The Best LLC Formation Companies in 2027

What an LLC really costs in year one

Your first-year bill has three parts: the state filing fee, the service's fee, and the extras most LLCs need (a registered agent, an EIN and an operating agreement). The headline price covers only the second part.

Here is what each service charges for those extras, before the state fee, on the cheapest path its own pricing allows. Every number links to the company's page in its review.

Service	Year one, before state fee	Year two
Northwest	$89 ($39 + $50 EIN; agent and operating agreement included)	$125 agent
MyCompanyWorks	$199 (Entrepreneur: agent, EIN, operating agreement)	$119 agent
Bizee	$169 ($0 + $70 EIN + $99 operating agreement; agent free in year one)	$149 agent
Inc Authority	$0 (agent and EIN free in year one; no operating agreement)	$249 agent
Harbor Compliance	$198 ($99 + $99 agent; EIN and agreement not priced)	$159 agent
Doola	$297 (all included)	$297 plan
Swyft Filings	$318 ($169 Standard + $149 agent, if billed yearly)	$149+ agent
ZenBusiness	$398 ($199 Pro + $199 agent)	$199 agent + $199 Pro
LegalZoom	$498 ($249 tier + $249 agent)	$249 agent
Tailor Brands	Not published (prices shown after sign-up)	Not published

You can cut $50 to $99 from most of these by getting the EIN yourself. The IRS issues one online "in minutes for free".

The state fee changes the total more than the service does

The state charges a filing fee to form the LLC, and most states charge a yearly or two-yearly fee to keep it. Pick the state where you do business, not the cheapest one: an LLC that operates in another state usually has to register there too and pay both.

State	Filing fee	Ongoing state cost
Michigan	$50	$25 annual statement
Colorado	$50	$25 periodic report
California	$70	$800 yearly LLC tax
Wyoming	$100	$60 minimum yearly license tax
Delaware	$110	$400 yearly tax
Florida	$125	$138.75 annual report
New York	$200	$9 every two years, plus a one-time newspaper publication and $50 certificate

A Michigan LLC formed through Northwest costs about $139 in year one with a paid EIN. The same LLC in California costs $70 to file and then $800 a year in state tax, whichever service you use.

Traps that raise the price after checkout

Renewals are where most of the money is. The free registered agent year at Inc Authority renews at $249 and at Bizee at $149. ZenBusiness Pro and Premium renew every year at their full price. Doola's plans are yearly subscriptions.

Free trials start at checkout. Swyft Filings starts a ComplianceGuard trial with every package that bills $199 a year after 14 days. ZenBusiness preselects a website builder trial that renews at $15 a month. LegalZoom's $249 tier includes 30 days of attorney or advisor support that rolls into $49 a month.

Pre-checked add-ons inflate the cart. MyCompanyWorks' Basic order form ticks an EIN, a registered agent and a $99 business license package by default.

Expedite fees often buy less than they sound. A service can only speed up its own step. The state's processing time is separate, and states sell their own rush service: Delaware charges $50 to $1,000 depending on speed.

Cancelling the agent is harder than buying it. Inc Authority, LegalZoom and Tailor Brands may require proof that you named a new agent with the state, which means a state amendment fee. Harbor Compliance wants 90 days' notice before renewal.

How to choose

If you form in your home state, have a US address and want the lowest total over two years, Northwest wins on cost and has the simplest checkout. If you want the EIN and agent bundled in one price and lower renewals, MyCompanyWorks' Entrepreneur package is close behind. If you want a large company with tens of thousands of reviews, Bizee and ZenBusiness both score 4.8 on Trustpilot, and Bizee costs less in year two.

If you live outside the US, Doola costs more but handles the EIN without an SSN, the US address and the bank application in one plan. If you register in many states or run a nonprofit, Harbor Compliance is built for that work.

Every price on this site comes from the company's own pages, checked on November 12, 2026, with the link next to it. We read terms and pricing pages; we did not buy each package.