Skip to content

Best LLC Formation Services of 2026

Updated · 5 picks · live pricing · affiliate disclosure

The privacy-first LLC formation pick shipping address privacy by default with the cleanest year-two RA renewal.

BEST OVERALL5.3/10Save $78.96/yr

Northwest Registered Agent

The privacy-first LLC formation pick shipping address privacy by default with the cleanest year-two RA renewal.

90-day refund on annual plans

How it stacks up

  • $39 first-year LLC

    vs $199 ZenBusiness Pro

  • $125/yr RA renewal

    vs $0 Bizee Silver formation

  • Address privacy default

    vs $249 LegalZoom Pro LLC

#2
Rocket Lawyer4.4/10

From $8.33/mo

View
#3
ZenBusiness4.3/10

From $16.58/mo

View

All picks at a glance

#PickBest forStartingFreeScore
1Northwest Registered AgentBest LLC formation with privacy-first address protection$3.25/mo5.3/10
2Rocket LawyerBest LLC formation with subscription legal access bundle$8.33/mo4.4/10
3ZenBusinessBest LLC formation with Worry-Free Compliance and 24/7 support$16.58/mo4.3/10
4LegalZoomBest LLC formation with brand-recognition all-in-one stack$20.75/mo4.1/10
5Bizee (formerly Incfile)Best cheapest LLC formation with $0 filing plus state fee$16.58/mo3.3/10

Quick pick by use case

If you only have thirty seconds, find your situation below and skip to that pick.

Compare all 5 picks

Free tierTop spec
#1Northwest Registered Agent5.3/10$10.42/mo$125.00/yrSave $78.96/yr$39 first-year LLC
#2Rocket Lawyer4.4/10$39.99/mo$275.88/yr more7-day free trial
#3ZenBusiness4.3/10$16.58/mo$199.00/yrSave $5.04/yrStarter $0 + state fee
#4LegalZoom4.1/10$20.75/mo$249.00/yr$45/yr moreBasic $0 + state fee
#5Bizee (formerly Incfile)3.3/10$24.92/mo$299.00/yr$95.04/yr moreSilver $0 + state fee
#1

Northwest Registered Agent

5.3/10Save $78.96/yr

Best LLC formation with privacy-first address protection

The privacy-first LLC formation pick shipping address privacy by default with the cleanest year-two RA renewal.

PlanMonthlyAnnualWhat you get
LLC Formation$3.25/mo$39.00/yr$39 first-year full-service LLC filing with registered agent included, mail forwarding, privacy by default, and BOI filing assistance
Registered Agent$10.42/mo$125.00/yr$125/yr year-2 RA renewal across all 50 states with same-day scanning, address privacy, and no upsell calls

Northwest is the right LLC formation pick when address privacy plus predictable year-two math drive the choice. The wedge against ZenBusiness and Bizee is structural: Northwest uses their own address as your public LLC contact by default so your home address does not appear on the state's public business registry, and the year-two registered-agent renewal at one hundred twenty-five dollars yearly beats ZenBusiness at one hundred ninety-nine and LegalZoom at two hundred forty-nine. Founded 1998 in Spokane, Washington.

Year one is thirty-nine dollars LLC formation with registered-agent service included. Year two onward is one hundred twenty-five dollars yearly for the registered agent. Address privacy by default protects your home address. Same-day mail scanning is included. The dedicated customer service team staffs every call (no offshore call centers). No upsell pop-ups during the filing flow.

The trade-off is no EIN filing service (you file the SS-4 yourself with the IRS), no operating-agreement template generator (write it yourself or pull from LawDepot), and a 1990s-era website that looks dated. For privacy-first LLC formation: Northwest wins. For Worry-Free Compliance: ZenBusiness. For cheapest formation: Bizee. For brand recognition: LegalZoom. For subscription legal access: Rocket Lawyer.

