Advertiser disclosure: Paperwork Hero is free to use. We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links. It never changes our scores. How we make money
Almost every LLC service now advertises $0 to start. We ranked the most trusted on what you’ll really pay over the first few years, mostly for your registered agent, and on how much help you get.
Northwest charges $39 plus your state fee, includes a year of registered agent service, then a flat $125 a year. Over three years or more, that’s one of the lowest total costs for a full-service LLC, and it uses its own address on your filings to keep your home address private.
Read our hands-on Northwest review →Bizee (formerly Incfile) files for $0 plus the state fee and includes a free first year of registered agent service, so year one costs just the state fee.
Its paid plans track deadlines and file annual reports for you, which is useful if you don’t want to think about compliance.
The biggest brand, with optional attorney plans, but the highest registered agent renewal we found.
Service fees from each provider’s site, checked Nov 2026, before state fees. Full methodology
No. You can file directly with your state. A service mainly saves time and provides a registered agent so your home address stays private.
You always pay your state’s filing fee, and the registered agent renews every year, typically $125 to $249.
From the same day to about three weeks, depending on your state and whether you pay to expedite.
Filing fees range from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts, and ongoing costs vary even more. Pick your state for its exact fees, due dates and steps.