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 support and privacy pick, with formation from $39 plus state fees and S corp election filing offered as a $100 add on.
- Bizee is the budget route: formation from $0 plus state fees, with Form 2553 included in its Standard and Premium packages and a free first year of registered agent.
- ZenBusiness prepares the election for eligible LLCs it formed, but you sign and mail the form yourself, and registered agent service is a $199 per year extra.
- The election has hard rules: eligible owners only, one class of stock, and a filing deadline that generally falls two months and fifteen days into the tax year. Miss the structure and the deadline and the paperwork is decoration.
Quick comparison
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Starting price$39 plus state fees
Free planNo
Northwest tops most S corp service comparisons for a simple reason: when a filing detail matters, a knowledgeable person answers. Its formation starts at $39 plus state fees, registered agent service is included for a year and renews at a flat $125, and the S corp election is a stated $100 add on rather than a mystery.
The trade is presentation and extras. Northwest does not bundle accounting, payroll or a glossy dashboard, and there is no $0 tier. What it sells is accuracy and privacy at the step where mistakes are annoying to unwind. For a business electing S corp status, where one wrong owner can void the election, that emphasis is well aimed.
What we like- Real human support from its Corporate Guides rather than a call centre script, registered agent free for the first year then a flat $125 per year, S corp election filing offered at $100 with formation, strong privacy practices, including not selling customer data
Watch out for- No free formation tier, the website is plain next to rivals, payroll and bookkeeping are not part of the offer
Starting price$0 plus state fees
Free planNo
Bizee, formerly Incfile, is the cheapest credible route to an S corp filing. Its Standard package, $199 one time in current comparisons, bundles the EIN, an operating agreement and Form 2553, and even the free tier includes a year of registered agent service, which rivals charge for from day one.
The trade is that free is a doorway, not the destination. The election lives in the paid packages, the order flow offers add ons at every step, and ongoing costs settle at the $149 registered agent renewal. Read the cart before paying and Bizee is genuinely good value; click through on autopilot and the total will surprise you.
What we like- Formation from $0 plus state fees, Form 2553 included in Standard and Premium packages, first year of registered agent free, then $149 per year, lifetime compliance alerts on the paid tiers
Watch out for- The free Silver tier leaves out the election and the EIN, which pushes most S corp filers to a paid package, upsells through the order flow, bookkeeping and payroll are not included
#3ZenBusiness
Best for: Guided filing and compliance2.4/5 on
G2 (4 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zenbusiness.com
Starting price$0 plus state fees
Free planNo
ZenBusiness sells guidance. The formation flow is the friendliest here, and its compliance add ons, reminders, annual report handling, deadline tracking, suit owners who want the admin watched for them. Its S corp support prepares Form 2553 for eligible LLCs it formed.
The trade is in the details this category lives on. The election is prepared, not filed; the envelope is yours. The registered agent, which every state requires, is a separate $199 a year. And the subscription structure means year two costs more than the $0 headline suggested. None of that makes it a bad service; it makes the renewal page required reading.
What we like- A guided formation flow beginners find easy, S corp election preparation for eligible LLCs formed through ZenBusiness, compliance products that track annual reports and deadlines, formation from $0 plus state fees
Watch out for- For the election, ZenBusiness prepares the form and you sign and mail it yourself, registered agent is not included in formation and costs $199 per year, an election added more than 30 days after formation carries a $200 service fee, subscription tiers renew annually
#4LegalZoom
Best for: Brand and wider legal services3.1/5 on
G2 (16 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit legalzoom.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
LegalZoom is the brand most founders already know, and for some that familiarity is worth paying for. It forms corporations and LLCs, sells registered agent service and compliance, and can connect a business to attorneys for the questions a filing service should not answer.
The trade is clarity on this specific job. A recent S corp services comparison noted the election filing was not clearly listed in LegalZoom's current formation packages, which means asking directly, in writing, what happens to your Form 2553 before you pay. Big brands earn trust on many products; verify this one.
What we like- The best known name in online legal services, corporation and LLC formation with S corp guidance available, a wide bench of other legal products and attorney network access, long operating history
Watch out for- Pricing and packages change often and the election is not clearly listed in current formation packages, per one 2026 comparison, add ons accumulate through checkout, rarely the cheapest route to the same filing
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Rocket Lawyer makes sense for a business whose legal needs continue after formation day. Its membership wraps document templates, e signatures and attorney consultations around the incorporation service, so the S corp filing is the start of a relationship rather than a single purchase.
The trade is focus. If all you need is an entity and an election filed correctly, a formation first service does that job more directly and usually cheaper. If you will draft contracts, leases and employment documents all year, the membership maths can flip the comparison. Price the year, not the filing.
What we like- Formation offered inside a membership built around legal documents and attorney questions, useful if the business will need contracts and templates all year, a free trial of membership is commonly offered
Watch out for- The membership model means formation value depends on using the rest of the service, S corp election handling is less prominent than at Northwest or Bizee, per service pricing needs checking at checkout
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
CorpNet is the quiet specialist. It files formations, foreign qualifications and compliance paperwork in all states, and its packages are built for businesses whose filing life is more complicated than one entity in one state, a common shape once a service company starts hiring across borders.
