In Short: The Best LLC Formation Service Depends on Who You Are
Most formation services charge $0 to $39 to file, then earn their money on the registered agent renewal and add-ons. Compare the two-year cost, not the sign-up price.
- Best for founders outside the US: BusinessAnywhere. $0 plus the state fee, a free first year of registered agent service, a $97 EIN without an SSN and Form 5472 filing for $497 a year.
- Best all-in-one for US residents: Northwest Registered Agent. $39 plus the state fee with an address, mail scanning and the first agent year included, then $125 a year.
- Cheapest first year: BusinessAnywhere and Bizee, both $100 for a Wyoming LLC with an agent. Bizee renews its agent at $149 a year, BusinessAnywhere at $147.
- Best for venture-backed startups: Stripe Atlas. $500 for a Delaware company with the EIN, 83(b) filing and Cooley templates.
- Best for bundled tax filing: Clemta, EasyFiling and doola sell yearly plans that include federal tax filing, from $999 to $1,999 a year.
Disclosure: BusinessAnywhere sells LLC formation, so it competes with every provider on this list. We put our own service first only where the numbers support it, and we show where competitors cost less. Competitor prices come from each provider’s own pricing pages as of October 2026.
An LLC formation service files your articles of organization with the state, acts as your registered agent and handles setup tasks such as the EIN and operating agreement. The state fee is the same whichever service you use. What differs is the service fee, the agent renewal, what is bundled and what you are signed up for after the first year.
How We Compared LLC Formation Services
- Two-year cost: the formation fee, state fee and registered agent for a Wyoming LLC in year one and each year after. Wyoming charges $100 to form and $60 a year for the annual report, per our breakdown of Wyoming LLC costs.
- Registered agent renewal: the price you pay every year once the free year ends.
- EIN handling: the price, and whether the service files for owners without a Social Security number.
- Speed: the provider’s stated processing time, before the state’s own processing time.
- Pricing transparency and terms: published prices, auto-renewing add-ons and minimum commitments.
- Fit: who each service is built for: US residents, non-US founders or venture-backed startups.
Best LLC Formation Services Compared
| Provider | Formation fee | Registered agent | EIN | Stated speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BusinessAnywhere | $0 + state fee | Free year one, then $147/yr | $97, with or without an SSN | 10 to 14 working days; 5-day $57, 2-day $77 | Founders outside the US |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 + state fee | Free year one, then $125/yr | Not priced on its formation page | Same-day processing | US residents who want privacy and an address |
| ZenBusiness | $0, $199/yr or $299/yr plans | $199/yr, not in any plan | $99, in Pro and Premium | 7 to 10 business days; 1 day on Pro | US residents who want a website bundle |
| Bizee | $0, $199 or $299 + state fee | Free year one, then $149/yr | Not listed on its formation page | Not stated | Lowest first-year cost in the US |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fee on Basic | $249/yr | Paid plans or add-on | Not stated | Owners who want attorney access |
| doola | $297/yr + state fee | Included in plan | Included | Stated as 2 days | Non-US founders who want one yearly plan |
| Firstbase | $99 + state fee | Required, $299/yr | Included | Wyoming 3 to 7 business days | Startups forming in Delaware or Wyoming |
| Clemta | $349/yr + state fee | Included in plan | Included | Not stated | Non-US founders who want tax filing bundled |
| EasyFiling | $249/yr + state fee | Included in year one | Included | 5 to 7 business days | Non-US founders who want an address included |
| Stripe Atlas | $500, Delaware only | Year one included, then $100/yr | Included | Next-day expedited filing | Venture-backed Delaware startups |
Two-Year Cost of a Wyoming LLC by Provider
Sign-up prices hide the real cost. The table below adds the state fee and the registered agent for a Wyoming LLC, then shows what you pay each year after. It leaves out optional extras; the notes below the table cover the EIN and what each plan bundles.
