Alcor vs Cryonics Institute
Alcor and the Cryonics Institute are the two oldest cryonics organizations in America. If you are considering cryonics, you have probably narrowed your choice down to one of these two. This article covers the practical differences between them so you can make an informed decision.
The short version: Alcor costs roughly $220,000 with standby services included. The Cryonics Institute costs $28,000 to $35,000 for basic preservation, but you will likely want to add third-party standby services, which brings the total to around $88,000 to $128,000. Both organizations have preserved hundreds of patients over decades of operation.
In This Article
Background
Alcor was founded in 1972 in Scottsdale, Arizona. As of January 2026, they have preserved over 250 patients, including 116 neuro-only preservations. They have approximately 1,500 members.
The Cryonics Institute was founded in 1976 by Robert Ettinger, who wrote "The Prospect of Immortality" in 1962 and is often credited with founding the modern cryonics movement. CI is located in Clinton Township, Michigan. They have preserved 276 patients and have around 2,000 members.
Both are nonprofit organizations that have operated continuously for over four decades. This track record matters because cryonics requires indefinite storage.
Costs
The price difference between these two organizations is substantial.
| Alcor | Cryonics Institute | |
|---|---|---|
| Whole body | $220,000 | $28,000 to $45,000 |
| Neuro only | $80,000 | Not offered |
| Standby | Included | $60,000+ (third party) |
| Annual dues | Age × $15 | $120/year or $1,250 lifetime |
CI's pricing varies based on membership status. Lifetime members pay $28,000, annual members pay $35,000, and non-members pay $45,000. The membership itself costs $1,250 for lifetime or $120 per year.
Alcor's annual dues are calculated as your age times $15, locked at the age you sign up. A 30-year-old would pay $450 per year. Minors pay $60 per year.
Total Cost Comparison
Alcor's $220,000 price includes standby and transport services. CI's base price does not. If you add professional standby through Suspended Animation (approximately $60,000), CI's total comes to around $88,000 to $105,000.
In April 2025, CI introduced a Field Cryoprotection program in partnership with Suspended Animation. This allows vitrification to be performed at the patient's location before transport. The add-on costs $18,000, bringing the total with SST and FCP to $106,000 to $128,000.
Even at the high end, CI remains significantly cheaper than Alcor. The question is whether Alcor's included services and infrastructure justify the higher price.
Standby Services
Standby is the process of having a trained team ready to begin preservation procedures immediately after legal death is pronounced. The speed of intervention affects preservation quality. Delays of even a few hours can cause significant cellular damage.
Alcor maintains its own standby teams through their Deployment and Response Team (DART), formed in 2023. The team includes former military personnel, nurses, and first responders. Standby services are included in the membership price.
CI does not provide standby directly. Members typically contract with one of two third-party providers:
- Suspended Animation offers several plans ranging from $27,500 to $48,000, plus a $30,000 completion fee.
- International Cryomedicine Experts (ICE) provides coverage in several states, with consulting starting at $15,000.
If you live near CI's Michigan facility or plan to relocate there before death, you may be able to use local funeral directors trained in CI's protocols. This is less reliable than professional standby but can reduce costs.
Technology
Both organizations use vitrification, which replaces water in tissues with cryoprotectant solutions to prevent ice crystal formation. This is a significant improvement over earlier straight-freezing methods.
Alcor uses M-22, a cryoprotectant developed by 21st Century Medicine. CI uses VM-1. Both solutions were developed in the mid-2000s and use ethylene glycol and DMSO as core components. There is no clear evidence that one is superior to the other.
Alcor recently installed a GE LightSpeed CT scanner to verify preservation quality and has reduced average ischemic time from 3 hours 50 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.
Storage
Alcor stores patients in individual dewars. CI stores multiple patients in each dewar to reduce costs. Both maintain patients at -196°C in liquid nitrogen.
The shared dewar approach increases risk if a single container fails, but CI has operated this way for decades without incident.
Financial Stability
Because cryonics requires indefinite storage, the financial health of your chosen organization matters.
Alcor maintains a Patient Care Trust with approximately $18 million. For whole-body preservation, $115,000 goes into the trust; for neuro, $25,000. These funds are held by Morgan Stanley and are legally separate from Alcor's operating funds. In 2018, Alcor created two additional 501(c)(3) trusts for added protection.
CI allocates part of each payment to a Patient Care Fund. Their approach emphasizes low overhead rather than large reserves. This has been sustainable over decades, but the per-patient buffer is smaller than Alcor's.
Both organizations have operated continuously since the 1970s, which is the most meaningful indicator of stability.
Conclusion
If cost is your primary concern, CI is the clear choice. Even with optional standby services, the total is roughly half of Alcor's price.
If you want an all-inclusive package with in-house standby teams and larger financial reserves, Alcor provides that at a premium.
Both organizations have preserved hundreds of patients over decades. Neither has lost a patient due to equipment failure or organizational collapse. The decision ultimately comes down to your priorities and budget.
Most members of both organizations fund their arrangements through life insurance. A healthy 30-year-old can typically secure a $250,000 policy for $30 to $50 per month. See our insurance guide for details.