The 10 Best LLC Services in Maine: Reviewed and Ranked

Choosing the best LLC formation service for your LLC in Maine is a crucial part of the business formation process. 

The right Maine LLC service will help you set your company up and have you conducting business in Maine in a matter of days, filing all the right documents with the Maine Secretary of State, and ensuring you have all the necessary local business licenses.

The wrong Maine LLC service could delay the formation process for weeks, maybe even months, and fail to file the right paperwork with the proper agencies, meaning you won’t be able to conduct business. 

To make sure that you choose the best LLC service in Maine, I’ve reviewed and rated the top 10 best LLC services in Maine, using a four-stage, five-factor process. Here are the findings of my best LLC formation services investigation in Maine:

1. Northwest Registered Agent: 9.45/10 (Best Overall Service)

I awarded Northwest Registered Agent the #1 spot because it checks all the boxes, has a great price, and is the only LLC service in Maine to provide small business advice. 

Pros

You’ll find lots of reasons to love Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest provides all the services you need to get you through the LLC formation process and get your Maine business up and running. It files the necessary formation documents with the Maine Secretary of State and provides registered agent service free for one year. 

A registered agent in Maine receives legal documents and mail on behalf of your business during normal business hours and provides a Maine street address for your formation documents, as well as worry-free compliance with notifications about things like annual report deadlines, and a straightforward online dashboard so that you can access and manage all your business documents. 

On top of all that, it also provides a free accounting consultation so that you can make sure your payment processing system is properly set up, a 90-day free trial of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, and a free operating agreement template. You can purchase additional services, such as an employer identification number or EIN, a Certificate of Good Standing, or state-certified copies of important business documents. 

But the one area where Northwest Registered Agent really outshines the other Maine LLC formation services on my list is its Corporate Guides. 

Northwest has a team made up of US-based former lawyers, accountants, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who are experienced enough to answer questions not only about the formation process in Maine, but also about running your new Maine business. These business experts know the ins and outs of running a business and will help you every step of the way.

No other LLC service in Maine offers small business advice, and when you consider that getting advice like this from other business advisory services can cost as much as $5,000 a day, it’s quite a boon for any small business owner. 

And of course, the last reason for choosing Northwest Registered Agent as the top LLC service in Maine is its price. 

Northwest typically charges $225 for its services, which is a great deal—especially with its small business advice thrown in. But I’ve negotiated a special deal with them for BoostSuite readers. If you sign up for its services using my special sign-up page, you get an 82% discount, which makes the total price $39 (plus state filing fee) to start your Maine LLC. 

Like I said, it’s a great value at the standard $225 rate, but with an 82% discount that makes its services only $39, there was no question that Northwest earned the #1 spot. 

Cons

Other LLC services offer website setup features with their expensive premium packages that include a free year of business domain name registration, Google advertising credits, or website hosting, and some even provide a website builder. But Northwest doesn’t provide any of this. 

However, Google provides $500 in advertising credits to every new business, it costs under $12 to register domain names, and you can use premium website builders like Squarespace for around $15 a month. So you can definitely afford to purchase these services with the money you save using Northwest Registered Agent. 

Overall

Northwest Registered Agent is the best LLC service in Maine because not only does it provide you with all the services you need to get your Maine LLC established, but it also has a US-based customer service team staffed with people who have experience with the LLC formation process and can help guide you through any problems you’ll face with your Maine business. 

If choosing a Maine LLC service that goes above and beyond its obligations to help your company succeed is important to you, and you want to take advantage of the 82% discount I negotiated, then check out Northwest Registered Agent. 

2. ZenBusiness: 8.25/10 (Best Essentials LLC Service) 

ZenBusiness has an unbelievable price of $0, but because it doesn’t provide free registered agent services or small business support, you’ll ultimately pay more for some features. 

Pros

For $0, ZenBusiness will do everything you need to get your LLC established with the Secretary of State. It’ll make sure your business name is available and that all of the information on your documents is correct, and file your formation documents for you. 

With its $199 Pro plan, you’ll get assistance writing your company’s operating agreement, as well as expedited filing (around four to six days). And with its $299 Premium plan you get a number of features to create your business’s online presence, like a custom website-building tool and a business domain name and email address, as well as rush filing that can take as little as one to two days. 

