What Willful does

Willful is a Canadian online estate planning SaaS platform founded in 2017 that enables individual Canadians to create legally valid wills and power of attorney documents through a self-serve, guided step-by-step questionnaire, without engaging a traditional estate lawyer. The platform's underlying technology is built around province-specific document generation logic, with customization for each of Canada's 10 provinces including Quebec's distinct Civil Code requirements, and includes security controls (SOC 2 Type 1 compliance, AES-256 encryption) plus a digital execution capability for British Columbia. Document generation typically completes in approximately 20 minutes, after which users download and execute their documents following province-specific signing and witnessing instructions.

The company monetizes exclusively through one-time payments ranging from CAD $129 (Legal Essentials) to $459 (Signature Concierge), with plans for individuals (Premium Coverage at $199) and couples (Premium x2 at $349), plus a regional Quebec plan. All plans include lifetime free unlimited updates, creating ongoing engagement rather than recurring subscription revenue. Distribution is product-led growth through direct-to-consumer channels (willful.co and app.willful.co), augmented by partnerships with five major Canadian financial institutions (CIBC, Scotiabank, Tangerine, Wealthsimple, Meridian) and Amazon, and in 2025 the company expanded into B2B with Willful for Professionals, a SaaS platform that lets financial advisors offer Willful to their clients.

Willful has scaled from a 2017 founding to serving over 500,000 Canadians by 2026 (up from 400,000 in 2025), with 11-50 employees based in Toronto and Montreal. Notable milestones include a 2021 Dragons' Den deal, first digital will execution in BC history, the 2022 Law Society of Ontario license (a first for any online will provider), and 2023 national coverage across all provinces. Customer trust is reinforced by external validation including a 4.4 Trustpilot rating, 4.8 Google stars, BBB accreditation, Rainbow Registered status, and recurring earned media across CBC, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star.

Name

Willful

Legal name

Willful

Website

https://willful.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Willful is a Canadian online estate planning platform that lets individual Canadians and couples create legally valid wills and power of attorney documents via a province-specific guided questionnaire, serving 500,000+ customers through D2C sales and major financial institution partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Estate Planning Software

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Wealth Planning (Tax, Estate & Succession) (FSAAABAE), Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

Keywords

• Online estate planning
• Will creation software
• Power of attorney documents
• Digital legal documents
• Probate planning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Document plan purchases: One-time payment model for estate planning document plans. Customers pay upfront for their selected plan and receive lifetime access including all future updates. No recurring subscription fees. Revenue is generated entirely from initial plan purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Willful is a Canadian online SaaS platform that guides individuals through a step-by-step questionnaire to generate customized, legally valid estate planning documents—including last wills and testaments, powers of attorney for property and health/personal care, and asset lists—tailored to the legal requirements of each Canadian province. Customers complete their documents in approximately 20 minutes from home, pay a one-time fee for lifetime access and free unlimited updates, and receive province-specific signing and witnessing instructions. The platform also offers a concierge tier and a B2B SaaS product (Willful for Professionals) for financial advisors.

Product overview

Willful is a Canadian online estate planning SaaS platform offering a guided, step-by-step questionnaire experience to create legally valid estate planning documents. The product portfolio consists of multiple subscription tiers: Legal Essentials ($129) provides a standalone will with registry access and lifetime updates; Premium Coverage ($199) adds power of attorney for property and health/personal care plus an asset list tool; Premium x2 ($349) bundles two Premium plans for couples; and Signature Concierge ($459, ON/BC only) adds concierge support with document printing, review, and witnessing assistance. A Quebec-specific will plan ($129) addresses the province's unique Civil Code requirements. The platform also includes a B2B offering called 'Willful for Professionals' for advisors, gift cards, and access to will registries. All plans include free unlimited document updates and are built in collaboration with estate lawyers across Canadian provinces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Willful for Professionals: A Software as a Service (SaaS) platform enabling advisors to offer Willful estate planning services to their clients.

