--- title: "Best LLC Formation Services 2026: Two-Year Cost Compared" url: "https://dupple.com/learn/best-llc-formation-services" description: "Ten LLC formation services priced over 24 months for a Kentucky LLC, checked 19 Oct 2026: Bizee Basic totals $189, Northwest $204, Registered Agents Inc $340." published: "2026-10-26" updated: "2026-10-26" llms_txt: "https://dupple.com/llms.txt" --- # Best LLC Formation Services in 2026: What 10 Really Cost Over Two Years Trusted by 810,000+ Techpresso subscribers · Editorial policy · How we make money Written by Louis Corneloup Founder at Dupple, covering AI tools and strategies for 810K+ readers. How our guides are researched . October 26, 2026 · Updated October 2026 11 min read For one US owner forming a single-member Kentucky LLC and keeping a commercial registered agent for 24 months, Bizee Basic has the lowest total of the ten services compared: **$189** on 19 Oct 2026, from a one-time package with no service fee, a free first agent year, a yearly agent renewal and Kentucky's $40 filing fee. Northwest follows at $204. **Dupple data:** we read 10 vendor pricing pages on 19 Oct 2026 and all 10 publish a price; 9 print a standalone registered agent price, and 4 of those fold the first agent year into the formation fee. *Best LLC Formation Services in 2026: What 10 Really Cost Over Two Years. Last updated October 2026.* | Service | Plan priced | Year 1, with state fee | 24-month total | Hidden costs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bizee | Basic, agent free in year one | $40 | $189 | Agent renews at $149 a year after the free year; EIN and operating agreement start at Standard | | Northwest | Formation, agent free in year one | $79 | $204 | EIN service $50; standalone annual report filing $100 plus the state fee | | Registered Agents Inc | Formation, agent included in year one | $140 | $340 | Agent renews at $200 a year, annual report filing included | | Tailor Brands | Lite, agent added | $239 | $438 | Bookkeeping trial bills $39 a month after 30 days; EIN add-on | | ZenBusiness | Starter, agent added at list price | $239 | $438 | A first-year agent offer exists; website trial renews at $15 a month | | LegalZoom | Basic, agent added | $289 | $538 | Middle tier's support plan renews at $49 a month; agent renewal rate can change | | Rocket Lawyer | Plus membership billed yearly, agent added | $414 | $788 | Agent from Plus up; EIN $70; billed monthly instead, the Plus membership alone is $1,199.76 over 24 months, before the agent and state fee | | Swyft Filings | Basic, agent added | $636 | $1,232 | Agent billed quarterly, $596 a year; EIN comes with Standard | | doola | Starter, agent and EIN included | $337 | $634 | No renewal price printed; Tax and Compliance plan is $1,999 a year | | Stripe Atlas | Delaware company, agent included in year one | $500 | $600 | Delaware LLC tax of $400 a year is extra | A "$0 + state fees" headline prices the form, not the company. Five of the ten services charge no package fee for the filing, yet their totals sit $1,043 apart, because the registered agent an LLC needs is either folded into year one or sold on top. Year 2 is the 24-month total minus the Year 1 column, so Bizee's second year is the agent renewal alone. ## What does an LLC formation service sell? A formation service prepares and files your Articles of Organization with the state for its own fee, and the state's filing fee comes on top. Most also sell a registered agent, who receives your legal mail, plus extras such as an EIN and an operating agreement. ## Methodology: how we priced two years This page compares vendor pricing pages and state fee schedules read on 19 October 2026, and no service was tested. Prices are in US dollars, each with its billing basis. The basket is the lowest-priced plan at each service that can carry a commercial agent, held for 24 months at the renewal rates printed today, or at the first-year price where none is printed, plus Kentucky's fee for Articles of Organization. The [Kentucky Secretary of State fee schedule](https://www.sos.ky.gov/bus/business-filings/Pages/Fees.aspx) also lists a $15 annual report that every service shares, so the totals leave it out. Stripe Atlas includes Delaware's fee and gets no Kentucky fee. EIN and operating agreement stay out of the basket because the IRS says an [EIN is free](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number); their vendor prices sit in the hidden-costs column. The table shows list prices. ZenBusiness's first-year agent offer is covered under "Where the order changes"; Stripe Atlas's offer to return its $500 fee for a $5,000 Stripe Treasury deposit within 90 days depends on funding another product, so the totals leave it out. Picks 1 to 8 are ranked by 24-month total, with the tie between Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness listed alphabetically. Picks 9 and 10 serve other buyers, non-US founders and Delaware startups, so they come last. doola precedes Stripe Atlas because Atlas's $600 leaves out Delaware's $400 yearly tax, which two June payments would bring to $1,400 for a company formed this autumn. 