The 10 Best LLC Services in Missouri: Reviewed and Ranked

28/03/2024

Your Missouri business must have a reliable LLC formation service if you want to do business in the state. But trying to find an honest LLC service provider in Missouri is like finding a needle in a haystack. 

The right LLC service will make sure you file your articles of organization with the Missouri Secretary of State and will offer a suite of other important services that will ensure your business is in compliance with the Secretary of State. 

The wrong LLC service will delay filing your paperwork and ultimately result in lost business revenue.

To assist you in making the right decision, I’ve investigated 17 major LLC service providers in the state of Missouri through a four-stage, five-factor review process in order to find out which one is the best. All prices quoted are per state, per year. Here are my findings.

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

Northwest Registered Agent is by far the best LLC formation service in Missouri because of its $39 formation package that provides the best value for money out of all the services on this list

Pros

Northwest’s highly discounted $39 package includes essential services such as assistance with filing your articles of organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, a draft operating agreement, an online document storage portal to store important business-related documents, a 90-day trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service so you can make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line.

Northwest also offers compliance alerts that ensure your business doesn’t miss any key filing deadlines and provide a free year of registered agent service. That’s a lot of value for just $39.

In case you need extra offerings like an employer identification number (EIN), state-certified copies of your LLC documents, or a Certificate of Good Standing, you can include them in your formation package, but at an extra cost.

But the one feature that makes Northwest Registered Agent stand out from other services on this list is its customer support. 

Most companies have adopted the trend of outsourcing their customer support to call centers in foreign countries, but things are very different at Northwest Registered Agent. Its US-based Corporate Guides are a team of former accountants, lawyers, and small business owners who know from experience how to start and run an LLC in the state of Missouri. They understand your specific business troubles and will provide sufficient support, not only when you are setting up your business but also during your entire business journey.

It’s very rare to come across this type of business advice, especially when it’s being offered by an LLC service. Most professional business advisors charge around $5,000/day for their services so it is a relief to have it included as part of Northwest’s LLC services.

I’ve secured a good deal for BoostSuite readers. Instead of paying the standard formation package fee of $225, all you have to do is click on my dedicated link and pay a highly discounted fee of $39.

Cons

The one drawback with Northwest Registered Agent is it does not help your LLC in Missouri build an online presence, such as a personalized website, a domain name registration, or a business email service.

However, these services are available from a number of online website building tools, such as Wix and Squarespace, so this is a minor issue.

Overall

Northwest Registered Agent is my pick for the best LLC service provider in Missouri due to its top-rated customer support service and its affordable formation package. 

Its US-based Corporate Guides provide stellar business advice that normally costs upwards of $5,000 when offered by third-party business advisors. They are ready to answer any business-related questions you might have.

Northwest’s highly discounted $39 Formation Package is more affordable than all other formation services on this list and it provides all the services your business needs to start your Missouri LLC. Add in the exceptional customer support and you really are getting good value for your money.

If your business needs an LLC service that will provide the essential formation services at a discounted rate, contact Northwest Registered Agent today

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

ZenBusiness’ $0 price certainly makes it formidable, but it doesn’t offer free registered agent service or small business advice, which means that you’ll pay more for less eventually. 

Pros

ZenBusiness will do everything you need an LLC service provider to do to establish your LLC. For only the cost of state fees, it will make sure your business name is available and that the information on your formation documents is accurate, as well as filing your paperwork for you. 

You can also upgrade to its other plans, as well. It has a $199 Pro plan that will help you create your operating agreement and provide you with expedited filing (between four and six days), and a $299 Premium plan to help you establish your online presence with a custom website builder, domain name, email address, and rush filing (only one to two days!).

The cherry on top of all of this is that its customer service team is available during extended hours on weekdays, and even on Sundays. 

Cons

Sure, for $0 (plus filing fees) ZenBusiness will form your LLC. But that just covers the bare minimum that the Secretary of State requires as part of the formation process. Anything beyond that and you’re either going to have to pay extra for it, or you’re on your own. 

It doesn’t supply free registered agent service. In fact, the only plan that offers registered agent service costs $199/year. So you’ll be paying more for registered agent services during the first year than you would with other service providers. 

Even though it’s nice that its customer service has extended hours and can quickly and effectively help you with normal customer service issues (like changing your password), they don’t offer small business advice, and that can be expensive if you purchase it from a business consulting firm. 

