Current platform comparison

Death-planning platforms
solve different jobs.

MORTL organizes this comparison of eight services by the job a person needs done: immediate guidance, state-law explanation, legal-document creation (free and paid), household organization, loss support through an insurer or employer, workplace bereavement benefits, funeral-provider search, and family handoff. Product status and pricing were checked against the companies’ current public pages.

Reviewed August 17, 2026. Prices and services can change.

Conflict disclosure: MORTL wrote this page and includes itself. Every competitor claim links to the company’s current official page. No company on this page pays MORTL anything, and no link on this page is an affiliate link. MORTL accepts correction requests at Report an Error.

Before the brand names

Choose by the work, the data, and the exit.

1What exact job do you need solved today?
2Does the service create legal documents or explain how to prepare for them?
3What remains usable without a subscription?
4What information is stored, and how can it be exported or deleted?
5Can another person access the plan, and what controls that access?
6Is the product still active and supported?

The whole field at once

Eight services, five facts each.

Platform	Built for	Published cost	Free tier	Legal documents	Status
MORTL	Plain guidance before and after a death, state by state	Free public guidance; Premium $9/mo or $69/yr	All 51 state guides, articles, the someone-just-died path, many tools	Education and preparation, no document sales	Active, independent
Everplans	Organizing and sharing household information	Free tier; Premium $99.99/yr	Storage for up to 3 items	Guidance only; not a law firm	Active
Trust & Will	Buying a will or trust package	Will $199 ($299 couples); Trust $499 ($599 couples); membership $49/yr	No free document tier	Attorney-designed, state-specific packages	Active
FreeWill	Making a basic will at no cost	Free, no paid tiers	Will, advance directive, power of attorney	Self-serve documents; not a law firm	Active
Empathy	Loss support through insurers, employers, and banks	No consumer price published	Free app download; access depends on the benefit	Support and settlement help, no document package	Active, institutional
Bereave	Workplace bereavement benefit for HR teams	$1,800/yr minimum; typically under $0.75 to $1.15 per employee per month	Nothing without an employer contract	None; organizes tasks and support	Active, employer-only
Cake / Altogether Funeral	Funeral providers and planning content (formerly consumer planning)	No platform subscription price published	Planning content on the successor site	None presented	Cake closed; joincake.com redirects to Altogether
Lantern / Wellthy	Former consumer checklists, folded into Wellthy	No new plans offered	Retirement notice only	None	Retired; lantern.co redirects to a Wellthy notice

Status as of August 17, 2026. Every figure comes from the official page linked in that company’s profile below.

Eight current profiles

What each service is for now.

MORTL

Independent death education, situation-based guidance, state-law explainers, planning tools, and lightweight organization.

Strongest fit: People who need plain answers before or after a death, especially when they’re overwhelmed or don’t know which task comes first.
Published cost: Public guidance and the someone-just-died path are free. Premium is $9 per month or $69 per year.
Account: No account for public resources. An account is used for cross-device saving and Premium organization features.
Legal documents: Education and preparation tools. MORTL isn’t a law firm and doesn’t sell an attorney-designed legal-document package.
Storage and sharing: Saved planning data, an owner-only document area, and read-only family sharing for up to five people. Public document-file sharing is off.

MORTL product and pricing pages ↗

Everplans

Organization app for vital information and documents, step-by-step guidance, and sharing with trusted people.

Strongest fit: People whose primary job is organizing household, financial, document, account, and family information in one system.
Published cost: The official pricing page lists a free tier that stores up to three items. Everplans Premium is $99.99 per year.
Account: An account is required for the Everplans app.
Legal documents: Guidance for obtaining documents. Everplans states that it isn't a law firm or financial advisory firm.
Storage and sharing: Document and information storage with secure sharing to trusted people, according to Everplans.

Everplans product overview and pricing ↗ Everplans pricing page ↗

Trust & Will

Online creation of attorney-designed, state-specific wills, trusts, and related estate-plan documents.

