LegalZoom Alternatives

Legal Services
PlanMonthlyAnnual
Basic LLCFree$0.00/yr
Pro LLCFree$249.00/yr
Premium LLCFree$349.00/yr
Legal PlanMost popular$39.99/mo
See our full ranking: Best Legal Service for Small Businesss of 2026

Verdict

LegalZoom Pro LLC at $249 plus state fee is a brand-tax price for what is fundamentally a filing service. For most small-business owners, Bizee, ZenBusiness, or Northwest deliver the same legal outcome for $0 to $199 plus state fees, and Northwest gives you privacy by default without upsell calls.

By Subrupt EditorialPublished Reviewed

LegalZoom built the category and earned the trust of two decades of small-business owners. The brand is recognised by banks, accountants, and lenders, and the in-house attorney plan is a real product. Where LegalZoom is honest value: complex multi-state setups, ongoing legal access for non-routine questions, and owners who want one brand handling everything from formation to trademarks.

Where LegalZoom is overpriced for the actual work: a single-state LLC formation is paperwork, not legal advice. Bizee will file the same paperwork for the state fee only. Northwest Registered Agent will file for $39 plus state and gives you privacy by default. ZenBusiness ships the same starter at $0 with a faster filing path. The picks below pick by what the formation is for: cheapest filing, best registered-agent privacy, formation plus website bundle, attorney access without LegalZoom prices, or unlimited document templates.

Pick by the actual job. Just need an LLC equals Bizee or Northwest. Want privacy by default equals Northwest. Want unlimited templates equals LawDepot. Want attorney access at lower monthly equals Rocket Lawyer.

Affiliate disclosure: Subrupt earns a commission when you switch to a service through our recommendation links. This never changes the price you pay. We only recommend services where there's a real cost or feature advantage for you, and our picks are based on the data on this page, not on which programs pay the most.

Quick pick by use case

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At a glance: LegalZoom alternatives

Quick comparison across pricing floor, best fit, and switching effort. Tap a row to jump to the full pick.

Our picks for LegalZoom alternatives

Best when you just want the cheapest LLC filing

Try Bizee (formerly Incfile)

Bizee (formerly Incfile) files an LLC for the state fee only on the Silver plan and includes one year of registered agent service free. Compared to LegalZoom Pro at $249 plus state fee, the savings on a single-state filing is the entire LegalZoom service charge. The Gold plan at $199 adds EIN, operating agreement, and Form 2553 for S-corp election, which still beats LegalZoom Pro by $50. For first-time founders forming a single-state LLC, Bizee is the cheapest path to the same legal outcome.

Strengths

  • +Silver tier is $0 plus state fee
  • +First-year registered agent free
  • +Lifetime company alerts included
  • +Gold tier at $199 covers EIN and operating agreement

Trade-offs

  • Year-2 registered agent renewal at $119 is not the cheapest
  • Customer support response slower than LegalZoom
  • Heavy upsell flow during checkout
Silver
$0 + state fee
Gold
$199
Platinum
$299
Registered agent year 2
$119/yr
Migration steps
  1. Confirm your state's filing fee (Delaware $90, California $70, Texas $300, etc.).
  2. Pick Bizee Silver if you only need filing, Gold if you need EIN and operating agreement.
  3. Complete the form on bizee.com; ignore the upsell pop-ups for trademark and tax services.
  4. Register your EIN separately at irs.gov for free if you skipped the Gold tier.

Not for: Skip Bizee if you want clean opt-out of upsells; ZenBusiness or Northwest are calmer on that front.

Best for privacy by default and no upsell pressure

Try Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent files an LLC for $39 plus state fee and uses their own address on the public filing by default, which keeps your home address off public records. The brand reputation among privacy-conscious founders, attorneys, and small accountants is the best-in-class in the category. No aggressive upsell calls, no trademark cross-sell. The registered agent renewal at $125/year is mid-market, but the privacy default and the calm sales experience are worth the small premium for owners who care about either.

