Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | ClearLegacy | Octopus Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Single will price | £69 | Free |
| Mirror wills price | £99 | Free |
| Estate-planner review | Included | Check current terms |
| Turnaround | 24 hours | Varies |
| Funded by | Fixed fee — no upsell | Probate & estate services |
| Data sharing | No third-party sharing | Read their privacy terms |
| Legal validity | Wills Act 1837 | Wills Act 1837 |
Information accurate at time of writing (June 2026). Octopus Legacy terms may change — verify on their website before starting.
ClearLegacy — £69 single / £99 mirror
Specialist-reviewed, Wills Act 1837 compliant, delivered within 24 hours.
Start Your Will — £69
Who is Octopus Legacy?
Octopus Legacy is an online will-writing service that offers free wills to UK adults aged 18 and over. The service is part of a broader business that also offers paid probate and estate-administration services. The free will acts as a gateway to those paid services — a model sometimes called "freemium" in tech, or "loss-leader" in retail.
This is a legitimate business model. The important thing is to understand what you're getting and what you're agreeing to in the terms and conditions — particularly around data sharing and future contact about their paid services.
What is ClearLegacy?
ClearLegacy is a fixed-fee online will service for England and Wales. A single will costs £69; mirror wills for couples cost £99. Every will is reviewed by a qualified estate planner before release and delivered within 24 hours. There are no subscriptions, no upsells, and no ongoing data use beyond the will itself.
The real trade-off: free vs reviewed
On the surface, free always wins. But in will-writing, what matters isn't the drafting cost — it's whether the will does what you intend when it matters most. The questions to ask:
- Is there a qualified review? ClearLegacy includes a qualified estate-planner review of every will, checking executor appointments, residuary clauses, substitution provisions and witnessing instructions. Check Octopus Legacy's current terms for what review is included in their free service.
- What are the data terms? A free will service funded by probate has a commercial reason to contact you (or your family) about paid services. ClearLegacy's fee means you are the customer, not the product.
- How fast is delivery? ClearLegacy delivers within 24 hours. Turnaround for free services depends on their capacity and business priorities.
- What happens when you die? Consider whether the probate provider that wrote your free will becomes the natural point of contact for your family. That isn't necessarily a problem, but your family should know their options.
When Octopus Legacy is a reasonable choice
This is a comparison, not a sales pitch. Octopus Legacy makes sense in some situations:
- You have a very straightforward estate and are comfortable reviewing the will yourself
- You're on a tight budget and genuinely cannot afford £69
- You've read the data-sharing terms and are comfortable with them
- You don't need the will reviewed by a qualified estate planner
- Turnaround speed is not a priority
When ClearLegacy is the better choice
- You want a qualified estate-planner review of your will before you sign it
- You want the will delivered within 24 hours
- You'd rather pay a small fixed fee than agree to data sharing with a probate business
- You have a slightly complex estate — blended families, property trusts, guardianship clauses — and want a specialist to check it
- You want no future commercial contact about probate or estate services
Legal validity — is one more valid?
No. A will's validity in England and Wales is determined by the Wills Act 1837: the testator must be 18+, of sound mind, the will must be in writing, signed in the presence of two independent witnesses who also sign. Whether you paid £0 or £69 or £500 is irrelevant to validity.
The difference is in the review. A will that technically complies with the Act but has a poorly drafted residuary clause, a beneficiary named as witness, or an ambiguous executor appointment is legally valid but practically flawed — and those flaws surface at the worst possible time.
Pros and cons
Octopus Legacy — pros
- Free for over-18s
- No upfront cost
- Part of a wider estate-planning business
- Legally valid will under Wills Act 1837
Octopus Legacy — cons
- Funded by probate business — read data terms
- Review process may differ from paid services
- Potential commercial contact about paid services
- Turnaround not guaranteed at 24 hours
ClearLegacy — pros
- Qualified estate-planner review included
- 24-hour turnaround from questionnaire
- Fixed fee — no upsells or subscriptions
- No third-party data sharing
- Clear signing and witnessing instructions
ClearLegacy — cons
- Not free — £69 single / £99 mirror
- Not suitable for very complex estates
- No phone consultation included
The bottom line
If you genuinely cannot afford £69 and have a very simple estate, a free will from Octopus Legacy is better than no will at all. For everyone else, £69 buys you a qualified review, a 24-hour turnaround, clean data terms, and the confidence that a specialist has checked your will before you sign it.
The worst outcome isn't choosing the wrong provider — it's having no will at all. Either option is better than intestacy.
Sources: Octopus Legacy website (free will terms); ClearLegacy pricing; Wills Act 1837 (legislation.gov.uk); Law Society guidance on will-writing. All information verified June 2026.
What happens when you choose ClearLegacy
- Answer the questionnaireAbout 15 minutes online. Plain English questions about your estate, executors and beneficiaries.
- Pay securely — £69 / £99One fixed fee via Stripe. No surcharges, no upsells, no subscription.
- Specialist reviewA qualified estate planner reviews your draft against the Wills Act 1837 — usually within hours.
- Sign & storeYou receive a signable PDF by email within 24 hours, with a one-page witnessing checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — Octopus Legacy offers free online wills for UK adults aged 18+. The service is funded by their probate and estate-administration business, which means they may contact you about paid services later. Read the data-sharing terms before you start.
Both produce wills that comply with the Wills Act 1837. Legal validity depends on correct drafting, signing and witnessing — not on what you paid. The difference is in the review process: ClearLegacy includes a qualified estate-planner review of every will before release.
You're paying for a qualified estate-planner review, 24-hour turnaround, no data-sharing with a probate business, and no upsell contact. If you're comfortable reviewing your own will and accept the data terms, the free option is reasonable.
Octopus Legacy's review process differs from paid services. Check their current terms for what review is included. ClearLegacy includes a qualified estate-planner review of every will as standard, checking executor appointments, residuary clauses and witnessing requirements.
Yes. A new will automatically revokes all previous wills once correctly signed and witnessed. You don't need to notify Octopus Legacy — just sign the new will and the old one is superseded.
ClearLegacy delivers a reviewed will within 24 hours of completing the questionnaire and paying. Octopus Legacy's turnaround depends on their current capacity and process — check their site for current timelines.
Ready to put a legally valid will in place?
Single Will £69. Mirror Wills £99. Reviewed by a qualified estate planner within 24 hours. No subscription, no data sharing, no hidden fees.
Start My Will — £69 →