Best LLC Formation & Filing Services of 2021
Starting a limited liability company (LLC) can provide business owners with flexible tax options. It also helps asset protection. But that LLC formation can be an involved process that requires preparing and filing state-specific paperwork and the assistance of a registered agent service if you are filing in a state other than your own. It can also involve:
- Creating an operating agreement
- Bank resolution
- Conducting a business name availability search requiring 100% thoroughness and accuracy.
While it’s possible to form a limited liability company (LLC) on your own, hiring an LLC filing service online can save you a lot of time and effort. You may get the specialized advice and insights that an individual attorney cannot provide. Also, you can not expect to receive the essential services you need to get it done correctly from the attorney, but online services like ZenBusiness can do it for you at a fraction of the price.
Your challenge is being able to choose the right formation or incorporation service provider for you from among dozens of LLC filing companies out there.
While pricing is important, cheaper is not always better. It’s important to consider other factors, such as:
- Company’s reputation
- Track record
- The overall value of its offering.
In this roundup, we review the best LLC filing companies in six categories to help you determine which company is right for you.
Best LLC Formation & Filing Services of 2021
- Best Overall: ZenBusiness
- Best for Customer Support: Northwest Registered Agent
- Best Zero-Cost Package for Startups: Inc Authority
- Best Cheapest Service: Incfile
- Best for Legal Services: Rocket Lawyer
BEST OVERALL: ZenBusiness
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ZenBusiness offers a feature-packed starter package at a rock-bottom price ($49) along with excellent customer service, a great online experience, and an Accuracy Guarantee earns the company my vote as the best overall LLC filing company.
Pros
- Low-cost
- Full-featured starting packages
- The free registered agent for a year included
- Excellent customer reviews
- Easy-to-use online process
Cons
- Short track record
- Add-on services (such as turnout time) can increase costs
Founded in 2015, ZenBusiness has the shortest track record on this list. However, it has used the time wisely by making its mark on a fast-growing industry.
ZenBusiness has fully embraced technology to automate most of its processes and pass its savings on to its clients. The result is one of the most feature-packed starter packages offered at a rock bottom price. That, with its excellent customer service, streamlined filing process, and 100% Accuracy Guarantee, is why we chose ZenBusiness as the best overall LLC filing company.
For just $49, the ZenBusiness Starter package has everything you need to file an LLC and very little that you don’t need. Along with the preparation and filing of the LLC, the package includes:
- Registered agent service
- An operating agreement template
- Statement of organizer
- Online document access
- Phone and email support
- The 100% Accuracy Guarantee
However, if you want expedited processing and an employer identification number (EIN), you’ll have to pay extra for them. Alternatively, you could sign up for the $199 Pro package, which also includes an expedited process (five to eight business days) banking resolution template. For $299, the Premium package adds rush processing (four to six business days), a free business website, business domain name, and business email address. The Starter package provides standard filing (two to three weeks), but you can add expedited or rush processing for $50 and $100, respectively.
A quick search on the web will likely uncover a 20% to 40% discount on services.
ZenBusiness also offers Worry-Free Compliance to its Pro and Premium Packages, which helps your business stay compliant by managing your annual reports and keeping track of important filing deadlines. The service is available to Starter packages for $119 per year.
ZenBusiness also offers three levels of accounting and bookkeeping services. A Quick Start package for $50 a month includes five invoices, 20 bank transactions, CPA support, and the closing of the books every month. The $100 per month Up and Running plan adds unlimited invoices and transactions as well as a one- to two-hour call with a CPA. For $200 a month, you get a dedicated CPA with a three- to five-hour call each month.
Another reason ZenBusiness gets our vote for best overall is it's near-perfect 4.8 out of 5 stars from Trustpilot from nearly 5,000 reviewers.
BEST FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Northwest Registered Agent
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Some companies choose to focus on providing superior customer service as their value proposition. Northwest Registered Agent does it with great success, making it our top pick as the best LLC filing service for customer support.
Pros
- Highly trained “corporate guides” provide premium customer support
- One-year registered agent service included
- Long track record
- Simplified ordering
Cons
- The high price point for filing package
Northwest Registered Agent bills itself as a no-nonsense company whose mission is to simplify the process of business formation. To that end, the company strives to offer premium customer support throughout the process, and based on customer reviews, it has succeeded. That’s why we chose Northwest as the best LLC filing company for customer support.
Founded in 1998 with more than two million formations under its belt, Northwest is one of the more experienced companies on our list. The knock against Northwest is its high price point. It offers only one LLC formation package starting at $225. If you consider just the four most commonly requested services — preparation and filing of LLC paperwork, two-business-day processing, customized operating agreement, and an EIN — the cost of these core services at Northwest is $275 ($225 plus $50 for the EIN).
We found that price to be well below the average across 20 other companies, and most of those companies can’t compare with Northwest’s level of customer support. The no-nonsense approach means that customers don’t have to put up with upsells or try to piece together the service they require from an endless list of options.
