WEBVTT 00:00:00.212 --> 00:00:06.132 The 5 best LLC formation services in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, 00:00:06.244 --> 00:00:12.052 Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp, Bizee, and LegalZoom. 00:00:12.052 --> 00:00:15.012 This is The Business Formation Podcast. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:19.412 Today we're going through all five: what each one charges to form your LLC, and what 00:00:19.465 --> 00:00:21.172 it costs to keep it going afterward. 00:00:21.172 --> 00:00:23.732 That second part is the one people miss. 00:00:23.852 --> 00:00:27.492 A low price to file your paperwork is only the first bill. 00:00:27.572 --> 00:00:30.692 The question is what you pay in year two. 00:00:31.457 --> 00:00:34.257 Before the list, why would anyone pay a service at all? 00:00:34.377 --> 00:00:36.577 Can't I file with the state myself? 00:00:36.577 --> 00:00:40.897 You can. Every state lets you file your own articles of organization. 00:00:41.137 --> 00:00:46.257 A service prepares and files that paperwork for you, and many bundle in a registered 00:00:46.350 --> 00:00:50.977 agent, which every LLC needs, plus help with the annual report. 00:00:51.617 --> 00:00:53.697 So what are we comparing? 00:00:53.697 --> 00:00:59.137 Two numbers. What it costs to form the company, and what it costs to keep it in good 00:00:59.199 --> 00:01:03.057 standing: the registered agent and the annual report. 00:01:03.190 --> 00:01:08.737 Every price here also leaves out the state's own filing fee, which is paid on top, 00:01:08.790 --> 00:01:09.857 in every case. 00:01:10.525 --> 00:01:11.805 Let's start at the top. 00:01:11.805 --> 00:01:18.285 Number one is Mainstay Filing: $199 a year covers your LLC formation, your 00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:22.685 registered agent, and your annual report filing, in any state. 00:01:22.765 --> 00:01:25.725 And it renews at the same $199. 00:01:25.725 --> 00:01:28.364 That's one price for all three? 00:01:28.364 --> 00:01:33.405 One price. Mainstay prepares and files your formation, serves as your registered 00:01:33.458 --> 00:01:37.565 agent all year, and files your annual report every year. 00:01:37.645 --> 00:01:41.885 State fees are extra and passed through at cost, and there are no add-on 00:01:41.936 --> 00:01:42.685 subscriptions. 00:01:42.685 --> 00:01:45.245 I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. 00:01:45.245 --> 00:01:47.645 And I'm Dan. Good to have you with us. 00:01:48.498 --> 00:01:50.365 So what's the catch with Mainstay? 00:01:50.365 --> 00:01:55.405 It's a yearly price, so year one costs more than a formation offer that starts at 00:01:55.501 --> 00:01:58.045 zero. But there's no jump in year two. 00:01:58.185 --> 00:02:02.765 The company that charged you a teaser price is the one that sends the surprise at 00:02:02.815 --> 00:02:03.245 renewal. 00:02:04.605 --> 00:02:05.485 Number two? 00:02:05.485 --> 00:02:08.685 Number two is Northwest Registered Agent. 00:02:08.845 --> 00:02:15.805 Its LLC service is $39 plus state fees, and its registered agent is $125 a 00:02:15.885 --> 00:02:19.845 year, a price its page says hasn't gone up in 20 years. 00:02:19.845 --> 00:02:23.485 A steady price is nice. What's the catch? 