An out-of-state human composting company is currently promoting their services on social media and proclaiming that “Human Composting costs less than cremation in Massachusetts.”
Is that true? Let’s look at the pricing data.
Comparing prices
If you watch THEIR webinar to learn details, you’ll find that they list $6250+ as the cost of cremation, based on the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) average price for a “Full Service Cremation.” NOTE: that cost includes a full funeral service as well as the cremation process.
“Direct Cremation” does NOT cost that much. Here in western Massachusetts, our 2026 price survey reveals that local funeral homes charge $1495 to $5245 for Direct Cremation. Thirty-five local funeral homes charge less than $3000 for arranging a cremation. (Crematory and medical examiner fees might add another $500 to these funeral home price quotes, but they are still lower than that NFDA figure.)
This human composting company’s prices are only slightly below the NFDA’s $6250. This summer the company has been promoting PREPAID contracts for human composting (including the necessary permits, transportation out-of-state, etc.) in the range of $6000. If you don’t sign a contract to prepay now, they say the cost is expected to rise in the future.
Meanwhile, a company in Worcester charges only $1395 for Direct Cremation. Two companies in the Boston area offer Direct Cremation in the $1850 – $1895 range. The Worcester company offers cremation with “Open Casket Funeral” for $3595. Those prices are much lower than the cost of the prepaid contact for human composting.
Note: for those who choose to donate their body to a medical school, the cremation cost at the end is paid for by the medical school. Thus, the cremation is free. It’s hard to be cheaper than that!
Other considerations
There are good reasons to choose human composting, a.k.a. Natural Organic Reduction (N.O.R.). It is better for the environment – better than flame cremation, which uses more fossil fuel and contributes to air pollution.
We do not yet have an N.O.R. facility in Massachusetts. A local option would be more eco-friendly and convenient than an out-of-state one. But the Massachusetts legislature has not passed bills to legalize the N.O.R. process, so companies cannot yet build such facilities here. The closest ones (as of mid-2026) are in Vermont and Maryland. Maine and New York have approved N.O.R., so we’ll be watching for news of options there. As always, we recommend that consumers shop around and compare the services and prices that different businesses offer.
