Best Company Incorporation Services

Do you want to form a company without the hassle and guesswork of doing it yourself?

If your answer is “yes”, then an online incorporation service is what you need.

As the name says, an online incorporation service can help you form your company whether it be an LLC, S corp, C corp, or nonprofit. 

Online incorporation services are great for entrepreneurs of whatever level. They’re perfect if you’re just starting and don’t yet know what documents and information you need to get things rolling. If you already have a company, an online incorporation service can help you manage your business and keep it compliant. 

Online incorporation services usually work the same way across the board: you sign up, fill up some forms with your personal and business information, choose your add-ons, provide payment information, and you’re good. The service provider will then notify you once your company has been successfully formed. 

There are a lot of online incorporation services you can choose from. While this means it isn’t hard to find a service provider, looking for the right one for you can be difficult. 

To help you choose the right one to form your business, we’ve reviewed and made this list of the top five online incorporation services.

What We Look for in an Incorporation Service

To ensure that we keep things subjective, we’ll review each entry based on the following categories:

• Features included
• Ease of use
• Support
• Turnaround times
• Pricing
• Customer Reviews

1. ZenBusiness 

The first entry on this list is ZenBusiness. 

This company is fairly new, taking root in the business formation industry just six years ago on March 12, 2015. That said, it has grown to be one of, if not, the best business formation services on the market. 

ZenBusiness offers great business features by default coupled with an affordable price tag. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck value, look no further than ZenBusiness.  

The company offers the same pricing packages no matter the business entity you’re forming. 

Its starting package only costs $49 making them one of the cheapest among all the incorporation services we’ve reviewed up to date. This starter package gets you their standard filing service as well as a one-year free registered agent service to represent and receive correspondence for your business in your chosen state. You’re also getting an operating agreement template so you can start running your company sooner. 

That said:

While their starter package is great if you’re just looking to form your company, you may want to upgrade to their Pro and Premium packages for even more value. One thing you’re getting from these packages is their “Worry-free Compliance Guarantee”. Through this feature, ZenBusiness guarantees to take care of your business’s ongoing compliance, state requirements, and annual report deadlines so you can keep your business compliant while still focusing on running and managing it.

Basically:

No other incorporation service offers the same value as ZenBusiness and that’s why we rate it so highly. ZenBusiness’s clients seem to think so as well, as over 6000+ customers gave it an excellent 4.8 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.

ZenBusiness pros 

• Best value in the market: ZenBusiness offers a lot of great features compared to other LLC formation services with similar or more expensive pricing packages. 
• Great customer support: You’re getting ZenBusiness’s excellent customer support through calls or real-time chat. 
• Customer feedback is great all around the web: Thousands of clients give ZenBusiness excellent ratings across various customer review sites such as Trustpilot.
• High-quality registered agent services: Its highly qualified registered agent will manage your correspondence with your chosen state and alert you privately when they receive it. 

ZenBusiness cons

• Fairly new company: Being founded on March 12, 2015, ZenBusiness is a fairly new company and doesn’t enjoy the decades of experience possessed by its predecessors.

ZenBusiness Features 

ZenBusiness lets you form an LLC, C corp, or S corp. Besides preparing and filing your documents, ZenBusiness includes extra features/services — like an operating agreement and a registered agent — in its most basic formation plan by default.

A registered agent is a person who receives legal and other documents on your business’s behalf. Most states require a registered agent before a business can be formed.  

An Operating Agreement is a document that outlines the terms of a business entity according to the business owner. It’s similar to the Articles of Incorporation, which explain how companies expect to function moving forward. 

This document includes your operational and financial decision-making process, the company’s operational and governance structure, and everything that has to do with its leadership. It also explains the business’s acceptable actions and creates a succession plan if you have to leave the company for some reason. 

Note that YOU have to fill in your operating agreement and keep it up to date over time. 

If you’re looking for more features — like an EIN, worry-free guarantee, etc. — you can sign up for one of ZenBusiness’s higher tier pricing packages. 

ZenBusiness Ease of Use 

Online business formation services are great because they let you form, manage, and grow your business wherever you may be. This is why it’s always important to find a business formation platform that’s easy to understand and use. 

