Memorial Website Builders: How to Choose One and Set It Up

A memorial website is an online page for one person where family and friends can view photos, read a life story, leave messages and, often, find service details. Many services let you create a page for free and charge for extras. Before you choose one, find out what stays free, what happens if a payment stops, who can manage the page and who can see it.

What does a memorial website do?

A printed obituary is read once. A memorial page can be revisited on birthdays and anniversaries, and relatives in different places can add photos and stories over time. Most pages combine a short biography, a photo gallery, a guestbook or message wall, and a place to post service details.

It is not the same as an obituary, which is a formal announcement. If you still need to write or place one, see online obituary platforms and obituary length and format. For a broader overview of digital tributes, read online memorials.

Which memorial website services are there?

Features and prices change often. The table below reflects what each company's own website said in September 2026. For services not listed here, such as Ever Loved and ForeverMissed, read the current plan details on their sites before you decide.

Two other places are worth knowing about. If the person is buried in a VA national cemetery, the VA runs the Veterans Legacy Memorial, a searchable site where you can look up a veteran by name, branch of service, year of death and cemetery. And if the person had a Facebook account, it can be memorialized and a legacy contact named. Our guide to Facebook after death explains how.

What should you ask before you choose?

Use these questions to compare services:

• What is free? Ask about limits on photos, video and the number of contributors.
• What happens if I stop paying? Ask whether the page would be hidden, locked or removed if a payment failed.
• Can I download everything? An export of photos, text and messages protects you if the company changes or closes.
• Who can be an administrator? Look for the option to add a second or third person, and for a way to hand the page over later.
• Are there ads? Ask whether adverts can appear on the page.
• Who owns the content? Read the terms so you know what rights you keep over the photos and writing you upload.
• Does it work well on a phone? Most visitors will open the link on one.

Who can see the page?

Privacy settings differ by service, but they usually fall into three kinds:

• Public: anyone can find the page, including through a search engine.
• Link-only: the page is not listed, but anyone who has the address can open it, and can pass it on.
• Password-protected or invite-only: only people you approve can view it.

If the page holds family photos or stories you would not want strangers to see, choose the most restricted setting. Also be careful what you write. Avoid listing the home address, and think twice about full birth dates. Our guide to password management after a death covers the account side of things.

How to set up a memorial website, step by step

1. Pick a service. Use the questions above. Start with the free plan if you are unsure.
2. Create an account. Use an email address that more than one trusted family member can reach if needed.
3. Write the life story. A few short paragraphs is enough: where they grew up, the people they loved, their work and their interests. The obituary outline below can help you structure it.
4. Add photos and video. Choose clear, high-resolution originals rather than screenshots. Put them roughly in date order.
5. Choose the privacy setting before you share the address.
6. Invite contributors. Ask relatives and friends to add their own photos and stories.
7. Share the link. Put it in the funeral program, the death notice and emails. To connect the page to a grave, see our guide to QR code memorials.

What if the service changes or closes?

No company can promise that a page will exist forever, so plan for change. Keep your own copies of everything. Note the address and login in a safe place, because digital estate planning works best when the next person can find it. Consider a second administrator, and check the page once a year. Our digital legacy checklist can help you record the accounts involved.

What to do next

1. Decide who will own and maintain the page, and who will be the backup.
2. Gather photos and a short life story.
3. Compare two services on cost, privacy and export options.
4. Share the page link in the funeral program, or add a QR plaque if the cemetery allows it.