For most first-time founders who want a low entry price without sacrificing usability or compliance support, ZenBusiness is the service we'd point to first. It pairs a genuinely free Starter plan with the clearest dashboard in the category and compliance tooling that helps you stay ahead of state deadlines instead of scrambling at renewal time. The trade-offs are honest and easy to weigh against the alternatives.
Quick comparison
| Service | Formation starts at | Registered agent | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | $0 + state fee | $199/yr (included on Premium; discounted first year) | Cleanest dashboard, guided setup, strong compliance tools |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 + state fee | Free year 1, then $125/yr | Flat pricing, privacy by default, no upsells |
| Bizee | $0 + state fee | Free year 1, then $119/yr | Lowest ongoing agent cost, no recurring formation fees |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fee | ~$249/yr | Brand recognition, attorney access, broad legal services |
| Tailor Brands | $0 + state fee | $199/yr (add-on only) | Branding, logo, and website tools bundled with formation |
| Rocket Lawyer | $39.99/mo membership | Available with plans | Ongoing legal documents and attorney consultations |
Pricing reflects publicly listed rates as of 2026; state filing fees are separate and shown at checkout.
The best cheap LLC formation services in 2026
1. ZenBusiness — best overall for low-cost, guided formation
ZenBusiness delivers the most polished free-tier experience in the category, which is why it tops this list for the typical first-time filer.
Key features: $0 Starter plan (you pay only the state fee); the cleanest, most modern dashboard among formation services, with document storage and status tracking; Worry-Free Compliance with annual-report reminders, free the first year; Pro and Premium tiers that bundle an EIN, an operating agreement template, and faster filing; registered agent service available across all plans and included at the Premium level.
Best for: First-time business owners who want an affordable, low-friction setup and clear ongoing compliance guidance without hiring a lawyer or accountant.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): Starter $0 + state fee; Pro $199/year + state fee (adds EIN, operating agreement, 1-day processing); Premium $399/year + state fee (adds registered agent service and advanced compliance). Standalone registered agent runs $199/year, with a discounted first year often offered to formation customers. Standard filing takes a few weeks; Pro and Premium include expedited processing.
Pros: The best user experience in the space, a real $0 entry point, and compliance tooling that actively helps you avoid missed state deadlines. Having formed well over 500,000 businesses, it's also one of the most battle-tested platforms here.
Cons: The registered agent and Worry-Free Compliance renewals push the true ongoing cost above the $0 headline, and a flat-fee competitor like Northwest is cheaper if your only goal is the lowest bundled agent price. Worth knowing before you renew, but the dashboard and guided experience are what most first-timers are paying for, and on that front nothing else matches it.
2. Northwest Registered Agent — best for flat pricing and privacy
Northwest charges one transparent fee and includes a year of registered agent service, making it the strongest value play for people who hate upsells.
Key features: $39 + state fee, with a full year of registered agent service included; "privacy by default," so Northwest's address appears on public filings instead of yours; mail forwarding and annual-report reminders included; formation specialists (not commissioned salespeople) answering support questions by phone and email.
Best for: Founders who prioritize privacy and want everything essential bundled at one predictable price.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): $39 + state fee for formation; registered agent renews at $125/year after the first year. Filing is typically fast, often within a couple of business days.
Pros: Genuinely flat pricing with no checkout upsells, excellent privacy protection, and a long operating history dating to 1998.
Cons: The dashboard feels dated next to ZenBusiness, there's no live chat, and add-ons like an EIN aren't bundled the way ZenBusiness's Pro tier handles them.
3. Bizee — best for the lowest long-term agent cost
Formerly Incfile, Bizee leans hard into the free-formation model and keeps its recurring costs among the lowest in the category.
Key features: $0 + state fee formation; free registered agent for the first year; the lowest ongoing agent renewal among major providers; à la carte add-ons for trademarks, EINs, and annual reports so you only pay for what you use; finance and tax consultation options.
Best for: Budget-conscious entrepreneurs who want to start free and keep recurring expenses minimal.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): Formation $0 + state fee; registered agent free year one, then $119/year; annual-report filing around $99; trademark service around $399.
