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SwiftWill vs FreeWills: an honest comparison

Quick answer

FreeWills.co.uk is genuinely free, funded by charity legacies, with storage fees and an executor upsell MoneySavingExpert warns against. SwiftWill is £35 once with no upsells of any kind. Skip paying if you will read every executor clause and decline the extras; pay £35 if you want a service whose only revenue is the fee.

FreeWills.co.uk does something genuinely good: free wills funded by charitable legacies, with over £200–300m pledged to more than 2,500 charities. If cost is your only constraint, it is a real option. This comparison is about understanding the model around the free will — checked July 2026.

Where does FreeWills genuinely win?

  • Genuinely free wills, available year-round — no eligibility windows, unlike Free Wills Month (over-55s, March/October) or Will Aid (November).
  • A real charity legacy engine: hundreds of millions of pounds pledged to over 2,500 charities — using it and leaving a legacy does measurable good.
  • A quick process: online wizard to PDF in about 15 minutes, broadly comparable to paid online services.

How do SwiftWill and FreeWills compare?

SwiftWill vs FreeWills
SwiftWillFreeWills
Price£35 onceFree
How it makes moneyThe £35 fee — nothing else is ever soldCharity legacies, storage (£25–50), advertising, cross-sells
Executor upsellNever — we do not sell executor or probate servicesOffers Kings Court Trust as professional executor — fees can reach thousands; MoneySavingExpert explicitly warns against this
DeliveryInstant — PDF in your inbox in secondsOnline wizard → PDF in ~15 minutes
UpdatesFree for lifeCheck current terms; storage charges may apply
PI insurance£2mNot prominently stated
Money-back guarantee30 days, no questionsN/A (free)

What is the 10-year cost of each option?

A free will costs £0 — unless the model around it costs your estate later. The material risk is the professional-executor appointment: fees for probate companies routinely run into thousands of pounds, deducted from what you leave behind. SwiftWill's position is policy: we never name ourselves executor and never sell executor or probate services. £35 once buys the document with no strings attached; the 10-year cost is £35.

Prices and terms checked July 2026 from published pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Is a free will from FreeWills legally valid?

Yes — like any will, if it is properly drafted for England and Wales and signed with two witnesses per section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. “Free” does not make a will invalid; the signing does that. The question is what sits around the document.

What is wrong with appointing a professional executor?

Nothing inherently — but it is expensive, often a percentage of the estate, and hard for your family to unwind. MoneySavingExpert explicitly warns against executor upsells attached to free wills. A willing family member or friend, who can hire help for specific tasks at ordinary rates if needed, is usually far cheaper.

Should I use FreeWills and just decline the extras?

That is a legitimate approach if you read everything carefully — especially anything appointing an executor or charging for storage. Paying £35 instead buys you a service whose only revenue is the fee: no ads, no legacy expectations, no cross-sells, £2m PI insurance and a 30-day guarantee.

Does SwiftWill support leaving money to charity?

Yes — specific gifts to charities (with registered charity numbers) are built into the interview, and we never take a cut or steer the choice. Charity giving in a will should be your decision, not the business model.

Make a will online in about 15 minutes

One-time £35. Instant download. Free updates for life. No subscriptions, no upsells — ever.

Start my will — £35Is an online will right for me?

30-day money-back guarantee · £2m professional indemnity insurance · IPW member

Written by Marcus Kaiser, Legal Content Lead at SwiftWill. Checked against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk. Last reviewed 12 August 2026. SwiftWill provides legal information and software for England & Wales under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Figures are taken from gov.uk, legislation.gov.uk and HMCTS, checked 12 August 2026. We have not given you legal advice — this is general information.