Northwest Registered AgentBest overall
$39 plus state fee with a free first year of registered agent service, then $125 a year, and Northwest's address on your filing instead of your home.
Business formation services
A business formation service is a company that files your LLC or corporation with a US state and usually acts as its registered agent. These business formation reviews compare eight services on what they cost over three years, what they include, how hard they upsell and how they protect your address.
Stripe AtlasBest for venture-backed startups
$500 covers the Delaware fee, EIN, founder stock, 83(b) filing and a year of agent service, then $100 a year. Delaware only.
BizeeBest $0 formation package
State fee only, with a free first year of registered agent service; renewal is $149 a year and refunds close once the state is paid.
doolaBest for non-US founders
$297 a year bundles formation in any state, the EIN without an SSN, an operating agreement, registered agent and a US address.
ZenBusinessBest for hands-off annual compliance
Worry-Free Compliance files annual reports for you, with a 60-day guarantee before filing; the agent is $99 then $199 a year.
Inc AuthorityBest free EIN with formation
$0 formation including the EIN and a first agent year, owned by LegalZoom since 2025; expect a long chain of checkout offers.
FirstbaseBest for bundled annual filings and tax
Its $299 yearly agent files annual reports and Delaware franchise tax, and Form 5472 filing costs $899 a year. Delaware and Wyoming only.
LegalZoomBest for attorney access during setup
Pro includes 30 days of unlimited attorney consultations, but the registered agent costs $249 a year from year one.
Compare side by side
Every score and price in one table. Select a column to sort. Prices are US list prices; hover a price for the full terms.
| Northwest Registered Agent | 9.1 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 8.8 | $39 + state filing fee | – | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe Atlas | 8.5 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 7.0 | 9.0 | $500 one-time | – | Fee refunded if Stripe cannot support your business |
| Bizee | 7.6 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 6.8 | $0 + state fee | – | Refundable until payment is sent to the state |
| doola | 7.5 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 7.5 | $297/yr + state fee | – | Flawless Formation guarantee: doola errors only |
| ZenBusiness | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 8.2 | $0 + state fee | – | 60 days |
| Inc Authority | 6.9 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 7.4 | $0 + state fee | – | 60 days |
| Firstbase | 6.8 | 5.8 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 7.2 | $99 Start | – | 7 days: full refund before filing |
| LegalZoom | 6.8 | 5.8 | 7.6 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 8.3 | $0 + state fees | – | 60 days |
What does a business formation service actually do?
It files your company with the Secretary of State. Then it usually stays on as the registered agent. A registered agent is the address that must accept lawsuits and official state mail during business hours.
None of it is required. You can file with your Secretary of State, get an EIN from the IRS and act as your own agent if you have an address there. A service buys you time, keeps your home address off a public record and reminds you of deadlines, and most services also sell the EIN application, an operating agreement, annual report filing and a mailing address on top. That’s the whole product.
Which formation service fits you?
For one LLC in one state, start with Northwest Registered Agent. It charges $39 plus the government filing fee, includes the first year of agent service, then charges $125 a year, and puts its own address on your filing instead of your home. Switch when one of these is true.
- If you plan to raise venture money, choose Stripe Atlas. $500 covers the Delaware fee, the EIN, founder stock, 83(b) filing and a year of agent service.
- If you live outside the US, choose doola. Its $297 yearly plan bundles formation, an EIN without an SSN, an agent and a US address.
- If you never want to think about annual reports, ZenBusiness files them under Worry-Free Compliance at $199 a year.
- If you want a lawyer on call during setup, LegalZoom Pro includes 30 days of attorney consultations. Its agent costs $249 a year from day one.
| Service | Formation fee | Agent, year 1 | Agent from year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 + state fee | Included | $125/yr |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 incl. Delaware fee | Included | $100/yr |
| Bizee | $0 + state fee | Included | $149/yr |
| ZenBusiness | $0 + state fee | $99 | $199/yr |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fees | $249 | $249/yr |
| Firstbase | $99 promo ($399 list) + state fee | $299 | $299/yr |
When should you skip a formation service?
