Forming an LLC takes the state anywhere from a $0 fee (Kentucky) to roughly $500 (Massachusetts) -- that part is fixed and no formation company can change it. What they can change is everything stacked on top: whether registered agent service is free for one year or billed immediately, whether the EIN and operating agreement cost extra, and what the renewal looks like once the first-year promo ends. Compare only the homepage price and you'll pick the company with the best marketing, not the best deal.
We priced seven services two ways -- what you pay to form the LLC today, and what you pay in year two once the discounts end -- because that second number is where most people get surprised.
Quick answer: Northwest Registered Agent is the best long-term value and the most privacy-protective -- a flat $39 formation fee and a genuinely flat $125/year registered agent fee that doesn't balloon later. ZenBusiness is the best full-service option if you want a dashboard that tracks your compliance deadlines for you. Bizee is the cheapest if you only need registered agent coverage for the first year. doola is built specifically for non-US founders who need an EIN without a Social Security number. Full pricing, including what each one charges you in year two, below.
Quick Comparison
| # | Tool | Rating | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest Registered Agent | 9/10 | Formation from about $39 + state fee; registered agent about $125/yr | Anyone who wants the honest long-term price and real privacy protection over a flashy dashboard |
| 2 | ZenBusiness | 9/10 | Starter $0; Pro about $199; Premium about $399 (all + state fee); registered agent about $199/yr after any included period | First-time founders who want one dashboard that tracks deadlines so nothing lapses by accident |
| 3 | Bizee | 8/10 | Basic $0; Standard about $199; Premium about $299 (all + state fee); first year registered agent included | Budget formations where you plan to re-shop registered agent service after year one |
| 4 | LegalZoom | 7/10 | Basic $0; Pro about $249/yr; Premium about $299/yr (all + state fee); registered agent about $249/yr | Founders who want brand recognition and occasional attorney access bundled with formation |
| 5 | Swyft Filings | 7/10 | Basic $0; Standard about $169; Premium about $269 (all + state fee); registered agent roughly $149/quarter after any free period | Founders who want fast, same-day filing in states that support it without LegalZoom's price tag |
| 6 | doola | 8/10 | Starter about $297/yr, all-in (+ state fee); Total Compliance adds ongoing foreign-owner filings | Non-US residents forming a US LLC who need an EIN without an SSN and a path to US banking |
| 7 | Rocket Lawyer | 6/10 | Formation about $99.99 + state fee (non-member); included with Rocket Legal+ membership (about $239.88/yr) | Founders who want ongoing access to a legal-document library and attorney consultations, not just a one-time filing |
1. Northwest Registered Agent
9/10Pros
- +$39 flat formation fee -- one of the lowest all-in paid prices in the category
- +Registered agent renews at a genuinely flat $125/year (drops to $100/state at 5+ states), no surprise jump
- +Uses its own address instead of your home address on public filings by default -- real privacy, not an upsell
- +Known for responsive support from actual staff rather than a call-center script
Cons
- -No free tier -- Bizee and ZenBusiness both undercut it on sticker price for formation alone
- -Dashboard and add-on ecosystem (EIN help, compliance tools) are more basic than ZenBusiness's
- -Operating agreement template is included but less guided for total beginners
Our Verdict
Northwest built its reputation on the thing everyone else hides: the renewal price. About $125 a year for registered agent service is what you'll actually still be paying three years in, while several competitors' teaser rates roughly double. Add that its default is to shield your home address from public filings, and it's the service a privacy-conscious or genuinely budget-minded founder should start with. It won't hold your hand through onboarding the way ZenBusiness does, but it won't nickel-and-dime you either.
2. ZenBusiness
9/10Pros
- +Starter plan is $0 + state fee for plain formation, so there's a true free-to-start option
- +Pro (about $199) bundles EIN, operating agreement, registered agent, and expedited filing in one price
- +Compliance dashboard tracks state deadlines (annual reports, franchise tax) and nudges you before you miss one
- +Worry-Free Compliance add-on actually files the paperwork for you, not just reminds you
Cons
- -The $0 Starter plan does not include registered agent service -- you need Pro or an add-on to get it
- -Upsells appear throughout checkout (business license research, website, domain) and add up fast if you say yes to all of them
- -Premium at about $399 is expensive for what amounts to faster processing and a document template library
Our Verdict
ZenBusiness earns its popularity by being the easiest service to actually finish setting up alone -- the dashboard tells you what's done, what's next, and what's coming due months from now. Pro is the plan most people should buy; the free Starter looks cheaper but doesn't include what you need to stay compliant. Decline most of the checkout upsells and it's a fair price for the hand-holding.
