Starting your own business is no small feat. Not only are you bringing your dreams to life, but you’re also exploring a new path for income.
With so much at stake, you can’t risk things going wrong. This means that you need to get things right from the start, and that begins with creating and registering your company.
You can always do business formation on your own, but why not use a professional instead? They’d have the knowledge and experience to get things done efficiently.
Of course, we think our service at Business Anywhere is the best online LLC formation company you’ll find. (Plus, we are completely FREE! Just pay state fees!) But in view of full transparency – we’ll compare some of the more well-known services too.
This article will give you a comparison between ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom so you can learn more about your choices for business formation.
About ZenBusiness
Filing company ZenBusiness has been around since 2017 and started off with a team of entrepreneurs. To date, they’ve helped start over 700,000 businesses.
ZenBusiness is a technology-driven platform that wants to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners. They say they do this by providing simple and affordable services.
This company’s mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible to everyone.
About LegalZoom
LegalZoom started off in 2001 as a tech company and is a trusted leader in online legal services. In addition to their business formation service, the company can also do:
- Trademark and copyright protection
- Estate planning
- Legal advice
LegalZoom has 10 online services and has helped over four million entrepreneurs set up their businesses.
This company’s mission is to make legal support accessible, reliable, and affordable. They achieve this by simplifying complex legal processes and empowering their customers to make informed decisions with confidence.
ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom: Services
Now that you’ve learned a little about each company, it’s time to delve into their details. Let’s start with what services they offer.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness’s services for business formation include:
- LLC formation
- S corp filing
- C corp formation
- Worry-free compliance
- Beneficial ownership information report
- Operating agreement
- Registered agent service
- Employer ID number
- Business document templates library
- Fast filing speed
- DBA name registration
- New York publication
- Business license report
- Annual report filing
- Amendment filing
- Certificate of good standing
The three plans you can get here are Starter, Pro, and Premium. They have a page where you can compare these packages side by side so you can clearly see what’s included (and what’s not).
ZenBusiness can also help you build your online presence to attract customers. Services here include:
- eCommerce website
- Logo kit
- Domain name registration
- Business website
- Business email address
- Domain name privacy
Need financial management assistance? They’ve got you here too. Services you can use are:
- Business banking
- Bank of America offer
- Money Pro with online payments
- Business credit cards
- Free tax savings consultation
- Tax services
LegalZoom
LegalZoom also has comprehensive business formation services. Types they help with include:
- LLC
- Corporation (C corp and S corp)
- Doing business as (DBA)
- Nonprofit
- Sole proprietorship
Other services that offer assistance in running your business include:
- Registered agent services
- Annual report
- Beneficial ownership info report
- Business licenses
- Bookkeeping
- Virtual mailbox
- Dissolution
LegalZoom also has the following services to help protect your business:
- Trademark registration
- Trademark search
- Trademark monitoring
- Provisional patent
- Copyright
Winner: In this category, there’s no clear winner since that depends on the clients’ individual needs. It’s up to you to read through the services offered and determine which company fits you better – but we think our service at Business Anywhere beats them both.
How Business Anywhere Stands Out
Unlike competitors, Business Anywhere allows full customization of your business formation package. You only pay for the services you need—no bundled add-ons that may not be relevant to your business.
Business Anywhere offers:
- Free business registration (only pay state fees)
- First-year registered agent service for free
- Virtual mailbox services
- Online notary services
- EIN application assistance
- Fast and affordable expedited filing (as low as $57 for a 5-day service)
LegalZoom vs ZenBusiness: Prices and Packages
In terms of LLC formation, both companies have three packages: Basic/Starter, Pro, and Premium. They have different prices and services included, so read on for more information.
ZenBusiness
How much does ZenBusiness cost? The prices for their packages are as follows (excluding state filing fees):
- Starter: $0
- Pro: $199
- Premium: $299
The base package includes the standard filing service, a 100% accuracy guarantee, and the worry-free compliance offer, which is currently a special offer. The pro package gives you the same things, as well as the operating agreement and EIN.
Lastly, the Premium package has everything, plus:
- Business document template library
- Domain name with privacy
- AI website builder
- Business email address
- Premium support
LegalZoom
LegalZoom’s packages and prices are as follows (excluding state filing fees):
- Basic: $0
- Pro: $224, discounted from $249
- Premium: $269, discounted from $299
The basic package comes with the articles of organization, name check service, and tax consult from 1-800Accountant. With the Pro package, you’ll get the same things, plus:
- Operating agreement
- EIN
- Bookkeeping tools (one-year subscription)
- 150+ customizable legal documents (for one year)
- Unlimited eSignatures (for one year)
- Customizable website powered by WIX
The Premium package is the same as the Pro plan, except you’ll get guidance from experienced business attorneys. You’ll also get a 30-day subscription for unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations about new legal topics related to your business, and you can make any changes to your LLC formation documents within the first 30 days.