Strengths

  • +$39 plus state fee for full filing
  • +Privacy by default; their address goes on public records
  • +No upsell calls or marketing harassment
  • +Clean attorney and accountant reputation

Trade-offs

  • No EIN service in base price (DIY at irs.gov is free)
  • Less polished web UX than LegalZoom or ZenBusiness
  • Smaller legal-document library
LLC formation
$39 + state fee
Registered agent
$125/yr
Privacy
Their address on public filings
Founded
1998
Migration steps
  1. Confirm your state's filing fee on the secretary of state website.
  2. File on northwestregisteredagent.com; their flat $39 plus state covers everything except EIN.
  3. Get your EIN free at irs.gov/ein after the LLC is approved.
  4. Set up the operating agreement template Northwest provides; sign and store offline.

Not for: Skip Northwest if you want a polished modern UI or one-stop trademark and copyright services; Northwest is filing-focused.

#3

Rocket Lawyer

Free tierLow switching effort

Best for attorney access at lower monthly than LegalZoom

Try Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer Premium at $39.99/month is the same price as LegalZoom Legal Plan but includes unlimited document creation plus Ask a Lawyer chat sessions, with 40 percent off broader legal services. For owners who anticipate occasional legal questions (contractor agreements, lease review, employment letters) without dedicated counsel, Rocket Lawyer is the right fit. The 7-day free trial lets you draft documents and cancel without paying. LLC formation as a member is $99.99, which is $150 cheaper than LegalZoom Pro.

Strengths

  • +Premium $39.99/mo includes Ask a Lawyer + unlimited docs
  • +7-day free trial lets you test before paying
  • +LLC formation $99.99 for members
  • +40% off broader legal services

Trade-offs

  • Membership cancellation can require phone support
  • Document templates fewer than LawDepot's library
  • Attorney consult sessions are short rather than open-ended
Premium
$39.99/mo
Free trial
7 days
Member LLC
$99.99
Ask a Lawyer
Included in Premium
Migration steps
  1. Sign up for the 7-day free trial to test the document workflow.
  2. Draft your first three documents during the trial to confirm the templates fit your business.
  3. Continue the $39.99/mo plan or downgrade to per-document pricing.
  4. Use the LLC formation as a member if you have not formed yet; $99.99 is cheaper than non-member or LegalZoom.

Not for: Skip Rocket Lawyer if you only need a one-time formation; pay-per-document or Bizee is cheaper than a monthly membership.

Paid plans from $39.99/mo

#4

ZenBusiness

Low switching effort

Best for polished filing with compliance reminders included

Try ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness Starter at $0 plus state fee files the LLC, and Pro at $199 includes EIN, faster filing, and one year of Worry-Free Compliance (annual report tracking and registered agent). At $50 cheaper than LegalZoom Pro and with a more polished UX, ZenBusiness fits owners who want a one-stop product without LegalZoom's brand premium. The Premium tier at $299 bundles a basic business website and email, which is overkill for most but a clean option for solopreneurs who want everything on one invoice.

Strengths

  • +Starter $0 plus state fee (matches Bizee)
  • +Pro $199 includes EIN, faster filing, compliance tracking
  • +Polished onboarding UX
  • +Annual report reminders built in

Trade-offs

  • Year-2 Worry-Free Compliance renewal is $199
  • Premium website tier is weak compared to dedicated builders
  • Customer support phone hours limited
Starter
$0 + state fee
Pro
$199
Premium
$299
Year-2 compliance
$199/yr
Migration steps
  1. Confirm your state's filing fee.
  2. Pick Starter for cheapest filing or Pro for EIN plus compliance bundle.
  3. Complete the form on zenbusiness.com; the UX is straightforward.
  4. Decide year-2 compliance renewal at $199 vs DIY annual reports.

Not for: Skip ZenBusiness if you want privacy by default; Northwest is shaped better for that constraint.

