How Better Place compares to funeral homes
Handle every end-of-life step in one place.
Compare Better Place vs.
Modern care for life’s hardest moments
We’re a modern funeral company reimagining how people plan, memorialize, and return to nature. No funeral home visits. No surprise bills. Just honest, compassionate care at every step.
Coordinated online. No in-person meetings, no extra steps.
Clear pricing. No hidden fees, no surprise bills.
Compassionate human care available anytime, 24/7.
Carbon-neutral cremation to a resting place in nature.
We handle the details
At Better Place end-of-life planning isn’t only personal—it’s ecological. From first call to a resting place in nature, we handle everything.
We offset cremation’s impact through climate action.
Interactive, digital tribute; share stories and photos.
Death certificates, permits and filing handled for you.
We provide resources to help you navigate after-loss.
Real guides available day or night to answer your questions.
A natural resting place in a protected Memorial Forest.
Say goodbye to funeral home pressure
When a death occurs, traditional funeral homes expect families to make dozens of decisions within 24–72 hours—casket, viewing, embalming, obituary, programs, flowers, death certificate—while grieving and under sales pressure.
There’s a better way.
Compare your options
The funeral industry hasn't changed.
We built something better.
Traditional funeral homes cost more and deliver less. Upsells, hidden fees, and sticker shock fill the gap between “full service” and what a family actually needs.
| Better Place Complete Cremation Package |
Traditional Funeral Homes Full-Service Cremation |
|
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,495 Clear, transparent price |
$6,000-$10,000 Showroom, hidden costs, upsells |
| Cost Transparency | Full price online Clear price before you commit, no hidden fees, no surprises |
25% of providers hide fees Price revealed in-person, sales tactics, upsells |
| Convenience | Online or by phone 24/7 No pressure, no sales tactics |
In-person visit required Sales pressure, rushed decisions |
| Cremation Options | Carbon-neutral cremation Flame, water, or soil |
Flame cremation only No carbon offset or eco option |
| What's Included |
|
|
| Memorial & Resting Place | Resting place in nature and ceremony available |
Basic urn return only Family arranges everything separately |
A better way forward
Carbon-neutral cremation is handled immediately and with care. The living memorial—the resting place in nature and ceremony—happens when your family is ready.
Return to nature,
make it beautiful
After cremation, families need a place to remember. With Better Place, ashes find a permanent home in a protected Memorial Forest—not on a mantle, not scattered without a place to return.
It’s simpler than traditional burial, more comprehensive than direct cremation, and designed for how we want to be remembered—as part of something living.
Two ways to create a living memorial
Memorial Tree
- Multiple people & pets at one tree
- You choose tree & location
- Add a personalized Guide-led ceremony
- Add customized Memorial Marker
Your tree. Your forest. Your choices.
Starting at $6,200 • View Pricing
Bundle with cremation • Save $1,000
Spreading Grove
- Honors one life in a shared grove
- Location chosen for you
- Simple self-led memorial ceremony
- Includes small, simple marker
A grove. A forest. A place to rest.
Starting at $2,250 • View Pricing
Bundle with cremation • Save $1,000
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
What families say
“I grew up in the funeral business and wanted something different. With Better Place, you get a caring team and a process done your way.”
Cremation in California
Better Place offers carbon-neutral cremation services across Northern and Southern California.
Talk to a Guide, 24/7
When you’re ready, we’re here.
Explore at your own pace
See the two ways families honor a life.
Questions?
We're here to help.
Is Better Place a funeral home or a cremation provider?
Better Place is a modern funeral company reimagining how people plan, memorialize, and return to nature. At Better Place, we’re pulling back the curtain on end-of-life care—making it fair, transparent, and accessible for everyone. We’ve built the first complete online cremation platform because families deserve modern tools, honest pricing, and the convenience to handle everything from home with compassion and dignity.
What’s included in your cremation funeral home services?
The Better Place Complete Cremation Package includes respectful transportation, secure refrigeration, all paperwork and permits, carbon-neutral flame cremation (aquamation and natural organic reduction also available), cremation collection in a beautiful, sustainable urn, an online interactive obituary, 3 certified death certificate copies, executor assistance, grief support, and compassionate care from a Guide. A living memorial—a resting place in a protected Memorial Forest, a Nature Memorial Ceremony, and a Memorial Marker—can be added when your family is ready.
Can we still hold a memorial if we choose cremation?
Yes. When your family is ready, you can add a living memorial—a resting place in a protected Memorial Forest. Choose a private Memorial Tree or shared Spreading Grove and add a Nature Memorial Ceremony and a personalized Memorial Marker. No timeline required.
How does pricing compare to funeral homes?
Traditional funeral homes cost more and deliver less. They also include things that today’s families don’t want, charge extra for things families do want, and force decisions at the worst possible time. View pricing
What documents do you handle vs what the family provides?
Better Place handles all permits, paperwork, and 3 certified death certificates (more can be ordered as needed).
How fast can arrangements begin?
We can begin arrangements immediately. Whether you need immediate arrangements or want to plan ahead, Better Place makes it simple.