Winner: Both of the lowest-tiered packages $0 (excluding state fees). So, do we at Business Anywhere, plus we allow you to add on your extra service a-la-carte, so you don’t pay for anything you won’t need.
Why Business Anywhere is a Smarter Choice
- Free business formation ($0 + state fees)
- First-year registered agent service included
- Flexible, pay-as-you-go service options
- Affordable expedited filing (as low as $57)
With Business Anywhere, you won’t be forced into expensive bundles—you’ll get exactly what you need, when you need it.
ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom: Turnaround Time
The turnaround time will depend on which package you choose with each company. Obviously, the basic plan will be the slowest, but let’s explore more below.
ZenBusiness
Here are the processing times for each package if you want to form an LLC:
- Basic: 7-10 business days
- Pro: 1 business day
- Premium: 1 business day
Do note that these are the times based on receiving complete information from the client. ZenBusiness doesn’t have control over the processing times for the Secretary of State, who will officially register the business for you.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom doesn’t have processing times specifically for LLCs. However, these are the times listed for nonprofit organizations:
- Economy: 35 business days
- Standard: 20 business days
- Express Gold: 15 business days
There are also customer testimonies saying that LegalZoom takes one to two weeks to process your paperwork. Some have even said they waited months.
Winner: You should use ZenBusiness for an LLC if you’re in a rush; the longest you’ll have to wait is 1.5 weeks. If you choose anything but the Basic package, they’ll have your paperwork submitted within one business day.
Business Anywhere Turnaround Time
- Standard Filing: 10-15 business days
- Expedited Filing (5-day service): Only $57
- Expedited Filing (2-day service): Only $77
Why wait weeks or pay hundreds for fast filing when Business Anywhere can get it done for a fraction of the cost?
ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom: Customer Service
When you pick an optimal service provider, it should smooth sailings. However, you want to have peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong, there will be a helpful agent when you need them.
Here’s a comparison of each company’s customer service offerings.
ZenBusiness
If you have any questions or concerns, you can call ZenBusiness every day of the week. The phone lines are open on weekdays from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm CT, and they’re open on weekends from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm CT (the sales team isn’t available on Sundays though).
If you’d like live interactions but don’t want to get on a phone call, there’s a live chat option too. You can use it during the same operating hours for the phone lines.
Otherwise, you can check the extensive FAQs page to see if you can find relevant answers. Or you can email the business and they’ll try to get back to you within one business day.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom also offers a phone line you can call seven days a week. The weekday hours are 5:00 am until 7:00 pm PT, and the weekend hours are 7:00 am until 4:00 pm PT.
They have an FAQ section on their contact page too. These questions have answers, as well as actions you can take (such as specific numbers to call).
There’s also a live chat option available. The hours of operation are the same as the phone line, but if you message outside of those hours, you’ll get a chatbot. Those who are new customers will have to give lots of personal information before they can get some answers.
Winner: Not only does ZenBusiness have more contact options, but they’re also not as pushy for sales. They could do with longer operating hours for their phone lines and live chat, but that’s not such a big deal.
Business Anywhere Customer Support
BusinessAnywhere has a strong customer support system too. You can always book a free call with an expert to learn more about what we can do for your unique situation. Or you can reach us through our:
- 24/7 chatbot
- Social media (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube)
Which Is Better: LegalZoom or ZenBusiness?
In general, ZenBusiness seems to be better than LegalZoom. Customers seem to agree, as the company has an average of 4.8 stars on Trustpilot, while LegalZoom has an average of 4.4 stars.
You don’t necessarily have to use either provider though.
As we’ve mentioned, we at Business Anywhere also have a free business registration service, and we allow our customers to pick and choose additional services for an easier and more affordable time. Plus, we have services outside of LLC formation, such as:
- Registered agent
- Online notary
- Virtual mailbox
Pick the Right Business Formation Company
Here, we’ve laid out the pros and cons regarding the ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom debate. Both are great companies, but why settle for great when you can have excellent?
Business Anywhere is a top contender, and we’re the only platform to have a user-friendly dashboard with four essential services. Plus, it’ll only take minutes to submit key information for business formation, so you won’t have to stress out.
Sign up with Business Anywhere now to start experiencing our fantastic services.
