What is the best LLC formation service in 2026?
Every service says $0 or close to it. The bill shows up in your state fee and in year two.
You want an LLC, you don't want to wrestle with your Secretary of State's website, and every formation service seems to cost nothing. Here's the catch. The service fee is the smallest line on the bill. Your state filing fee comes on top everywhere, from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts. Then there's the registered agent: free for year one at most services, billed every year after.
So we compared five services that keep coming up on what you pay over two years, not on the sticker price. That means the formation fee, the state fee (identical wherever you file), the registered agent renewal and the subscriptions added at checkout.
The short answer. Northwest Registered Agent is the best overall: $39 plus state fees, a year of registered agent service included, and a published renewal price of $125 a year. Bizee is the cheapest way in, at $0 plus state fees with a free year of registered agent. ZenBusiness works if you want compliance handled for you, at a price. LegalZoom makes sense if you want a lawyer or an accountant on call, and you'll pay monthly for it after 30 days. Tailor Brands bundles formation with branding and a website.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best LLC service for your situation
The 5 LLC services by real cost
The price column shows the service fee you pay in year one and what comes due in year two. Your state filing fee sits on top of every line and is the same whichever service files for you. Rank follows the profile of a solo founder who wants a clean filing and no surprise bills, not just the score.
| Best for | What it does best | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest Registered Agent | Best overall | Clear renewal price, privacy by default | 4.5/5 | $39, then $125/yr agent | — | Solo founders and small teams | Visit → |
| 2 | Bizee | Cheapest way in | $0 with a free agent year | 4.1/5 | $0, $199 or $299 | ✓ | Budget-first founders | Visit → |
| 3 | ZenBusiness | Compliance on autopilot | Annual report and compliance add-ons | 3.9/5 | From $0, agent $199/yr | ✓ | Founders who want reminders handled | Visit → |
| 4 | LegalZoom | Lawyer or accountant on call | Expert help bundled in | 3.7/5 | $0, $249 or $299, then monthly | ✓ | Founders who want an expert | Visit → |
| 5 | Tailor Brands | Formation with a website | Logo, domain and site tools bundled | 3.7/5 | $0, $199/yr or $249/yr | ✓ | Founders who also need a brand | Visit → |
All prices exclude your state filing fee, which runs from $40 (Kentucky) to $500 (Massachusetts) and usually lands between $100 and $300. Optional add-ons are not counted unless noted.
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How we compared and scored
An LLC formation service gets judged three times: at checkout, when the state approves your filing, and twelve months later, when the registered agent renewal hits your card. We read each service's official pricing pages and package details, what's included, what renews, and what gets added by default. We also went through public customer feedback, mostly the angry part, to see where people feel tricked.
For each service we rebuilt a two-year cost for a single-member LLC: formation fee, state fee, registered agent in year two, and any subscription that starts on its own. None of these services had a score in our Labs yet, so the scores on this page are the reference for our other formation guides.
What isn't ranked, and why. Rocket Lawyer shows up in the top results, but we didn't read an official formation price for it, so it stays out. Filing yourself on your Secretary of State's website isn't a service, but it is a real option, and we price it below.
- Two-year costFormation fee, registered agent in year two, required subscriptions.35 %
- Renewals and upsellsPublished renewal prices, add-ons pre-checked, monthly fees after a trial.25 %
- What's includedRegistered agent, operating agreement, EIN, filing speed.20 %
- SupportWho you can reach, and whether you can reach them without paying more.10 %
- Ease of orderingHow clear the checkout is and how fast you get through it.10 %
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
LLC service prices change often. Get the updates
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest charges $39 plus your state fee to form an LLC. That price includes a full year of registered agent service (the legal address that receives lawsuits and state mail for your company), same-day processing, a business address, mail scanning and compliance reminders. After year one, the agent renews at $125 a year, the renewal price listed in the offer details of Northwest's LLC page. Several competitors show the free year without any renewal price at all.
Over two years, you pay $39 plus $125, so $164 on top of your state fee. That's not the cheapest year one on this page. It's the most predictable two years.
Founders often name Northwest as a low-upsell option. Its own page puts privacy forward: it says it shields your personal information wherever possible and never sells your data, with no opt-in needed.
The limit: Northwest is built around registered agent work. If you want an accountant, bookkeeping, or a lawyer on call bundled in, you'll be shopping elsewhere for those.
- Registered agent renewal published at $125 a year
- First year of agent service included
- Privacy protection on by default
- ✓Most predictable two-year cost
- ✓Same-day processing and mail scanning included
- ✓Agent renewal price listed
- ✗$39 instead of $0 in year one
- ✗No bundled tax or legal advice
- ✗Fewer extras than full-service players
The safest bet if you hate surprise bills. You pay $39 more on day one and nothing unexpected afterward.
