Forming an LLC yourself just means filing articles of organization with your state and paying the state fee.
An LLC formation service does that paperwork for you, and often bundles in a registered agent, an operating agreement, an EIN, and ongoing compliance reminders.
This is general business information, not legal advice. Company pricing and features change often, and the sources below are dated where possible.
Quick Comparison Table
Service | Starting Price | Registered Agent (Year 1 / Year 2+) | Filing Speed | Best For |
Northwest Registered Agent | $39 + state fee | Included / then ~$125/yr | 1–3 days (varies by source) | Privacy and no upsells |
ZenBusiness | $0 + state fee | Add-on, ~$199/yr | 7–10 days (1 day with rush) | Overall value and guided setup |
Bizee (formerly Incfile) | $0 + state fee | Free year 1, then ~$149/yr | 2–5 days (some sources cite up to 3 weeks) | Truly free basic formation |
LegalZoom | $0 + state fee | Add-on, ~$249/yr | 5–14 days (1 day expedited) | Legal document library and attorney access |
Swyft Filings | $0 + state fee | Sold separately, price not always published | 7–10 days (Basic), faster on paid tiers | Flexible, modular add-ons |
Inc Authority | $0 + state fee | Free year 1, then ~$249/yr | Varies; rush available | Free LLC and EIN bundle |
Tailor Brands | $0 + state fee | ~$199/yr | 1 day expedited, up to 14 days standard | Branding plus formation in one place |
Rocket Lawyer | ~99–149 + state fee | ~$125/yr, requires subscription | 5–7 days | Ongoing legal templates and attorney access |
Swyft Filings' pricing can look straightforward at first because its basic formation package starts at $0 plus state fees.
However, optional services such as registered-agent support can increase the overall cost, so it's useful to compare the full package rather than focusing only on the advertised starting price.
Sources for this table include ZenBusiness's own Best LLC Services comparison (September 2026), Nav's 2026 formation services roundup, and StartupOwl's 2026 tested comparison.
Numbers vary by source and change often, so treat this as a starting point and confirm current pricing directly with each provider before you buy.
1. Northwest Registered Agent: Best for Privacy and No Surprise Upsells
Northwest consistently ranks at or near the top of independent 2026 comparisons, with StartupOwl naming it "Best Overall" at a 4.8 rating after testing 15 formation services.
Its starting price is higher than the $0 headline plans elsewhere, at $39 plus state fees, but that price reportedly now includes a fuller "Business Identity" package:
A business address, domain, website, email, and phone service, according to StartupOwl's 2026 testing.
Northwest is known for keeping its own address on your public filings instead of yours, a genuine privacy advantage in states where your registered agent's address becomes part of the public record.
It also includes registered agent service in year one, with renewal around $125 a year after that, notably lower than several competitors' year-two agent fees.
Best for: Founders who want their home address kept off public filings and a formation service that doesn't pile on upsells at checkout.
2. ZenBusiness: Best for Overall Value and Guided Setup
ZenBusiness shows up as a top pick across nearly every 2026 roundup, including its own comparison page (which, unsurprisingly, ranks itself first) and independent sites like BizReport, which called it the best choice due to compliance tools, reliable support, and affordable pricing.
Its Starter plan is $0 plus state fees, and its Pro plan runs $199 a year with one-day rush filing included, according to ZenBusiness's own September 2026 pricing page.
The platform leans into a guided, dashboard-driven experience with built-in AI guidance (branded Velo) for planning and ongoing compliance.
Registered agent service is an add-on running roughly $199 a year.
Best for: First-time founders who want an easy, guided setup with a well-reviewed support team.
Also Read: Compare the Best LLC Services in 2026
3. Bizee (formerly Incfile): Best Truly Free Formation
Bizee is one of the few services where "$0 formation" comes with a genuinely useful bundle attached:
A full year of free registered agent service, according to LLCBuddy's 2026 review, which calls it "a truly no-cost LLC formation service" at the entry tier. After year one, registered agent renews at roughly $149 a year.
The tradeoff shows up in speed. Some 2026 sources report standard processing as fast as 2 to 5 business days, while others cite up to three weeks for the free tier specifically, so if timing matters, confirm current processing estimates directly with Bizee before you file.
Best for: Budget-conscious founders who specifically want the free registered agent year bundled with free formation.
4. LegalZoom: Best for Legal Document Access and Attorney Support
LegalZoom remains one of the most recognized names in the space, and several 2026 roundups, including LLCBuddy, name it their overall top pick, citing its "vast array of legal resources" and 5-million-plus businesses formed over 25+ years.
Its Pro plan runs $249 a year plus state fees and includes a month of unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations, a feature most competitors on this list don't offer at all.
The tradeoff is price. At the Pro tier, LegalZoom generally costs $50 more per year than ZenBusiness for comparable formation features, and its registered agent service runs about $249 a year on its own.
Best for: Founders who want attorney access and an extensive legal template library bundled with formation.
5. Swyft Filings: Best for Flexible, Modular Add-Ons
Swyft Filings takes a build-your-own approach: its Basic plan is $0 plus state fees and covers formation only, while Standard and Premium tiers add the operating agreement, EIN filing, banking resolution, and faster processing as you move up.
