Finding a reliable LLC formation service in Connecticut is crucial if you want to maintain stable business operations.
The right LLC service will make sure your registration paperwork is processed and filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State on time.
The wrong LLC service will overcharge you for subpar services and prolong your business registration, ultimately slowing down your business operations due to lack of proper paperwork.
I applied a four-stage, five-factor process to determine which of 17 major LLC formation service providers in Connecticut were the best 10. Here are the findings of my research.
1. Northwest Registered Agent: 9.45/10 (Best Overall LLC Service)
Northwest Registered Agent is the best LLC service thanks to its excellent customer care and budget-friendly formation package that includes a variety of quality services.
Pros
Northwest Registered Agent will process and file your certificate of organization with the Business Services division of the Connecticut Secretary of State’s office, as well as providing you with your corporate bylaws, initial resolution, and corporate stock certificates to help you get your business up and running.
On top of that, it’ll also provide a draft operating agreement, a 90-day free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service to make free calls using your broadband connection, and a free year of registered agent services, which includes a business address in Connecticut, a secure online document storage portal, and compliance alerts so that you don’t miss official filing deadlines.
Northwest also provides a few additional services you may purchase on an as-needed basis. These include access to an employer identification number (EIN), a Certificate of Good Standing, and certified copies of your formation paperwork.
And it doesn’t stop there. Northwest Registered Agent’s customer service personnel, known as Corporate Guides, are the best in the business. The team is made up of former small business owners, lawyers, and accountants with years of experience running a successful business who are available every day of the week (during normal business hours of course) to answer any questions you may have about starting and operating a business in Connecticut.
This type of business advice usually costs an arm and a leg when you get it from à la carte business advisory firms, so it’s a relief to find a business formation service that includes it right off the bat.
Northwest’s formation package is normally $225, but I've negotiated a special offer for BoostSuite readers to get an 82% discount by using my link to Northwest's sign-up page.
Cons
The only minor flaw I found with Northwest Registered Agent is that it doesn’t provide any tools that assist your LLC in Connecticut with building an online presence. If you need a personalized email service, social media tools, or a business website, you’re better off using websites like Wix and Squarespace.
Overall
Northwest Registered Agent is my top pick for the best LLC service in Connecticut because its $39 formation package includes all the services you need to establish your business entity. The Corporate Guides offer the best business advice in the market and can assist you if you run into any challenges along the way.
If you need an LLC formation service in Connecticut that is both reasonably priced and gives excellent customer service, contact Northwest Registered Agent today and take advantage of an 82% discount on LLC formation service.
2. ZenBusiness: 8.25/10 (Best Essentials LLC Service)
ZenBusiness is my choice for the most affordable LLC service because it charges an astonishing $0 (plus filing fee). Yes, you read that price correctly. But you’ll find its basic formation services a bit bare-bones, so if you need extra services, expect to pay more in the long term.
Pros
Of course, ZenBusiness’ biggest draw is its $0 price tag. For that price it will check the availability of your business name, help you fill out your formation documents, and file them with the proper authorities.
For $199 with its Pro plan, ZenBusiness provides expedited filing (4–6 days depending on your location) and helps create an operating agreement for your company.
For $299, the Premium plan provides rush filing (which is as fast as one or two days), a business email and domain name, and a custom website builder.
Cons
The $0 plan covers the bare minimum when it comes to formation services, so if you want anything beyond that you’ll have to pay additional fees for it.
Most notably, none of ZenBusiness’ plans include a year of free registered agent service. If you want registered agent service included with your LLC formation, you’ll need to upgrade to the $199 Pro plan.
ZenBusiness’ customer service gets the job done, but it’s nothing to write home about. Sure, they can help you with normal customer service issues like forgetting your password or updating your information, but if you’re looking for HR or logistics solutions or tax advice, you won’t find it at ZenBusiness.
Overall
If you’re looking to save money on LLC services, you won’t do better than ZenBusiness’ $0 plan, which supplies all the services necessary to get your LLC up and running.
If you’re more concerned about the price of your LLC service than the services it provides, read more about ZenBusiness on its website.
