The 10 Best LLC Services in Oregon: Reviewed and Ranked

28/03/2024

To start an LLC in Oregon, it is mandatory that you find a good LLC formation service that will assist you during your registration process.

A good LLC formation service will file your articles of organization with the Oregon Secretary of State and also provide a suite of other services that ensure your Oregon LLC stays in compliance with state and federal laws.

A bad LLC formation service will swindle you out of your money while offering substandard services, which in turn will delay your business formation process.

I’ve reviewed the 17 major LLC services in Oregon through a four-stage, five-factor process to find out the 10 best. Here are the results of my investigation:

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

Northwest Registered Agent is by far the best LLC service in Oregon due to its affordable formation package and industry-leading customer support service.

Pros

Northwest Registered Agent’s formation package includes all the essential services you need to start your LLC in Oregon, including assistance with filing your articles of organization with the Oregon Secretary of State, assistance with drafting your operating agreement, and a business name and address in Oregon.

You’ll also get an online storage portal, a business tax consultation with its in-house accountants, a three-month free trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, and a free year of Oregon registered agent service.

You can also add upgrades, such as an employer identification number (EIN), a Certificate of Good Standing, or state-certified copies of your formation documents.

Northwest’s formation package has a standard cost of $225, but I’ve managed to cut a great deal for BoostSuite’s readers and you can get an 82% discount if you use my dedicated link to Northwest’s sign-up page. This reduces the cost to an affordable $39.

Even with that low price, Northwest’s best feature remains its customer support service. Known as Corporate Guides, they’re a team of former small business owners, accountants, and lawyers with years of experience running an LLC who provide assistance during your business formation process as well as offering industry-leading business advice.

Cons

The only problem with Northwest Registered Agent is it doesn't provide any website-building tools that assist your Oregon LLC with its online presence, like a personal business website, email hosting, and domain-name registration. This isn’t too big a deal, though. You can create your own business website with Squarespace for as low as $15.

Overall

Northwest provides all the basic services you require to start your Oregon LLC, including a free year of registered agent service.

Its experienced and knowledgeable Corporate Guides assist you during your Oregon LLC formation process and also provide great business advice that comes in handy when you experience challenges during your business journey.

If you need an affordable and reliable LLC service provider in Oregon that also provides great customer support, visit Northwest Registered Agent today and get an 82% discount on your LLC formation.

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

ZenBusiness offers the lowest price on the market at $0. But it will cost you more in the long run because it does not provide free registered agent service or small business support. 

Pros

Starting at $0 (plus filing fee), ZenBusiness offers all the essentials for establishing an LLC. It will check the availability of your chosen company name, and verify the accuracy of all of your information before filing your company’s articles of organization. 

The $199 Pro package from ZenBusiness adds expedited filing (four to six days, depending on your state), and assistance with creating an operating agreement for your business. Additionally, the $299 Premium plan includes rush filing within one to two business days, a domain name and email address, and a website-design tool. 

ZenBusiness’ in-house US-based support staff is also very accessible, open late on weekdays and on Sundays, too. 

Cons 

ZenBusiness is a fantastic deal for the essentials at $0, but if you need any more advanced options then you’ll have to pay extra for them. 

ZenBusiness does not offer LLC formation plans that include a free year of registered agent service. Instead, it costs $199 annually—starting your first year. 

Besides that, while the customer support team is swift and efficient at helping you with things like changing your password or updating your account information, they’re unable to assist you with matters pertaining to human resources, logistics, or taxes. 

Overall

ZenBusiness really shines when it comes to the basics of creating a new LLC. It’ll ensure that your forms are filled out properly and submitted to the relevant agencies, and you can reach out to its US-based customer support team at any time. 

If you need registered agent service, ZenBusiness will charge you more, but you can rest assured that you’ll be in full accordance with state regulations thanks to its 100% accuracy guarantee and worry-free compliance. 

If you’re looking for the essentials, check out ZenBusiness’ website for more information

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

Harbor Compliance is the best premium LLC formation service in Oregon because it provides a personal advisor who’ll walk you through your business formation process. 

