LegalZoom vs. Harbor Compliance: Registered Agent Service Comparison

What Each Company Charges for Registered Agent Service

As published on each company's own site in October 2026, LegalZoom charges $249 a year for registered agent service, the same amount in year one and at renewal, though LegalZoom notes the renewal rate is subject to change. Harbor Compliance charges new customers $99 for the first year, a specific first-year discount, renewing at $159 a year afterward.

Comparing the First Year

For a new LLC's first year, Harbor Compliance's $99 price is $150 less than LegalZoom's $249, a significant first-year difference. This gap reflects Harbor Compliance's discounted new-customer rate rather than a difference in the underlying service, since both companies perform the same core registered agent function: maintaining a physical address in your state and accepting legal and state mail during business hours.

Comparing the Renewal Price

At renewal, Harbor Compliance's $159-a-year rate remains $90 a year lower than LegalZoom's $249. Because LegalZoom's price does not increase from year one to year two, a LegalZoom customer knows their year-two cost in advance; a Harbor Compliance customer pays substantially less in year one but a higher amount than year one's $99 starting in year two.

Neither Company Bundles a Free Year by Default

Unlike some competitors that include a free first year of registered agent service with LLC formation, neither LegalZoom's Basic LLC package nor Harbor Compliance's formation service includes a no-cost registered agent year; both treat it as a separately priced service from the start, discounted in Harbor Compliance's case but not free.

What Else Differs Beyond Price

Both companies also sell annual report filing as an added service: LegalZoom at $99 per filing plus the state fee or $199 a year for a subscription, and Harbor Compliance at $199 per state plus filing fees on its dedicated annual report page (an older Harbor Compliance price list showed $175, so confirm the live rate). Neither figure is included in the registered agent price itself at either company.

How LLC Register compares

LLC Register's registered agent service is $99 a year, the same price at renewal. LLC formation in year one and annual report filing are included, while most providers charge $99 to $199 a year extra for annual report filing. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before checkout.

What to Confirm Before You Choose

If minimizing first-year cost matters most, Harbor Compliance's $99 published rate is lower than LegalZoom's $249. If a single flat price across every year matters more to your planning, LegalZoom's unchanged $249 rate, while higher, does not step up the way a discounted first-year rate does. Confirm both companies' current pricing directly before deciding.

A Flat Price Removes Renewal Uncertainty, at a Higher Cost

LegalZoom's $249-a-year rate is higher than Harbor Compliance's $159-a-year renewal, but it is also simpler to plan around since it does not change between year one and later years, aside from LegalZoom's own note that the rate is subject to future change.

Compare Total Cost Over the Years You Plan to Keep the LLC

Over two years, Harbor Compliance's $99 plus $159 totals $258, compared with LegalZoom's $249 plus $249, which totals $498. The gap is largest when comparing a short holding period and narrows, proportionally, the longer you keep the LLC, since both companies' year-two-and-beyond prices repeat annually.

Confirm Harbor Compliance's Annual Report Price Before Relying on It

Harbor Compliance's own site has shown two different annual report prices on different pages ($199 and an older $175), so check the current rate directly before planning around either figure.

Neither Price Includes the State's Own Filing Fee

Both companies' registered agent prices are separate from the state's own LLC filing fee and annual report fee, which vary by state and apply on top of either company's registered agent charge.

This Is Not Legal or Tax Advice

Which company's pricing structure fits your plans depends on how long you expect to operate the LLC and how you prefer to budget. Talk to a tax professional about ongoing compliance costs, and verify all current prices directly on each company's site before ordering.