3. Harbor Compliance: 7.15/10 (Best Premium LLC Service)
Just like Northwest Registered Agent, Harbor Compliance provides great customer service. But this comes at a premium cost.
Pros
Harbor Compliance’s formation package provides basic services that include an operating agreement template, help with filing your Connecticut certificate of organization, an employee identification number, and a full year of registered agent services (valued at $99).
The primary distinction between Harbor Compliance and Northwest Registered Agent is how they each handle customer care. Harbor Compliance assigns your business a dedicated account manager who knows your account and delivers support that is tailored to your specific circumstances.
You don’t need to call and talk to an anonymous customer service agent or chat with an online bot. Instead, your account manager will walk you through your business registration process and will be there to offer service-related advice when you encounter challenges during your business journey.
Cons
The problem with Harbor Compliance is that its services come at a not-so-reasonable price.
For example, its Starter package is $399, while its Compliance package goes for $799. This is more than 10 times the price of Northwest Registered Agent and is out of reach for the majority of people, particularly those who are just starting out in business and don’t have a lot of money to spend on a premium LLC service.
Overall
Harbor Compliance is a premium LLC formation service in Connecticut that offers effective services for your business entity, and its individualized customer care is among the best in the market.
Its packages are relatively pricey, but given the bespoke nature of its services, Harbor Compliance offers excellent value for money.
Visit the Harbor Compliance website today if you're ready to pay $399 for a dedicated account manager who will help you set up your Connecticut LLC and advise you when account issues emerge.
4. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer provides great legal advice in addition to basic LLC services. Its $99.99 formation package includes a seven-day free trial of its legal services membership.
This membership includes a catalog of fully customizable business documents, attorney protection in case your legal documents are challenged, a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer on any issue, and a document review by an in-house legal expert.
Rocket Lawyer’s customer support team is staffed by highly qualified lawyers who will answer your legal- and business-related questions.
Rocket Lawyer’s disadvantage is that it doesn’t offer the full suite of services provided by Northwest Registered Agent. It doesn’t provide a free year of registered agent service (which costs $149.99), compliance alerts, accounting consultations, or a VoIP service.
Rocket Lawyer is a great choice for entrepreneurs who need basic LLC services and stellar legal representation at an affordable rate. For more info, read my Rocket Lawyer review.
5. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings provide a $49 basic package that includes all the services you'd expect from a Connecticut LLC formation service. This includes help with filing your certificate of organization, 30 minutes of free tax guidance with its in-house CPAs, and a registered domain name for your business entity in Connecticut.
Swyft Filings' main drawback is that if you want registered agent services for a full year, you must pay $149, which is more than three times the price of Northwest Registered Agent.
6. MyCompanyWorks
For $79, MyCompanyWorks will file your LLC’s certificate of organization and provide compliance notifications and an online document portal to save your legal documents. It also includes weekly mail forwarding, discounted shipping rates for packages, and phone and fax numbers for your business.
Compared to Northwest Registered Agent, MyCompanyWorks is a bit on the pricier side. It offers a free year of registered agent service in its premium package, but for a hefty $279. That's seven times more than Northwest!
MyCompanyWorks does not represent exceptional value for your Connecticut Business, but it’s a reasonable option if for some reason the previous six don’t work out.
7. Inc Authority
Inc Authority is another pricey Connecticut LLC formation service that advertises itself as a low-cost choice. It provides free assistance with submitting your certificate of organization, but that is the full extent of its generosity.
Inc Authority’s basic package is $399 and includes an operating agreement and assistance with applying for an EIN. It only provides a free year of registered agent service as part of its $799 Premium Package.
That’s a far cry from the $0 you’ll pay at ZenBusiness. And Northwest Registered Agent is a much better option if you need free registered agent services as well as formation documents.
8. Incorporate Fast
Incorporate Fast distinguishes itself from other Connecticut LLC formation services by living true to its name. It says that if you sign up for the $99 package, it will process the certificate of organization for your Connecticut LLC the same day you submit your documents.
