Trust & Will, LegalZoom and Kinly: an honest comparison
The short answer
Trust & Will and LegalZoom both make state-specific documents for a one-time price, with optional attorney help. Neither says it will serve in the roles. Kinly costs more, as an annual membership, because it also names a trust company in the roles and keeps a team answering the phone. Which fits depends on who you'd name.
You've decided it's time to get the documents done. Two names come up first in every search: Trust & Will and LegalZoom. Then you may have seen Kinly, which looks different and costs more.
This page compares all three honestly, using each company's own website, checked in October 2026. Prices change, so treat these as a snapshot and confirm on the company's site. It is part of our guide to estate planning documents.
The short version
Trust & Will and LegalZoom are document services. They help you create a will or trust, plus health care and financial documents, written for your state. You then name the people who will carry them out: your executor, your trustee and the agents in your powers of attorney.
Kinly also writes the documents. The difference is what happens after. A Kinly membership names a trust company that can serve in the roles. A team also answers the phone around the clock, with your plan in front of them.
If you have capable, willing people to name, a document service may be all you need. If you don't want to ask family, or want a professional as backup, that's the gap Kinly was built to fill.
Side by side
| Item | Trust & Will | LegalZoom | Kinly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will-based plan | Will Plan, starting at $199 | Will packages from $129 to $299 | Included in membership |
| Trust-based plan | Trust Plan, starting at $499 | Trust packages at $399 and $549 | Included in membership |
| How you pay | One-time plan price; optional $49 a year membership | One-time package price; attorney plan renews if you keep it | $999 a year for one person, $1,499 for a couple |
| Documents | Will or trust, living will, power of attorney, HIPAA authorization | Will or trust, health care directive, financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization (in Pro, Premium and trust packages) | Will, revocable trust, medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney |
| Attorney help | Attorney Support add-on, $299 | Included in Premium for one year, then $199 a year | Ask in the free consultation |
| Serves as executor, trustee or agent | Not stated on its pricing page | Not stated on its estate planning pages | Trella Trust Company can be named in any or all four roles |
| Phone team on call 24/7 | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, through the number on your membership card |
Sources: Trust & Will pricing, LegalZoom will packages, LegalZoom estate plan packages, Kinly pricing. All checked October 2026.
Trust & Will: what you get
Trust & Will's pricing page shows two plans. The Will Plan starts at $199 and includes a last will, a living will, a power of attorney and a HIPAA authorization. It lets you nominate guardians for children and pets and name health care agents.
The Trust Plan starts at $499. It adds a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, a trust funding guide, a certification of trust and a schedule of assets. The page offers a couples option, with documents for you and your partner.
Two extras are listed. Attorney Support, at $299, lets you work directly with a licensed estate planning attorney. An optional membership at $49 a year adds a digital vault, AI-powered answers and one free document shipment a year.
The page says documents are state specific. You sign and notarize them after you receive them.
LegalZoom: what you get
LegalZoom's will page showed three packages for one person:
- Basic Will, $129: the will, with pet care provisions and 30 days of revisions.
- Pro Will, $149: adds a health care directive, medical and financial powers of attorney and a HIPAA authorization. It includes 30 days of attorney calls. After that, the attorney plan renews at $25 a month unless you cancel.
- Premium Will, $299: the same documents, with a year of revisions and attorney calls. The attorney plan then renews at $199 a year.
Couple versions were $229, $249 and $399. LegalZoom's estate plan comparison page listed a Basic Trust at $399 and a Premium Trust at $549. Each includes a living trust, pour-over will, health care directive, financial power of attorney and HIPAA authorization. That page showed a Basic Will at $99, so LegalZoom's own pages didn't agree on the will price the day we checked.
LegalZoom's estate planning page notes that it is not a law firm. It says it does not provide legal advice, except where authorized through its affiliated firm.
Kinly: what's different
Kinly includes four documents written for your state: a will, a revocable trust, a medical power of attorney and a financial power of attorney. It also includes a care plan, for the things only you know: who has the key, and when the dog walks.
The part a document service doesn't offer is the people. Trella Trust Company, a Washington State chartered trust company, can be named as your executor, trustee or agent. It can serve first, or as backup to people you choose. If it steps in and does work, that work is billed by the hour, and you see the rates before anything starts.
Kinly costs more, and the cost repeats every year. The membership is $999 a year for one person or $1,499 for a couple. The Kinly Lifetime Promise covers what happens at renewal and if Medicaid ever pays for your care. Our how it works page shows the steps.
Which one fits you?
| If this sounds like you | Consider |
|---|---|
| You have a capable person nearby for every role, and a backup | A document service |
| Your affairs are simple and you want the lowest one-time cost | A document service, will-based |
| You want a trust to avoid probate and have people to run it | A document service, trust-based |
| The people you'd name are your age, far away or you'd rather not ask | Kinly |
| You want family first, with a professional as backup in each role | Kinly |
| You want someone to answer the phone if the hospital calls at 2 a.m. | Kinly |
Whichever you choose, the documents only work if the people in them can act. Our guide to the four roles explains each job, and naming a backup in every role covers why a second name matters. Before you start, the estate planning checklist helps you gather what you'll need, and digital estate planning covers passwords and accounts.
Common questions
Is Trust & Will or LegalZoom better?
Both make state-specific wills and trusts with optional attorney help, and the right one depends on price and preference. In October 2026, Trust & Will's plans started at $199 and $499. LegalZoom's will packages ran $129 to $299, with trusts at $399 and $549. Compare what each package includes before you buy.
Does Trust & Will or LegalZoom act as my executor or trustee?
Neither company's pricing or estate planning pages say it will serve in those roles. You name the people who will. If you want a professional in the role, look at a trust company or professionals who serve in these roles.
Why does Kinly cost more than an online will?
A document service sells documents once. Kinly is an annual membership. It includes the documents, a care plan, a team on call 24/7 and a trust company that can be named in the four roles. You're paying for people standing by, not just paper.
Can I use an online will and still name a professional?
Yes. You can name a trust company or another professional in documents from any source, if they agree to serve. Ask them first, and ask how they charge.
Sources
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws vary by state.