Best LLC formation service for complete beginners
If you are starting from nothing, choose on what happens after the filing, not just the sign-up price. Mainstay Filing is our pick for beginners.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal, plus the state fee at cost
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
- Provider prices checked October 2026
- State fees from official sources, October 2026
Start with the right page
Beginner guides by state
| State | State filing fee | State report | First year with Mainstay Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $236 | None | $435 |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 / 2 yrs | $449 |
| Arizona | $50 | None | $249 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $150 tax report | $244 |
| California | $70 | $20 / 2 yrs | $269 |
| Colorado | $50 | $25 / yr | $249 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $80 / yr | $319 |
| Delaware | $110 | $400 tax | $309 |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 / yr | $324 |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 / yr | $309 |
| Hawaii | $51 | $12.50 / yr | $250 |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 report | $299 |
| Illinois | $150 | $75 / yr | $349 |
| Indiana | $95 | $32 / 2 yrs | $294 |
| Iowa | $50 | $30 / 2 yrs | $249 |
| Kansas | $85 | $90 / 2 yrs | $284 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 / yr | $239 |
| Louisiana | $125 | $35 / yr | $324 |
| Maine | $175 | $85 / yr | $374 |
| Maryland | $100 | $300 / yr | $299 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 / yr | $699 |
| Michigan | $50 | $25 / yr | $249 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $0 renewal | $354 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $0 / yr | $249 |
| Missouri | $50 | None | $249 |
| Montana | $35 | $20 / yr | $234 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $25 / 2 yrs | $299 |
| Nevada | $425 | $350 annual list | $624 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 / yr | $299 |
| New Jersey | $100 | $75 / yr | $299 |
| New Mexico | $50 | None | $249 |
| New York | $200 | $9 / 2 yrs | $399 |
| North Carolina | $125 | $200 / yr | $324 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $50 / yr | $334 |
| Ohio | $99 | None | $298 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 / yr | $299 |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 / yr | $299 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $7 / yr | $324 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 / yr | $349 |
| South Carolina | $110 | None | $309 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $55 / yr | $349 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 / yr | $499 |
| Texas | $300 | $0 report | $499 |
| Utah | $59 | $18 / yr | $258 |
| Vermont | $155 | $45 / yr | $354 |
| Virginia | $100 | $50 fee | $299 |
| Washington | $200 | $70 / yr | $399 |
| West Virginia | $100 | $25 / yr | $299 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $25 / yr | $329 |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 / yr | $299 |
Questions beginners ask
What is the best LLC formation service for complete beginners?
Mainstay Filing. A beginner does not know which steps come after filing, and here one $199 price covers the filing, the registered agent, the EIN application and the annual report, then renews at the same $199. Nothing is sold separately later: no EIN add-on, no operating-agreement upcharge.
Is it cheaper for a beginner to file without a service?
The state fee is the same either way ($35 to $500 by state). Filing yourself saves the service price and costs you the learning curve; this list shows what is left to do afterwards.
What should a beginner watch out for?
A low first-year price that rises: 3 of the five services we price cost more in year 2 than in year 1, and Mainstay Filing is not one of them.