12 Best LLC Formation Services (April 2024)

Best LLC Formation Services 2024

We’ve done the research for you and compared the top LLC formation services, including important factors such as features, additional add-on costs, user reviews and ongoing fees.

My #4 Pick: LegalZoom

LegalZoom is most well-known for its online legal documents library. The company also offers an LLC formation service. Unfortunately, the turnaround times are slow, and the costs are high. Visit my post on the best LegalZoom alternatives and competitors.

Compared to other LLC services, LegalZoom has:

Expensive pricing – LegalZooms packages do not include a registered agent or operating agreement. These must be purchased separately, costing $249/year and $99 fixed. Their basic package costs $0, and does not include registered agent service.

Slow turnaround times – LegalZoom estimates that a standard LLC formation will take 30 business days. Customers need to pay for a higher pricing level to expedite their applications internally expedited.

My #5 Pick  Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings is a top-rated LLC formation service. Their business formation service is located in Texas and provides business formations in 50 states. Like Zenbusiness, it’s one of the industry’s newer players founded last 2015. It makes my list because of similar good traits such as affordable pricing, good turnaround, and responsive customer service.

One difference with the other players here is that they do not have a registered agent service, an essential requirement in all states. They will, however, recommend some third parties. If you go with the LLC filing service Swyft Filings, you can get an excellent registered agent through Northwest if you want.

Another thing that makes Swyft Filings stand out is their customizable service packages allowing customers to tailor the service to their needs, including add-on products and services.

They are also quite affordable. As of this writing, their lowest package costs only $49, which includes all the essentials, except for the registered agent. The amount does have a free web domain name for one year. Plus, they have a clear refund policy, unlike most other players.

Swyft Filings has over 4,000 reviews on Trustpilot, most of which are very positive.

Also, if you’re not in a hurry, they don’t promise a next-day expedition but deliver within acceptable parameters. Like Active Filings, if you suddenly want things done faster, they also have expedited filing.

Swyft Filings made it to this list because they’re receiving great reviews despite being new in the business. Perhaps because people are getting tired of the old guard, such as Legalzoom, who have gotten slack in their customer service. New players are more eager to please. Swyft Filings, while not the fastest, has been consistently swift in its delivery, and its staff is also helpful and knowledgeable.

One big issue with Swyft Filings is that they tend to upsell too much on their website during checkout. While their packages are already customizable, they take it to the next level. And lastly, unlike Northwest, they outsource their services to partner companies.

Swyft Filings is a top-rated LLC formation service.

My #6 Pick: Inc Authority

It is one of the oldest online LLC formation services as it has been around for over 30 years. Like Active Filings, they offer free basic LLC formation. Excluding state fees, of course, excludes operating agreement drafts. Like Active Filings, they also charge $99 for their registered agent service the following year.

However, other tier services are priced at a premium, and turnaround times can be problematic, encouraging users to pay an expediting fee.

Yet, they’ve still rated highly on Trustpilot thanks to a smooth formation process and helpful customer support.

Another problem with Inc Authority is their heavy upselling of other products unrelated to LLC formation.

If you’re not in a hurry, want free LLC formation, and can make your operating agreement, then Inc Authority might suit you.

My #7 Pick: BetterLegal

BetterLegal, the newest online LLC formation service on this list founded last 2017. This company specializes in LLC formation, and the name suggests they know what they’re doing. It’s still a small company based in Texas so you can count on good old Texan friendship and hardiness.

However, their formation package comes at a hardy $299 with a two-day turnaround time. Okay, for those in a hurry to get incorporated.

The price comes at another cost as it’s bundled with some unnecessary services that your company may or may not find a use for.

Another unfortunate aspect of this price is that it doesn’t include a registered agent.

The complete formation will cost more than $299, thanks to the state service fee and the registered agent. But unlike some companies listed here that charges $99 annually for their registered agent services, Better Legal only charges 90.

Small comfort, but the two-day rapid turnaround time is guaranteed and backed by many reviews. Better Legal also has a good rating on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau. They may be a good fit for native Texans ready to make big bucks.

My #8 Pick: Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is considered one of the veterans of online legal business, founded in 2008.

The brand name does assure entrepreneurs that true professionals will handle their paperwork.

Aside from LLC formation, they provide online attorney consultation and legal document templates, as their name suggests. LLC formation is a side service, a service that does well.

Rocket Lawyer is a well-reviewed service earning a good rating on Trustpilot. However, it didn’t make it in my top three due to pricing, which is one of the highest as they sell LLC formation requirements as separate services resulting in a high total cost.

They offer a $39 monthly subscription for their services, including a full formation service, among other attorney services.

Rocket Lawyer is the best for companies that regularly deal with legal services. Turnaround time for LLC formation takes a week at most.

