Northwest: LLC for $39 + state fee, registered agent free for year 1 · prices verified 29 Oct 2026
Independent LLC comparison
146 services, 50 states and DC, priced the way you will actually pay: the filing, the agent you have to keep, and the renewal that arrives in year 2.
If you live in the US
Each one wins on something different. The numbers exclude your state's filing fee, which you pay whichever you choose.
1Safest default
4.1 on Trustpilot (310 reviews)
Cheapest over five years, first year of agent service included, human support.
Few extras. No bookkeeping or attorney marketplace.
Visit NorthwestOpens northwestregisteredagent.com
2Cheapest year 1
4.8 on Trustpilot (26,356 reviews)
Lowest start. Costs more than Northwest from year 3 if you keep their agent.
The agent auto-renews. Basic covers the filing and the agent, little else.
Visit Bizee (Incfile)Opens bizee.com
3Compliance tools
4.8 on Trustpilot (33,107 reviews)
Worth it if you will use the dashboard and reminders. Otherwise you pay for software.
A website-builder trial is preselected at checkout and renews at $15/mo.
Visit ZenBusinessOpens zenbusiness.com
4Attorney access
4.6 on Trustpilot (33,770 reviews)
Pick it for the legal plans and trademark work, not for the filing.
The most expensive agent renewal of the four.
Visit LegalZoomOpens legalzoom.com
Advertised prices hide the renewal. Real year 1 is the service fee plus the registered agent you need from day one. Five years adds the four renewals you pay if you keep their agent. State fees are extra unless marked all in.
| Service | Advertised | Real year 1 | Five years | Agent renewal | EIN | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| If you live in the US | ||||||
| Northwest | $39 + state fee | $39 | $539 | $125/yr | Free from the IRS | Cheapest over five years, first year of agent service included, human support. |
| Bizee (Incfile) | $0 + state fee | $0 | $596 | Free year 1, then $149/yr | Free from the IRS, or $70 add-on | Lowest start. Costs more than Northwest from year 3 if you keep their agent. |
| ZenBusiness | $0 + state fee | $199 | $995 | $199/yr | Free from the IRS, or $99 add-on | Worth it if you will use the dashboard and reminders. Otherwise you pay for software. |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fee | $249 | $1,245 | $249/yr | Free from the IRS | Pick it for the legal plans and trademark work, not for the filing. |
| If you live outside the US | ||||||
| doola | $297/yr | $297 | $1,485 | Included while subscribed | Included, no SSN needed | One bill for agent, address and EIN. The simplest start from abroad. |
| Firstbase | $0 + state fee (offer) | $299 | $1,495 | $299/yr per state | Included, no SSN needed | Fine while the offer runs. The agent renewal is the highest here. |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 incl. Delaware fee | $500 all in | $900 | Free year 1, then $100/yr | Included, no SSN needed | The default if you will raise venture capital. Overkill for a one-person LLC. |
| StartGlobal | $399 incl. state fee | $399 all in | Not published | Included year 1 | Included, no SSN needed | One price that already includes the state fee in most states. |
Prices verified 29 Oct 2026 from each provider's site. US residents' year 1 assumes the free EIN from the IRS. Compare all 146 services
Forming is one filing. Running the company takes a few more services. Every one we track, by job.
The state fee is the one cost nobody can discount. After that, the cheapest setup is a $0 filing service and your own address as the agent.
The filing fee is a one-off. What lasts is the annual fee: California charges $810 a year, while at least 8 states charge nothing.
Bizee Basic, agent free for year 1
$0 state + $125 agent (Northwest). $0 if you are your own agent.
The same six in every state. Each one tells you where a service can do it for you, and when you shouldn't pay for that.
Most owners form where they live and work. Forming elsewhere usually means registering a second time at home and paying two sets of fees.
Compare all 50 states' feesIt must be distinguishable from every business already on your state's register and end in LLC or an equivalent.
Formation services check it for youA person or company with a street address in the state who accepts legal papers for the LLC during business hours.
Compare registered agentsOne form, filed online with the state, plus the filing fee. Some states call it a Certificate of Formation.
Have a service file itWho owns what, who decides and what happens if someone leaves. Few states require one; banks and partners often ask for it.
Do I need one?The EIN is free from the IRS if you have a Social Security number. Without one, it takes a fax or a service.
EIN services and banksEvery state's filing fee, by region. Marked states are popular with founders who live outside the US.
Bold states have a full guide. Popular with non-residents.
If you live outside the US
You can own a US LLC without living in the US or holding a Social Security number. You will need four things a US resident gets for free or already has.
The IRS online form needs an SSN or ITIN. Without one you fax Form SS-4, or a service does it.
Banks and payment processors want a US street address that is not your registered agent's.
Mercury, Wise, Airwallex and Payoneer all open accounts for foreign-owned LLCs. None guarantees approval.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC must file it with a pro forma 1120, even with no income. Missing it carries a $25,000 penalty.
1Most complete stack
4.4 on Trustpilot (2,092 reviews)
One bill for agent, address and EIN. The simplest start from abroad.
Agent and address stop if you cancel the plan. Tax filing is the $1,999/yr tier.
Visit doolaOpens doola.com
2$0 formation offer
4.3 on Trustpilot (1,097 reviews)
Fine while the offer runs. The agent renewal is the highest here.
The $0 is a promotion on a $399 list price. Non-resident tax package is extra.
Visit FirstbaseOpens firstbase.io
3VC-backed Delaware
The default if you will raise venture capital. Overkill for a one-person LLC.
Built for Delaware C-corps raising money. Delaware franchise tax is on top.
Visit Stripe AtlasOpens stripe.com
4State fee included
4.4 on Trustpilot (370 reviews)
One price that already includes the state fee in most states.
$599 in some states. Managed compliance is $149/mo extra.
Visit StartGlobalOpens startglobal.co
Year 1 and five-year cost with the renewals you can't avoid, not the advertised price.
Prices and inclusions come from each provider's own pages, checked on 29 Oct 2026. If we couldn't verify a price, the directory says so.
A US resident and a founder abroad need different things, so they get different picks.
Trustpilot score and review count, shown with the source. It covers each provider's whole domain.
Written and checked by Will Nash, editor of Open an LLC. No provider pays to be listed or ranked. None of the links on this site earn a commission today; if that changes, the page will say so.
Checkout pages are where the price doubles. Skip these.
The IRS issues EINs online for free, usually in one sitting.
FinCEN's March 2025 rule exempted companies formed in the US from beneficial ownership reporting.
No state requires an LLC to own one.
Most states process online filings within days. Pay to rush only if a contract or bank is waiting.
Untick it. Several services preselect one that renews monthly.