Both Memoria Funerals and Pure Cremation specialise in direct cremation plans, but there are some important differences in available plans, pricing, independent ratings and cancellation fees between the two providers.
When comparing direct cremation plans, one of the first things that many people consider is the cost.
The Memoria Funerals Direct Cremation Plan has a standard price of £1,595, with the option to pay in monthly instalments of £31.65*.
Unlike providers that publish their funeral plan prices upfront, Pure Cremation requires customers to submit personal and contact details before revealing the price you will pay for your funeral plan.
*Based on a Direct Cremation Plan purchased over 5 years. Total price paid would be £1,962.35, including a first payment of £95.
If you change your mind after the applicable cooling-off period, Memoria Funerals’ cancellation fee is £95.
Pure Cremation’s published cancellation fee is currently £350.
Memoria Funerals is part of the Memoria Group. We are one of the UK’s largest and most established funeral providers and crematoria operators, with decades of experience supporting over 20,000 families each year.
We own and operate 11 crematoria across England, Scotland and Wales, and each one upholds The Memoria Standard: our commitment to trust, specialist expertise, fair value and compassionate care.
Our teams are proud to deliver the Memoria Care Promise providing clear guidance, personal support and genuine care, every step of the way.
We understand that price isn’t the only important consideration when choosing a funeral plan.
Memoria’s Direct Cremation Plan is rated 5 stars by independent experts Fairer Finance, compared with 3 stars for Pure Cremation.
Fairer Finance assesses direct cremation plans against a range of product features and customer protections, providing an independent way to compare plans beyond price alone.
Memoria Funerals is featured in MoneySavingExpert’s prepaid funeral plan guide and is named as one of the top funeral plan providers for direct cremations.
Pure Cremation is not currently a featured provider.
MoneySavingExpert also identifies Memoria as offering the joint-cheapest direct cremation plan among the providers featured in its guide.
Over50choices also calls out Memoria as ‘The Best Prepaid Direct Cremation Plan’.
Memoria Funerals has a 4.9 Excellent Trustpilot rating, which gives us the highest satisfaction rating in the industry.
Pure Cremation currently has a 4.8 Excellent Trustpilot rating.
Trustpilot ratings can change. Please check the latest ratings when comparing providers.
More people than ever are choosing a direct cremation because it can reduce the stress, ceremony and cost of organising a traditional funeral. It’s the right choice for some people, but you might prefer the opportunity to hold a small gathering at the crematorium and say a personal goodbye – a simple attended funeral, without all the bells and whistles, isn’t as expensive as you might think.
This is why Memoria Funerals has two attended funeral plans: The Personal Plan includes a small funeral service at the crematorium, held at an off-peak time. This option costs from £2,495. If you would like a more comprehensive plan, with no restrictions on timings or the number of family and friends who can attend, the Memoria Funerals Celebration of Life Plan costs from £3,095.
Choosing one of these options may also mean that you don’t need to organise a separate memorial service, which can also save you money as well as giving your loved one the chance to gather and say their goodbyes.