ZenBusiness’s formation process is straightforward: pick a pricing plan, answer some personal and business-related questions, enter payment information, and you’re done.

There’s no confusion when navigating through ZenBusiness’s website and filling up its forms. The user interface is intuitive and guides you through the whole process.  

ZenBusiness Support 

When starting or running your business, it’s always great to have a support team that has your back. Most times, a business formation service’s reputation is based on how well its support team can help customers in a bind.

ZenBusiness is backed by a support team of industry experts that respond quickly with helpful information. You can reach them either through chat, email, or phone from Mondays to Fridays and Sundays. ZenBusiness also has an FaQ section and Help Center where you can find answers to the most common questions and problems.

ZenBusiness is available via the following channels:

• Chat Service: Monday to Friday (8 AM to 8 PM), Sunday (10 AM to 7 PM)
• Phone Calls: Monday to Friday (8 AM to 8 PM), Sunday (10 AM to 7 PM)
• Email: The team will reply to your email in less than one business day.

ZenBusiness Turnaround Times 

Turnaround times are difficult to predict because they depend on two factors: Document preparation/filing speed and how quickly your business’s state can process your formation. This is why turnaround times can range from a few business days to several business weeks. 

Since business days don’t include weekends, you may have to wait several months in some cases.

ZenBusiness bases its turnaround time on the speed with which it can prepare and file your documents and the state you select. You’d normally have to wait several business days for your documents to be prepared and filed but you can cut down a few days with their Expedited and Rush filing add-ons. You can check out their website for estimated turnaround times.

ZenBusiness Pricing 

A company can be the best of the best but it won’t be any good if you can’t afford it.

When it comes to ZenBusiness’s pricing, this is what you can expect to pay and what you’re getting:

ZenBusiness Starter Plan, $49 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Standard Filing
• Operating Agreement Template
• Free 1 Year of Registered Agent Service ($99/year after)
• Phone and real-time chat support
• Personalized account dashboard
• LLC or Corporation formed in about 1 to 3 weeks

ZenBusiness Pro Plan, $199 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Expedited Filing
• Operating Agreement Template
• Free 1 Year of Registered Agent Service ($99/year after)
• Phone and real-time chat support
• Personalized account dashboard
• LLC or Corporation formed in about 1 to 3 weeks
• Employer ID Number
• Banking Resolution Template
• Worry-Free Compliance
• 100% Accuracy Guarantee

ZenBusiness Premium Plan, $299 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Rush Filing
• Operating Agreement Template
• Free 1 Year of Registered Agent Service ($99/year after)
• Phone and real-time chat support
• Personalized account dashboard
• LLC or Corporation formed in about 1 to 3 weeks
• Employer ID Number
• Banking Resolution Template
• Worry-Free Compliance
• Business Domain Name
• Business Website
• Business Email Address
• 100% Accuracy Guarantee

ZenBusiness Customer Reviews 

We here at YesForFairTax believe that you shouldn’t buy or pay for a service-based solely on what a company’s website tells you. It’s always a good idea to check out customer reviews to make sure that what you see is what you get (and not just marketing). 

For this review, we used Trustpilot.

As one of the top-rated business formation services, ZenBusiness is quite popular. 6,555 customer reviews give it an “Excellent” rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. Clients love this company’s easy formation process, fast turnaround times, and helpful customer support.

Who ZenBusiness is For 

With its affordable packages, additional features like a free registered agent for the first year, excellent customer reviews, and outstanding overall value, ZenBusiness is one of, if not the best, online incorporation services out there.

ZenBusiness is a good choice whether you’re a novice to the whole incorporation process or not. 

2. Northwest Registered Agent 

Northwest Registered Agent (Northwest) is one of the costlier options when it comes to LLC formation services. Their prices are substantially higher than that of entries such as ZenBusiness and IncFile. 

That said:

Having been around since 1998 (that’s 23 years ago), they’ve become one of the best LLC formation services on the market today. 

Their excellent customer service is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and is one of the best in the business. Their customers seem to agree as the company is currently rated 4.29 out of 5 stars from client reviews at Better Business Bureau.

