Best Everplans alternatives in 2026 (comprehensive comparison)

Everplans has been around since 2012, and it does something genuinely useful: it gives you a digital vault to store your important documents, account credentials, and end-of-life wishes, then lets you assign trusted people to access that information when the time comes.

The problem is that Everplans, at its core, is a filing cabinet. A well-designed one, with granular sharing controls and decent security. But a filing cabinet nonetheless. It doesn't help you write legacy letters. It doesn't prompt you to tell your story. It doesn't give your family anything to hold onto emotionally -- just login credentials and insurance policy numbers.

If you've been using Everplans (or looking at it) and thinking "I need more than this," here are six alternatives that take different approaches to the same fundamental question: how do I make sure my family has what they need when I'm gone?

What to look for in a digital legacy planning tool

Everplans set a reasonable baseline for what these tools should do. But depending on your priorities, you might also want:

• Personal letter writing -- the ability to leave messages for specific people, delivered at the right time
• Story preservation -- guided prompts that help you capture your life history
• Strong encryption -- not just "bank-level security" marketing language, but actual end-to-end encryption
• One-time pricing -- so your vault doesn't disappear if you forget to renew a subscription
• Comprehensive planning -- legal document guidance, not just storage
• Emotional warmth -- a tool that feels like a gift to your family, not a compliance checklist

The 6 best Everplans alternatives in 2026

1. Cake (free)

Cake (joincake.com) is a free end-of-life planning platform that covers a surprising amount of ground. You can document your medical wishes, funeral preferences, financial information, and personal messages. It generates shareable documents and lets you invite family members to view specific sections.

The biggest draw is that it's completely free. The interface is clean and straightforward, and it walks you through planning with a series of guided questions. It doesn't have the depth of a paid tool -- there's no encrypted vault, no file upload storage, and limited customization -- but for someone who wants to start planning without spending anything, Cake is a solid first step.

Best for: People who want a free starting point for end-of-life planning.

Pricing: Free.

2. When I Die Files (pre-launch)

This is our product, so factor that in accordingly. When I Die Files was built to fill the gap between Everplans-style document vaults and Storyworth-style story tools. The thesis is simple: your family needs your passwords and your insurance policies, yes. But they also need your words. Your stories. The letter you wrote for your son. The explanation of why you made the choices you made.

When I Die Files combines a secure document vault with end-to-end encryption, guided legacy letter writing, story prompts, and controlled sharing -- all for a one-time purchase. No annual subscription that lapses. No $99.99/year to keep your vault accessible.

The letter-writing component is what sets this apart from Everplans most clearly. You can write letters to individual family members, set delivery conditions, and include the kind of personal, emotional content that doesn't belong in a spreadsheet of account numbers.

Best for: People who want both the practical vault and the personal legacy in one place.

Pricing: One-time purchase (pricing announced at launch). Join the waitlist for early access.

3. Trust & Will (from $199)

Trust & Will is a legal-first platform. Where Everplans helps you store and share documents, Trust & Will helps you create them: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and guardian designations. The documents are state-specific and legally valid.

Their Will Plan costs $199 for individuals ($299 for couples) with a $19/year renewal to keep editing access. The Trust Plan is $499/$599 with a $39/year renewal. You can also add attorney support for $299.

Trust & Will doesn't do storytelling or personal messages. It's purely about the legal infrastructure. If your main concern is "I don't have a will and I need one," this is probably the most direct solution. If you already have legal documents and need somewhere to store them plus leave personal messages, you'll need something else alongside it.

Best for: People who need to create legal estate documents from scratch.

Pricing: Will Plan from $199; Trust Plan from $499. Read our full Trust & Will comparison.

4. Lantern (free + paid features)

Lantern is an end-of-life planning platform with a warm, human approach. It covers advance directive creation, funeral planning, document organization, and provides educational content about navigating death and grief. The guides are written in accessible language, and the platform doesn't feel clinical.

Lantern offers a free planning tool for basic needs and paid features for more comprehensive planning. It's less of a vault than Everplans and more of a planning companion -- it helps you think through decisions rather than just store the paperwork.

The limitation is storage depth. Lantern is better at guiding you through the planning process than at being a permanent repository for all your important documents. It's a planning tool, not a vault.

Best for: People who want guided end-of-life planning with a human touch.

Pricing: Free basic planning; paid features for comprehensive access.

5. Storyworth ($99/year)

If your issue with Everplans is that it feels soulless -- all logistics, no heart -- Storyworth sits on the opposite end. It's entirely focused on stories. A weekly email prompt goes out to someone you love, their answers accumulate over a year, and the whole thing gets printed into a hardcover book.

Storyworth does nothing on the practical side. No vault, no document storage, no access controls for sensitive information. But it does the storytelling piece better than anyone: the prompts are thoughtful, the book is beautiful, and the process itself becomes a weekly connection between family members.

The $99/year subscription includes one printed book. Additional copies cost $39-$99 depending on format.

Best for: Family story preservation as a gift or shared project.

Pricing: $99/year including one hardcover book. See our full Storyworth comparison.

6. Google Drive + a shared spreadsheet (free)

I include this not because it's elegant, but because a lot of families are already doing it. A shared Google Drive folder with your important documents, a spreadsheet with account information, and a Google Doc with your wishes and messages. It works. Sort of.

The problems are real, though. Google Drive isn't designed for end-of-life access. If your account gets locked after you die (and it will eventually), your family may struggle to recover it even with Google's Inactive Account Manager. There's no access control beyond basic folder sharing. And a spreadsheet of passwords next to a heartfelt letter to your kids creates a strange emotional whiplash.

But if cost is the only barrier and you just want to start organizing, this is better than doing nothing.

Best for: Budget-conscious families who want to start organizing immediately.

Pricing: Free.

How these alternatives compare

Which alternative is right for you?

Stay with Everplans if your primary need is document storage and controlled sharing, and you're comfortable with the annual subscription. The deputy system is well-designed, and if all you need is a digital vault, it does the job.

Choose When I Die Files if you want Everplans-level document organization plus the personal side: legacy letters, story writing, and emotional content your family will actually treasure. The one-time pricing means your vault doesn't depend on yearly renewals. Join the waitlist for early access.

Choose Trust & Will if your first priority is getting legal documents created. Once you have a will and trust in place, you can store them in another tool for sharing. See our full comparison.

Choose Cake if you want a free, guided planning experience and don't need heavy document storage. It's the easiest way to start without any financial commitment.

Choose Storyworth if your heart is set on stories, not logistics. It won't replace Everplans, but it fills the emotional gap that Everplans leaves open.

Choose Google Drive if you're not ready to commit to a platform and want to start organizing with tools you already use.

The most important thing is that you start. Whatever tool you choose, your family is better off with imperfect preparation than with none at all. If you're not sure where to begin, our complete guide to digital end-of-life planning walks through everything step by step.

And for a deeper look at why personal letters matter as much as legal documents, read what a legacy letter is and why it's more important than a will.

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When I Die Files is currently in pre-launch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when we go live.

Compare other tools: Best Storyworth Alternatives | Best Trust & Will Alternatives | When I Die Files vs. Everplans