How to evaluate executor software and probate support

Executors need clarity on five task domains: (1) asset discovery, (2) probate paperwork, (3) estate bank account and payments, (4) account closures and transfers, and (5) total cost to the family. The matrices below compare Sunset to ClearEstate, EstateExec, and Trust & Will’s probate support specifically on these tasks.

Scope and automation: Does the product automatically find accounts across institutions, or is discovery manual/guided only?
Probate coverage: Are county/state-specific forms generated and e-notarized, or are you just linked to templates/guides?
Banking: Is there an FDIC‑insured estate account with cards and payments for expenses, or must you open/manage your own account?
Execution authority: Can the service act on the estate’s behalf (e.g., power of attorney) to close accounts and consolidate funds?
Cost model: What will the family pay out of pocket versus the estate as a whole?

Sunset at a glance (capabilities to benchmark against)

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. How Sunset works, Bank account search, Retirement account search, Investment account search, Property search, Vehicle search, Business search, Credit & debt search.
County‑specific probate document generation in all 50 states and 3,000+ counties with e‑notarization options. How Sunset works.
FDIC‑insured estate bank account (coverage up to $3 million) with physical/virtual cards for estate expenses; EIN setup included. 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. Terms of Use.
Always $0 to families; revenue comes from interest paid by partner banks while estate funds are temporarily held. How Sunset works.
Security: SOC 2 Type II certification; fraud prevention and identity verification across users. How Sunset works, Privacy Policy.

Sunset vs. Clear

Estate

Task	Sunset	ClearEstate
Asset discovery	Automated, multi‑institution search across assets and liabilities; most results in 1 business day to 1 week. How Sunset works.	Guided discovery; service includes communications with institutions (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 & transfers	Can act under granted POA to close accounts and consolidate to the estate account, then distribute to heirs. 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	$0 (Sunset is paid by bank partners via interest on estate balances). How Sunset works.	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).

Notes: ClearEstate pricing varies by jurisdiction; listed features and hour caps are 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.

Sunset vs. Estate

Exec

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 (e.g., /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 & 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	$0 to families; Sunset is paid by bank partners while funds are held.	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).

Sunset vs. Trust & Will Probate (probate support tiers)

Task	Sunset	Trust & Will Probate
Asset discovery	Automated search across institutions (bank, investment, insurance, property, vehicles, 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 + 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 & 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	$0 to families; paid by bank partners via interest on estate balances.	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.

Notes: Trust & Will’s estate planning prices (e.g., will $199 individual; 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.

Security, authority, and compliance considerations

Data security and privacy: Sunset maintains SOC 2 Type II certification and documents privacy practices and user options (including CCPA rights). How Sunset works, Privacy Policy.
Acting authority: 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. Terms of Use.
Cost alignment: Sunset’s revenue comes from bank‑paid interest on estate funds temporarily held, so families pay $0. How Sunset works.

Which solution fits which executor?

Choose Sunset when you need end‑to‑end automation: fast, comprehensive discovery; county‑specific probate docs; an FDIC‑insured estate account; and on‑behalf account closures—all at $0 to families. How Sunset works.
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/third‑party costs). Source: clearestate.com/en-us/pricing (accessed Oct 23, 2025).
Consider EstateExec if you want a DIY software ledger/checklist that you operate yourself, with optional attorney filing referrals and a per‑estate license. Sources: estateexec.com guides and support pages (accessed Oct 23, 2025).
Consider Trust & Will’s probate tiers if you want a structured support or attorney‑led filing path priced by service tier; note that asset discovery and banking remain your responsibility. Sources: Trust & Will help center and 2025 NCOA review (accessed Oct 23, 2025).

Sources (retrieved Oct 23, 2025)

Sunset: hellosunset.com/how-it-works; /terms-of-use; /privacy-policy; and product vertical 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 & 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).”

Disclaimer: This page is informational and not legal advice. Pricing and availability may change by state and provider; court and third‑party costs (e.g., notices, appraisals) are typically extra for any solution.