Trust & Will vs FreeWill: when is a paid estate plan worth it over a free one?
If you need a will, health care directive and financial power of attorney with simple wishes, FreeWill does all three free and you do not need Trust & Will. Pay for Trust & Will if you want a living trust outside California ($499, or $599 for a couple), help with notarising and moving your house into the trust, a refund window, or the option of an attorney. In California, FreeWill's trust is free too, but it cannot be amended once signed.
By Nora Whitfield, consumer researcher (not an attorney). Published . Based on the providers' published pricing and terms. How we check.
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Which one, for whom
FreeWill is the right answer for simple wills and is genuinely free. Trust & Will earns its price when you need what FreeWill does not do: a trust outside California, a trust you can change, finishing help with published prices, and a path to a lawyer.
Pick by situation
- A trust outside California, with funding help: Trust plans for one person or a couple, a 30-day refund window, and partner prices for the deed transfer and notary. See Trust & Will trusts
| Item | Trust & Will | FreeWill |
|---|---|---|
| Will, one person | $199 checked Nov 15, 2026 | Free checked Nov 15, 2026 |
| Living trust, one person | $499 checked Nov 15, 2026 | Free, California residents only checked Nov 15, 2026 |
| State limits | All 50 states; no trusts in Louisiana checked Nov 15, 2026 | Wills for property in the 50 states and DC checked Nov 15, 2026 |
| Skip it if | Anyone who wants to pay once and never see a yearly fee, or who needs a lawyer to draft around special-needs, blended-family or business complications. | People outside California who want a living trust, anyone who wants a lawyer involved, and anyone who expects to amend a trust rather than redo it. |
This is the one comparison on our site where the honest answer for many readers is: you do not need to pay. FreeWill’s will, health care directive and financial power of attorney are free, valid when signed correctly, and free to update. Trust & Will’s will plan costs $199 for essentially the same three documents plus a HIPAA authorization.
Where Trust & Will earns its price is everything beyond the simple will: trusts outside California, changes to a trust, help finishing the job, and lawyers. This page sets the line. Every detail comes from each company’s own pages, read on the date in the facts table.
Document by document
| FreeWill | Trust & Will | |
|---|---|---|
| Will | Free | $199 |
| Health care directive and power of attorney | Health care directive and financial power of attorney, also free | Included in the will plan |
| Couple’s wills | Free mirror will for a spouse or domestic partner; each partner can also make their own will in the same account | $299 |
| Living trust | Free, California residents only | $499; couple $599 |
| Changing a signed trust | No amendments: start a new trust if it is unsigned and unfunded; otherwise move assets to a new trust or see an attorney | Editing with the $49/year membership |
| Editing a will | Free: edit in your account, print and sign again | Needs the Essentials membership |
| Stored copies | Its help centre says FreeWill does not store or maintain copies of your documents | Digital download kept on the free tier |
| Notary help | Through Proof, paid to Proof; bring your own witnesses or pay Proof for them | Mobile notary partner: $170 to $210 |
| Deed into a trust | None | $140 per deed, plus recording fees |
| Attorney | None built in; it points you to local attorneys, including its FreeWill Fellows | Add-on +$299, or attorney-drafted plan |
| Refunds | Nothing to refund | 30 days from purchase |
When FreeWill is enough
- You want a will, health care directive and power of attorney and your wishes are straightforward.
- You are a married couple with no children from earlier relationships: the mirror will is free.
- You live in California, want a basic trust, and are confident your wishes will not change, or are prepared to make a new trust if they do.
- You do not need a lawyer and are comfortable arranging your own witnesses.
For these readers, Trust & Will’s extra cost buys convenience, not substance. Our FreeWill review and Is FreeWill really free? cover the details.
When Trust & Will is worth paying for
You want a living trust outside California. FreeWill cannot make one. Trust & Will’s trust is $499, with a pour-over will, certification of trust and funding guide included.
You might change your trust later. FreeWill’s help centre says it cannot amend a signed trust: you start a new one if it is unsigned and unfunded, or otherwise move assets to a new trust or see an attorney. With Trust & Will, editing is a membership benefit.
You want help finishing the job. Trust & Will publishes partner prices for a mobile notary and for moving your house into the trust. FreeWill offers neither, beyond a paid remote notary through Proof.
You want a lawyer within reach. Trust & Will sells attorney support as an add-on and an attorney-drafted plan From $1,499 for complex families. FreeWill points you to local attorneys.
You are in a blended family or have a beneficiary with special needs. Neither service’s questionnaire alone is enough, but Trust & Will’s attorney options give you a route; see our blended families page.
Can you combine them?
Yes, and it is a sensible approach for some people. Make your will and directives with FreeWill today, so you are covered now. If you later buy a home or want a trust, buy Trust & Will’s trust plan then; the trust’s pour-over will replaces your FreeWill will once signed.
Which should you choose?
- Simple wishes, any state: FreeWill.
- California, simple trust that will not change: FreeWill’s trust.
- Trust outside California, or a trust you may change: Trust & Will.
- Want notary and deed help, or a lawyer option: Trust & Will.
- Want a trust for the lowest paid price: compare Quicken WillMaker & Trust on our Trust & Will vs WillMaker page.
Your next steps
- List what you need: will, directives, a trust or not.
- If FreeWill covers it, make your documents and sign them properly.
- If you need a trust outside California, compare Trust & Will with the cheaper options.
- Whatever you choose, update beneficiary forms and keep the signed originals safe.
Questions people ask next
Is a FreeWill will as valid as a Trust & Will will?
Yes. Both are printed wills that become valid when you sign them with your state's formalities. The price does not affect validity.
Can I start with FreeWill and move to Trust & Will later?
Yes. A new will made with Trust & Will revokes the FreeWill one once it is signed. Trust & Will also lets you upgrade a will plan to a trust for the price difference.
Can I edit a Trust & Will plan for free like FreeWill?
Not without the membership: Needs the Essentials membership. FreeWill edits are free indefinitely; you print and sign the new version.
Which is better for a married couple?
For simple mirror wills, FreeWill: Free mirror will for a spouse or domestic partner; each partner can also make their own will in the same account. For a couple's living trust outside California, Trust & Will, which builds joint or separate trusts according to your state.
Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change; talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.