The average funeral costs over £4,000, but you can arrange a respectful cremation for a fraction of that price. Direct cremation removes the ceremony, the procession and the pressure, giving you a simple cremation at a time that suits the crematorium, and letting you hold your own memorial later if you choose.
This guide compares six providers offering low cost cremation across the UK. You’ll see what each one includes, what you’ll pay extra for, and how their prices stack up for 2025. Whether you need to arrange a cremation now or want to compare prepaid plans, you’ll find clear pricing, coverage maps and honest pros and cons for Go Direct Cremations, Co-op Funeralcare, Distinct Cremations, Pure Cremation, DirectCremation.co.uk and Golden Leaves. By the end, you’ll know which provider matches your needs and budget.
1. Go Direct Cremations
Go Direct Cremations offers a straightforward direct cremation service across England, Scotland and Wales, with 24/7 collection and clear pricing from the start. You arrange everything remotely, and the team handles the paperwork, preparation and cremation without a ceremony or mourners present.
Overview and key features
Go Direct Cremations provides an unattended cremation with all the necessary care and administration included. The service uses eco-friendly coffins, private ambulances and trusted crematoria, and you can choose to have the ashes scattered in a garden of remembrance or delivered to you in a simple container. The team works with complex cases, including overseas deaths, coroner involvement and organ donation.
How Go Direct Cremations works
You contact the team by phone or online, and they collect the deceased from any hospital in mainland England, Scotland or Wales at any time. They complete the formalities, wash and prepare your loved one, place them in an eco-friendly coffin, and arrange the cremation at a local crematorium. You receive the ashes by personal delivery or choose scattering in a memorial garden.
What is included in the price
The base price covers collection from any hospital, all paperwork and guidance, washing and preparation, the eco-friendly coffin, a simple ashes container, and the cremation itself. You also get 24/7 support throughout the process, use of a mortuary, and the option to scatter ashes at no extra cost.
Extra costs to watch for
You pay more if you need urgent home collection instead of hospital collection, removal of a pacemaker or medical device, a larger coffin for someone over a certain weight or height, or a designer urn for the ashes. Each of these services carries a clear, additional fee listed on the website.
Who Go Direct Cremations is best for
This provider suits you if you want a simple, low cost cremation UK families trust, with the flexibility to hold your own memorial later. It works well if your loved one is in a hospital and you need a fast, compassionate response without the stress of organising a traditional funeral.
Coverage across the UK
Go Direct Cremations operates across England, Scotland and Wales, including the East Midlands, North East, South East and Birmingham. The service collects from any hospital in these areas, giving you nationwide reach without regional restrictions or hidden distance fees.
How Go Direct Cremations compares on price
The starting price sits in line with other direct cremation providers, but Go Direct Cremations keeps its costs transparent. You see the base fee upfront, and any extras like home collection or device removal are listed separately, so you know exactly what you’ll pay before you commit.
"Go Direct Cremations removes the guesswork from pricing, showing you every cost before you arrange anything."
2. Co-op Funeralcare direct cremation
Co-op Funeralcare runs over 800 branches across the UK and offers a direct cremation service at a fixed price of £1,700, or £1,625 if you hold a Co-op membership. The provider combines the reach of a national network with face-to-face support in local funeral homes, giving you a blend of scale and personal contact that most remote-only direct cremation companies cannot match.
Overview and service style
Co-op arranges an unattended cremation at a crematorium they choose, and you do not select the date or time. The team collects your loved one from a location within 50 miles, prepares them for cremation, and handles all the paperwork. You can collect the ashes from a branch or crematorium, or ask Co-op to scatter them in a garden of remembrance at no extra cost.
What is included and excluded
The package includes collection within 50 miles, professional care, a simple coffin, cremation fees guaranteed, and the ashes returned or scattered. Doctor’s fees are not included and will cost around £164 if required. You also lose the option to attend, view the deceased, or choose the cremation date or location.
Pricing and payment options
You pay £1,700 upfront, or spread the cost over 12 months interest-free. Co-op also offers instalments up to five years, but these carry interest charges that increase the total amount you pay. Members save £75 by paying £1,625 instead of the standard rate.
Who this provider suits best
This service works for you if you want a low cost cremation UK families recognise, with the reassurance of a household name and local branches you can visit. It suits those who prefer face-to-face contact over phone-only support and do not mind giving up control over the cremation timing.
"Co-op gives you a national network and local presence, so you can walk into a branch if you need to speak to someone in person."
Key pros and cons
Pros include the fixed price with cremation fees guaranteed, 800+ branches for in-person support, and flexible payment terms up to five years. Cons include the lack of attendance or choice over date and location, doctor’s fees charged separately, and interest on instalments beyond 12 months.
