Worried about the legal steps?
The paperwork and compliance rules can be overwhelming, making it hard to know where to even begin. It’s a common hurdle for new founders.
One wrong move could create costly legal issues. Getting the setup wrong from the start can undermine your entire venture before it even begins.
In fact, Clearly Payments reports that 20% of new businesses fail in their first year. Proper formation is a critical first step for survival.
But you can avoid these pitfalls. The right service helps you launch with complete confidence and handles all the legal details for you.
In this guide, I’m breaking down the best business formation services. I’ll help you pick a reliable partner to get your company set up correctly.
You’ll gain clarity on pricing and features, ensuring you choose a service that protects your assets and sets you up for long-term success.
Let’s get you started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest Registered Agent → | Privacy-focused entrepreneurs | |
| 2 | ZenBusiness → | First-time business founders | |
| 3 | LegalZoom → | Entrepreneurs needing legal services | |
| 4 | Inc Authority → | Budget-conscious startups | |
| 5 | Rocket Lawyer → | Businesses needing legal advice |
1. Northwest Registered Agent
Confused about starting your new business?
Northwest Registered Agent simplifies the complex legal steps of forming an LLC or corporation. This means you can focus on building your business, not bureaucracy.
You gain access to a full suite of services, like forming an LLC or corporation and staying compliant with annual reports, giving you confidence your business is set up correctly.
Here’s how to simplify your business launch.
Northwest Registered Agent solves your problems by providing an all-in-one business identity service. It empowers you to establish and manage your company with ease.
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This includes forming your LLC, securing a business address with mail scanning, setting up a phone line, professional email, and even getting a domain name and web hosting. You’ll also get a registered agent and ongoing business filing support, ensuring your privacy is protected by default.
Additionally, you receive lifetime support from their Corporate Guides, business experts who answer your toughest questions, alongside custom-built software for maintenance tools and state compliance filing, putting all essential resources at your fingertips. The result is peace of mind, knowing your business identity is complete.
Key features:
- Comprehensive Business Identity Service: Provides everything from LLC formation and registered agent services to domain names, web hosting, email, and phone service in one place.
- Privacy by Default® and Mail Forwarding: Protects your personal data by using their business address on public documents and includes free mail forwarding.
- Corporate Guides® and State Compliance: Offers lifetime access to business experts for guidance and custom-built software for state compliance filing and legal forms.
Northwest Registered Agent features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Northwest Registered Agent is among the best business formation services because it consolidates essential startup needs into one platform, offering robust privacy features and expert guidance. Its comprehensive identity service and ongoing support truly streamline the process for new entrepreneurs.
2. ZenBusiness
Overwhelmed by business formation complexities?
ZenBusiness simplifies launching your venture, guiding you through formation, compliance, and growth.
This means you can confidently start and protect your business as it grows with worry-free services.
So, how can you make it easy?
ZenBusiness offers a streamlined pathway to make your business official, helping you select the right LLC package, appoint a registered agent, and secure your Employer ID Number (EIN). This comprehensive support ensures you avoid common pitfalls and costly mistakes.
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Additionally, they provide tools to establish your online presence, including a domain name, business website, and the ability to open a business bank account to separate personal and business finances. Their personalized AI assistant, Velo, handles tough tasks like automating filings, tracking deadlines, and building your website. This adaptive tool eliminates guesswork and connects you with experts for extra support, ensuring your focus remains on growth and core business development.
Get compliant and grow your business with confidence.
Key features:
- Formation and Compliance: ZenBusiness manages LLC, S Corp, or C Corp filing with a 100% accuracy guarantee, offering worry-free compliance and registered agent services to meet ongoing legal requirements.
- Business Growth Tools: You get an AI website builder, domain name registration, business email, and access to a document template library to strengthen your brand and online presence.
- Financial Management: Features like Money Pro bookkeeping, business bank accounts, and tax advice help you manage finances, maximize deductions, and ensure proper tax filings.
ZenBusiness features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: For first-time founders seeking a straightforward and supportive path to business ownership, ZenBusiness stands out as one of the best business formation services. With over 850,000 businesses started, its integrated platform, AI tools like Velo, and expert support ensure legal compliance and enable confident business growth.
3. LegalZoom
Feeling overwhelmed starting your new business venture?
LegalZoom simplifies the complex process of forming your business entity. You can register an LLC, corporation, DBA, nonprofit, or sole proprietorship effortlessly.
This means you can navigate the crucial initial steps with confidence, avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring proper setup right from the start.
Ready to launch your business without the legal headaches?
LegalZoom addresses your core pain points by offering a streamlined approach to business formation.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Before diving deeper into business formation, you might find my analysis of self-hosted help desk software for secure and flexible support helpful.
The platform provides comprehensive tools to register your business, run your operations, and protect your intellectual property. You can access features like annual report filings, business licenses, and registered agent services, ensuring compliance.
