Forming an LLC is serious business. And finding the best LLC service in Alaska is critical if you want to succeed in business in the “Land of the Midnight Sun.”
The right LLC service will assist you with your articles of organization and file them on your behalf with the Alaska Secretary of State’s office, saving you time and legwork so that you can concentrate on more important tasks.
The wrong LLC service will delay your business registration process for weeks or even months, get your data mixed up, and prevent you from starting your business in Alaska on time.
I have investigated 17 limited liability company services in the state of Alaska through a four-stage, five-factor analysis process and picked the best 10. Below are the results of my research.
*Please note that every mention of the cost of a formation package or other services relates to a charge per year.
1. Northwest Registered Agent: 9.45/10 (Best Overall LLC Service)
Northwest Registered Agent offers the most affordable formation plan and the best customer service compared with any other professional service on this list.
Pros
Northwest Registered Agent offers everything you need from an LLC service in Alaska, including assistance with your LLC operating agreement, filing your articles of organization with the Alaska state commerce office, a 90-day free trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, an online document storage portal, and a business address in Alaska.
The package also includes compliance alerts that notify you of forthcoming deadlines (such as annual reports), a business tax consultative meeting with its in-house accounting team and a free year of registered agent service.
They also offer a few complementary services that are available to purchase when needed. These services include help with getting an employer identification number, access to state-certified copies of your registration documents, and a Certificate of Good Standing.
But Northwest’s best feature has to be its excellent customer service team, whom they refer to in house as Corporate Guides.
They are a team of former accountants, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners with a wealth of knowledge on how to establish and run a business in Alaska. They not only help you process your documents during your business setup process but they are also available to offer credible business advice throughout your business journey.
Northwest Registered Agent’s Formation package usually goes for a standard fee of $225, but I worked out a great deal for BoostSuite readers (due to the high visitor traffic that I bring to Northwest’s sign-up page) where they get an 82% discount on the Formation package. This brings down the initial cost to a highly affordable $39.
Cons
Northwest’s services lack one convenient element. It doesn’t help you promote your online presence with a personalized business website, an email service, or a domain name registration.
However, there are many online website-building tools, such as Squarespace or Wix, that provide these services for as little as $15.
Overall
Northwest Registered Agent offers all the services you need to form an LLC in Alaska at an affordable cost and, above all, its legendary Corporate Guides are on hand to assist you with your Alaska business setup process.
Apart from assisting with the business registration process, these Corporate Guides are available to offer business advice whenever you encounter challenges during your business journey.
Northwest’s highly discounted $39 Formation package provides all the services you need to set up your LLC in Alaska, including assistance with your articles of organization and a draft LLC operating agreement template, a business tax consultation, and a free trial of VoIP service.
Included in that deal is Northwest’s free registered agent service, which includes an Alaska business address to where any service of process or other important documents are delivered and then forwarded to you, compliance alerts, and an online portal to store your important documents. A lot of benefits!
If you need an LLC service that provides affordable services and great customer support, visit Northwest Registered Agent’s website now and enjoy an 82% discount on its Formation package.
2. ZenBusiness: 8.25/10 (Best Essentials LLC Service)
ZenBusiness comes in at #2 on my list with a jaw-dropping price of $0 (plus filing fee), which can’t be beat. But you’ll pay far more than that for its services in the long run because it doesn’t supply registered agent services or small business advice.
Pros
ZenBusiness has all of the basic services you need to set up your LLC for only $0 (plus state fees). For that price it will make sure your business name is available, check the information on your business formation documents for accuracy and file your articles of organization on behalf of your business.
Its $199 (plus state fees) Pro plan includes expedited filing (which takes 4-6 days depending on the state), and assistance with your operating agreement.
Its $299 (plus state fees) Premium plan includes rush filing (which can take as little as 1-2 days), as well as a business domain name, email address and website building tool.
