Comparison · 2026

Best Digital Legacy Platforms for Expats in Europe (2026): Honest Comparison

Helena retired from Düsseldorf to Marbella in 2024. She owns flats in both cities, holds a Bitcoin wallet on a Ledger device, and has two children — one in Berlin, one in Paris. Her German notary drafted her will, but she has no plan for the dozens of online accounts, insurance policies, and personal documents scattered across two countries and three banks. That gap is what a digital legacy platform is built to close.

In brief

European expats juggling assets across countries need a digital legacy platform that handles cross-border complexity and multilingual access. We compare the 5 leading platforms — Sucesio, DeathNote, Vaultify, DGLegacy, Henedo — across 12 criteria. Bottom line: choose based on (1) where your heirs live and (2) which legal frameworks govern your assets.

Why digital legacy platforms matter for cross-border expat families

Approximately one inheritance in ten opened in the European Union has an international element (europa.eu, “Cross-border successions”). For an expat family, this complexity multiplies:

Scattered assets — property in two countries, bank accounts in three, a Spanish bank for daily expenses, a UK ISA for retirement, a German pension, a Bitcoin wallet stored on a hardware device locked away in a safe.
Heirs in different jurisdictions — children in Berlin, Paris and London cannot access a sealed letter held by a notary in Málaga without flying in and providing translated documentation.
Digital assets traditional probate cannot reach — passwords, two-factor authentication codes, cryptocurrency seed phrases, photo libraries, social media memorialisation choices.
Multilingual coordination — heirs who speak different languages need to receive identical instructions in their own tongue.

A well-drafted notarial will distributes your legal assets according to the law you have chosen (via the EU Regulation 650/2012 professio iuris). A digital legacy platform organises and transmits everything else: the access, the information, the personal messages that no notary can carry across borders.

These platforms complement your traditional will — they never replace it. A platform that claims to replace a notarial will should be treated with the same caution as any service that promises to bypass qualified legal professionals.

The 5 leading digital legacy platforms in Europe (2026)

We selected platforms that meet three baseline conditions: (a) headquartered or hosted in the European Economic Area, (b) target individual end-users (not B2B-only solutions), and (c) have been operational in 2025 or 2026. Five candidates emerged.

1. Sucesio (sucesio.io) — expat-Europe native

The application and the database holding your inventory are hosted with Hetzner in Nuremberg, Germany. Database backups and death certificates submitted during a transmission are stored with Scaleway in Paris, France. Built specifically for cross-border expat families across Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and the Benelux. Sucesio publishes content in seven languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese) covering EU Regulation 650/2012, professio iuris, forced heirship navigation, and digital asset transmission. Sucesio does not partner commercially with notaires (ethical reason: notaires are public officials with sovereignty obligations).

2. DeathNote — privacy and international delivery

DeathNote positions itself around end-to-end encryption, proof-of-life verification, and unlimited multi-format messages. Strong on privacy. Less developed on jurisdiction-specific legal alignment for European expats. UK and US focus dominates; multilingual support is limited to English.

3. Vaultify — crypto-focused digital inheritance

Vaultify\'s core proposition is cryptocurrency estate planning. Their digital vault handles wallet seed phrase storage, hardware wallet inventory, and exchange account succession. Less developed on physical assets and personal legacy. Limited cross-border legal framework integration.

4. DGLegacy — the “Expat Native” positioning

DGLegacy positions itself as the “Expat Native Choice” and partners with international law firms (notably Bird & Bird) to ensure handover processes are legally recognised in Spanish and UK courts. A close direct competitor to Sucesio. Differences emerge in: multilingual content depth and EU regulation 650/2012 editorial coverage. Read our detailed head-to-head: Sucesio vs DGLegacy (2026 comparison).

5. Henedo — advanced encrypted vaulting

Henedo (henedo.com) focuses on advanced encrypted vaulting with post-quantum considerations and zero-knowledge architecture claims. Strong technical positioning. Weaker on the jurisdictional and multilingual side that cross-border families specifically need.

Comparison matrix — 12 criteria that matter for European expats

The matrix below is based on publicly available information from each platform's documentation as of May 2026. We do not include pricing because it shifts; ask each platform directly for current rates and free-trial terms.

Criterion	Sucesio	DeathNote	Vaultify	DGLegacy	Henedo
EU-hosted application	✅ Nuremberg (DE); backups Paris (FR)	⚠ Mixed	✅ EU	✅ EU	✅ EU
AES-256 encryption at rest	✅	✅ E2E	✅	✅	✅
Multilingual content (7+ languages)	✅ 7	❌ EN only	⚠ 2–3	⚠ 3	⚠ 2
EU Regulation 650/2012 (Brussels IV) editorial coverage	✅ Core focus	❌	❌	✅	❌
Aligned with the user's own notary (informational, no partnership)	✅ Core positioning	❌	❌	⚠ Implicit	❌
Physical assets inventory (deeds, jewellery, documents)	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Personal messages (bilingual, conditional release)	✅	✅ Unlimited	⚠ Limited	✅	⚠
Multi-factor death verification (cert + trusted contact + audited release)	✅	✅ Proof-of-life	⚠	✅	⚠
One-click full data export (no lock-in)	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

✅ = full support · ⚠ = partial / unclear from public documentation · ❌ = not supported. Verified May 2026. We recommend contacting each platform directly to confirm current capabilities.

How to choose: the two questions that matter most

Ignore the marketing. The right platform for you depends almost entirely on two concrete factors. Answer these and the choice becomes obvious.

1. Where do your heirs live?

If your heirs are in different EU countries and speak different first languages, multilingual support is non-negotiable. A platform that delivers your final messages in a language your children cannot read is a platform that has failed at its primary job.

