How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Northwest Registered Agent is the best overall value: $39 plus state fee with a free year of registered agent service and no upsell gauntlet.
- Bizee and Inc Authority both offer $0 formation with a free year of agent service, but watch the year-two renewal rates.
- LegalZoom charges the most for registered agent service ($249/year) and is only worth it if you want attorney access bundled in.
- ZenBusiness wins on dashboard polish and compliance tools, but its Worry-Free Compliance auto-renews at $199/year.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Northwest Registered Agent | Best overall value | $39 plus state fee | No |
 Bizee | Cheapest long-term total cost | $0 plus state fee | Yes |
 ZenBusiness | Polished dashboard and compliance | $0 plus state fee | Yes |
 LegalZoom | Brand name plus attorney access | $0 plus state fee | No |
 Inc Authority | Free formation with free EIN | $0 plus state fee | Yes |
 Swyft Filings | Fast formation with clean dashboard | $0 plus state fee | Yes |
 Rocket Lawyer | Ongoing legal documents and advice | $149 per year | Free trial (7 days) |
 Tailor Brands | Formation plus branding tools | $0 plus state fee | Yes |
 doola | Non-US founders needing EIN and address | $297 per year plus state fee | No |
 MyCompanyWorks | Entrepreneur bundle with EIN and agent | $79 plus state fee | 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Is your product missing or out of date?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.
Every LLC formation service files the same paperwork with the same state. The filing is a commodity. What separates the good ones from the expensive ones is everything around it: the registered agent renewal, the checkout upsells, the compliance reminders, and whether your home address ends up on public records.
The blunt truth is that "$0 formation" is a marketing price, not a total price. Registered agent service is required in almost every state, and it renews every year. A $0 formation with a $249-a-year agent costs more over three years than a $39 formation with a $125-a-year agent. Do the multi-year math before you pick.
Every price below was taken from the vendor's own pricing page or verified against it in October 2026. State fees are always extra and vary by state.
Starting price$39 plus state fee
Free planNo
Northwest is the service reviewers keep recommending when they stop getting paid to say it. The model is simple: $39 plus your state fee, which includes formation filing, a full year of registered agent service, an operating agreement template and digital document storage. The registered agent renews at $125 a year, which is meaningfully cheaper than LegalZoom or ZenBusiness.
The real differentiator is privacy. Northwest puts its own address on your public filings by default, so your home address stays off state records and out of Google. The company does not sell your data to marketers, which means fewer spam calls. Support is handled by real people the company calls Corporate Guides, not chatbots.
What we like- Free first year of registered agent service
- Privacy by default
- No upsell gauntlet at checkout
Watch out for- No free tier
- EIN filing costs $50
- Dashboard is functional rather than flashy
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planYes
Bizee, formerly Incfile, pioneered the free LLC formation model, and its math is still the best in the category for long-term owners. The Silver plan is $0 plus state fee and includes the filing plus a free first year of registered agent service. After year one, the agent renews at $119 a year, the cheapest renewal of any major provider.
Unlike subscription-style competitors, Bizee does not auto-renew services you never asked for. Standard at $199 adds an EIN and operating agreement, and Premium at $299 adds expedited processing. The catch is speed: the free tier can take up to six weeks depending on your state, and customer support is weaker than Northwest or ZenBusiness.
What we like- $0 Silver plan includes free first year of registered agent
- Lowest RA renewal at $119/year
- No auto-renewal trap
Watch out for- Slower standard processing (up to 6 weeks)
- EIN costs $70
- Aggressive marketing data sharing
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planYes
ZenBusiness is the prettiest option on this list and the best fit for first-time founders who want hand-holding. The Starter plan is $0 plus state fee and includes filing, a name search and compliance alerts. Pro at $199 a year adds 1-day rush filing, an EIN and an operating agreement template. Premium at $349 a year adds registered agent service and a business advisor.
The fine print matters here. Registered agent service costs $199 a year extra on Starter and Pro. Worry-Free Compliance is free for year one but auto-renews at $199 a year, which catches people who do not read the checkout. Over three years, ZenBusiness costs more than Northwest or Bizee for equivalent coverage.
What we like- Best dashboard and mobile app in the category
- 1-day rush filing on Pro
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Watch out for- Worry-Free Compliance auto-renews at $199/year
- Registered agent not included on Starter or Pro
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planNo
LegalZoom is the brand your parents have heard of, and that counts for something. The Basic plan is $0 plus state fee for formation only. Pro at $249 adds an EIN, operating agreement and compliance calendar. Premium at $299 adds attorney support including a 30-minute legal consultation, which no other formation service bundles at this tier.