Additionally, LegalZoom helps you protect your brand with trademark registration, comprehensive trademark searches, and ongoing monitoring. Plus, with options for business attorney plans and Doc Assist AI, you’re supported whether you prefer DIY or professional guidance.
Get the legal support you need.
Key features:
- Business Formation Services: Easily register various business entities like LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits, ensuring correct initial setup and legal compliance.
- Ongoing Business Operations: Manage your business’s post-formation needs, including annual reports, operating agreements, and registered agent services, to maintain good standing.
- Intellectual Property Protection: Secure your brand with comprehensive trademark registration, search, and monitoring, alongside copyright and provisional patent options.
LegalZoom features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: LegalZoom stands out as one of the best business formation services for new entrepreneurs due to its extensive range of formation, operational, and intellectual property services. With over 4 million businesses helped and 20+ years of industry leadership, it simplifies complex legal requirements, offering peace of mind and flat-rate fees.
4. Inc Authority
Feeling overwhelmed by business formation complexities?
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Inc Authority understands your pain points, offering a free LLC or corporation registration service that helps you navigate the legal maze without financial strain. This means you can confidently start your business, focusing on growth instead of administrative burdens. You’ll avoid costly mistakes and decision paralysis, ensuring your entity is correctly filed from day one.
You’ll gain peace of mind.
Inc Authority makes the process seamless, providing free LLC registration where you only pay mandatory state fees. Here’s how: you get free registered agent service for a year, ensuring you never miss critical legal notices. Additionally, they offer a free Employer Identification Number (EIN) and 24-hour processing to get your business up and running quickly. Plus, you receive a free custom-built website with a domain and email addresses, giving your new business an immediate online presence. The result is a worry-free formation experience, freeing your time and mind.
Key features:
- Free LLC Registration: Inc Authority handles the preparation and filing of your LLC or corporation documents for free, requiring you to only cover state fees.
- Comprehensive Support: You receive one year of free registered agent service, an EIN, 24-hour processing, and Inc Care support via phone or email for any questions.
- Business Growth Tools: The service includes a free custom-built website, domain, and email addresses, alongside a tax planning consultation and business credit analysis.
Inc Authority features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Inc Authority stands out as a best business formation services choice for new entrepreneurs, offering a truly free LLC or corporation setup that alleviates common financial and administrative anxieties. By providing essential services like free registered agent, EIN, and even a custom website, it empowers you to launch your business with confidence and focus on your core objectives.
5. Rocket Lawyer
Navigating business formation feels overwhelming, right?
Rocket Lawyer simplifies this by providing personalized legal documents and services to help you start and protect your business. This means you can create and e-sign essential documents like LLC Operating Agreements with confidence, avoiding common contract pitfalls. You can secure your business legally from day one. This gives you peace of mind.
Worried about legal complexities?
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing legal documents and compliance, understanding how a smart contract platform can streamline agreements is equally important.
Rocket Lawyer solves this by offering access to Legal Pros for expert advice. You can ask questions and get instant answers when stakes are high, ensuring you avoid costly mistakes. Their services include business registration and compliance filings, so you stay on track. Additionally, you can receive discounts on tax prep and other professional services, all designed to support your new venture. The result is affordable, reliable legal help right at your fingertips.
Key features:
- Personalized Legal Documents: Easily create and e-sign crucial business documents like LLC Operating Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, and Independent Contractor Agreements.
- Access to Legal Professionals: Get answers to your legal questions from a Legal Pro online or through live consultations, ensuring compliance and confidence in your decisions.
- Business Registration and Filings: Streamline your business setup with assistance for registration, registered agent services, trademark filings, and ongoing compliance.
Rocket Lawyer features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Rocket Lawyer stands out as one of the best business formation services because it empowers new entrepreneurs with personalized legal documents, direct access to legal professionals, and comprehensive compliance support. With over 20 million businesses already helped, it offers a hassle-free, affordable path to confidently launch and grow your business.
6. Bizee
Ready to confidently launch your business?
Many entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed by legal complexities and administrative burdens when starting a new venture. Bizee streamlines this process by offering comprehensive business formation and management services.
This platform helps you avoid costly mistakes and legal missteps, providing peace of mind. It guides you through selecting the right entity type—whether an LLC, S Corp, C Corp, or nonprofit.
Here’s how you gain confidence.
Bizee takes the guesswork out of forming your business, managing everything from initial setup to ongoing compliance. You can easily form your LLC, S Corporation, C Corporation, or Nonprofit right from their platform.
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Their free registered agent service ensures you never miss important filings or legal notices, protecting your small business. Additionally, they offer an EIN/Tax ID service, business license and permit research, and trademark registration to cover all your bases.
Plus, you get free tax and bookkeeping consultations, lifetime compliance alerts, and a personalized dashboard to keep all your business essentials and reminders in one accessible place. This helps you stay organized and focus on growth.
Launch your big idea with bold execution.
Key features:
- Comprehensive Business Formation: Easily establish LLCs, S Corporations, C Corporations, or Nonprofits, reducing administrative burden and ensuring proper initial setup.
