Inc Authority alternatives for forming an LLC (2026)

Why do people look for an Inc Authority alternative?

Five points in Inc Authority's published facts can lead a reader to look elsewhere: the agent fee from the second year, no published report filing, few services kept for good, no published dashboard and unpriced bundles.

The agent bill after year one

The free year of agent service ends, and the renewal at $249/year becomes the largest recurring Inc Authority charge with a published price. Several providers charge less for the same role. The full breakdown is on the Inc Authority pricing page.²

Annual reports

Inc Authority doesn't publish an annual report filing service in our record. The closest it comes is "EIN support and compliance reminders" in a page description, with no stated scope or price.⁵

What stays included

Free LLC keeps 1 of the services our method counts for good. The agent runs for a year, and the free website design leads to a monthly fee whose amount isn't published ("Your monthly website fee is contract-free").⁶

Platform and bundles

Inc Authority sells 4 of the 10 business service types we track, and our record has no published online dashboard. Its STARTER and FAST TRACK bundles have no published price, so a buyer wanting a fuller package can't compare them from published prices.

How do the Inc Authority alternatives compare?

Inc Authority comes first, followed by each alternative in order of our rating, with ties broken in our editorial order (Tailor Brands, Bizee, ZenBusiness, then by name).

The cost column counts each plan's own fees for the first and second year, before state fees and before any trial item that later bills. Inc Authority's $0 leaves out its agent renewal for that reason. The LLC cost calculator adds your state's fee.

Which alternative fits each reason to switch?

Every provider listed below beats Inc Authority on at least one published fact, and the subsections after the list sort them by the reason a reader has for leaving.

• Tailor Brands: more services included for good (7 vs 1); more first-time-founder support included (3 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance); more business services sold (9 vs 4 of 10 types); states it serves founders outside the U.S.. Full comparison
• LegalZoom: more services included for good (4 vs 1); more business services sold (9 vs 4 of 10 types); states it serves founders outside the U.S.. Full comparison
• Bizee (formerly Incfile): more services included for good (5 vs 1); more business services sold (7 vs 4 of 10 types); states it serves founders outside the U.S.. Full comparison
• ZenBusiness: more services included for good (6 vs 1); more first-time-founder support included (3 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance); more business services sold (7 vs 4 of 10 types). Full comparison
• Swyft Filings: more services included for good (2 vs 1); more business services sold (6 vs 4 of 10 types); states it serves founders outside the U.S.. Full comparison
• doola: more services included for good (4 vs 1); more first-time-founder support included (2 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance); more business services sold (6 vs 4 of 10 types); states it serves founders outside the U.S..
• InCorp Services: states it serves founders outside the U.S..
• Northwest Registered Agent: more services included for good (3 vs 1); more business services sold (6 vs 4 of 10 types). Full comparison
• BizFilings: states it serves founders outside the U.S..
• Rocket Lawyer: more services included for good (4 vs 1); more first-time-founder support included (1 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance); more business services sold (5 vs 4 of 10 types).

A cheaper registered agent after the first year

Northwest's plan is $39 + state fees and includes agent service free for first year, then $125 per year. Bizee offers a "Free first year with any Bizee formation package" and then charges $149/year. InCorp sells its agent at $129/year, and Tailor Brands at $199/year. Each of those is below Inc Authority's renewal. The Inc Authority vs Northwest comparison and the registered agent included list have the terms side by side.^{3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10}

Annual reports filed for you

Tailor Brands' Essential and Elite plans include "mandatory report filing & updates", and ZenBusiness Pro ($199) covers state-required annual reports while it renews. Northwest files reports at $100 + state fees per filing. These plans bill yearly or per report, so the second-year total rises; the first-time founders list shows what each includes.^{11, 12, 13, 14}

More kept for good

Tailor Brands Elite keeps 7 counted services, ZenBusiness Premium keeps 6, and Bizee Premium keeps 5, against 1 for Inc Authority. The trade is price: Tailor Brands Elite costs $249/yr and Bizee Premium $299. The package contents guide defines each counted service, and the most complete plan list orders them.^{11, 15}

Support for a first-time founder

Inc Authority includes none of the three supports we count in a plan, and its paid advisor service brings the count at any price to 1. Tailor Brands' compared plan includes all three supports, meaning report filing, coaching from a person and AI guidance, and ZenBusiness's includes all three supports as well. The Inc Authority vs Tailor Brands comparison and the Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison cover the gap plan by plan.

A broader platform with a dashboard

Tailor Brands (9) and LegalZoom (9) sell the widest range of the 10 service types we track, and Bizee lists an "Online Access Dashboard" on every package. The all-in-one platforms list gives the full order, and Inc Authority vs LegalZoom compares the two directly.¹⁶

Founders outside the United States

Inc Authority's only line on this is a general one, that an LLC has "no limitations as to how many members can be involved or where they're located", which doesn't say whether it takes orders from abroad. doola's site says "Whether you’re a US citizen or a non-resident without a US SSN, doola can help." Its Starter plan is $297/yr. Tailor Brands' LLC page links a separate sign-up path under "Not a US-Citizen?". Swyft Filings' FAQ says "A non-US citizen can legally form an LLC in the United States", a general statement much like Inc Authority's. The non-U.S. founders list covers the rest.^{5, 17, 18, 19, 20}

Where does Inc Authority stay ahead?

On three facts, no alternative in our data beats Inc Authority, so switching for them doesn't help.

Its plan cost for the first and second year, $0, is the lowest of the plans our rating compares. Its Trustpilot score of 4.9 / 5 is the highest. Its stated 24 hours matches the shortest time any compared plan states. On refunds, Inc Authority allows a request within the first 60 days of that purchase; InCorp's window is similar (within 60 days of issuance of services). The cheapest LLC services and fastest filing lists show who sits next to it on each measure.^{21, 22, 23}