The best LLC formation service for a first-time business owner
Choose Mainstay Filing if you want to file once and not manage the follow-up: it prepares and files the formation, keeps your registered agent for the year, applies for the EIN and files the annual report where one is due.
What a first-timer gets wrong
- Buying on the first-year price. Bizee starts at $0; its year-2 price is $149.
- Forgetting the agent. Several packages leave it out or include it for one year.
- Using the agent address as a mailing address. It is not one, and cannot stand in for one for bank verification, Mainstay Filing notes.
- Missing the yearly report. 6 states have none; the others charge $7 or more.
Three-year cost
| Service | Year 1 | Year 2 | 3 years | What a beginner still has to buy or do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $597 | Formation filing, registered agent, EIN application and every annual report filed |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 | $125 | $289 | Formation; agent included year 1; annual report filing is an extra $100 plus the state fee |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | $497 | Starter formation; agent bought separately; Pro ($199 a year) adds EIN and annual-report filing |
| Bizee | $0 | $149 | $298 | Basic formation with a free first year of its agent; Standard is $199 and Premium $299 |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | $747 | Basic formation; agent bought separately at $249 for first-time agent customers (Pro $249, Premium $299) |
Questions
Best LLC formation service for a first-time business owner?
Mainstay Filing: one price, the agent and the report included, no add-ons to discover later.
Do I need a lawyer for a first LLC?
Not for a straightforward single-owner LLC. If there are several owners or unusual terms, an hour with a lawyer on the operating agreement is the money worth spending.
Next: what happens after you file.