- Free Registered Agent Service: Safeguards your business by providing professional registered agent services, preventing missed filings and ensuring legal compliance.
- Ongoing Business Management: Offers annual report filing, amendments, and virtual address services, providing continuous support for maintaining good standing and operational efficiency.
Bizee features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Bizee is an excellent choice for aspiring small business owners and new entrepreneurs seeking the best business formation services. Their comprehensive offerings, including free registered agent services and ongoing compliance support, directly address key pain points like legal complexity and administrative anxiety. With over 1,000,000 businesses trusting them and a 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating, Bizee ensures a streamlined, hassle-free process for launching and growing your business with confidence.
7. Harbor Compliance
Overwhelmed by business formation complexities? Get peace of mind.
Harbor Compliance offers robust software and services to oversee licenses, track renewals, and access documents, simplifying compliance.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing compliance, understanding HR Compliance Software is equally important.
This means you can easily navigate the application and renewal processes across 150,000 licensing agencies, addressing the time-intensive and risky nature of regulatory compliance.
This simplifies navigating regulations.
Harbor Compliance makes multistate compliance simple, saving you time, reducing risk, and enabling growth with its purpose-built platform.
You can monitor your Secretary of State registrations and protect good standing because the Entity Manager automatically displays your statuses and key data. This creates a strong foundation for all your compliance needs.
Additionally, their Air-Tight Onboarding™ process meticulously audits and imports your existing data, often discovering and addressing unexpected issues over 90% of the time. This ensures your data is accurate, up-to-date, and tied to the Compliance Core database, which continually updates to reflect changing requirements.
Gain confidence in your business launch.
Key features:
- Compliance Core™ algorithm: This proprietary technology reviews your company data against 22,000+ regulatory filing requirements, providing clear insights for maintaining entities, licenses, and tax registrations.
- Entity Manager: Automatically displays your Secretary of State registrations, statuses, and key data, providing direct feeds for accurate, up-to-date information on your entities and good standing.
- Centralized Company Profile: Allows you to automatically update company records across all jurisdictions and compliance areas (entity, license, tax) with a single update, eliminating file management complexity and missed deadlines.
Harbor Compliance features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking a streamlined, hassle-free process to ensure legal compliance and asset protection, Harbor Compliance is an excellent choice for the best business formation services. With features like the Compliance Core™ and Entity Manager, it offers peace of mind, allowing you to confidently launch and grow your business without administrative burdens.
8. MyCompanyWorks
Is navigating business formation overwhelming for you?
MyCompanyWorks helps simplify entity setup, offering clear guidance for corporations, LLCs, and DBAs.
This means you can easily navigate complex legal requirements, ensuring your business is set up correctly from the start. It’s all about making your life easier.
Now, how about a confident launch?
MyCompanyWorks tackles this by centralizing your entire company’s management in one place. You can start and manage your business from a single dashboard, called My Account Dashboard (MAD). The Startup Wizard guides you step-by-step through the setup, personalizing the process for your specific company. Additionally, features like Lifetime Company Alerts ensure you never miss critical filing dates, while online order tracking provides 24/7 real-time access to your order status, giving you peace of mind. Plus, you get free e-delivery of all your filed documents, saving you time and postage.
This simplifies compliance and reduces administrative burden.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While discussing the importance of accurate financial records for your business, understanding best crypto accounting software is equally important for digital assets.
Key features:
- Startup Wizard: Guides you step-by-step through company setup, personalized to your specific entity type and state, ensuring accurate and complete filings.
- My Account Dashboard (MAD): Provides a simple-to-use central hub to view orders, track compliance tasks, and fully manage all your business entities.
- Lifetime Company Alerts: Automatically reminds you of important filing dates like annual reports and other deadlines, preventing missed submissions and penalties.
MyCompanyWorks features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: MyCompanyWorks stands out as one of the best business formation services for first-time founders due to its intuitive Startup Wizard and centralized My Account Dashboard. These features, combined with lifetime compliance alerts and same-day processing, offer a streamlined, hassle-free process, ensuring legal compliance and peace of mind as you confidently launch and grow your business.
Conclusion
Launching your new business is complex.
Choosing the right service feels overwhelming, and one wrong move can lead to costly legal issues that undermine your entire venture before it begins.
More entrepreneurs are taking the leap. Registered Agents Inc. reported a 5% year-over-year increase in new business filings last May. Getting your formation right from the start is more critical than ever to succeed.
Here’s my top recommendation.
From my in-depth review, Northwest Registered Agent is the best choice. They provide a streamlined, worry-free launch and protect your personal privacy by default.
Their expert Corporate Guides and comprehensive business identity service truly set them apart. Choosing one of the best business formation services like this ensures your startup is protected.
I strongly suggest you hire Northwest Registered Agent to handle the entire process. You can get started with confidence today.
You’ll gain complete peace of mind.
