Funeral Guide
Funeral Guide is a UK-based online directory and comparison platform that helps bereaved families find and compare 5,814 funeral directors, crematoriums, hospices, and cemeteries using verified reviews and transparent pricing. The company monetizes through recurring monthly subscription listings paid by funeral directors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersExeter, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Funeral Guide does
Funeral Guide (legally Funeral Zone Ltd) is a UK-based online directory and comparison platform serving bereaved families and individuals arranging funerals. The platform aggregates 5,814 UK funeral directors across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, alongside 303 crematoriums, enabling users to search by postcode or address and compare providers on price, distance, and reviews. Consumers access the service free of charge via the website; the platform enforces a verification mechanic whereby only individuals who have used a listed funeral director for a loved one's funeral can leave a review, with 130,577 verified reviews currently on the platform and all displayed prices stated as inclusive of third-party fees.
The underlying technology is a relational directory database combined with location-based search, multi-filter sorting (nearest, most reviewed, best rated), and a verified review ingestion layer. Beyond the core funeral director directory, the platform operates adjacent verticals including dedicated directories for hospices, crematoriums, cemeteries, and natural burial grounds, plus an obituary listing module. Supporting content assets include a Help & Advice center covering funeral planning, costs, bereavement support, government services, and estate management, alongside curated funeral hymns and poems resources. The platform is delivered exclusively as a website (no mobile app) and is operated from Exeter.
The commercial model is a two-sided marketplace monetised on the supply side: funeral directors join the platform via a "Join Now" portal and pay recurring monthly subscription fees for premium listing visibility, while consumer access remains free. Marketing is SEO-led, augmented by content marketing through the Help & Advice section and social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The company was founded in 2013 and is privately held by co-founders Ed Gallois (CEO) and Kevin Homeyard, with Kevin Baldwyn as non-executive director; total disclosed funding since inception is approximately $4.1M across four equity rounds between 2014 and 2017.
Funeral Guide firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Funeral Guide
- Legal name
- Funeral Zone Ltd
- Website
- https://funeralguide.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Funeral Guide is a UK-based online directory and comparison platform that helps bereaved families find and compare 5,814 funeral directors, crematoriums, hospices, and cemeteries using verified reviews and transparent pricing. The company monetizes through recurring monthly subscription listings paid by funeral directors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Funeral Guide industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Funeral Services Comparison Platform
- NAICS
- Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (81221), Death Care Services (8122), Cemeteries and Crematories (812220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- End-of-Life Planning & Hospice/Palliative Care Coordination (HLADALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)
Keywords
Where Funeral Guide is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Exeter
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Funeral Guide business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Funeral Director Listings and Advertising: Funeral directors join the platform to list their services and reach potential customers. The platform charges funeral directors for visibility and listing placement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Consumer access - Free |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Funeral Guide product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Funeral Guide operates a UK-wide online comparison and review platform that lets bereaved consumers find, compare, and contact 5,814 funeral directors across the United Kingdom. Listings include price estimates, distance, and reviews that are restricted to verified past service users for authenticity. The platform extends beyond funeral directors into specialized directories for crematoriums, hospices, natural burial grounds, and cemeteries, all organized by region.
Product overview
Funeral Guide is a UK-based comparison and review platform for funeral services. The core offering is the Funeral Director Directory, which provides searchable access to 5,814 funeral directors with verified reviews and price estimates. The platform operates as a multi-directory service, also offering specialized directories for crematoriums, hospices, natural burial grounds, and cemeteries, all organized by UK region. Supporting content resources include a Funeral Hymns library, Funeral Poems collection, and a Help & Advice Center covering funeral planning, bereavement support, and estate management. The platform emphasizes transparency by displaying prices inclusive of third-party fees and requires reviews to be from verified service users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Funeral Director Directory A searchable, location-based database of 5,814 UK funeral directors with reviews, distance information, and inclusive price estimates, allowing consumers to compare services by price, distance, relevance, and quality.
- Obituaries Listing Service An online obituary publishing and viewing service for families and funeral directors to publish and search obituaries for deceased individuals.