Bizee
Bizee offers three packages: Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, all plus your state fee. Every package includes one year of registered agent service. If all you need is the LLC filed and an agent for the first year, Basic gets you there for the state fee alone.
That's the lowest year-one bill on this page. The question mark is year two. Bizee's pricing page shows the free agent year but not what it costs to renew. Before your first anniversary, check the renewal price in your account and compare it with switching to another agent. Changing agents is a simple state filing in most states.
Standard and Premium add services on top of the filing. Before paying $199 or $299, list what you'd use: you can get an EIN from the IRS yourself for free, so it's never a reason to upgrade on its own.
The limit: the cheaper the package, the more you do on your own after filing.
- Basic at $0 plus state fees
- Registered agent free for a year in every package
- Three clear package prices
- ✓Lowest first-year cost
- ✓Free agent year even on Basic
- ✓Simple package ladder
- ✗Agent renewal price not shown on the pricing page
- ✗Paid tiers cost $199 to $299 more
- ✗Basic leaves the follow-up to you
The cheapest clean start. Put a reminder at month eleven to check what the agent renewal will cost.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness starts from $0 plus state fees. The catch is the add-on menu. Registered agent service costs $199 a year, the Worry-Free Compliance package another $199 a year, an annual report filing $100, an EIN $99, and expedited filing $79.
Add the agent and compliance package, and year two costs $398 on top of your state's own annual fees. That's more than three times Northwest's renewal. What you get for it: help staying on top of annual reports and state deadlines, which is real value if you're the kind of founder who loses track of state mail.
Founders' complaints focus on the checkout, where add-ons are pushed hard, and on the agent renewal costing more than people expected. Read every line before you pay.
A caveat on our side: the per-tier prices for ZenBusiness's Starter, Pro and Premium packages weren't readable on its pricing page when we compared, so we ranked it on the published add-on prices.
- Formation from $0 plus state fees
- Compliance package handles annual reports
- Expedited filing at $79
- ✓Real help with ongoing compliance
- ✓Low entry price
- ✓Every add-on priced on the page
- ✗Registered agent at $199 a year
- ✗Upsells pushed during checkout
- ✗Year two can pass $398 in add-ons
Worth it only if you'll actually use the compliance service. Otherwise you're paying $199 a year for an agent you can get for $125.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has three tiers. Basic at $0 files your LLC. Managed Service at $249 adds an operating agreement, the EIN and an advisor for 30 days, then $49 a month. Expert Service at $299 adds 30 days of attorney and accountant access, then $99 a month. State fees come on top.
Run the numbers on Expert Service: $299 plus eleven months at $99 is $1,388 in year one if you keep the subscription. That's more than eight times Northwest's two-year cost. It can be worth it if you have real questions about taxes or contracts. If you don't, cancel before day 30.
Founders often complain about LegalZoom's upsells, including by email after the LLC is formed. That doesn't make the product bad. It means you should decide what you need before the offers start.
The limit: the subscription is the business model, so you'll be asked more than once to keep it.
- Attorney and accountant access in Expert Service
- Operating agreement and EIN in Managed Service
- Basic formation at $0
- ✓Real expert access when you need it
- ✓Well-known brand for banks and partners
- ✓$0 Basic available
- ✗Monthly fees start after 30 days
- ✗Upsell offers keep coming after formation
- ✗Expert Service can pass $1,300 in year one
Good if you need advice, expensive if you only need a filing. Set a day-25 reminder to cancel or keep the subscription.
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands sells LLC formation next to its branding tools. Basic is $0 plus state fees, with standard processing within 14 business days, an operating agreement and annual compliance filings. Essential at $199 a year speeds processing to one business day. Elite at $249 a year adds a domain and a website.
Note the words "per year": the paid tiers are subscriptions, not one-off fees. The registered agent costs another $199 a year, and the EIN $99, which the IRS gives you for free. Basic also starts a 30-day bookkeeping trial that turns into $39 a month if you don't cancel.
So Basic plus the agent is $199 in year one, and Essential plus the agent is $398 a year. That's fine if you'd pay for a website builder anyway; it's expensive if you only need the filing.
The limit: the branding tools are the product, and the LLC is the way in.
- Basic at $0 with an operating agreement
- One-business-day processing on Essential
- Domain and website on Elite
- ✓Branding and website in the same account
- ✓Annual compliance filings in Basic
- ✓$0 entry price
- ✗Paid tiers renew every year
- ✗Registered agent at $199 a year
- ✗Bookkeeping trial turns into $39 a month
Worth it only if you need the brand tools too. Cancel the bookkeeping trial before day 30.