Another pleasant feature that ZenBusiness boasts is its US-based customer service team that’s available to customers during extended weekday hours, and even on Sundays! 

Cons

Of course, anything that’s $0 comes with some drawbacks and ZenBusiness does too. Although it does exactly what it claims to do, which is provide basic LLC services for $0 (plus state fees), the catch is that if you want anything else you’re going to have to pay more. 

It doesn’t supply a year of free registered agent service, and the only plan to include registered agent service costs $199 per year. Translation: you’re losing money from the get-go with ZenBusiness, and bleeding money every year after that. 

Another drawback is that although its customer service team is available during extended hours and they can certainly help you with ordinary customer service issues, like changing your password or updating your contact details, they aren’t equipped to answer business questions or provide tax advice. 

Overall

ZenBusiness is a great choice if you need basic LLC services. It has a US-based customer service team that’s available outside of normal business hours to help you with average customer service issues. Its price is beyond compare at $0 (plus state fees), and it will do everything you need to establish your LLC (like helping you fill out your paperwork, and filing it on your behalf). 

It will definitely cost you more money in the long run if you need registered agent service (which you most likely do), but it’s still a good option thanks to things like worry-free compliance and 100% accuracy guarantee. 

If you’d like to learn more about ZenBusiness and its services, you can check out its website. 

3. Harbor Compliance: 7.15/10 (Best Premium LLC Service)

Harbor Compliance provides you with a dedicated account manager to handle your questions and concerns. However, that unique service comes at a cost. 

Pros

Harbor Compliance offers all the basic Maine LLC services you need to establish your business in Maine. 

Harbor Compliance checks the availability of your chosen business name, prepares and files your Maine certificate of formation and operating agreement, helps you get an employer identification number, and offers a year of free registered agent service, which usually costs $99 per year. 

Registered agent service is essential to a new business. Your Maine registered agent will accept mail and legal documents on behalf of your LLC during business hours, as well as letting you list its physical address in the state of Maine on your paperwork.

But by far its best feature is that you get a personal account representative that can walk you through the formation process. 

Instead of calling a customer support line or emailing some anonymous representative, you can simply contact your dedicated account manager who already knows about your Maine business and the particular challenges you face, and they can provide customized advice for your business. 

Cons

The drawback of Harbor Compliance is that its services aren’t cheap. 

It costs $399 for the formation package and $799 for the Compliance package, which means Harbor Compliance charges nearly twice as much as Northwest Registered Agent’s standard fee and 10 times more than the special deal I’ve negotiated with Northwest. 

It’s nice to have a personal guide when you’re going through the LLC formation process, but is this perk worth paying an added $360 for? Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question for you; it’s a matter of personal choice. 

Overall

Harbor Compliance isn’t the best LLC service overall, but it does cover all the basic services necessary to form an LLC in Maine, and it stands out in the LLC service industry by providing dedicated account managers. 

Even though its $399 fee is 10 times more than you’d pay for Northwest Registered Agent with the deal I’ve negotiated, it’s still one of the best LLC services in Maine. 

If you’d like a dedicated account manager to get you through the formation process and you don’t mind paying a little more to get it, check out Harbor Compliance.

4. Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is a renowned name in the business industry, mostly because of its online legal services. But it also offers Maine LLC formation services. One of the best parts about its LLC services is that it provides you with a service that none of the other leading Maine LLC services do: legal services.

Rocket Lawyer’s Maine LLC formation services cost $99, and with that it also provides you with a seven-day free trial of its legal services subscription. This legal services subscription gives you access to its library of customizable legal documents, a 30-minute legal consultation with a lawyer about any topic, and attorney protection in the event that your documents are challenged for some reason. 

Another bonus is that its customer service team is made up of attorneys, so they can answer any questions you have, whether they’re legal questions or queries regarding the formation process. They’ll even review your documents to ensure that they’re enforceable.

You’re not going to get any of the service extras from Rocket Lawyer that Northwest Registered Agent provides. It doesn’t offer complimentary registered agent service, annual report service, or compliance notifications to let you know when to file annual reports. 