The problem is the total cost. Registered agent service is $249 a year, separate from every plan, and it is the most expensive in the category. Basic plan processing can take 30 or more business days without paid expediting, and the checkout is notorious for pushing expensive add-ons. Pick LegalZoom if you want the brand and the legal ecosystem; pick Northwest or Bizee if you want value.
What we like- Most recognizable name in the category
- Premium includes attorney consultations
- Broad legal services beyond formation
Watch out for- Highest registered agent price at $249/year
- Slowest standard processing
- Most aggressive checkout upsells
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planYes
Inc Authority's pitch is the most generous bundle at the $0 price point: free formation, a free first year of registered agent service, and free EIN filing. Operating agreement is $89 and expedited filing $49 as add-ons. On Trustpilot the company holds an impressive rating from tens of thousands of reviewers.
The experience is the weak point. The checkout runs through a dozen or more upsell screens, and signups trigger post-signup sales calls. The registered agent renews at $179 to $199 a year, which is pricier than Bizee or Northwest after year one. If you can survive the sales funnel, the formation bundle itself is legitimately free.
What we like- $0 formation with free first-year registered agent
- EIN filing free
- High customer ratings
Watch out for- RA renewal $179 to $199 a year
- Aggressive upsell screens and post-signup sales calls
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planYes
Swyft Filings positions on speed. The Basic plan is $0 plus state fee with 7 to 10 day internal processing. Standard at $199 adds a customized operating agreement, EIN filing, banking resolution and faster handling. Premium at $299 gets same-business-day processing, a free domain and a digital corporate kit. Customer support answers fast, often within minutes.
The registered agent story is the weak spot: it is not included in any base plan and costs $149 per year, which is higher than the industry average. There are also plenty of upsells during signup. Swyft is a solid pick if speed is your priority and you do not mind buying the agent separately.
What we like- Same-day filing on Premium
- Free business domain with every plan
- Fast customer support responses
Watch out for- Registered agent $149/year billed as $149/quarter
- Numerous upsells during signup
Starting price$149 per year
Free planFree trial (7 days)
Rocket Lawyer is not a formation service, it is a legal membership that happens to include formation. Standard at $149 a year, Plus at $249 and Pro at $349 all include your first business registration with no separate service fee, plus unlimited legal document templates, RocketSign e-signatures and attorney Q&A. A 7-day trial precedes billing.
That makes it the best deal on this list if you regularly need contracts, employment agreements and attorney advice. It is the worst deal if you just need one LLC formed and nothing else, since a one-time $39 filing from Northwest beats a $149 membership. Registered agent service is $125 a year but only available on Plus and Pro.
What we like- Unlimited legal document templates
- Attorney access built in
- E-signature included
Watch out for- No free tier
- Membership model is expensive for one-time formation
- Weekday-only support
Starting price$0 plus state fee
Free planYes
Tailor Brands sells the business, not just the filing. Lite is $0 plus state fee for basic formation. Essential at $199 a year adds expedited filing, annual compliance and an operating agreement. Elite at $249 a year adds an AI logo maker, website builder with an online store, a free domain for a year, digital business cards and branding tools.
This is the right pick if you are launching a brand and would otherwise pay separately for a logo and website. It is the wrong pick if you only need an LLC: the tiers recur annually, Elite is preselected at checkout, and the registered agent costs $199 a year extra. The EIN is a $99 add-on on every plan.
What we like- Elite plan includes logo maker, website builder and domain
- AI co-founder tracks deadlines
- Smooth checkout
Watch out for- Tiers are annual subscriptions, not one-time fees
- Elite is the checkout default
- RA $199/year
Starting price$297 per year plus state fee
Free planNo
doola exists for one underserved buyer: the non-US founder who needs a US LLC but cannot get an EIN without a Social Security Number. The Starter plan at $297 a year plus state fee includes formation, EIN, registered agent service, a US business address, an operating agreement and compliance alerts. Total Compliance at $1,999 a year adds annual filings and the federal return for foreign-owned LLCs.
If you are a US resident, doola is overpriced; Northwest or Bizee will do the same job cheaper. If you are abroad and need the EIN-without-SSN path, the US address and the Form 5472 handling, doola is purpose-built for you. Everything is subscription-based, so price it as a yearly cost.
What we like- Built for non-US residents: EIN without SSN, US address, operating agreement included
- Bookkeeping available
Watch out for- No free tier
- Starter is subscription-based
- Overkill for US residents with an SSN
Starting price$79 plus state fee
Free planNo
MyCompanyWorks is the quiet competent pick. Basic at $79 plus state fee covers the filing. The Entrepreneur package at $199 plus state fee is where the value sits: it bundles the EIN and a year of registered agent service into one order, which ZenBusiness does not match until its much pricier Premium tier. Complete at $279 adds a full LLC kit.
