How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Northwest Registered Agent is the best value for most US founders: 39 dollars plus state fees, a free first year of registered agent service, and its own address on public filings for privacy.
- Bizee and ZenBusiness form LLCs for 0 dollars plus state fees, but the registered agent renewal, 149 to 199 dollars a year, is where they earn.
- LegalZoom charges the most over time yet suits owners who want attorney access bundled with formation.
- State fees are never included and never optional: they run from about 40 dollars to roughly 500 dollars depending on the state, and ongoing duties such as annual reports are yours regardless of who files the formation.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Northwest Registered Agent | Value and privacy for US founders | $39 + state fees | No |
 Bizee | Cheapest first year formation | $0 + state fees | Yes |
 ZenBusiness | Guided setup with compliance tools | $0 + state fees | Yes |
 LegalZoom | Brand name plus attorney access | $0 + state fees | Yes |
 Stripe Atlas | Venture backed Delaware startups | $500 | No |
 doola | Non US founders forming in America | $297 per year | No |
 Harbor Compliance | Multi state compliance management | $99 + state fees | No |
 Rocket Lawyer | Ongoing legal documents with formation | $0 with membership + state fees | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best incorporation services
Starting price$39 + state fees
Free planNo
What we like- Northwest charges a flat 39 dollars plus state fees for formation, includes a year of registered agent service, then renews the agent at 125 dollars a year, among the lowest rates here. Its privacy model is the real draw: Northwest puts its own address on public state forms instead of your home address, and it states that it does not sell customer data. In independent first year costings across five states, a complete Northwest formation, filing, agent, EIN, and operating agreement, worked out cheapest in every state tested.
Watch out for- The website and upsell free experience feel plain next to ZenBusiness and LegalZoom, which some founders read as basic. EIN filing is a paid add on rather than bundled. Northwest is a filing and agent specialist, so owners wanting bundled bookkeeping, websites, or legal advice plans will assemble those elsewhere.
Starting price$0 + state fees
Free planYes
What we like- Bizee, formerly Incfile, forms LLCs for 0 dollars plus state fees with a free first year of registered agent service, and it has formed more than a million businesses, so the process is well worn. Paid tiers at 199 and 299 dollars add operating agreements, EIN filing, and banking resolutions in one checkout. For a founder who will act as their own agent after year one or switch agents, the first year cost is hard to beat.
Watch out for- The agent renews at about 149 dollars a year in current listings after the free year, and the checkout presents optional extras that need attention to decline. Support is functional rather than consultative. Some older listings still show a 119 dollar renewal, so confirm the current renewal price in your account before the free year ends.
#3ZenBusiness
Best for: Guided setup with compliance tools2.4/5 on
G2 (4 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zenbusiness.com
Starting price$0 + state fees
Free planYes
What we like- ZenBusiness pairs 0 dollar starter formation, plus state fees, with the most guided dashboard in this list: compliance calendars, annual report reminders, and add ons for EIN filing at 99 dollars and registered agent service at 199 dollars a year. Its Pro and Premium plans bundle faster filing and compliance handling for owners who want the paperwork managed. Review volumes are large and strongly positive.
Watch out for- The bundle maths adds up: agent plus compliance services can reach roughly 398 dollars a year before state fees, the highest ongoing load among the budget services here. The registered agent is not included in the starter plan at all. Owners who only need formation are paying for a dashboard they may never open after month one.
#4LegalZoom
Best for: Brand name plus attorney access3.1/5 on
G2 (16 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit legalzoom.com
Starting price$0 + state fees
Free planYes
What we like- LegalZoom is the best known name in the category, with basic formation at 0 dollars plus state fees and paid plans adding EIN filing and operating agreements. Its difference is the legal layer: attorney consultations and document review plans sit alongside formation for owners who expect ongoing legal questions. The company's scale and longevity reassure buyers wary of younger filing sites.
Watch out for- LegalZoom is consistently the most expensive complete option in independent costings, with its registered agent at 249 dollars a year and compliance services adding about 199 dollars more. Checkout upsells are extensive. The attorneys available through its plans work within set consultation formats, which is not the same as having your own lawyer who knows your business.
Starting price$500
Free planNo
What we like- Stripe Atlas is a specialist product for one job done completely: incorporating a Delaware C corporation for a startup that expects venture funding, with EIN, stock issuance paperwork, and first year registered agent included in the 500 dollar fee, then 100 dollars a year for the agent. It connects naturally to Stripe's banking and payment referrals, and investors recognise its paperwork instantly. For its narrow audience it removes nearly all formation friction.
Watch out for- Atlas only forms Delaware corporations, so it does not serve LLCs, other states, or businesses that should not be C corporations in the first place, which is most small businesses. The 500 dollar fee is the highest formation charge here. Whether a Delaware C corporation suits you is a lawyer and tax question Atlas will not answer for you.