The trade is small print. Comparisons have noted a percentage convenience fee on orders and short free registered agent windows on cheaper tiers. Neither is unusual, but both belong in your total before you compare CorpNet's headline against Bizee's.
What we like- Long running filing specialist with packages from about $99 plus state fees per recent comparisons, handles formations and compliance across states, which suits businesses registering in several, human support is a stated part of the offer
Watch out for- A convenience fee has applied to orders in recent comparisons, registered agent free periods are short on the basic tier, less consumer brand recognition than LegalZoom or ZenBusiness
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Swyft Filings sells momentum: pick a package, answer the questions, and the filing moves. For a founder who wants the entity formed this week with the compliance calendar attached, it is a reasonable, well reviewed route.
The trade is the same as every speed led filer. On an S corp job the value sits in the election paperwork, not the state filing, and Swyft's public detail on Form 2553 is lighter than Northwest's or Bizee's. Ask the direct question before purchase: who prepares the 2553, who signs it, who mails it, and what does that cost.
What we like- A guided, speed focused formation flow, corporation and LLC packages with compliance alerts, customer support ratings are a stated selling point
Watch out for- Pricing is package based and needs a careful read at checkout, S corp election detail is thinner than at the specialists, upsells for speed and extras are part of the model
Starting price$0 plus state fees
Free planNo
Inc Authority's offer is the most aggressive headline here: form the entity free, pay the state fee, and meet the company through its add ons, including registered agent service, EIN filing and a tax consultation. As a doorway it works; thousands of businesses have started this way.
The trade is that the free step is the smallest part of an S corp's real cost. Payroll setup, reasonable salary for owner employees, quarterly filings and the 1120-S return are where S corp ownership is won or lost, and no formation freebie covers them. Use Inc Authority with a clear list of what you will decline, or use the consultation to plan and file the election through a specialist.
What we like- Free formation in most states, paying only the state fee, a business checking and tax planning consultation bundled into its pitch, an easy entry for a first time founder
Watch out for- The business model is upsells, so the free filing comes with a sales journey, registered agent and extras are where the money is, election handling should be confirmed in writing before purchase
How we chose
We picked formation services that actively sell corporation and LLC formation with S corp election support in 2026, and rated them on the things that matter for this specific job: whether Form 2553 is prepared or included, who signs and files it, registered agent cost after year one, and support quality. Pricing rests on vendor pages and current comparisons that checked those pages. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we repeated the obvious because this category blurs it: formation is not the election, and this article is not legal or tax advice.
Understand the two filings, because services blur them in marketing. The state filing creates the entity, a corporation by filing articles of incorporation, or an LLC by filing articles of organization. The federal election is separate: Form 2553, signed by every owner, tells the IRS to tax the entity as an S corporation. Skip the second step and you own a plain corporation or a plain LLC, whatever the receipt says.
Then respect the eligibility rules, because they are rigid. An S corp can have at most 100 shareholders, all of them individuals who are US citizens or residents, with narrow exceptions for certain trusts and estates, and it can issue only one class of stock. An LLC electing S status must meet the same tests through its members. A single ineligible owner, a foreign investor, another company as owner, can terminate the election.
Mind the deadline too. For an existing entity, the election is generally due by the fifteenth day of the third month of the tax year it should take effect, March 15 for calendar year businesses, and a new entity gets two months and fifteen days from its start. Late election relief exists, but it is paperwork and pleading, not a plan. A good accountant, consulted before you file anything, costs less than repairing a botched election.
Finally, budget the ownership, not the formation. An S corp with employees must run payroll, and owner employees must take a reasonable salary before distributions, which is the rule the whole structure is policed by. Add the separate 1120-S tax return each year. The formation fee in this list is the smallest number in S corp life; choose the service that gets the election right, then hire the accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Is forming an S corp the same as electing S corp status?
No. Formation creates a corporation or an LLC at state level. The S corp is a federal tax election made on Form 2553. These services can form the entity and prepare or file the election, but the two steps are legally distinct, and both must be done correctly.
Who cannot own an S corp?
Non resident aliens, corporations and partnerships cannot be shareholders, and there can be no more than 100 shareholders and only one class of stock. Certain trusts and estates are allowed under specific rules. If your ownership plans include a foreign or corporate investor, talk to a tax attorney before electing.
When is Form 2553 due?
Generally by the fifteenth day of the third month of the tax year the election should start, March 15 for a calendar year business, or within two months and fifteen days of a new entity's first tax year beginning. The IRS grants late relief in some cases, but filing on time is free and relief is not guaranteed.
Does an S corp always save tax?
No. The saving comes from splitting owner income between a reasonable salary, which carries payroll tax, and distributions, which do not, and it only appears above a certain profit level. Below that, payroll costs, the extra tax return and state fees can make the S corp the more expensive structure. This is exactly the question for an accountant, not a formation checkout page.
What does the registered agent cost after year one?
From published figures in current comparisons: about $125 per year at Northwest, $149 at Bizee and $199 at ZenBusiness, where the agent is also not included in the formation price. The agent is legally required, so treat the renewal as part of the service price, not an optional extra.
Sources we checked (0)
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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.
Northwest Registered Agent
Bizee
Rocket Lawyer
CorpNet
Swyft Filings
Inc Authority