Will Writing Software Compared: Willo vs Arken vs WillSuite (2026)

Choosing the right will writing software is one of the most important decisions you will make when setting up or running your estate planning practice. The right platform saves you hours of work, keeps your clients organised, helps you find new business, and ensures every document you produce is professional and compliant.

In the UK market, three platforms dominate the conversation: Willo, Arken, and WillSuite. Each has its strengths and target audience. In this comparison, we aim to give you an honest, detailed look at all three so you can make an informed decision. Yes, we are the team behind Willo, but we believe our platform speaks for itself — so we will present the facts and let you decide.

Quick Comparison Overview

You can also view this comparison on our main comparison page.

Willo: The All-in-One Platform

Overview

Willo is built by Project Will Ltd, a company that has been supporting UK estate planners since 2009. Unlike competitors that focus solely on document drafting, Willo is designed as a complete business management platform — handling everything from initial lead capture through to document generation, client communication, invoicing, and payment collection.

Key Features

• Document drafting — Create wills (single and mirror), Lasting Powers of Attorney (health and financial), trusts, severance documents, and letters of wishes using guided questionnaires with auto-save
• Full CRM — Client profiles, family trees, asset tracking, document history, notes, and a visual progress pipeline
• Lead marketplace — Receive qualified will writing leads for just £5 each, delivered directly into your prospect list
• Email integration — Connect your own domain email via IMAP/SMTP. Send and receive emails directly within the platform
• SMS campaigns — Send individual or bulk SMS messages to clients and prospects
• Email campaigns — Create and send email campaigns with customisable templates
• Video meetings — WILLO HOLA built-in video messaging for remote client consultations
• Invoicing and accounts — Create branded invoices, track expenses, export PDF reports, and manage your accounts
• GoCardless payments — Collect client payments via Direct Debit through GoCardless integration
• Calendar and scheduling — Built-in calendar with appointment scheduling and task management
• Quote builder — Generate professional quotes for clients
• Custom branding — Customise will designs, invoices, emails, and quotes with your own branding
• Client portal — Share documents and information with clients through a secure portal
• Knowledgebase — Access training videos, tutorials, and documentation within the platform

Pricing

Willo has a single, simple pricing plan: £150 per month. This includes everything listed above with unlimited usage. There are no per-document fees, no add-on charges, no annual commitments, and no contracts. You can cancel at any time.

Leads from the marketplace are billed separately at £5 each, invoiced monthly.

Who Is Willo Best For?

Willo is ideal for independent will writers, sole practitioners, small estate planning firms, career changers who are new to the industry, and anyone who wants a complete business solution without the complexity and cost of enterprise software. The absence of accreditation requirements makes it particularly attractive to those entering the profession without existing memberships.

Pros

• Most comprehensive feature set in the market
• Unlimited documents at a flat monthly rate
• No contracts or minimum commitments
• No accreditation requirements
• Built-in lead marketplace at £5 per lead
• Full email and SMS integration
• Video meetings included
• Complete invoicing and payment collection
• Free training through Project Will

Cons

• Newer to market compared to Arken (though backed by 16 years of Project Will experience)
• Not endorsed by SWW or IPW (by design — Willo does not believe in gatekeeping)
• May have more features than a very small, part-time practice needs

Arken: The Enterprise Option

Overview

Arken has been in the UK legal technology market for many years and positions itself primarily at larger professional firms, including solicitor practices and established will writing companies. It is well-regarded for its document drafting capabilities and has a solid reputation among traditional legal professionals.

Key Features

• Document drafting — Will drafting with clause library, LPAs, and supporting documents
• Client management — Basic client record management
• Document storage — Arken Vault for secure document storage (additional cost)
• Compliance tools — Features designed for regulated firms
• Multi-user access — Designed for firms with multiple practitioners

Pricing

Arken's pricing starts at approximately £107 per month, but this is for their most basic tier which includes only 10 documents per month. As you need more documents or add features, costs escalate:

• Base plan (10 documents/month): approximately £107/month
• Additional document bundles: varying costs per tier
• Arken Vault (document storage): additional monthly fee
• Additional modules and features: each carries its own cost
• Total cost for a comparable feature set: often £300+ per month

Arken typically requires annual commitments, which means you are locked in for 12 months even if the platform does not meet your expectations.

Who Is Arken Best For?

Arken is best suited to established legal firms, solicitor practices, and larger will writing companies that need compliance-focused software and have the budget for enterprise pricing. It is not designed for independent will writers or those new to the profession.

Pros

• Established reputation in the legal technology market
• Strong document drafting with extensive clause library
• Compliance-focused features for regulated firms
• Multi-user capabilities for larger teams

Cons

• Entry-level plan limited to just 10 documents per month
• Expensive add-ons push total costs well above £300/month
• Annual contract commitments
• No built-in lead generation
• No email or SMS integration
• No video meeting capability
• No invoicing or payment collection
• No free training provided
• Primarily targets larger professional firms

WillSuite: The SWW/IPW Endorsed Option

Overview

WillSuite is endorsed by both the Society of Will Writers (SWW) and the Institute of Professional Will Writers (IPW). It positions itself as the "official" software for accredited will writers and has a solid user base among SWW and IPW members. The platform focuses on document production and basic practice management.