Cons
ZenBusiness’ $0 plus filing fee price is only valuable if you don’t require anything beyond the basics. If you want anything that isn’t included in that package, it will cost you.
ZenBusiness doesn’t offer a free year of registered agent service with any of its packages, which is a bummer, and the only plan that does include registered agent service costs $199 per year.
The customer service at ZenBusiness is speedy and helpful. The agents are capable of helping you with basic issues like updating your billing information or changing your password, but it doesn’t provide small business support. So if you have questions about taxes, HR or logistics, you’ll have to ask someone else.
Overall
If you’re looking for a service that will cover basic formation services, like filing your articles of organization and running a business name check, then at $0 ZenBusiness is a good option.
If you want basic formation services with no frills, at a dirt-cheap rate, you can check out ZenBusiness on its website.
3. Harbor Compliance: 7.13/10 (Best Premium LLC Service)
Harbor Compliance is the best premium LLC service thanks to its great customer support.
Pros
Harbor Compliance provides all the basic services you need to establish your Alaska LLC including assistance in preparing and filing your articles of organization, an operating agreement template, assistance with getting an EIN, a business name and address in Alaska, and a free year of registered agent service (valued at $99/year).
But its most valuable feature is its customer support setup. Instead of calling a helpline or sending an anonymous email, Harbor Compliance provides you with a personal representative who understands the challenges you face and provides credible advice that suits your situation.
Cons
The only problem with Harbor Compliance is its price. The basic formation package goes for $399 while the Compliance package costs $799. This makes Harbor Compliance more than eight times the cost of Northwest!
Overall
Despite being quite costly, Harbor Compliance offers great LLC formation services and reliable customer support services. Therefore, if you’re willing to pay $399 for a personal service guide who will walk you through your Alaska business journey, visit Harbor Compliance today.
4. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings is a new Alaska LLC formation service that launched in 2012. It has a $49 Basic package that includes services like an online portal to store your important files, assistance with filing your formation documents, a 30-minute business tax consultation, and a free year of business domain name registration.
Swyft Filings doesn’t include a free year of its Alaska registered agent services. For that, you pay $149 per year. This is considerably more expensive than Northwest’s price, which is why Swyft Filings is fifth on my list.
However, it’s still a reputable company with reliable services. Check out its website here.
5. MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks has a pretty high subscription price.
While Northwest charges $39 for its basic package, MyCompanyWorks charges $79. This package includes assistance with preparing your formation documents, compliance alerts, and online access to your most important documents.
One notable thing about MyCompanyWorks is that it has an average rating of 4.9/5 out of 3,500 online reviews. So that high price might be well worth it.
But it doesn't provide a free year of Alaska registered agent service in its Basic package. For that, you’ll have to upgrade to the $279 Premium package. Keeping in mind that Northwest offers a free year of its registered agent services in its $39 package, MyCompanyWorks doesn’t seem like such a great option.
6. Inc Authority
IncAuthority appears to sell itself as a “budget” LLC service, but on closer scrutiny, it’s anything but that.
Inc Authority charges $0 to file your articles of organization with the Alaska Division of Corporations, but if you need extra services such as an operating agreement or a company seal, or you need to get an EIN, you’ll have to purchase their $399 basic package. Inc Authority’s free year of Alaska registered agent service is only accessible through its $799 premium package.
At this price point, you’re better off seeking the services of ZenBusiness if all you want is to file your formation documents for free.
7. Incorporate Fast
Incorporate Fast has a $99 basic package that includes assistance with filing your formation documents on behalf of your business, drafting your Alaska LLC operating agreement, and sample documents that you may need to establish your LLC in Alaska.
It also has a $199 package that gets you an EIN, but it does not include a business tax assessment nor an online document storage portal.
The best thing about Incorporate Fast is that it processes new Alaska business filings the same day they’re received, which is convenient if you’re in a hurry to start an LLC in Alaska and you’re willing to pay extra for the privilege.
You can check out Incorporate Fast’s website here.
