Prices checked October 20, 2026 · service fees plus state fees
Northwest vs ZenBusiness: LLC costs compared
Northwest Registered Agent charges $39 plus state fees to form an LLC, including the first year of registered agent service, then $125 a year for the agent. ZenBusiness Starter is $0 plus state fees, and its registered agent service is a $199-a-year add-on on every plan.
Prices checked October 20, 2026 on each company's own pricing and terms pages. Prices change often, so confirm at checkout. Where a company doesn't publish something on those pages, this page says “not published”. This page contains no affiliate links. With each company as your registered agent, the published service cost over two years is $164 at Northwest (with its automatic annual report filing cancelled) and $398 at ZenBusiness Starter, before state fees. For three more providers, see ZenBusiness alternatives.
Side by side (service fees, before state fees)
| Northwest Registered Agent | ZenBusiness | |
|---|---|---|
| Formation price | $39 (one published LLC price) | Starter $0 (does not renew). Pro $199, renews at $199/yr. Premium $299, renews at $299/yr. |
| Registered agent, year 1 | Included in the $39 | Not included in any plan: $199/yr add-on |
| Registered agent, from year 2 | $125/yr; $100/yr per state at five or more states | $199/yr |
| Processing time | Same day | Starter: 7 to 10 business days, or $79 for rush. Pro and Premium: 1 business day. |
| Annual report filing service | $100 plus state fees per filing. Registered agent customers are enrolled automatically and can cancel. | Worry-Free Compliance $199/yr (annual report filings plus up to 2 amendments a year): free for the first year with Starter, then $199/yr; included in Pro and Premium. A single annual report filing is $100, charged per report. |
| Extras listed with the base price | Domain, website, email and phone line; Northwest's business address on your filings; free scanning of up to 5 pieces of regular business mail a year | Velo AI guidance, compliance alerts, and a website builder trial (preselected at checkout, $15/month after 30 days unless removed) |
| EIN | Not priced on the pages checked | $99 on Starter; included in Pro and Premium |
| Refunds | Purchases are final after 90 days; refunds are at Northwest's discretion; state filing fees are non-refundable | 60-day money-back guarantee on formation plans until documents go to the state; registered agent refundable within 30 days and before appointment |
| Cancelling | In your online account; “There are no fees to cancel” | By contacting ZenBusiness; a cancellation fee may apply before the initial 12-month term ends |
What you'd pay in three states
Method: year 1 is the provider's service fee plus the state's LLC formation fee. Year 2 is the registered agent renewal plus one yearly state report fee. Both providers act as registered agent, and you file the yearly report yourself, which at Northwest means cancelling the automatic annual report filing enrollment. ZenBusiness is priced on Starter, with its free year of Worry-Free Compliance not renewed. State fees come from our state pages, which use official state sources.
| State | State formation fee | Yearly state report | Northwest year 1 | Northwest year 2 | ZenBusiness year 1 | ZenBusiness year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 minimum | $139 | $185 | $299 | $259 |
| Florida | $125 | $138.75 | $164 | $263.75 | $324 | $337.75 |
| Georgia | $110 | $60 | $149 | $185 | $309 | $259 |
| State | Two-year total, Northwest | Two-year total, ZenBusiness |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $324 | $558 |
| Florida | $427.75 | $661.75 |
| Georgia | $334 | $568 |
In each of these states the Northwest two-year total is $234 lower, because the state fees are the same with either provider and the difference comes from the agent fee and Northwest's $39 including the first agent year.
- If you want the provider to file the yearly report too, add $100 to year 2 at Northwest (plus the state fee, already counted above) or $100 at ZenBusiness for a single annual report filing. Keeping ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance instead adds $199 a year and also covers up to 2 amendments.
- If you act as your own registered agent, ZenBusiness Starter is $0 in service fees in both years, so you pay only the state fees. Northwest publishes one LLC price, $39, which includes the first agent year.
- Wyoming's report fee is a minimum: the license tax is the greater of $60 or two-tenths of one mill ($0.0002) per dollar of the LLC's assets located and employed in Wyoming. Its report is due by the first day of the anniversary month every year, so the first one can fall just before the end of year 1; the two-year totals are the same either way.
- Florida and Georgia reports are due every year, starting the calendar year after formation.
The fine print
Northwest Registered Agent
- The $39 includes the first year of registered agent service. The agent then renews at $125 a year.
- Registered agent customers are automatically enrolled in Northwest's annual report filing service, listed at “$100 plus state fees” and charged when Northwest files, about 90 days before the state deadline. Its terms say cancellation “must be completed through your online account”. The year-2 figures above assume you cancel it and file the state report yourself.