If you’d like to know more about Rocket Lawyer’s services and promotions, read my Rocket Lawyer Review.

5. Swyft Filings

Launched in 2012, Swyft Filings is relatively new to the Maine LLC formation service industry.

Its $49 (plus state fees) basic package offers a lot. It’ll help you create and file your formation documents (like your certificate of formation and operating agreement), give you an online portal to access your formation documents, offer you a free 30-minute business tax consultation, and provide you with a year of free business domain name registration. 

However, you won’t get a year of Maine registered agent service for free. In fact, Swyft Filings charges $149 for its registered agent services, which means it’ll cost you more money than it’s worth in the long run.

If you’d like a more detailed look at Swyft Filings, check out my Swyft Filings review. 

6. MyCompanyWorks

MyCompanyWorks is quite inconsistent when it comes to the quality of its services. 

It charges $79 for its basic package, for which it’ll help you prepare and file your certificate of formation, assist you with creating the operating agreement for your Maine business, give you an online portal to access your documents, and give you compliance alerts to remind you to file annual reports. 

But there is a drawback. 

It provides you with a free year of registered agent service if you choose its premium package. However, it’s a pricey $279. Because Northwest only costs $39 with the price I negotiated and its registered agent service is free for a year at that price, MyCompanyWorks pales in comparison. 

7. Inc Authority

Inc Authority is a Maine LLC formation service that appears to be a budget option, but upon further inspection turns out to be anything but. 

It doesn't charge any fees to help you prepare and file your certificate of formation in Maine. However, if you require any other services, you’ll pay dearly for them. 

Its basic package, which includes an operating agreement, help with the EIN application, and a company seal, costs a whopping $399 (plus state fees). It also includes a year of free registered agent service with its premium package, but it charges an unbelievable $799 for it. 

If you’re running low on money and simply want your formation documents filed, then ZenBusiness is the better option for LLC formations.

8. Incorporate Fast

Incorporate Fast is another on the long list of formation services that charge $99 (plus state fees) for its basic package. 

It’ll help you file your certificate of formation, help you with your operating agreement, give you a free year of registered agent service, and provide samples of documents you may need to form an LLC in Maine. 

It doesn't provide any of the luxury services that Northwest does, like business tax assessment or online document access, but if you get its $199 basic package it’ll help you obtain an EIN. 

Incorporate Fast’s biggest selling point, in my opinion, is that it processes new business filings on the day they’re received, which is something other business formation service providers in Maine don’t offer. So it’s a good option if you’re in a rush to form an LLC in Maine and don’t mind paying more money to make it happen without getting additional service for your money. 

However, if you’d rather get more bang for your buck, then Northwest Registered Agent is the better option. 

9. BizFilings

BizFilings also has a $99 (plus state fee) basic package. 

It helps you file your certificate of formation, kick in a year of free registered agent service, and provide you with compliance alerts for annual report filing. But you won’t find any of the additional services that Northwest provides, like online document storage, business tax assessment, or help with your operating agreement. So, in the end you’ll pay more for less with BizFilings.

10. LegalZoom

LegalZoom is another company that follows the trend of offering a $99 (plus state fees) basic package with substandard service offerings. It’ll help you file your certificate of formation and give you a banking resolution for that price, but nothing else. 

It may be a good idea to consider LegalZoom if you’re already using its online legal services or its Maine registered agent service (it doesn't provide Maine registered agent services with its formation package). But if all you need is a Maine LLC formation service, then it isn't much use to you. 

If you’d like to learn more about the products and prices that LegalZoom offers, you can read my LegalZoom review here. 

Other LLC Services

I looked at seven other Maine LLC formation services during my research, but they weren’t worthy of recommendations, so I didn’t feel that they required detailed reviews. Here they are, in no particular order. 

11. Incorporate.com

Like other business formation services on this list, Incorporate.com offers a $99 basic package with little in terms of quality formation services. It’ll file the certificate of formation for your business entity and give you access to your documents online, but that’s the extent of its services. You won’t receive registered agent service or compliance alerts to remind you to file your annual report. 

12. CorpNet

CorpNet has a $89 (plus state fees) package, but for that price all it does is file the certificate of formation for your business entity and issue compliance alerts for your annual report. So, if you need a registered agent in Maine, you should look elsewhere.

