Best Executor Software: Sunset vs Competitors (2026)
Compare executor software: Sunset, ClearEstate, EstateExec, and Trust and Will on asset searches, probate forms, bank accounts, and family cost.
March 23, 2026
Executor software can help with estate settlement, but the right choice depends on what you need help doing. Some tools give you checklists and ledgers, while others help find assets, prepare probate paperwork, open an estate account, or close accounts after court authority is in place.
This guide compares Sunset, ClearEstate, EstateExec, and Trust & Will Probate across the executor jobs families ask about most: asset discovery, probate documents, estate banking, account closures and transfers, security, authority, and cost. It is informational only and is not legal advice.
What executor software should help you do
After a death, most families are trying to answer the same hard questions: What did this person own? What did they owe? Which accounts have beneficiaries? Which accounts need probate? What forms does the court need? How do we pay estate expenses without mixing money with personal funds?
A good executor support tool should make those questions easier to answer. Before comparing providers, it helps to look at five task areas.
- Asset discovery: Does the product search across institutions for bank, retirement, investment, insurance, property, vehicle, business, and debt records, or does it give you a checklist and ask you to enter what you already know?
- Probate paperwork: Does it generate county-specific and state-specific forms, or does it point you to templates, guides, or attorney help?
- Estate bank account and payments: Does it provide an FDIC-insured estate account with cards and expense tracking, or do you need to open and manage an account yourself?
- Account closures and transfers: Can the provider act under authority you grant, such as limited power of attorney for the estate, to close accounts and consolidate funds after your approval?
- Total cost to the family: What does the family pay out of pocket, what does the estate pay, and what costs are outside the provider fee, such as court, notice, appraisal, and other third-party fees?
If you are still early in the process, it may help to read Sunset's guide to what to do before you locate a probate attorney. If you already know probate is likely, Sunset's plain-English guide to how probate actually works explains the basic court path.
Sunset at a glance
Sunset is built for families who need to find assets and move the estate forward, not just track tasks. It searches 2,300+ financial institutions to find accounts and assets, generates state-specific and county-specific probate packets, and refers families to a local probate attorney when counsel is needed.
Sunset also provides an FDIC-insured estate bank account, with coverage up to $3 million, physical and virtual cards for estate expenses, and EIN setup included. Sunset has helped 15,000+ families settle estates.
Here are the main Sunset capabilities used as the benchmark in this comparison:
- Automated, nationwide asset discovery across bank, retirement, investment, insurance, property, vehicle, business, and debt data. Most families locate all assets in about a week, with many assets found in 1 business day. See How Sunset works, Bank account search, Retirement account search, Investment account search, Property search, Vehicle search, Business search, and Credit and debt search.
- County-specific probate document generation in all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, with e-notarization options. See How Sunset works.
- FDIC-insured estate bank account, with coverage up to $3 million, physical and virtual cards for estate expenses, and EIN setup included. See How Sunset works.
- Execution authority: users can grant Sunset limited power of attorney for the specified estate to discover and, with explicit approval, close accounts and consolidate assets. Sunset may also serve as investment adviser at user direction. See Terms of Use.
- Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
- Security: SOC 2 Type II certification, plus fraud prevention and identity verification across users. See How Sunset works and the Privacy Policy.
Sunset vs. ClearEstate
ClearEstate is a services firm that offers probate and estate settlement support, including communications with institutions and probate application preparation based on the plan selected. The comparison below focuses on executor tasks, automation, estate banking, and pricing.
| Task | Sunset | ClearEstate |
|---|---|---|
| Asset discovery | Automated, multi-institution search across assets and liabilities; most results in 1 business day to 1 week. See How Sunset works. | Guided discovery; service includes communications with institutions, with plan caps such as "up to 20 hours with financial institutions." Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing; clearestate.com/en-us/estate-settlement-solutions, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Probate documents | Generates county-specific forms for all 50 states; e-notarization available. | "Probate application prepared from information provided"; additional support tiers, add-ons for complex cases. Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Estate bank account | FDIC-insured estate account, up to $3M, with cards; EIN setup. | States it "facilitates the set up of the estate bank account." Source: clearestate.com/estate-settlement-solutions, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Closures and transfers | Can act under granted POA to close accounts and consolidate to the estate account, then distribute to heirs. See Terms of Use. | Provides liquidation/distribution instructions and outreach time; no claim of acting as POA on the estate's behalf. Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Pricing to family | Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs. | U.S. pricing advertised as "Probate" starting at $6,995; "Probate & Taxes" higher; surcharges for no-will/complex cases; fees exclude third-party costs. Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
ClearEstate pricing varies by jurisdiction. The listed features and hour caps come from ClearEstate's own pricing and solution pages, retrieved Oct 23, 2025. Court, notice, appraisal, and other third-party fees are typically extra for any provider.
