documents package costs $199, paid once and adds appointments for financial management and health-care decisions if the user becomes incapable. Epilogue says a Will can be created in 20 minutes, but signing must be completed before it is legally binding. It says documents can be updated free at any time. Epilogue is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Data security descriptions include TLS 1.2 transfers, RSA/SHA-256 encryption, and Canadian encrypted storage.

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. 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 their plans, and FreeWill partners with more than 2,400 nonprofits and businesses. Its nonprofit platform offers staff gift visibility, verified donor contact information, campaign analytics, and alerts for new commitments. Giving support includes donor-advised funds, stock and securities gifts, qualified charitable distributions, and cryptocurrency. FreeWill's plan costs $0.00 per free and requires no credit card; it includes a last will and testament, a California revocable living trust, an advance healthcare directive, and a financial power of attorney. FreeWill says it encrypts data at rest and in transit and does not sell users' personal data. The company cautions that online estate planning may not suit complex needs and encourages those users to seek legal counsel.