Where the service is available
Co-op operates across England, Scotland and Wales, with branches in most towns and cities. The collection radius of 50 miles covers the majority of the UK population, and the network ensures you can access support close to home wherever you live.
3. Distinct Cremations
Distinct Cremations belongs to the Westerleigh Group, which owns 42 crematoriums across the UK, and offers a direct cremation from £1,350. The provider delivers an unattended service with nationwide coverage and the option to upgrade to an attended cremation if you prefer a short ceremony with mourners present.
Overview and key features
Distinct Cremations provides a no-service cremation with 24/7 support, professional care and preparation, and a choice of 42 Westerleigh-owned crematoriums if you upgrade to an attended service. The base direct cremation removes the ceremony and gives you the flexibility to hold your own memorial later, while the attended option adds a 30 or 60-minute service at a crematorium you select.
How the direct cremation service works
The team collects your loved one from the place of death, completes the legal paperwork, washes and prepares them, places them in an eco-friendly coffin, and arranges the cremation at a nearby crematorium. You do not attend or choose the date, and the ashes arrive by hand delivery in a simple container, or the provider scatters them at the crematorium garden on your behalf.
What is included in the package
The £1,350 price covers collection from any location, all administration and guidance, washing and preparation, a classic coffin, the cremation fee guaranteed, and the ashes returned in a basic container. You also receive 24/7 telephone support and access to the team’s expertise with complex cases like coroner delays or overseas deaths.
Pricing and ways to pay
You pay £1,350 for direct cremation or from £1,950 for a 30-minute attended service. Distinct Cremations accepts payment in full by card or bank transfer, and the price includes all crematorium fees so you face no surprise charges later. Payment plans are not advertised, so expect to settle the balance before the cremation takes place.
Who Distinct Cremations is best for
This provider suits you if you want a low cost cremation UK families trust, backed by a group that owns its own crematoriums and has decades of experience. It works well if you need a reliable, no-fuss service with transparent pricing and the option to upgrade to an attended ceremony without switching providers.
"Distinct Cremations gives you the choice between unattended and attended services, so you can adjust the level of ceremony to match your needs."
Pros, cons and things to note
Pros include ownership of 42 crematoriums for quality control, competitive pricing with fees guaranteed, and the flexibility to add a short attended service. Cons include no payment plans for spreading the cost, no choice of date or location for the basic direct cremation, and limited information on the website about customisation options or urn upgrades.
4. Pure Cremation
Pure Cremation markets itself as Britain’s original direct cremation provider and offers both immediate arrangements and prepaid funeral plans from around £1,595. The company operates remotely and uses a network of funeral directors across the UK to collect, prepare and cremate your loved one without a ceremony or mourners present.
Overview and service model
The provider gives you a telephone-based service with no local branches to visit, and handles everything from collection to cremation through partner funeral directors in your area. You arrange the cremation by phone or online, and Pure Cremation coordinates the logistics while keeping you updated at each stage.
What is included in a Pure Cremation
Your package covers collection from any location in the UK, professional care and preparation, a simple coffin, all paperwork and cremation fees, and the ashes returned by courier or scattered at the crematorium. The service includes support throughout the process, though you communicate with the team remotely rather than face to face.
Pricing, plans and flexibility
Immediate arrangements start from around £1,595, while prepaid plans begin at a similar price and let you lock in today’s cost for a cremation in the future. Payment options include settling the balance in full or spreading the cost over monthly instalments, though terms vary depending on whether you choose an immediate or prepaid plan.
Who Pure Cremation is best for
This provider suits you if you want a low cost cremation UK families book without needing local branch access, and you feel comfortable arranging everything by phone. It works well if you prefer the security of a prepaid plan or need a simple cremation now with nationwide coverage.
"Pure Cremation gives you the option to pay upfront for a cremation that happens in the future, protecting you against rising costs."
Pros, cons and important limits
Pros include nationwide coverage, prepaid plan options for cost protection, and remote convenience. Cons include no face-to-face support, limited customisation options, and reliance on partner funeral directors whose quality may vary by region.
5. DirectCremation.co.uk
DirectCremation.co.uk advertises itself as the cheapest cremation in England and Wales, with prices starting at £895 and no upfront payment required. The provider operates remotely and collects from hospitals or mortuaries across both countries, delivering a basic direct cremation with the option to add extras like urn delivery or pacemaker removal.
Overview and key features
The service focuses on affordability and simplicity, removing the ceremony and giving you the choice to scatter ashes in their garden of remembrance or receive them in a wooden urn. DirectCremation.co.uk handles all paperwork, provides an eco-friendly coffin designed by British craftsmen, and lets you know the cremation date in advance so you can mark it privately if you wish.