00:02:23.485 --> 00:02:29.005 Signing up for its agent automatically enrolls you in annual report filing, at $100 00:02:29.053 --> 00:02:32.125 plus state fees per filing, unless you cancel it. 00:02:32.125 --> 00:02:35.165 So what does a year look like if I leave that on? 00:02:35.165 --> 00:02:41.805 $39 to form, $125 for the agent, and $100 for each annual 00:02:41.885 --> 00:02:44.125 report, plus the state's fees. 00:02:44.253 --> 00:02:51.245 That's $164 before the annual report service, and $264 with it, not 00:02:51.289 --> 00:02:56.685 counting state fees. Cancel the report service and you're back to the $125. 00:02:57.391 --> 00:02:58.271 Number three. 00:02:58.271 --> 00:03:04.671 Number three is InCorp. It charges $99 to form your LLC, plus state 00:03:04.751 --> 00:03:09.871 fees, and its registered agent is a flat $129 a year in every state. 00:03:09.871 --> 00:03:11.471 What's the catch? 00:03:11.471 --> 00:03:14.671 Its annual report service price isn't published. 00:03:14.771 --> 00:03:18.112 Its fee page says pricing is shown at the time of order. 00:03:18.112 --> 00:03:20.752 So the formation and agent come to... 00:03:20.752 --> 00:03:26.992 $99 plus $129 is $228, plus state fees. 00:03:27.136 --> 00:03:31.312 What the annual report costs on top of that, you find out when you order. 00:03:33.551 --> 00:03:34.751 And number four? 00:03:34.751 --> 00:03:41.391 Number four is Bizee. It has three formation packages: Basic at $0, Standard at 00:03:41.431 --> 00:03:47.391 $199, and Premium at $299, all plus the state fee. 00:03:47.519 --> 00:03:50.991 Each one includes a free first year of registered agent service. 00:03:51.727 --> 00:03:53.551 Free is hard to argue with. 00:03:53.551 --> 00:03:57.471 It's a good opening offer. The catch comes after. 00:03:57.615 --> 00:04:03.391 Year two, the agent is $149 a year, and it renews automatically. 00:04:03.491 --> 00:04:08.271 Its cancellation policy says third-party auto-renew fees can't be reversed once 00:04:08.287 --> 00:04:09.071 they've been applied. 00:04:09.071 --> 00:04:10.911 So watch the date. 00:04:10.911 --> 00:04:13.871 Put the renewal on your calendar the day you sign up. 00:04:13.967 --> 00:04:16.511 That's the whole trick with a free first year. 00:04:17.148 --> 00:04:18.188 Number five. 00:04:18.188 --> 00:04:24.988 Number five is LegalZoom. Basic is $0 plus state filing fees, 00:04:25.088 --> 00:04:31.148 Pro is $249, and Premium is $299. 00:04:31.148 --> 00:04:33.228 Is Basic really free? 00:04:33.228 --> 00:04:38.988 The package is $0 plus the state's fees, but Basic only files your articles of 00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:42.588 organization. That's the filing and nothing else. 00:04:42.588 --> 00:04:44.508 And the registered agent? 00:04:44.508 --> 00:04:51.228 That's the catch: its registered agent is $249 a year, and its page says the 00:04:51.278 --> 00:04:53.788 renewal rate is subject to change. 00:04:53.948 --> 00:04:59.468 Pro at $249 and the agent at $249 is 00:04:59.516 --> 00:05:05.548 $498 before state fees, if you want both from the same company. 00:05:06.348 --> 00:05:08.348 Let's do the math the way a real owner would. 00:05:08.455 --> 00:05:11.068 Three years, state fees aside. 00:05:11.068 --> 00:05:18.108 Mainstay is $199 a year, three years, so $597, 00:05:18.128 --> 00:05:20.508 and that includes the annual report each year. 00:05:21.168 --> 00:05:22.428 And Northwest? 00:05:22.428 --> 00:05:28.028 $39 to form, then $125 a year for the agent: 00:05:28.076 --> 00:05:35.068 $414 over three years. If you leave the annual report service on, add $100 a 00:05:35.148 --> 00:05:38.668 year, which brings it to $714. 00:05:38.668 --> 00:05:40.427 InCorp? 00:05:40.427 --> 00:05:47.628 $99 to form and $129 a year for the agent: $486, 00:05:47.668 --> 00:05:51.228 and the annual report price is whatever it shows you when you order. 