Pros

  • $39 first-year LLC formation with RA included
  • Year-two RA renewal $125/yr (lowest among privacy-first picks)
  • Address privacy by default (home address protected from public registry)
  • No upsell pop-ups during filing flow (documented reviewer wedge)
  • Same-day mail scanning included with RA service

Cons

  • No EIN filing service (you file SS-4 yourself with IRS)
  • Website UX dated compared to ZenBusiness or Bizee
$39 first-year LLC$125/yr RA renewalAddress privacy default90-day refund on annual plans

Best for: Founders who care about address privacy plus predictable year-two renewal pricing plus a clean filing experience without aggressive upsell pressure.

Trust
10
Filing speed
7
Onboarding
7
Value
9
Support
8
#2

Rocket Lawyer

4.4/10$275.88/yr more

Best LLC formation with subscription legal access bundle

The subscription legal LLC pick shipping ongoing Ask a Lawyer queries plus forty-percent discount on the LLC filing.

PlanMonthlyWhat you get
Free trialFree7-day trial with 1 free document and limited attorney Q&A access
Premium$39.99/mo$39.99/mo for unlimited document creation, Ask a Lawyer, 40% off legal services, and business formation discounts
LLC formation$8.33/mo$99.99 one-time LLC filing in any US state with operating agreement and EIN included for Premium subscribers

Rocket Lawyer is the right LLC formation pick when ongoing legal access matters more than the one-shot LLC filing itself. The wedge against LegalZoom is subscription flexibility: Rocket Lawyer Premium at thirty-nine dollars ninety-nine monthly cancels anytime with no annual commitment, while LegalZoom Legal Plan at the same price is more locked in. Founded 2008 in San Francisco; thirty-two-million Series A in 2014.

Free trial covers seven days with one free document. Premium at thirty-nine dollars ninety-nine monthly covers unlimited document creation plus Ask a Lawyer query access plus forty-percent off business-formation services. LLC formation as a one-time product runs ninety-nine dollars ninety-nine (no Premium discount). A single month of Premium plus a forty-percent-discounted LLC formation works out to roughly ninety-nine dollars total for the LLC plus a working month of subscription.

The trade-off is no registered-agent service (you provide your own or pay a third party), recurring billing once Premium starts, and a less-mature feature set than LegalZoom's Legal Plan. For subscription legal-access bundle: Rocket Lawyer wins. For privacy-first formation: Northwest. For Worry-Free Compliance: ZenBusiness. For cheapest formation: Bizee. For brand recognition: LegalZoom.

Pros

  • Premium $39.99/mo includes Ask a Lawyer + unlimited documents
  • 40% discount on LLC formation when subscribed to Premium
  • Document creation engine covers contracts + NDAs + employment
  • 17-year track record (founded 2008) with $32M Series A backing
  • Subscription cancels anytime with no annual commitment

Cons

  • No registered-agent service (provide your own or pay third party)
  • Recurring billing once Premium starts
7-day free trialPremium $39.99/moLLC formation $99.99 one-time7-day free trial of Premium

Best for: Founders who want ongoing access to attorneys plus document creation, viewing LLC formation as one task in a longer legal-services relationship.

Trust
6
Filing speed
7
Onboarding
8
Value
7
Support
8
#3

ZenBusiness

4.3/10Save $5.04/yr

Best LLC formation with Worry-Free Compliance and 24/7 support

The modern Worry-Free LLC formation pick with auto-filing annual reports plus BOI plus twenty-four-seven support.

PlanMonthlyAnnualWhat you get
StarterFree$0.00/yr$0 plus state fee for LLC formation with Worry-Free CTA filing, operating agreement, and standard filing
Pro$16.58/mo$199.00/yrAdds EIN filing, faster filing, one year of Worry-Free Compliance, and BOI filing on top of Starter at $199/yr
Premium$24.92/mo$299.00/yrAdds business website, domain, email, and logo design on top of Pro at $299/yr

ZenBusiness is the right LLC formation pick when Worry-Free Compliance plus the cleanest filing UX drive the choice. The wedge against Northwest is the modern UX plus auto-compliance: ZenBusiness auto-files annual reports plus BOI under FinCEN on Worry-Free Compliance, while Northwest leaves both for you to handle. Founded 2017 in Austin as a Public Benefit Corporation; raised two hundred million Series C in 2022. The only pick in the lineup with twenty-four-seven customer support.

