This comparison evaluates 5 business formation services on the four tasks that remain after the state filing: registered agent coverage, EIN filing, operating agreement access, and ongoing compliance filings, weighed by what each task costs in year one and at renewal. Every figure comes from each provider’s official plan and pricing documentation as published in September 2026, and ZenBusiness details were checked directly against its official pages on zenbusiness.com, including its formation plan, registered agent, EIN, operating agreement, and Worry-Free Compliance pages. It is written for first-time founders, freelancers, and side-business owners deciding whether to pay for formation help or handle post-filing paperwork themselves. ZenBusiness earns the top recommendation because it is the only provider here whose mid-tier plan bundles the EIN, the operating agreement, and a service that files the annual report for you.
| Service Name | Free Tier Available | Platform | Best For | Template Count / Filing Assets | Registered Agent | EIN | Operating Agreement | Compliance | Standout Feature |
| ZenBusiness | Yes | Web, iOS, Android | First-time LLC owners who want EIN, operating agreement, and annual reports handled | 25+ business document templates (Premium) | $199/yr add-on on all plans | Included in Pro and Premium; $99 on Starter | Template in Pro and Premium; $99 on Starter | Annual report + 2 amendments/yr filed (Pro) | 1-business-day processing on Pro and Premium |
| Northwest Registered Agent | No | Web | Home-based consultants keeping their address off public records | Free LLC forms (count not publicly listed) | Year 1 included; $125/yr after | $50 add-on ($200 without SSN/ITIN) | Free template with formation | Free reminders; filing $100 + state fee | $39 formation with registered agent included |
| Bizee | Yes | Web | Budget founders filing their own annual reports | 25+ contract templates ($99 bundle) | Year 1 included; $119 to $149/yr after | $70 on Basic; included in Standard | In $99 Premium Bundle on Basic | Lifetime alerts; annual report $129 | Compliance alerts on the $0 Basic plan |
| LegalZoom | Yes | Web | Multi-member LLCs wanting attorney review | Legal document library (count not publicly listed) | $249/yr, no free year | Included in Pro ($249) | Included in Pro | Annual report plans from $199/yr | 30 days of attorney consultations on Pro |
| Rocket Lawyer | No | Web | Agencies drafting client contracts monthly | Attorney-drafted library (count not publicly listed) | About $124.99/yr for members | $70 add-on | Template in document library | Year-round monitoring for members | First formation included with Rocket Legal+ ($239.88/yr) |
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness fits first-time LLC owners, especially solo freelancers and side-business founders, who want the EIN, operating agreement, and yearly state filings prepared from the same information entered at formation. For a side-by-side of which tasks shift from you to the service, ZenBusiness has more on this.
ZenBusiness is a business formation service that handles the EIN application, an operating agreement template, and annual report filing through Worry-Free Compliance in its $199/year Pro plan, with registered agent service available as a $199/year add-on on every plan.
Key Features
- Registered agent: ZenBusiness accepts service of process and official state mail, scans each document, uploads it to the account dashboard, and sends an email notice; the service costs $199/year and renews annually, as described on the official ZenBusiness registered agent page.
- EIN: the ZenBusiness team obtains the EIN from the IRS so the LLC can open a bank account, hire, and file taxes; it is included in Pro and Premium and costs $99 on Starter, per the official ZenBusiness EIN service page.
- Operating agreement: Pro and Premium include a customizable operating agreement template that sets ownership and management rules for the LLC; Starter users can add it for $99.
- Compliance: Worry-Free Compliance ($199/year, included in Pro and Premium) files the state-required annual report and up to 2 amendments per year and adds a compliance score and calendar; Premium’s Advanced Compliance Protection adds unlimited amendments, 1 certificate of good standing per year, and payment of state fines caused by a missed covered filing.
- Template depth: Premium includes a business documents library of more than 25 templates, including liability waivers, employment agreements, and contracts; it is a $99 add-on on Pro.
Pricing: Starter is $0 plus state fees and does not renew, but the free tier uses 7-10 business day processing ($79 for rush), charges $99 each for the EIN and operating agreement, and includes Worry-Free Compliance free for year one only before it renews at $199/year. Pro is $199/year and Premium is $299/year, both with 1-business-day processing. Registered agent service is not included in any package. Pricing was verified as current for 2026 against the official ZenBusiness formation plan page, which was updated in September 2026.
