1. Home
  2. Reviews
  3. Top 5 LLC Formation Services Compared

There are dozens of online service providers that will form your LLC for a fee. We set out to find the best one. To do so, we had a separate LLC formed by five of the most popular providers: LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, Northwest Registered Agent, IncFile, and Incorporate.com

Based on overall quality of service, Incfile is our top choice. Along with quick and easy LLC formation, they also offer business license research services, business tax assistance, and more -- all for a low price. Plus, when you form your LLC through Incfile, they’ll give you a full year of registered agent services for free.

LegalZoom is by far the most recognized service provider. If you prefer to use a service that has brand power and are willing to pay significantly more, LegalZoom could be a great choice for you.

Continue reading our full breakdown of all 5 services below.

Our Recommendation: Incfile

Incfile is the best overall service, providing a large number of features at an affordable price.

Form an LLC with Incfile
($49 + State Fees)

Our Formation Service Reviews

DIY - Use Our Free Guide

Our free guide teaches you how to form an LLC in all 50 states without using an online service. Subscribe now to access our guide and other helpful resources:

Complete guide to forming your LLC

Free operating agreement

Free tools to help your business

The Breakdown

Each of the reviewed providers offers multiple levels of service at different price points. While the providers differ in how they name their levels of service, they tend to follow the same three-tiered structure. We organize each of their packages as basic, middle, and top tier. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive side-by-side feature comparison, as well as our recommended best value per tier.

Please note that the service costs for each tier do not include the State filing fees.

Side-by-side: Basic Tier

Legalzoom
($79)

       Incfile
       ($49)

 Rocket Lawyer
(7- day Free trial,
pay state fees only)		 Incorporate
      ($99)

     Northwest
            ($49)
Order
Processing
Time 		30 days Next
business
day		 15-20
business
days		 Up to 6
weeks without
Registered Agent
Service; 5-10
business days
with Registered
Agent Service		 Up to 3 - 5
business days
The time it takes for the formation service to file your Articles of Organization with the state agency.
Registered
Agent 		$159 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $119
per year		 X-Mark $235 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $125
per year
The company will act as your legal point of contact for the government to receive important notifications or mailings on your behalf.
Operating
Agreement 		$99 extra $40 extra $99 extra
A legal document that declares the name or names of an LLC’s owners, their percentage of ownership, and operating procedures for the company.
Ein
Registration 		$159 extra, must
be bundled with
operating
agreement		 $70 extra $60 extra $80 extra
Employer Identification Number (EIN) works essentially the same as an individual’s social security number, except for businesses. It’s how the government is able to keep track of your business’ tax status.
Annual
Compliance 		1 month free,
$320/year after
The company will keep you notified of upcoming legal filing requirements, such as your annual reports.
Advisory
Services 		      Tax:
Free 1-hour
consultation		 Legal:
Free
Ask-a-lawyer
via email		 Business:
General coaching
$395 extra
Advisory services provide additional resources or advice on matters pertaining to business, law, and/or tax.
Web
Domain 		$499 extra
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help reserve a domain name for your company website.
Web
Hosting 		$499 extra
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help build your website on a web server for visitors to browse.

Side-by-side: Middle Tier

Legalzoom
($289)

       Incfile
       ($149)

 Rocket Lawyer
($39.95 Monthly;
$399.95 Annually)		 Incorporate
      ($299)

     Northwest
            ($149)
Order
Processing
Time 		15 days Next day 15-20
business
days		 Up to 6
weeks without
Registered Agent
Service;5-10
business days
with Registered
Agent Service		 Up to 3 - 5
business days
The time it takes for the formation service to file your Articles of Organization with the state agency.
Registered
Agent 		$159 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $119
per year		 $235 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $125
per year
The company will act as your legal point of contact for the government to receive important notifications or mailings on your behalf.
Operating
Agreement 		$99 extra
A legal document that declares the name or names of an LLC’s owners, their percentage of ownership, and operating procedures for the company.
Ein
Registration 		$159 extra, must
be bundled with
operating
agreement		 $60 extra
Employer Identification Number (EIN) works essentially the same as an individual’s social security number, except for businesses. It’s how the government is able to keep track of your business’ tax status.
Annual
Compliance 		1 month free,
$320/year after
The company will keep you notified of upcoming legal filing requirements, such as your annual reports.
Advisory
Services 		      Tax:
Free 1-hour
consultation		 Legal:
Free
Ask-a-lawyer
via email &
30-minute monthly
phone consultation
per new matter		 Business:
General coaching
$395 extra
Advisory services provide additional resources or advice on matters pertaining to business, law, and/or tax.
Web
Domain 		$499 extra
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help reserve a domain name for your company website.
Web
Hosting 		Included with
Web Domain
Price
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help build your website on a web server for visitors to browse.

