Prices checked October 20, 2026 · service fees only
ZenBusiness alternatives: prices compared
ZenBusiness compared with four other LLC formation services: Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom, Bizee and Tailor Brands. For a head-to-head with state totals, see Northwest vs ZenBusiness.
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 a figure on those pages, the table says “not published”. This page contains no affiliate links.
The state filing fee is separate
Every provider price below is a service fee. Your state charges its own fees on top, whichever provider you use, or if you file yourself. Across the 50 states and DC, the state LLC formation fee runs from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts, with a median of $100. Tennessee is the exception at the top end: its fee depends on the number of members ($50 per member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum). The recurring annual or biennial report is a further state cost, from $0 to $500 per filing in our data. A few examples:
| State | Formation fee | Recurring state report | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $35 | $20 a year | Waived for on-time filings in 2026 and 2027 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $15 a year | |
| Wyoming | $100 | $60 minimum a year | Can be higher, based on the LLC's assets in Wyoming |
| Texas | $300 | $0 report fee | Franchise tax applies above the revenue threshold |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 a year |
California adds an $800 annual LLC tax to its $70 formation fee and $20 Statement of Information. For every state's first-year and 10-year state cost, see the 2026 LLC Cost Index or the fee table.
Price comparison (service fees only)
Method: the cheapest published plan, plus the provider's own registered agent service, because most LLCs need an agent every year. If you act as your own registered agent, ignore the agent column. “Year 2” is what the provider publishes as recurring in the second year for the same setup.
| Provider | Entry plan | Year 1, with the provider as agent | Year 2 | Registered agent fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | Starter: $0 | $199 | $199 for the agent, plus $199 if you keep Worry-Free Compliance after its free first year | $199/yr, not included in any plan |
| Northwest Registered Agent | LLC service: $39 | $39 (first agent year included) | $125, if you cancel the automatic annual report filing enrollment ($100 plus state fees per filing if you keep it) | $125/yr; $100/yr per state at five or more states |
| LegalZoom | Basic: $0 | $249 | $249 | $249/yr, auto-renews |
| Bizee (formerly Incfile) | Basic: $0 | $0 (one free agent year with any formation package) | Not published for formation customers | Free first year with formation; $149/yr as a standalone service |
| Tailor Brands | Lite: $0 | $199 | $199 for the agent; whether Lite renews at a cost is not published | $199/yr |
Higher plans, as published
- ZenBusiness: Pro $199, renews at $199/yr. Premium $299, renews at $299/yr. Neither includes registered agent service.
- LegalZoom: Pro $249 and Premium $299. Both include 30 days of attorney consultations, which then auto-renew at $49/month unless cancelled. Premium adds 6 months of bookkeeping tools, which then auto-renew at $9.99/month.
- Bizee: Standard $199 and Premium $299, both listed as one-time payments.
- Tailor Brands: Essential $199/yr and Elite $249/yr, each listed with 1-business-day processing.
- Northwest Registered Agent: one published LLC price ($39).
Two-year service cost, with the provider as registered agent
| Provider | Two-year service cost |
|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | $164 (annual report auto-enrollment cancelled) |
| ZenBusiness Starter | $398 (or $597 if you keep Worry-Free Compliance in year 2) |
| Tailor Brands Lite | $398, plus any Lite renewal (not published) |
| LegalZoom Basic | $498 |
| Bizee Basic | Can't be calculated: the year-2 agent price for formation customers is not published |
State fees are extra in every row.
Who each one fits
- ZenBusiness: owners who want the annual report filed for them. Pro includes Worry-Free Compliance (listed at $199/yr on its own), which covers state-required annual report filings and up to 2 amendments a year. ZenBusiness's terms say the state's filing fee for each compliance filing is billed separately, so you still pay your state's report fee.
- Northwest Registered Agent: owners whose main recurring need is a registered agent. It has the lowest two-year total in the table above, because its $39 includes the first agent year and the agent then costs $125/yr. That total assumes you cancel its automatic annual report filing enrollment and file the state report yourself (see the fine print). Compare the two in detail: Northwest vs ZenBusiness.
- LegalZoom: owners who want attorney access while setting up. It is the only provider here whose LLC plans list attorney consultations (Pro and Premium, 30 days included). The tradeoff is the $249/yr agent fee and monthly charges after 30 days unless cancelled.
- Bizee: owners who want a $0 first year, including the agent. Beyond year 1 it can't be compared, because the agent renewal price for formation customers isn't on its pricing page.
