Bizee is the best company formation pick for most readers, with a $0 Basic plan plus state fees, a registered agent free for the first year, and EIN help in the $199 Standard plan. Northwest Registered Agent is the best pick for privacy and a low recurring agent cost, at $39 plus state fees for formation and $125 per year for the agent after the first free year. A $0 formation fee does not mean a $0 company, because every state charges its own filing fee, ranging from $40 to $500 in the examples listed by Inc Authority.
Company formation means choosing an entity type, checking the name, and filing the formation document with the state. Most services here form LLCs and corporations in all 50 states, and all charge the state fee on top of their own service fee. Compare the agent renewal, the EIN fee, the operating agreement, and the processing time before you choose.
On this page
Best company formation: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bizee | Lowest cost LLC filing with a free agent year | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Northwest Registered Agent | Privacy and low recurring agent cost | $39 | No | Visit |
| 3 | LegalZoom | Attorney access with a known brand | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | ZenBusiness | Ongoing compliance and fast processing | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Tailor Brands | Formation plus branding tools | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 6 | Inc Authority | Free filing with one free premium choice | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Swyft Filings | Simple filing with same-day Premium | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | doola | Non-US founders who need an EIN | $297 per year | No | Visit |
The 8 best best company formations, in detail
Bizee
Best for: Lowest cost LLC filing with a free agent year
Bizee, formerly Incfile, starts with Basic at $0 plus the state fee, covering the LLC filing and state registration, with an agent free for the first year and a first month of Virtual Mail. The state fee is separate and varies by state. Standard costs $199 plus the state fee and adds an EIN, an operating agreement, and other setup help.
- Premium costs $299 plus the state fee and adds expedited filing and business contracts.
- After the first year, the agent renews at $149 per year.
- Choose Bizee for the lowest entry cost with a full first year of agent cover.
- Skip it if you need attorney consults, because these three plans do not bundle attorney access.
Pros
- Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 per year
- Standard at $199 adds EIN and operating agreement
Cons
- Premium at $299 is needed for expedited filing in as little as 1 business day
- Virtual Mail renews at its own price after the first month
Northwest Registered Agent
Best for: Privacy and low recurring agent cost
Northwest charges $39 plus state fees for formation, including the filing, an operating agreement or bylaws, one year of agent service, and a business identity package with a domain, website, email, phone line, business address, and mail scanning. The company states that it does not sell customer information, and it uses its own address on the filing. After the first year, the agent renews at $125 per year, or $100 per state per year for five or more states.
- That is lower than $149 per year at Bizee, $199 per year at ZenBusiness and Tailor Brands, and $249 per year at LegalZoom.
- Northwest has no $0 plan, and EIN help costs $50 extra with an SSN or ITIN.
- Choose Northwest if privacy and a low yearly agent cost matter more than a $0 entry price.
Pros
- One year of registered agent service included
- business identity tools include a domain, website, email, phone line, and business address
Cons
- EIN filing is a $50 add-on with an SSN or ITIN, and $200 without either
- no $0 formation plan
LegalZoom
Best for: Attorney access with a known brand
LegalZoom starts with Basic at $0 plus state fees, covering the articles of organization and a name check. Pro costs $249 plus state fees and adds an operating agreement, an EIN, a compliance calendar, and attorney consults. Premium costs $299 plus state fees and adds bookkeeping tools, invoicing, and expense tracking.
- Pro and Premium include 30 days of Business Attorney Plan access, which then renews at $49 per month unless canceled.
- Premium also includes 180 days of LZ Books, which then renews at $9.99 per month unless canceled.
- The agent costs $249 per year and is separate from every formation plan.
- LegalZoom suits a founder who wants a widely known brand and short-term attorney access in the same order.
Pros
- Basic plan at $0 plus state fees
- Pro and Premium include 30 days of Business Attorney Plan access
Cons
- Registered agent service costs $249 per year and is separate from every plan
- Pro and Premium renew the attorney plan at $49 per month after 30 days unless canceled
ZenBusiness
Best for: Ongoing compliance and fast processing
ZenBusiness offers three LLC packages. Starter starts at $0 plus state fees and includes a name search, filing of the articles of organization, a dashboard, compliance reminders, and Worry-Free Compliance free for the first year, renewing at $199 per year after that. Pro starts at $199 plus state fees and renews at $199 per year, adding 1-day processing, Worry-Free Compliance, an operating agreement template, an EIN, and a logo builder kit.