For families choosing between software and paid professional help, the key question is whether you need a firm to guide the work, or whether you need asset discovery, probate packets, estate banking, and transfers in one place. A services firm may fit some families, especially when they want paid guidance and are comfortable with multi-thousand-dollar plan fees. Sunset is designed for families who want the asset search, paperwork, estate account, and approved closures handled through one connected process.
Sunset vs. EstateExec
EstateExec is closer to traditional executor software. It helps executors organize information, track tasks, and maintain estate records. It does not make the same type of automated asset search or estate banking claims as Sunset.
| Task | Sunset | EstateExec |
|---|---|---|
| Asset discovery | Automated discovery across banks, investments, insurance, property, vehicles, business interests, and debts. | Manual data entry with optional bank transaction import; software guidance and checklists. Sources: estateexec.com home and guide pages, including /Docs/Guide/KS, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Probate documents | Generates county-specific forms nationwide with e-notarization where supported. | Provides state-specific guidance and links to forms/calculators; not a document generation service; can arrange flat-fee probate filing with a local attorney for basic estates in select areas. Sources: estateexec.com home, /Docs/Guide/LA, /Docs/Probate_Service, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Estate bank account | FDIC-insured estate account with cards and EIN setup. | Software recommends you open an estate checking account; offers cashflow ledger/accounting but does not provide a bank account. Source: EstateExec help/guide; RetirementLiving overview, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Closures and transfers | Can act under granted POA to close accounts and consolidate to the estate account, then distribute funds. | Software only; does not act on your behalf to close accounts; optional attorney referral handles probate filings only. Source: estateexec.com/Docs/Probate_Service, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
| Pricing to family | Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs. | License fee commonly shown as a one-time $199 per estate; optional bank-import add-on after first year; Guided Start support available for $149. Sources: estateexec.com/Docs/Guide/LA and /Docs/Support, accessed Oct 23, 2025. |
EstateExec can be a fit for someone who already knows where the assets are, wants to do the work personally, and needs a ledger, task list, accounting record, and guidance. It may be less helpful for families who do not know whether the person who died had old bank accounts, insurance, investment accounts, retirement accounts, property, vehicles, business interests, or debts.
Sunset starts from a different assumption: before an executor can close accounts or distribute property, the family first needs a reliable picture of assets and liabilities. That is why Sunset's process begins with asset discovery and then connects those findings to probate paperwork, an estate account, and transfers. If you are still trying to locate accounts, Sunset's guide to finding all assets of a deceased person may help you understand what families often miss.
Sunset vs. Trust & Will Probate
Trust & Will is widely known for estate planning documents, such as wills and trusts. Its probate support is a separate offering and is sold in tiers. The comparison here is limited to probate support, not estate planning documents.
| Task | Sunset | Trust & Will Probate |
|---|---|---|
| Asset discovery | Automated search across institutions, including bank, investment, insurance, property, vehicles, and debts. | Focus is probate support; no claim of automated, multi-institution asset discovery. |
| Probate documents | Generates county-specific forms nationwide; supports e-notarization. | Probate support sold in tiers: self-guided, forms plus support; concierge; and attorney-led representation. Pricing reported as $600 / $1,999 / $5,000 as of 2025. Sources: National Council on Aging, NCOA, Trust & Will review, 2025; Trust & Will EZ-Probate acquisition note. |
| Estate bank account | FDIC-insured estate account with cards; EIN setup. | No estate bank account product disclosed for probate support. |
| Closures and transfers | Can act under granted POA to close accounts, consolidate, and distribute. | Provides guidance and, in higher tiers, attorney involvement for filings and court; not a service that directly closes accounts on your behalf. |
| Pricing to family | Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs. | Estate planning, wills/trusts, is separate and priced; probate support tiers priced as above; court/public notice fees extra. Sources: Trust & Will help center pricing; NCOA 2025 review. |
Trust & Will's estate planning prices, such as will $199 individual and trust $499 individual, are separate from its probate support tiers. Pricing and availability can vary by state and are subject to change. Sources retrieved Oct 23, 2025.
A tiered probate support service can make sense when the main need is help with a filing path or attorney-led representation. If the biggest unknown is what accounts exist, where the assets are, or how to consolidate and distribute them, families may need more than court filing support.
Security, authority, and compliance questions to ask
Executor software often asks for sensitive information, including death certificates, Social Security numbers, account details, home addresses, heir names, beneficiary details, and probate court records. Before choosing a provider, ask how it handles security, privacy, acting authority, and approvals.