They only offer one $225 package that includes everything you need to form and start your LLC, corporation, or nonprofit including a one-year registered agent service. If you’re looking for more services, you will have to sign up for their VIP subscription or stand-alone services.

Northwest follows a business practice called “Privacy by Default” which they say is the core of their business. This practice means their service automatically minimizes the exposure of and access to their client’s data. You don’t have to opt into or pay for this practice as they already do it by default.

Northwest pros

• Best customer support in the industry: Their Corporate Guides have been lauded as being the best in the industry for being extremely helpful and knowledgeable specialists.
• Full-year of registered agent included: Their $225 package fee comes with a one-year registered agent service. 
• They run their own servers so security/privacy is their strong point: Northwest has no investors or partners so they treat your personal data with the utmost respect.
• Great customer reviews: Clients gave Northwest 4.29 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau (BBB). 

Northwest cons

• High prices: $225 is high especially when compared to ZenBusiness and IncFile.

Northwest Registered Agent Features

Besides letting you form your LLC, corporation, or nonprofit, Northwest includes a registered agent service and limited mail forwarding when you pay in full. 

You get a lot more bang for your buck if you sign up for their VIP subscription service. Doing so gets you all the features when you pay in full plus Tax ID filing, free business address, annual, biennial, or periodic state filings, and premium level services. 

A Tax ID Number, also known as an Employer ID Number, is a nine-digit unique figure you get from the IRS. It’s used to identify your business, and it lets your company access several benefits – including a bank account, seamless hiring processes, financing help, and much more. An EIN is basically an SSS number for your business.

Apart from what you get from paying in full or through your VIP subscription, Northwest also offers optional add-ons like the following:

• Register an existing company in other states
• Wyoming Domestication
• Mail forwarding service
• Virtual office service
• FCC 499-A Telecommunications Registered Agent
• FMCSA BOC-3 Trucking Compliance
• VOIP business phone number
• Yearly business compliance filing

Note that these add-ons will add to the cost of your final bill.

Northwest Registered Agent Ease of Use  

Northwest is easy to use and lets you form your business entity with virtually no hassle. 

Your first option is to sign up for a free account. You simply fill up some forms and your account is ready. Unfortunately, a free account only lets you use Northwest’s resources to help you determine what you need to form your business, they don’t form your company for you. You do get the benefit of Northwest’s customer support when you need to ask a question. 

If you want to avoid the hassle of learning and doing everything yourself, you can hire Northwest to form your business for you. This is when you choose whether to pay in full or sign up for their VIP subscription service. Doing so is easy and takes just a few minutes to select your options and fill up their forms. 

Northwest Registered Agent Support 

Northwest’s support team is both knowledgeable and responsive. This isn’t surprising as the company keeps a team of corporate guides in-house. 

You can contact Northwest’s customer support either through a form or by phone. 

Northwest Registered Agent Address

Northwest Registered Agent, LLC

522 W. Riverside Ave. Suite N

Spokane, WA 99201

Northwest Registered Agent Phone

509-768-2249

Northwest Registered Agent Turnaround Times 

Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast answer. Everything depends on your chosen state and the type of business entity you’re forming. It can take anywhere from just a few business days to a few months.

Northwest does give you an estimation of how long it will take to file your documents when you select your state so you know what to expect. 

Northwest Registered Agent Pricing 

Northwest is one of the few online incorporation services that offers a free account. When it comes to this company’s pricing packages, this is what you can expect:

Northwest Free Account, $0, pay state fees when you file

• Online client account
• Northwest Registered Agent Customer Support

Northwest Pay in Full, $225 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Online client account
• Northwest Registered Agent Customer Support
• Registered Agent Service
• Limited Mail Forwarding

Northwest VIP, Filing fees depend on state + state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Online client account
• Northwest Registered Agent Customer Support
• Registered Agent Service
• Limited Mail Forwarding
• Initial Shouldering of State Filing Fees
• Business Formation
• Free Business Address
• EIN Filing
• Annual, Biennial, or Periodic State Filings
• Premium-level Services

Northwest Registered Agent Customer Reviews 

While we here at YFFT usually rely on customer review sites like Trustpilot for customer insights, unfortunately, Northwest Registered Agent doesn’t seem to have enough customer reviews to form a conclusion. 