13. MyCorporation

MyCorporation only helps you with filing the certificate of formation for your LLC in Maine and offers assistance with your operating agreement with its $113 (plus state fee). Every service you choose beyond these comes at an additional charge. You’re out of luck if you choose MyCorporation and you need registered agent service in Maine. 

14. Direct Incorporation

Direct Incorporation provides the same services as MyCorporation, but it also adds a banking resolution and helps you get your EIN in its $147 (plus state fees) package. You’ll have to look elsewhere for a registered agent business in Maine or for compliance alerts.

15. InCorp

InCorp is a business formation service that will help you file your certificate of formation and assist you with drafting your operating agreement for $117 (plus state fee). However, each service you choose in addition to that will cost extra. This means you won’t get all the services that Northwest Registered Agent provides, like a Maine registered agent and VoIP service.

You can read more about InCorp in my full InCorp Review. 

16. Nationwide Incorporations

Nationwide Incorporations charges $200 (plus state fees) for the same features that InCorp offers. You’ll pay $200 but won’t even have a Maine registered agent for that price. 

17. SunDoc Filings

SunDoc Filings will help Maine businesses file its certificate of formation with its $79 basic package. With its $99 Key package it’ll help you create your operating agreement, and with its $279 Premier package it’ll help you apply for your EIN. At these prices it’s definitely not one of the best Maine LLC services.

Best LLC Service Review Summary

Out of the 17 LLC services in Maine I researched, and the top 10 out of those, Northwest Registered Agent is the best option for most small businesses. 

With the deal I negotiated for BoostSuite customers, its basic package is only $39 (plus state fees) and it covers all the formation services you need, as well as business advice and assistance from its Corporate Guides, which would cost $5,000 per day if you were to hire a consulting firm instead. 

If you feel like you’re ready to form an LLC and want all the basic business formation service offerings, as well as Corporate Guides to help you through the formation process and beyond, then head over to Northwest Registered Agent.

Best LLC Service Review Methodology

Here is the method I used to decide the best LLC service. 

Why You Should Trust Me

You should trust me to make LLC service recommendations because I’ve got more experience and knowledge of the LLC service industry than nearly anyone else in the world.

I started my journey when I used three separate LLC services to start my three businesses. Yeah, you read that right, I used three services because two didn’t cover all the services I needed. (I’m not going to disclose their names in this article because since then they’ve greatly improved their services and I don’t think you should make decisions based on outdated information.) 

I used the third service to start this website, and it delivered services that surpassed my expectations and provided quality services for the price I paid for them. And that’s why I chose Northwest Registered Agent as the best overall LLC service in Maine. 

My experience goes beyond using these three services myself. I’ve also got a lot of experience helping other business owners choose the right LLC service for their needs. I’ve helped more than 1,000 people find the best LLC service for their companies since I started BoostSuite, and I’ve done extensive research into the industry to do so. 

How I Selected the Best LLC Service

Here is the four-stage process I used to select the best Maine LLC service.

Stage 1: Reviews

The first stage of my investigation to find the best Maine LLC service was to read online reviews on major online business review sites. A lot of the most popular LLC formation services encourage their customers to leave positive customer reviews, and some of them now have over 4,500 reviews online!

The review stage let me get a general understanding of the quality that the different formation services provided and I was able to weed out the services that didn’t live up to the basic standards of the LLC service industry in Maine. 

Stage 2: Website Analysis

After eliminating poor-performing LLC services and gaining a general understanding of the business practices of each provider, I headed over to each company’s website. Once there, I read their headlines and titles and used the information to try to learn more about the companies based on the claims they made. 

This let me find out about the key services offered by each company, as well as how they positioned themselves in the market. 

Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers

After I understood each company’s presence in the market, I needed to find out whether they actually lived up to their claims. Sure, you can find out a lot by reading online reviews, but most people don’t leave online reviews unless they’ve either had a really stellar or a horrifyingly bad experience with a company, which means the results can be skewed to one extreme or the other. 

I then contacted real customers who could talk to me about their experiences with each LLC service. I reached out to friends who have used formation services in Maine, customers I’d referred, and new visitors to my website to learn about the pros and cons of working with each LLC service on my list. 