Starter at zero dollars plus state fee covers basic formation. Pro at one hundred ninety-nine yearly (sixteen dollars fifty-eight monthly equivalent) adds EIN filing plus operating agreement plus faster filing plus one year of Worry-Free Compliance. Premium at two hundred ninety-nine yearly adds business website, domain, email, and logo design (most founders skip these).

The trade-off is year-two RA renewal at one hundred ninety-nine yearly is the second-highest in the lineup (after LegalZoom), no address privacy by default unlike Northwest, and the cleanest UX comes with the second-most-aggressive upsell flow after LegalZoom. For Worry-Free Compliance plus modern UX: ZenBusiness wins. For privacy-first: Northwest. For cheapest formation: Bizee. For brand recognition: LegalZoom. For subscription legal: Rocket Lawyer.

Pros

  • Worry-Free Compliance auto-files annual reports + BOI under FinCEN
  • 24/7 customer support (only pick in the lineup)
  • Public Benefit Corporation status (social-impact alignment)
  • Cleanest filing UX in the category by reviewer consensus
  • Pro $199/yr ($16.58/mo equiv) is the cheapest mainstream LLC formation tier

Cons

  • Year-two RA renewal $199/yr is second-highest in lineup
  • No address privacy by default unlike Northwest
Starter $0 + state feePro $199/yr Worry-FreePremium $299/yr30-day refund on Pro plans

Best for: Founders who want a modern filing UX plus Worry-Free Compliance handling annual report filing and BOI on autopilot.

Trust
7
Filing speed
9
Onboarding
10
Value
8
Support
10
#4

LegalZoom

4.1/10$45/yr more

Best LLC formation with brand-recognition all-in-one stack

The brand-recognition all-in-one LLC pick bundling formation with ongoing attorney access on one provider.

PlanMonthlyWhat you get
Basic LLCFree$0 plus state fee for LLC formation with articles of organization, name check, and state filing only
Pro LLC$20.75/moAdds operating agreement, EIN filing, faster filing, and BOI filing assistance on top of Basic at $249/yr
Premium LLC$29.08/moAdds one-off attorney consultation, compliance calendar, and express shipping on top of Pro at $349/yr
Legal Plan$39.99/moSeparate $39.99/mo subscription with unlimited 30-minute attorney calls, document review, and a standard contracts library

LegalZoom is the right LLC formation pick when brand recognition plus all-in-one bundling drive the choice. The wedge against Northwest and Bizee is breadth: LegalZoom claims eleven feature flags across the lineup including BOI plus compliance monitoring plus EIN plus document templates plus attorney consultation, the deepest coverage in the category. Public on Nasdaq since 2021 with audited financials and SOC 2 compliance. Founded 1999.

Basic LLC at zero dollars plus state fee covers articles-of-organization filing only. Pro LLC at two hundred forty-nine yearly (twenty dollars seventy-five monthly equivalent) adds operating agreement plus EIN filing plus faster service. Premium LLC at three hundred forty-nine yearly adds attorney consultation plus a compliance calendar. The Legal Plan at thirty-nine dollars ninety-nine monthly is a separate ongoing-attorney-access subscription.

The trade-off is aggressive upsell pressure during filing flow (a documented reviewer complaint), year-two RA renewal at two hundred forty-nine yearly is the highest in the lineup, and a 1999-era public-company posture means every cross-sell is engineered for revenue. For brand recognition with all-in-one: LegalZoom wins. For privacy-first: Northwest. For Worry-Free Compliance: ZenBusiness. For cheapest formation: Bizee. For subscription legal: Rocket Lawyer.