| Provider | Year one | Each year after |
|---|---|---|
| BusinessAnywhere | $100: $0 fee, $100 state fee, agent free | $207: $147 agent, $60 state fee |
| Bizee Basic | $100: $0 fee, $100 state fee, agent free | $209: $149 agent, $60 state fee |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $139: $39 fee, $100 state fee, agent free | $185: $125 agent, $60 state fee |
| ZenBusiness Starter | $299: $0 plan, $100 state fee, $199 agent | $259: $199 agent, $60 state fee |
| LegalZoom Basic | $349: $0 plan, $100 state fee, $249 agent | $309: $249 agent, $60 state fee |
| EasyFiling Starter | $349: $249 plan, $100 state fee | $309: $249 plan, $60 state fee |
| doola Starter | $397: $297 plan, $100 state fee | $357: $297 plan, $60 state fee |
| Clemta Essentials | $449: $349 plan, $100 state fee | $409: $349 plan, $60 state fee |
| Firstbase | $498: $99 fee, $100 state fee, $299 agent | $359: $299 agent, $60 state fee |
Northwest costs the least to keep from year two, at $22 a year less than BusinessAnywhere, and includes an address and mail scanning. BusinessAnywhere and Bizee cost the least in year one. Add the EIN and the order changes for founders without an SSN: BusinessAnywhere files it for $97 without one, and doola, Clemta, EasyFiling and Firstbase include it in their plans. Stripe Atlas forms only in Delaware, where the $500 fee covers year one and the company then pays $500 a year: a $100 agent plus Delaware’s $400 tax.
1. BusinessAnywhere: Best for Founders Outside the US
BusinessAnywhere forms LLCs and corporations in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico for $0 plus the state fee, with no SSN, US visit or US address required. The first year of registered agent service is free and renews at $147 a year. The EIN application service costs $97 with or without an SSN.
Every other service is priced on its own: a virtual mailbox from $20 a month billed annually with unlimited scanning, annual report filing for $50 a year plus the state fee, Form 5472 and pro forma Form 1120 filing for $497 a year, and 5-day or 2-day expedited filing for $57 or $77. There is no subscription and no minimum term.
Watch out for: standard filing takes 10 to 14 working days, slower than Northwest’s same-day processing. The address and mail scanning are a paid add-on, not bundled.
2. Northwest Registered Agent: Best All-in-One for US Residents
Northwest charges $39 plus the state fee. Its formation page lists same-day processing, an operating agreement, a free year of registered agent service and a business identity package with a domain, website, email, phone line and business address. The agent renews at $125 a year, the lowest renewal on this list.
Watch out for: its formation page does not price an EIN service. Founders without an SSN apply to the IRS by mail or fax, or pay a separate provider.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs Northwest Registered Agent comparison.
3. ZenBusiness: Best for US Owners Who Want a Website Bundle
ZenBusiness Starter costs $0 plus the state fee and takes 7 to 10 business days. Pro costs $199 a year and adds the EIN, an operating agreement, annual report filing and 1-day processing. Premium costs $299 a year and adds a domain and business email. Its registered agent costs $199 a year and is not included in any plan.
Watch out for: Starter’s Worry-Free Compliance is free for year one and renews at $199 a year. With the agent and compliance renewing, a Starter LLC costs $398 a year to keep before state fees.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs ZenBusiness comparison.
4. Bizee: Lowest First-Year Cost for US Owners
Bizee sells Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, each a one-time fee plus the state fee, and every package includes one free year of registered agent service. The agent then renews at $149 a year.
Watch out for: its formation page does not list which package includes the EIN or an operating agreement, so check the package comparison before you pick Basic.
5. LegalZoom: Best for Owners Who Want Attorney Access
LegalZoom’s Basic LLC plan starts at $0 plus filing fees and covers the articles and a name check. Its registered agent service costs $249 a year, the highest on this list, and the EIN comes with a paid plan or a separate add-on.
Watch out for: the agent price. A Basic LLC with LegalZoom’s agent costs $349 in year one, against $100 with BusinessAnywhere or Bizee.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs LegalZoom comparison.
6. doola: Best Yearly Plan for Non-US Founders
doola’s Starter plan costs $297 a year plus state fees and includes formation, the EIN, an operating agreement, the registered agent and a business address. Its Tax and Compliance plan costs $1,999 a year and adds annual state filing, federal tax filing and bookkeeping.
Watch out for: every plan is billed yearly, and Starter does not include the annual state report.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs doola comparison.
7. Firstbase: Best for Startups Forming in Delaware or Wyoming
Firstbase charges $99 for its Start package plus the state fee, forms only in Delaware and Wyoming, and requires its $299-a-year registered agent, which includes annual report filing. It offers a banking marketplace and a federal tax package for foreign-owned LLCs at $899 a year.
Watch out for: the required $299 agent gives Firstbase the highest year-one cost on this list, $498 for a Wyoming LLC.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs Firstbase comparison.
8. Clemta: Best for Bundled Tax Filing
Clemta sells yearly plans from $349 plus state fees, with formation, the EIN, the agent and an address with 3 mail scans a year. Its $1,068 Pro plan adds federal tax filing and annual state filing.
Watch out for: Clemta’s policy sets a 12-month commitment on every plan.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs Clemta comparison.