2. Which legal frameworks govern your assets?

If you live in Spain, Portugal, France or any EU Member State (except Denmark and Ireland), EU Regulation 650/2012 applies to your succession. Your platform should explicitly cover Brussels IV professio iuris elections and the European Certificate of Succession. National specifics matter too: French Loi 2016-1321 Article 40-1 for posthumous data, Spanish LOPDGDD Article 96, German digitaler Nachlass.

One point worth repeating: a digital legacy platform should not have a commercial partnership with your notary. Notaires are public officials with sovereignty obligations; a commercial relationship creates a conflict of interest. The platform should be aligned with your own notary (informational, no commercial relationship) — not a re-seller for them.

Common mistakes European expats make when choosing a platform

Picking a US-headquartered service when assets are in the EU. Cross-border data transfer post-Schrems II adds legal friction.
Ignoring multilingual support. A platform in English only will produce English-only final messages — your French daughter or German son may need to translate at the worst moment.
Treating the platform as a will substitute.A platform that promises to “replace your solicitor” or operate “without a notary” should be a red flag. Instructions stored on a digital legacy platform have no automatic legal force; they complement legal succession instruments.
Not coordinating with the notary or solicitor. Your digital instructions should not contradict your will. The platform should make it easy to share a summary with your legal professional so they can flag conflicts.
Choosing on price alone. The economic value of these platforms is measured in months and years saved for your heirs — not in the annual subscription. Pick on capability fit, not list price.

Three real cross-border expat scenarios

Helena — German retiree in Marbella with a Düsseldorf flat and a Bitcoin wallet

Helena is 58, owns property in both Germany and Spain, has a Ledger Bitcoin wallet locked in a safe-deposit box, and her two children live in Berlin and Paris. Her German notary holds her will, but the will doesn't cover the password vault, the wallet's seed phrase location, or the personal letters she wants to leave.

Recommended fit: a platform that runs in German, French and Spanish so each child receives instructions in their own language; covers DE/ES regulatory bridges; and aligns informationally with her own German notary's plan.

James — British banker in Madrid, partner not married, UK + Spanish assets

James is 52, lives in Madrid with a long-term partner he is not married to, holds a UK ISA, a Spanish flat and a French savings account. Under Spanish forced heirship, his children from a first marriage would receive two thirds of his estate if he died intestate. His long-term partner could receive nothing without an explicit professio iuris election of English law under Brussels IV.

Recommended fit: a platform that covers Brussels IV editorial depth, stores the professio iuris election in plain language alongside his will, and aligns informationally with his Spanish abogado.

Luca — Italian advisor based in Lisbon with cross-border family

Luca is 47, an Italian citizen living in Lisbon, married to a Portuguese national, with a daughter from a previous relationship in Milan. He needs a platform that handles both Portuguese and Italian succession nuances, supports Italian and Portuguese languages natively, and integrates with the European Certificate of Succession process.

How Sucesio differentiates for cross-border expat families

We've included our own platform in this comparison because we built it for the audience this article is written for. Here's how Sucesio differentiates concretely:

Expat-Europe native — designed for cross-border families from day one, not adapted from a US estate-planning product.
Cross-border articles in seven languages covering Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Benelux specifics.
AES-256 at rest. The application and the database holding your inventory are hosted with Hetzner in Nuremberg, Germany. Database backups and death certificates submitted during a transmission are stored with Scaleway in Paris, France.
Aligned with your own notary informationally — the platform helps you prepare a summary you can share with your legal professional, so the digital plan and the legal plan never conflict.

FAQ

Do digital legacy platforms replace a will?

No. A digital legacy platform is a complement to your traditional will — never a replacement. A will distributes your legal assets through your notary; a digital legacy platform organises and transmits the rest: where accounts and documents are, and personal messages. Use both together. A platform that claims to replace a notarial will should be avoided.

Why do European expats need a digital legacy platform specifically built for cross-border families?

Approximately one EU succession in ten has an international element (europa.eu). When assets sit in two or three countries, banks and notaries do not coordinate automatically. A multilingual platform aligned with EU Regulation 650/2012 ("Brussels IV") lets you record professio iuris elections, store apostilled documents, and give heirs in different countries access in their own language.

Does Sucesio partner commercially with notaries?

No. For ethical reasons, Sucesio does not have commercial partnerships with notaires — notaires are public officials with sovereignty obligations and a commercial relationship would create a conflict of interest. Sucesio is informationally aligned with your own notary's plan.

What happens to my data if Sucesio shuts down?

You can request an export of all your data at any time; you receive it by e-mail as a ZIP archive. There is no platform lock-in: the data was always yours, never the platform's asset.

Can I use Sucesio together with another digital legacy platform like DeathNote or DGLegacy?

Technically yes, but it's usually redundant and creates confusion for heirs. Pick the platform that best fits your specific expat situation — typically driven by where your heirs live and which legal frameworks apply to your assets.

About this article

The Sucesio Team

The Sucesio team specialises in cross-border estate planning for expats living in Europe, with a focus on Spain, France, and the Benelux. Our content is researched from primary sources — EU regulations, Spanish notarial law, and real expat scenarios — and checked against primary sources before publication.

Sucesio is a digital inventory for expats in Europe. It records where accounts, documents and assets are kept, and that record reaches the people you chose at the moment of transmission. It complements a will, it does not replace one. Learn more about Sucesio →

Sources & methodology

This article is researched and written from primary sources — EU Regulation 650/2012 (EUR-Lex), Spanish legislation (BOE) and official registries (mjusticia.gob.es, notariado.org) — cited inline. Independent legal review by a practising Spanish notary is scheduled; this note will name the reviewer once complete.