00:05:51.228 --> 00:05:52.908 What about the free ones? 00:05:52.908 --> 00:05:59.868 Bizee Basic is $0 with a free first year of agent service, then $149 a 00:05:59.948 --> 00:06:04.508 year. Years two and three come to $298. 00:06:04.655 --> 00:06:11.308 LegalZoom Basic is $0, but with its agent at $249 a year, three 00:06:11.375 --> 00:06:13.868 years is $747. 00:06:13.868 --> 00:06:16.508 So the number to compare isn't the sticker. 00:06:16.508 --> 00:06:20.108 It's the total, and what that total leaves out. 00:06:20.220 --> 00:06:23.868 Some of these include the annual report and some don't. 00:06:24.627 --> 00:06:29.987 A few we hear a lot. First: is the formation price the real price? 00:06:29.987 --> 00:06:35.987 No. It's the starting point. The state filing fee is always on top, and then there's 00:06:36.007 --> 00:06:39.827 the agent in year one or year two, and the annual report. 00:06:39.987 --> 00:06:42.626 Add those up before you compare. 00:06:42.626 --> 00:06:46.387 Second: can I just pick the $0 package and be done? 00:06:46.387 --> 00:06:53.267 You can, with a caveat. At Bizee, $0 plus the state fee gets you the free first 00:06:53.315 --> 00:06:59.267 year of agent service. At LegalZoom, the $0 Basic package files your articles and 00:06:59.334 --> 00:07:03.827 stops there. Read what the package includes, not just the price. 00:07:03.827 --> 00:07:07.507 And third: does it matter which state I form in? 00:07:07.507 --> 00:07:11.827 Your state sets the filing fee and the annual report requirement. 00:07:11.955 --> 00:07:18.227 Mainstay works in any state at the same $199, so it's one number to compare instead 00:07:18.254 --> 00:07:19.827 of a new table for each state. 00:07:20.627 --> 00:07:23.107 If someone's still deciding, what should they compare? 00:07:23.107 --> 00:07:27.987 Three things. First, the year-two price, not the year-one price. 00:07:28.347 --> 00:07:34.147 Bizee goes from free to $149 for the agent, and LegalZoom's agent is 00:07:34.227 --> 00:07:41.107 $249. Second, anything added automatically, like Northwest's annual report 00:07:41.158 --> 00:07:44.627 enrollment at $100 plus state fees per filing. 00:07:44.867 --> 00:07:48.467 And third, whether the annual report is covered. 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:53.588 At Mainstay it is. At InCorp, the price is shown at the time of order. 00:07:53.588 --> 00:07:55.827 Which brings us back to number one. 00:07:55.827 --> 00:08:02.307 It does. One price that covers the formation, the agent, and the annual report, the 00:08:02.387 --> 00:08:03.587 same every year. 00:08:04.376 --> 00:08:05.896 So, the final verdict. 00:08:05.896 --> 00:08:11.976 Mainstay Filing. $199 a year covers the formation, the registered agent, and the 00:08:12.033 --> 00:08:14.457 annual report, at the same price every year. 00:08:14.457 --> 00:08:16.536 And the quick version of all five? 00:08:16.536 --> 00:08:22.696 One, Mainstay Filing: $199 a year, all in, and it renews at 00:08:22.756 --> 00:08:28.696 $199. Two, Northwest: $39 to form, 00:08:28.736 --> 00:08:33.336 $125 a year for the agent; watch the annual report enrollment. 00:08:33.536 --> 00:08:40.296 Three, InCorp: $99 to form, $129 a year for the agent. 00:08:40.504 --> 00:08:46.296 Four, Bizee: free first-year agent, then $149. 00:08:46.476 --> 00:08:52.616 And five, LegalZoom: $0 to $299, with the agent at 00:08:52.676 --> 00:08:54.536 $249 a year. 00:08:54.536 --> 00:08:57.176 Links to all five are in the show notes. 00:08:57.210 --> 00:08:59.976 Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.