ActiveWills is one of the lowest-priced online will writing services in the UK — if you can find the right promotional offer. But their pricing is deliberately confusing, and the cheap will is a gateway to something much more expensive.
CheapWills charges £9.99. Always. No promo codes needed.
Let's untangle what ActiveWills actually costs and how the two services compare.
The ActiveWills Pricing Problem
Visit ActiveWills' main website and you'll see a single will listed at £99 and mirror wills at £149. That's their standard price.
But nobody pays that. ActiveWills runs constant promotional campaigns through affiliate partners, comparison sites, discount code websites, and seasonal offers. Through these channels, the price drops to anywhere between £14 and £20 for a single will and £19 to £30 for mirror wills.
The problem? The promotional price you find depends on where you find them. Different affiliate links show different prices. Google one discount code and you'll get £14. Click through from a different comparison site and it's £19.99. Visit directly and it's £99.
This isn't accidental. It's a marketing strategy.
Price Comparison
| Feature | CheapWills | ActiveWills (Promo) | ActiveWills (List) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single will | £9.99 | £14–£20 | £99 |
| Mirror wills | £14.99 | £19–£30 | £149 |
| Updates | £9.99 each time | Free storage | Free storage |
| LPAs | £49.99 each | Not offered directly | Not offered directly |
| Solicitor-approved templates | Yes | No | No |
| Phone support | No | Limited | Limited |
| Upsell calls after purchase | No | Yes (Honey Legal) | Yes (Honey Legal) |
Even at ActiveWills' best promotional price, CheapWills is cheaper — and the price is consistent.
Who Owns ActiveWills?
This is the key information most people miss.
ActiveWills is owned by Honey Legal, a large estate planning company. Honey Legal employs over 250 field consultants across the UK. These consultants visit people in their homes to sell estate planning products: trusts, funeral plans, Lasting Powers of Attorney, estate administration, and more.
The cheap online will is not the business. It's the lead generation tool.
Here's how the model works:
- You find an ActiveWills promotional deal (£14–£20)
- You make your will online
- You provide your name, address, email, and phone number
- After completing your will, you receive contact from Honey Legal
- A field consultant offers to visit your home for a "free estate planning review"
- During the visit, they recommend additional products — trusts, LPAs, funeral plans
- These products cost hundreds or thousands of pounds
This is a well-established business model in the will writing industry. The cheap will is the loss leader. The profit comes from converting will customers into estate planning clients.
There's nothing illegal about it. But it's worth knowing what you're signing up for when you enter your contact details.
What Happens After You Make Your Will with ActiveWills
Based on customer reviews and industry analysis, here's what to expect:
Phone calls. After completing your will, expect a phone call from Honey Legal offering a free estate planning consultation. Some customers report multiple calls.
Home visits. If you agree, a field consultant visits your home. They'll review your will and identify "gaps" — typically suggesting trust arrangements to protect your assets from care home fees, sideways disinheritance, or other scenarios.
Premium product recommendations. Trust arrangements through Honey Legal can cost £1,000–£3,000+. LPAs are offered at full market rates. Funeral plans are another common recommendation.
Ongoing contact. Even if you decline the initial consultation, your details are in the Honey Legal system. Follow-up contact is common.
To be clear: some people genuinely benefit from estate planning advice. Trusts, LPAs, and funeral plans are legitimate products. But the consultation is a sales process, not independent advice. The consultant earns commission on what they sell.
What Happens After You Make Your Will with CheapWills
You download your will as a PDF. You print it, sign it, witness it.
That's it. No phone calls. No home visits. No "free consultations" that are actually sales pitches. No consultants, no commissions, no follow-up.
If you want an LPA, it's available on the website for £49.99 each. If you want to update your will, it's £9.99. Both are there when you need them — you're never pushed towards them.
Feature Comparison
Will Writing Process
Both services use an online questionnaire. Both generate a will from templates. Both produce a PDF you download and print.
ActiveWills' process is functional but the interface is dated compared to newer services. CheapWills uses AI to make the questionnaire conversational and easy to follow.
Winner: CheapWills (better user experience)
Legal Validity
Both produce wills that meet the Wills Act 1837 requirements. Both rely on templates rather than individual solicitor review.
CheapWills uses solicitor-approved templates. ActiveWills doesn't specifically claim solicitor approval of their templates.
