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About afterlife.directory

Why Digital Legacy Planning Matters

Your digital life outlives you — and most people have no plan for it.

The average person has over 160 online accounts. When they die, each platform handles their data differently — some let family transfer it, some memorialize it, some delete it, some do nothing at all.

There is no single place to find out what your options are.

afterlife.directory is that place. We track what major platforms do with your data when you die, so you and your family can make informed decisions before it's too late.

Why this needs to exist

Every platform buries its death policy in a different help page, written in language most people will never read.

Googlehas an Inactive Account Manager
Applehas Legacy Contacts
Facebooklets you pick someone to manage your memorialized profile
Steamsays your game library dies with you
Spotifyhas no formal policy at all

Most people have no idea any of this exists.

According to security research:

71%

want loved ones to access their accounts after death

29%

have taken any steps to make that happen

Families discover this gap at the worst possible moment. While grieving, they find themselves:

  • •Locked out of photo libraries
  • •Unable to cancel subscriptions still charging a dead person's credit card
  • •Permanently losing access to cryptocurrency wallets because nobody knew the recovery phrase

Legal frameworks are catching up. The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) has been adopted by over 40 US states, giving executors and heirs a legal path to access digital accounts. But most people have never heard of it, and platforms don't always comply.

The information exists — it's just scattered across hundreds of help pages, legal documents, and support forums. We consolidate it into one place, assess it consistently, and keep it up to date.

How we assess platforms

Every service in the directory is evaluated on six specific features that determine how much control you have over your data after death:

TransferCan your data or account be transferred to heirs?
MemorialCan the account be memorialized as a lasting tribute?
DeletionCan the account be deleted after death?
Legacy ContactCan you designate someone in advance to manage the account?
DownloadCan your data be exported while the account is accessible?
InactivityDoes the platform have an automatic inactivity policy?

The number of features a platform supports determines its Death Readiness Score — an objective, verifiable metric.

6/6

All features supported

1/6

Only deletion

There is no subjective weighting.

Every entry includes a policy summary, a link to the official source where available, and a "last verified" date.

We update the directory through a combination of automated monitoring and human curation. When a platform changes its policy, we catch it.

There are no affiliate links, sponsorships, or paid placements in this directory. The rankings are not influenced by any commercial relationship.

Frequently asked questions

What is the "digital afterlife"?

The digital afterlife is what happens to your online accounts, data, and digital assets after you die. Every platform — from Google to Steam to Spotify — has different rules about who can access your data, whether it can be transferred to someone else, and if or when it gets deleted. Most people never think about this until it's too late.

Why doesn't everyone already know about this?

Because every platform handles it differently and buries the information in separate help pages. There has never been a single consolidated resource. Most people only discover the problem when a family member dies and they're suddenly locked out of accounts they need to access.

What do the feature badges mean?

Each platform is assessed on six features. Transfer means your data can be moved to heirs. Memorial means the account can be preserved as a tribute. Deletion means the account can be removed after death. Legacy Contact means you can designate someone in advance. Download means your data can be exported. Inactivity means the platform takes automatic action after a period of no activity.

How is the Death Readiness Score calculated?

The score equals the number of features a platform supports, out of six. More features means more control for you and your family. It's fully objective — anyone can verify it by checking which features a platform supports.

How do you verify the information?

Every entry is checked against the platform's official help pages, terms of service, or support documentation. We link to the primary source wherever possible. Entries that could not be verified against an official source are marked as unverified.

How often is this updated?

We run automated monitoring agents weekly that search for policy changes across all tracked platforms. When a change is detected, it is reviewed by a human before the directory is updated. Every entry displays a "last verified" date so you know how current the information is.

Can I suggest a platform that's missing?

Yes. Use the "Suggest new listing" button on the directory page. We review every submission and add verified entries to the directory.

Who funds this project?

This is an independent project. There are no affiliate links, sponsorships, or paid placements. The directory is free to use and will remain so.

Is this legal advice?

No. This directory provides general information about platform policies. It is not legal advice. For estate planning or digital asset management, consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.

What is RUFADAA?

The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. It has been adopted by over 40 US states and provides a legal framework for executors and heirs to access digital accounts after someone dies. However, platform terms of service don't always align with it, and enforcement varies.

Get in touch

Contact Us

Send us a message and we'll get back to you shortly. Or email us directly at hello@afterlife.directory

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