- Enrollment doesn't guarantee the report gets filed: Northwest's terms say you are “still required to log into your online account to provide required information” before the due date.
- Auto-pay services “must be canceled at least one (1) business day before the next charge date”, according to Northwest's billing terms. Its cancellation terms say “There are no fees to cancel”.
- Refunds: Northwest's billing terms say purchases are “final and non-refundable after 90 days”, that it may issue or prorate refunds or credits “at our sole discretion”, and that “All state filing fees are non-refundable.”
- The free domain covers one domain with a registration price of up to $25 a year, while the domain stays eligible under the service plan.
- Not published on the pages we checked: a guaranteed refund window, an EIN service price, and whether the $39 formation can be bought without the first agent year.
ZenBusiness
- Registered agent service is not included in Starter, Pro or Premium. It costs $199 a year on any plan.
- Starter includes one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance, which renews at $199 a year. Pro renews at $199 a year and Premium at $299 a year. With Worry-Free Compliance, ZenBusiness bills the state's fee at each filing.
- The website builder trial is preselected at checkout and can be removed before you buy. If you keep it, it renews at $15 a month after 30 days. Website subscriptions are refundable within 14 days of initial purchase.
- Formation plans carry a 60-day money-back guarantee. Once ZenBusiness submits documents to the state, filing fees are not refunded, and if any product in a bundle has been submitted, the whole order is non-refundable.
- The registered agent subscription is refundable within 30 days of first purchase and only before ZenBusiness or its partner is appointed. Other annual subscriptions are refundable within 30 days, less state or third-party fees, with no prorated refunds after that.
- Subscriptions renew automatically each month or year. Cancelling a paid service before the initial 12-month term ends may carry a cancellation fee; the amount isn't published.
- Other one-time add-ons: EIN $99, operating agreement template $99, rush processing $79 on Starter.
Where each wins
- Northwest Registered Agent: recurring agent cost. $125 a year against $199 at ZenBusiness, with the first agent year included in the $39.
- Northwest Registered Agent: processing speed at the base price. Same-day processing at $39; ZenBusiness Starter lists 7 to 10 business days unless you pay $79 for rush.
- ZenBusiness: being your own registered agent. Starter is $0 in service fees and does not renew.
- ZenBusiness: a published refund window. A 60-day money-back guarantee on formation plans and 30 days on the registered agent. Northwest publishes that purchases are final after 90 days and refunds are at its discretion.
- ZenBusiness: bundled setup paperwork. Pro ($199 a year) includes an EIN, an operating agreement template and Worry-Free Compliance. Northwest's pages we checked don't price an EIN service.
Choose Northwest if / pick ZenBusiness if
- Choose Northwest Registered Agent if you want a professional registered agent at the lower published two-year service cost of the two ($164), or same-day processing without paying for rush. If you'll file the yearly report yourself, cancel the automatic annual report filing service.
- Pick ZenBusiness if you'll be your own registered agent and want to pay $0 in service fees, or you want an EIN and compliance filings bundled in one yearly price (Pro, $199 a year). Add $199 a year if you also want ZenBusiness as your registered agent.
Either way, the state fees are the same. Check your state's formation and yearly report fees in the fee table or the LLC Cost Index, and use the deadline calculator for your first report date. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Whether you need a professional registered agent depends on your situation.
FAQ
Does ZenBusiness include a registered agent?
No. On its LLC plans page, registered agent service is not included in any package. It is a $199-a-year add-on on Starter, Pro and Premium.
Does Northwest Registered Agent include a registered agent?
Yes, for the first year. Northwest's $39 LLC service includes the first year of registered agent service, which then renews at $125 a year.
Will Northwest file my annual report automatically?
Registered agent customers are enrolled in Northwest's annual report filing service automatically. It costs $100 plus state fees and is charged when Northwest files, about 90 days before the state deadline. You can cancel it in your online account and file the report yourself. Northwest's terms also say enrollment doesn't guarantee the filing: you still have to log in and provide the required information before the due date.
Do these prices include the state filing fee?
No. Both providers charge state fees on top. See your state's page for its formation fee and yearly report fee.
Sources
Provider prices and terms, all checked October 20, 2026:
- Northwest Registered Agent LLC service
- Northwest Registered Agent registered agent service
- Northwest Registered Agent annual report service
- Northwest Registered Agent billing, auto-pay and refund terms
- Northwest Registered Agent cancellation terms
- Northwest Registered Agent other services terms (free domain)
- ZenBusiness LLC plans
- ZenBusiness pricing (add-ons and services)
- ZenBusiness terms (refunds, auto-renewal, cancellation)
State fees come from our state pages, each checked against official state sources: see how we verify data. Spot an out-of-date price? Email team@llcannualfees.com.