In this instance, we went with the Better Business Bureau which reviews business based on the amount of information and complaints.

For Northwest Registered Agent, the BBB gave a rating of 4.29 stars out of 5 which is pretty good in our book. 

Who Northwest Registered Agent is For

While Northwest Registered Agent is great because of its customer support, one-year free registered agent services, and other formation features, it simply loses points for its price point.

Northwest Registered Agent does offer a free account but there are more affordable choices out there when it comes to paid formation services.

3. IncFile 

IncFile started business in 2004 and has been around for 15+ years, helping over 500,000 clients since then.

The company is one of the 2 cheapest incorporation services out there (the other being Inc Authority) with their silver package starting at $0 + state fees. This package includes a one-year free registered agent service to represent and receive correspondence for your business in your chosen state. It also includes an unlimited number of name searches to help you make sure that your chosen business name is available in your chosen state. 

However:

Their Silver package doesn’t include an EIN or an Operating Agreement. If you want to get these features and more, you’ll have to upgrade to their Gold or Platinum package. 

IncFile usually receives great customer reviews on Trustpilot, however, they seem to have fallen from grace as of late. Presently, they have a poor rating of 2.6 stars out of 5.

IncFile pros 

• One of the 2 cheapest in the market when it comes to forming your LLC: You only pay state fees with their Silver package which comes at $0 + state fees. 
• Ease of use is very good: Their sign-up and business information forms are easy to understand and fill up.  

IncFile cons

• Have to pay extra for important features (EIN, Operating agreement): You get just the bare minimum of features from their starting package
• Poor customer feedback: Unfortunately, clients have given them a poor 2.8 out of 5 stars as of writing this list.

IncFile Features 

IncFile lets you form an LLC, S corp, C corp, or nonprofit. Signing up means IncFile prepares and files your documents rather than just preparing them and sending them to you. 

Their starting package also gets you unlimited name searches which ensures your business name is available in your chosen state. 

Apart from that, the starting package also gets you a registered agent service for one year. You’ll then need to pay a separate fee to renew this service yearly. 

If you’re looking for more features — like an EIN, company by-laws, banking resolution, etc. — you’ll have to sign up for IncFile’s higher-tier accounts. You can see exactly what you get for each tier in the pricing section below.

IncFile Ease of Use 

Forming a company with IncFile is similar to most other online incorporation services: you sign up, provide personal and business information, choose your add-ons, and go to check out. 

Just like the other entries in this list, IncFile’s user interface is intuitive and easy to understand. The whole process should take no longer than a few minutes.

IncFile Support 

IncFile’s customer support is somewhat of a mixed bag. We’ve found several complaints about the company’s customer support not being responsive or helpful. However, we’ve also found many other customers saying that IncFile’s customer support helped them form their company quickly and easily or helped them deal with a question or problem promptly. 

You can contact IncFiles’s customer support either by phone or fax from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.

IncFile Phone

844.830.8267

IncFile Fax

877.919.2613

IncFile Turnaround Times

As with other entries on this list, there’s just no predicting exactly how long IncFile’s turnaround times can be. This period depends on your chosen state and what entity you’re forming. 

IncFile does have a web page that gives you filing time estimations based on each state. This page shows the normal processing times, expedited processing times, and expediting costs.

IncFile Pricing 

IncFile is one of the two cheapest business formation services out there.

