Why so many online wills are free: the three business models, and what each one wants from you
A free online will is paid for by someone, and knowing who tells you what to watch. Charity-funded wills, such as FreeWill's, are genuinely free and hope you will leave a gift. Insurer-funded wills, such as Ethos's, come with a life policy you pay premiums on. Trial-funded wills, such as Rocket Lawyer's and LawDepot's, are free only if you cancel a membership in time. None of these is a scam, but only the first is free in the way most people understand the word.
By Nora Whitfield, consumer researcher (not an attorney). Published . Based on the providers' published pricing and terms. How we check.
“Free will” is one of the most common phrases in online estate planning, and it means three quite different things. Every free will is paid for by someone. Once you know who, you know what they want from you, and what to watch for.
This page is not a recommendation. It explains the three business models behind free wills, using each company’s own pages and terms, read on the date in the facts tables below. We have no commercial relationship with FreeWill, and this page carries no affiliate links.
Model 1: a charity pays, hoping for a gift
Example: FreeWill. It says More than 1,000 nonprofit partners sponsor the service.
How the money works: charities pay FreeWill because gifts left in wills are among the largest donations a charity ever receives. A will-writing tool puts that option in front of people at exactly the moment they are deciding who gets what.
What it asks of you: at one point in the questionnaire you are offered the chance to leave a gift to a nonprofit. It is optional. FreeWill says your details go to a charity only Only if you leave a gift and ask FreeWill to notify that charity.
What you get: Free for the will, and Health care directive and financial power of attorney, also free.
What to watch: the gift prompt is designed to be persuasive, because that is the point. Decide in advance whether you want to leave a charitable gift, so the prompt informs your choice rather than makes it.
This is the only model where “free” means what most people think it means: no card, no purchase, nothing that renews.
Model 2: an insurer pays, as a perk of a policy
Example: Ethos. Its wills and trusts are Complimentary with certain Ethos life policies (Perks rider).
How the money works: the will is a benefit attached to a life insurance policy, which you pay premiums on for years. The insurer offers it because it makes the policy more attractive, and because a family thinking about a will is a family thinking about what happens if they die.
What it asks of you: to buy, or already own, an eligible policy. Ethos is unusually candid that the will is No: "not a standalone product" and should not be the only reason to buy insurance.
What to watch: the size of the commitment. A will is a one-off job; a term life policy is a long contract priced on your health and the cover you need. Choose the insurance on its own merits. Ethos also does not publish what happens to your will account if the policy lapses.
Model 3: a membership pays, if you forget to cancel
Examples: Rocket Lawyer and LawDepot. Rocket Lawyer’s will page calls its will a free template and offers a 7 days membership trial; One trial per customer; card required; billed the day after the trial ends unless you cancel. LawDepot’s trial is 7 days, then $49/month, and Card required; billed if the trial is not cancelled before it ends.
How the money works: these are legal document libraries sold by membership. The free trial is a way in. Some people make one document and cancel; others keep the membership and use it; and some forget to cancel, and pay for months they did not intend to.
What it asks of you: a card, and a cancellation before the trial ends.
What to watch: the refund terms if you miss the deadline. LawDepot’s terms give Yearly subscriptions within 30 days of first purchase; none for a trial that converted, or for a renewal you did not cancel beforehand. Rocket Lawyer’s: Within 30 days of purchase, except where state law allows otherwise. And what happens to your documents: LawDepot’s terms say documents May be deleted after cancellation; later access may require a fee.
None of this is hidden. It is in the terms and help pages. But the will page says “free”, and the terms say “subscription”, and many people read only the first.
The three models side by side
| Charity-funded | Insurer-funded | Trial-funded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | FreeWill | Ethos | Rocket Lawyer, LawDepot |
| Card needed | No | Yes, for the policy | Yes, for the trial |
| What you commit to | Nothing | A life insurance policy | Cancelling on time |
| What they hope for | A charitable gift | Premiums | A paid membership |
| Free in the plain sense | Yes | No | Only if you cancel |
The 30-second test before you start any “free will”
- Does it ask for a card before you finish? Then it is a trial, and you need a cancellation date.
- Does it ask you to buy something else first? Then the will is a perk, and you are really buying that.
- Does it ask about leaving a gift to charity? Then it is probably charity-funded, and the gift is optional.
- Can you find the refund and cancellation rules in under a minute? If not, slow down.
What paid services are selling instead
Paid services charge for what free models do not provide: a living trust outside narrow cases, attorney access, help with signing and moving a house into a trust, and support. Whether that is worth paying for depends on your situation, which our will or living trust page helps you work out. Paid services have their own business-model quirks, mainly renewals; our page on auto-renewal traps covers them.
How this site is paid
Fairness demands we say this too. WillsVerdict’s business model is affiliate commissions from some of the paid services, as our disclosure explains, which is why this page has no links to any of them. FreeWill has no affiliate program and pays us nothing. Our page on referral commissions in estate planning explains how money flows between services, partners and sites like ours.
Questions people ask next
Is a free will worse than a paid one?
Not legally. A will is valid because of how it is signed, not what it cost. Free wills tend to have less around them: no lawyer, no trust outside narrow cases, no help with signing or funding. For simple wishes, that often does not matter.
Why would a charity pay for my will?
Because gifts left in wills are among the largest donations charities receive, and a will-writing tool puts the option in front of people at the moment they are deciding. FreeWill says more than 1,000 nonprofit partners sponsor its service.
Is a free trial will a trick?
It is a disclosed business model, not a trick. The terms are published: Rocket Lawyer's and LawDepot's trials need a card and convert to paid memberships unless cancelled. The risk is forgetting, which is what the model relies on for some customers.
How do I tell which model a 'free will' site uses?
Look for three things before you start: whether it asks for a card, whether it asks you to buy something else (such as insurance), and whether it asks about leaving a gift to charity. Each points to one of the three models.
Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change; talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.