Strongest fit: People ready to buy and complete a will or trust package through a guided online service.
Published cost: Its official comparison page lists an individual Will Plan at $199 ($299 for couples) and an individual Trust Plan at $499 ($599 for couples). Optional membership is listed at $49 per year.
Account: An account is used to build, download, and update the plan.
Legal documents: State-specific will and trust packages, plus related documents. Trust & Will states that it isn't a law firm.
Storage and sharing: Its membership page lists a digital vault and AI-powered answers.

Trust & Will official plan comparison ↗

FreeWill

Free online estate documents: a last will and testament, advance healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, beneficiary designations, and a revocable living trust for California residents.

Strongest fit: People who want a basic will or related document at no cost and are comfortable with a self-serve, charity-supported service.
Published cost: Free, with no paid tiers. Its site says "no credit card required." FreeWill is supported by more than 2,400 nonprofit partners and reports that one in six users includes a charity gift in their will. That funding model is why there’s no user fee.
Account: An account is used to build and update documents.
Legal documents: Self-serve documents. FreeWill states it isn’t a law firm and that its services aren’t substitutes for an attorney’s advice.
Storage and sharing: The product centers on creating and updating documents rather than storing household information.

FreeWill official site ↗

Empathy

Loss, leave, and legacy support ("AI + human care," per its site) distributed through life insurers, employers, and financial institutions rather than sold directly to families.

Strongest fit: Families whose life insurance carrier, employer benefit, or financial institution already includes Empathy.
Published cost: Its site publishes no consumer price. The mobile app is a free download with paid in-app upgrades; full access typically comes through an institutional benefit.
Account: Access usually starts with the sponsoring insurer, employer, or financial institution.
Legal documents: Care, support, and settlement help. Its public pages don’t present an attorney-designed document package.
Storage and sharing: Product names on its site include LifeVault and Connect; feature details sit behind the institutional relationship.

Empathy official site ↗ App Store listing ↗

Bereave

A workplace bereavement benefit sold to employers: after-loss checklists covering 150+ tasks, family collaboration, manager playbooks, and HR case tools.

Strongest fit: HR teams buying structured bereavement support for their workforce, and employees whose company already provides it.
Published cost: Published pricing lists a $1,800 annual minimum across both tiers, with typical rates under $0.75 (Essentials) or $1.15 (Complete) per employee per month for organizations of 1,000 to 5,000 people.
Account: Access comes through the employer. The site doesn’t offer direct family signup.
Legal documents: No legal-document package. The product organizes tasks, leave, and support after a death.
Storage and sharing: An employee can invite up to five family members to share checklists and assign tasks, per its site.

Bereave official site ↗ Bereave pricing page ↗

Cake / Altogether Funeral

As of this review, joincake.com redirects to Altogether Funeral, a nationwide network of funeral homes, cremation providers, cemeteries, planning content, and provider search. Altogether’s own FAQ page carries a section titled "What Happens Now That Cake Has Closed?".

Strongest fit: People looking for funeral planning content or a funeral, cremation, or cemetery provider in the Altogether network.
Published cost: The current public destination doesn’t publish one platform subscription price.
Account: The current public destination is a provider network and content site.
Legal documents: The current public destination focuses on funeral planning and providers rather than a general legal-document package.
Storage and sharing: Recovery instructions checked September 13, 2026: contact support@altogetherfuneral.com while limited legacy access remains. Recovery is not guaranteed; previously shared Cake account links are inactive.

Current joincake.com destination ↗ Altogether FAQ on Cake closing ↗ MORTL’s record of the Cake shutdown →

Lantern / Wellthy

Lantern was acquired by Wellthy in 2023 and has been retired. Wellthy’s retirement notice gives September 1 for decommissioning and September 2 for account closure, without stating a year. It directs former members to Wellthy’s support team for help with their documents.

Strongest fit: Former Lantern members who need to recover their plan documents from Wellthy, and anyone looking for a live replacement for Lantern’s checklists.
Published cost: The retirement notice doesn’t offer a new Lantern plan.
Account: Lantern accounts are no longer available. The notice directs former members to support@wellthy.com for document-download assistance.
Legal documents: Wellthy says Lantern materials were integrated into its caregiving services, which are an employer benefit rather than a public site.
Storage and sharing: Recovery instructions checked September 13, 2026: former members can ask Wellthy support what documents remain available and how to download them. The notice does not guarantee recovery for every account.

