For most of us, publishing an obituary—whether online or in a newspaper—is not something we do every day. If you’re asking yourself, “How much will it cost to publish an obituary?” or “Is there a more affordable way to do it?”— you’re in the right place.
The cost of publishing an obituary can vary significantly based on two main factors:
Where it’s published
What content is included
Publishing Online
You can publish an obituary online at Legacy.com for a fixed price of $149 that comes with all the below benefits:
Unlimited text
Unlimited photos
An interactive Memorial Page with optional Guest Book where friends and family can share memories and condolences
High rankings with google and other search engines, making the obituary easy to find for family, friends, and other well wishers
Publishing on Legacy.com is often the most straightforward and affordable option, especially if your primary goals are to make the obituary easy for friends and family to locate, reach a wide audience, and include rich content.
Publishing in a Newspaper
Newspaper obituary pricing varies widely:
Local newspapers may charge as little as $100
Large national newspapers like The New York Times can cost several thousand dollars or more
The headline price that a newspaper charges to publish an obituary is typically driven by a number of different fees:
Insertion Fee: A fixed charge for publishing the obituary, regardless of length
Line Fee: A variable fee based on the number of lines the obituary occupies in print (i.e., not in a Word doc or other document-editing software). Column formats vary among newspapers, but generally speaking a good estimate is 25-40 characters per line or about 2.0 - 2.5 inches
Image Placement Fee: in addition to charging for the number of lines a photo occupies, some newspapers have a photo placement fee
Processing Fee: a variable charge that covers order handling, credit card processing, and administrative costs—typically around 3-5%
If you are set on publishing in a particular newspaper and want to manage your total cost, the best way to do so is by adjusting the content of the obituary. Try shortening the text or decide if you may be comfortable going to print without a picture. You might consider publishing an abbreviated version of the obituary in print and the full text with richer content online at Legacy.com.