When it comes to paid online incorporation, this is what you can expect:

IncFile Silver Plan, $0 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Preparing & Filing the Articles of Organization
• Unlimited Name Searches
• FREE Registered Agent Service for a year ($199/year after)

IncFile Gold Plan, $149 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Personalized account dashboard
• Preparing & Filing the Articles of Organization
• Unlimited Name Searches
• FREE Registered Agent Service for a year ($199/year after)
• EIN Business Tax Number
• IRS Form 2553
• Operating Agreement
• Banking Resolution
• Lifetime Company Alerts
• Online Access Dashboard
• Unlimited Phone & Email Support
• Business Banking Account
• Business Tax Consultation

IncFile Platinum Plan, $299 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Personalized account dashboard
• Preparing & Filing the Articles of Organization
• Unlimited Name Searches
• FREE Registered Agent Service for a year ($199/year after)
• EIN Business Tax Number
• IRS Form 2553
• Operating Agreement
• Banking Resolution
• Lifetime Company Alerts
• Online Access Dashboard
• Unlimited Phone & Email Support
• Business Banking Account
• Business Tax Consultation
• Business Contract Templates
• Expedited Filing
• Domain Name + Business Email

IncFile Customer Reviews 

So, how exactly does IncFile stack up according to some of their actual customers?

Unfortunately, IncFile has an average of 2.6 stars out of 5. This comes from 107 customer reviews on Trustpilot.  

Those who’ve rated IncFile highly say that it’s the best, fastest, and most affordable business formation service with great customer support. 

On the other hand; Those who’ve rated it badly mostly complain about the lack of customer support (which you’ll notice is only available 24/7 if you get the Gold Package).

Who IncFile is For

IncFile is affordable, experienced, and fast but poor customer reviews bring its rating down a couple of notches — despite being around several years earlier than its competitors. 

If you’re looking for an affordable company to prepare and form your business, there’s no beating IncFile’s $0 + state fees starting package. 

4. BizFilings 

BizFilings has been around since 1996 and has kept a foothold in the online incorporation industry since then. The company has helped register thousands of businesses and remains strong despite the arrival of more competitors. 

The company offers several free resources that are useful for any company, even the ones not looking to pay for their full-service fees. While it might not be perfect, BizFilings deserves some praise for how well it operates.

BizFilings Pros 

• Legitimacy guarantee: BizFilings has been working for decades, and they’ve helped thousands of companies register and get up and running. That definitely has to count for something. 
• Support for state-level compliance: Many states have specific compliance steps that you will need to work with when forming your LLC. So, after you ensure compliance with the federal statutes, you will need to also comply with these standards. BizFilings can help you with this process, making the task easier for you. 
• Registered agent service: BizFilings offers you a free registered agent service for six months, regardless of the pricing tier you go with.
• Business name availability check: This is one of the most critical services available for an LLC formation service. BizFilings offers it to both paying customers and non-paying companies. 
• Effective customer support: As you can expect, BizFilings maintains extensive customer service. You can write to them, send them an email, and call them. You can also write them directly or visit them if you’re in their home state of Wisconsin. All of this is in addition to an FAQ page on their website.

BizFilings Cons

• Relatively higher prices: The package offerings on BizFilings are somewhat higher than those of their competitors. While the company does a good job, you might have difficulty keeping up with the package prices. 
• Price variations: The prices on BizFilings also tend to vary from state to state. For instance, while you pay a typical Basic package fee, the prices of the Standard and Complete packages vary between states. You should also keep in mind that you will need to consider state fees.

BizFilings Features

BizFilings lets you form an LLC, S corp, C corp, nonprofit, or DBA. It offers free tools and resources that can help out any entrepreneur. These tools include an Incorporation Wizard, Business Name Checker, Business Type Comparison Chart, and Business License Wizard. 

The Incorporation Wizard helps you find which type of business entity you should go for whether it be an LLC, S corp, C corp, nonprofit, or DBA. 

As is clear from its name, their Business Name Checker lets you find out if your chosen business name is available in your chosen state. 

If you’re not sure what the differences are between the various types of businesses, their Business Type Comparison Chart will be helpful. 

Perhaps one of the most helpful tools is their Business License Wizard which helps you determine exactly what licenses and permits your business needs. Note that this particular tool is the only one you need to pay for at $99.

Apart from their tools, BizFilings also includes a six-month registered agent service with their starting package. However, if you need more features — like sample by-laws or an EIN — you’ll have to sign up for their higher-tier packages. Note that each package differs depending on the type of company you’re forming. 

BizFilings also helps you keep your company compliant with BizComply. This service provides updates when rules get changed, so you get to know about the changes firsthand and can weigh how they impact your business. 