Skip the service when you live where you form and don’t mind your address on the public record. If you’ve done it before, the DIY route is two filings: one with the Secretary of State, one with the IRS. Filing directly saves the service fee, and the IRS says plainly: “You never have to pay a fee for an EIN.” Don’t bother with a premium package for a one-person LLC either. The $199 and $299 tiers mostly bundle things you can do yourself on government IRS EIN websites.
What do most founders miss?
Most people miss the second-year bill.
- Free formation, paid renewals. A $0 package still renews the agent. Bizee charges $149 a year, ZenBusiness $199 and LegalZoom $249. Inc Authority doesn’t publish its renewal price. Ask before you pay.
- Paying for things that are free. Northwest, Bizee and ZenBusiness charge $50 to $99 for an EIN the IRS issues free. And FinCEN now exempts US-created companies from beneficial ownership reporting under a final rule effective August 14, 2026, so don’t fall for a paid BOI filing on a US LLC.
- The state keeps billing. Don’t forget the government’s own charges. Delaware charges LLCs an annual tax of $400, due June 1. Miss it and Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month. Put June 1 in your calendar.
- Trials that renew. LegalZoom Pro’s attorney plan renews at $49 a month after 30 days unless you cancel. When you buy it, set a reminder for day 25.
How should you read our business formation reviews?
Each score is a research score, not a test result. We read official pricing, terms, refund policies, state and IRS rules, BBB records and independent reviews; we don’t file companies ourselves, and speed figures, such as Bizee’s 4 to 6 weeks for a Basic filing, are the vendors’ own estimates. Total cost over three years carries 30% of the score. A $0 headline rarely wins. In practice, the renewal line decides most rankings. When you compare two services, add up three years of agent fees. Read that line first.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Ask a business attorney about which entity to form and how to split ownership, and a CPA about an S corp election or state taxes. Once the company exists, set up the books in accounting and invoicing (start with our QuickBooks Online review), then payroll before the first paycheck. All three sit in our business and finance section.
How we score business formation services
Every product here is scored 0 to 10 on the same criteria, using published evidence. The overall score is the weighted average.
Total cost over 3 yearsFormation fee, registered agent price in year one and at renewal, EIN and operating agreement add-ons, and any required subscription, modelled over three years. State fees are passed through by every service and shown separately.weight30%
What's includedEIN, operating agreement or bylaws, registered agent, annual report filing or alerts, founder stock and 83(b) filing, US address, tax filing options, and support for founders without an SSN.weight20%
Transparency & upsellsWhether prices and renewals are published, pre-selected or auto-renewing trials, checkout add-on chains and sales calls, cancellation steps, and refund terms.weight20%
Privacy & mail handlingWhose address goes on the public filing, data-sharing terms, business address and mail scanning options and their price.weight15%
Trust & track recordOwnership and stability, regulator actions and lawsuits, BBB rating and complaint volume, review patterns, and how current the company's legal guidance (such as BOI) is.weight15%
Questions people ask
Do I need a service to form an LLC?
No. You can file directly with your Secretary of State and get an EIN free from the IRS. If you've got a street address there, you can also act as your own registered agent. The trade-off is privacy, because your address goes on the public record. Services charge $100 to $299 a year to be your agent instead.
What is a registered agent, and can I be my own?
A registered agent is the person or company that accepts lawsuits and official state mail for your business at a street address in each state where it is registered. You can be your own. You need an address there and must be available during business hours. That address becomes public.
Does a new US LLC need to file a BOI report?
Not anymore, in most cases. FinCEN's final rule, effective August 14, 2026, exempts companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership reporting. Foreign companies registered to do business in the US may still have to report. If a formation service tries to sell you BOI filing for a US-created LLC, skip the add-on.
Which state should I form my LLC in?
Usually the state where you live and do business, because forming elsewhere often means registering in your home state as well and paying two sets of fees. Delaware suits companies raising venture capital, but its LLCs owe a $400 annual tax. Don't use a distant jurisdiction just for a lower fee; ask a business attorney or CPA first.