Best LLC Formation Services 2026: Prices and Add-Ons
Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee and Tailor Brands compared from their own pages: package prices before state fees, registered agent costs, renewals and what we could not verify.
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- LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee and Tailor Brands each advertise $0 plus state fees; Northwest's one package is $39 plus state fees.
- The extras decide the cost: registered agent is $125 a year at Northwest and $199 a year at ZenBusiness, and Bizee includes one free year.
- LegalZoom's $249 and $299 packages start a 30-day advisor subscription that renews at $49 and $99 a month.
- State filing fees are always extra, and we could not read refund wording for any of the five.
- This is a price and feature comparison, not legal advice, and we did not form an LLC with any of them.
Top picks compared (2026)
Pricing comparison not available for these products yet — we haven't independently verified current plans and prices for all of them. Check each provider's site for current pricing.
Top picks compared (2026)
| Product | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee, Tailor BrandsBest Overall | $0 base package plus state fees | |
| Northwest ($125 a year) and ZenBusiness ($199 a year) | Registered agent price stated on its own page | |
| Bizee | Free first year of registered agent service | |
| LegalZoom Expert Service | Attorney review and tax filing in a package | |
| Northwest Registered Agent | Privacy wording about your address |
As of October 8, 2026. Prices and package contents were read from each service's own pages in a browser that day, in US dollars, without starting an order. We compare what each service says it includes and charges. We did not form an LLC with any of them, so we do not judge speed or accuracy, and nothing here is legal advice. These are editorial notes, not scored rankings.
What is the best LLC formation service?
It depends on how much you want handled. Four of the five advertise a $0 base package plus state filing fees, so the real cost comes from the add-ons you choose and what renews: a registered agent, compliance monitoring, or an advisor subscription. Northwest sells a single $39 package focused on privacy and a separate registered agent service. LegalZoom and ZenBusiness sell three tiers, and Bizee sells three one-time-payment tiers that each include a free first year of registered agent service.
Quick verdict
Package comparison
| Service | Base package | Higher packages | Registered agent as stated | Renewals the page discloses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | The Northwest LLC: $39 + state fees | None shown | $125 a year as a separate service ($100 a year per state for five or more states) | Whether the $39 includes a first agent year is not stated on the pages we read |
| LegalZoom | Basic: $0 + state fees | Managed $249+, Expert $299+ | "We can do it for you"; price not read | Managed renews at $49 a month and Expert at $99 a month after a 30-day subscription |
| ZenBusiness | Starter: $0 + state fees | Pro $199, Premium $299 (each renews yearly at the same price) | Not included in any package; $199 a year | Compliance service renews at $199 a year after a free first year on Starter; website builder renews at $15 a month |
| Bizee | Basic: $0 + state fee | Standard $199, Premium $299, one-time payment | One free year included with every package | Price after the free year not read |
| Tailor Brands | "From $0 + state fees" | Not shown without starting an order | Not read | Not read |
1. Northwest Registered Agent: one package and a privacy pitch
Northwest's LLC page shows a single package, The Northwest LLC, at $39 plus state fees. It lists a domain name, an open-source website, a phone line, a business email, a business address and brand protection as free. Its separate registered agent page says the service is $125 a year with no per-document charges, and $100 a year per state for five or more states, and describes mail scanning of up to five documents a year as free. Northwest says it lists its own business address on your public filings instead of yours and never sells your data. We could not tell whether the $39 package includes the first registered agent year, and we saw no refund wording or turnaround options.
2. LegalZoom: three tiers and a monthly advisor subscription
LegalZoom's page shows Basic at $0 plus state filing fees (articles of organization only, a name check and a tax consult), Managed Service at $249 plus state fees, and Expert Service at $299 plus state fees. Managed adds an operating agreement, an EIN, a business-advisor review and a licenses-and-permits report. Expert adds a licensed-attorney review of the filing, annual tax filings and bookkeeping. Both paid tiers include a 30-day advisor subscription, after which the card is charged automatically at $49 (Managed) or $99 (Expert) a month, cancellable online or by phone. LegalZoom states a 100% accurate filing guarantee, and its footer says it is not a law firm and the information you provide is not protected by attorney-client privilege. We did not read its registered agent price or processing options.