This gave me a better understanding of what the average customer experience with the formation service is like.

Stage 4: Speaking With Sales Teams

As the last stage of my investigation, I contacted each company’s sales and customer service teams by phone to get some answers. 

I took all the feedback I’d gathered throughout my process and presented it to the sales and customer service teams. 

This last stage gave me a clear understanding of how each business operates, and how they handle criticism and negative feedback. 

Rating Factors

After my four-stage investigative process, I rated each LLC service according to five factors. 

Factor 1: Offerings

The first factor was the services each LLC service offered. 

There are some LLC services that will only help you file your certificate of formation and then won’t offer to help you with anything else unless you’re ready to pay them. Then there are other formation services that will offer Maine registered agent services, help you with your operating agreement, help you get the necessary business licenses for your LLC, and give you a free consultation with an accountant. 

This wide range in services was the reason I chose service offerings as my first rating factor. 

Factor 2: Price

The second factor I considered was price. Some LLC services don’t charge for their formation packages, while others won’t even talk to you for less than $399. 

Price combined with the wide range of services in the LLC service industry gave me an idea of the cost per service, which was the second factor used to rank each service. 

Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up

The third factor I used to rate the LLC services was how simple it was to sign up. 

Some businesses provide slow, glitchy, antiquated systems that appear as though they were created in the 1990s and designed by an apathetic high schooler in coding class. Other businesses provide a simple, stylish, and user-friendly system that makes LLC formation painless. 

I looked at the sign-up process of each company and rated them based on which were the easiest to complete. 

Factor 4: Ease of Use

Unfortunately, if you encounter operation or design issues during the sign-up process, they’re not likely to end there. They typically carry over throughout the entire onboarding process. 

Some of the best LLC services provide you with pre-filled forms that simply require your signature, while other services give you blank forms (even though you’ve already supplied them with all the information the forms request) and make you repeatedly write the same information in various sections of the same form. 

It’s never fun to waste your time on paperwork, but it’s ESPECIALLY frustrating when you’re going through the LLC formation process. That’s why I chose ease of use as a rating factor. 

Factor 5: Customer Service

The last factor I used to rate each LLC service was its customer service. This is another area where LLC services vary greatly in the value they provide. 

Some LLC services set up customer service centers in foreign countries, then employ teams of locals who are poorly trained and have no understanding of the LLC formation process in Maine. 

Then there’s Northwest Registered Agent, who provides a US-based customer service team that’s made up of former entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, and small business owners who have been through the formation process themselves, so they know how to guide you through it. Part of its outstanding customer support is the fact that they have the experience necessary to help you get through any business crisis and talk to you about the best solution for your company. 

The vast difference in the quality of each LLC service’s customer service is what led me to choose customer service as my final rating factor. 

In Conclusion

I analyzed the 10 best LLC services in Maine using my four-stage investigative process and five-factor rating system, and the company that scored the highest was Northwest Registered Agent. 

Northwest Registered Agent covers all the basic services you need, including filing your formation documents with the proper government agencies to establish your business in Maine, an online portal to store your documents, and a year of free registered agent service.

Northwest also throws in a free consultation with its accounting team to ensure that your payment processing system is set up properly, a trial of VoIP service, and an operating agreement template. 

If you’d like some service extras, such as state-certified copies of your business documents, a Certificate of Good Standing, or an EIN, you can choose those as add-ons for an additional fee. 

But the service that really sets them apart from other LLC services is its Corporate Guides. 

Northwest has a US-based team of professionals that can answer any questions you have about the formation process, as well as help you overcome any obstacles you face with your business because as former small business owners, lawyers, accountants and entrepreneurs, they have enough business experience to give sound advice. 

Northwest doesn’t offer premium services to establish your business’s online presence, but with the 82% discount (which makes its basic package only $39) for BoostSuite readers, you’ll definitely have money left over to spend on website creation and domain names.

If you’re ready to start your limited liability company, head on over to Northwest Registered Agent today. 

While you’re here, check out my guide on the best states to form an LLC in. 

And if you’d like to know more about registered agent services, read my guide on the best registered agent services.