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Head-to-head · Estate Planning Software

FreeWill vs Vanilla

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score FreeWill #4 in Estate Planning Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit FreeWill
Vanilla #8 in Estate Planning Software 7.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Vanilla

FreeWill leads on 1 check, Vanilla on 2, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreFreeWill · 7.7/10
  • Free planonly FreeWill
  • Most featuresVanilla · 5 of 5

FreeWill scores higher on our rubric for estate planning software: 7.7 against 7.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

FreeWill offers free plan; Vanilla doesn't. Vanilla offers attorney review; FreeWill doesn't publish it. Vanilla offers document storage; FreeWill doesn't.

FreeWill is the better fit for free basic estate planning. Vanilla is the better fit for advisors needing modeling and integrations.

  • FreeWill fits best

    Free basic estate planning

  • Vanilla fits best

    Advisors needing modeling and integrations

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature FreeWill 7.7/10 Visit ↗ Vanilla 7.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.7 7.0
Ranking #4 in Estate Planning Software #8 in Estate Planning Software
Best for Free basic estate planning Advisors needing modeling and integrations
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Docs
Compliance SOC 2 SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Built for Solo Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features FreeWill 3/5 · Vanilla 5/5
Trust support ✓ ✓
Power of attorney ✓ ✓
Beneficiary planning ✓ ✓
Attorney review Not published ✓ (best)
Document storage — ✓ (best)
Specs
Planning scope Full_estate_plan Full_estate_plan
State coverage Not published 50 states
Our review
Pros
  • Covers wills, healthcare directives, powers of attorney, and beneficiaries
  • Unlimited free edits with download, print, and email options
  • Includes state-specific signing and witnessing instructions
  • Creates wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives
  • Models GRAT, SLAT, and IDGT strategies with estate projections
  • Connects with eMoney, Black Diamond, Orion, Addepar, Plaid, and Salesforce
Cons
  • Revocable living trusts are limited to California residents
  • Documents are not maintained as stored copies by FreeWill
  • No attorney review is included
  • Pricing requires contacting sales
  • Web-only platform
  • Advanced planning features are concentrated in higher tiers
Our verdict

FreeWill is a web-based, self-help estate-planning service for individuals who want to prepare core documents online without a paid plan. Its workflow covers an online last will and testament, advance healthcare directive, durable…

Read the review →

Vanilla is an estate planning platform for financial advisors, RIAs, wealth management firms, family offices, and trust companies. It brings document creation, visual estate diagrams, client-ready reports, scenario modeling, tax…

Read the review →
  1. FreeWillEstate Planning Software 7.7Free plan
  2. VanillaEstate Planning Software 7.0Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • FreeWill — where it wins

    • Covers wills, healthcare directives, powers of attorney, and beneficiaries
    • Unlimited free edits with download, print, and email options
    • Includes state-specific signing and witnessing instructions

    Where it doesn't

    • Revocable living trusts are limited to California residents
    • Documents are not maintained as stored copies by FreeWill
    • No attorney review is included

  • Vanilla — where it wins

    • Creates wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives
    • Models GRAT, SLAT, and IDGT strategies with estate projections
    • Connects with eMoney, Black Diamond, Orion, Addepar, Plaid, and Salesforce

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing requires contacting sales
    • Web-only platform
    • Advanced planning features are concentrated in higher tiers
  • FreeWill7.7/10 · Free plan

    A broad free estate-planning package for individuals who can finalize documents themselves.

    Visit FreeWillFull verdict →
  • Vanilla7.0/10 · Pricing on request

    A full estate planning workspace with strong modeling, documents, and integrations.

    Visit VanillaFull verdict →

More comparisons

All estate planning software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update