1 ## Bizee: the lowest total, with the first agent year free [Bizee's LLC page](https://bizee.com/llc) sells three one-time packages: Basic with no service fee, Standard at **$199** and Premium at **$299,** each plus state fees, and says every package is eligible for one free year of registered agent service. Bizee's page code also carries a test that rewrites that offer to "3-12 months free" depending on the package for some visitors, so the **$189** rests on the default copy, which says one full year. [Bizee's agent page](https://bizee.com/business-management/registered-agent) prices the standalone service at **$149** a year, which is the second-year bill. Bizee's [order page](https://orders.bizee.com/form-order-now.php?entityType=LLC) says Standard adds the EIN, an operating agreement and faster processing. The catch is that Basic stops at the filing, so the EIN and agreement are yours to get. **Verdict:** The lowest 24-month total of the ten, though Northwest's cheaper renewal catches it in year three. Visit Bizee 2 ## Northwest: costlier in year one, cheaper from year three [Northwest's LLC page](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc) charges **$39** plus state fees and lists a free domain, website, business email, phone line and business address. Its [services page](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/services) adds a year of registered agent service for free, and the [agent price](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent) afterwards is **$125** a year, which Northwest says it has not raised in 20 years. Extras are priced apart: an [EIN is $50](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/start-a-business/ein-tax-id) with a Social Security number, and [annual report filing is $100](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/annual-report) plus the state fee. Its [order form](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/incorporation-service-signup) also lists "Annual Compliance Included" with free report reminders and a renewal service valued at **$100** plus state fees, so ask what the first year covers. The catch is that the filing fee makes year one **$39** costlier than Bizee's. **Verdict:** Pick it if you expect to keep the LLC past two years, since its renewal is **$24** below Bizee's. Visit Northwest 3 ## Registered Agents Inc: annual report filing inside the agent fee [Registered Agents Inc](https://www.registeredagentsinc.com/llc/) charges **$100** plus state fees to form an LLC and includes one free year of registered agent service. Its [agent service costs $200 a year](https://www.registeredagentsinc.com/registered-agent/) afterwards and includes annual report (or equivalent) filing for your state at no extra cost. The catch is a renewal **$75** above Northwest's. **Verdict:** Pick it if you want the report filed for you: Northwest's second year with its standalone filing service is **$225** plus the state's report fee, against **$200** here, though Registered Agents Inc's page does not say whether the state fee is added. Visit Registered Agents Inc 4 ## Tailor Brands: a no-fee plan, then the agent at the price of Essential [Tailor Brands' LLC page](https://www.tailorbrands.com/llc-formation) sells Lite with no service fee, Essential at **$199** a year and Elite at **$249** a year, all plus state fees. Lite leaves out annual compliance and the operating agreement, which Essential adds. Tailor's [product pricing page](https://www.tailorbrands.com/product-pricing) sells the registered agent separately at the same yearly price as Essential, and the EIN at **$99**. The catch is the bookkeeping trial included with every plan: it bills **$39** a month after 30 days unless cancelled, which is **$468** over a year. **Verdict:** Pick it for Essential's annual compliance rather than the lowest bill, because Lite plus the agent ties ZenBusiness Starter at the same total. Visit Tailor Brands 5 ## ZenBusiness: the agent costs as much as the Pro package [ZenBusiness](https://www.zenbusiness.com/llc/) lists Starter with no service fee, Pro at **$199** and Premium at **$299,** each plus state fees; Pro and Premium renew yearly at the same prices. The page says registered agent service is not included in any package and costs the same per year as Pro. [Its agent