Pros

  • 11 feature flags claimed (deepest in lineup)
  • Bundles LLC formation with ongoing attorney access
  • Public on Nasdaq since 2021 with audited financials and SOC 2
  • Express filing add-on available across all plans
  • Most-recognized brand in the category

Cons

  • Year-two RA renewal $249/yr is highest in lineup
  • Aggressive upsell pressure during filing flow
Basic $0 + state feePro LLC $249/yrLegal Plan $39.99/mo60-day satisfaction guarantee

Best for: Founders who want a recognized brand handling both formation and ongoing legal access, willing to navigate aggressive upsell pressure.

Trust
6
Filing speed
8
Onboarding
8
Value
6
Support
7
#5

Bizee (formerly Incfile)

3.3/10$95.04/yr more

Best cheapest LLC formation with $0 filing plus state fee

The cheapest LLC formation pick at zero dollars plus state fee with the lowest year-two RA renewal.

PlanMonthlyAnnualWhat you get
SilverFree$0.00/yrFree LLC filing (you pay state fee only) with first-year registered agent included and lifetime company alerts
Gold$16.58/mo$199.00/yrAdds EIN filing, operating agreement, IRS Form 2553 (S-corp election), and banking resolution at $199/yr
Platinum$24.92/mo$299.00/yrAdds faster filing, domain and business email, and web hosting on top of Gold at $299/yr

Bizee (formerly Incfile, rebranded 2024) is the right LLC formation pick when cheapest filing plus the lowest year-two RA renewal drive the choice. The wedge against ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, and Northwest is brutal year-two pricing: Bizee Silver files your LLC for zero dollars plus state filing fee with first-year RA included, and year-two RA renewal at one hundred nineteen yearly is the lowest in the lineup. Founded 2004.

Silver at zero dollars plus state fee covers free LLC filing plus lifetime company alerts. Gold at one hundred ninety-nine yearly (sixteen dollars fifty-eight monthly equivalent) adds EIN filing plus operating agreement plus IRS Form 2553 (S-corp election) plus banking resolution. Platinum at two hundred ninety-nine yearly adds faster filing plus a domain name and business email.

The trade-off is matrices show Platinum typical because Silver/Gold/Platinum tier names sit outside our standard tier-matcher (realistic Gold buyer pays sixteen dollars fifty-eight monthly on annual), and upsell pressure during filing mirrors LegalZoom complaints. For cheapest formation with lowest year-two: Bizee wins. For privacy-first: Northwest. For Worry-Free: ZenBusiness. For brand: LegalZoom. For subscription legal: Rocket Lawyer.

Pros

  • Silver $0 + state fee (cheapest formation in lineup)
  • First-year RA included free with Silver
  • Year-two RA renewal $119/yr (lowest in lineup)
  • Gold $199/yr competitive with ZenBusiness Pro
  • 21-year track record (founded 2004)

Cons

  • Matrices show Platinum $24.92 typical (realistic entry is Gold $16.58/mo)
  • Upsell pressure during filing flow (similar to LegalZoom)
Silver $0 + state feeGold $199/yrYear-2 RA $119/yr60-day refund on Gold/Platinum

Best for: Cost-conscious founders who want $0 LLC formation plus the lowest year-two RA renewal and can navigate upsell pressure during filing.

Trust
6
Filing speed
8
Onboarding
7
Value
10
Support
7

How we picked

Each pick gets a transparent composite score from price, features, free-tier availability, and editor fit. Pricing flows from our live database, so when a vendor changes prices the score updates here too.

Composite weights: price 40%, features 30%, free tier 15%, fit 15%. Five picks subset to LLC formation services. LawDepot + Cleerly excluded (no LLC formation). Bizee shown at Gold $16.58/mo equiv ($199/yr) as realistic entry; matrix surfaces Platinum $24.92 typical inflation. See parent /best/legal-services.

We don't claim "30,000 hours of testing." Our methodology is the formula above plus the editor's published verdict for each pick. Verifiable, auditable, and updated when the underlying data changes.

Why trust Subrupt

We're a subscription tracker first, a buying guide second. Every claim on this page is something you can check.

