The price of limited liability company (LLC) formation services fluctuates wildly between companies.
Some companies will form your new company completely free of charge, while others will charge upwards of $399 for the most basic of services.
To help you form your limited liability company with the best service for the most efficient cost, I’ve reviewed 60+ LLC formation services. Here is my recommendation for the best and cheapest companies for LLC formation.
1. Northwest Registered Agent $39: 9.13/10 (Best Cheap LLC Formation Service)
Northwest Registered Agent is my top pick for the best business formation service since it provides the most economical formation package as well as industry-leading customer service.
Pros
Northwest’s formation package includes everything you need to form an LLC, including filing your initial formation documents, called articles of organization, or, less commonly, a certificate of formation or certificate of organization with the Secretary of State's office.
It will also assist with drafting your operating agreement, provide a business address, and grant you a tax consultation with its Corporate Guides.
This package includes a free 90-day trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, which allows you to make calls over the internet rather than using your analog phone line. It also comes with compliance notices to remind you to file your annual reports and a free year of registered agent service.
Northwest also provides additional services, such as certified copies of your formation paperwork, assistance in acquiring an employer identification number (EIN), and a Certificate of Good Standing. These come at a small extra cost, but since not every business owner needs these things, they’re not included in the basic package.
What you’ll love most about Northwest is its exceptional customer service. To be honest, “consultant service” would be a more accurate name for them since they go above and beyond.
Unlike companies that outsource customer service to foreign call centers, Northwest Registered Agent has a team of US-based Corporate Guides composed of former business owners, lawyers, and accountants who are well versed in the process of both starting an LLC and running one.
They not only help you form your LLC, they’ll also give you solid business advice that can help you when you face problems along the way.
Northwest’s formation package is normally $225, but Boostsuite readers can enjoy an 82% discount on all the services in the formation package by following my link to Northwest's sign-up page. This discount reduces the regular $225 fee to a manageable $39 per year, securing Northwest Registered Agent’s position as the cheapest service to form an LLC.
Cons
The one issue I found with Northwest's services is that it does not give online tools to help your business entity build an online presence, such as a customized business website, email or direct messaging service, or domain name registration service.
However, you can obtain these services for a nominal cost from a variety of websites, like Wix and Squarespace, so this shouldn't be a huge issue.
Overall
Northwest Registered Agent is by far the best LLC formation service because its inexpensive LLC formation package includes a variety of necessary services, and its Corporate Guides are always there to help you when you run into business problems.
If you need a business formation service with excellent customer service and reasonable prices, use my exclusive link to Northwest Registered Agent's sign-up page and receive an 82% discount.
2. ZenBusiness $0: 8.25/10 (Best Free LLC Service)
ZenBusiness has a price of $0 (plus state fees), which you really can’t beat.
Pros
ZenBusiness will supply all the formation necessities with its $0 package and make sure you have everything you need to start your business. It will check that the business name you want is available, as well as double-checking that all your other forms and information are correct. And, of course, it will file your company’s articles of organization for you as well.
Upgrading to ZenBusiness’ $199 Pro Plan gets you expedited filing (four to six days depending on your state) and guidance through setting up your operating agreement, which you absolutely want to get right since it determines how your company will run.
The $299 Premium Plan supplies one- to two-day rush filing, a business domain name and email address, and a customized tool to build your own website.
Cons
ZenBusiness’s $0 tier is a great option for anyone looking for a service that just covers the basics, but anyone looking to get a little more from their LLC service will pay more in the long run.
None of ZenBusiness’s plans offer a year of free registered agent service, and the only plan that even includes registered agent service costs $199/year.
The customer support is prompt and helpful enough, and they can help you with simple things like a password change or updates to your billing information, but you’re out of luck if you want assistance with complicated business questions involving HR, logistics, or tax advice.
Overall
If you want a company that provides simple formation essentials, like filing your articles of organization in a timely manner, then you can’t beat ZenBusiness’s $0 price.
If you want a business that covers the basics, learn more about ZenBusiness on its website.
3. Rocket Lawyer $39.99: 7.13/10 (Best for Complimentary Services)
On top of providing a cheap LLC formation service, Rocket Lawyer also provides the best online legal services on the market.
Pros
The biggest pro with Rocket Lawyer is that on top of getting your LLC formation service for $39.99, you also get access to its impossibly large catalog of easily customizable legal documents. You even get an actual lawyer to help with the enforcement of those legal documents, and free 30-minute consultations with Rocket Lawyer’s legal team for every new legal issue.
