How to post an obituary online for free
You can post an obituary for free on the funeral home's website, on a free obituary site like ObituaryUS, or on social media. The best plan is one complete page that you share everywhere, so the details live in one place.
Facts checked at the sources on October 23, 2026.
Your free options
| Where | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral home website | Usually included | Only if you use that funeral home; the home controls the page and may show flower and gift sales |
| Newspaper website | Usually comes with a paid print notice | Often posted on Legacy.com with the paper's notice |
| Veterans Legacy Memorial | Free | VA's memorial page for eligible veterans; family can add tributes after review |
| Facebook or Instagram | Free | Reaches friends fast, but posts scroll away and are hard to update |
| ObituaryUS | Free | No funeral home needed; the family owns the page, with no ads or flower sales |
Without a funeral home
With a direct cremation, a home funeral or a service weeks later, there may be no funeral home page at all. You can still publish an obituary on your own on ObituaryUS:
- Go to Write an obituary and enter the name, dates and your email.
- Confirm your email with the code we send.
- Answer the questions, choose a template and a style, and add photos.
- Read it over and publish. The page gets a permanent address based on the name and years.
You can edit it anytime, add service details later, and keep it unlisted (only people with the link) or public (searchable).
Share it the right way
- Post a short announcement on Facebook with the link, rather than the whole obituary as text. When the service time changes, you update one page.
- Text the link to family. A link is easier to forward than a screenshot.
- Put the web address at the end of a newspaper notice.
- Print the QR code on the funeral program so guests can find photos and the full story later.
Watch for livestream scams
Scammers copy obituaries onto fake Facebook pages and ask for money to "watch the funeral livestream". Tell friends the official page is the one you shared, and that the family will never charge anyone to watch a service.
Before you post
Leave out the full birth date, the mother's maiden name and the home address. They help identity thieves. Read what to include and leave out.
Source: [1]
Write it with us, free
Answer a few questions and ObituaryUS sets your words in a clean, printed-page layout you can share, print and keep. No fees, no ads on the page.
Questions families ask
Can I post an obituary without a funeral home?
Yes. Anyone can publish an obituary online. On ObituaryUS you need only an email address.
Is ObituaryUS really free?
Yes, free forever. There are no fees, no paid upgrades and no ads or flower sales on obituary pages. ObituaryUS is a service from EverSettled, which helps families settle an estate.
Will the obituary show up on Google?
Public obituaries can be found in search once they are published, the email is confirmed and the text is at least 150 words. Unlisted obituaries are not indexed.
Can I take an obituary down later?
Yes. The owner can unpublish at any time.
Sources
- Grieving Loved Ones Targeted in Obituary Scams (AARP)
- Veterans Legacy Memorial (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration)
- Submit an obituary: rates and deadlines (Tampa Bay Times)