Finding the best LLC service to help organize and file the documents necessary to form a new limited liability company can be nearly as overwhelming as figuring out how to do it yourself. While there are benefits to doing it yourself, finding a trustworthy LLC service to help has its advantages, too.
Using an LLC service might not be for everyone, but it could save time and money in the long run. Using a service ensures all the necessary paperwork is checked for completion by someone who understands the process before it is submitted—a substantial benefit considering improperly filed or incomplete paperwork may invalidate an LLC formation. We looked at the best LLC services on the market and ranked them based on cost, reliability and usability.
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The Best 5 LLC Services of 2021
Features
Excellent
Easy of Use
Good
Price
Okay
E-Business Law Group chose ZenBusiness as the best LLC service company because it offers the ideal balance of pricing, features and ease of use.
With different service tiers, businesses can choose which features are needed—and which are not. By offering this “only pay for what you need” feature, ZenBusiness offers better value for the money compared to other services. While it isn’t one of the most popular LLC services on the market, it is incredibly easy to use and offers impressive features.
Who Should Use It:
ZenBusiness is best for small businesses trying to save money by only paying for what they need and those looking for multiple plan tiers to choose from.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy to use
- Add-on features mean paying only for what you need
- Registered agent services included
- Includes an operating agreement with filing
Cons
- Extra cost for extra features may make other companies’ packages more affordable
Features
Excellent
Easy of Use
Good
Price
Okay
Northwest Registered Agent offers different plans, including the option for a free account that helps you walk through the process of registering an LLC.
For this reason, Northwest Registered Agent is best for those on a budget who don’t mind doing some work themselves.
The paid tier costs $225 upfront (monthly financing also available). It includes the filing fees, a year of registered agent services and free mail forwarding.
Who Should Use It:
Those who are considering doing an LLC registration on their own but want to be walked through the process if needed.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Streamlined price structure
- Full suite of benefits
- Reportedly great customer service
Cons
- Not as easy to use as other options
- Expensive paid plan
Features
Excellent
Easy of Use
Excellent
Price
Okay
LegalZoom, one of the most popular online legal help platforms, offers LLC services in addition to other legal tasks. The company offers straight-forward pricing that provides good value for money spent
For its basic filing service, LegalZoom charges $79, plus state filing fees. The company also offers expedited shipping and document formation services through its “Standard” and Express Gold” plans, for $329 and $349 respectively.
It’s one of the easiest services to use, and for those who are looking for an all-around online legal services provider, LegalZoom is a great option.
Who Should Use It:
LegalZoom is a trusted option for businesses in need of access to LLC filings and additional legal services.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Well known company
- Easy to use
- Full suite of benefits
Cons
- Only one plan for LLC filings
- Any additional benefits drive cost up (e.g. registered agent service)
Features
Good
Easy of Use
Good
Price
Good
Rocket Lawyer is a well-known company offering a wide range of legal services including LLC filings.
Rocket Lawyer charges $99.99 plus state filing fees for its LLC filing services. Premium members, who pay $39.99 per month for access to myriad legal services, get a discount of 25%. For new members, the $99.99 filing fee is waived (but the state filing fee still stands).
Its a la carte filing service helps keep costs low, especially for existing members. Additionally, LLC legal document templates are free and accessible to anyone on its website, and registered agent services are available separately (for $149.99).
Who Should Use It:
Those in search of a company capable of providing a broader range of other legal services might be interested in this online legal services provider.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free for new subscribers
- Trusted and well-rated
- A la carte pricing
Cons
- Limited services for non-members
Features
Good
Easy of Use
Good
Price
Great
Inc Authority is a great option for LLC filing because it does not charge a service fee for basic filing services. You will only need to pay your state’s filing fee. The free plan also includes a year of registered agent services as well.
Paid plans range from $399 to $799, and include a host of tangentially related services including tax consultations, business credit and funding reviews, EIN filing and more.
Inc Authority upselling its clients on a number of other business packages, such as logo and website development. Expect to pay for anything outside of the minimum, as custom filings or non-standard information may require purchasing an upgraded plan.
Who Should Use It:
Inc Authority is best for businesses that need a simple LLC filing but have no budget beyond the filing fees.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No service fees for the minimum plan; only pay state filing fees
- Free year of registered agent services
Cons
- May require purchasing an upgraded plan for custom filings
- Extraneous services included in paid plans
Methodology
These services were evaluated according to a number of factors such as pricing, general features and user reviews. The ideal LLC service is affordable enough for small business budgets while still offering enough features and flexibility to make sure that companies are legally covered. General features for best LLC companies included name availability search, online document access, registered agent add-on, articles of organization and whether additional legal services are available. The reviews and recognition score looked at BBB and Trustpilot ratings while the expert score considered overall value for money, ease of use, popularity and features.
What You Need to Know About Choosing an LLC Service
An LLC service is not the only way to form an LLC. Forming an LLC is straightforward in most states and possible without using (or paying for) a service. That said, there are often additional benefits to using an LLC service. Having someone else file paperwork for you can save time both in filing and the research required to figure out how. A registered agent service (which, in many cases may be available separate from an LLC filing service) can help protect personal information from appearing online or being available to the public.
Some LLC services also offer Articles of Organization as part of a filing package, but finding a template and structuring to fit the needs of your LLC may be worth doing to save money—and especially if your LLC has a more complex structure. Each LLC service has different offerings and fees, so it’s best to consider which services are required and choose a company that offers those for a reasonable price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Everything an LLC service can do a business owner can do on his or her own without incurring the same fee (fees still must be paid to the state or other entities for filing and other costs may be incurred, but they’ll undoubtedly be lower than paying someone else and paying those fees). That said, LLC services can still provide value to business owners who don’t want to do the filing on their own and can provide access to other legal services that may provide added value from someone with experience.
LLC services can provide different variations in offerings, but all of the LLC services on Forbes Advisors list include name availability search, online document access, the option for a registered agent add-on, creation of articles of organization and additional legal services. Some of these services may only be available through add-on fees or the more expensive packages, depending on the service provider.
There are a number of different kinds of legal classifications that your company can use to protect itself from liabilities. For example, filing a corporation can be useful if you want your company to be partially owned by outside shareholders. This is a preferable arrangement for many business owners. For more details, check out our comparison of LLCs and corporations.
