A self-hosted Everplans alternative
Open source vs hosted. See how Harbor stacks up.
| Question | Harbor | Everplans |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $99.99 a year |
| How your records are hosted | On your server, under your control | On Everplans’ servers |
| Who owns the service | You run it | Precoa, since 2024 |
| Legal requests for your records | Handled by you | Handled by Everplans |
| How much you can store | Unlimited | 3 items free, unlimited on Premium |
| Backups | Nightly, to a provider you choose | Manual download only |
| Two-step sign-in | Required, with an authenticator app | Optional, code sent to your phone |
| On your phone | Web app on any phone | iPhone app; no Android |
| Source code | Open (AGPL-3.0) | Closed |
| Setup | Your own Linux machine | Sign up in a browser |
Checked against these sources: pricing, security, privacy policy, terms, about, mobile app, download, NGL acquisition, Precoa acquisition.
Why self-hosting matters
- 01
Stay in control
Your records live on a machine you own, not on a company’s servers. You decide who can open them, where they are backed up and what leaves your house. No company holds them, hands them over or changes the rules.
“We may also share your Personal Information solely to the extent required by law to comply with a subpoena or analogous legal process or governmental request; while this may include certain of your Secure Information…”
Everplans privacy policy - 02
Protect from corporate churn
Everplans has changed owners twice: a life insurer bought it in 2021, and Precoa, an end-of-life planning company that works with funeral homes, in 2024. Its privacy policy says the buyer takes your records with it. Harbor is open source: the copy you run keeps working whatever happens to any company, including the people who make Harbor.
“The Acquirer will possess your Basic Information and any other Personal Information you do not delete from the Services (which may include part or all of your Secure Information)…”
Everplans privacy policy - 03
Pay once, not every year
Everplans Premium is $99.99 a year, and the free plan holds three items. Ten years of Premium costs about $1,000. Harbor is free: buy a small computer once, or use one you already have, and pay a few dollars a year for electricity.
Cost over ten years - Everplans Premium
- $1,000
- Harbor at home
- about $330
Ten-year estimate with subscription prices held constant: Premium is $99.99 a year. Harbor assumes a $250 computer with storage, drawing 5 W at $0.188 per kWh: about $80 in electricity. Backup storage, optional hosted AI and any hardware replacements are extra.
Use Everplans if
Harbor is software you run, and that is not for every household.
- You don’t want to set anything up yourself
- You’re comfortable with changing corporate governance
- You don’t mind paying a subscription
- You’re comfortable with a third party holding your records
Switching from Everplans
- Can I move my documents from Everplans to Harbor?
- Yes. On your Everplans dashboard, choose Preview/Download, then Download PDF. You get a ZIP file with your Everplan as a PDF and your uploaded documents in folders. Upload that file to Harbor, which reads and files each document again. Deputies and after-death settings do not carry over.
- What do I need to run Harbor?
- A Linux machine with Docker, such as a Raspberry Pi 5 with an SSD or a small PC, an encrypted disk, somewhere for backups, and some comfort with the command line.
- How long does it take to set up Harbor?
- Download Harbor and run a single script. It asks a few simple questions: which drive should hold your documents, how you want to reach Harbor and where your backups should go. Harbor does the rest. On a typical home connection it is ready in minutes. Then open Harbor in your browser and create your account.
Your data. Your rules. Your Harbor.
Free, open source, and on a machine you own.