On top of this, its customer support team is entirely made up of US-qualified lawyers who can provide legally sound advice on your small business challenges.
Cons
The con with Rocket Lawyer is that its $39.99 fee is not a one-time price—it’s a monthly subscription. This means that if you want to maintain access to its legal documents, online storage and signing portal, and legally qualified support team, you need to pay that fee every month if you want to continue to use its services.
However, you can simply subscribe for one month to use the LLC formation service, get all the contracts you need, and ask any legal compliance and licensing questions you have, and then simply not renew your membership for the second month.
Another drawback with Rocket Lawyer is the limited range of services included in its LLC formation service.
It doesn’t include a registered agent service, which you can purchase for an additional $93, not including extras such as compliance alerts for annual report reminders. It also doesn’t include a consultation with an accountant or specialty business advice.
Overall
Rocket Lawyer is the best online legal service that also provides an LLC formation service as part of its $39.99 monthly subscription.
While its monthly subscription makes it more expensive over a year and the included services are fewer than other services on this list, it’s a great option if you also anticipate needing legal documents and attorney services.
4. Inc Authority $0
Inc Authority is an impossibly cheap LLC service, offering to file your limited liability company paperwork without any charge. It’ll also throw in a free year of registered agent service in its $0 package.
The problem with Inc Authority appears as soon as you require any additional services. Its second-cheapest package is an eye-popping $399, so if you need additional support or services, like those available from Northwest Registered Agent, it’s going to cost you far more than you need to spend or can afford.
5. Swyft Filings $49
Swyft Filings charges only slightly more than Northwest Registered Agent but doesn’t include a free year of registered agent service or online document storage. And if you want a banking resolution or an operating agreement, you have to sign up for the $149 package.
If for some reason you don’t want to use Northwest and don’t need a registered agent, Swyft Filings is an okay option. I don’t know why you’d want to do that though—your business can get even more from Northwest Registered Agent for $10 less.
6. Incorporate Fast $99
Incorporate Fast charges $99 to form an LLC, providing the basics, including a free year of registered agent service. But it provides fewer included services than Northwest Registered Agent and charges a fair bit more, so I don’t know why you’d use it.
7. BizFilings $99
In most functional ways, BizFilings is just like Incorporate Fast. It provides all the basics you need for $99. But, once again, it provides less than Northwest Registered Agent and charges more.
8. MyCompanyWorks $79
MyCompanyWorks is the last LLC service on this list that provides a reasonable amount of value in its basic LLC formation service.
It will ensure your company name is available, assist with your formation documents, file all your necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State, and notify you of all upcoming important compliance dates.
In saying that, it doesn’t offer a year of free registered agent service unless you purchase its $279 premium package, so it just doesn’t represent great value.
9. SunDoc Filings $79
SunDoc Filings offers its LLC formation service for only $79 but doesn’t include much for that $79 at all. It’ll assist with your articles of organization and file your paperwork with the relevant authorities, but nothing else.
10. IncParadise $89
If you’re in Nevada and looking to form an LLC with a Nevada-only company, IncParadise charges $89 for its LLC formation service. It will ensure your desired business name is available, assist with your formation documents, and file your relevant paperwork, but that’s it.
11. LegalZoom $99
LegalZoom, a well-known nationwide business and legal-services company, provides the same LLC formation services as IncParadise but charges $10 more. It does provide a banking resolution as part of your LLC formation service, but that’s as far as its special features go.
12. Incorporate.com $99
Incorporate.com is the last LLC service on my list and it’s last for a reason. It scrapes in at under $100 and for that, it’ll provide the same services as IncParadise.
Best Cheap LLC Service Review Summary
Starting a business has a lot of expenses, so many business owners looking for help with their LLC formation want an LLC service that comes in at the low end of a wide price range. Luckily, the selection of low-priced LLC services has exploded over the last few years, though that’s made it tough to know which one provides the best value.
I’ve reviewed 12 services under $100 and it’s clear to me that Northwest Registered Agent is the best among them.
For $39, Northwest will provide everything you need to get your new business up and running, and it throws in a year of registered agent service, valued at $125.
If you need to form an LLC at a budget price, sign up with Northwest Registered Agent.
Best Cheap LLC Service Review Methodology
Here’s how I determined that Northwest Registered Agent is the best of the cheapest LLC services available.
Why You Should Trust Me
Before I get into my methodology, I want to assure you that you can trust my recommendations, for two particular reasons.
The first is that I’ve spent more time analyzing the LLC formation market, from both a personal standpoint and in an advisor capacity, than just about anyone else in the industry.
