Best LLC services in Montana (2026)

How are LLC services for Montana ranked?

The list is ordered by our rating, highest first. Where two providers tie, they keep our editorial order: Tailor Brands, Bizee (formerly Incfile), ZenBusiness, then by name.

Each first-year figure is the plan we compare plus Montana's filing fee for the Articles of Organization. The second-year figure is that plan's renewal plus the report fee for an on-time filing ($0 if filed January 1 to April 15 (fee waived); $35 after April 15), so in Montana the second year is a plan cost only.^{1, 3}

Second year: the recurring Montana report fee as the state lists it (some states charge it every two years) plus the plan's renewal, if it renews. Registered agent renewals are extra unless the plan includes the agent for good.

Two ties show up here. Bizee (formerly Incfile) and ZenBusiness both rate 8.0, and BizFilings and Rocket Lawyer both rate 6.8. Our rating combines customer satisfaction, services and dashboard, and plan value, and none of those parts changes by state; how we rate gives the weights.

Read the second-year column with the plan type in mind. One-time plans show nothing in year two, while yearly plans repeat. Tailor Brands shows $249, ZenBusiness $299 and Rocket Lawyer $149, because their compared plans renew each year. doola shows $297, which repeats its current price, since doola doesn't publish a renewal price; its plan record reads Auto-renews annually at rates then in effect (renewal price not stated). Agent renewals after a free period aren't in the column, and the notes below list them. The list ranked by cost across both years orders every provider on the same basis.⁴

Which Montana LLC service fits which need?

Each subsection names a need and the published fact that separates providers on it. The cards give the result per category; the text explains what decides it in Montana.

• Lowest first-year total in Montana: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $35 with the state fee.
• Lowest two-year total in Montana: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $35 over two years with state fees. Full list
• Fastest filing: Tailor Brands, 1 business day stated on Elite. Full list
• Best for first-time founders: Tailor Brands, all three supports included in a plan (annual report filing, coaching, AI guidance). Full list
• Best all-in-one platform: Tailor Brands, sells 9 of the 10 business service types we track, with an online dashboard. Full list
• Best for non-U.S. founders: Tailor Brands, highest-rated provider whose own pages say it serves founders outside the U.S. Full list

Each line is decided by the published fact it names. First-time founder support counts an annual report filed for you, business coaching and AI guidance; the all-in-one count is the business service types a provider sells nationally.

Lowest cost over the first and second year

Inc Authority Free LLC costs $35 in the first year in Montana, the filing fee and nothing else, and $0 in the second. The agent it includes is free only at the start; it renews automatically each year at $249/year unless you cancel. Northwest Registered Agent totals $74 and then $0, with its agent renewing at $125/yr. Over both years, the agent renewal is the largest cost either provider adds in Montana. See the Inc Authority profile and the cheapest services list.^{2, 5, 6}

Fastest stated filing

Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness both state 1 business day on their compared plans, and Inc Authority states 24 hours. Those are the providers' own stated times. The state's review is separate, and Montana sells its own rush at 24-hour processing for $20 or 1-hour processing for $100. The fastest services list and the LLC timeline guide separate the two.¹

First-time founders

This category looks at three kinds of help for someone forming a first company. One is the yearly state report done for them, one is coaching from a real person, and one is an AI guide. Counting those, Tailor Brands has all three supports: its Elite plan lists mandatory report filing, the Business Coaching Program comes with the plans, and Navi is an AI assistant built into every plan. ZenBusiness also reaches all three supports, with Personal Velo AI guidance and, on Premium, filing of state-required annual reports. doola reaches two of the three supports, one being its AI Co-Founder. The first-time founders list covers every provider.^{7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}

One provider for what comes after formation

Of the 10 business service types we track, Tailor Brands and LegalZoom each sell 9, and Bizee (formerly Incfile) and ZenBusiness each sell 7. Selling a service is different from including it in a plan, so check the plan cards. The all-in-one platforms list ranks providers on this count.

Registered agent included

A Montana agent needs an actual street address or rural route box number in this state, and several plans cover that for a while. Bizee (formerly Incfile) gives a free first year with any Bizee formation package, then $149/year. doola lists Registered Agent Service in Starter, a yearly plan. Neither Tailor Brands nor ZenBusiness includes a free agent in its compared plan. The first charges $199/year, and the second offers 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC with it. The registered agent included list compares them.^{13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18}

Founders outside the U.S.

doola says it can help a non-resident without a US SSN. LegalZoom lists EIN filing without the need for a Social Security Number on a page for founders abroad. For Tailor Brands, the formation page points to a separate sign-up flow for non-US citizens. The non-U.S. founders list covers the rest.^{19, 20, 21}

What does Montana charge no matter who files?

Montana charges the same $35 filing fee whether you file yourself or through a service, and no compared plan includes it. Rush review and a name hold are extra.¹

• Formation filing fee: $35
• Faster state processing: 24-hour processing $20; 1-hour processing $100
• Recurring report: due each year between January 1 and April 15, $0 if filed January 1 to April 15 (fee waived); $35 after April 15
• Optional name reservation: $10

The lower rush tier, 24-hour processing, costs $20 per filing. The 1-hour processing tier costs $100, more than the filing itself. Bizee (formerly Incfile) lists Expedited Filing in its compared plan and our record doesn't say whether that pays the state's rush fee, so ask before counting on it.^{1, 22}

The report fee is the cost that depends on timing. Filed between January 1 and April 15, it is waived; filed later, the fee sheet lists it at $35 after April 15. Our source adds that the waiver is an SOS policy and could change, so treat the free second year as current practice.^{1, 3, 23}

Who files the Montana report, and what goes public?

In Montana the yearly filing is the Annual Report to the Montana Secretary of State. The plan items below describe state annual report filing in general terms, and our records of them don't name Montana's report, so ask whether a plan covers it.³

Tailor Brands Elite lists mandatory report filing, and ZenBusiness Premium lists filing of state-required annual reports. Northwest Registered Agent sells an annual report service separately at $100 + state fees. Ask whether a service files before the waiver window closes.^{7, 11, 24}

The report renews the business mailing address, registered agent, shares (if applicable) and principals of record. An agent service puts its address in the agent field, but the report still lists the principals of record.³

Trial items bill later. Tailor Brands Elite includes bookkeeping on a free 30-day trial, and LegalZoom lists a trial on its compared plan: the Business Advisor Plan auto-renews at $49/mo after 30 days. LegalZoom's pricing page may have changed since our record. The LegalZoom pricing page and the Tailor Brands profile list what bills after each trial.^{25, 26}

Is filing a Montana LLC yourself enough?

It can be, because the state runs an online-only filing system and charges $35 to file. A service adds preparation, sometimes an agent or EIN, and its own price.^{1, 27}

Filing yourself means naming an agent with an actual street address or rural route box number in this state and filing the report each spring without a service's reminder. Across the first and second year, that route costs the state fees alone if every report is on time, plus any agent you hire. The Montana formation guide covers each filing, and the cost calculator shows what a plan adds.¹³