The registered agent renews at $119 a year, among the cheapest in the category. There is no free tier, so it cannot compete with Bizee or Inc Authority on entry price. But for founders who want formation, EIN and agent handled in one clean order without the upsell gauntlet, the Entrepreneur package is the most efficient buy on this list.
What we like- Entrepreneur plan bundles EIN and agent at $199
- No flashy upsell gauntlet
- Solid support reputation
Watch out for- No free tier
- Smaller brand with fewer integrations
- Mid-tier is the real entry point
How we built this shortlist
We compared each service's published formation pricing, registered agent rates and renewal terms against the vendors' own pages, then modeled the real three-year cost of formation plus registered agent service, which is where most buyers get surprised. We checked feature claims and support quality against reviews on Trustpilot, the BBB and LLC-focused review sites, plus detailed 2026 comparison articles that had verified prices against the vendor pages. We deliberately mixed the $0 formation giants, the value leader, the legal membership option and the non-US founder specialist so different buyers see their real match.
The three-year cost is the only number that matters
Nobody buys an LLC once. The registered agent renews every year for as long as the company exists, and that is where the "$0 formation" marketing earns its money back. Over three years, the spread between providers is hundreds of dollars for the exact same legal outcome.
How the big names stack up over three years
A $0 formation with a $199-a-year registered agent costs roughly $400 over three years in agent fees alone. Northwest's $39 formation with a $125-a-year agent costs about $290. Bizee's $0 formation with $119-a-year renewals costs about $240, the cheapest total among the major providers. LegalZoom's $0 formation with a $249-a-year agent costs about $750. Same LLC, same state, three times the price.
Watch the auto-renewals
Several services enroll you in compliance or agent subscriptions at formation and renew them automatically. ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199 a year after a free first year. Inc Authority's free-year agent rolls into paid service. Read the checkout confirmation email the day you file, note every renewal date, and decide now whether you want each one.
Common mistakes first-time founders make
The most expensive mistake is paying for things the government gives away. The EIN is free directly from the IRS, yet formation services charge $50 to $99 to file it for you. If you are a US resident with an SSN, the five-minute IRS application is genuinely easy. Non-US residents without an SSN need help, which is why doola exists.
The second mistake is letting your home address land on public filings. Registered agent services like Northwest that put their address on your filings protect you from this. The cheapest services do not. If you run the business from home, privacy is worth paying for.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a registered agent, or can I be my own?
Almost every state requires an LLC to have a registered agent with a physical address in the state to receive legal documents. You can serve as your own agent for free, but your home address goes on public record. Professional services cost $119 to $249 a year depending on the provider.
How long does online LLC formation take?
State processing dominates the timeline and varies widely, from a day or two to several weeks. The service's internal handling adds its own delay: free tiers can sit in the queue for weeks, while paid rush options like ZenBusiness Pro or Swyft Premium get your filing submitted within a day. Budget for the state, not the service.
Is the EIN really free from the IRS?
Yes. The IRS issues EINs for free through its online application, and it takes about five minutes for US residents with an SSN. Formation services charge $50 to $99 to file it on your behalf. Non-US residents without an SSN cannot use the online application and usually need a service like doola.
Which state should I form my LLC in?
For almost everyone, your home state. Forming in Delaware, Wyoming or Nevada while operating elsewhere means paying fees in two states plus a foreign qualification filing. The low-fee state pitch only makes sense if you are truly operating nowhere in particular, which is rare.
Can I form an LLC if I live outside the US?
Yes. Non-US founders form US LLCs regularly. The complication is the EIN, which requires a different process without a Social Security Number. doola is built for exactly this case, bundling the EIN, a US address and the foreign-owned LLC tax filings.
What happens after the LLC is approved?
Get your EIN, open a business bank account, sign your operating agreement and mark your state's annual report deadline. Most states require an annual or biennial report with a fee, and missing it can put your LLC in bad standing. Compliance tracking tools from ZenBusiness or Tailor Brands exist to remind you.
Sources we checked (14)
- https://www.zenbusiness.com/pricing
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/pricing
- https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-overview.html
- https://bizee.com/pricing
- https://www.incauthority.com/order/free-llc/
- https://www.swyftfilings.com/llc/
- https://www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing
- https://www.tailorbrands.com/llc
- https://www.doola.com/pricing
- https://www.mycompanyworks.com/pricing/
- https://www.llc.org/review/northwest-registered-agent/
- https://www.llc.org/review/legalzoom/
- https://www.llc.org/review/zenbusiness/
- https://ecommerceparadise.com/bizee-vs-legalzoom-vs-zenbusiness/
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 spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.