page](https://www.zenbusiness.com/registered-agent/) shows a special first-year price of **$99** plus state fees when you form an LLC, then the list price. Starter includes a free first year of Worry-Free Compliance, the annual report filing service, which renews at the same price as the agent. The EIN and the operating agreement are **$99** each on Starter, and a preselected 30-day website trial renews at **$15** a month. Verdict Pick Pro if you want one-day filing and annual report filing bundled, but add the agent before comparing, because it costs as much as Pro itself. Visit ZenBusiness 6 ## LegalZoom: an agent sold on top of three tiers [LegalZoom's LLC page](https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-overview.html) prices three tiers: Basic with no service fee, then **$249** and **$299,** each plus state filing fees. The upper two are named Managed Service and Expert Service in one layout and Pro and Premium in another. Basic files the Articles of Organization, while the middle tier adds the EIN, an operating agreement and a 30-day support subscription that renews at **$49** a month. Its [registered agent page](https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-operations/registered-agent-overview.html) charges **$249** a year, auto-renewing at the purchase rate, with the renewal rate subject to change. The catch is the agent: it is the highest of the yearly-billed agent prices here. **Verdict:** Pick it for the EIN and agreement in one purchase, and cancel the support plan before day 30, or it costs **$588** a year. Visit LegalZoom 7 ## Rocket Lawyer: a membership, with the agent from the middle tier up [Rocket Lawyer's pricing page](https://www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing) sells memberships rather than a formation package: Standard at **$149** a year, Plus at **$249** and Pro at **$349,** or **$34.99**, **$49.99** and **$64.99** billed monthly. Every tier includes a free first LLC registration, with state fees extra. The registered agent is not included on Standard and costs **$125** a year on Plus and Pro, where the EIN is **$70**. All plans come with a 7-day free trial. The catch is that the Plus membership billed monthly totals **$1,199.76** over 24 months before the agent. **Verdict:** Pick it if you also want the membership's documents and attorney questions, capped at 36 on Plus; as a formation route it is the second-costliest of the nine priced on the Kentucky basket. Visit Rocket Lawyer 8 ## Swyft Filings: the agent is billed every quarter [Swyft Filings](https://swyftfilings.com/llc/) lists Basic with no service fee, Standard at **$199** and Premium at **$299** plus state fees, and the page currently marks Standard at **$169** and Premium at **$269** against list prices of **$199** and **$299**. Standard adds the EIN and an operating agreement. Its [registered agent page](https://swyftfilings.com/registered-agent/) prices the service at **$149** per quarter and says it renews automatically at that rate every quarter, which is **$596** a year. The catch is that no package includes the agent, and the quarterly charge makes this the highest total of the nine priced on the Kentucky basket (Stripe Atlas forms in Delaware). **Verdict:** Pick it only if you already have an agent and want the filing alone. Visit Swyft Filings 9 ## doola: one annual plan for founders anywhere, including outside the US [doola's pricing page](https://www.doola.com/pricing) sells Starter at **$297** a year plus state fees, Tax and Compliance at **$1,999** a year and Business-in-a-Box at **$2,999** a year, all billed annually. The plan table ticks formation, the EIN, an operating agreement, a registered agent service and a US mailing address for Starter, and the FAQ says doola works with entrepreneurs from around the world. The page prints no renewal price for Starter, so the table repeats the first-year price. The catch is that seven of the other nine services total less in this basket, which leaves out the EIN and operating agreement that Starter includes. **Verdict:** Pick it as a non-US founder who wants the setup done for you. Our review Visit doola 10 ## Stripe Atlas: a Delaware company with the first agent year inside [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas) charges a **$500** one-time setup fee that includes government fees and the first year of registered agent services, then **$100** a year, renewing automatically. The page offers a C corporation or an LLC. Delaware charges every LLC a [$400 yearly tax](https://corp.delaware.gov/alt-entitytaxinstructions/), due on or before June 1, and the Atlas page does not list that tax among what its fee covers. The catch is that the Delaware tax comes on top of the **$600** in the table. **Verdict:** Pick it for a startup that wants a Delaware company and SAFE paperwork, not for the lowest bill. Visit Stripe Atlas ## Where the order changes - **At 36 months.