The Top Five Incorporation Services of 2023

Should I Use a Formation Service to Incorporate my Business?

While you can file to incorporate your business yourself, an incorporation service often saves you time and offers additional services that are beneficial to any new business. The incorporation process can be complicated for a first-time business owner, and filing the incorporation paperwork with the state can often be a tedious process. With a formation service, the professionals will take your business’s essential information and do the process for you, leaving you with more time to get started running your business and finding customers.

In addition to incorporating your business, incorporation services have professionals at the ready to answer any questions you may have when operating your new business. Furthermore, many incorporation services offer assistance with remaining compliant, registered agent services, as well as tools to help grow your brand. Each state has laws dictating business practices, but most states require business owners to file annual reports. Failing to comply with state laws may result in your new business falling out of good standing and being dissolved. Incorporation services often provide reminders and advice to ensure your business stays active and in good standing. 

All businesses are required to have a registered agent available everyday from 9-5 at a designated address. This is often not feasible for most small business owners to do themselves, so they often hire a registered agent service. If you use an incorporation service, they tend to bundle this into their formation package which will save you money in the long run. Finally, many incorporation services will provide you with resources, expertise, and tools to help grow your brand. Incorporation services may not be required but for any serious business owner, they are worth the investment.

Best Overall Incorporation Service: Northwest

Having been in the business for over 20 years, Northwest is the industry standard for business formation services. Northwest offers extensive industry experience and their reputation is stellar among customers. While their prices and process are fairly standard compared to the competition, Northwest’s pricing is transparent and affordable, and they bundle in numerous services to support business owners launching their enterprise.

Unlike many of its competitors, Northwest's formation package contains no hidden fees and includes one year of free registered agent services. Many business owners opt to pay for a registered agent service for their business, and Northwest is one of the few services that charges modest fees to renew this service. After the free 1st year, continuing to use Northwest’s registered agent service is only $125 per year. Although Northwest appears less flashy than other brands, Northwest’s pricing bundle is both comprehensive and transparent.

Northwest also offers various services to help new business owners succeed. Their online account consolidates all of your information in one easy-to-use space. Additionally, you will be assigned a Corporate Guide, a business expert who can help you deal with difficult business questions. Overall, Northwest’s reputation and transparency make them a our #1 choice for an incorporation service.  

Best All-In-One Business Formation: Tailor Brands

Tailor Brands is the perfect option for new business owners hoping to launch, grow, and scale their brand. After incorporating your business, Tailor Brands takes things a step further by offering resources to help you create a logo, generate marketing tools, and grow your online presence. If you need help quickly building an online presence for your new business, Tailor Brands is the perfect option for you. 

While their traditional plan is priced similarly to the competition, Tailor Brands’ more expensive, premium packages provide unparalleled support for launching a new business. After incorporating your business, Tailor Brands’ logo builder, website builder, and graphic design tools allow you to get started rolling out your business’s branding. Every business has a story, and with Tailor Brands, you have the tools at your fingertips to easily get your business’s story in front of customers.

Best for Putting Your Mind at Ease: ZenBusiness

In addition to incorporating your business, ZenBusiness offers peace of mind with their worry-free compliance features to remind you of important upcoming annual filing deadlines. They also provide insurance to help ensure your business remains in good standing. Furthermore, all of ZenBusiness’ packages include an accounting consultation, assistance with expense tracking, and free tax deduction tagging. 

While ZenBusiness’s pricing is slightly more expensive than their competitors, their added features provide support for new business owners, and they have numerous positive customer reviews. Their customer service is responsive, and their digital portal is easy to navigate in the event that you need to access any important information.

Best for an Immediate Start: Incfile

Incfile is best if you wanted your business incorporated yesterday. Their team will file your LLC documents within one business day. Their checkout process is seamless, and their prices cannot be beaten. However, while Incfile charges less upfront, they charge more to add additional features, and their additional services tend to be pricey.

If you just need the basics and want it immediately, Incfile will be a great fit, and like Northwest, they provide free registered agent services for the first year. However, if you are in no rush and want additional support to help jumpstart your business, it may be best to consider other options with more long-term value.

How We Compare

To develop our list of the best legal services for applying for a new corporation entity or LLC, we considered the following factors:

• Starting and renewal pricing offered for LLC or corporate business formation
• Availability of additional services like registered agents and privacy protection
• Past customer reviews on platforms like Trustpilot
• Turnaround time for filing company documents
• Time in business and number of customers helped
• Quality of customer support
• Ongoing resources available
• Historical conversion rate and engagement of our audience with the brands