Side-by-side: Top Tier

Legalzoom
($359)

       Incfile
       ($299)

 Rocket Lawyer
($49.95 Monthly;
$499.95 Annually)		 Incorporate
      ($699)

     Northwest
            ($199)
Order
Processing
Time 		7-10 business
days		 Next day 15-20
business
days		 Up to 6
weeks without
Registered Agent
Service; 5-10
business days
with Registered
Agent Service		 Same-day
Processing
The time it takes for the formation service to file your Articles of Organization with the state agency.
Registered
Agent 		$159 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $119
per year		 Free for one
year, then $99
per year		 $235 extra
per year		 Free for
one year,
then $125
per year
The company will act as your legal point of contact for the government to receive important notifications or mailings on your behalf.
Operating
Agreement 		$99 extra
A legal document that declares the name or names of an LLC’s owners, their percentage of ownership, and operating procedures for the company.
Ein
Registration 		$159 extra, must
be bundled with
operating
agreement		 $60 extra
Employer Identification Number (EIN) works essentially the same as an individual’s social security number, except for businesses. It’s how the government is able to keep track of your business’ tax status.
Annual
Compliance 		1 month free,
$320/year after
The company will keep you notified of upcoming legal filing requirements, such as your annual reports.
Advisory
Services 		Legal, Tax:
Free 30-day
Trial $39.99
Monthly		       Tax:
Free 1-hour
consultation		 Legal:
Free
Ask-a-lawyer
via email &
30-minute monthly
phone consultation
per new matter		 Business
Coaching
Included
Advisory services provide additional resources or advice on matters pertaining to business, law, and/or tax.
Web
Domain
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help reserve a domain name for your company website.
Web
Hosting
The company will assist or arrange for an affiliate to help build your website on a web server for visitors to browse.

Best Overall Service: Incfile

Incfile offers their customers tremendous value, even in the lowest pricing tier. Their Silver package, which costs only $49 (+ state fee), includes all the essential services you need to get your LLC formed. As you climb the pricing tiers, you’ll find other helpful features such as an operating agreement, banking resolution, and EIN registration for $100 more. Their Platinum package ($299 + state fee) even includes a free business website and domain name, contract templates, and expedited filing for folks seeking quicker and more comprehensive service.

On top of this, their add-on options make it easy to design a package that’s custom-tailored for your business. For example, if you want an operating agreement but none of the other extra features included in the Gold plan, you can add this service to the Silver package for an additional $40. Plus, all of Incfile’s business formation plans include a free year of registered agent services (recurring cost of $119/year).

Our Recommendation: IncFile

Incfile is the best overall service, providing a large number of features at an affordable price.

Form an LLC with Incfile
($49 + State Fees)

Best Customer Support: Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest delivers all the essentials of business formation, including state filing, EIN registration, and operating agreement creation. Much like Incfile, their registered agent services are free for the first year ($125 every following year). Northwest also has top-notch customer service and is just as efficient as Incfile when it comes to document filing, promising same-day order processing to all their clients.

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest provides elite customer service from knowledgeable professionals. Get business attorney level service at a cost any business can afford.

Form an LLC with Northwest
($49 + State Fees)

Honorable Mention

Best Basic Package & Best Value for Legal Advice: Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is ideal if you are looking to form an LLC and want ongoing legal services. Instead of paying the standard filing fee ($99.99), you can sign up for a Rocket Lawyer’s premium membership for $39.99 per month. As a member, in addition to having your LLC formed for free, you’ll receive access to unlimited legal documents, free legal consults, and discounted attorney services.

Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is worth consideration if you want ongoing legal advice and services past LLC formation. This platform is also great for new business owners who don’t have a lot of experience forming contracts.

Form an LLC with Rocket Lawyer
($99 + State Fees)

Our Formation Service Reviews

DIY - Use Our Free Guide

Our free guide teaches you how to form an LLC in all 50 states without using an online service. Subscribe now to access our guide and other helpful resources:

Complete guide to forming your LLC

Free operating agreement

Free tools to help your business