#5

LawDepot

Free tierLow switching effort

Best for unlimited legal document templates

Try LawDepot

LawDepot Pro at $95.88/year is the cheapest unlimited template library for routine business and personal legal documents (NDAs, contractor agreements, leases, employment letters, wills). For owners whose real LegalZoom usage is the document library plus occasional Q&A, LawDepot is earns its place at roughly $8 per month. The pay-per-document option at $39 covers occasional one-off needs. Document quality is comparable to Rocket Lawyer's library; the lack of attorney consult is the trade-off.

Strengths

  • +$95.88/year unlimited templates
  • +Cheapest annual unlimited in the category
  • +Save and edit docs later
  • +Pay-per-document option for occasional users

Trade-offs

  • No attorney consult or live legal advice
  • Auto-renewal can catch users
  • UI feels dated compared to Rocket Lawyer
Pro membership
$95.88/yr
Per document
$39
Templates
1,000+
Founded
2001
Migration steps
  1. Identify the documents you draft most often (NDA, contractor, lease, employment).
  2. Sign up for the 7-day free trial and draft your top 3-5 templates.
  3. Continue at $95.88/year for unlimited or revert to $39 pay-per-document.
  4. Set a calendar reminder for the renewal date if you want to cancel.

Not for: Skip LawDepot if you want any form of attorney access; pair with Rocket Lawyer Premium if you need both.

When to stay with LegalZoom

Stay with LegalZoom if you want one brand handling formation plus an in-house attorney consult, you have a multi-state filing, or you value the brand recognition with banks and lenders. The picks below address cheaper formation, better registered-agent privacy, and unlimited document libraries.

5 Alternatives to LegalZoom

Rocket LawyerFree tier

Rocket Lawyer from $39.99/mo

From $39.99/mo

Switch to Rocket Lawyer
LawDepotFree tier

From $0/mo (per document)

Switch to LawDepot

Price Comparison

Compared against LegalZoom Legal Plan ($39.99/mo)

Continue your research

How we picked

LegalZoom alternatives are scored on the workload that drives switching: cheapest LLC filing, privacy by default, attorney access at lower monthly, polished compliance bundle, or unlimited document library. Each pick leads for one of those.

Pricing is taken from each vendor's site on the review date and re-checked quarterly. Filing fees vary by state and are paid to the secretary of state regardless of provider.

Update history1 update
  • Initial published version with 5 picks.

Frequently asked questions about LegalZoom alternatives

Is LegalZoom Pro LLC worth $249?

For owners who want one brand handling formation plus a quick attorney consult, the simplicity has value. For owners just forming a single-state LLC, Bizee at $0 plus state and Northwest at $39 plus state cover the same legal outcome for far less.

What is a registered agent and why does it matter?

A registered agent is the legal point of contact for service of process and state correspondence. Most providers include the first year free, then charge $99-150/year. Northwest charges $125/year and includes privacy by default; LegalZoom is similar but pricier.

Do I need an EIN included with formation?

No. The IRS issues EINs free at irs.gov/ein in 5 minutes. Some providers bundle EIN as a paid upsell, but the free DIY path is simple and well-documented.

Is LegalZoom's Legal Plan the same as Rocket Lawyer Premium?

Both are $39.99/month for unlimited document creation plus attorney access. LegalZoom's Legal Plan is shaped slightly more around individual life events; Rocket Lawyer leans business. Both offer 40 percent off additional services.

What about LLC formation in Delaware vs your home state?

Most owners should form in their home state. Delaware adds out-of-state filing complexity and Delaware franchise tax. Form in Delaware only if you have a specific reason like venture capital or anticipating multi-state operations.

SE

About the author: Subrupt Editorial

The team behind subrupt.com. We track subscriptions, surface cheaper alternatives, and publish comparisons where the score formula is on the page so you can recompute it yourself. We do not claim 30,000 hours of testing. What we claim is live pricing from our database, a transparent composite score, and honest savings math against a category baseline.

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