Northwest Registered Agent is the default pick for most readers, at $39 plus state fees, because it includes a free first year of registered agent service and an operating agreement in that one price, while Bizee and Inc Authority are the cheapest ways to start at $0 plus state fees. A $0 formation price does not mean a $0 first year, because every state charges its own filing fee, and a registered agent renews each year at $125 with Northwest, $149 with Bizee, $199 with ZenBusiness and Tailor Brands, and $249 with LegalZoom and Inc Authority. ZenBusiness Pro at $199 per year and Premium at $299 per year are annual subscriptions, while Bizee Standard at $199 and Premium at $299 are one-time formation charges plus state fees.
Incfile is now Bizee, and the name change matters when you compare prices. Most providers here start at $0 plus state fees, so the real difference is what sits behind that headline price: the agent renewal, the operating agreement, the EIN, and the processing time. Use the first-year service total, not the headline price, to choose. State fees are extra with every provider, from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts, according to Bizee.
On this page
Incfile alternatives: 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 entry cost with a free agent year | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Northwest Registered Agent | Clear one-price formation with privacy | $39 | No | Visit |
| 3 | ZenBusiness | Guided setup with compliance tools | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | LegalZoom | Attorney access with formation | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Swyft Filings | Fast filing with document templates | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 6 | Tailor Brands | Formation plus branding tools | $0 | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Rocket Lawyer | Ongoing legal documents and advice | $39.99 per month | Free trial (7 days) | Visit |
| 8 | Inc Authority | Free formation with a free EIN | $0 | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best incfile alternatives, in detail
Bizee
Best for: Lowest entry cost with a free agent year
Bizee is the current name for Incfile, and Basic still starts at $0 plus state fees. Standard costs $199 plus state fees and adds an EIN, an operating agreement, and faster handling. Premium costs $299 plus state fees and adds expedited filing, contract templates, and a domain and email.
- Every plan includes a year of registered agent service and a first month of virtual mail.
- Choose Bizee if you want the lowest entry cost and you are happy to move to Standard for the documents most new LLCs need.
- The trade-off is the renewal: registered agent service renews at $149 per year after the free year.
- Premium files fastest, in as little as 1 business day with expedited filing, while Standard processing varies by state.
Pros
- Basic formation at $0 plus state fees
- registered agent free for the first year on every plan
- Standard includes an EIN and operating agreement
Cons
- Basic excludes an EIN and operating agreement
- registered agent renews at $149 per year after the free year
Northwest Registered Agent
Best for: Clear one-price formation with privacy
Northwest charges $39 plus state fees for LLC formation, with no higher formation tier to work through. That price includes a year of agent service, an operating agreement, a banking resolution, a business address, and identity tools such as a domain, hosting, and email. The company uses its own address on state filings, which keeps a home address off public records where that applies.
- Choose Northwest if you want one clear price and you value privacy and direct support from a named guide.
- The trade-off is that there is no $0 entry point, so you pay $39 even for a basic filing.
- After year one, agent service renews at $125 per year, lower than Bizee at $149, ZenBusiness at $199, and LegalZoom at $249.
- Over three years, formation plus agent service comes to $289 before state fees.
Pros
- One $39 formation price with no tiers to compare
- operating agreement and banking resolution included
- registered agent free for the first year
Cons
- No $0 formation tier
- registered agent renews at $125 per year after the free year
ZenBusiness
Best for: Guided setup with compliance tools
ZenBusiness Starter costs $0 plus state fees and covers a name search, filing of the articles of organization, and standard processing in 7 to 10 business days. Pro costs $199 per year plus state fees and adds 1-business-day processing, an EIN, an operating agreement template, and ongoing compliance filings covering annual reports and up to 2 amendments per year. Premium costs $299 per year plus state fees and adds a domain with privacy, a business email, advanced compliance protection, and a documents library.
- Choose ZenBusiness if you want a guided dashboard and compliance reminders, and you are willing to pay an annual subscription for them.
- The trade-off is the renewal pattern: Starter does not renew, but Pro renews at $199 per year and Premium renews at $299 per year, and agent service c
- Worry-Free Compliance is included for one year on Starter in some offers, then renews at $199 per year.