Key Features

• Document drafting — Will preparation with guided workflows
• LPA drafting — Lasting Power of Attorney document creation
• Client management — Basic CRM functionality
• Office 365 integration — Email integration specifically through Microsoft Office 365
• SMS reminders — Automated appointment reminders (not full campaign capability)
• Basic invoicing — Simple invoice generation

Pricing

WillSuite is priced at approximately £150 per user per month. For a single practitioner, this is comparable to Willo's pricing. However, for any firm with more than one user, costs multiply quickly. A two-person practice would pay £300/month, a three-person practice £450/month, and so on.

Who Is WillSuite Best For?

WillSuite is best for will writers who are already members of the SWW or IPW and value having software endorsed by their professional body. If you are already invested in the SWW or IPW ecosystem and use Microsoft Office 365, WillSuite provides a natural fit.

Pros

• Endorsed by SWW and IPW
• Solid document drafting capabilities
• Office 365 email integration
• Rolling monthly subscription (no annual lock-in)

Cons

• Per-user pricing makes it expensive for multi-person practices
• Effectively requires SWW or IPW membership
• Email integration limited to Office 365 only
• SMS limited to reminders only (no campaign capability)
• No built-in lead generation
• No video meeting capability
• No GoCardless payment collection
• No free training provided
• Basic invoicing compared to Willo's full accounting suite

Feature-by-Feature Deep Dive

Document Drafting

All three platforms offer solid will drafting capabilities. Arken has the most established clause library, built over many years in the legal market. WillSuite provides SWW/IPW-compliant templates. Willo uses guided questionnaires that simplify the process while maintaining legal compliance, with auto-save functionality that lets you work across multiple sessions.

Where Willo differentiates itself is in the breadth of documents supported. Beyond wills and LPAs, Willo handles trusts, severance documents, letters of wishes, and more — all included in the base price. With Arken, additional document types often require add-on modules at extra cost.

Client Management

Willo offers the most comprehensive CRM of the three, with client profiles, family trees, asset tracking, document history, notes, and a visual progress pipeline. This goes well beyond basic contact management, giving you a true picture of each client's estate planning situation.

Arken and WillSuite provide more basic client record management. They store client details and link them to documents, but do not offer the same depth of CRM functionality.

Lead Generation

This is where Willo stands alone. The built-in lead marketplace delivers qualified prospects for £5 each — a fraction of the £150 to £700 that traditional lead generation companies charge. Neither Arken nor WillSuite offers any lead generation capability. Read our complete guide to will writing lead generation for more detail.

Communication Tools

Willo provides full IMAP/SMTP email integration (use your own domain), built-in SMS campaigns, email campaigns with templates, and WILLO HOLA video meetings. This means you can handle all client communications from within a single platform.

WillSuite offers Office 365 email integration only, which limits you to the Microsoft ecosystem. It provides SMS reminders for appointments but not full campaign capability. Arken does not include email or SMS integration.

Financial Management

Willo includes a full invoicing and accounting suite with branded invoices, expense tracking, PDF reports, and GoCardless Direct Debit integration for payment collection. WillSuite offers basic invoicing. Arken does not include any financial management tools.

Training and Support

Willo users receive free training through Project Will, including access to a network of 500+ UK estate planners and ongoing support through the built-in ticket system. Neither Arken nor WillSuite offers equivalent free training.

Cost Analysis: The Real Price of Each Platform

Let us look at what each platform really costs when you need a full-featured solution for a single practitioner:

When you factor in the additional tools you would need to replace Willo's built-in features — a separate email marketing tool, an SMS platform, video conferencing software, accounting software — the cost difference becomes even more pronounced.

The Verdict

Each platform serves a different audience:

• Choose Willo if you want the most feature-complete platform at a fair price, with no contracts, no accreditation requirements, and a built-in lead marketplace. Ideal for independent practitioners, career changers, and small firms.
• Choose Arken if you run a larger, established legal firm that needs enterprise-level compliance tools and has the budget for add-on modules. Be prepared for annual contracts and higher total costs.
• Choose WillSuite if you are an existing SWW/IPW member who values having endorsed software and already uses Microsoft Office 365. Be aware of per-user pricing scaling.

For the vast majority of will writers and estate planners in the UK — particularly those building or growing their practice — Willo offers the best combination of features, value, and flexibility. The addition of the £5 lead marketplace, which no competitor offers, makes it a uniquely powerful platform for business growth.

Related Reading

• Best Estate Planning Software in the UK (2026 Review)
• How to Become a Will Writer in the UK (2026 Guide)
• The Complete Guide to Will Writing Lead Generation
• How to Start a Will Writing Business From Home