- Premium costs $299 plus state fees and renews at $299 per year, adding a domain with privacy, a business email address, Advanced Compliance Protection
- Add-ons include an agent at $199 per year, an EIN at $99, an operating agreement template at $99, and a domain at $25 per year plus $10 per year for p
- Choose ZenBusiness for compliance filings handled each year.
- Skip it if you want an agent included, because the agent is a separate $199 per year add-on.
Pros
- Starter at $0 plus state fees includes a 100 percent accuracy guarantee
- Pro at $199 per year adds 1-day processing and an EIN
Cons
- Registered agent service costs $199 per year as an add-on
- Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199 per year after the first free year on Starter
Tailor Brands
Best for: Formation plus branding tools
Tailor Brands starts with Lite at $0 plus state fees, covering LLC formation, a 30-day bookkeeping trial, a business coaching program, and sales and payment tools. Lite processing takes 14 business days. Essential costs $199 per year plus state fees and adds 1-day expedited processing, legal compliance filings, and an operating agreement.
- Elite costs $249 per year plus state fees and adds a domain free for one year, a website, 8 logos, a digital business card, and social media tools.
- An agent costs $199 per year and EIN filing costs $99, so both are extra on every plan.
- The bookkeeping trial ends after 30 days and then costs $39 per month unless canceled.
- Choose Tailor Brands for a domain, website, and logo in the same order.
Pros
- Lite plan at $0 plus state fees
- Elite at $249 per year adds a domain free for one year, a website, and 8 logos
Cons
- Lite processing takes 14 business days
- registered agent service costs $199 per year and EIN filing costs $99
Inc Authority
Best for: Free filing with one free premium choice
Inc Authority charges $0 for its entity setup service plus the state fee, waiving its service charges, labor costs, and overhead. The free LLC includes a business name check, filing of the formation documents, an agent for 1 year, digital storage of startup documents, a tax planning consultation, and INC CARE support by email or phone. You only pay the mandatory Secretary of State fee, which varies by state.
- You also choose one free premium service, either an EIN or 24-hour processing, so the other choice costs extra if you want both.
- The free LLC page does not list an operating agreement among the included items, so plan to add one separately.
- Recommended upgrades also appear during checkout, so review each screen before you confirm.
- Choose Inc Authority for a $0 filing with a free agent year and a free EIN or fast processing.
Pros
- Formation service at $0 plus state fees
- registered agent free for 1 year and a choice of one free premium service
Cons
- Operating agreement is not listed among the included items on the free LLC page
- checkout presents recommended upgrades that add cost
Swyft Filings
Best for: Simple filing with same-day Premium
Swyft Filings starts with Basic at $0 plus state fees, covering filing of the articles of organization with a 100 percent accuracy guarantee. Standard costs $169 plus state fees, down from a listed $199, and adds an operating agreement, organizational minutes, a banking resolution, and an EIN. Premium costs $269 plus state fees, down from a listed $299, and adds same-day processing, a professional business address, a custom digital kit, compliance monitoring, and unlimited attorney consultations.
- The agent is the weak point here.
- Swyft Filings lists it at $149 per quarter, which equals $596 per year, far above $125 per year at Northwest, $149 per year at Bizee after year one, a
- Basic also covers the formation document only, so an operating agreement, minutes, and an EIN all sit in Standard or Premium.
- Choose Swyft Filings for same-day Premium processing with attorney consultations.
Pros
- Basic plan at $0 plus state fees
- Premium at $269 adds same-day processing and unlimited attorney consultations
Cons
- Registered agent service costs $149 per quarter, which equals $596 per year
- Basic covers the formation document only
doola
Best for: Non-US founders who need an EIN
doola is built for founders who run a US business from anywhere, including founders outside the US. Starter costs $297 per year plus state fees and covers LLC or C Corp formation filed in 1 to 2 business days, an EIN, a US business address, an agent, and an operating agreement. The EIN is included with no SSN required, unlike Northwest, where an EIN without an SSN or ITIN costs $200 as an add-on.