8. BizFilings
BizFilings, like Incorporate Fast, charges $99 for its Basic package. This package includes help with filing your formation documents, a free year of Alaska registered agent service, and compliance alerts.
The package doesn’t include an online document storage portal, help with drafting your operating agreement, or a business tax assessment. You’re better off paying $39 for Northwest Registered Agent’s basic offerings.
9. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is a legal services provider in Alaska that also provides very basic LLC services, such as online access to your important documents and assistance with filing your articles of organization.
Considering Rocket Lawyer charges $99 for these basic services, you’re better off trusting Northwest with your money. If you want to learn about Rocket Lawyer’s services, read my full Rocket Lawyer review.
10. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is another Alaska LLC service provider that charges $99 for substandard services. The only LLC services it provides are assistance with filing your formation documents and a banking resolution, and that’s it.
If you’re looking for legal support for yourself or your LLC in Alaska, you can check out LegalZoom, otherwise, you’re better off choosing other services on this list.
Other Alaska LLC Services
I investigated the following seven Alaska LLC service providers but their services are not up to par compared with the previous 10 LLC formation services and do not warrant a full review. Nonetheless, they do deserve a mention.
11. Incorporate.com
Incorporate.com continues the trend of charging $99 for a basic package that offers very little in terms of services. Its only offerings are an online document storage portal and assistance with your articles of organization.
12. CorpNet
Corpnet’s $79 basic package only offers assistance with your articles of organization and compliance alerts so you don’t miss any filing deadlines.
13. MyCorporation
MyCorporation charges $133 for Alaska LLC formation services, which include processing your articles of organization and drafting your operating agreement.
14. Direct Incorporation
Direct Incorporation provides the same services as MyCorporation but adds a banking resolution and access to an EIN. However, it charges $147 for its services.
15. InCorp
InCorp will file your articles of organization with the state of Alaska and will also assist you with drafting your operating agreement all for $117. Every extra service entails additional costs.
16. Nationwide Incorporations
Nationwide Incorporations charges $200 for the same services as InCorp.
17. SunDoc Filings
SunDoc Filings’s $79 basic package helps you to submit your formation documents. Its $99 Key package helps you create an operating agreement while its $279 Premier package will provide access to an EIN.
The Best LLC Service Review Summary
After reviewing the 10 best LLC service providers in Alaska, I concluded that Northwest Registered Agent offers the best services for the most affordable price.
Northwest’s $39 basic package offers every service you need to start an LLC in the state of Alaska. Its Corporate Guides assist you if you get stuck during the setup process and provide effective business advice that will help you properly manage your Alaska LLC.
If you need a reliable and affordable LLC formation service that will save you time and money while you are setting up your LLC in Alaska and provides top-quality small business advice, visit Northwest Registered Agent’s website today.
Best LLC Service Review Methodology
This is how I determined the best LLC formation service in Alaska.
Why You Should Trust Me
You should trust me with your LLC formation service choice because I have more experience in this industry than anyone I know.
My journey started when I decided to launch my first business. I did not have much knowledge about how to file my articles of organization effectively so I decided to hire an LLC formation service. My first experience with an LLC service provider wasn’t as good as I expected; its services were overpriced and quite underwhelming.
During my second business adventure, I decided to try out Northwest Registered Agent’s services and the setup process was shorter and much simpler compared with my previous attempt. Northwest’s Corporate Guides offered assistance whenever I encountered challenges during the setup process.
When I had enough capital to start my third business, I thought of choosing a premium LLC service provider and this time around, Harbor Compliance was my company of choice because I wanted to take advantage of their personalized, customer support service.
My experience with LLC formation services is not just limited to using them. While I was thinking about my third business venture, I talked to all my entrepreneur friends about their experiences during their business setup process and they all echoed one important point.
There is a lot of business advice being thrown around today and the problem is knowing who to trust.
This is what led me to launch BoostSuite and since then I’ve assisted over 1,000 business owners to find the best LLC formation service to start their businesses.