3. ZenBusiness: registered agent is never bundled
ZenBusiness lists Starter at $0 plus state fees, Pro at $199 and Premium at $299, with Pro and Premium renewing yearly at the same price. Starter includes standard 7 to 10 day processing (not counting the state's own time), an accuracy guarantee and a free first year of its compliance service, which renews at $199 a year. Pro adds one-day processing, an EIN and an operating agreement template; Premium adds a domain with privacy, business email and an advisor consultation. The FAQ says registered agent service is not in any package and costs $199 a year, rush processing is a $79 add-on, and its website-builder trial renews at $15 a month after 30 days.
4. Bizee: three one-time tiers and a free first agent year
Bizee (formerly Incfile) lists Basic at $0 plus the state fee, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, all as one-time payments, and says each package gets one free year of registered agent service. Its FAQ says the only cost to form an LLC is the state filing fee, that annual reports cost between $10 and $500, and that owning an LLC usually costs at least $100 a year and rarely over $1,000. We did not read the feature-by-feature package table (it sits behind an order link) or the registered agent price after year one.
5. Tailor Brands: a funnel that hides its packages
Tailor Brands advertises forming an LLC from $0 plus state fees, but its page does not show package names or prices without starting a state-picker funnel, which we did not do. The page gives state filing fees as ranging from $50 to $800 in one place and $50 to $500 in another, warns that additional fees may apply if you hire a professional service to submit your application, and states that Tailor Brands is a technology company and not a law firm.
Every price above excludes your state's filing fee, which varies by state, and several services bill a registered agent, compliance service or advisor subscription again after the first period. Check the checkout page for renewals before you pay. This page is not legal advice; a law firm is not involved in these price listings.
Which should you choose?
| If you want | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest base price | LegalZoom Basic, ZenBusiness Starter, Bizee Basic | $0 plus state fees, with extras priced separately |
| A registered agent price you can see | Northwest, ZenBusiness | $125 a year and $199 a year as stated |
| A free first year of registered agent service | Bizee | Stated for every package |
| A licensed attorney to review your filing | LegalZoom Expert Service | Listed in that package at $299 plus state fees |
| Your home address kept off public filings | Northwest | It says it files with its own address by default |
What we could not verify
We could not read refund or money-back wording for any of the five (LegalZoom and ZenBusiness state an accuracy guarantee only), LegalZoom's registered agent price and processing options, Bizee's per-package inclusions and its registered agent price after the free year, Tailor Brands' packages and registered agent terms, or whether Northwest's $39 includes its first agent year. We did not test processing speed or filing accuracy, and we did not form an LLC with any of them. Prices are US prices shown on October 8, 2026.
How we verified this list
We opened each service's own LLC pages in a browser on October 8, 2026 and recorded package names, prices, inclusions and renewal wording as displayed, without starting an order or entering any information. Where a page gave no figure, we say so instead of estimating.
Final verdict
Because four of the five advertise the same $0 base, compare the extras: who your registered agent is and what it costs after any free period, what renews automatically, and whether you need an attorney or advisor at all. Bizee states a free first agent year, Northwest and ZenBusiness publish their agent prices, and LegalZoom's higher tiers are the only ones here that list an attorney review. We did not test any service, so check the order page for refund terms and renewals before you pay.
How We Chose
We compared 6 options for llc formation services — including The extras decide the cost, Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom — on features, pricing, ease of use, and value for the specific use cases called out in each section. Rankings weigh how well each option fits its named use case against what it costs, checked against each vendor's current published pricing. When two options tie on capability, the simpler and cheaper one ranks higher.
How to choose LLC Formation Services
When evaluating LLC Formation Services, the decision should not come down to brand recognition alone. A useful shortlist should match the reader's actual job to be done: the problem they are solving today, the budget they can defend, and the level of setup effort they can tolerate. For this topic, we prioritize search intent, total cost, ease of implementation, support quality, risks, and alternatives.
- Start with the main use case: identify whether LLC Formation Services is needed for daily operations, occasional projects, compliance, revenue growth, or personal productivity.
- Check the total cost after trials or introductory discounts, including renewal pricing, add-ons, user seats, usage limits, and cancellation friction.
- Look for proof of fit: integrations, support documentation, recent product updates, and enough third-party feedback to validate the vendor's claims.