3. Bizee
8/10Pros
- +Basic plan is $0 + state fee and includes a free first year of registered agent service
- +Standard (about $199) and Premium (about $299) add EIN, operating agreement, and banking resolution
- +Long track record (formerly Incfile) with over a million businesses formed
- +Straightforward checkout with fewer upsell prompts than ZenBusiness
Cons
- -The free registered agent year renews at standard market pricing, not a flat guaranteed rate like Northwest's
- -Customer support reviews are more mixed than ZenBusiness's or Northwest's
- -Fewer ongoing compliance tools than ZenBusiness's dashboard
Our Verdict
Bizee's pitch is honest: free formation, free registered agent for twelve months, no games. That makes it one of the cheapest ways to get an LLC on paper today. The catch shows up entirely in year two, when the registered agent bill arrives at standard pricing -- so this is the right pick if you're comfortable re-shopping registered agent service annually, and a worse one if you want to set it and forget it.
4. LegalZoom
7/10Pros
- +The most recognized brand in the category, which matters if a bank or partner wants to verify you used a known service
- +Pro and Premium plans include access to attorney consultations, not just templates
- +Broad ecosystem beyond formation -- trademarks, contracts, compliance -- if you'll need those later anyway
- +Polished account dashboard and mobile app
Cons
- -Pro (about $249/yr) and Premium (about $299/yr) are billed annually for services that are one-time events at other providers
- -Registered agent renews at roughly $249/year, among the highest in this list
- -You're paying a brand premium -- the underlying filing work is the same as cheaper competitors
Our Verdict
LegalZoom is the safe, expensive choice -- the one your accountant or a loan officer has definitely heard of. That recognition is worth something if you're building toward raising money or need a partner's confidence, but on pure formation value it loses to Northwest and ZenBusiness on nearly every line item, especially the recurring registered agent fee. Use it if the brand itself is doing work for you; skip it if cost is the deciding factor.
5. Swyft Filings
7/10Pros
- +Basic is $0 + state fee, undercutting LegalZoom at the entry tier
- +Premium (about $269) often includes same-day filing in supported states
- +Clean, fast online checkout with fewer forced add-ons than some rivals
- +Includes a business name availability check and basic compliance reminders
Cons
- -Registered agent is billed separately at roughly $149 per quarter once any free period ends -- confirm the annualized cost before you commit
- -Smaller company with less brand recognition than ZenBusiness or LegalZoom
- -Narrower support options on lower tiers (primarily phone and email, no live chat)
Our Verdict
Swyft's selling point is speed -- same-day filing is a real advantage if you need the LLC to exist by Friday for a contract or a bank appointment. Do the registered agent math carefully, though: roughly $149 a quarter works out to around $596 a year if you don't switch, dramatically more than Northwest's flat rate. Fine for fast formation; plan to re-shop the registered agent separately once the free period ends.
6. doola
8/10Pros
- +Built specifically for non-US founders -- EIN registration without a Social Security number
- +Starter at about $297/year is one flat, upfront price covering formation, EIN, registered agent, virtual address, and BOI filing
- +Includes an introduction to Mercury for US business banking, otherwise hard for non-residents to open
- +Handles Form 5472 foreign-owned-LLC compliance filing on its Total Compliance plan -- most generalist services don't even mention it
Cons
- -Priced and positioned for non-US founders -- a US resident will find cheaper, equally capable options above
- -Smaller support team than the LegalZoom-scale players
- -Less useful once you need state-specific legal nuance beyond the standard LLC package
Our Verdict
doola solves a specific, underserved problem well: getting a US LLC, EIN, and bank account as someone who doesn't live in the US and doesn't have a Social Security number. For that exact situation it's arguably the best option on this list, bundling the Mercury banking introduction and the foreign-owner tax filing that general services leave you to figure out alone. US-resident founders should look elsewhere -- it isn't priced to compete on domestic formation.