The flat-rate $225 service also includes:
- First-year registered agent service ($125 per year after that)
- Physical mail forwarding
- No postage fees
- Unique suite number
- Same-day digital scanning
Additional services offered by Northwest include annual compliance filing ($100 per year), second business phone number ($9 per month), and corporate supplies such as corporate seals, notaries, and certificates.
Northwest will refund your fee if you’re not satisfied if requested within 60 days. They charge a $25 processing fee for refunds.
Northwest has nowhere near the number of customer reviews as others on this list (less than 500 on Google and Yelp); however, the ones they have are very positive, with 4.7 stars on Google, 4.5 stars on Yelp, and 4.5 stars from the BBB.
BEST ZERO-COST PACKAGE FOR STARTUPS: Inc Authority
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For entrepreneurs on a budget, Inc Authority offers a free LLC filing service that covers all the basics, including one-year registered agent services. For that reason, Inc Authority is our choice for the best zero-cost option for startups.
Pros
- Charges $0 for well-equipped, standard LLC formation
- Includes free one-year registered agent service
- Long track record
- Excellent customer reviews
Cons
- Paid packages at the high end of the pricing spectrum
- No refunds or money-back guarantee
Founded in 1989, Inc Authority is one of the more established LLC filing companies on our list. They’ve been doing it for so long that they have found a way to offer a well-equipped, standard filing package for free. If all you need are essential formation services, Inc Authority is a reliable company with an excellent track record, making it our choice as the LLC filing service with the best zero-cost package for startups.
With its free standard package (not including the state fee), you get registered agent service for one year, name availability search, preparation and filing of articles of organization, and S-corporation tax election forms if you choose to categorize your LLC as an S-corp for tax purposes. You also receive a business checking account through Bank of America, tax planning consultation, and business funding analysis.
That should keep most fledgling businesses going for a while. However, if you need additional services, such as an LLC operating agreement, ownership certificates, and an EIN, you’ll need to cough up $399 for its starter package. That’s a significant jump from zero.
If you want to add a business license report and a website domain, you can get that with the Executive package for $499. For $799, you can add express processing and BizCredit software to help develop your business credit. If you decide to go with one of the paid packages, you should know that Inc Authority does not offer a money-back guarantee.
Most startup entrepreneurs can get along fine without the additional services from the paid packages, except perhaps an EIN, which you can add for $49 or get one on your own from the IRS for free.
It may be useful to know that Inc Authority has many happy customers, as evidenced by the more than 5,000 reviews or Trustpilot and Google averaging 4.8 and 4.7 stars, respectively.
BEST CHEAPEST SERVICE: Incfile
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Its excellent $0 starter package aside, Incfile offers great speed, quality, and price points on all its packages making it our choice as the best value in an LLC filing company.
Pros
- $0 fees for the starter package
- Registered agent included the first year
- Lifetime company alerts for filing deadlines
- Next-business-day processing
- More than 20,000 mostly positive reviews
Cons
- Costs for additional services can add up quickly
- No money-back guarantee
- No refunds after services have been rendered
Since its founding in 2004, Incfile has become an industry leader, as evidenced by its nearly 500,000 satisfied business customers and its prestigious industry awards. With its price reduction on its Silver package from $49 to $0 and quality offerings on all its services, Incfile has a lock on the best value in an LLC filing company.
Most people would be rightfully skeptical of any legal service costing nothing. But, with its well-equipped Silver package, Incfile will win them over. In addition to filing articles of organization for LLC formation, the Silver package provides one year of free registered agent service along with lifetime company compliance alerts. Incfile will also perform an availability search to ensure your business’s name hasn’t already been taken.
Other Silver package services include unlimited phone and email support with reps available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST on weekdays. It also offers a 30-minute consult session with a certified tax professional. Plus, you have online document access through your client dashboard. One of Incfile’s distinguishing features is its online order tracking tool that updates you on your filing progress.
If you need additional services, you can jump up to Incfile’s reasonably priced Gold package. For $149, you get everything in the Silver package plus an EIN, custom operating agreement, banking resolution, and express one- to three-business-day shipping. For $299, the Platinum package has expedited document filing, a sample document library, and a business website and domain name (monthly hosting fee not included).
Services such as business license research ($99) and trademark registration ($199) are also available.
BEST FOR COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL SERVICES: Rocket Lawyer
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If you think you will require ongoing legal help along with your LLC formation, Rocket Lawyer does that for more than seven million business customers, making it our choice as the best LLC filing company for comprehensive legal services.
Pros
- One of the most successful online service providers
- Free consult with a legal advisor
- Customer service available 12 hours a day all week
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons
- Non-member basic price is at the higher end of the pricing spectrum
- Free one-year registered agent service not included
Since its launch in 2008, Rocket Lawyer has literally rocketed to the top of online service providers. Its low-cost approach to providing a wide range of services has democratized the legal process for millions of individuals and businesses. It also offers a reasonably priced LLC formation service, which is why we chose Rocket Lawyer as the best LLC filing company for comprehensive legal services.