Incorporate Fast doesn’t offer free tax assistance or an online portal to store your documents. However, if you purchase its premium package for $199, it will file for an EIN on your behalf.
9. BizFilings
BizFilings offers a $99 basic package that includes LLC formation services such as assistance with submitting your formation paperwork with the Business Services Division, compliance notifications, and a free year of Connecticut registered agent service.
It does not assist you with drafting an operating agreement, nor does it provide an online document storage platform or business tax advice.
10. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is another Connecticut legal services firm that offers extremely limited LLC services as part of its $99 business creation package. It just assists you in submitting your certificate of organization and gives you a banking resolution. That's it!
Other Connecticut LLC Services
I included the following seven LLC services as part of my research process. Their services aren't particularly noteworthy, but I've listed them below to be thorough. Here they are in no particular order:
11. Incorporate.com
Incorporate.com provides the same services as Rocket Lawyer. It only provides an online document storage portal and assistance with filing your certificate of organization, all for $99.
12. CorpNet
The $79 basic formation package from CorpNet includes compliance alerts and assistance with filing your certificate of organization for your Connecticut LLC. It doesn't have anything else on offer.
13. MyCorporation
MyCorporation will assist you with submitting your certificate of organization and provide an operating agreement form. However, these limited services will cost you $133.
14. Direct Incorporation
Direct Incorporation provides the same services as MyCorporationWorks, but it also includes an EIN and banking resolution in its formation package. The snag is that it charges $147 for this package.
15. InCorp
InCorp will file your certificate of organization and assist you with your operating agreement for $117. Any other comprehensive service will attract extra charges.
16. Nationwide Incorporations
Nationwide Incorporations will charge you $200 for the same basic services as InCorp.
17. SunDoc Filings
SunDoc Filings has three basic packages. Its $79 package will get your formation documents processed and filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State, the $99 Key package will sort out your Connecticut LLC operating agreement, and the $279 package gets you an EIN.
The Best LLC Services Review Summary
Northwest Registered Agent is the best option for Connecticut LLC services.
Its $39 formation package includes everything you'd expect from a Connecticut LLC service, including assistance with submitting your certificate of organization on your behalf, a draft operating agreement, a 90-day trial of their VoIP service, a business tax consultation, and a free full year of registered agent service, which includes an online document storage portal and compliance alerts.
Northwest’s Corporate Guides provide top-notch small business advice and assistance with your business formation process.
When you're ready to establish your business entity and need a Connecticut LLC service that can help you get started for a reasonable price, sign up with Northwest Registered Agent and take advantage of my 82% discount.
*Unless otherwise specified, all fees/costs listed are per state per year unless they pertain to a one-time filing charge and do not include the filing fee.
Best LLC Services Review Methodology
Before I tell you the procedure I used to determine the best Connecticut LLC formation services, let me tell you why you should heed my advice.
Why You Should Trust Me
You should trust me with LLC formation service advice because I have spent far more time and money researching the LLC services sector than any reasonable person would.
It all began when I established my first limited liability company. I didn't have the necessary expertise to file my certificate of organization, so I opted to engage an LLC formation service to assist me. However, the firm I selected was quite pricey and had such poor standards that the entire process became far too burdensome in the end.
My second try at getting my business up and going went much more smoothly since I used Northwest Registered Agent, who led me through the full establishment procedure without any issues and their Corporate Guides were always accessible to provide me with sensible business advice whenever I came across any challenges.
After a while, I sold my second firm and began looking for a new opportunity. This time, I chose to upgrade to a premium LLC formation service, and Harbor Compliance was an obvious pick. Their dedicated account manager helped me a lot during my business creation process.
It's important to note that my experience isn't confined to using these services. While looking for my third business opportunity, I spoke with a couple of acquaintances about their business start-up procedures and saw a consistent trend. A lot of business advice and technical language is too arcane or conflicting for most individuals to grasp.
That's why I founded BoostSuite: to assist entrepreneurs in selecting the best LLC formation service to help them launch their business, and I've since assisted over 1,000 small business owners in doing so.
