In Short: ZenBusiness vs Tailor Brands and the Newer Competitors
Every formation company now files an LLC for $0 plus state fees, so the filing price has stopped being a differentiator. What separates them is the attachment: ZenBusiness attaches compliance tooling, Tailor Brands attaches branding, Bizee attaches a free registered agent year, Doola attaches bookkeeping, and BusinessAnywhere attaches the US address, mail forwarding and EIN that founders outside the United States need. Pick the attachment you would otherwise buy separately, then check what it costs in year two.
- Entry formation price: $0 plus state fees at ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, Bizee and BusinessAnywhere. Doola starts at $297 a year.
- Tailor Brands tiers are annual: Lite $0, Essential $199 a year, Elite $249 a year, all plus state fees. That recurs, unlike the one-time tiers at LegalZoom and Bizee.
- ZenBusiness registered agent: $99 the first year, $199 a year after. Three years comes to $497.
- BusinessAnywhere registered agent: free the first year with formation, $147 a year after. Three years comes to $294.
- Trustpilot: ZenBusiness 4.8, Tailor Brands 4.8, BusinessAnywhere 4.8, Doola 4.5, Northwest 4.1.
- The only question that separates them cleanly: what does this cost in year two?
Disclosure: BusinessAnywhere sells business formation and registered agent services, so ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, Bizee, Doola and Northwest Registered Agent compete with us directly. Every figure below was taken from each company’s own published pages and public Trustpilot profiles on 14 September 2026, and each is linked to its source so you can check it. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
Everyone Files for $0 Now
ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, Bizee and BusinessAnywhere all advertise LLC formation from $0 plus state filing fees. That is the market rate for the filing itself, and it has been for a while.
The state fee is set by the state and cannot be discounted by anyone, which the LLC cost by state table sets out for all fifty states. So when four companies advertise the same $0, the price comparison you are actually making is between everything that comes after the filing.
What Each Company Attaches to the Filing
| Provider | Entry price | Paid tiers | The attachment | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BusinessAnywhere | $0 plus state fees | Priced per service, not as tiers | US business address, international mail forwarding, EIN without an SSN | 4.8 |
| ZenBusiness | $0 plus state fees | Published from $0 plus state fees | Compliance tooling and annual report handling | 4.8 |
| Tailor Brands | $0 plus state fees | Essential $199 a year, Elite $249 a year | Branding: logo, website and brand assets | 4.8 |
| Bizee | $0 plus state fees | Standard $199, Premium $299, one-time | One free year of registered agent service | Not compared here |
| Doola | $297 a year plus state fees | $1,999 and $2,999 a year | Bookkeeping and business tax filing | 4.5 |
| Northwest | Not verified on this pass | Not verified on this pass | Privacy and personal service | 4.1 |
That last row is a point of method worth stating. Where a figure could not be verified on the day, it is left blank. Formation pricing moves, and a stale number is worse than a gap.
Tailor Brands: Branding as the Attachment
Tailor Brands started as a logo and branding business and added formation later, which is the reverse of every other company here. Its plans are Lite at $0 plus state fees, Essential at $199 a year plus state fees, and Elite at $249 a year plus state fees. A bookkeeping and invoicing trial converts to $39 a month after 30 days.
Read those tier prices carefully, because they are annual. Bizee’s $199 Standard and $299 Premium are one-time charges attached to the filing. Tailor Brands’ $199 Essential and $249 Elite recur every year. Two plans with the same headline number can differ by hundreds of dollars over three years depending on which kind they are.
If you are starting a business that needs a visual identity and a website on day one, buying those alongside the filing removes a step and the annual fee buys something you would pay for anyway. If you already have a brand, you are subscribing to features you will not use, and the filing underneath is the same filing.
ZenBusiness: Compliance as the Attachment
ZenBusiness sells the filing at $0 plus state fees and makes its money on what recurs. Registered agent service is $99 plus state fees for the first year and $199 a year after, and its compliance tooling tracks annual report deadlines so the owner does not have to.
For a US-based owner who wants the deadlines handled and nothing else, that is a clean proposition. Three years of registered agent service comes to $497.
Bizee: A Free Registered Agent Year
Bizee, formerly Incfile, forms an LLC for $0 plus state fees on its Basic plan and includes one free year of registered agent service. Its Standard and Premium tiers are $199 and $299 plus state fees, charged once rather than annually.
The free year is the headline, so the number to ask for is the renewal price in year two. A free or discounted first year is worth exactly one year.
Doola: Accounting as the Attachment
Doola starts at $297 a year plus state fees and climbs to $1,999 for Tax and Compliance and $2,999 for Business-in-a-Box. Registered agent service is included in the plan.
Compared against a formation service, $297 a year looks expensive for an entity that others file for the state fee alone. Compared against hiring an accountant, the $1,999 tier is competing in a different market entirely. Which comparison is fair depends on whether you need the bookkeeping.