By use case

Best overall LLC formation

Northwest Registered Agent

Read the full review →

Cheapest LLC formation

Bizee (formerly Incfile)

Read the full review →

Best subscription legal access

Rocket Lawyer

Read the full review →

Best privacy-first LLC

Northwest Registered Agent

Read the full review →

Best LLC with document templates

LegalZoom

Read the full review →

How to choose your LLC Formation Service

LLC formation services split by founder priority

LLC formation reduces to five priorities the founder should match against. Privacy-first (Northwest) handles founders who do not want the home address on the public state business registry plus want predictable year-two pricing. Worry-Free Compliance (ZenBusiness) handles founders who want auto-filing of annual reports plus BOI on autopilot. Cheapest formation (Bizee) handles cost-anchored founders who want zero-dollar filing plus the lowest year-two RA renewal. Brand recognition (LegalZoom) handles founders who want a familiar brand plus the deepest feature breadth bundled. Subscription legal access (Rocket Lawyer) handles founders viewing LLC formation as one task in a longer attorney-relationship workflow. For full coverage including LawDepot document templates and Cleerly Legal subscriptions, see [our /best/legal-services guide](/best/legal-services).

Year-1 versus year-2+ pricing math

LLC formation marketing leads with year-one pricing (formation fee plus first-year registered agent often free) but year-two onward is the load-bearing number for ongoing LLC ownership. Year-two registered-agent renewal: Bizee one hundred nineteen dollars yearly (lowest), Northwest one hundred twenty-five (second-lowest), ZenBusiness one hundred ninety-nine (second-highest), LegalZoom two hundred forty-nine (highest). Over five years of LLC ownership, the year-two RA differential adds up: Bizee runs five hundred ninety-five dollars total RA cost, LegalZoom runs one thousand two hundred forty-five (one hundred nine percent more). For long-term LLC owners, year-two math drives total cost more than year-one formation fee.

BOI filing under FinCEN is a 2024 federal requirement

Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) filing under FinCEN became a federal requirement starting January 2024 for most LLCs and corporations formed in the US. Companies must file BOI within thirty days of formation (ninety days during 2024 transition) and update within thirty days of any beneficial ownership change. Failure to file penalties run five hundred dollars per day plus potential criminal charges. ZenBusiness Worry-Free auto-files BOI; LegalZoom and Bizee Gold include BOI filing on paid tiers; Northwest helps with BOI filing through their compliance team; Rocket Lawyer covers BOI through Premium subscription. For founders forming new LLCs in 2026, BOI filing capability is non-negotiable; verify BOI is included before committing.

Address privacy and the public business registry

When you file articles of organization for a new LLC, your registered-agent address goes on the state's public business registry. Most states publish this online and search-engines index it. If you use your home address as your registered-agent address, your home address becomes publicly searchable in connection with your business. Northwest is the only pick in our lineup that uses their own commercial address as your registered-agent address by default at no extra cost, removing your home address from the public registry. ZenBusiness, Bizee, LegalZoom, and Rocket Lawyer either require you to provide your own address or charge separately for address-privacy add-ons. For founders working from home, address privacy is a meaningful protection that Northwest delivers structurally where competitors charge extra.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Northwest ranked above LegalZoom for LLC formation when LegalZoom has more brand recognition?

Year-two-and-beyond math plus address privacy. Northwest year-two RA renewal at $125/yr beats LegalZoom at $249 (50% saving annually). Northwest uses their address as your public LLC contact by default, removing your home address from the public state registry. LegalZoom wins for brand recognition and bundled attorney access; for predictable year-two cost plus address privacy, Northwest is structurally cleaner.

Will Bizee actually file my LLC for $0?

Yes for the Silver tier formation fee itself, but you still pay the state filing fee (which varies $40-$500 depending on state). Bizee Silver covers articles-of-organization preparation plus first-year registered agent at $0 to Bizee plus state fee paid to the state. The catch is upsell pressure during the wizard flow trying to add EIN filing, operating agreement, or expedited service; you can decline all upsells and complete Silver formation for state fee only.