Pros

Its basic formation package includes services such as assistance with filing your initial paperwork, a draft operating agreement template, a business name and address in Oregon, access to an EIN, and a free year of resident agent service.

But Harbor Compliance’s true worth lies in its customer support. Most companies provide a customer support hotline that connects you to an anonymous person while others just direct you to an online forum where you spend a lot of time trying to find solutions to your problems.

Things are quite different with Harbor Compliance. It connects you with a dedicated support representative who not only provides assistance with your Oregon LLC formation process but is also available to provide advice whenever you face challenges during your business journey. 

Cons 

Being a premium service provider, Harbor Compliance charges quite hefty prices for its service. For instance, its formation package is $399 while its premium Compliance package goes for $799. This is way beyond the reach of most people, especially budding entrepreneurs who don’t have a lot of capital to invest in a premium LLC service provider.

Overall

Harbor Compliance offers all the essential services you need to establish your Oregon LLC, including access to an employer identification number and a full year of resident agent service.

Harbor Compliance’s services may be costly compared with most LLC service providers on this list but if you consider the personalized nature of its customer support, you really are getting good value for your money.

If you need a personal advisor who is ready to walk you through your business formation process and you are willing to pay a premium price for the privilege, head over to Harbor Compliance today.

4. Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is an online legal services provider that also offers basic LLC formation. For $99, it files your articles of organization and provides an online document storage portal.

If you’re interested in accessing online legal services, Rocket Lawyer has you covered, but you’ll need to seek comprehensive LLC services from other companies on this list. For a thorough analysis of its services, please read my full Rocket Lawyer review.

5. Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings' $49 basic plan provides assistance with filing your initial paperwork, assistance with drafting your operating agreement, an online document storage portal, a 30-minute business tax consultation with its in-house accountants, and a free one-year business domain name registration.

However, it doesn't include a free year of Oregon registered agent service. For that, you’ll need to pay an extra $149, which is unjustifiable considering Northwest Registered Agent includes this service in its $39 basic package.

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

6. MyCompanyWorks

MyCompanyWorks has a $79 basic package that provides assistance with filing your formation documents, provides an operating agreement template, helps you apply for an EIN, and also offers compliance alerts so that you don’t forget to file your annual report with the Secretary of State.

It also offers a free year of resident agent service but it’s only available in the $279 premium package. Considering Northwest includes this service for $39, MyCompanyWorks isn’t a practical investment.

However, its customer support is great and it’s also 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” LLC service provider for forming an LLC, but, on closer scrutiny, it is anything but that. Its website claims that it will help you file your formation paperwork at no charge.

However, if you need more comprehensive services, such as assistance with applying for an EIN, an LLC operating agreement template, or a company seal, you need to upgrade to its $399 package. If you need a free year of registered agent service, you must upgrade to the $799 all-inclusive premium package.

8. Incorporate Fast

Incorporate Fast assures you that it will submit your formation documents the same day it receives them from you. No other company on this list makes this kind of promise.

Its $99 basic package provides assistance with filing your formation paperwork, such as the articles of organization, assistance with drafting your operating agreement, and a free year of registered agent service. It also has a $199 premium package that offers access to an EIN but does not include services such as an online document storage portal or a business tax consultation meeting with its in-house accountants.

Incorporate Fast is more expensive compared with Northwest, but if you are in a rush to get your Oregon LLC established, it may be the best option for you.

9. BizFilings

BizFilings is another service provider that offers a $99 basic package that includes limited services such as assistance with your formation paperwork, compliance alerts, and a free year of resident agent service. That’s all it provides.

10. LegalZoom

LegalZoom is a legal services provider that offers substandard LLC services for $99. It will only assist you with filing your formation documents and a banking resolution. This lack of comprehensive LLC services is due to its continued focus on other legal services, such as registered agent services and templated legal documents. 

Other Oregon LLC Services

As part of my review process, I included the following seven LLC services. Their services don't offer a lot to write home about, but I've decided to include them below for the sake of being thorough. Here they are in no particular order:

11. Incorporate.com

Incorporate.com charges $99 for assistance with filing your articles of organization and it also provides an online document storage portal.