Overall

ZenBusiness supplies all the services you need to get your LLC up and running, like making sure the information you’ve listed on your formation documents is correct and filing them with the Secretary of State. Its customer service team is also available to answer your questions throughout the formation process. 

Though it will ultimately cost you more if you need registered agent service, it provides a lot of invaluable peace of mind through its 100% accuracy guarantee and worry-free compliance. 

If you want an LLC service to provide you with all the basics, you can learn more about ZenBusiness on its website

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

Harbor Compliance is my best choice for premium LLC formation services because, just like Northwest Registered Agent, it provides remarkable customer support services.

Pros

Harbor Compliance’s basic plan assists your LLC in Missouri with filing your articles of organization with the Missouri Secretary of State, provides an operating agreement template, helps you obtain an EIN, and even includes a year of registered agent service.

Harbor Compliance’s true value lies in its customer support. Unlike other companies where you call an anonymous hotline or engage with a chatbot online, Harbor Compliance provides you with a personal representative whom you can contact any time you encounter challenges during your business journey.

Cons

The main reason it’s third on my list is the cost of its LLC services. At $399 for the basic package and $799 for the all-inclusive Compliance package, Harbor Compliance is extremely expensive. 

Overall

Harbor Compliance is a trusted LLC formation service in Missouri providing premium services that assist your business formation process. 

Its customer support is among the best in the business because instead of calling an anonymous helpline, participating in an online forum, or even engaging with an online chatbot, Harbor Compliance provides your business with a personal support representative who is available to answer your questions regarding any business-related issue and will provide guidance whenever you face any LLC challenges during your business formation process.

If you require a premium LLC service provider that offers personalized customer support and are willing to part with $399 for the privilege, visit Harbor Compliance and check out its services.

4. Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is an online legal services provider that also offers very basic LLC services as a complement to its legal services. For $99 (inclusive of state fees) it will assist with filing your articles of organization and also provide an online document storage portal.

If you are interested in accessing online legal services, Rocket Lawyer have you covered, but you’ll need to seek comprehensive LLC services from other companies on this list.

For a thorough analysis of Rocket Lawyer’s services, please read my full Rocket Lawyer review.

5. Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings' $49 basic plan assists with filing your formation documents, a 30-minute business tax consultation with its in-house accountants, an online document storage portal, and a free, one-year business domain name registration.

However, Swyft Filings doesn’t include a free year of resident agent service. For that, you’ll need to pay an additional $149, which is preposterous considering Northwest Registered Agent includes this service in its $39 basic package.

But still, it’s a fairly new company (incorporated in 2012) that offers reliable services. For a thorough analysis of its services, check out my Swyft Filings review.

6. MyCompanyWorks

MyCompanyWorks offers a $79 base plan that assists you with your formation documents, offers an operating agreement template, helps you get an EIN, and also provides compliance notices so that you don’t miss any important filing deadlines with the Secretary of State (such as filing annual reports).

MyCompanyWorks also offers a free year of registered agent service, but it’s only available in the $279 premium package. 

However, its customer support is great and it has maintained an average rating of 4.5/5 across 3,500 online reviews.

7. Inc Authority

Inc Authority is a ZenBusiness clone that passes itself off as a “budget” service for forming an LLC, however, on closer scrutiny it is anything but that. The website claims that Inc Authority will help you file articles of organization at no charge.

However, if you need more comprehensive services such as obtaining an EIN, an LLC operating agreement template, or a company seal, you need to upgrade to the $399 package. If you want a no-cost registered agent, you must upgrade to the $799 all-inclusive premium package.

Its initial offering seems to be a bait-and-hook service that’s meant to get you onto its more costly packages. 

If all you need to start your LLC in Missouri is your formation documents submitted (on your behalf) to the office of the Secretary of State, ZenBusiness is a surer bet.

8. Incorporate Fast

Incorporate Fast has a feature that all the other services on this list lack. It will submit your formation documents the same day you send the documents. This service is only available when you purchase its $99 basic package. 

Incorporate Fast doesn't provide comprehensive services such as an online document storage portal and a business tax assessment, and if you need to get an EIN, it’s only available on its $199 package.

If you are in a rush to have your formation documents submitted within a short amount of time, Incorporate Fast is a good option, but keep in mind that it’s still quite costly compared with Northwest Registered Agent’s $39 basic package.