Note that BizComply is part of the BizFilings registered agent service.

BizFilings Ease of Use

BizFilings’s website is quite easy to use, though, because they offer various other services, you may need to navigate a bit before you find what you’re looking for. 

That said:

Once you do find what you’re looking for, everything should go smoothly from there. If you use the company’s free tools before you form your business, the process should go even smoother.

BizFilings Support

BizFilings has good customer support thanks to their knowledgeable incorporation experts. 

You can contact BizFilings’s customer support either by phone or email from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST.

BizFilings Phone

855-335-8519 or 608-827-5300

You can also write them at:

BizFilings

8020 Excelsior Dr.

Suite 200

Madison, WI 53717

BizFilings Turnaround Times

Unfortunately, BizFilings’s turnaround times aren’t very good. 

They begin processing all orders upon payment. The total order completion time then depends on order type (incorporation or other filings) and chosen state.

Orders are then processed based on the priority service level selected.  Normal processing times range from 4-6 weeks, while expedited processing times usually range from 1-2 weeks.  

While many states let you select a 24- or 48-hour filing option, which reduces the time the state takes to approve a filing after receipt of the incorporation documents, states often take around seven business days to return the state-approved documents. 

BizFilings Pricing

Unlike the previous entries on this list, BizFilings’s pricing depends on the type of business entity you’re forming and your chosen state. 

Here’s what you can expect if you’re forming an LLC in Arizona:

BizFilings Basic Plan, $99 plus state fees

• Business formation in your state
• 6-month registered agent service

BizFilings Standard Plan, $229 plus state fees

• Business formation in your state
• 6-month registered agent service
• LLC Kit and Seal
• Expedited Incorporation Processing
• LLC Operating Agreement

BizFilings Complete Plan, $359 plus state fees

• Business formation in your state
• 6-month registered agent service
• LLC Kit and Seal
• Expedited Incorporation Processing
• LLC Operating Agreement
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• “Now That You’re Formed” Compliance DVD
• Document Shipping
• Additional State-Specific Features

BizFilings Customer Reviews

Unlike any other entry on this list, BizFilings has a total absence of customer reviews on Trustpilot despite being in the business for 25 years. 

Luckily, BizFilings is accredited with the BBB so we can still get an idea of how good BizFilings is.

BizFilings gets a perfect 5 out of 5 stars on the BBB, which surely means a good thing.

Who BizFilings is For

Overall, BizFilings leaves us mixed feelings. 

While it’s not the best LLC formation service, it definitely is not the worst. You can be sure that this reputable brand can help you form and manage your business – as long as you can afford them.

5. LegalZoom 

LegalZoom has been around since 2001 and has helped over 2 million entrepreneurs making their experience in the industry second to none. It’s since become one of the most well-known business formation services to date. Their service covers a wide range across the United States.  

Their starting package comes at just $79. This package includes a certificate of organization and a Financial Account Authorization Letter so you won’t have to make them yourself. While this starting package offers several more features that you’ll find useful, you will notice the absence of a free registered agent service which LegalZoom’s competitors usually include.

In fact:

While LegalZoom’s higher-tier packages offer a lot more features, none of them include a free registered agent service. 

These don’t seem to affect how customers see LegalZoom as the company is still quite popular. Clients still give the company great reviews with 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.

LegalZoom pros

• Has helped over 2 million businesses since 2001 which adds to their credibility: LegalZoom’s popularity comes from its many years of serving entrepreneurs.
• They have extended customer service hours: Their customer service is available 7 days a week to answer your formation-related questions.

LegalZoom cons

• They have higher pricing with fewer features than other service providers: LegalZoom’s packages are substantially pricier and offer fewer features than their competitors like ZenBusiness.
• They have a lot of upsells even before you get to the packages you want to purchase: You may find your experience a bit tedious as they try to sell you more services before you even finish filling in your business information.

LegalZoom Features 

LegalZoom lets you form an LLC, corporation, nonprofit, or DBA. 

Their starting package offers a name availability search which checks through the database of your specific city to make sure you find a unique name for your business.