How the service works step by step
You contact the team by phone or online, and they collect your loved one from any hospital or mortuary in England or Wales. The provider prepares them for cremation, places them in a simple coffin, and arranges the cremation at their crematorium. You receive notification of the date and time, and the ashes are either scattered free of charge or delivered to you in a wooden urn for an extra £91.
What is and is not included
The £895 base price covers collection from hospital or mortuary, the eco-friendly coffin, professional handling, and the cremation itself. Scattering in the garden of remembrance costs nothing extra. The package does not include ashes delivery in an urn, pacemaker removal, collection from a care home or residence, or a larger coffin for someone over 6 feet or 200 pounds.
Pricing structure and extra fees
You start at £895 for the basic service, then add £91 for urn delivery with an engraved nameplate, £100 for pacemaker or device removal, £200 for collection from a care home or residence instead of a hospital, and extra fees for a larger coffin if needed. The total depends on your circumstances, but the base rate makes this one of the lowest cost cremation UK providers if you meet the standard criteria.
Who this provider is best suited to
This service works for you if your loved one is in a hospital or mortuary, meets the size limits, and you want the lowest possible price for a direct cremation. It suits those who do not need extras and feel comfortable with remote coordination rather than face-to-face support.
"DirectCremation.co.uk strips the service down to the essentials, giving you the cheapest option if you fit their standard requirements."
Pros, cons and regional coverage
Pros include the lowest starting price at £895, no upfront payment, and eligibility for UK Government Funeral Expenses Payment. Cons include limited coverage to England and Wales only, no collection from care homes or residences without a £200 fee, and size restrictions that add costs for taller or heavier individuals. The provider does not operate in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
6. Golden Leaves Copper Plan
Golden Leaves has operated since 1984 and offers the Copper Plan, a prepaid direct cremation that lets you arrange and pay for your own cremation in advance. The provider works with independent funeral directors across the UK and prices the plan at £1,700, which you settle upfront or spread over instalments with the longest payment term of any provider in this guide.
Overview and plan type
The Copper Plan gives you a prepaid funeral plan rather than an immediate arrangement, meaning you lock in today’s price for a cremation that happens in the future. Golden Leaves holds your payment in a regulated trust fund and guarantees the cremation fees, protecting you against inflation and rising costs over the years ahead.
What the Copper Plan includes
Your plan covers nationwide collection from the place of death, all paperwork and guidance, care and preparation of the deceased, a simple coffin, transport to the crematorium, and the cremation itself with fees guaranteed. The provider returns the ashes to your family or scatters them at the crematorium garden. Doctor’s fees are not included and will cost extra if required at the time of death.
Pricing and payment terms
You pay £1,700 in full or spread the cost over 12 months interest-free. Golden Leaves also offers finance up to eight years, though this adds significant interest and raises the total cost substantially, sometimes doubling what you pay compared to the upfront price.
Who Golden Leaves is best for
This provider suits you if you want to arrange your own low cost cremation UK families trust and prefer spreading payments over a longer period. It works well if you like the idea of fixing costs now and removing the burden from your relatives later.
How prepaid cremation plans work
You pay Golden Leaves today for a cremation that happens when you die, and the company invests your money in a trust fund regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. When the time comes, your family contacts Golden Leaves, and the provider uses the funds to arrange the direct cremation without asking for more money, as long as the service stays within the plan terms.
When a prepaid plan is a good idea
A prepaid plan makes sense if you expect cremation costs to rise faster than your savings grow, or if you want to guarantee your family faces no financial stress when you die. It also works if you prefer monthly payments you can manage today rather than leaving a lump sum for your relatives to find later.
"A prepaid plan locks in the price and removes the guesswork, so your family knows the cremation is paid for and arranged."
Questions to ask before you choose
Ask whether doctor’s fees are included or charged separately, how the provider protects your money if the company fails, what happens if you move abroad or change your mind, and whether the plan covers collection from any location or only hospitals. Check the cancellation policy, refund terms, and whether the provider adjusts the plan if regulations or crematorium fees change unexpectedly.
Final thoughts
You now have six low cost cremation UK providers compared side by side, with prices ranging from £895 to £1,700 depending on what you need and where your loved one rests. Each provider strips away the traditional funeral format and gives you a simple cremation without ceremony, letting you hold your own memorial later or skip it entirely.
DirectCremation.co.uk offers the lowest starting price if you meet their standard requirements, while Co-op brings 800+ branches for face-to-face support. Distinct Cremations owns its crematoriums and gives you the option to upgrade to an attended service, Pure Cremation and Golden Leaves focus on prepaid plans, and Go Direct Cremations combines transparent pricing with 24/7 collection across England, Scotland and Wales.
If you need a compassionate team and clear costs with no hidden fees, arrange a direct cremation with Go Direct Cremations today and remove the stress from a difficult time.