9. BizFilings

BizFilings offers a $99 basic plan that helps you file articles of organization, a free year of Missouri registered agent service, and notices of compliance so you don’t miss any important filing deadlines. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't provide more comprehensive services, such as assistance with an operating agreement for your LLC in Missouri, a business tax assessment, or an online document storage portal. You are better off choosing Northwest as it offers far more value for your money compared with BizFilings.

10. LegalZoom

LegalZoom is a legal services provider that offers substandard LLC services for $99. It will only assist you with filing your articles of organization and a banking resolution.

This lack of comprehensive LLC services is due to LegalZoom’s continued focus on legal services. Its Missouri LLC formation service is underdeveloped. 

Other Missouri LLC Services

I included seven more LLC service providers on this list as part of my review process. Their services are not up to standard compared with the previous services on this list so they don’t warrant a full review. 

11. Incorporate.com

Incorporate.com offers a $99 Missouri LLC package that only provides assistance with filing your articles of organization and an online document storage portal.

12.CorpNet

CorpNet charges $79 to file your articles of organization and provides compliance notices for important events like filing your annual reports. That’s $40 more than Northwest Registered Agent’s $39 Missouri LLC package that offers more comprehensive services, including a free year of registered agent services.

13. MyCorporation

MyCorporation continues the trend of overcharging for minimal Missouri LLC services. It charges $133 for filing your articles of organization and providing a draft LLC operating agreement template.

14. Direct Incorporation

Just like MyCorporation, Direct Incorporation will assist you with filing your LLC formation documents with the Missouri Secretary of State and operating agreement but unlike MyCorporation, it also includes access to an EIN and a banking resolution in its formation package. The problem is it costs $147.

15. InCorp

InCorp helps with filing your articles of organization and assists you with your Missouri LLC operating agreement, all for $117.

16. Nationwide Incorporations

Nationwide Incorporations offers the same Missouri LLC services as InCorp but charges $200.

17. SunDoc Filings

SunDoc Filings has a $79 basic package that assists your LLC in Missouri with submitting your articles of organization. Its $99 Key package provides an LLC operating agreement template while its $279 Premier package provides your LLC with an EIN. No matter your choice, it’s still more costly than Northwest Registered Agent’s LLC formation package.

The Best LLC Service Review Summary

After my thorough investigative process, I concluded that Northwest Registered Agent is clearly the best LLC service in Missouri.

Northwest’s $39 formation package offers all the essential services your Missouri LLC needs to get started including assistance with filing your formation documents, assistance with drafting your operating agreement, an online document portal, a consultation with its in-house accountants, compliance alerts, a 90-day free trial of VoIP service, and a free year of registered agent service.

Northwest also provides extra services such as access to an EIN, a Certificate of Good Standing, and certified copies of your limited liability company (LLC) formation documents, which are available for purchase when needed.

Its experienced team of Corporate Guides will assist your LLC in Missouri during your business formation period and they’ll also be available to offer your LLC top-notch business advice during your business journey.

If your business needs an affordable LLC service provider that offers great value for your money and provides industry-leading, small business advice, visit Northwest Registered Agent today.

Best LLC Service Review Methodology 

This is the procedure I used to investigate the 17 LLC formation services on this list.

Why You Should Trust Me

You should trust my Missouri LLC service recommendations because I have more experience in the LLC service industry than any sane person would care to admit.

My journey began when I formed my first limited liability company (LLC). I did not have the requisite knowledge required to file my articles of organization with the Secretary of State so I procured the services of an LLC formation service to help me out on that front. However, the company I chose offered such substandard services that the whole experience turned out to be quite overwhelming.

During my second foray into the business world, I decided to seek an affordable but reliable service provider, and this time around I chose Northwest because its services offered the best value for my money and its Corporate Guides were available to offer first-class advice.

For my third business venture, I had saved enough capital to choose a premium limited liability company (LLC) service provider. My obvious pick was Harbor Compliance that offered a personal representative to guide me during my business registration process.

My experience in the Missouri LLC service industry is not limited to just using these services. Over the years, I’ve assisted friends, family, and many other people with their business formation issues. The main reason I started this website was to help entrepreneurs access the best business advice and, to date, I’ve helped over 1,000 small business owners to choose the best Missouri LLC formation service for their new businesses in Missouri.

How I Selected the Best LLC Service

I used a four-stage process to select the best LLC formation service for setting up a business in Missouri.