- Crematoriums Directory A comprehensive directory of 303 crematoriums across the UK (254 in England, 17 in Wales, 31 in Scotland, 1 in Northern Ireland), organized by region to help users find cremation services for funerals.
- Hospices Directory A searchable directory of UK hospices organized by region, enabling users to find palliative and end-of-life care providers near them.
- Natural Burial Grounds Directory A directory of woodland and natural burial grounds in the UK, providing eco-friendly burial options for environmentally conscious families.
- Cemeteries Directory A searchable directory of cemeteries across the UK organized by region, helping users find burial locations and cemetery services.
- Funeral Director Listing Subscription A paid recurring subscription offering for funeral directors to list on Funeral Guide, gaining visibility, placement, and access to consumer leads searching the platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,814 funeral homes listed across the UK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Funeral Guide
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Funeral Guide technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Funeral Guide partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Funeral Guide competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beyond.life: UK-based funeral comparison and planning platform that connects consumers with funeral directors and related services. Directly comparable to Funeral Guide in product, customer base, and geography.
- Perfect Choice Funerals: UK funeral price comparison service that helps families compare funeral director costs. Closely mirrors Funeral Guide's directory-and-comparison value proposition for UK consumers.
- Funeralbooker: UK-based funeral comparison platform enabling users to compare funeral director prices and reviews. Operates in the same UK online comparison category as Funeral Guide.
Broad incumbents
- Dignity plc: One of the largest UK funeral operators with a national branch network and own-brand direct digital marketing. A broad incumbent that competes for the same end-customer demand Funeral Guide channels to its listed directors.
- Co-op Funeralcare: Major UK funeral services provider with extensive branch coverage and direct digital booking. Represents the incumbent supply side Funeral Guide aggregates and could also disintermediate via its own consumer brand.
- Golden Charter: UK funeral plan provider offering pre-paid funeral plans through a network of independent funeral directors. Comparable as a UK funeral services intermediary with overlapping audience and supply-side relationships.
- Trustpilot: Global consumer review platform that covers funeral directors among many other categories. Comparable as a general-purpose reviews infrastructure that overlaps Funeral Guide's verified review differentiator.
Emerging players
- Eternity Funerals: UK-based newer entrant offering direct, simplified funeral services online. Comparable as an emerging digitally-native player targeting the same end-of-life consumer with a more direct service model.
- Willow Stream: UK direct cremation provider focused on simple, lower-cost funeral services. Comparable as a digitally-native UK death-care brand competing for the same consumer search demand.
- Pure Cremation: UK direct cremation specialist with strong digital marketing and at-need planning tools. Comparable as an emerging digital-first UK death-care operator that could capture demand Funeral Guide currently routes to listed directors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Funeral Guide social profiles
Digital presenceFuneral Guide financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Funeral Guide leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Funeral Guide funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Funeral Guide M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Funeral Guide
What does Funeral Guide do?
Funeral Guide operates a UK-wide online comparison and review platform that lets bereaved consumers find, compare, and contact 5,814 funeral directors across the United Kingdom. Listings include price estimates, distance, and reviews that are restricted to verified past service users for authenticity. The platform extends beyond funeral directors into specialized directories for crematoriums, hospices, natural burial grounds, and cemeteries, all organized by region.
Is Funeral Guide a public or private company?
Funeral Guide is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Funeral Guide founded?
Funeral Guide was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Funeral Guide based?
Funeral Guide is headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Funeral Guide make money?
One revenue line is on record: funeral Director Listings and Advertising.
Who are Funeral Guide's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beyond.life, Perfect Choice Funerals and Funeralbooker. Broad incumbents are Dignity plc, Co-op Funeralcare, Golden Charter and Trustpilot. Emerging players are Eternity Funerals, Willow Stream and Pure Cremation.
Does Funeral Guide have an API?
No public API is recorded for Funeral Guide.
What industry is Funeral Guide in?
Funeral Guide's product category is Funeral Services Comparison Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADALAL, End-of-Life Planning & Hospice/Palliative Care Coordination, with a secondary code of HSABAFAI, Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare). Its NAICS code is 81221.