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Cost comparison

How much does an online will really cost?

Prices range from free to several hundred dollars, and what changes the total is what is bundled in and what renews later. Compare Myend, Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer and FreeWill on their own published prices, checked September 12, 2026.

The real price

What an online will actually costs.

Every company lists a different price for a different bundle. Here is what each one charges for one person’s last will.

MyendTrust & WillLegalZoomRocket LawyerFreeWill
Last will, one person$99 once$199 once$129 to $299No single price, $149 a year membership$0
Health care directiveFree to write as your first directive, $19 once for allBundled in the will pricePro and Premium plans onlyListed, no separate price found
Ongoing fee after you payOptional $25 a year, after year one$49 a year membershipPro renews $25 a month, Premium $199 a yearSame membership, billed yearly
What you can do before payingWrite your will and read every pageNot statedPaid up front, from $1297 day free trial, then billedEverything, the documents are free

Prices checked on September 12, 2026 on each company’s own pricing page.

The business model

How each company gets paid.

A free or bundled price still has to pay for itself somewhere. Here is where, from each company’s own pages.

LegalZoom sells its will documents once, and its Pro Will bundles an attorney consultation. On its own pricing page, that consultation renews at $25 a month after the first 30 days, and the Premium Will renews at $199 a year after the first year. LegalZoom describes this as giving customers access to guidance from independent attorneys.

Trust & Will charges once for the will itself, $199 for one person, then sells a separate $49 a year membership. Its own pricing page lists that membership as covering AI-powered answers, a secure Digital Vault and one document shipment a year, plus an optional $299 add-on for a year of attorney support.

Rocket Lawyer lists no single purchase price for its will. Access runs through membership, starting at $149 a year for the Standard plan after a seven day free trial. Neither the will nor the health care directive shows a separate price on the pages that list them.

FreeWill’s documents cost nothing to make. In its own words, “we are supported by nonprofits,” the same partner charities its platform invites you to name as a beneficiary in your will.

What a lawyer charges

Nolo’s own research puts a lawyer drafted will at $300 for a simple document to $3,000 or more for a full estate plan, with a price closer to $1,000 more common in the middle. Ramsey Solutions gives a similar range, $300 to $3,000 or more, with a flat fee that averages about $300.

Notary fees, if your state asks for one

Only Louisiana requires the will itself to be notarized. Every other state relies on witnesses. Colorado and North Dakota let a notary stand in for witnesses instead, if you prefer one. Many states also allow an optional self-proving affidavit, a separate sworn statement that speeds up probate later, though the District of Columbia and Ohio do not offer that option. Where a notary is used, states cap the fee: California limits most notarial acts to $15 per signature, and Florida caps a single act at $10. Confirm your own state’s signing rules on our will requirements pages before assuming you need one.

With Myend

What your payment actually covers.

Myend’s price has three steps, and each one names exactly what it buys.

Free to start

Your first directive, your contacts and a ten document vault cost nothing to set up.

Starter, $19 once

Every remaining directive, plus PDF export of what you have written.

Complete, $99 once

The Last Will for your state, ready to print and sign with witnesses.

Justine guides you

A generous allowance of help from Justine as you answer, not an open-ended one.

Myend’s Last Will is written for all 51 US jurisdictions, with Louisiana not yet supported. Louisiana residents are placed on a waiting list. See the Last Will in full on the Last Will page.

Before you pay

What to check first.

A low price up front can still hide a renewal later. Read these before you pay anyone.

  • Is the price a one-time payment, or does it renew on its own, and at what rate.
  • Is the health care directive or living will included in that price, or sold apart from it.
  • Does the price change if you want a plan for two people, or does it only cover one.
  • Will your state accept the document as signed and witnessed, or does it also expect a notary. Check your own state on our will requirements pages.
  • Can you download, print and keep the finished document, or does keeping it depend on staying a paying member.
  • Is there an attorney add-on included, and does it renew automatically after a trial period.

See how Myend compares point by point with Trust & Will and with LegalZoom, or go straight to the Last Will page to start.

Common questions

Questions about the cost.

Straight answers to what buyers ask most about price.

How much does it cost to make a will with a lawyer?
Nolo puts a lawyer drafted will at $300 for a simple document to $3,000 or more for a full estate plan, with a price closer to $1,000 more common in the middle. Ramsey Solutions gives a similar range, $300 to $3,000 or more, with a flat fee that averages about $300. Nolo also lists hourly rates of $250 to $500, and Ramsey Solutions $160 to $400.
Is a free or online will legally valid?
Yes, if it is signed the way your own state requires. Every will has to meet the same content and signing rules no matter who drafted it or what it cost. Two witnesses are required in all 51 US jurisdictions. Louisiana is the only one that also requires the will itself to be notarized.
Does a will need to be notarized?
In every jurisdiction except Louisiana, no. Witnesses make a will valid on their own. Colorado and North Dakota let a notary stand in for witnesses instead, if you prefer. A notary is more often used for the optional self-proving affidavit, a separate step that speeds up probate later, not for the will itself.
What is a self-proving affidavit, and do I need one?
It is a sworn statement, signed by you and your witnesses, attached to an already valid will. Nolo describes it as convenient but not required, since a properly witnessed will is legal without it. The District of Columbia and Ohio do not offer this option at all, so it is never available there.
How much does it cost to notarize a document?
States set their own maximum rather than one national price. California limits an acknowledgment, a proof or an oath to $15 per signature under its Government Code. Florida caps any one notarial act at $10 under its statutes. Other states set their own ceilings, and a notary may charge less than the cap, so ask the price before you book one.
Is a handwritten will legal?
In 27 of the 51 US jurisdictions, yes, under rules that vary a lot by state, so it is a state by state question rather than one blanket answer. Check your own state on the will requirements hub before relying on a handwritten will instead of a typed and witnessed one.

Build your will before you pay anyone.

Answering Justine’s questions and reading the finished document costs nothing. Printing, downloading and signing it is part of the Complete plan, $99 once, with an optional $25 a year after that for will updates and Proof of Life monitoring.