Stage 1: Reviews

The first stage in this process involved going through online reviews on sites like Facebook, TrustPilot, Google Business, and the Better Business Bureau. Most companies in the LLC service industry ask their customers to leave negative or positive comments on these sites so that they can rate their experiences. 

This allowed me to differentiate those companies that sold substandard services from those companies that were serious players in the industry.

Stage 2: Website Analysis

After weeding out the substandard Missouri LLC services, the next stage involved analyzing the websites of the remaining LLC service providers. This meant going through every claim and promise they made so that I could get a good understanding of the types of services they sold, their pricing strategies, and how they positioned themselves in the industry.

Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers

For the third stage, I reached out to customers who had formed an LLC in Missouri and to whom I’d made recommendations and asked them about their experiences with these companies’ services. Granted, I would have seen this while going through the online reviews, but the comments on these review sites tend to be skewed towards positive or negative extremes.

I asked them about how intuitive and user-friendly the websites were for their LLC in Missouri, the quality of customer support services, and how long it took to submit their registration documents.

This process showed me which companies were scams and which sold legitimate services.

Stage 4: Speaking With Their Sales Teams

This final stage involved contacting the sales and customer support teams of every LLC service and finding out how hard they would try to upsell to me. I also pushed the customer support personnel for answers on some of the criticism that was meted out from the online reviews.

This allowed me to assess how each service provider dealt with criticism and how sneaky its marketing strategies were.


Rating Factors

After running these limited liability company (LLC) services through the four-stage analysis, I ranked each company using the following five factors.

Factor 1: Offerings

Some limited liability company (LLC) services simply assist your business entity with filing your articles of organization for free and then charge your LLC in Missouri for every additional service. 

Other companies, such as Northwest Registered Agent, have an all-inclusive, basic LLC package that offers a whole suite of services, including formation documents, a draft LLC operating agreement, an online document storage portal, a free consultation with in-house accountants, and even a free year of registered agent service.

This wide disparity in LLC services offered meant I had to start my ranking process here.

Factor 2: Price

The second factor I considered was the cost of LLC services. Some companies charge as little as $0 for their most basic LLC offerings while others charge $399 just to sign up with them. I pushed the LLC companies with affordable and reliable services to the top of the list and relegated the expensive services towards the bottom.

Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up

One interesting (and concerning) phenomenon I came across while reviewing these LLC services was the difference in their sign-up systems. Some companies offer good LLC services but lose their appeal when it comes to the ease of signing up. They have poorly designed sign-up processes that leave you feeling quite confused at the end.

Still, there are those companies that offer a sweet cocktail of great LLC services and a well-developed, user-friendly sign-up system that saves your business a lot of time and effort.

I went through each LLC company’s sign-up process to find out which required the least effort. 

Factor 4: Ease of Use

Most of the issues I found in the sign-up process were also present in other sections of their websites. Some websites offer pre-filled information and, in most cases, all they require is your signature to sign off the registration process.

There are also companies whose websites look like they were designed in a junior high class with a myriad of issues, including broken links.

I judged these services according to how easy their systems were to navigate.

Factor 5: Customer Service

The final factor I used to rank these services was the quality of their customer service departments. Many companies outsource their customer services to call centers in foreign countries. Then there are companies like Northwest whose team of highly experienced, US-based Corporate Guides offer advice and support not only during your registration process but also for the entirety of your business journey.

In Conclusion

After analyzing the 17 major Missouri LLC formation services through the four-stage, five-factor process, I concluded that Northwest Registered Agent is the best service provider in the industry.

For just $39 per year, Northwest will cover all the essential services your business needs to establish your Missouri LLC, including assistance with filing your formation documents, an operating agreement template, an online document storage portal, a free trial of VoIP service, a free consultation with in-house accountants, and a free year of registered agent service.

Northwest also provides additional services (at an extra cost) such as access to state-certified copies of your LLC formation documents, access to an EIN, and a Certificate of Good Standing. 

Northwest Registered Agent’s Corporate Guides are a team of former accounts, lawyers, and small business owners with a lot of experience running an LLC in Missouri. They are ready to assist you with your business formation process and also guide you throughout your business journey by offering reliable business advice.

If your business needs an affordable and reliable LLC service that takes the hassle out of your business set-up process while providing first-class, small business advice, visit Northwest Registered Agent today.


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