** Northwest overtakes Bizee: $329 against $338, if both agent renewals hold. - **At 12 months.** The first five rows keep their order, from $40 at Bizee and $79 at Northwest to $239 each for Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness. - **With your own agent.** Five services charge no package fee, so a Kentucky filing costs only the state's fee at Bizee, Tailor Brands, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom and Swyft Filings. - **With ZenBusiness's first-year agent offer.** The total falls to $338, two dollars under Registered Agents Inc. ## How to choose For the lowest two-year bill, pick Bizee Basic, and pick Northwest if you will hold the LLC beyond year two. Choose Registered Agents Inc when you want the annual report filed inside the agent fee, and doola when you are founding from outside the US. A Delaware startup that plans to raise money suits Stripe Atlas. After the filing, books come next: our guide to [accounting software for startups](https://dupple.com/learn/best-accounting-software-startups) compares eight tools, and [free corporate cards](https://dupple.com/learn/best-free-corporate-cards) covers Ramp, Brex and Mercury for the account and card. Hiring comes later, and our [payroll software guide](https://dupple.com/learn/best-payroll-software) compares nine tools. If you are still deciding between an LLC, S corp and C corp, the [5-phase guide to starting a business with AI](https://dupple.com/learn/how-to-use-ai-to-start-a-business) has an entity-selection step. ## Common mistakes **Reading the headline as the price.** Five services charge no package fee, yet their totals span $1,043 from Bizee to Swyft Filings. **Letting trials renew.** LegalZoom's support plan runs $588 a year, Tailor Brands' bookkeeping $468 and ZenBusiness's website builder $180. **Paying for the EIN.** The IRS issues it free, while services charge from $50 at Northwest to $99 at Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness. **Forgetting the home state.** Delaware's $400 yearly tax is not listed among what the Atlas fee covers, and [Swyft's FAQ](https://swyftfilings.com/llc/) says forming in one state and operating in another may bring foreign qualification, an agent, reports, taxes and fees in both. ## FAQ **What is the best LLC formation service in 2026?** For a Kentucky single-member LLC with a commercial registered agent held for 24 months, Bizee Basic has the lowest total of the ten compared at $189, checked on 19 Oct 2026, with Northwest second at $204. Registered Agents Inc follows at $340 and includes annual report filing in its agent fee. **How much does it cost to form an LLC?** Kentucky charges $40 for the Articles of Organization. The ten services add anything from no package fee to Stripe Atlas's $500, and the 24-month totals in this basket span $1,043. **Is a "$0 + state fees" LLC service really free?** No. The $0 is the package fee, and ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, LegalZoom and Swyft Filings sell the registered agent separately. Of the five services with no package fee, only Bizee folds in the first agent year, so its second year is the agent renewal alone. **Do I need a registered agent?** [Northwest's Kentucky guide](https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc/kentucky) says every Kentucky LLC must appoint one and that you can serve as your own, which puts your address on state forms. This is not legal advice. **Is Stripe Atlas or doola better than the others?** They suit different buyers rather than a lower bill. Stripe Atlas is a $500 Delaware company for startups, and doola's $297 Starter plan is built for founders anywhere, including outside the US. ## Bottom line For one owner in Kentucky, start with Bizee Basic and move to Northwest only if you will keep the LLC past two years, because the agent renewal decides the bill. Price your own state's fee and agent plan before comparing headlines, because the registered agent is where the headline price and the two-year bill part ways. To keep comparing costs before you buy, [Dupple X](https://dupple.com/dupple-x) bundles 300+ AI courses, software deals and an ad-free Techpresso in one membership. Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links. Related Articles Article ### Cheapest Domain Registrars in 2026: What a .com Costs Over Five Years Cheapest domain registrars in 2026: what one .com costs over five years at nine registrars, renewals included. Prices read on 19 Oct 2026. 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