How I Selected The Best LLC Service
I used the following four-stage process to figure out which is the best LLC formation service in Alaska:
Stage 1: Reviews
The first stage was to go through every major business review website such as TrustPilot, Google Business, FaceBook, and the Better Business Review and check out customer reviews for each and every LLC service provider in Alaska.
This allowed me to differentiate between those services that were genuine and those that were scams or offered substandard services.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
After weeding out the fake services, I decided to log on and analyze the websites of the remaining service providers so that I could try to understand their claims and statements.
This helped me understand the services they offered and how they positioned themselves in the LLC service industry.
Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers
The next stage was to speak to actual owners of Alaska LLCs to find out whether these LLC service providers lived up to their claims. Granted, I would have achieved this during my analysis of the online customer reviews but these opinions tended to be skewed towards positive or negative extremes.
I contacted friends who have used a specific formation service and also reached out to visitors to my website about their experiences with their Alaska LLC service providers. This process helped me understand what it was like to use each Alaska LLC formation service.
Stage 4: Speak With Sales Teams
The final stage was to contact every sales and support department in these Alaska LLC service providers and push them for answers, especially concerning the criticism that was meted out to them by their customers.
This helped me understand how effectively each company dealt with criticism or negative feedback.
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Rating Factors
I ranked each Alaska company through five different factors.
Factor 1: Offerings
The first factor was the types of services being offered by each Alaska LLC service.
Some Alaska LLC formation services provide limited services in their packages then charge you for extra services. Others, like Northwest, provide a full suite of services (such as online access to your most important documents, a business address in the state of Alaska, and assistance with your operating agreement) in their basic packages as well as free access to a registered agent in Alaska for a year.
This disparity in the services available meant I had to start my analysis here.
Factor 2: Price
Cost of services was the second factor I took into consideration. Some Alaska LLC services charge $0 for their most basic service while others won’t serve you unless you part with $399.
This discrepancy in the cost of services allowed me to separate those services that offered good value for money from those that had premium offerings and prices but not such great value.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up
The third factor in my analysis was how easy it was to sign up for services.
This meant setting up an account with each Alaska LLC service on this list. I found out that some services have outdated, legacy systems that seem to have been designed in the 90s for Windows 98 while others had sleek, simple, and user-friendly systems that saved me a lot of time and energy.
This process allowed me to determine which Alaska LLC formation services needed the least amount of time and effort to sign up.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
The fourth factor in the process was the design and function of each Alaska LLC service’s website.
Some of the problems I encountered during the signup process seemed to trickle down to other aspects of the user experience. For instance, some services provided blank forms that meant you had to fill in numerous fields despite having provided the same information during the sign-up process.
Others had pre-filled forms with all necessary data filled and in some cases, all they needed was just a signature.
Factor 5: Customer Service
The last factor I used to assess each Alaska LLC formation service was the quality of their customer support services.
Some companies outsource their support services to call centers in foreign countries and others keep theirs stateside, such as Northwest, whose US-based customer support department is staffed with former accountants, former lawyers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs with a wealth of knowledge on how to establish and run an Alaska business.
This major gap in the quality of customer support services was my fifth and final rating factor.
In Conclusion
After assessing the top 10 Alaska LLC formation services through my four-stage, five-factor process, I concluded that Northwest is the #1 LLC service provider in Alaska.
Its $39 basic package provides all the services you need to establish your LLC while providing the best value for money. These services include assistance with submitting your articles of organization, an online document storage portal, a draft operating agreement template, a free 90-day trial of their VoIP service, a business tax consultation with their in-house accountants, and free registered agent service for a year.
Their Corporate Guides provide industry-leading, business advice and offer support whenever you encounter challenges during your business adventure.
If you’re ready to set up your Alaska LLC, visit Northwest Registered Agent today and get an 82% discount on its full-service formation package and industry-leading customer support.