Pros
- Starter formation at $0 plus state fees
- Pro adds 1-business-day processing, an EIN, and an operating agreement template
- 100% accuracy guarantee on filings
Cons
- Registered agent is a $199 per year add-on on Starter and Pro
- Pro and Premium renew each year at $199 and $299
LegalZoom
Best for: Attorney access with formation
LegalZoom Basic costs $0 plus state fees and files the articles of organization with a business name check and a tax consultation. Pro costs $249 plus state fees and adds an operating agreement, an EIN, unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations for 30 days, 150+ legal documents for one year, and unlimited eSignatures for one year. Premium costs $299 plus state fees and adds bookkeeping tools for 180 days.
- Choose LegalZoom if you want attorney access alongside formation, and you plan to use the document library in the first year.
- The trade-off is the ongoing cost: agent service is $249 per year and is not included in any plan, and the Business Attorney Plan auto-renews at $49 p
- A Pro start with an agent therefore costs $249 plus $249 plus state fees in year one.
Pros
- Basic formation at $0 plus state fees
- Pro adds an operating agreement, EIN, and 30 days of attorney consultations
- 150+ legal document templates for one year on Pro
Cons
- Registered agent costs $249 per year and is not included in any formation plan
- attorney plan auto-renews at $49 per month after the included 30 days
Swyft Filings
Best for: Fast filing with document templates
Swyft Filings Basic costs $0 plus state fees and covers a name check, preparation and filing of the formation documents, and lifetime customer support, with provider processing in 7 to 10 business days. Standard is listed at $169 plus state fees, down from a regular $199, and adds an EIN, a custom operating agreement, organizational minutes, a banking resolution, and 3-business-day processing. Premium is listed at $269 plus state fees, down from $299, and adds 1-business-day processing and a digital company kit.
- Choose Swyft Filings if speed matters and you want the document templates that come with Standard and Premium.
- The trade-off is the agent price: agent service is listed at $149 per quarter, which works out to $596 per year, so compare that with Northwest at $12
- ComplianceGuard is a 14-day trial on Basic, then renews at $199 per year unless you cancel.
Pros
- Basic formation at $0 plus state fees
- Premium offers 1-business-day provider processing
- Standard adds an EIN, operating agreement, and banking resolution
Cons
- Registered agent is separate and listed at $149 per quarter
- Basic processing takes 7 to 10 business days
Tailor Brands
Best for: Formation plus branding tools
Tailor Brands Lite costs $0 plus state fees and covers a name check and LLC filing, with internal preparation in up to 14 business days. Essential costs $199 per year plus state fees and adds an operating agreement, annual compliance reminders, and processing in 1 business day. Elite costs $249 per year plus state fees and adds a 1-year domain, a website builder, logo files, and a digital business card.
- Choose Tailor Brands if you also need a logo, a website, and a domain in the same account, because that is where Elite earns its price.
- The trade-off is that formation is only the first step: agent service costs $199 per year as an add-on, an EIN costs $99 if Tailor Brands files it, an
- Essential and Elite are annual subscriptions, so budget for the renewal too.
Pros
- Lite formation at $0 plus state fees
- Elite adds a domain, website builder, logo tools, and a digital business card
- Essential adds an operating agreement and 1-business-day processing
Cons
- Registered agent is a $199 per year add-on
- Lite processing takes up to 14 business days
Rocket Lawyer
Best for: Ongoing legal documents and advice
Rocket Lawyer works on a membership model rather than one-time formation tiers. Rocket Legal costs $39.99 per month, and the first business formation is included with membership, along with unlimited legal documents, attorney Q and A, and a 30-minute attorney consultation. A 7-day free trial converts to membership at $39.99 per month unless cancelled.
- Without membership, LLC formation costs $99.99 plus state fees, and each legal document costs $39.99.
- Choose Rocket Lawyer if you expect to need legal documents, contracts, and attorney questions through the year, not just a single filing.
- The trade-off is monthly billing: one month at $39.99 plus state fees is close to the Northwest $39 formation price, but the cost rises each month you
- Agent service costs $149.99 per year for non-members, or $111.99 with membership, and it is not included in membership.
Pros
- Membership includes a first business formation and unlimited legal documents
- non-member formation costs $99.99 plus state fees
- attorney Q and A is included with membership
Cons
- Best value needs a $39.99 per month membership that keeps billing each month
- registered agent costs $149.99 per year and is not included in membership
Inc Authority
Best for: Free formation with a free EIN
Inc Authority offers LLC formation at $0 plus state fees, with a name check, preparation and filing of the formation documents, and a free EIN. Registered agent service is included free for the first year. The company states that it waives its service charges for the formation itself, and that you only pay the mandatory state fees on top of the $0 service charge.
