Crypto inheritance services, compared honestly
Every approach below is legitimate. This page compares them fairly — including where Bitzo is not the right choice — using each provider's own published materials.
Information from providers' public websites, July 2026. Prices and features change — verify with each provider. Bitzo has no affiliation with any provider listed. Not financial, legal or tax advice.
The comparison table
| Capability | Bitzo | Casa | Unchained | Nunchuk / Liana | Vault12 / Inheriti | AnchorWatch | Solicitor only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available to UK customers | Yes (UK-native) | Yes | No (US only) | Yes (software) | Yes | No (insurance US-only) | Yes |
| Human death & authority verification | Yes — recorded calls, document checks | Partial — 6-month inactivity wait; ID fast-path US-only | Yes (US process) | No — calendar timelocks | No — guardian votes / dead-man's switch | No — timelocks | Yes (legal only) |
| Designed around UK probate, IHT & solicitors | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Non-custodial (provider never holds your keys) | Yes — never touches keys | Partial — holds 1 of 3 keys | Partial — holds 1 of 3 keys | Yes | Yes — encrypted shards | Partial — co-signer | Yes (n/a) |
| Covers any asset type | Yes | Partial — BTC, ETH, stablecoins | No — Bitcoin only | No — Bitcoin only | Yes — any secret | No — Bitcoin only | Yes (legal coverage only) |
| Inheritance enforced by cryptography | Partial — optional Bitcoin timelock recovery path, enforced on-chain, works without Bitzo | No | Partial | Yes — on-chain timelocks | No — needs provider infrastructure | Yes | No |
| Insured holdings | No | No | No | No | No | Yes — Lloyd's, US customers only | No |
| Human help for grieving, non-technical families | Yes — the core service | Partial — tier-dependent | Yes (US) | Partial — paid plans | No — self-serve | Partial | Yes (legal side only) |
| Track record over 5 years | No — founded 2025 | Yes — 2016 | Yes — 2016 | No — 2020/2022 | Yes — 2014 / 2017 | No — 2022 | Yes |
| Published price, from | £19/month | $250/year | $250–$6,000/year | $480/yr / free (≈€500/yr concierge) | ≈$360/yr / ≈€40 one-time | ≈0.6–1.15% of holdings/yr | from ≈£150 (will) |
Prices as published by each provider, July 2026, in their own currency. "Partial" means the capability exists with meaningful limits.
What Bitzo does that others don't
- Verifies death and authority like it matters. Every alternative triggers on something other than verified death: Casa waits six months of account inactivity, Nunchuk and Liana fire on calendar timelocks, Vault12 and Inheriti rely on guardian votes or missed check-ins. Bitzo verifies real-world authority — recorded calls, rotating codes, death certificates and grants of probate where required — before anything moves.
- Built for UK probate, not around it. Wills become public at probate, standard "personal possessions" clauses don't cover cryptoassets, and executors face HMRC valuation duties. Bitzo's documentation is designed to sit alongside a UK will, letter of wishes, solicitor and IHT process. No overseas provider addresses any of this.
- Your family talks to a human, not an app. When recovery is needed, your family speaks to a UK-based specialist who guides them step by step. They don't need to install wallet software, import a descriptor file, keep a USB key alive for a decade, or understand what a multisig quorum is.
- Covers everything, not just Bitcoin. Unchained, Nunchuk, Liana and AnchorWatch are Bitcoin-only. Bitzo documents your whole position: Bitcoin, Ethereum, exchange accounts and the records your executor will actually need.
- Works with your adviser, not around them. Solicitors, IFAs and accountants get audit-ready documentation and a partner programme. Most providers don't acknowledge professional advisers exist.
What others do that Bitzo doesn't
- Cryptographic enforcement (Liana, Nunchuk, AnchorWatch). On-chain timelocks execute inheritance even if the provider vanishes — Liana and Nunchuk built their products around this. Bitzo now offers the same mechanism as an optional Bitcoin recovery path, set up in your own open-source wallet and documented in your Policy Pack. Where they still lead: it is their core product, and it covers every client by default rather than as an option.
- Insurance (AnchorWatch). AnchorWatch insures holdings up to $100M+ on Lloyd's paper. Nobody offers this to UK customers today — including Bitzo.
- A decade of track record (Casa, Unchained). Casa has secured billions since 2016; Unchained survived the 2022 credit collapse with zero losses. Bitzo was founded in 2025 and asks to be judged on process and transparency while we build that history.
- Free, open-source software (Liana). If you are deeply technical and want pure self-sovereignty at zero cost, Liana's open-source timelock wallet is genuinely excellent — and we'll say so.
Which should you choose?
- You're deeply technical and want trustless Bitcoin inheritance → Liana (free) or Nunchuk (~$480/yr). Stronger cryptographic guarantees than any human process — if your heirs can handle descriptors, seeds and timelocks.
- You want cheap, credible multisig with an app-led inheritance flow → Casa ($250/yr). Ten years of reputation. Accept the 6-month inactivity wait and no UK legal layer.
- You're a US resident → Unchained (estate integration) or AnchorWatch (insured). Both are excellent — and unavailable in the UK.
- You want a cheap digital "break glass" backup and will DIY the rest → Vault12 (~$360/yr) or Inheriti (~€40 one-time) — with eyes open about their platform dependencies.
- You hold crypto in the UK and want your family to have a verified, human-led process that works with your will, solicitor and HMRC → That's what Bitzo is for — and the only entry on this page built for it.
Honest questions
Is Bitzo better than Casa?
For a technically comfortable holder who wants multisig software with inheritance built in, Casa is better value at $250/year and has a decade of track record. Bitzo is the better fit when the priority is UK legal alignment, verified death and authority checks, and a human process your non-technical family can actually follow.
Why isn't Unchained or AnchorWatch on my shortlist?
If you live in the UK, they can't serve you: Unchained is US-only and AnchorWatch's insurance is only available to US customers. If you live in the US, they should absolutely be on your shortlist.
What happens if Bitzo disappears?
Your Policy Pack and documentation are yours, held by you and your nominated contacts — they are designed to remain useful without us. For Bitcoin, an optional on-chain timelocked recovery path is enforced by the Bitcoin network itself, so it matures and works whether or not Bitzo exists. There is no Bitzo server your family must reach to read your own plan.
Why should I trust a company founded in 2025?
You shouldn't — not blindly. That's why everything Bitzo does is documented, auditable and non-custodial: we never hold keys or funds, so the trust required is about process quality, not asset safety. Judge us on the documentation we produce and the checks we run.
See where you stand
A 20-minute call will tell you whether Bitzo, a competitor, or a simpler setup is right for you — and we'll tell you honestly. Book a 20-minute call or view pricing.