9. EasyFiling: Best Plan With an Address Included
EasyFiling Starter costs $249 a year plus state fees and includes formation, the EIN, the agent for year one, a business address with mail scanning and annual report filing on renewal. Business 360 costs $999 a year and adds federal tax filing.
Watch out for: the refund window is 7 days and closes once the filing is submitted.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs EasyFiling comparison.
10. Stripe Atlas: Best for Venture-Backed Startups
Stripe Atlas charges $500 to form a Delaware company. The fee covers the state filing, next-day expedited filing, the first agent year, the EIN, founder equity issuance, the 83(b) election and legal templates developed with Cooley.
Watch out for: Atlas forms only in Delaware, and Stripe states that it does not file annual reports, franchise tax or income tax returns.
See our BusinessAnywhere vs Stripe Atlas comparison.
Which LLC Formation Service Should You Choose?
You live outside the United States
Choose a service that files the EIN without an SSN and gives you a US address. BusinessAnywhere does both at the lowest two-year cost on this list, and files Form 5472 for $497 a year when it is due. Choose doola, Clemta or EasyFiling if you want everything in one yearly plan. Our non-resident LLC formation guide covers the full process.
You live in the US and want the lowest ongoing cost
Northwest has the lowest agent renewal at $125 a year and bundles an address and mail scanning. BusinessAnywhere and Bizee cost less in year one.
You are raising venture capital
Form a Delaware C corporation. Stripe Atlas and Firstbase are built for this, and our Wyoming vs Delaware comparison explains when Delaware is worth its higher yearly cost.
You want your taxes handled too
Compare the full yearly price: BusinessAnywhere formation plus its $497 Form 5472 filing costs $704 a year to keep a Wyoming LLC, against $1,128 for Clemta Pro, $1,059 for EasyFiling Business 360 and $2,059 for doola Tax and Compliance.
Hidden Costs to Check Before You Sign Up
- Agent renewals: a free first year turns into $125 to $299 a year. This is the largest recurring cost after the state fee.
- Auto-renewing compliance add-ons: some $0 plans include a free year of compliance service that renews automatically.
- Yearly plans: plan-based services bill the full plan every year, whether or not you use every feature.
- Minimum terms: check for 12-month commitments and short refund windows.
- State fees: every service passes these through. Compare them in our LLC cost by state table.
Start Your LLC With BusinessAnywhere
BusinessAnywhere forms your LLC for $0 plus the state fee, includes a free first year of registered agent service and gets the EIN for founders without a Social Security number for $97.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best LLC formation service?
It depends on where you live. For founders outside the US, BusinessAnywhere has the lowest two-year cost with an EIN that does not require an SSN. For US residents, Northwest has the lowest agent renewal at $125 a year, and Bizee and BusinessAnywhere cost the least in year one.
Which LLC formation service is the cheapest?
For a Wyoming LLC with a registered agent, BusinessAnywhere and Bizee cost $100 in year one. From year two, Northwest costs the least at $185 a year, followed by BusinessAnywhere at $207 and Bizee at $209.
Which LLC formation service is the fastest?
Northwest lists same-day processing, Stripe Atlas includes next-day expedited filing, and ZenBusiness Pro processes in 1 business day. BusinessAnywhere offers 2-day filing for $77. The state’s own processing time comes on top of every provider’s time.
What is the best LLC service for non-US residents?
BusinessAnywhere: $0 plus the state fee, a $97 EIN without an SSN, a US virtual mailbox and Form 5472 filing for $497 a year. doola, Clemta and EasyFiling sell the same services inside yearly plans from $249 to $349.
Are $0 LLC formation services really free?
The service fee is $0, but you still pay the state fee and, in most cases, a registered agent from year one or year two. ZenBusiness and LegalZoom charge $199 and $249 a year for the agent, so a $0 plan costs $299 to $349 in year one in Wyoming.
Do I need an LLC formation service?
No. You can file directly with the state and act as your own registered agent if you have a street address in the state. A service saves time, keeps your home address off the public record and makes sure state notices reach you.
Which LLC services file Form 5472 for foreign owners?
BusinessAnywhere files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 for $497 a year. Firstbase charges $899 a year, and Clemta Pro, EasyFiling Business 360 and doola Tax and Compliance include federal tax filing in plans from $999 to $1,999 a year.
Can I switch LLC formation services after forming?
Yes. Appoint the new registered agent with the state before cancelling the old one. BusinessAnywhere files the change of agent for $37 and then charges $147 a year for the agent.
Prices come from each provider’s own pricing and formation pages and from Wyoming’s published fees as of October 2026. Prices change, so confirm current terms with each provider before you sign up. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