Starting price$297 per year
Free planNo
What we like- Doola packages US formation for international founders: LLC or C corporation setup, registered agent, US address, EIN handling for founders without a Social Security number, and guidance toward a US bank account, inside one 297 dollar yearly plan. Higher tiers add bookkeeping and tax filing, which for a foreign founder are the genuinely hard parts of owning a US company. The single subscription replaces a stack of separate vendors.
Watch out for- The plan is a recurring subscription rather than a one time filing fee, so the company costs 297 dollars every year before state charges even if nothing changes. EIN timelines for founders without an SSN run weeks on the starter tier. US resident founders can assemble the same pieces for less from Northwest or Bizee, so doola's premium buys the cross border handling specifically.
Starting price$99 + state fees
Free planNo
What we like- Harbor Compliance is the professional's choice once a company registers in several states: formation from 99 dollars plus state fees, registered agent service at 99 dollars a year, and software that tracks entity registrations, annual reports, and licences across all 50 states in one register. It serves nonprofits and regulated industries with the same system. For a growing company's operations or legal team, the compliance register is the product, and formation is just the entry point.
Watch out for- Harbor is built for organisations, and its sales and onboarding style reflects that
- A solo founder forming one LLC gets more machinery than they need. Pricing for the wider compliance suite is by package rather than the published formation fee. It offers no consumer style free formation tier to compete with Bizee or ZenBusiness.
Starting price$0 with membership + state fees
Free planNo
What we like- Rocket Lawyer folds formation into a legal membership: members form LLCs at 0 dollars plus state fees, get its registered agent service at 149.99 dollars a year, and hold unlimited access to a large library of legal documents plus attorney questions. For an owner who expects contracts, leases, and HR documents through the year, the membership can cover formation as one item among many. The document library is the broadest here.
Watch out for- The value depends entirely on using the membership
- A founder who forms and never opens another document has bought a subscription for a filing others sell for 39 dollars. In independent five state costings, Rocket Lawyer's complete first year LLC was the most expensive in California. Membership cancellation and renewal terms need the usual subscription attention.
How we chose
We compared services on total cost of ownership rather than checkout price: formation fee, first year and renewal registered agent rates, EIN and operating agreement charges, and the complete first year costings published by independent reviewers across five states in October 2026. We favoured services with long operating records, clear renewal pricing, and privacy practices stated in writing. We included two specialists, Stripe Atlas for Delaware startups and doola for non US founders, whose audiences the generalists serve poorly, and excluded pure registered agent firms that do not form companies.
How to choose the right incorporation service
Decide the entity and state before the service, because no filing company can make that call for you and it drives taxes and paperwork for years. Most small businesses form an LLC in their home state; forming in Delaware or Wyoming while operating elsewhere usually adds a second state's fees and filings rather than saving money. If the decision involves investors, multiple owners, or significant tax questions, pay a lawyer or accountant for one consultation before filing, since unwinding a wrong entity costs more than the advice.
Then compare three year costs on one page: formation fee, agent renewals, the compliance services you will genuinely keep, and the state charges themselves, which range from about 40 dollars in Kentucky to around 500 dollars in Massachusetts, plus annual reports and franchise taxes in many states. Choose Northwest for value and privacy, Bizee for the cheapest first year, ZenBusiness if you will use the compliance dashboard, and the specialists if you match their audience. Whatever you choose, calendar the ongoing duties yourself as a backstop: annual reports, registered agent renewals, New York publication where it applies, and state tax filings continue whether a reminder email arrives or not. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Prices are October 2026 published figures.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just form the company myself instead?
Yes. Every service here files forms you can file directly with your state, usually online, for the state fee alone. You would still need a registered agent with a physical address in the state, which can be you if you are available at that address during business hours and accept your address on public record. Services earn their fee through privacy, reminders, templates, and handling the details in the right order.
Why is free formation not free?
Because the state fee is mandatory and separate. A 0 dollar formation means the service charges nothing for its own work; the state still charges its filing fee at checkout, from about 40 dollars to roughly 500 dollars by state, and the free first year of registered agent service renews at 99 to 249 dollars a year depending on the provider. The honest comparison is total cost across three years.
What does a registered agent actually do?
A registered agent is the official address where the state and courts send legal documents, including lawsuits, to your company. Every state requires one. Using a service keeps your home address off public filings and makes sure a document served while you are on holiday is still received and forwarded. Missing a served document can mean a default judgement against your company, which is why the renewal is worth paying.
LLC or corporation: which should I form?
For most small businesses, an LLC, for simpler administration and flexible tax treatment. A C corporation suits startups raising venture capital, which is why Stripe Atlas exists and why it only forms those. S corporation status is a tax election filed with the IRS after formation, available to both LLCs and corporations that qualify. The choice affects taxes, ownership, and fundraising, so treat it as an advice question, not a checkout question.
What do I owe after formation?
Typically an annual or biennial report to the state, the state fee that goes with it, franchise or minimum taxes in some states, registered agent renewal, and your normal business tax filings. New York LLCs also face a newspaper publication requirement that can cost more than the formation itself in some counties. These duties exist whether you formed through a service or alone, and penalties for missed reports can dissolve the company administratively.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.