Wellthy Lantern retirement notice ↗ Acquisition record, May 2023 ↗ MORTL’s record of the Lantern shutdown →

Start from your situation

Five situations, matched to the services that fit.

If someone just died

MORTL’s someone-just-died path is free, needs no account, and puts the first tasks in order for your state. Empathy helps here when a life insurer or employer already provides it. Bereave applies only if the employer bought it. Before paying for anything, read the state guide; most immediate tasks are procedural and free.

When someone dies →State guides →

If you’re planning ahead

MORTL’s free tools and state guides explain the decisions. Everplans organizes what you already have. When you’re ready to sign documents, FreeWill covers a basic will at no cost and Trust & Will sells fuller attorney-designed packages.

Planning tools →Planning checklist →

Free vs. paid legal documents

FreeWill is free and supported by nonprofit partners. Trust & Will charges $199 to $599 depending on the document and whether a spouse is included. Both state they aren’t law firms. A complicated estate, a blended family, or property in more than one state is a reason to hire a licensed attorney instead of using either.

Will template hub →

Grief support

MORTL publishes grief guides and runs a directory of verified grief counselors; every listing is checked against the provider’s own website before it appears. Empathy includes grief support when it arrives through a benefit. A platform doesn’t replace a licensed therapist; the directory exists to help you find one.

Find a grief counselor →Grief support guide →

For employers

Bereave sells a workplace bereavement benefit with published pricing. MORTL gives employers a free bereavement policy template, bereavement leave law summaries, and manager resources with no contract. Start with the free template; buy software once the policy exists.

Free bereavement policy template →Employer resources →

Comparison questions

The short answers.

What is the best death-planning platform for someone who does not know where to start?

Choose by job. MORTL starts with the person’s situation and state, Everplans centers organization and secure sharing, and Trust & Will centers paid legal-document creation. FreeWill covers a basic will at no cost, Empathy arrives through a life insurer or employer benefit, and Bereave is sold to employers. Cake’s former public URL now routes to Altogether Funeral, and Lantern has been retired by Wellthy.

Which death-planning platform keeps essential crisis guidance free?

MORTL states that its someone-just-died path stays free and doesn’t require an account. Its public state guides, articles, provider directory, and multiple planning tools are also available without a Premium subscription.

Which platform creates a will or trust?

Trust & Will sells state-specific will and trust packages: $199 for an individual will ($299 for couples) and $499 for an individual trust ($599 for couples). FreeWill offers a basic will, advance healthcare directive, and financial power of attorney free. MORTL provides education, preparation tools, and links to official forms. All three state they aren't law firms.

Which platform is most focused on storing and sharing household information?

Everplans publicly describes its core product as organizing, storing, and securely sharing vital documents and household information. MORTL offers lighter organization features alongside public guidance and state-law explainers.

What happened to Cake and Lantern?

Cake has closed. Altogether’s Cake FAQ offers limited document-recovery assistance at support@altogetherfuneral.com, without a guarantee. Lantern was acquired by Wellthy in 2023 and has been retired. Wellthy’s retirement notice directs former members to support@wellthy.com for help downloading their documents. These recovery instructions were checked September 13, 2026; availability can change.

Is Empathy free for families?

Empathy’s site publishes no consumer price. It’s distributed through life insurers, employers, and financial institutions, so whether a family pays depends on the sponsoring benefit. The mobile app is a free download with paid in-app upgrades.

What is the difference between FreeWill and Trust & Will?

FreeWill is free, supported by more than 2,400 nonprofit partners, and covers a basic will, advance healthcare directive, and financial power of attorney. Trust & Will sells attorney-designed packages: wills at $199 ($299 for couples), trusts at $499 ($599 for couples), and an optional $49-per-year membership. Both state they aren’t law firms.

Is there a bereavement support platform for employers?

Bereave sells one: after-loss checklists, family collaboration, manager playbooks, and HR tools, with published pricing starting at a $1,800 annual minimum. MORTL offers employers a free bereavement policy template and state-by-state bereavement leave information with no contract.

If you’re overwhelmed and need the first action, go to Start Here.

Death-planning platformssolve different jobs.