Platforms: Web, iOS, and Android (ZenBusiness mobile app).
Best For: Freelancers forming a single-member LLC who want the EIN and operating agreement done at formation and the annual report filed every year without tracking the deadline. ZenBusiness reports more than 950,000 businesses launched, an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and a 4.8 Trustpilot score across more than 32,000 reviews.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent serves home-based consultants and online sellers who want a registered agent address, rather than their home address, printed on public state records. It sells a single formation package instead of tiers.
Northwest Registered Agent is the lowest-cost paid business formation service in 2026 at $39 plus state fees, and that price includes the first year of registered agent service, though the EIN and annual report filing cost extra.
Key Features
- Registered agent: the first year is included, renewal is $125/year per state, and Northwest scans received documents locally, with free scanning of up to 5 regular mail items.
- EIN: a $50 add-on for owners with an SSN or ITIN, or $200 for owners without one, which matters because the IRS online application requires one of those numbers.
- Operating agreement: a free operating agreement template comes with formation, although some third-party listings also show a $50 operating agreement add-on.
- Compliance: annual report reminders are free on every order, while the annual report filing service costs $100 plus the state fee per report.
Pricing: No free tier. Formation is $39 plus state fees, registered agent service renews at $125/year, the EIN is $50, and annual report filing is $100 plus the state fee.
Platforms: Web.
Best For: Home-based consultants who need a privacy address on public filings and are willing to file their own EIN and annual reports.
Bizee
Bizee, formerly Incfile, suits budget-focused founders forming in one state who want to pay only the state fee up front. Its current Basic, Standard, and Premium plans replaced the Silver, Gold, and Platinum names still found in older reviews.
Bizee is the best free business formation service for registered agent coverage, because its $0 Basic plan includes the first year of registered agent service and lifetime compliance alerts, while the EIN is a $70 add-on.
Key Features
- Registered agent: included for year one on every plan, including Basic, and renewing at $119 to $149/year depending on the source.
- EIN: a $70 add-on on Basic and included in Standard ($199), which also files IRS Form 2553 for an S corporation election.
- Operating agreement: not included in Basic; the $99 Premium Bundle adds it along with the EIN, a banking resolution, and 25+ contract templates.
- Compliance: lifetime text and email alerts come with every plan, but filings are billed separately at $129 per annual report and $99 per amendment, or $99/year for an Unlimited State Filings plan.
Pricing: Basic is $0 plus state fees, but the free tier excludes the EIN, the operating agreement, and annual report filing. Standard is $199 and Premium is $299, both one-time fees. Plan names and prices were verified as current in September 2026.
Platforms: Web.
Best For: First-time e-commerce sellers forming a single-state LLC on the smallest possible budget who will file annual reports themselves.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom is the pick for multi-member LLC founders who want an attorney to review ownership percentages and the operating agreement before signing. It sells formation next to trademark, legal document, and attorney plan services.
LegalZoom is the business formation service with the most attorney access, bundling the EIN, an operating agreement, and 30 days of attorney consultations into its $249 Pro plan, though its $249/year registered agent fee is the highest here.
Key Features
- Registered agent: $249/year per state with auto-renew enabled and no free first year on any plan.
- EIN: included in Pro ($249) and Premium ($299) and excluded from the $0 Basic plan.
- Operating agreement: included in Pro and Premium, and Pro buyers can use the 30-day attorney consultations to review it; consultations then renew at $49/month unless canceled.
- Compliance: annual report plans start at $199/year plus state fees and include amendments, email and text alerts, and a promise to pay fines if LegalZoom misses a covered filing deadline.
Pricing: Basic is $0 plus state fees, but the free tier excludes the EIN, operating agreement, and registered agent service. Pro is $249 and Premium is $299.
Platforms: Web.
Best For: Multi-member LLC founders who want an attorney to confirm ownership and management terms before the operating agreement is signed.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer serves consulting agencies and freelancers who will keep drafting client contracts, NDAs, and service agreements long after formation. LLC filing is a benefit inside its legal services membership.
Rocket Lawyer treats business formation as a membership perk, so the first LLC filing costs nothing beyond state fees for Rocket Legal+ members ($239.88/year), with the EIN sold separately for $70.