Winner: CheapWills (solicitor-approved templates)
Price Transparency
CheapWills: £9.99. That's the price. It's on the website. It doesn't change.
ActiveWills: somewhere between £14 and £99 depending on which link you click and what promotional campaign you've found. You might pay £14, your neighbour might pay £20, and someone who went direct might pay £99.
Winner: CheapWills
Post-Purchase Experience
CheapWills: download your will and that's the last you hear from us.
ActiveWills: expect contact from Honey Legal's network of 250+ field consultants offering estate planning services.
Winner: CheapWills (unless you want estate planning upselling)
Will Storage
ActiveWills includes free will storage. CheapWills provides a PDF download — you're responsible for storage.
Winner: ActiveWills
Updates
CheapWills charges £9.99 each time you make or update a will. ActiveWills' update policy is less clear — the free storage implies you can make changes, but the terms vary by promotional offer.
Winner: CheapWills (clear and cheap)
Real Cost Comparison
Let's look at the true cost over time, assuming you pay ActiveWills' best promotional price:
Scenario: Single person, will only
| CheapWills | ActiveWills (best promo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Will | £9.99 | £14 |
| 5 years of updates | £9.99 per update | Unclear |
| Total | £9.99 + updates as needed | £14+ |
On the surface, ActiveWills might appear cheaper — if you find the £14 promo and if you don't need updates. But...
Scenario: What Honey Legal hopes you'll buy
| Product | Typical Honey Legal Price |
|---|---|
| Property Protection Trust | £1,500–£2,500 |
| Family Protection Trust | £1,500–£3,000 |
| LPA (each) | £300–£500 |
| Funeral Plan | £3,000–£4,000 |
| Estate Administration | Percentage of estate value |
That £14 will could become a £5,000–£10,000 estate planning package if you say yes to the home visit. The will is the foot in the door.
Who Should Choose ActiveWills?
In fairness, ActiveWills might suit you if:
- You genuinely want estate planning advice and don't mind a sales-oriented consultation
- You specifically want free will storage as part of the package
- You've found a promotional price of £14 or less and are confident you can say no to upsell calls
- You're comfortable with your contact details being used for marketing
Who Should Choose CheapWills?
CheapWills is the better choice if:
- You want a straightforward will at a clear, consistent price
- You want the cheapest paid option without hunting for promo codes
- You don't want sales calls after making your will
- You want solicitor-approved templates
- You value transparent pricing with no hidden agenda
- You need LPAs and want them at £49.99 each, not £300+
The Bottom Line
ActiveWills isn't a bad service. The will itself is functional. If you find a good promotional price and can handle the follow-up contact, it does the job.
But the pricing is intentionally opaque, the business model relies on converting you into a much more expensive customer, and the "cheap will" is a means to an end for Honey Legal's estate planning sales machine.
CheapWills costs £9.99. Every time. For everyone. No promo codes, no sales calls, no field consultants at your door. Solicitor-approved templates. Download, print, sign, done.
For a straightforward will at an honest price, the answer is clear.
Make your will today for £9.99 — it takes 10 minutes.
Join the Waitlist — Wills from £9.99Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ActiveWills actually cost?
ActiveWills' listed price is £99 for a single will and £149 for mirror wills. Promotional prices through affiliate links and discount campaigns range from £14 to £30. The price you pay depends entirely on where you find them.
Is ActiveWills owned by Honey Legal?
Yes. ActiveWills is a brand operated by Honey Legal, a large UK estate planning company with over 250 field consultants. The online will service feeds into their estate planning sales pipeline.
Will ActiveWills call me after I make my will?
Based on customer reports, yes — expect contact from Honey Legal offering a free estate planning review. This is the core business model: the cheap will is a lead generation tool for premium estate planning products.
Is CheapWills cheaper than ActiveWills?
CheapWills at £9.99 is cheaper than ActiveWills' most common promotional prices (£14–£20) and significantly cheaper than their list price (£99). CheapWills also doesn't require you to find a promotional code.
Which produces a better will?
Both produce legally valid wills from templates. CheapWills uses solicitor-approved templates. For straightforward estates, the output is comparable. Neither service has a solicitor review your individual will.
Does ActiveWills offer LPAs?
ActiveWills doesn't offer LPAs directly through their website, but Honey Legal's field consultants will offer them during home visits at prices significantly higher than CheapWills' £49.99 each.