- Tax and Compliance costs $1,999 per year plus state fees and adds federal and state tax filing.
- Business-in-a-Box costs $2,999 per year plus state fees, or $329 per month, and adds monthly financial statements, synced bookkeeping and taxes, and e
- Choose doola if you are outside the US and need an EIN, a US address, and tax help in one annual plan.
- Skip it for a $0 entry price, because doola has no free plan and Starter alone costs $297 per year.
Pros
- Starter at $297 per year includes an EIN with no SSN required, a US business address, and a registered agent
- formation filed in 1 to 2 business days
Cons
- No $0 plan and no free plan
- Tax and Compliance costs $1,999 per year and Business-in-a-Box costs $2,999 per year
How we chose
We chose providers that form LLCs or corporations in the US, list a starting price on an official pricing page, and include a name check and a registered agent option. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages opened on 2026-11-12, and state fees are separate in every case. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not install or use any service. The detail that changes the choice is the agent renewal: a $0 filing can still cost $596 per year for an agent at Swyft Filings, while the same year costs $125 at Northwest, so the first-year total matters more than the headline price.
Pick by budget and need
| Need | Pick | First-year service cost to note |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest entry cost | Bizee or Inc Authority | $0 plus state fees, agent free for 1 year |
| Lowest yearly agent cost | Northwest Registered Agent | $39 plus state fees, agent $125 per year after year 1 |
| Attorney access | LegalZoom | $0 plus state fees for Basic, Pro $249, agent $249 per year |
| Ongoing compliance | ZenBusiness | $0 plus state fees for Starter, Pro $199 per year |
| Branding with formation | Tailor Brands | $0 plus state fees for Lite, Elite $249 per year |
| Non-US founder needing an EIN | doola | $297 per year plus state fees, EIN included |
| Same-day filing | Swyft Filings | Premium $269 plus state fees, agent $149 per quarter |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to form a company?
The service fee starts at $0 plus state fees at six providers here, at $39 plus state fees at Northwest, and at $297 per year plus state fees at doola. State fees are separate and range from $40 to $500 in the examples listed by Inc Authority, so the total depends on the state and on add-ons such as an agent or an EIN.
Which company formation service is best for most people?
Bizee is the best pick for most readers, because Basic costs $0 plus state fees, the agent is free for the first year, and Standard at $199 adds an EIN and an operating agreement. Northwest is the better pick for privacy and a low yearly agent cost, at $39 plus state fees and $125 per year for the agent after year one.
Do I need a registered agent?
Most states require an LLC to have a registered agent with a physical address in the formation state, available during normal business hours. You can act as your own agent in some states, but then your address appears on state records. A commercial agent costs $125 to $596 per year across the providers in this article.
What is the difference between an LLC and a corporation?
An LLC is a flexible entity with members, pass-through tax treatment by default, and fewer formal meetings than a corporation. A corporation has shareholders, a board, and more formal governance, and it is taxed as a C corporation unless eligible shareholders make an S corporation election.
Is doola a good pick if I live outside the US?
Yes, doola is the best pick in this list for a founder outside the US, because Starter at $297 per year includes an EIN with no SSN required, a US business address, and an agent. Northwest charges $200 for an EIN without an SSN or ITIN, so the doola bundle can cost less in total.
Can I form a company for $0?
You can form a company with a $0 service fee at six providers in this list, but you still pay the state filing fee, which no provider can waive. The $0 plan also covers only the filing in most cases, so an operating agreement, an EIN, and an agent after the first year can add $50 to $596 per year.
Sources
- https://bizee.com/
- https://bizee.com/form/bizee-4
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc/north-carolina
- https://www.legalzoom.com/
- https://www.legalzoom.com/marketing/business-formation/llc-2
- https://www.zenbusiness.com/
- https://www.zenbusiness.com/file/llc-free/
- https://www.tailorbrands.com/
- https://www.tailorbrands.com/product-pricing
- https://www.incauthority.com/
- https://www.incauthority.com/free-llc
- https://www.swyftfilings.com/
- https://www.swyftfilings.com/llc/
- https://www.doola.com/
- https://www.doola.com/pricing/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.