You’ll also get a banking resolution that helps your company set up a business bank account. With this bank account, your company will be able to access loans, get financing, and transfer money. You can use this banking resolution to authorize LegalZoom to open a bank account on your behalf, thereby, saving you time. 

Apart from that, you’re also getting LegalZoom’s Peace of Mind Review that helps you go through your entire filing. Through this interesting software, you can check if your filing has any errors or discrepancies, thereby, giving you peace of mind that everything is error-free. 

LegalZoom’s starter package offers more features and services which we’ll discuss in the pricing section below.

LegalZoom Ease of Use 

LegalZoom is pretty easy to use and leaves no room for confusion. 

When signing up, LegalZoom asks you questions that narrow down your choices. If you can’t finish the whole process in one sitting, they’ll email you a link to your saved answers so you can finish the forms when you have more time. 

Clicking “Start Your Business” on LegalZoom’s website shows you a table that helps you distinguish between one type of company from another. This is helpful if you’re new to business formation and don’t yet know exactly what type of company you should go for. 

LegalZoom Support 

LegalZoom’s US-based customer support agents are helpful and responsive. They’re usually able to answer your business or legal questions with no problems.

The company has four types of customer support, which are the following: 

• An FAQ section that answers the most common questions
• They let you check your order status by signing into your account
• You can submit a question to one of their agents via a ticket system 
• Phone support that’s available 7 days a week. 

You can contact LegalZoom through phone at these times:

LegalZoom Customer Care

(800) 773-0888

Mon-Fri: 5 a.m.-7 p.m. PT

Weekends: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. PT

LegalZoom Sales

(855) 787-1922

Mon-Fri: 5 a.m.-7 p.m. PT

Weekends: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. PT

LegalZoom Turnaround Times

LegalZoom’s turnaround times aren’t fast but they aren’t slow either. 

Since turnaround time for approval or rejection varies a lot across states, you can expect your documents to take between three and 15 days. This depends if your chosen state offers online filing services or only accepts articles by mail. 

LegalZoom Pricing

LegalZoom is more expensive than most other entries on this list. 

Here’s what you can expect to find:

LegalZoom Economy Plan, $79 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Name Check and Business Filing
• Articles of Organization
• LLC Next Steps Guide
• Peace of Mind Review
• Lifetime Customer Support
• Financial Account Authorization Letter

LegalZoom Standard Plan, $329 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Name Check and Business Filing
• Articles of Organization
• LLC Next Steps Guide
• Peace of Mind Review
• Lifetime Customer Support
• Financial Account Authorization Letter
• Deluxe Organizer
• Official Certificates and Seal
• LegalZoom VIP Processing

LegalZoom Express Gold Plan, $349 plus state fees, LLC or corporation fees

• Name Check and Business Filing
• Articles of Organization
• LLC Next Steps Guide
• Peace of Mind Review
• Lifetime Customer Support
• Financial Account Authorization Letter
• Deluxe Organizer
• Official Certificates and Seal
• LegalZoom VIP Processing
• Rush Processing With Secretary of State
• Express shipping

LegalZoom Customer Reviews

Despite being a more expensive online incorporation service, LegalZoom still enjoys an overall great review with 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. 

These clients mostly liked LegalZoom for its ease of use, comprehensiveness, use of ordinary language, and great customer support. However, not all clients feel this way as those who rated the company poorly say the exact opposite.

Who LegalZoom is For

LegalZoom is perfect if you have zero legal knowledge and are simply looking for a one-time fix — whether that be business formation or assistance in the creation of a legal document.

Pros and Cons of Online Incorporation Services

Now that we’ve reviewed the top five online incorporation services, let’s check out their pros and cons in general. 

Online Incorporation Services Pros:

• Your Legal and Business Formation Knowledge doesn’t matter: online incorporation services let you start and form your company even with zero knowledge of the legalities. The service provider takes care of the whole process for you, saving you time, money, and hassle.
• Avoid the Guesswork: Most online incorporation services have an online personal dashboard that informs you of your requirements and notifies you of any deadlines or changes to your formation status.
• Dependable Customer Support: Online incorporation services usually employ specialist customer support teams ready to answer any questions you have regarding your business formation. There’s no question too big or too small for them. This saves you from a lot of headaches and frustration down the line.
• Cheaper than an Attorney: While you can say that an attorney can do all these things for you, you can’t say it’s going to be cheaper. Online incorporation services often cost a fraction of what you’d pay for hiring a lawyer to form your company for you. 

