Passings vs Everplans: Which End-of-Life Planning Platform Is Right for You?

What is Everplans?

Everplans is one of the longest-running digital end-of-life planning platforms, founded in 2012 and based in New York. It functions primarily as a secure digital vault where users store important documents — wills, passwords, funeral wishes, insurance policies — and share access with designated deputies.

The platform organises information across five areas: personal, eldercare, healthcare, financial and legal, and death and burial wishes. It includes a questionnaire that identifies gaps in your plan and provides educational resources to help fill them. Everplans offers both direct-to-consumer subscriptions and business-to-business partnerships with financial advisors and employers.

What is Passings?

Passings is a comprehensive end-of-life planning platform built specifically for families. It combines guided planning checklists (270 tasks across 13 categories), a zero-knowledge encrypted document vault, a provider marketplace for finding local funeral homes and attorneys, an AI planning companion, an obituary writer, a budget estimator, and a legacy studio for preserving letters, voice notes, and photos.

Passings serves both people planning ahead (pre-need) and families navigating the immediate aftermath of a loss (immediate-need), with dedicated checklists for each situation. It offers a free tier with core functionality and paid plans for expanded features.

How do the features compare?

The most significant difference between Passings and Everplans is scope. Everplans is primarily a document organiser with educational content. Passings is a full planning platform that includes document storage alongside guided task management, provider discovery, AI assistance, and legacy preservation.

Everplans does not offer a provider marketplace, obituary writer, budget estimator, or AI planning companion. It also lacks the guided checklist approach that walks families through each step of the planning process. Where Everplans asks you to organise your own documents, Passings tells you which documents you need, helps you find the professionals who can create them, and stores them securely once you have them.

Both platforms support family sharing and collaboration, allowing you to invite trusted contacts to view specific parts of your plan.

How does security compare?

This is a critical differentiator. Passings uses zero-knowledge AES-256-GCM encryption with client-side key derivation. This means your documents are encrypted on your device before they ever reach the server. Passings cannot read your files — only you can unlock them with your password, which never touches the server.

Everplans uses standard encryption (data is encrypted at rest and in transit), but the platform can technically access your stored documents. For families storing sensitive legal and financial records, the zero-knowledge approach provides a meaningfully higher level of privacy.

What does each platform cost?

Everplans charges between $75 and $100 per year depending on the plan, with a free trial available. There is no permanent free tier — once the trial ends, you need a paid subscription to continue using the platform.

Passings offers a free tier with genuine functionality, including access to guided checklists, family collaboration, and the provider marketplace. Paid plans unlock additional features like the encrypted document vault and obituary writer. For families who want to start planning without a financial commitment, Passings provides a lower barrier to entry.

Which platform is better for pre-need planning?

Passings is the stronger choice for pre-need planning. Its 270-task guided checklist is specifically designed for people planning ahead, covering everything from legal documents and insurance to funeral wishes and legacy messages. The checklist adapts based on your answers and tracks your progress with a readiness score.

Everplans supports pre-need planning through its questionnaire and educational resources, but the experience is more passive — it helps you organise what you already have rather than guiding you through what you still need to do.

Which platform is better after a loss?

Passings includes a dedicated immediate-need checklist designed for the days and weeks following a death. This covers time-sensitive tasks like obtaining death certificates, notifying institutions, and making funeral arrangements, presented in priority order so families know exactly what to do first.

Everplans does not have a structured immediate-need workflow. While its stored documents are accessible to designated deputies after a death, the platform does not provide step-by-step guidance for the post-loss process.

Who should choose Everplans?

Everplans may be a good fit if your primary need is document storage and you already know what documents you have and what you need. It has a long track record, a solid educational content library, and an iOS app for mobile access. Families who want a straightforward digital filing cabinet for their estate documents without guided planning features may find it sufficient.

Who should choose Passings?

Passings is the better choice for families who want a guided, start-to-finish planning experience. If you are unsure where to begin, need help finding local providers, want AI-powered guidance on what to prioritise, or value zero-knowledge encryption for your most sensitive documents, Passings offers significantly more functionality — and it starts free.

For families comparing platforms, tools like the estate planning checklist and the end-of-life documents checklist can help clarify exactly which documents and decisions belong in a complete plan — and which platform is better suited to help you get there. If one of the key decisions is burial vs. cremation, the cremation vs. burial costs guide covers the full financial and practical tradeoffs.

Frequently asked questions

Is Passings free?

Yes. Passings offers a free tier that includes guided planning checklists, family collaboration, the provider marketplace, and the AI planning companion. Paid plans unlock additional features like the encrypted document vault, obituary writer, and budget estimator.

Can I switch from Everplans to Passings?

Yes. You can download your documents from Everplans and upload them to the Passings document vault. Since Passings uses a different planning structure (guided checklists rather than a questionnaire-based approach), you would build your plan fresh within Passings rather than importing an Everplans plan directly.

Does Passings create legal documents like wills?

Not currently — legal will creation is on the Passings roadmap. Passings is designed as a planning and organisation tool, not a legal document generator. However, the provider marketplace can connect you with estate attorneys in your area who can draft legally binding documents.

Which platform has better security?

Passings offers zero-knowledge AES-256-GCM encryption, meaning your documents are encrypted on your device before reaching the server. Everplans uses standard at-rest and in-transit encryption. For families prioritising privacy of sensitive documents, Passings provides a stronger security model.

Disclaimer — For informational purposes only

This article is compiled from publicly available resources and is provided solely for general informational purposes. It does not constitute and should not be relied upon as legal, financial, tax, insurance, medical, psychological, or other professional advice. Passings is a planning and organizational platform, not a licensed advisory service, and no attorney-client, financial advisor-client, or other professional relationship is created by reading this content.

Laws, regulations, financial products, and professional standards vary by state and change over time. Passings makes no representations or warranties — express or implied — regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or suitability of any information contained herein. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Passings disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or harm arising from your use of or reliance on this content. Always consult a qualified, licensed professional — including an attorney, financial advisor, CPA, or licensed counselor — before making decisions specific to your situation.

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