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Hiring a professional LLC service can help you save time and money compared to setting up an LLC yourself. A professional LLC service will understand your state’s unique LLC formation procedures, minimizing risk that your filing will be rejected for mistakes. The service will also create and file the necessary paperwork on your behalf, resolving any issues that may arise. Top LLC services may also offer add-ons like registered agent services, business licensing, annual reporting services and more to make forming and managing your business easier than ever.
We compared the best LLC services on the market and ranked them based on cost, reliability and usability. Read on to find the best solution for your business.
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
We analyzed the leading LLC services on the market to find the overall 10 best. Our ratings take into account factors such as affordable pricing, types of services offered, whether registered agents are also available and customer ratings. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Features | Ease of Use | Value | Learn More | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LegalZoom |  |
4.5 |  |
Excellent | Good | Excellent | Learn More | On LegalZoom's Website | |
| ZenBusiness |  |
4.5 | |
Excellent | Excellent | Good | Learn More | On ZenBusiness' Website | |
| Incfile |  |
4.2 |  |
Good | Excellent | Good | Learn More | On Incfile's Website | |
| Rocket Lawyer |  |
4.0 | |
Good | Excellent | Good | Learn More | On Rocket Lawyer's Website | |
| Active Filings |  |
3.8 | |
Average | Good | Average | View More | ||
| Swyft Filings |  |
3.8 | |
Good | Good | Excellent | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Northwest Registered Agent |  |
3.7 |  |
Excellent | Good | Good | Learn More | On Northwest's Website | |
| BetterLegal |  |
3.5 | |
Excellent | Good | Average | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Filenow |  |
3.4 | |
Excellent | Good | Good | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Inc Authority |  |
3.0 |  |
Excellent | Average | Good | Learn More | On Inc Authority's Website |
The services reviewed by Forbes Advisor were evaluated by considering 22 factors across five categories such as pricing, service and support, general features and user reviews. Ideally, the LLC service you choose is affordable enough for your budget while still offering enough useful features and flexibility to meet your company’s legal needs. Our rankings give more weight to providers that meet these criteria.
We researched the average price points of small business-oriented LLC services and scored providers based on their transparency and affordability. Companies with prices listed publicly on their websites scored better than those that don’t display this information. Price accounts for 20% of overall scores.
We looked at what LLC formation services offer in terms of over-the-phone support, live chats, the availability of 24/7 help and more to get an overall sense of customer support quality. This accounts for 10% of overall scores.
General features for the best LLC companies include name availability search, online document access, registered agent add-on, articles of organization and whether additional legal services are available. The availability of these features makes up 30% of the total score.
In today’s world, business can take place anywhere and not just within an office. As such, mobile accessibility is crucial for some users. However, as this doesn’t greatly impact the overall functionality of an LLC service, we weighted the availability and functionality of mobile apps at just 5% of the overall rating.
This score reviewed BBB and Trustpilot ratings to determine how customers feel about the quality of the services. As these are external reviews, this only amounts to 15% of the total score.
Our expert score considered overall value for money, ease of use, popularity and stand-out features. Some of those features may include security features, access to customer support, whether the service offers a knowledge base, and what type of money-back guarantee is offered, if any. The expert score constitutes 20% of the overall rating.
Featured Partners
1
Inc Authority
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
3
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
An LLC, or limited liability company, provides a legal degree of separation between business owners and their businesses. Owners’ personal assets are considered separate from those of the business. Because of this, LLC owners are not personally liable for the business’s debts.. LLCs also have tax advantages for some business owners. Forming an LLC can also provide you with a degree of added credibility, as it looks more professional than doing business with an individual.
The first step to start an LLC is to file business formation paperwork with the state you want to operate in. There are several steps you need to follow; every state requires you to hire a registered agent, for example. You’ll also need to find out your state’s unique paperwork requirements and gather necessary documentation before filing articles of organization.
Depending on your situation, the best state for your LLC to operate in may not be the same as your state of residence. You’ll need to ensure that you follow all the laws of each state you conduct business in, and these can vary widely. For example, some states require you to file detailed yearly reports while others may only require some basic information. Some states also require a yearly fee, while others only ask for a one-time fee. This filing fee can range anywhere from $50 to $300 or more. For more details, read our full guide to setting up an LLC.
LLC State Guides
An LLC service is not the only way to form an LLC; the process is straightforward in most states and possible without using (or paying for) a service. However, there are often additional benefits to using an LLC service. Here are some of the key benefits to consider when narrowing down your selection:
Each LLC service has different offerings and fees, so it’s best to consider which services are required and choose a company that offers those for a reasonable price. Some companies allow you to test out their services with a free trial, which may be a helpful way to see if your needs mesh well with a particular provider before making a long-term commitment.
There are many flexible options available and prices will vary widely depending on what services you need and how much work you are willing to do yourself. Every state requires a filing fee at the bare minimum. If you use a paid LLC service like the ones listed above, ZenBusiness offers an “only pay for what you need” option so you can just get help when you need it. Others offer extensive add-on options so professionals can do the legwork for you. Never assume a package is all-inclusive of every service you need.
Everything an LLC service can do, a business owner can do on his or her own without the service fees (fees still must be paid to the state or other entities for filing, and other costs may be incurred, but they’ll undoubtedly be lower than paying someone else and also paying those fees). LLC services can provide value to business owners who don’t want to do the filing on their own and can provide access to other legal services that may provide added value from someone with experience. A local business lawyer can also form your LLC for you. While this may cost more than an online service, a lawyer can be a good option if you prefer a personal relationship with someone who can help you with a variety of legal questions and issues.
An LLC offers some benefits of a corporation and vice versa, but an LLC and a corporation are two different business entities and are not the same thing. Learn more about LLCs vs corporations to determine which structure is best for your business.
LLC services can provide different variations in offerings, but all of the LLC services on Forbes Advisor’s list include name availability search, online document access, the option for a registered agent add-on, creation of articles of organization and additional legal services. Some, if not most, of these services may only be available through add-on fees or the more expensive packages, depending on the service provider.
There are a number of different kinds of legal classifications your company can use to protect itself from liabilities. For example, filing a corporation can be useful if you want your company to be partially owned by outside shareholders. This is a preferable arrangement for many business owners. For more details, check out our comparison of LLCs and corporations.
While the cost to register an LLC varies by state, there is a fee to register in every state. So, while there are some companies that advertise “free” LLC formation, what this really means is that the company will fill out the LLC paperwork for you for free. But again, you will still be responsible for the state’s filing fee.
LLCs can be taxed as sole proprietorships, partnerships, C corporations or S corporations. This choice allows members of an LLC to minimize their tax burden.