Online Incorporation Services Cons:

• Only for Those with Time, Money, and Experience: Forming a company can be done DIY if you already have the experience and enough time and money. Why pay someone else to do it when you can do it yourself?
• Specialized Legal Knowledge: While business formation companies are often cheaper than hiring a lawyer, the latter does have specialized legal know-how that only lawyers can provide you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Online Business Formation Services Work?

Online business formation services form your company while saving you time, money, and hassle. You simply fill up some personal and business information forms, choose some add-on services, go to check out, and they do the rest from filing your documents with the secretary of state to informing you of your company’s current status. 

Can I Trust Online Incorporation Services?

Of course. 

The online business formation industry has boomed in recent years. There are now quite a few reputable companies on the market. All of which we’ve included in our list above. 

To ensure a company is legit, we include customer reviews on Trustpilot or BBB. These sites have reviews from a company’s past clients who are more than happy to air out their grievances or praises. 

Why Do I Have to Use an Online Incorporation Service?

Forming a company can be time-consuming, confusing, and costly — especially if you’re just starting a business. A business formation service saves you from all of these problems (for a price) so you can focus more on growing your business.

Does Using an Online Incorporation Service Provide More Legal Protection or Privacy?

In a way, yes. 

If your online incorporation service provider acts as your registered agent, your business will be using their address as its own, thereby, protecting your privacy. This also saves you from receiving junk mail through your business.

One company (Northwest) even offers “Privacy by Default” where they do everything in their power to keep your personal data from going public. 

Will There be Any Risks to Using an Online Incorporation Service?

No. 

Online incorporation services have teams of industry experts who’ve made careers out of forming entities for their clients. Most companies have experience forming hundreds and even thousands of LLCs and corporations. 

It’s riskier if you try to do it yourself without any prior experience.

Do a Company’s Pricing Packages Include My State’s Company Registration Fee?

No. Your company’s state formation fee depends on the particular state you’re filing in. This can range from just $40 to hundreds of dollars depending on the state. 

Most business formation companies don’t include state fees as part of their formation fees. Although, some will shoulder the fees initially you still need to repay them through your monthly subscription. 

How Much Would it Cost to Hire an Attorney to Form My Company?

That depends on the nature and type of your company, the state you’re filing in, and the level of expertise of your chosen attorney. 

You can expect to pay somewhere at the minimum of $1000 to $1500 but it could easily cost up to $3000 or more. 

Do I Need to Reserve My Company Name Before Forming My Business?

Generally, no.

However, you may want to do this if you’ve already thought of a business name but aren’t ready to form it yet. You can reserve your name to ensure its availability when you’re finally ready to commit.

Also, there are some states like Alabama that require business owners to reserve their business names before the business formation process. 

Apart from these two instances, there’s no need to reserve your business name in advance.

Do Business Formation Services Help With Other Things Too?

Yes. Most business formation companies offer various useful business-related services that every entrepreneur will want. 

Apart from the usual business name check, you should look for companies that offer a registered agent service, operating agreement, EIN acquisition, annual report service, foreign qualifications, business licensing research, and more.

Should I Pay Extra for an EIN?

This depends on you.

Acquiring an EIN from the IRS is simple and free. All you need to do is fill out a simple form.

That said, you may lack the time to go and do this yourself. You may want to pay that little extra to your formation service for convenience since they already have your information ready anyway.

What is a Registered Agent and Why Should I Get One?

A registered agent is a person who represents your company when receiving government alerts and correspondence. 

Most states require businesses to have a registered agent before they can file for formation in that state. 

While you can act as your own registered agent, we highly recommend you get one because a registered agent service protects your personal privacy, helps you avoid your junk mail, and makes sure you never miss an important delivery.

Most business formation companies offer this service either as part of their pricing packages or as a separate service.