How I Selected the Best LLC Service
I used the following four-stage, five-factor analysis to find out which Connecticut LLC formation services were worth investing in.
Stage 1: Reviews
The first phase involved analyzing the online reviews of 60 Connecticut LLC services, which required days of searching review sites such as TrustPilot, Google Business, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau because most LLC services encourage their customers to share their experiences on these sites.
Using this method, I was able to distinguish between LLC services that sold fake services and those that were real and provided good quality services.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
After eliminating the unreliable LLC services, I checked the remaining Connecticut LLC formation services and examined the offerings and claims, which allowed me to understand the fundamental services that each company provided and how they differed from one another or how they positioned themselves in the crowded Connecticut LLC formation services market.
Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers
For the following phase, I decided to contact actual customers to see if these firms lived up to their claims. Of course, I could have depended on internet reviews to get answers to my questions, but in practice, reviews tend to focus on either really bad or extremely favorable experiences.
I contacted acquaintances who had used an LLC formation service, people who had used my website, and people I had previously referred to an LLC service to learn about their experiences with these firms. This provided me with a solid idea of how each Connecticut LLC service worked.
Stage 4: Speaking With Sales Teams
I contacted their sales and customer service teams at the end of the research phase and asked them to respond to bad criticism they had received from their clients on online review sites. This allowed me to see how their support teams handled disgruntled customers and dealt with criticism.
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Rating Factors
After going through the four-stage elimination process, I used the following five factors to rate the remaining Connecticut LLC formation services.
Factor 1: Reviews
Some firms offer LLC formation services free of charge, including assistance with completing your formation paperwork, but then charge you for every subsequent service that they provide. Others, like Northwest, offer a variety of business services as part of their low-cost formation package.
Due to the obvious disparity in services provided, I had to begin my rating process here.
Factor 2: Price
Price was the second aspect I considered in my investigation. There is no use investing your start-up cash in a Connecticut LLC service only to run out of funds.
Some LLC providers charge nothing for their basic services, while others charge over $400. Isolating those that provided the best value for money from those who did not was a critical step.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up
The third criterion I used to rate these services was the speed and convenience of the registration process. Some firms have old outdated systems, while others offer modern, user-friendly platforms that reduce the tedious work involved in forming a Connecticut business entity.
I signed up for each of these business formation services in order to go through their registration procedure and confirm that any bugs and difficulties with filling out forms had been ironed out.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
I expanded my analysis of the sign-up procedure to other aspects of the websites to see how intuitive they were to use. This entailed creating a bogus business and submitting my formation papers to the Connecticut Secretary of State.
This assessment technique enabled me to distinguish between LLC creation services with intuitive back-end systems and those that were complex and took more time and effort to use.
Factor 5: Customer Service
The fifth and last criterion in my testing process was the quality of customer service. This is where I saw a significant difference in how most LLC providers treated their consumers.
Many services outsource customer support to call centers in other nations staffed by employees unfamiliar with the American business start-up process. As a result, you'll wind up wasting a lot of valuable time attempting to explain the difficulties your business or LLC is encountering.
Other LLC service providers, such as Northwest Registered Agent, have a US-based customer service department staffed by former accountants, lawyers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who have faced similar challenges and are always available to offer credible advice during your business adventure.
I called each customer support department via every accessible channel (online chats, emails, and phone calls) and pressed them for information on some of the services they provide.
In Conclusion
Following my four-stage, five-factor investigation of all 17 formation services on this list, I found that Northwest Registered Agent is the best LLC service provider in Connecticut.
Its $39 basic package is excellent value and includes all the services you'll need to set up your LLC, including assistance with filing your formation paperwork, a consultation with its accounting department, a three-month trial of VoIP service, and a full year of registered agent services, which comes with compliance alerts and an online document storage portal.
You’ll love Northwest’s Corporate Guides, a group of accountants, attorneys, and business owners who offer industry-leading small business advice.
If you’re looking for an LLC service provider who will take care of all your business needs, contact Northwest Registered Agent today and receive an 82% discount on your LLC formation.