Can I run two LLC formation services in parallel during evaluation?

No because each service files articles of organization once with the state. Pick one service before filing. The good news: switching registered-agent service after formation is straightforward (file change-of-RA with state, $20-$50 fee plus new RA onboards). Many founders form with Bizee or ZenBusiness in year one for cheap formation, then switch to Northwest in year two for lower RA renewal.

What happens if I do not file BOI under FinCEN?

Failure to file BOI within 30 days of formation carries penalties of $500/day plus potential criminal charges. Filing is free to FinCEN but requires gathering beneficial owner information (name, DOB, address, ID for each owner with 25%+ ownership or substantial control). ZenBusiness Worry-Free auto-files BOI; LegalZoom + Bizee Gold + Rocket Lawyer Premium include BOI on paid tiers. For founders not using a BOI service, file directly at fincen.gov.

Do I need a registered agent service or can I be my own RA?

You can be your own RA in most states, but two issues: your address goes on the public state registry, and you must be available at that address during business hours for legal service of process. For founders working from home, hiring an RA costs $119-$249/yr (Bizee + Northwest cheapest) and removes both issues. For founders with a commercial business address staffed during business hours, being your own RA is fine.

How does ZenBusiness compare to LegalZoom for LLC formation?

Different ergonomics. ZenBusiness Pro at $199/yr ($16.58/mo equiv) ships Worry-Free Compliance auto-filing annual reports + BOI plus 24/7 support, modern UX, and PBC status. LegalZoom Pro at $249/yr ($20.75/mo equiv) ships 11 feature flags including bundled attorney consultation. ZenBusiness is cheaper plus has 24/7 support plus auto-compliance; LegalZoom has more brand recognition plus deeper feature breadth. For most founders, ZenBusiness Pro is the better value.

What about Inc Authority, Tailor Brands, BetterLegal, Harbor Compliance?

Inc Authority offers free LLC formation comparable to Bizee Silver. Tailor Brands' Lite plan is $0 plus state fees. BetterLegal beats other providers with upfront pricing plus 2-day filing. Harbor Compliance is positioned for regulated industries. We exclude these from catalog because catalog focuses on credible mainstream picks; all four are credible alternatives. We re-evaluate the LLC formation lane every quarter as pricing shifts.

Will my LLC formation transfer if I switch registered-agent services?

Yes for the LLC entity itself (the LLC stays formed; you file a change-of-RA form with the state). The new RA company files a Statement of Change of Registered Agent (or equivalent name in your state) with the state, costing $20-$50 in state fees. The LLC retains its original formation date, EIN, and business history. The switch typically completes within 1-2 weeks of filing.

Should I form my LLC in Delaware or my home state?

For most small businesses, your home state is the right choice. Forming in Delaware adds a foreign-qualification filing in your home state (the LLC operates in your home state but is registered in Delaware), which doubles annual report filings plus registered-agent fees plus state taxes. Delaware formation is right for venture-backed startups planning to take VC funding, raise multiple rounds, or eventually IPO; for almost everyone else, home state is simpler and cheaper.

Does Subrupt earn a commission on these LLC formation picks?

On the paid-tier links across Northwest, ZenBusiness, Bizee, LegalZoom, and Rocket Lawyer where the affiliate programs route through. Composite scoring weights price 40%, features 30%, free tier 15%, fit 15%, none tuned by affiliate rate. The rationales lead with which-priority-fits-the-founder math rather than affiliate-friendly framing. The composite math is on the page so you can recompute the order yourself.

Subrupt Editorial

The team behind subrupt.com. We track subscriptions, surface cheaper alternatives, and publish buying guides 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.

Last reviewed

Citations

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.

Related buying guides

Track your subscriptions on Subrupt

Add the LLC Formation Service you pay for and see how much you'd save by switching.

Open dashboard

More buying guides

Independent rankings for the subscriptions worth paying for.

See all guides