Sunset maintains SOC 2 Type II certification and documents privacy practices and user options, including CCPA rights. More detail is available through How Sunset works and Sunset's Privacy Policy.
Acting authority also matters. Through its Terms, Sunset can receive limited power of attorney for the specified estate to perform discovery and, with explicit user approval, closures and transfers. It may also accept appointment as investment adviser at the user's request. See Sunset's Terms of Use.
For any provider, read the terms, check who can access estate information, and understand what the provider will do itself compared with what you must do as executor. If you are unsure whether a step requires court approval or legal counsel, speak with a probate attorney in the relevant state or county.
Which executor software fits your situation?
The best tool depends on what is missing from your process. Many families think they need "probate software," but the bigger problem is often earlier: they do not yet know what the estate contains.
Choose Sunset when you need connected help with asset discovery, county-specific probate packets, an FDIC-insured estate account, and approved account closures and transfers. Sunset searches 2,300+ financial institutions, generates state-specific and county-specific probate packets, can refer families to a local probate attorney when counsel is needed, and has helped 15,000+ families settle estates. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
Consider ClearEstate if you want a services firm to guide you and communicate with institutions for capped hours, and you are comfortable with multi-thousand-dollar plan fees plus court and third-party costs. ClearEstate's U.S. pricing was advertised as "Probate" starting at $6,995, with "Probate & Taxes" higher, surcharges for no-will/complex cases, and fees excluding third-party costs. Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing, accessed Oct 23, 2025.
Consider EstateExec if you want a DIY software ledger and checklist that you operate yourself, with optional attorney filing referrals and a per-estate license. EstateExec's license fee is commonly shown as a one-time $199 per estate, with an optional bank-import add-on after the first year and Guided Start support available for $149. Sources: estateexec.com guides and support pages, accessed Oct 23, 2025.
Consider Trust & Will's probate tiers if you want a structured support path or attorney-led filing path priced by service tier. Based on the sources cited above, probate support tiers were reported as $600 / $1,999 / $5,000 as of 2025, while asset discovery and banking remain separate responsibilities.
Sources reviewed
Sources retrieved Oct 23, 2025:
- Sunset: hellosunset.com/how-it-works; /terms-of-use; /privacy-policy; and product pages linked above.
- ClearEstate: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing; clearestate.com/en-us/estate-settlement-solutions.
- EstateExec: estateexec.com home; /FAQ.html; /Docs/Guide/LA; /Docs/Guide/KS; /Docs/Support; /Docs/Probate_Service.
- Trust & Will, estate planning and probate: trustandwill.com/compare; help.trustandwill.com, Pricing for Trusts and Wills; trustandwill.com/learn/ez-probate-acquisition-announcement.
- Third-party reference for Trust & Will probate tiers: National Council on Aging, NCOA, "Trust & Will Review (2025)."
This article is informational and is not legal advice. Pricing and availability may change by state and provider. Court and third-party costs, such as notices and appraisals, are typically extra for any solution.
FAQ
What is the best executor software after someone dies?
The best executor software depends on what you need help with. If you already know every asset and want a DIY ledger, a checklist tool may be enough. If you need to find accounts, prepare probate packets, use an estate bank account, and close or transfer assets after approval, Sunset is built around those connected steps.
Does executor software replace a probate attorney?
No. Executor software does not replace legal advice from a probate attorney. Some estates are simple enough for families to handle with forms and court instructions, while others need legal counsel because of disputes, unclear heirs, property issues, tax questions, or state law concerns. Sunset refers families to a local probate attorney when counsel is needed.
How much does executor software cost?
Costs vary by provider. EstateExec's license fee is commonly shown as a one-time $199 per estate, with Guided Start support available for $149. ClearEstate's U.S. "Probate" pricing was advertised as starting at $6,995, with higher tiers and possible surcharges. Trust & Will probate support tiers were reported as $600 / $1,999 / $5,000 as of 2025. Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership, the estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
Can executor software find bank accounts and life insurance?
Some tools only help you track information you already have. Sunset searches across bank, retirement, investment, insurance, property, vehicle, business, and debt data, including 2,300+ financial institutions. That asset-and-liabilities-first approach can help families avoid closing an estate before they have found everything they should review.
Do I need an estate bank account?
Many executors use an estate bank account to hold estate funds, pay estate expenses, and keep personal money separate from estate money. Sunset provides an FDIC-insured estate account with coverage up to $3 million, physical and virtual cards for estate expenses, and EIN setup included. If you are unsure what your court or state requires, ask a local probate attorney.
If you are settling an estate and do not know where to start, Sunset can help you find assets, prepare probate packets, open an FDIC-insured estate account, and move toward transfers to beneficiaries and heirs.