12. CorpNet

CorpNet charges $79 to file your articles of organization and provide compliance notices. That's $40 more than Northwest Registered Agent’s $39 formation package that offers more comprehensive services, including a free year of resident agent services.

13. MyCorporation

MyCorporation continues the trend of overcharging for minimal services. It charges $133 to file your initial formation paperwork and help you create an operating agreement template.

14. Direct Incorporation

Just like MyCorporation, Direct Incorporation provides assistance with filing your formation paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office and it also provides a draft operating agreement but, unlike MyCorporation, it also provides access to an EIN and a banking resolution in its formation package. The problem is it charges $147 for these services.

15. InCorp

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

16. Nationwide Incorporations

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

17. SunDoc Filings

SunDoc Filings has a $79 basic package that assists you with submitting your business’s formation documents. Its $99 Key package provides an LLC operating agreement template while its $279 Premier package provides your Oregon LLC with an EIN. 

* All listed prices are per state, per year with the exception of the once-off fees.

The Best LLC Service Review Summary

After reviewing the 17 major LLC services in Oregon, I concluded that Northwest Registered Agent is the best LLC service provider in the state.

Its $39 formation package gets you all the services you need to start your Oregon LLC, including assistance with filing your initial formation documents, a draft operating agreement, access to an EIN, an online document storage portal, a three-month free trial of VoIP service, a consultation with its in-house accountants, and a free year of Oregon registered agent service.

Northwest’s highly experienced team of Corporate Guides offers assistance during your business setup process and are available to provide top-notch business advice throughout your business journey. 

If you need an LLC service provider that removes the hassle out of your business registration process while providing industry-leading small business advice, visit Northwest Registered Agent in Oregon today.

Best LLC Service Review Methodology 

This is the procedure I used to determine the best LLC service provider in the state of Oregon:

Why You Should Trust Me

You should trust my recommendations for the best LLC services in Oregon 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 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 but this time around I chose Northwest because its services offered the best value for my money and its Corporate Guides were available to offer effective business advice.

For my third business venture, I had saved enough capital and I opted for a premium LLC service provider. My obvious pick was Harbor Compliance who connected me with a personal support representative to guide me during my business registration process.

My experience, however, is not limited to just using these services. Over the years, I’ve assisted friends, family, and many others with their business’s formation. The main reason I started this website was to help budding entrepreneurs access the best business advice and, to date, I’ve helped over 1,000 small business owners choose the best LLC service providers for their business entities.

How I Selected the Best LLC Service

I used the following four-stage process to select the best LLC service provider in Oregon.

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 between the companies that sold substandard services from those that were serious players in the industry.

Stage 2: Website Analysis

After weeding out the substandard LLC service providers, 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 Actual Customers

For the third stage, I reached out to customers who had formed an LLC in Oregon and asked them about their experiences with these companies’ services. Granted, I could have learned this from online reviews, but the comments on review sites in general 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 Oregon, 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 in the online reviews.

This allowed me to assess how each service provider dealt with criticism and how effective its marketing team was at promoting its services.


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 Oregon LLC with filing your articles of organization for free and then charge your LLC in Oregon for every additional service. 

Other companies, such as Northwest, have an all-inclusive formation package that offers a whole suite of services including assistance with filing your formation documents, a draft operating agreement template, an online document storage portal, a free consultation with their in-house accountants, and they even throw in a free year of their resident agent service.

This wide disparity in LLC services resulted in starting 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 towards 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 Oregon LLC 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.

In contrast, some companies’ websites looked 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. 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 LLC service providers in Oregon through the four-stage, five-factor process, I concluded that Northwest Registered Agent is the best service provider in the state.

For just $39, the Northwest formation package will cover all the essential services your LLC needs to establish your business in Oregon and they also provide additional, less common extras for a low fee.

The Corporate Guides have a lot of knowledge about how to form an LLC in Oregon and are ready to assist you with your business formation process and also guide you throughout your business journey by offering reliable business advice.

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


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