Pricing across current reviews clusters around $169 to $199 for Standard and $269 to $299 for Premium, though Swyft runs frequent promotional pricing, so the number you see at checkout may differ from list price.
Swyft's processing speed scales with your tier: Basic runs 7 to 10 business days, Standard around 3 business days, and Premium as fast as one business day, according to Fortunly's 2026 review.
One consistent criticism across reviews: registered agent service is sold separately and isn't included even in the top-tier Premium plan on some pricing pages, and its cost isn't always published upfront, so ask directly before assuming it's bundled.
If you're comparing Swyft against the other names on this list, looking for a current Swyft Filings discount code can help offset that separate registered agent cost.
Best for: Founders who want to pick and pay for exactly the features they need, rather than buying a fixed bundle.
6. Inc Authority: Best for a Free LLC and EIN Bundle
Inc Authority's headline offer bundles free LLC formation with a free EIN and a free year of registered agent service, according to Nav's 2026 formation services comparison.
After year one, registered agent renews at roughly $249, among the higher renewal costs on this list, so the "free" framing matters most in year one specifically.
Best for: Founders who want the free-formation-plus-free-EIN combination and are comfortable with a higher year-two registered agent cost.
7. Tailor Brands: Best for Branding Alongside Formation
Tailor Brands differs from the rest of this list by folding logo design and basic branding tools into its formation packages, making it a reasonable option if you're starting completely from scratch and want your LLC, business name, and visual identity handled in one place.
Formation starts at $0 plus state fees, with registered agents running around $199 a year, per Nav's 2026 data.
Best for: Brand-new founders who want a logo and basic branding bundled with LLC paperwork.
8. Rocket Lawyer: Best for Ongoing Legal Templates and Attorney Access
Rocket Lawyer works differently from the others on this list: LLC formation is included free with a Rocket Lawyer subscription for your first LLC, or available standalone for around $99, according to ZenBusiness's September 2026 comparison.
The real value is the subscription itself, which gives ongoing access to legal document templates and attorney consultations year-round, not just during formation.
Best for: Founders who expect to need legal documents and attorney access repeatedly throughout the year, not just once at formation.
What "Free" LLC Formation Actually Costs
Every service on this list advertises a 0ornear-0 entry price, and that's technically accurate: the formation filing fee itself is often free.
But a genuinely $0 LLC almost never stays that way past year one. Watch for these costs before you compare headline prices:
State filing fees. Every service charges these separately, and they range from under $50 to several hundred dollars depending on your state.
Registered agent renewal. Most states require one, and most services offer year one free or cheap, then charge $125 to $249 annually starting in year two.
EIN filing. Often included free (the IRS doesn't charge for this directly), but some services charge a service fee to file it on your behalf.
Operating agreement. Sometimes bundled, sometimes a $35 to $50 add-on.
Compliance and annual report filing. Commonly priced around $99 to $199 a year as an ongoing service.
Rush processing. Standard on premium tiers, an add-on (commonly $99) on lower tiers.
How to Choose the Right LLC Service for You
If privacy is your top concern: Northwest Registered Agent's approach to keeping your address off public records is a genuine differentiator most competitors don't match.
If you want the lowest total year-one cost: Compare Bizee's free registered agent year against ZenBusiness's $0 Starter plan, since the real cost difference often comes down to what each includes for year one specifically.
If you expect to need a lawyer: LegalZoom's bundled attorney consultations or Rocket Lawyer's subscription model give you access other formation-only services don't offer.
If you want to build exactly the package you need: Swyft Filings' modular, add-on-based pricing lets you pay only for what you actually use, rather than a fixed bundle with features you won't touch.
If you're starting from absolute zero, including your brand: Tailor Brands bundles basic branding tools alongside formation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $0 LLC formation really free?
The formation filing itself is often free, but you'll still pay your state's filing fee, and most services charge for registered agent service starting in year two, along with optional add-ons like an operating agreement or compliance filing.
Which LLC service is cheapest overall?
It depends on your state's filing fee and which add-ons you need. Bizee's free first-year registered agent and ZenBusiness's $0 Starter plan are consistently among the lowest total year-one costs across 2026 comparisons.
Do I need a registered agent?
Most states require one. Some services include it free for the first year, while others charge for it from day one, so factor this into your total cost comparison rather than looking at the formation price alone.
How fast can I actually get my LLC formed?
Standard processing across most services runs roughly 5 to 10 business days, with expedited or rush options (often for an extra fee) bringing that down to as little as one business day. Your state's own processing time is added on top of the service provider's turnaround.
Should I just form my LLC myself instead of using a service?
You can, and the only required cost is your state filing fee. A formation service mainly saves you time and reduces the risk of a paperwork mistake, which matters more in states with complex or unusual filing requirements.
The Bottom Line
There's no single best LLC service for everyone, and the "$0 formation" headline on most of these providers' homepages tells you almost nothing about what you'll actually pay by year two.
Compare registered agent renewal costs, what's genuinely bundled versus sold as an add-on, and how each provider's pricing lines up with what your specific state requires.
Northwest and ZenBusiness lead most 2026 rankings for overall value, LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer make sense if you want legal support built in, and Swyft Filings or Bizee are worth a look if you'd rather build your own package than buy a fixed bundle.
