Best LLC Formation Services: Reviewed and Compared

How to Read Any LLC Formation Service Comparison

Every formation service publishes a headline price, and that price almost never tells the whole story. The useful comparison separates three numbers: the one-time formation service fee, the registered agent's annual price (both first-year and renewal), and whether annual report filing is included in that price or billed as a separate charge. The table below lays these out as published by each provider's own site in October 2026.

Published Pricing by Provider

Figures are as published on each company's own site in October 2026; several providers note their own pages show inconsistent figures across different sections of their sites, so confirm the current price directly at checkout before paying.

Why the Formation Fee Tells You the Least

A $0 formation fee looks identical across LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, and Tailor Brands' Lite plan, but it says nothing about what each charges afterward for registered agent service. Treat the formation fee as effectively a wash across most providers and focus comparison on the two numbers that actually differ: the registered agent renewal price and the annual report filing cost.

The Registered Agent Spread Is the Real Story

Among published renewal prices, BetterLegal's $90 a year is the lowest and Swyft Filings' roughly $596 a year, billed quarterly rather than annually, is the highest. LLC Register's $99 a year sits near the lower end of this range and does not increase between year one and renewal, unlike several providers that offer a discounted or free first year before a higher published renewal rate applies.

Annual Report Filing: the Detail Easiest to Miss

Whether a provider's annual price includes filing your state's annual report, not just reminding you about it, changes the real yearly cost by up to $199. LLC Register and Tailor Brands' paid plans include this; most others with a published figure charge separately for it, commonly $99 to $199 a year.

What Package Tiers Actually Include

Tier names like "Basic," "Standard," and "Premium" are not standardized across the industry. One provider's mid-tier includes an EIN and operating agreement for the same price another provider charges only for the bare formation filing. Read what is specifically included in a tier, rather than assuming a similarly priced or similarly named tier includes the same things at a different provider.

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. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before checkout, with no markup.

A Simple Framework for Choosing

For most people, the decision comes down to three questions: do you want the lowest possible first-year price even if the renewal is higher, do you want annual report filing included rather than billed separately, and do you need any specific add-on, like fast processing or a business address, that only certain providers offer. Answering these first narrows the published pricing table above to the few providers that actually fit your situation.

Published Prices Change

Every figure above reflects what each company published on its own site as of October 2026. Confirm the current price at the provider's own checkout before paying, since formation services update pricing periodically.

Some Providers' Own Pages Show Inconsistent Numbers

A few providers' sites show different figures for the same service on different pages (for example, a registered-agent landing page versus a pricing-comparison page). Where this happens, treat the lower-confidence figure as approximate and verify at checkout rather than assuming either published number is final.

A Feature List Is Not the Same as a Service Quality Assessment

This comparison covers published pricing and inclusions, not customer service responsiveness, filing accuracy, or support quality, which vary by experience and are harder to verify from a company's own published materials alone. Read actual customer reviews across more than one platform for that dimension.

Your State's Fee Doesn't Change Based on This Comparison

Whatever provider you choose, your state's own LLC filing fee, from $35 to $500 depending on state, is identical. This comparison is only about what each provider charges on top of that fixed state cost.

Not Legal or Tax Advice

Which provider and which package fit your business depends on your state, your number of owners, and your specific compliance needs. Talk to a tax professional about any entity tax election, and confirm your state's specific requirements before choosing a package.