Mantle vs FreeWill
A free will is a great start. If you own a home, it won’t keep your family out of probate.
FreeWill gives you a will at no cost. Mantle gives you a complete living trust — notarized, funded, and built to skip probate entirely. Here’s how they compare.
The comparison
| Mantle | FreeWill | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | $995 — a complete, funded living trustnotary + deed prep + asset transfer guidance included | Free — a willnonprofit-funded; print, sign, and notarize it yourself |
| Avoids probate | Yes — a funded living trust transfers directly to your family | No — a will still goes through probate (6–18 months, public) |
| Living trust included | Yes — state-specific revocable living trust | Will only (living trusts in California only) |
| Notarized in one session | Yes — licensed online notary on a video call, same day | No — find and pay your own notary/witnesses |
| Property deed for your home | We generate the deed and walk you through filing it with the county | Not included |
| Asset transfer guidance | Step-by-step workflow for every account, with progress tracking | Not included — documents only |
| Family vault & digital legacy | Secure vault for documents, digital account inventory, family sharing, and letters/wishes to loved ones | Document storage only |
| Keeping your plan current | $99/yrdocuments kept current, family sharing, unlimited edits, law-change updates | Free — edit your will anytime |
Start your plan in under a minute.
Free to start — you only pay when your trust is ready to sign.
Where Mantle wins
1A funded trust avoids probate — a free will doesn’t.
FreeWill gives you a will, and a will still goes through probate — 6–18 months in court, public record, 3–8% of the estate in fees. If you own a home, that’s exactly what your family wants to avoid. Mantle gives you a living trust that’s funded, so your home transfers directly to your family with no court.
2Everything’s included and done — not a DIY packet.
FreeWill hands you a document to print, sign, and notarize yourself. Mantle includes a licensed online notary on a video call, generates your property deed, and walks you through funding every account — all in one sitting. When you close the tab, you’re done.
3Built specifically for California and Texas trust law.
FreeWill uses generic nationwide templates. Mantle’s documents are written for California and Texas specifically — the right deed format, the right statutory language, the right witnesses. Less to second-guess.
4More than legal documents — messages your family will actually need.
Funeral wishes, letters to loved ones, account access, the location of important things. FreeWill stops at the paperwork. Mantle captures the parts that matter most at the worst possible moment.
When FreeWill is the right pick
1It’s genuinely free.
FreeWill is funded by nonprofit partnerships, so a basic will costs nothing. If you don’t own a home and your estate is simple, that may be all you need. Mantle’s complete, funded living trust is $995 — worth it when you have a house to keep out of probate, but not necessary for a minimal estate.
2Available in all 50 states.
FreeWill makes wills nationwide (living trusts in California only). Mantle is built specifically for California and Texas — the two states where most U.S. probate dollars get burned. If you want a trust and live outside CA or TX, FreeWill or another nationwide option is the right pick today.
3Perfect for a simple, no-real-estate estate.
If you rent, have minimal assets, and mainly want to name guardians and beneficiaries, a free will does the job. Mantle is built for homeowners who need to keep their family out of probate — that’s where a funded living trust earns its cost.
The bottom line
FreeWill gives you a free will.
Mantle gives you a funded trust.
A will is a great start — but if you own a home, it still sends your family through probate: 6–18 months, public, thousands in fees. For $995 Mantle gives you a living trust that’s signed, notarized, and transferred onto your home in one sitting, in California or Texas. No probate. No “is this really done?” hanging over your family.
Start free →Free to start. You only pay when your trust is ready to sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t FreeWill good enough if it’s free?
For a simple estate with no real estate, a free will can be all you need. But a will doesn’t avoid probate — if you own a home, your family still goes through court (6–18 months, public, 3–8% in fees). A funded living trust is how you skip that. Mantle is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
Does FreeWill offer living trusts?
FreeWill primarily offers wills, with living trusts available in California only. Mantle creates complete, state-specific living trusts for California and Texas, including the online notarization and property deed needed to actually fund the trust — the step that makes it avoid probate.
What’s included in Mantle’s $995?
The full plan: a state-specific living trust, pour-over will, healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, online notarization with a licensed notary on a video call, the property deed prepared and ready to record, and step-by-step asset transfer guidance. FreeWill gives you a will you print and notarize yourself — no trust, no deed, no funding help.
Can I switch from FreeWill to Mantle?
Yes. If you started with a free will but own a home, you can create a complete living trust with Mantle. The included pour-over will supersedes your previous will, so everything stays consistent.
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Last updated: June 2026