- Tailor Brands: owners who want branding tools in the same purchase. Its pricing page lists branding tools (a free domain for 1 year, a DIY website or online store, logos, a digital business card and a social media post maker), though it doesn't make clear which plan includes which tool. Its agent fee is $199/yr, the same as ZenBusiness.
The fine print
ZenBusiness
- Formation plans carry a 60-day money-back guarantee, but filing fees can't be refunded once documents reach the state. If any product in a bundle has been submitted, the whole order is non-refundable.
- Registered agent service is refundable within 30 days of first purchase and only before ZenBusiness is appointed as your agent.
- Subscriptions renew automatically each month or year. Cancelling a paid service before the initial 12-month term ends may carry a cancellation fee.
- Starter is listed at 7 to 10 business days. Rush processing is $79. The website builder trial is preselected at checkout and renews at $15/month after 30 days unless removed.
Northwest Registered Agent
- The $39 includes the first year of registered agent service. The agent is then $125/yr.
- The LLC service is listed with same-day processing.
- Registered agent customers are automatically enrolled in Northwest's annual report filing service, which it lists at “$100 plus state fees” and charges when it files, about 90 days before the state deadline. Northwest says you can cancel the service at any time; its terms say cancellation “must be completed through your online account”.
- Northwest's billing terms say auto-pay services “must be canceled at least one (1) business day before the next charge date”. 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.” A guaranteed refund window isn't published.
LegalZoom
- The LZ Guarantee allows a refund request within 60 days of purchase only if the order hasn't been submitted to the government agency. A bundled order is non-refundable as a whole once any part is submitted.
- Attorney consultations in Pro and Premium auto-renew at $49/month after 30 days. Premium's bookkeeping tools auto-renew at $9.99/month after 6 months.
- The registered agent service auto-renews each year at the purchase rate until cancelled. LegalZoom says the renewal rate can change and the purchase price is only for first-time registered agent customers.
Bizee
- Bizee says Incfile has rebranded to Bizee, with the same products, orders and teams, so Incfile isn't listed separately.
- We didn't find a refund policy or auto-renewal terms on the pages we checked. Confirm the free agent period and its renewal price at checkout.
Tailor Brands
- The bookkeeping and invoicing trial becomes $39/month after 30 days unless cancelled.
- EIN filing is $99.
- Lite lists processing within 14 business days; Essential and Elite list 1 business day.
- Essential and Elite list Amazon gift cards ($30 and $50).
- Tailor Brands says the price shown at payment is binding and that page prices can change.
- We didn't find a refund policy on the pages we checked.
Summary by need
- Lowest published two-year cost with a professional agent: Northwest Registered Agent ($164), based on published year-1 and year-2 service fees, with its automatic annual report filing enrollment cancelled.
- Being your own registered agent: ZenBusiness Starter, LegalZoom Basic, Bizee Basic and Tailor Brands Lite all list $0 in service fees, and Northwest lists $39. Compare processing time and fine print: ZenBusiness Starter lists 7 to 10 business days, Tailor Brands Lite lists 14, and Northwest lists same-day processing.
- Annual report filing done for you: ZenBusiness Pro ($199/yr) includes Worry-Free Compliance; Starter includes it free for the first year, then $199/yr. Budget the state report fee separately using your state's page.
- Attorney access during setup: LegalZoom Pro ($249) or Premium ($299), then $49/month after 30 days unless cancelled.
- Branding tools in the same purchase: Tailor Brands.
To see what your state charges, look it up in the fee table or the 2026 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.
Are Incfile and Bizee the same company?
Yes. Bizee says Incfile has rebranded to Bizee and that Incfile's products, orders and teams carried over.
Do these prices include the state filing fee?
No. Every price on this page is the provider's service fee. Your state charges its own formation fee ($35 to $500 in most states) and, in most states, a recurring report fee. See your state's page for the exact amounts.
Sources
Provider prices and terms, all checked October 20, 2026:
- ZenBusiness LLC plans
- ZenBusiness pricing (registered agent, Worry-Free Compliance)
- ZenBusiness terms (refunds, auto-renewal)
- Northwest Registered Agent LLC service
- Northwest Registered Agent registered agent service
- Northwest Registered Agent terms
- Northwest Registered Agent billing, auto-pay and refund terms
- Northwest Registered Agent cancellation terms
- Northwest Registered Agent annual report service
- LegalZoom LLC pricing
- LegalZoom registered agent service
- LegalZoom LZ Guarantee and refund policy
- Bizee pricing
- Bizee registered agent service
- Bizee: Incfile is now Bizee
- Tailor Brands LLC pricing
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.