LLC formation services

Everything below links to the page it comes from, and says when we checked it.

What a "$0" package can cost you later

Five services list an entry package at $0 plus the state fee. The filing is free, but four of them carry something that can bill you later.

• Bizee Basic includes a free first year of its registered agent. After that the agent is $149 a year.
• ZenBusiness Starter includes Worry-Free Compliance free for the first year, then $199 a year. A website builder trial is preselected at checkout and renews at $15 a month after 30 days, unless you remove it before you buy.
• Swyft Filings Basic includes a trial of ComplianceGuard. Its own page says your card is charged $199 for a year once the 14-day trial ends.
• Tailor Brands Lite includes a bookkeeping trial that becomes $39 a month after 30 days. Keep it and that's $468 a year.
• LegalZoom Basic is "only articles of organization filed with the state." Nothing renews, but nothing else is in it either.

Rocket Lawyer also starts at $0, but only with a membership. The cheapest, Standard, is $149 a year or $34.99 a month, and it renews automatically. Checked Sep 25, 2026.

If you'd rather pay a fee up front

• CorpNet Basic is $99, plus a 3% convenience fee and shipping and handling, which we didn't find a price for. Its registered agent lasts 60 days, then becomes a $149-a-year subscription.
• InCorp charges $99 to form the LLC and sells its registered agent separately, at $129 per state per year.
• Harbor Compliance starts at $99. On its order form the EIN and the operating agreement, $99 each, are ticked by default. Untick them if you don't want them.
• Registered Agents Inc charges $100 with one free year of registered agent service, then $200 a year.
• MyCorporation Basic is $109, plus shipping, which we didn't find a price for.

Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

Watch for a yearly bill from day one

doola Starter is a $297-a-year subscription. It includes the EIN, an operating agreement, a registered agent and a US business address, so the full $297 recurs each year. Firstbase Start is $399 once, but Start buyers must also buy Firstbase Agent at $299 a year. That's $698 in year one and $299 a year after. Its pricing page also shows Start at $99 as an offer with no end date; we use $399. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Check what the entry package leaves out

We check five things: a registered agent for the first year, an operating agreement, an EIN application, annual-report or compliance reminders, and a business address or mail handling.

• doola includes all five.
• Registered Agents Inc includes three: the agent, annual report filing and a business address. We didn't find an operating agreement or an EIN in it.
• Bizee includes two: the agent for a year and a virtual address for the first month.
• Firstbase includes two: the EIN and the operating agreement.
• CorpNet and ZenBusiness include one: compliance alerts or reminders.
• LegalZoom, MyCorporation and Swyft Filings include none of them.
• For Harbor Compliance, InCorp, Rocket Lawyer and Tailor Brands, we didn't find any of the five in the entry package.

Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

If you live outside the US

Five services say they form LLCs for owners outside the US, and they're compared on the non-US owners page. The EIN is where they differ.

• doola gets the EIN with or without an SSN, inside Starter.
• Firstbase doesn't need an SSN or ITIN, but without one the EIN takes 20 to 30 business days. It forms only in Delaware or Wyoming, and if you have no US address, Mailroom starts at $35 a month.
• LegalZoom files the EIN without an SSN, but only in its Pro and Premium packages. Pro is $249.
• CorpNet says it serves international founders, but its EIN page says the responsible party needs an SSN or ITIN.
• ZenBusiness can help prepare Form SS-4 for non-resident applicants, but the same help article says only a valid SSN or ITIN is accepted.

Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

How the ranking weighs them

First-year cost counts for 35% of the score, what the entry package includes 20%, cost from year two 15%, and processing time, support and refund terms 10% each. The state's filing fee is the same whoever files, so we leave it out of every price. The formula behind each criterion is on how we score LLC formation services.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an LLC formation service cost?

The service's fee comes on top of the state's filing fee. Entry packages start at $0 at Bizee, LegalZoom, Swyft Filings, Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness. CorpNet, Harbor Compliance and InCorp charge $99, Registered Agents Inc $100 and MyCorporation $109. doola is $297 a year and Firstbase $399. Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

Can I get my money back if I change my mind?

• CorpNet refunds 100% of its service fees, no questions asked, if you ask within 60 days of ordering.
• ZenBusiness advertises a 60-day money-back guarantee, but its terms say a packaged order isn't refundable once any part of it has gone to a government agency.
• LegalZoom refunds within 60 days, but only while your order hasn't been submitted.
• Bizee generally refunds until it pays the state, typically within 24 hours of the order. MyCorporation refunds only before the filing goes to the state, and keeps $50.
• Firstbase has a 7-day guarantee, but its terms end refunds once you confirm your company details after buying.
• doola, Harbor Compliance and Tailor Brands say their fees are non-refundable, and Rocket Lawyer doesn't refund incorporation-related payments.

Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

How long does the filing take?

These are the services' own times, before the state's: Bizee files within one business day, doola in 1 to 2 business days and CorpNet in 2 to 4. Swyft Filings Basic takes 7 to 10 business days, as does ZenBusiness Starter, which offers rush processing for $79. Tailor Brands Lite takes up to 14 business days. We didn't find a time for Firstbase, Harbor Compliance, InCorp, LegalZoom, MyCorporation, Registered Agents Inc or Rocket Lawyer. Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

Can I call someone at the weekend?

LegalZoom's LLC page lists phone hours of Mon to Fri 5 am to 7 pm PT and Sat to Sun 7 am to 4 pm PT (checked Sep 30, 2026). Bizee, CorpNet, InCorp, MyCorporation and Rocket Lawyer list weekday hours only. Swyft Filings' pages disagree; its contact page says Monday to Friday. ZenBusiness says its phone and chat teams work "during business hours," with an AI assistant 24/7. Checked Sep 25 and Sep 27, 2026.

Can these services form a PLLC?

CorpNet and MyCorporation have PLLC pages, and Rocket Lawyer registers PLLCs and professional corporations. LegalZoom and InCorp say so in their own articles, and Harbor Compliance asks you to contact it to order one. ZenBusiness says it doesn't form PLLCs. The healthcare practices page compares them. Checked Sep 26 and Sep 27, 2026.

Can the same service file a DBA or research licences?

Most can. DBA filing is $99 at InCorp and Swyft Filings, from $99 at CorpNet and LegalZoom, and $199 at doola. ZenBusiness starts at $95 but files DBAs in 20 states only. Licence research is $99 at Swyft Filings and $149 at ZenBusiness and MyCorporation. Firstbase says it doesn't file DBAs. See construction and trades. Checked Sep 26 and Sep 27, 2026.