7. Rocket Lawyer
6/10Pros
- +Rocket Legal+ membership (about $239.88/yr) includes one LLC formation at no extra charge if you'll also use the legal-document library
- +Ongoing access to attorney consultations and a large contract/agreement template library
- +7-day free trial available on membership tiers before you commit
Cons
- -Without membership, formation alone runs about $99.99 + state fee -- more expensive than most of the services above
- -The value only works if you actually use the broader legal-document membership, not just the LLC formation
- -Registered agent is a separate add-on (roughly $149.99/year) even for members
Our Verdict
Rocket Lawyer only makes sense if you think of it as a legal-services membership that happens to include an LLC, not an LLC service with extras bolted on. Priced as pure formation, about $99.99 plus a $149.99 registered agent fee is uncompetitive. Priced as an annual membership that also covers contracts, document review, and attorney access for the rest of the year, it can pencil out -- but only for founders who'll genuinely use those extras.
Final Verdict
The number that separates these seven isn't the formation fee -- most land within $50 of each other once you include the state's charge, which none of them control. It's the registered agent renewal, and it ranges from Northwest's flat $125/year to Swyft's roughly $596/year if you let it auto-renew at the quarterly rate. Run that math for your specific state before comparing homepage prices.
For most US-based freelancers and small businesses, Northwest Registered Agent is the rational default: low formation cost, a flat renewal that doesn't creep, and privacy protection built in rather than sold as an add-on. ZenBusiness is worth the extra cost if you want a dashboard nagging you about deadlines instead of tracking them yourself. If you're forming the LLC from outside the US, doola solves problems -- an EIN without an SSN, a path to Mercury banking -- that the domestic-focused services simply don't handle.
Whichever service you pick, the LLC itself is step one. Step two is opening a dedicated business bank account so your new liability shield actually holds up -- commingling personal and business funds is one of the fastest ways a court can disregard an LLC entirely. And the first invoice you send under the new company name is worth sending as a real invoice, not a text message asking for Venmo: InvoiceQuick (invoicequick-phi.vercel.app) generates a free, professional PDF with your new business name on it in under a minute, no sign-up required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest LLC formation service in 2026?
Bizee and ZenBusiness both offer a $0 formation plan -- you still pay your state's filing fee, which ranges from $0 to about $500 depending on the state. Northwest Registered Agent's roughly $39 paid tier is the cheapest option with a flat, non-escalating registered agent fee, which usually works out cheaper than the 'free' options once you account for year two.
Do I actually need a registered agent?
Yes -- every state requires an LLC to name a registered agent with a physical address in the state of formation, available during business hours to receive legal and state mail. You can be your own registered agent for free if you have a suitable address and don't mind it becoming part of the public record; most formation services exist partly to sell you this service instead, typically $100-250 a year.
ZenBusiness vs Northwest Registered Agent -- which should I pick?
Northwest for the lowest total cost and the most privacy, since it doesn't use your home address on filings by default. ZenBusiness for the easier beginner experience and a compliance dashboard that tracks state deadlines for you. Both are reputable; the difference is price discipline versus hand-holding.
How much does it cost to form an LLC, total, in the first year?
Budget for three line items: the formation service fee ($0-$299 depending on tier and provider), your state's filing fee ($0-$500, state-set and unavoidable), and registered agent service if you don't act as your own ($100-250/year, sometimes free for year one). A typical US freelancer forming in their home state should expect somewhere between about $50 and $400 all-in for year one, excluding states with unusually high filing fees.
Can I form an LLC myself without one of these services?
Yes -- every state lets you file the formation document (often called Articles of Organization) directly with the Secretary of State's website, for just the state filing fee. These services are charging for convenience, speed, bundled EIN/operating-agreement paperwork, and registered agent coverage, not for anything you're legally unable to do alone.
I'm not a US resident -- can I still form a US LLC?
Yes, and it's common for international founders selling to US customers. doola specializes in exactly this: EIN registration without a Social Security number, a US virtual business address, and an introduction to Mercury for US banking. General services like ZenBusiness and Northwest can also form the LLC itself, but non-residents typically hit more friction getting an EIN and a US bank account without a service built around that specific problem.