Best Free LLC Formation Services: What “Free” Really Means

What "Free" Actually Covers

A free LLC formation offer means the provider is not charging its own fee to prepare and submit your Articles of Organization. It does not mean forming the LLC costs nothing. Every state charges its own filing fee for that document, from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts, and that fee is paid to the state regardless of which provider submits the paperwork. Reading a free-formation offer closely usually shows the state fee listed as a separate line at checkout, on top of the $0 service charge.

Which Providers Publish a $0 Formation Tier

As published on their own sites in October 2026, several formation services offer an entry-level LLC package with no service fee beyond the state filing fee: LegalZoom's Basic package, ZenBusiness's Starter plan, Bizee's Basic package, Inc Authority's only published package, and Tailor Brands' Lite plan. Rocket Lawyer also waives its $99.99 formation fee for members with an active Rocket Legal or Rocket Legal+ membership, though the membership itself has its own cost. Each of these free tiers includes the formation filing itself; what is not included varies by provider, and that is where the real comparison starts.

What the Free Tier Usually Leaves Out

A $0 formation tier commonly excludes registered agent service, an operating agreement template, and EIN filing help, each sold separately or bundled only into a higher-priced plan. Bizee and Inc Authority both include one free year of registered agent service with their free formation tier, but Bizee's renews at $149 a year and Inc Authority does not publish one fixed renewal figure, citing a range of about $179 to $249 a year depending on state on its own blog. LegalZoom and ZenBusiness do not include registered agent service in their free tier at all; LegalZoom's is $249 a year from the start, and ZenBusiness's Starter plan includes one free year before renewing at $199 a year, both as published in October 2026.

Reading the Renewal Price, Not Just the Headline

Because a free first year is often paired with a higher year-two price, the number that matters most for your actual cost over time is the renewal rate, not the $0 headline. Among the providers above, Bizee's published $149-a-year renewal and Inc Authority's cited $179 to $249 range sit above LLC Register's $99-a-year registered agent price, which does not change between year one and renewal. LLC Register does not publish a $0 formation-only tier; instead, its $99-a-year registered agent plan includes LLC formation in year one and annual report filing every year after, with state fees passed through at cost.

Annual Report Filing Is a Separate Line Almost Everywhere

Most states require an annual or biennial report to keep an LLC in good standing, with fees the state itself sets, separate from any provider's price. Among providers with a published figure, LegalZoom charges $99 per annual report filing (or $199 a year for its Compliance Filings subscription), ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent both charge $100, Harbor Compliance charges $199, and Bizee's comparison page lists $99. Tailor Brands includes annual compliance filing in its paid Essential and Elite plans but not its free Lite plan. This is a recurring charge on top of whatever the formation service itself costs, and it is worth checking before assuming a free-formation offer covers your ongoing filings.

How LLC Register compares

LLC Register charges $99 a year, the same price at renewal. LLC formation in year one and annual report filing are included in that price, while most other providers charge $99 to $199 a year extra for a separate annual report filing service once the free or discounted first year ends. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before checkout, with no markup added on top of what the state charges.

What to Check Before Signing Up for a Free Plan

Before choosing a free-formation offer, confirm four numbers for your state: the state's own filing fee, whether registered agent service is included and for how long, the registered agent renewal price starting in year two, and whether annual report filing is included in that renewal price or billed separately. A free plan with a high registered agent renewal and a separate annual report fee can cost more over two years than a flat-priced plan that includes both from the start.

Compare Two Years of Cost, Not Just Year One

A $0 formation fee is only a good deal once you add the state filing fee, the registered agent price (free or paid) for year one, and then the renewal prices for year two. Add up both years before deciding a free plan is actually the lower-cost option.

The State Filing Fee Is Public Information

Every state publishes its own LLC filing fee on its Secretary of State or equivalent filing office site. Check your own state's current fee directly rather than relying only on what a provider's checkout page shows, since that figure does not change based on which provider you use.

A Free Registered Agent Year Still Has an End Date

When a free-formation offer includes one year of registered agent service, mark the renewal date. Missing it does not cancel your LLC's registered agent requirement; it just means you may be auto-billed at whatever rate the provider has published for year two, or in Inc Authority's case, a rate it describes only as a range rather than a fixed number.

An EIN Should Never Cost You Anything on Its Own

An Employer Identification Number is always free directly from the IRS. A provider's EIN-filing charge, such as LegalZoom's $79 or Bizee's $70 standalone fee, pays for assistance completing a form that costs nothing to file yourself.

Not Legal or Tax Advice

Which plan fits your business depends on your state, your timeline, and how much ongoing compliance help you want to pay for. Talk to a tax professional about your specific filing obligations, and confirm every price at the provider's own checkout before you pay, since published rates can change.