My #9 Pick: Active Filings

Speaking of pricing, that’s too good to be true; sometimes it is.

Suppose you don’t want to miss your favorite barista for even a day, don’t want to take the tab for every customer in your local bar, and are not in much of a hurry to get incorporated.

In that case, Active Filings is the formation company for you. You can get your company formed for the fantastic low price of $0. That is correct.

Other LLC Services To Consider

10. Harbor Compliance

Harbor Compliance provides various business and corporate compliance services for corporate and business compliance. Harbor Compliance also offers business formation services.

However, I do not recommend it due to its unreliable pricing and expensive cost.

What I didn’t like:

Harbor Compliance offers very expensive LLC registrations. Harbor Compliance only has one pricing level, which costs $399. 

This price is unjustified when you consider that you can avail of all the same included services at less than half the total cost with alternative firms.

11. Nolo LLC Services

Nolo has been providing legal services for longer than any other website. Unfortunately, this hasn’t led to a top-quality LLC creation service. Nolo has prolonged turnaround times and offers unnecessarily expensive partners to purchase services.

I didn’t like these things:

Unnecessarily high cost of partner services – unlike the services I recommend, Nolo relies heavily on third parties for many of its formation services. Adding insult to injury, Nolo marks up the costs of these services for no reason.

12. BizFilings

Even though it’s a highly-specialized service with more than two decades of experience, BizFilings failed to impress us due to multiple factors that include their overall cost, their filing speeds, and their policy of registering customers into their registered agent program with no option to opt-out at the time of online sign-up.

Things I didn’t like:

Pricing – The basic BizFilings service is priced at $99, while the more expensive tiers cost $229, $359, and so on. Additionally, the registered agent service costs $199 per year, significantly more than the typical. It’s because they don’t offer sufficient value to justify these high prices.

My Key Factors for Evaluating the Best LLC Services

Five key elements are used to rank and review formation companies.

• LLC Formation Prices and Packages
• LLC Formation Turnaround Time
• Customer Satisfaction
• Ease of Use
• Customer Support

Although they may not all be equally significant, these factors are important.

This is a brief overview of each to help you decide the best value formation service. I also explain how I score.

LLC Formation Prices and Packages

Pricing is an important factor when choosing an LLC formation company. The services I review should add value to your startup, not break the bank. 

The prices for LLC formation services can vary widely. Some companies will file your Articles of Organization as low as $50, or even for free. Some companies charge hundreds of dollars to provide additional services or products.

When evaluating and ranking service packages, I consider more than the price. A more expensive package might still be worthwhile if you have special needs.

LLC Formation Turnaround Time

I believe that turnaround time is as important as the cost of service. I use this information to calculate my final ranking score.

LLC formation services have no control over your company’s creation after you submit your documents. The state agencies will process your Articles of Organization. Some states permit expedited filing for an additional fee.

There are still many ways that formation services can help your LLC form. They can either process your orders within the hour or file paperwork in person through their network of physical offices.

Formation services must do all they can to avoid filing mistakes. They can cause you to be delayed or even put back several weeks.

Customer Satisfaction

People who have used a particular form of service are the best way to learn about it. I value track records, and I also take into consideration feedback and reviews from customers who have used the service in the past on sites such as Trustpilot and Yelp.

A service review can help us better understand how it performs in real life. It is possible to find out if a company actually offers top-quality customer support or if they only claim to. You can check customer reviews to find out.

Ease of Use

Online formation of LLCs should be simple and easy. It is best to make it easy for people to file their LLC filings online. Small business owners should be able to quickly find clear and concise answers to their most common questions.

A great service will provide all the information you need to make informed decisions immediately.

Our ratings are based upon the ease of using a service and its terms (costs, recurring payments, cancellations, etc.). Their website materials are clear and informative.

Registered Agent Service

Northwest just happens to be the best registered agent service on my list. Northwest does not outsource registered agent services to third-party providers like other LLC services. Northwest has 50 offices in 50 states, and they are the best LLC service on my list.

Customer support

No matter how well-designed your website is, there’s a chance that you will have questions or problems that aren’t easily solved.

If you are in an unexpected situation, it is important to be able to quickly reach someone. It is even better if they are trained and have the knowledge to help you.

This is especially true for the formation industry where late filings or errors in clerical records could delay your plans by weeks or even months.

Many of the companies I list offer recurring services, such as annual report filings and registered agent services, as part of their formation packages. This is essential for maintaining your company’s good standing in the eyes of the federal and state governments. These services are crucial for resolving any issues quickly.

I consider many factors when evaluating customer support and assistance options for LLC formation companies. Considerations include staff availability, whether on weekends or during working hours, and their contact methods (phone, email, chat).