What the $0 price leaves out
Every service on this page passes your state fee straight through, because the state sets it. What separates them is the formation fee, the registered agent bill from year two, and the subscriptions that start on their own.
The state fee nobody can waive
Your state charges a filing fee to create the LLC, usually between $100 and $300, from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts. Many states also charge an annual or biennial report fee. A $0 service never removes these: it only removes its own fee.
The registered agent bill in year two
Every LLC needs a registered agent with a physical address in the state. Most services include it for a year, then bill: $125 a year at Northwest, $199 a year at ZenBusiness. Bizee doesn't show its renewal price on the pricing page. You can be your own agent if you have an in-state address and are there during business hours, but your address becomes public.
Filing it yourself
You can file directly on your Secretary of State's website and pay only the state fee. You'll need to write your own operating agreement, get your EIN from the IRS (free) and act as, or hire, a registered agent. It's very doable for a single-member LLC; the services earn their fee on speed, reminders and fewer mistakes.
- Look up your own state's filing fee before comparing services.
- Find the registered agent renewal price before you pay, not after.
- Uncheck EIN add-ons: the IRS issues EINs for free.
- Note the day any 30-day advisor or legal plan turns into a monthly charge.
- Check your state's annual report deadline and fee on the Secretary of State site.
- Keep your operating agreement even if your state doesn't require one: banks often ask for it.
Form your LLC without overpaying
These tips come from the services' own terms and from what founders say went wrong. They apply whichever service you pick.
Form in your home state unless you have a reason not to
Before you startForming in Delaware or Wyoming sounds smart, but if you actually operate from another state, ask that state whether you also need to register there as an out-of-state LLC. If so, you'd pay two sets of state fees and two registered agents. For a one-person business, your home state is usually the simpler choice.
- Typical state fee
- $100 to $300
Get your EIN yourself
SavingsThe IRS issues an Employer Identification Number online, and says you never have to pay a fee for one. ZenBusiness sells it for $99, and higher tiers elsewhere bundle it in. If it's the only reason to upgrade, skip the upgrade.
- Add-on price
- $99 at ZenBusiness
Put the agent renewal in your calendar
TrapThe free year ends, and the renewal charges automatically. Set a reminder at month eleven. If the renewal is higher than $125, switching agents is a short state filing in most states.
- Benchmark
- $125 a year at Northwest
Cancel 30-day plans on day 25 if you don't use them
TrapLegalZoom's advisor plans flip to $49 or $99 a month after 30 days. If you haven't asked a single question by day 25, cancel. You can always come back when you have a real legal or tax problem.
- Cost if forgotten
- Up to $1,089 in 11 months
Pay for speed only with a real deadline
ChoiceExpedited filing ($79 at ZenBusiness) speeds up the service's side, while the state works at its own pace. Pay for it only if a bank, a lease or a client contract needs the LLC by a set date.
- Add-on price
- $79 at ZenBusiness
Get our tips to start your business for less
After the LLC, the next step
These pages pick up once your company exists.
LLC formation services · FAQ
What is the best LLC formation service?
Northwest Registered Agent is our pick for most founders: $39 plus state fees, a registered agent included for a year, and a published renewal of $125 a year. Bizee is cheaper in year one at $0 plus state fees. The best one depends on whether you care more about year one or year two.Can I form an LLC myself?
Yes. You file articles of organization on your Secretary of State's website and pay only the state fee. You'll also need an EIN from the IRS (free), an operating agreement and a registered agent. A service saves time and reduces errors, not legal fees.How much does it cost to form an LLC?
Your state filing fee, usually $100 to $300 and anywhere from $40 to $500, plus the service fee: $0 to $299 for the packages compared here. Then count the registered agent from year two, $125 to $199 a year at the services listing a price, and any annual report fee your state charges.Is a registered agent required?
Yes, every state requires one. You can act as your own if you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours, but that address becomes public. Most services include an agent for the first year, then charge for it.Is LegalZoom worth it?
If you want an attorney or accountant on call, it can be: Expert Service is $299, then $99 a month after 30 days. If you just need the LLC filed, Basic at $0 works, but expect upsell offers. For a plain filing, Northwest or Bizee costs less over two years.How long does it take to form an LLC?
It depends on your state's processing time, which ranges from same-day to several weeks. The service's own processing is usually fast; expedited options speed up the service's part, not the state's. Check your state's posted processing times before paying for speed.