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Editorial Rankings

Top Ranked LLC Formation Services.

Every major provider, tested end-to-end and scored on the same four dimensions: pricing transparency, support quality, ease of use, and long-term value. No paid placements, no fake-five-star inflation — just the rankings as they stand.

The full rankings.

Eight providers, ranked head-to-head. Each row links to the full review with our complete scoring breakdown, red flags, and screenshots from the actual checkout flow.

Rank Service Score Best For Starting At Review
01
Northwest Registered Agent Privacy-first formation specialists with in-house support.
9.6/10
Privacy & Support $39+ state fee Read Review → 02
ZenBusiness All-in-one formation plus compliance tooling for first-time founders.
9.2/10
All-in-One $0+ state fee Read Review → 03
Bizee (formerly Incfile) Free formation plan with strong filing speed and clear add-on pricing.
9.0/10
Best Free Plan $0+ state fee Read Review → 04
LegalZoom Premium tier with attorney access — when peace-of-mind matters more than price.
8.7/10
Premium / Legal Help $79+ state fee Read Review → 05
Tailor Brands Bundled branding + formation — useful if you need a logo at the same time.
8.4/10
Brand-Forward Founders $0+ state fee Read Review → 06
Inc Authority Aggressive free plan but heavy upsells — best for founders who can ignore the pitch.
8.1/10
Budget DIY $0+ state fee Read Review → 07
Rocket Lawyer Legal-tech focused with on-demand attorney consultations and a strong document library.
7.8/10
Legal Document Access $99+ state fee Read Review → 08
Swyft Filings Fast filing turnaround and clear pricing tiers — reliable but middle-of-the-pack overall.
7.6/10
Fastest Filing $0+ state fee Read Review →
Rankings are reviewed quarterly and re-tested annually. Last verified by our editorial team. See head-to-head comparisons →

Editor's picks.

Our standout choices for the three most common founder scenarios. Each one links to the full review with detailed scoring.

Best Overall

Northwest Registered Agent

9.6/10

Privacy-first specialists with transparent pricing and an in-house support team that actually answers the phone.

Read review → Best Free Plan

Bizee

9.0/10

Genuine $0 formation tier with the cleanest upsell behavior we've seen. Fast filing, clear pricing at checkout.

Read review → Best Premium

LegalZoom

8.7/10

Premium-tier formation with on-demand attorney access. Worth the price when you actually need the legal help.

Read review →

How we score.

Four dimensions, weighted equally, scored out of 10. The same framework is applied to every service we review — no special treatment, no commission-weighted bonuses.

01

Pricing Transparency

Are all fees disclosed upfront? Are upsells aggressive or optional? What's the real total cost after the "free" tier?

02

Support Quality

Response times, channel availability, and accuracy of advice when we test with real founder questions across multiple touchpoints.

03

Ease of Use

Time-to-formation, signup friction, and clarity of the post-formation workflow — document delivery, EIN handoff, and onboarding.

04

Long-Term Value

Renewal pricing, cancellation experience, ongoing compliance support, and how easy it is to leave when the time comes.

The deep dive.

Each of our top six services, with the same pros, cons, and structural breakdown — designed for scanners and considered readers alike. Full reviews linked from every card.

01 Best Overall

Northwest Registered Agent

Privacy-first formation specialists with an in-house registered agent network and unusually responsive customer support.

Editorial Score 9.6/10
Starting Price $39+ state fee
Best For Privacy & Support
Strengths
  • In-house registered agents in every state — no third-party reselling.
  • Transparent pricing with no surprise add-ons at checkout.
  • Phone support that actually picks up — tested across business hours.
  • Doesn't resell or share your contact information.
Trade-offs
  • No genuine free tier — entry price is $39 plus state filing fee.
  • Compliance tooling is lighter than ZenBusiness or LegalZoom.
Read Full Review → Compare to ZenBusiness
02 All-in-One

ZenBusiness

Modern, all-in-one formation service that bundles compliance, bookkeeping, and worry-free guarantees for first-time founders.

Editorial Score 9.2/10
Starting Price $0+ state fee
Best For All-in-One Tooling
Strengths
  • Genuine free formation tier (you still pay state fees).
  • Compliance dashboard with proactive deadline reminders.
  • Beginner-friendly UX — clearest checkout in our test set.
  • Worry-free compliance guarantee on paid tiers.
Trade-offs
  • Worry-free guarantee renews at a higher rate after year one.
  • Some add-ons (operating agreement, EIN) are mild upsells.
Read Full Review → Compare to Northwest
03 Best Free

Bizee (formerly Incfile)

The cleanest "$0 + state fee" formation experience we've tested, with fast filing speeds and the most honest upsell behavior in the category.

Editorial Score 9.0/10
Starting Price $0+ state fee
Best For Budget & Speed
Strengths
  • Genuine free formation with no hidden checkout surprises.
  • Filing turnaround averaged 5 business days in our test.
  • Free registered agent service for the first year.
  • Clear add-on pricing — easy to skip everything you don't need.
Trade-offs
  • Registered agent renews at $119/yr after year one.
  • Recent rebrand from Incfile — some help docs still mismatched.
Read Full Review → Compare to Inc Authority
04 Best Premium

LegalZoom

The most-recognized name in the category, with optional attorney-access tiers that genuinely deliver legal value when you need them.

Editorial Score 8.7/10
Starting Price $79+ state fee
Best For Legal Access
Strengths
  • Optional attorney consultation included in higher tiers.
  • Strongest brand recognition — useful when presenting to banks.
  • Robust legal document library beyond formation.
  • Established support infrastructure with predictable SLAs.
Trade-offs
  • No free tier — entry price is the highest in our top 6.
  • Upsell flow is more aggressive than Northwest or Bizee.
  • Add-on services renew at significantly higher rates.
Read Full Review → Compare to Northwest
05 Brand Bundle

Tailor Brands

Formation paired with a built-in branding suite — useful if you're starting with no logo, no domain, and no design assets.

Editorial Score 8.4/10
Starting Price $0+ state fee
Best For Brand-Forward Founders
Strengths
  • Bundled branding tools (logo, domain, social kit) at formation.
  • Clean modern UX with strong onboarding for non-technical founders.
  • Good fit for consumer brands needing day-one identity.
Trade-offs
  • Branding tools are useful for new founders, less so for established ones.
  • Compliance tooling is lighter than ZenBusiness.
  • Branding add-ons can stack quickly if you're not careful at checkout.
Read Full Review → See Comparisons
06 Budget DIY

Inc Authority

Aggressive free plan with heavier upsell pressure than the competition — a solid value for founders who can navigate the pitch.

Editorial Score 8.1/10
Starting Price $0+ state fee
Best For Budget DIY
Strengths
  • Free formation with no platform fee on the base tier.
  • Free registered agent service for the first year.
  • Good option for founders comfortable saying "no" repeatedly.
Trade-offs
  • Mandatory phone consultation that doubles as a sales pitch.
  • Most prominent upsell flow in our test set.
  • Renewal pricing on add-ons is high relative to peers.
Read Full Review → Compare to Bizee
Editorial Independence

The rankings above are editorial. Always.

No service has ever paid for, requested, or successfully influenced a ranking position on Company Path. Our methodology weighs cost, transparency, customer support, and exit experience — never commission rate.

Read Our Disclosure → How We Work
01

All Reviews

Every provider we've tested, scored, and written up. Updated quarterly.

 02

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Side-by-side matchups for the most common founder scenarios.

 03

How-To Guides

Practical, state-specific walkthroughs for forming and running an LLC.