My journey into the LLC formation industry started with my first business—a health website. I had NO idea how to wade through all the red tape necessary to form an LLC and start making my dreams a reality, and I knew it would be faster and cheaper to just hire someone who’d walked this path 1,000 times before.
My biggest problem was not finding an agent (i.e. an LLC service) that knew this space, it was finding the right service. They all claimed to be the best/fastest/most supportive provider on the market and no one could tell me the difference.
I eventually solved my problem with a giant spreadsheet, a large phone bill, and more time wasted than I honestly had to spare.
The process of finding the cheapest, and best, service to start an LLC was much easier with my second business. I just reviewed the basics on the spreadsheet to bring it up to date and then made my pick. The third time (BoostSuite) was the easiest of all.
Since then, and this is the second reason you should trust my results, I’ve helped more than a thousand people find the right LLC formation service for their businesses. I’m happy I can help you do the same.
How I Selected the Best Cheap LLC service
My process for selecting the best and cheapest LLC service was a four-stage adventure.
Stage 1: Reviews
The first step was analyzing the available user reviews scattered across reputable review websites, such as Better Business Bureau, TrustPilot, and Google Business.
This step proved easy, since LLC service customers seem more than willing to share their thoughts and opinions online. In fact, some companies, such as Northwest Registered Agent, have thousands of reviews.
Now, I obviously didn’t read through all of them, but an investigation of the more detailed and recent reviews gave me enough insight into most companies to be able to exclude some of the less-savory options.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
Once I knew which companies I didn’t need to waste my time on and eliminated them from my list, the next step was to learn more about the companies that provided a reliable-enough service to spend time investigating.
I achieved this by diving into their websites to find out exactly what they did and did not offer when forming an LLC for new business owners.
As you’ve seen, some companies offer a wide range of business services for little cost while other, more premium, options charge more but also add more value for your money. And some charge plenty while giving you very little.
Reviewing the websites (and building my spreadsheet) helped me work out which LLC provider under $100 provided the best value.
Stage 3: Speaking with Real Customers
Reading online reviews will provide some insight into what it’s like to use a particular service to form your LLC, but one must keep in mind that online reviews are inherently flawed. Most people only leave a review when they’ve had an overwhelmingly positive or negative experience, meaning that most reviews will skew to one end of the spectrum.
To avoid this natural bias, I reached out to current and former customers of each LLC service to get more insight into their experiences. I asked about the sign-up process, the level of communication, the number of steps, the amount of work in each of those steps, and how helpful their support teams are.
This stage helped me get a more balanced perspective on each of the companies.
Stage 4: Speaking with Their Sales Teams
The final, and always the most fun, stage of my review process is to get on the phone with each sales team and drill them with every complaint and concern raised in both the reviews and in my conversations with current and former customers.
I grilled them on specific cases, for example, when a document went missing or one step took longer than promised in my best “You better have the answer” voice to see how well they responded.
Aside from being a great way to let off some steam, this step showed me how well a company adapted to problems and gaps in its processes and how well I could expect it to continue to grow.
Rating Factors
As I worked through the four stages of my review process, I considered the following five essential factors:
Factor 1: Offerings
The first thing I need to know is this: Does this company provide the services you need?
- Does it just offer to file your paperwork or will it help draft your articles of organization?
- Will it be your dedicated and diligent registered agent or expect you to put your personal details online and risk having them stolen by scammers and hackers?
- Will it help you with your accounting structure or leave you to work it all out yourself?
The range of products and services available with LLC formation companies is diverse and ever changing. Therefore I’m always assessing these providers to see exactly what they can help you with.
Factor 2: Value
Not only do the range of products and services vary greatly between providers, but so do the prices. As you’ve seen, some will cost more than $700 while others will provide some critical steps for free.
But expensive prices don’t always correlate with a large range of services, and cheap prices won’t always guarantee that you have to do the hard work all by yourself.
This is why the second factor in my assessment is always how much value for money the LLC service provides.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-up
A wide range of services at a low cost is great, but if you have to spend 35 minutes trying to work out how to sign up, then that time lost is a cost that needs to be factored into the assessment.
To make sure you’re not wasting too much time, I’ve tested the sign-up processes for every organization and rated them based on how easy and simple it is to get into their systems.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
Signing up for an LLC service doesn’t represent the only cost to your time and energy. With most LLC formation services, you need to access their online systems to sign forms, monitor requests, and track the progress of your applications.
If you’re stuck using a poorly optimized system with no consideration for the user’s experience and that ends up wasting your time, that’s an additional cost and irritation that needs to be factored into the rating.