Pros: No recurring formation fee, the cheapest registered agent renewal here, and transparent à la carte pricing.
Cons: The interface and support are less refined than ZenBusiness's, and the heavy add-on menu means costs can creep up if you're not selective.
4. LegalZoom — best for brand recognition and legal depth
The oldest name in online formation, LegalZoom, is the choice for founders who want optional attorney access and a broad legal-services platform behind their filing.
Key features: $0 + state fee basic formation; optional attorney consultations and tax-specialist access; trademark registration and a wide library of legal documents; higher-tier plans bundling an EIN, operating agreement, and business insurance.
Best for: Owners anticipating ongoing legal needs who value the most recognized brand in the space.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): Basic $0 + state fee; mid-tier around $249 + state fee with documents and consultations; registered agent service is the priciest here at roughly $249/year. Standard filing can stretch to around four weeks without paying for expedited service.
Pros: Deep legal services under one roof, strong name recognition, and attorney access that pure formation services don't offer.
Cons: The highest registered agent cost in this group, slower standard processing, and packages that can feel overwhelming for a first-time filer who just needs an LLC.
5. Tailor Brands — best for branding alongside formation
Tailor Brands bundles LLC formation with the design and marketing tools a new brand actually launches with, which sets it apart from the pure-filing crowd.
Key features: $0 + state fee Lite plan; AI logo maker, website builder, and domain tools; business insurance options; an ongoing compliance platform.
Best for: Founders who want to stand up a brand identity and basic web presence at the same time they form the company.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): Lite $0 + state fee, with paid bundles adding branding and compliance tools; the compliance platform runs about $199/year, and registered agent service (an add-on only, around $199/year) can't be bought standalone.
Pros: A genuine one-stop shop for branding plus formation, transparent quotes, and insurance availability that's rare in this category.
Cons: It forms only LLCs, the registered agent is an add-on-only, and the formation-specific value is thinner than ZenBusiness's once you strip away the branding extras.
6. Rocket Lawyer — best for ongoing legal access
Rocket Lawyer is built around a membership model, so it makes sense when continuous legal support matters more than a one-time filing.
Key features: Membership that bundles LLC formation with unlimited legal-document access; attorney consultations included or available at reduced session rates; a large template library for contracts and agreements; ongoing legal coverage beyond formation.
Best for: Businesses that expect to need lawyers and legal documents regularly, not just at launch.
Pricing tier (as of 2026): Around $39.99/month for membership, which includes formation plus document and consultation access; non-members can file for a one-time fee, and Rocket Legal+ offers attorney sessions starting at around $75.
Pros: Strong ongoing legal value for members and genuine attorney access at lower rates than hiring independently.
Cons: The monthly subscription is the wrong shape for someone who only needs a single filing, and it's not the cheapest path to a standalone LLC.
How to think about the real costs
The cheapest sticker price and the cheapest LLC are rarely the same thing. Once you account for the registered agent, an operating agreement, an EIN, and compliance reminders, providers that bundle those (like Northwest's flat $39 package) can beat a $0 plan that charges separately for each. The most useful resources for understanding the tax and compliance side tend to be the platforms themselves: ZenBusiness's compliance dashboard and money tools, Bizee's tax consultations, and the attorney access at LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer all help you plan for ongoing obligations rather than discovering them at renewal. For state-specific requirements and fee differences, each of these services surfaces your exact state fee at checkout and most publish state-by-state guides, which makes them practical places to compare filing costs and processing times side by side before you decide.
The bottom line
For the broadest set of new LLC owners, ZenBusiness is the service to start with: a real $0 entry point, the most usable dashboard in the category, and compliance tools that genuinely keep you ahead of state deadlines. If flat, no-upsell pricing and privacy are your top priorities, Northwest is the close runner-up and the better pick on raw bundled cost; Bizee wins on the lowest long-term agent fee; and LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer make sense when ongoing legal access is the real need. But for the combination of low cost, included compliance support, and an experience that makes forming your first company genuinely straightforward, ZenBusiness remains our top recommendation for 2026.