The best online will-makers of 2026

More than half (56%) of U.S. adults have no estate planning documents, according to online willmaker Trust & Will. No will or trust, no medical or financial power of attorney (POA) and no HIPAA authorization allowing loved ones to discuss their health information.

While 23% admitted they were just procrastinating, others said they didn't know where to start (17%), worried about the cost (15%) or didn't think they had enough assets to designate (27%).

A good online will-maker can detail how you'd like to distribute your estate after your death, but it can also name legal guardians and specify medical directives and other wishes if you're not able to advocate for yourself.

We've selected the top online will-makers in a variety of categories. For more on how we made our picks, see our methodology.

Who's this for: Trust & Will offers discounts for couples creating a joint will and allows families to create trusts, which can help them avoid a lengthy probate process.

Standout benefits: Trust & Will modernizes will creation with a seamless flow of simple questions that create a document you can print at home or have shipped to you.

Who's this for? In addition to wills and living trusts, Quicken WillMaker & Trust is highly praised for its comprehensive, cost-effective and easy-to-navigate health care directives and durable power of attorney process. Documents are tailored to individual state requirements and are 222routinely vetted by attorneys to remain compliant.

Standout benefits: Unlike other platforms, Quicken WillMaker & Trust lets you download the software and make updates or changes without a subscription. One download can generate unlimited wills for a single household.

Who's this for? If you need a will, advance directives and financial power of attorney, LegalZoom's Estate Plan Bundle includes all of them, plus pet care provisions, a year of unlimited revisions and legal advice for $149.

Standout benefits: Couples can create twice as many documents for only $249. Digital copies of important estate-planning documents can be stored in the Estate Vault.

Who's this for: Comprehensive and interactive, FreeWill manages to stay free thanks to funding by hundreds of nonprofits. It won't sell your data and doesn't require credit card or banking information.

Standout benefits: FreeWill can draft a will in only 20 minutes and it lets users make updates at any time for free. In addition to wills, it offers revocable living trusts in California.

Who's this for? Rocket Lawyer offers a chat feature that allows you to submit questions to an estate-planning attorney as you work, with responses typically available in one business day.

Standout benefits: Rocket Lawyer's templates include a way to bequeath digital files and online accounts. In addition to wills, the brand offers a variety of documents for small business owners and landlords.

A will, also known as a last will and testament, is an estate-planning document that lays out how you'd like your assets distributed after your death. It also names legal guardians for children, pets and other dependents.

Without a will, your assets will be distributed according to state law, which may not follow your wishes.

As part of the will-making process, you'll name people who will receive a portion of your estate and an executor, who is in charge of distributing those assets and other aspects of the will.

After your death, your estate will go through probate, a court proceeding that reviews the authenticity and validity of the will. Some assets may be designated separately from the will, like 401(k) plans, bank accounts and life insurance policies that name beneficiaries. Jointly titled accounts may also not be covered under a will.

During the process, you may encounter other estate-planning documents, like health care or financial power of attorney, which authorize others to make decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated or are otherwise unable to make your wishes known.

A will created online can be just as legally binding as one prepared by an attorney, as long as it meets all of your state's requirements. You should have a strong understanding of what's required where you live before starting the process.

The signatures on your will are just as critical as the document itself. You'll need to ensure your will is signed and witnessed by two non-beneficiaries. In some states, the relevant parties can sign electronically; in others, it needs to be in ink.

Some states also require that a will be notarized to be considered valid.

Even if you draft an online will, you may want to have a lawyer review it to ensure it will stand up in probate court. It will still be simpler, faster and cheaper than working with an attorney throughout the whole process.

An online will saves both time and money, and can provide a basic framework for how your belongings are dispersed and dependents are cared for.

"Services online are a good match for anybody who doesn't have a will at all," LegalShield provider attorney Michael Fiffik with Fiffik Law Group told CNBC Select. "It's always better to have your own plan for your family."

That doesn't mean an online will-maker is a good fit in every situation, he added, especially if you need extensive customization.

"Your family situation dictates whether you've got a complicated estate," Fiffik said. "It's a whole lot less about how much money you have."

An online will-maker may not be the right tool if you've remarried, if you have a special needs child who will need lifelong care or if you think someone may contest the will.

In those cases, an estate-planning attorney can better navigate potential pitfalls.

Here are the steps you should follow to make a will online:

1. Choose a provider

While budget is always a consideration, a good online will-maker should have:

• Attorney involvement in its creation
• Good instructions for creating a valid will, including signatures
• A way to access attorney advice or to be connected to a qualified local attorney
• Options for updates after life changes
• Assurances that your data won't be sold or shared

And any online will-maker you're considering should follow your state's specific laws.

2. Take stock of your assets

Make a list of your assets and who you want to have them. A spreadsheet can help you keep track of everything and who is receiving it (with contact information).

Assets that people typically leave in a will include:

• Property deeds
• Vehicle titles
• Jewelry, art and collectibles
• Checking and savings accounts
• Stocks and bonds
• Businesses

3. Follow the prompts

Most of our top choices for online will-makers guide you through the process with a series of questions.

You'll start by assigning an executor, who should be a trusted friend or relative. Consider their ability to multitask and stay calm under pressure. You may want to assign an alternate executor in case your original choice is unavailable or predeceases you.

You'll then start assigning guardians for dependents and beneficiaries for assets that are not governed by beneficiary designations. You may also choose to leave funds to charities.

You'll also be asked about any last wishes. This is when you can specify anything you'd like done at your funeral or list other requests you have for survivors.

4. Gather witnesses and sign

In most states, you'll need two adults to witness and sign your will. and then have it notarized. Check with your state laws about whether the will needs to be physically signed or notarized.

Once the will has been signed, make several copies. You should keep the original in a safe place and distribute copies to the executor and anyone else you'd like to inform of your wishes.

While digital estate planning saves time and money, it also has drawbacks.

At CNBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. For this story, we interviewed LegalShield provider attorney Michael Fiffik with Fiffik Law Group in Pittsburgh, where he practices corporate and estate-planning law.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every online will-maker review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of life insurance products. To research the best online will-makers, we compiled dozens of data points on more than eight online will-makers. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

To determine the best online will-makers, we looked at state availability and the cost of creating a simple will, getting legal advice and making updates.

We also considered the availability of other estate planning documents, including living wills and power of attorney. We also considered the types of plans they could make, including whether they could help make trusts and joint wills for couples. We also considered the ease of use, trying programs to see how easy they were to use and how simple the flow of questions was. We also considered extra features like document storage included in each program.

From there, we incorporated customer satisfaction scores from Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau.

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

Our recommendations are sorted by:

• Best for couples: Trust & Will
• Best for offline access: Quicken WillMaker & Trust
• Best free wills: FreeWill
• Best for access to attorneys: Rocket Lawyer

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