Us vs the formation giants
We don't file your company — they do. We tell you what it will cost to keep it compliant in every state — they don't. Honest breakdowns, researched from public pricing.
vs Stripe Atlas ($500)
VC-track formation vs free multi-state tax planning. Use both.
Read comparisonvs ZenBusiness ($0 + fees)
Mass formation vs statutory depth. Different jobs.
Read comparisonvs doola ($297+/yr list)
Back-office subscription vs free calculators. Non-US founder notes.
Read comparisonvs LegalZoom
$0 / $249 / $299 + state fees. The best-known legal-services brand: LLC formation packages bundled with attorney plans, legal documents, and bookkeeping upsells.
Read comparisonvs Bizee (Incfile)
$0 / $199 / $299 + state fees; RA free year 1. Budget formation service (formerly Incfile) with a $0 basic plan that includes a free first year of registered agent service.
Read comparisonvs Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + state fees; RA $125/yr after year 1. Privacy-focused registered agent and formation service known for using its own address on filings and minimal upselling.
Read comparisonvs Harvard Business Services
$50/yr Delaware RA, fixed for life. Delaware specialist since 1981 whose $50-a-year Delaware registered agent fee has never increased.
Read comparisonvs Clerky
$819 lifetime package or $427 + per-use. Startup legal paperwork platform: Delaware C-corp incorporation, SAFEs, hiring documents, and equity issuances, priced as a lifetime package or per use.
Read comparisonvs Firstbase
Start $99 promo ($399 list); RA $299/yr per state. Formation plus ongoing operations for remote and global startups: registered agent, mailroom, bookkeeping, and tax filing sold separately or bundled.
Read comparisonHow to compare formation services
Every service charges the same state filing fee, so compare what's left: the provider's own price, what the registered agent costs after any free first year, and which add-ons renew automatically. Then remember that the state's annual costs — California's $800, Delaware's $400 LLC tax or franchise tax, Wyoming's $62 — usually outweigh the provider's fees within a year or two.
The bigger decision is where to form at all. A Delaware or Wyoming entity run from California pays both states; a company with remote employees pays every state they work in. Model that first with the tri-state matrix and the nexus checker, then buy formation from whoever fits.
Pricing researched from public pages, August–September 2026. Verify before purchasing — plans change.