Rocket Lawyer’s primary revenue source is their legal services subscription, which includes LLC formation service. You can try its $39 monthly subscription with a seven-day free trial. If you continue with it, you can cancel at any time. As a member, you can access a wide range of attorney services for personal and business needs. Along with your LLC formation, you get access to attorney consultations, an extensive document library, and much more.
If you don’t want to subscribe, you can still have Rocket Lawyer file your LLC for $99. Whether you subscribe as a member or pay the one-time fee as a non-member, the LLC filing service is the same.
The LLC package includes preparing and filing your articles of organization, business name availability search, online document storage, and phone and email support.
The Rocket Lawyer non-member package’s glaring weakness is a lack of free one-year registered agent service offered by most of the other companies on this list. Non-members must pay $149 a year for the service. Members also must pay for the service, but they receive a 25% discount.
Rocket Lawyer does offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all fees within 30 days of purchase.
Rocket Lawyer gets 4.6 out of 5 stars from Trustpilot, 4.8 out of 5 stars from Consumer Affairs, and carries an A+ rating from the BBB.
Conclusion
When creating an LLC, a service provider can save you a lot of time over trying to do it yourself and a lot of money over having an attorney do it. An LLC service provider can be the happy medium if you choose the right one for your particular needs. Pricing is important, but there may be value in other aspects of the service that need to be considered. This roundup looks at six of the best LLC filing companies from several different angles.
You wouldn’t be wrong if you stopped your search with the first provider on our list, ZenBusiness, which combines low pricing with quality services and excellent customer service as the best overall LLC filing company.
Compare Providers
ZenBusiness: Best Overall Starting at $49
Northwest Registered Agent: Best for Customer Support Starting at $225
Inc Authority: Best Zero-Cost Package for Startups Starting at $0
Incfile: Best Value Starting at $0
Rocket Lawyer: Best for Comprehensive Legal Services Starting at $99
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an LLC?
LLC stands for limited liability company, which is recognized in every state as a legal business entity. Since its authorization in the late 1970s, LLCs have become the most popular form of the business organization due primarily to their liability protection. When you structure your business as an LLC, you are personally protected against company debts and liabilities as if you were part of a corporation.
It also offers business owners the simplicity of a partnership in terms of its tax structure. Business owners can elect how their LLC is to be taxed — as a sole proprietor (for single-member LLCs) or as a partnership (for multi-member LLCs), or as an S-corporation.1 Filing your LLC as an S-corporation provides business owners with tax advantages by splitting their income distribution between their status as a partner and their status as an employee. In doing so, you can reduce your self-employment tax.
What Is the Best Place to Start an LLC?
While you can file for an LLC in any state, the best place to file is the state in which you live. The process of filing an in-state LLC is more straightforward and less costly. If you file out of state, you will need to files as a “foreign LLC” in each state where you do business, and you will require the assistance of a registered agent, which can increase the cost of filing. Ideally, you should file in the state where you are taxed on the income from your business.
Do I Need an EIN Number for an LLC?
An employee identification number (EIN) is a federal tax ID number issued to businesses by the IRS for tax purposes. If you are the sole business owner in your LLC, you don’t need to get an EIN. The IRS doesn’t recognize LLCs as a business entity and will consider any single-member LLC owner as a sole proprietorship. So, in that situation, you could use your Social Security number to file your taxes.
That changes if you hire employees. Then you have the option of reporting your single-member LLC taxed as either an S-corp or C-corp, which requires an EIN. It also changes if you add another owner, or member, to your LLC. Some LLC owners get an EIN regardless because it provides more security than using their Social Security number. If you want to open a business checking account or obtain credit, the bank may require an EIN.
What Is the Cheapest Way to Form an LLC?
The cheapest way to obtain an LLC is to do it yourself. There are plenty of references — online and in books — that can guide you through the process. Then you are only responsible for state filing fees. But if you value your time and want to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of your filing, it’s best to work with an LLC filing company. Their sole purpose is to assist business owners in forming an LLC, and they can do it at a fraction of the cost of an attorney. The best LLC filing companies have in-house expertise, are fluent in every state’s laws, and can process the paperwork quickly.
How We Chose the Best LLC Filing Companies
The good news is there is no shortage of LLC filing companies. The bad news is that it means having to cull through dozens of companies to try to find the service that’s right for you. In this roundup, we did the legwork for you by reviewing 20 companies based on their reputation, track record, pricing, and the overall value of their service offering. We placed some weight on such factors as money-back guarantees, areas of specialization, and positive customer reviews. Considering all aspects, we then narrowed our list down to the best LLC filing companies in six categories.