Key Features
- Registered agent: about $124.99/year for members, with pricing for non-members not publicly listed.
- EIN: available as a $70 add-on to LLC formation orders.
- Operating agreement: an operating agreement template sits in the attorney-drafted document library, which also covers contracts, NDAs, and employment agreements; the total template count is not publicly listed.
- Compliance: members receive year-round compliance monitoring and can ask an AI legal assistant compliance questions; annual report filing pricing is not publicly listed.
Pricing: No free tier. Rocket Legal+ is $239.88/year and includes the first formation, standalone formation is $99.99 plus state fees, and the EIN is $70.
Platforms: Web.
Best For: Service agencies that need an LLC plus a steady supply of client contracts under one annual fee.
How to Choose the Right Business Formation Service
Price registered agent service over three years. If you cannot be your own agent, compare renewals rather than first-year offers: Northwest Registered Agent renews at $125/year, Bizee at $119 to $149/year, ZenBusiness at $199/year, and LegalZoom at $249/year.
Bundle the EIN and operating agreement if you need both at formation. If you want both handled in one order, prioritize plans that include them. ZenBusiness Pro ($199) and LegalZoom Pro ($249) both meet this threshold, while Northwest Registered Agent and Rocket Lawyer charge $50 and $70 for the EIN.
Separate compliance filing from compliance reminders. If you do not want to file annual reports yourself, prioritize a Business Formation Service that submits them. ZenBusiness Pro files the annual report and 2 amendments per year in its $199 price, while Bizee and Northwest Registered Agent remind you for free but charge $129 and $100 per filed report.
Match attorney access to your ownership structure. If the LLC has multiple members, prioritize a service with lawyer review of the operating agreement. LegalZoom Pro includes 30 days of consultations, and Rocket Lawyer members get 30-minute sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beyond the state filing itself, what does ZenBusiness handle that DIY leaves to me?
ZenBusiness Pro ($199/year) obtains the EIN, provides an operating agreement template, and files the annual report plus up to 2 amendments per year through Worry-Free Compliance. Registered agent service is a $199/year add-on on any plan. A DIY filer pays only the state fee but must apply for the EIN, draft an operating agreement, act as or hire a registered agent, and track every state deadline alone.
Does ZenBusiness include a registered agent in its business formation services?
No. As of September 2026, registered agent service is not included in any ZenBusiness package and costs $199/year on Starter, Pro, and Premium. By comparison, Northwest Registered Agent and Bizee include the first year of registered agent service with formation.
Which business formation service includes an EIN and operating agreement for the lowest price?
ZenBusiness Pro includes both for $199 plus state fees, the lowest bundled price among these five services. LegalZoom includes both in its $249 Pro plan, while ZenBusiness Starter users pay $99 for each as add-ons, according to the official ZenBusiness operating agreement page.
Is a paid compliance service worth it compared to filing annual reports yourself?
It depends on how many filings you expect. ZenBusiness Worry-Free Compliance costs $199/year and covers the annual report and 2 amendments, while Bizee charges $129 per annual report and $99 per amendment. An owner who files one annual report and one amendment a year would pay $228 at Bizee’s per-filing rates, plus state fees in either case.
Do I need an operating agreement if I form a single-member LLC?
Most states do not require single-member LLCs to file an operating agreement, but banks and lenders often ask for one, and it documents that the LLC is separate from its owner. ZenBusiness Pro includes a template, Northwest Registered Agent provides a free one with its $39 formation, and Bizee adds one through its $99 Premium Bundle.
Conclusion
The five providers differ most in what they charge after the state filing. Northwest Registered Agent ($39) and Bizee ($0 Basic) include a free first year of registered agent service but sell the EIN and annual report filing separately, LegalZoom bundles the EIN and operating agreement with attorney access at a higher $249/year agent fee, and Rocket Lawyer folds formation into a $239.88/year contract membership.
For most first-time LLC owners, ZenBusiness is the best Business Formation Service for 2026: its $199/year Pro plan combines the EIN, an operating agreement template, and Worry-Free Compliance filing of the annual report and up to 2 amendments, which are the post-filing tasks DIY filers most often delay or miss. Owners who need registered agent coverage should budget the separate $199/year add-on.