Who this is best for
This guide is most useful for readers who want a practical answer rather than a generic list. If you are comparing LLC Formation Services, use the verdicts as a starting point and then verify the features that matter in your own environment. The best choice for a solo creator, a small team, and a growing business may be different even when the headline score is similar.
A good final decision usually balances three things: whether the product solves the core problem, whether the workflow feels sustainable after the first week, and whether the pricing still makes sense after the first renewal period. If any of those are unclear, treat the tool as a test candidate rather than a default recommendation.
Editorial checklist
Before recommending a product, ProductsVerdict checks whether the offer is clear, whether the limitations are visible, and whether the buyer can compare alternatives without relying on a sales page. This keeps the article useful for search visitors who are close to making a decision but still need context.
| Decision factor | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Fit | Does it solve the main use case better than a cheaper or simpler option? |
| Cost | Are renewal pricing, limits, and add-ons clear before checkout? |
| Trust | Is there enough documentation, support, and user feedback to reduce buyer risk? |
Frequently asked
What is the best LLC formation service?+
It depends on the extras you need. LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee and Tailor Brands advertise $0 plus state fees, Northwest's package is $39, and the registered agent, compliance and advisor add-ons decide the total. We did not form an LLC with any of them.
How much does it cost to form an LLC?+
Every service charges your state's filing fee on top of its own price, and the services advertise their own base fee as $0 (LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee, Tailor Brands) or $39 (Northwest). Higher tiers range from $199 to $299 plus state fees.
How much does LegalZoom's LLC service cost?+
LegalZoom lists Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $299, each plus state filing fees. The paid tiers include a 30-day subscription that then renews at $49 (Managed) or $99 (Expert) a month.
Is registered agent service included with LLC formation?+
It depends. ZenBusiness says it is not included in any package and costs $199 a year. Bizee says each package includes one free year. Northwest sells it at $125 a year as a separate service, and we could not tell whether its $39 package includes the first year.
Are LLC formation services law firms?+
LegalZoom and Tailor Brands each state on their pages that they are not law firms and do not give legal advice. We did not see a statement either way in the text we read from Northwest, ZenBusiness or Bizee.
What should I check before choosing LLC Formation Services?+
Confirm the core use case, real monthly or annual cost, cancellation policy, support quality, and whether the product integrates with tools you already use. If possible, test the product with a realistic workflow before committing to a paid plan.
Is the cheapest LLC Formation Services option usually the best?+
Not always. Lower-priced products can be excellent when the feature set matches your needs, but they may become expensive if you need add-ons, higher usage limits, or faster support. Compare total cost and workflow fit, not only the first advertised price.
How does ProductsVerdict evaluate LLC Formation Services?+
ProductsVerdict looks at practical buyer signals: fit for the stated use case, transparent pricing, evidence of reliability, ease of setup, support quality, and whether stronger alternatives exist for the same budget. The goal is to help readers make a defensible shortlist, not simply repeat vendor claims.
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What's changed
Every meaningful edit to this article is logged here. Spotted something out of date? Submit a correction.
- Oct 8, 2026Rewrote the page from each service's own pages: removed the unsourced claims (such as a free registered agent year at Northwest), added package prices before state fees, registered agent costs and auto-renewals, and labelled what could not be verified.
How the ProductsVerdict score is calculated
Every review and comparison on this site is graded against the same five-factor rubric. Weights are fixed so two reviewers grading the same product land within ~0.5 of each other.
- 30%Features & capabilitiesDepth, breadth and reliability of what the tool actually does.
- 25%Pricing & valueCost vs. what you get, including hidden fees and renewal traps.
- 20%Ease of useOnboarding, UX, documentation and learning curve.
- 15%Support & reputationSupport quality, response times and verified user sentiment.
- 10%InnovationRoadmap, AI features and how it's evolving vs. competitors.
Total: 100%. Scores are recalculated whenever a product ships a major update or changes pricing.
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ProductsVerdict Research Team
Research, comparisons & verdictsProductsVerdict Research Team leads ProductsVerdict's research on guides, evaluating live pricing, public benchmarks, vendor documentation and trial accounts to publish recommendations readers can actually act on. No paid placements, no pre-publication review by brands.
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