- Choose Inc Authority if you want a $0 formation with a free EIN and a calm checkout with few upsell screens.
- The trade-off is the year-two cost: agent service renews at about $249 per year, the joint highest renewal here alongside LegalZoom, and an operating
- If you plan to keep the agent, the low entry price is offset in year two.
Pros
- Formation service at $0 plus state fees
- EIN filing included at no extra service charge
- registered agent free for the first year
Cons
- Registered agent renews at about $249 per year after the free year
- operating agreement is an $89 add-on
How we chose
We included only providers that form LLCs in the United States, publish a starting price on an official page, and offer a named formation plan or membership. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages and official formation pages opened on 12 November 2026, with secondary checks where a vendor page showed a sale price. We did not test any tool hands-on. We did not form an LLC with any provider, and we did not use customer counts or awards to rank the items.
Which option fits your first-year budget
| Provider | Service cost in year one, before state fees | Agent renewal after year one |
|---|---|---|
| Bizee | $0 on Basic | $149 per year |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 | $125 per year |
| ZenBusiness | $0 on Starter, $199 on Pro | $199 per year as an add-on |
| LegalZoom | $0 on Basic, $249 on Pro | $249 per year, not included |
| Swyft Filings | $0 on Basic, $169 on Standard | $149 per quarter |
| Tailor Brands | $0 on Lite, $199 on Essential | $199 per year as an add-on |
| Rocket Lawyer | $39.99 for one month of membership, or $99.99 without membership | $149.99 per year, $111.99 with membership |
| Inc Authority | $0 | About $249 per year |
Frequently asked questions
Is Incfile still a real option?
Yes, Incfile is now Bizee, after a rebrand in 2023, and Bizee still lists Basic LLC formation at $0 plus state fees, with Standard at $199 and Premium at $299 plus state fees. Every Bizee plan includes a free first year of agent service, which renews at $149 per year.
Which Incfile alternative is best for most new LLCs?
Northwest Registered Agent is the best default for most new LLCs, because the $39 price includes formation, a free first year of agent service, an operating agreement, and a banking resolution, with no tiers to compare. Bizee is the best choice if you want a $0 start and you are happy to add Standard at $199 for an EIN and operating agreement.
How much does it cost to form an LLC with these providers?
Formation service costs range from $0 plus state fees with Bizee, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, Swyft Filings, Tailor Brands, and Inc Authority, to $39 plus state fees with Northwest, and $39.99 per month with Rocket Lawyer membership or $99.99 without membership. State fees are extra in every case, from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts, and an agent adds $125 to $596 per year.
Which alternative has the cheapest registered agent renewal?
Northwest Registered Agent has the cheapest renewal here at $125 per year after a free first year. Bizee renews at $149 per year, ZenBusiness and Tailor Brands charge $199 per year, LegalZoom and Inc Authority charge about $249 per year, and Swyft Filings lists $149 per quarter, which works out to $596 per year.
Do I need a registered agent, an EIN, and an operating agreement?
Most states require an LLC to have a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and most new LLCs need an EIN for a business bank account and an operating agreement to set out ownership and decisions. An EIN is free from the IRS if you apply directly, so only pay a provider for EIN filing if you want them to handle it.
Is Rocket Lawyer a good Incfile alternative?
Rocket Lawyer is a good alternative if you need ongoing legal help, because membership at $39.99 per month includes a first formation, unlimited legal documents, and attorney Q and A. It is a weak choice if you only need a one-time filing, because membership keeps billing each month and agent service costs $149.99 per year on top.
Sources
- https://bizee.com/
- https://bizee.com/form/bizee-4
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/
- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/125-northwest-ra
- https://www.zenbusiness.com/
- https://www.zenbusiness.com/how-to-get-free-llc/
- https://www.legalzoom.com/
- https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-start-a-free-llc
- https://www.swyftfilings.com/
- https://www.swyftfilings.com/blog/swyft-filings-vs-legalzoom/
- https://www.tailorbrands.com/
- https://www.rocketlawyer.com/
- https://www.incauthority.com/
- https://www.incauthority.com/free-llc
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.