Products and services

• Legal Essentials Plan A one-person will plan providing a customized last will and testament with access to multiple will registries (a $40 value) and free unlimited updates for life. Priced at $129 CAD as a one-time payment. Designed for individuals seeking a legally valid will without visiting a lawyer.
• Premium Coverage Plan Complete estate planning for individuals, including a will, power of attorney for property, power of attorney for health/personal care, and an asset list tool. Priced at $199 CAD as a one-time payment with free unlimited updates. Available in all provinces except Quebec.
• Premium x2 Plan Complete estate planning for two adults, providing two wills, two sets of power of attorney documents, and two asset lists at a bundled price. Priced at $349 CAD as a one-time payment ($174.50 per person). Each person gets their own account and documents. Designed for couples, partners, and family members planning together.
• Signature Concierge Plan Concierge-supported estate planning that includes all Premium Coverage features plus document review by an estate planning expert, printing and delivery, signing and witnessing support, and digital execution (BC only). Priced at $459 CAD as a one-time payment. Currently available in Ontario and British Columbia only.
• Quebec Will Plan A will plan specifically designed for Quebec residents, creating a 'will in front of witnesses' that meets Quebec Civil Code requirements and requires probate (homologation) after death. Tailored to the unique legal requirements of Quebec's civil law tradition.
• Willful for Professionals A Software as a Service (SaaS) platform enabling financial advisors and professionals to offer Willful's estate planning tools to their clients. Allows advisors to embed Willful's self-serve will and power of attorney creation capabilities into their own client service offerings.
• Willful Gift Cards Gift cards for Willful estate planning plans, available for purchase with bulk purchase savings of 12% when buying 2 or more Premium Coverage Plans. Eligible for a 30-day money back guarantee. Allows gift-givers to provide estate planning as a gift to family or friends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Users can complete will creation in approximately 20 minutes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tangerine BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Tangerine Bank partnered with Willful to offer discounted estate planning services to Canadian clients and promote estate planning during 'Make a Will' month 2025.
• ScotiabankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024National partnership with Scotiabank to offer estate planning services to Scotiabank customers, announced in 2024.
• WealthsimplecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Wealthsimple to offer Willful services to Wealthsimple customers, enabling integrated financial and estate planning.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024New partnership with Amazon mentioned as part of 2024 partnerships list.
• CIBCcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022CIBC partnership offering discounted Willful services to CIBC clients as part of the bank's financial wellness offerings. Partners since 2022.
• Meridian Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Meridian credit union offering Willful services to Meridian members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LegalZoom: US-based online legal services platform offering wills, business formation, and other legal documents. Comparable to Willful as a direct-to-consumer legal document SaaS, with broader product scope but US-centric legal frameworks.
• Rocket Lawyer: Online legal services platform offering legal documents, attorney consultations, and DIY legal tools. Comparable to Willful's SaaS-led self-serve model with a broader legal-document portfolio and subscription pricing.

Direct peers

• Trust & Will: US online estate planning platform offering wills, trusts, and related documents through a guided SaaS experience. Closest direct competitor to Willful's self-serve online will model, differentiated by US-only jurisdiction coverage.
• LawDepot: Canadian online legal document provider offering will templates, powers of attorney, and other legal forms. Direct competitor to Willful in the Canadian do-it-yourself legal documents market, with a broader but less estate-planning-specialized product.

Emerging players

• Wealth.com: Estate planning platform built for financial advisors to deliver wills, trusts, and related documents to clients. Closely comparable to Willful's 'Willful for Professionals' B2B SaaS offering for the advisor channel.
• Snug: US online estate planning SaaS for financial advisors and consumers, offering wills, trust, and healthcare directives. Comparable to Willful in the online will and advisor-channel estate planning space.
• Cake: Canadian end-of-life planning platform combining content, planning tools, and resources. Comparable to Willful as a Canadian-focused consumer-facing end-of-life planning brand, though more content-driven than document-generating.

Others

• Wealthsimple: Canadian digital wealth management platform that is both a partner and adjacent business. Comparable to Willful via their embedded estate planning partnership and shared end-customer (Canadian consumers needing financial planning).

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/willfulwills
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClQJUwFs8Or1BmLRJoQj1KQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillfulWills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willful
• Instagraminstagram.com/willfulwills

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors10 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Willful