Factor 5: Customer Service
The final factor on which I rate LLC services is their customer support networks.
It doesn’t matter how well a system has been optimized or how thorough the instructions, there are ALWAYS going to be instances where you need to get someone on the phone and ask a question.
Some LLC service providers will keep you on hold for up to 45 minutes before directing you to an outsourced help-desk worker, often in a foreign country, with no practical experience of business operations in the States, who can only help with general technical inquiries.
With other services (such as Northwest Registered Agent), your call will be answered in a few minutes by a highly trained and experienced former small business owner who is able not only to guide you through your LLC formation challenges, but also assist with any small business questions you have.
The level and quality of support has a significant impact on the value of any service, so is the final factor I take into account in my assessment.
The Best Cheap LLC Formation Services Results Summary
After running 60+ LLC formation services through my four-stage, five-factor analysis, here are the best and cheapest LLC formation services on the market.
Best Cheap LLC Formation Service: Northwest Registered Agent, $39 (9.13/10)
If you need an LLC formation service that gives you the best service for the lowest price, then Northwest Registered Agent might be the right solution for you.
While it provides a basic LLC service that covers a full range of services to form an LLC, the real value in Northwest Registered Agent is its customer support team, or as they’re called at Northwest, the Corporate Guides.
The Corporate Guides will answer any questions you have about your LLC formation service, but they’re also a US-based team of former accountants, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who can help you on your small business journey.
They’ve either walked a similar path to the one on which you’re about to embark or have already guided thousands of others on this same journey and can provide the insight and wisdom that only comes from that depth and breadth of experience.
Sure, there are LLC services that come in at $0, but you won’t regret spending the extra $39. No one else offers a small business advisor or business support team, which is why Northwest is my pick for the best LLC formation service that comes in at a low price.
If you value the support and guidance of people who have walked the path you’re about to embark upon, and you want to pay a fraction of what this support and guidance usually costs, head to Northwest Registered Agent now.
Best Dirt-Cheap LLC Service: ZenBusiness, $0 (7.45/10)
If your budget is tight and you find that you can’t afford to spend much on formation services, then ZenBusiness is my choice for the best dirt-cheap registered agent service.
For $0 (plus state fees) it’ll file your articles of organization and check that your business name is available.
You’re not going to find a better price.
The problem is that it doesn’t provide free registered agent service for the first year. In fact, the only package ZenBusiness has that offers registered agent service will cost you $199 per year (as opposed to Northwest Registered Agent’s normal price of $125 per year). It also doesn’t offer customer service on the same level as Northwest Registered Agent’s or supply small business support, which is something any new business can benefit from.
If price is the only thing you’re concerned with when it comes to an LLC formation service, and you don’t care about the services you’re not getting, then you can learn more about ZenBusiness on its website.
Best Cheap Service With Extras: Rocket Lawyer, $39.99 (7.13/10)
Rocket Lawyer offers inexpensive, quality LLC services and online legal services.
The biggest benefit of choosing Rocket Lawyer is that on top of legally establishing your LLC for only $39.99, you get access to a massive library of customizable legal documents. On top of that, you’ll get a free 30-minute legal consultation on any topic of your choosing and a customer service team made up of lawyers who are qualified to answer your questions.
The downside is that Rocket Lawyer’s $39.99 price is a monthly fee, not yearly. You’ll have to pay every month to receive the benefits of its online legal services. But if you just want help with your LLC formation, you could subscribe for a month and then cancel the subscription.
Another downside is that Rocket Lawyer’s LLC services don’t include registered agent services. You have to pay $93 per state, per year for them, and they don’t include compliance alerts.
Overall, Rocket Lawyer is one of the only LLC services to also offer high-end online legal services. Its $39.99 per month price tag makes it a bit more expensive than some of the other LLC formation services on the list in the long run, but it’s an excellent choice if you want continuous legal services or advice.
If you feel like your business needs ongoing legal services and you’re willing to pay for them, you can learn more about Rocket Lawyer on its website.
In Conclusion
The LLC formation world is a hodgepodge of established legacy players and new options entering the market.
I’ve assessed over 60 LLC formation services, investigated the top 12 under $100, and conducted in-depth reviews of the top three.
The best of the cheapest LLC formation service is Northwest Registered Agent.
It will provide everything you need to establish your LLC and stay legally compliant, while providing additional extras to ensure you have what you need to succeed—all at only $39.
If you’re ready to launch your small business or limited liability company now, and you need help forming an LLC, head to Northwest Registered Agent.
