Compare the Best LLC Formation Services of 2026
Seven services, the same single-member LLC, ordered through each at the advertised entry price. We tracked what the checkout added, what the registered agent costs from year two, how long the state took to approve the filing, and how clearly each service disclosed that the state fee is separate. This is a comparison of filing services, not legal advice.
Last Updated: Sep 2026Suggested llc formation services for you
HHarbor Compliance
Good
8.4
Cheapest registered agent renewal here at $99 a...Learn More
We Recommend
NNorthwest Registered Agent
Excellent
9.1
Uses its address on the articles wherever the st...Learn More
BBizee (formerly Incfile)
Good
8.3
Year one cost us nothing beyond the state feeLearn More
All 7
Registered agent servicesFree LLC Filing Services (Pay Only the State Fee)Cheapest Way to Form an LLCLegalzoom alternativesLlc service for privacyLlc service for freelancersLlc service with attorney
1
Northwest Registered Agent ($39 + state fee) - Puts its own address on the public record instead of yours, answers the phone with a person, and does not sell your data — the cleanest checkout in the test Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Uses its address on the articles wherever the state allows, keeping your home address off the public record
- One upsell screen in the whole checkout, clearly priced
- "Privacy by default" policy: it does not sell customer data
Excellent
9.1
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$39 · checked Sep 11
39 USD
No ($39)
2
Harbor Compliance (Formation from $99 + state fee) - Built for businesses that must stay licensed in several states — registered agent at $99 a year and real licensing expertise, not a $0 headline Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Cheapest registered agent renewal here at $99 a year, in every state
- Handles licences and permits that filing services ignore
- Assigned specialist; no upsell screens at all
Good
8.4
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$99 · checked Sep 11
99 USD
No
3
Bizee (formerly Incfile) (Silver, $0 + state fee) - A genuine $0 package with a free first year of registered agent service — the cheapest real way to get an LLC filed for you Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Year one cost us nothing beyond the state fee
- Free registered agent for a year, $119 after
- Dashboard tracks annual report deadlines
Good
8.3
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$0 · checked Sep 11
0 USD
Yes
4
ZenBusiness (Starter, $0 + state fee) - The most polished dashboard and the widest set of add-ons — formation, banking, bookkeeping and compliance in one account Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Clearest dashboard: filings, deadlines, documents and money tools in one place
- Worry-Free Compliance files your annual report
- Banking, invoicing and bookkeeping add-ons that actually work
Good
8.0
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$0 · checked Sep 11
0 USD
Yes
5
Rocket Lawyer ($99.99 one-time or free with membership) - A legal-document subscription that throws the LLC filing in free — the better deal if you will also need contracts and attorney questions answered Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Membership covers unlimited legal documents and 30-minute attorney consultations
- Operating agreement and EIN included, not upsold
- Documents are genuinely usable — leases, NDAs, contractor agreements
Fair
7.5
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$99.99 · checked Sep 11
99.99 USD
Free with $39.99/mo membership
6
LegalZoom (Basic, $0 + state fee) - The best-known name, with real attorneys on subscription and 25 years of filings behind it — priced accordingly at every step Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- A licensed attorney in your state on a monthly plan — nobody else here offers it properly
- Trademark, contracts, estate documents in the same account
- Satisfaction guarantee and a long track record
Fair
7.3
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$0 · checked Sep 11
0 USD
Yes
7
Tailor Brands (Lite, $0 + state fee) - Files the LLC and builds the brand — logo, website and social kit — for founders starting from nothing but an idea Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Logo maker, website builder and brand kit in the same subscription
- Genuinely $0 to file
- Good for a founder with no design resources
Tested
6.8
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$0 · checked Sep 11
0 USD
Yes
Frequently asked questions about llc formation services
Do I need a formation service at all?
No. Every state lets you file articles of organisation yourself on its Secretary of State website, and in most states it takes about twenty minutes. A service is worth paying for when you want a registered agent whose address is not your home, when you are forming in a state you do not live in, or when you want the annual-report reminders. The state fee is the same either way.
Why is the "$0 LLC" not free?
The $0 refers to the service's own fee. You still pay the state: about $40 in Kentucky, $50 in Arizona and Colorado, $100 in Texas plus franchise obligations, $200 in New York before publication costs, $500 in Massachusetts. Free packages also usually include only year one of registered agent service, after which the renewal — $119 to $249 a year — is where the money is made.
What does a registered agent actually do?
They accept legal papers and state notices on your business's behalf at a physical address in the state during business hours. You can be your own, but then your home address goes on the public record and someone must be there. Northwest and Bizee include the first year; from year two the market rate is $100 to $200.
How do you test LLC formation services?
We order the same single-member LLC through each service at its advertised entry package, decline every upsell we do not need, and record the total charged, the number of upsell screens, the date the state approved the articles, and what the renewal notice asks for. We read the operating agreement each one produces and call support with the same two questions.
*Scores: True first-year cost 30 · Renewal cost 20 · Filing & compliance service 20 · Checkout transparency 15 · Support & extras 15; score = Σ ÷ 10, ties break on the earlier test date. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.
#1 Northwest Registered Agent9.1 · $39
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