BusinessAnywhere: The Non-Resident Attachment
We sell a competing service, so check the linked sources rather than taking this section on trust. BusinessAnywhere forms an LLC for $0 plus state fees, the same entry price as ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands and Bizee, and holds 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
What is attached is aimed at a founder who does not live in the United States, because the rest of this market assumes you do. That assumption runs deeper than price. It decides what address goes on the filing, whether you can get an EIN, and where your post ends up.
| What a non-resident founder needs | BusinessAnywhere | The rest of this list |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | $0 plus state fees | $0 plus state fees at ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands and Bizee |
| Registered agent, renewal | $147 a year after a free first year | $199 a year at ZenBusiness |
| Three-year registered agent cost | $294 | $497 at ZenBusiness |
| A US business address separate from the registered agent address | Virtual mailbox from $20 a month, $25 one-time signup | Not listed in their published services |
| International mail scanning and forwarding | Included with the virtual mailbox | Not listed in their published services |
| EIN without a Social Security number | $97 | Not listed in their published services |
| Document templates | $97 each for operating agreement, bylaws, shareholder agreement and minutes | Varies by tier |
| Expedited filing | $57 where the state offers it | Varies by tier |
The distinction that matters most in that table is the address. A registered agent address exists to receive legal service of process. It is not a business address, and banks, payment processors and licensing bodies treat the two differently. A founder abroad needs both, and only one of them comes with the filing.
Where we do not compete: BusinessAnywhere does not bundle bookkeeping or file your business tax return the way Doola does at its higher tiers, does not sell branding the way Tailor Brands does, and does not offer attorney consultations. If any of those is what you are shopping for, buy it from the company that sells it.
The Question to Ask Every Provider
One question separates these companies more cleanly than any feature list: what does this cost in year two?
| Provider | Year one | Year two onward |
|---|---|---|
| BusinessAnywhere | State fees, registered agent free with formation | $147 a year |
| ZenBusiness | State fees plus $99 registered agent | $199 a year |
| Tailor Brands | State fees on Lite, or $199 to $249 on a paid tier | The same $199 to $249 a year, since the tiers recur |
| Bizee | State fees, registered agent free with formation | Its standard registered agent rate |
| Doola | $297 plus state fees on Starter | $297 a year, renewing at the same price |
Year one is a marketing number at every provider in this market. Year two is the real price, and it is knowable before you buy. The best registered agent service comparison runs three-year totals across five providers so the recurring cost is visible in one place.
Which One to Pick
Pick Tailor Brands if you need a logo, a website and a brand identity at the same time as the filing, and you would have paid for those separately.
Pick ZenBusiness if you are US-based, want compliance deadlines handled, and the $199 renewal is acceptable.
Pick Bizee if the free first year of registered agent service fits your first-year budget and you have checked the renewal.
Pick Doola if you want bookkeeping and a business tax return inside one annual subscription and would otherwise hire an accountant.
Pick BusinessAnywhere if you are forming a US company from outside the country, or you move around, and you need the US address, the mail forwarding and the EIN alongside the filing without an annual subscription.
FAQ: Comparing the Newer Formation Services
Is Tailor Brands cheaper than ZenBusiness?
Both advertise LLC formation from $0 plus state filing fees, so the entry price is the same. The difference is the attachment and how it is billed. Tailor Brands charges $199 or $249 a year for its paid tiers, which recur. ZenBusiness charges $99 for the first year of registered agent service and $199 a year after.
Which formation service is cheapest overall?
On the filing they are level, since ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, Bizee and BusinessAnywhere all start at $0 plus state fees. The cost separates at renewal. Over three years, registered agent service comes to $294 with BusinessAnywhere and $497 with ZenBusiness.
Is Bizee really free?
Bizee’s Basic plan is $0 plus state fees and includes one free year of registered agent service. Its standard rate applies from year two, so the free year is an introductory offer rather than an ongoing price.
Are Tailor Brands plans one-time or annual?
Annual. Essential is $199 a year and Elite is $249 a year, both plus state fees. This differs from Bizee, whose $199 and $299 tiers are one-time charges attached to the filing.
Which of these is best for a non-US resident?
Doola and BusinessAnywhere are the two built for non-resident founders. ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands and Bizee assume an owner with a US address and a Social Security number. The difference between Doola and BusinessAnywhere is bundling: Doola sells one subscription from $297 a year, while BusinessAnywhere forms the company for $0 plus state fees and prices the EIN, mailbox and registered agent separately.
Do any of them waive the state filing fee?
No. The state filing fee is set by the state and is payable whichever service you use, or if you file the paperwork yourself.
Can I use a registered agent address as my business address?
No. A registered agent address exists to receive legal service of process. Banks, payment processors and licensing bodies treat a business address differently, which is why a founder abroad needs both.
Start With What You Actually Need
If the attachment on offer is something you would buy anyway, the bundle earns its price. If it is not, you are paying for features you will never open. For a founder outside the United States, the attachment that matters is the address, the mail and the EIN, and BusinessAnywhere covers all three alongside formation from $0 plus state fees.
The how to start an LLC guide covers the process before you choose a provider, and the US LLC tax filing guide covers what a foreign-owned LLC files each year.
Compare the full pricing and start your formation.
Prices and ratings in this article were checked on 14 September 2026 against each company’s own published pages and public Trustpilot profiles. Both change over time, so confirm current figures before you buy. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
