Passings vs Lantern: How Passings Compares to What Lantern Offered

What was Lantern?

Lantern was an end-of-life planning platform founded in 2018 by Liz Eddy and Alyssa Ruderman in New York. It offered both pre-planning tools and post-loss guidance, walking users through the process step by step. The platform included checklists, document storage, a funeral home search tool (Funeralocity), collaboration features, and an extensive article library on end-of-life topics.

Lantern was one of the first platforms to treat end-of-life planning as a holistic experience rather than a single-feature tool. Its users skewed younger (ages 25 to 35), and many started planning after a major life event like a birth, marriage, or the death of a family member.

What happened to Lantern?

In 2023, Lantern was acquired by Wellthy, a broader caregiving platform that helps families manage care needs across all phases of life. Over the following year, Wellthy integrated Lantern's end-of-life planning content into its own platform. The standalone Lantern product was decommissioned in September 2024, and lantern.co no longer operates as an independent planning tool.

Wellthy continues to serve approximately two million people through employer partnerships with companies including Best Buy, Hilton, Cisco, and Meta. However, Wellthy is a business-to-business-to-consumer platform — individual consumers cannot easily sign up for the standalone end-of-life planning experience that Lantern once provided.

This means former Lantern users who valued a direct, consumer-facing end-of-life planning tool now need an alternative.

How does Passings compare to what Lantern offered?

Passings covers everything Lantern did and goes significantly further. Both platforms share the same foundational philosophy: that end-of-life planning should be guided, step-by-step, and accessible to everyone — not just professionals or people with expensive attorneys.

Like Lantern, Passings offers guided planning checklists for both pre-need and immediate-need situations, document storage, family collaboration, and educational resources. Where Passings goes beyond Lantern is in the depth and breadth of its toolset: a zero-knowledge encrypted vault (Lantern used standard encryption), a provider marketplace with direct quote requests, an AI planning companion, a budget estimator, an obituary writer, and a legacy studio for preserving personal messages, voice notes, and photos. For former Lantern users rebuilding their plan, the end-of-life documents checklist and the estate planning checklist are practical starting points to make sure nothing important is missed. If you are working through the disposition-of-remains decision for the first time, the cremation vs. burial costs guide explains the key tradeoffs. For broader orientation on end-of-life planning, the end-of-life planning guide covers the full landscape.

What features does Passings have that Lantern did not?

Passings includes several features that Lantern never offered. The zero-knowledge encrypted document vault means your files are encrypted on your device before upload — even Passings cannot read them. The provider marketplace lets you browse, compare, and contact local funeral homes, attorneys, and celebrants directly — no cold calls. The AI planning companion provides plain-language guidance on any end-of-life planning question. The budget estimator helps families understand and plan for funeral costs. And the legacy studio goes beyond document storage to include personal letters, recorded voice notes, and photo stories with captions.

Passings also offers a more comprehensive checklist system: 270 tasks across 13 categories compared to Lantern's smaller task set, with dedicated workflows for both pre-need and immediate-need planning.

Is Passings free like Lantern was?

Lantern offered a free tier with basic tools and a paid plan at $27 per year (later $149 for a one-time lifetime option) for advanced features including progress tracking and family collaboration.

Passings offers a free tier that is more generous than Lantern's was. Free users get access to guided 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 transfer my Lantern data to Passings?

Since Lantern has been decommissioned, your Lantern data may no longer be accessible through the original platform. Wellthy's support team may be able to help you download your Lantern care plan documents — they have directed former users to contact [email protected].

Once you have your documents, you can upload them directly to the Passings document vault and rebuild your plan using the guided checklists. While there is no automated import from Lantern, the guided planning process in Passings means you will not miss any important steps when rebuilding.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lantern still available?

No. Lantern was acquired by Wellthy in 2023 and decommissioned in September 2024. The lantern.co website directs former users to Wellthy for continued support. Wellthy is primarily available through employer and health plan partnerships.

What is the best alternative to Lantern?

Passings is the closest alternative to Lantern's original standalone planning experience. It shares Lantern's guided, step-by-step approach while adding features Lantern never had, including zero-knowledge encryption, a provider marketplace, AI guidance, and a legacy studio. Unlike Wellthy (which absorbed Lantern), Passings is available directly to any consumer for free.

Did Lantern's content survive the Wellthy acquisition?

Wellthy has integrated Lantern's educational content and planning materials into its own platform. However, accessing this content requires a Wellthy account, which is primarily available through employer or health plan partnerships rather than direct consumer signup.

How is Passings different from Wellthy?

Wellthy is a broad caregiving platform covering all phases of life, with end-of-life planning as one component among many. Passings is purpose-built specifically for end-of-life planning, with deeper features in this area including guided checklists, an encrypted vault, a provider marketplace, and legacy tools. Wellthy requires employer or insurer access; Passings is available directly to any consumer.

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.

Related resources