LegalZoom alternatives for forming an LLC (2026)

Why do people look for a LegalZoom alternative?

Five published facts about LegalZoom give readers a reason to compare: trial items that start billing, a registered agent sold separately, stated processing time, refund terms, and a Trustpilot score below several rivals'.

The monthly plan after the trial

The Managed Service plan includes a dedicated business advisor, the legal forms library, eSignature and an advisor review of your filing for a trial period only. When it ends, LegalZoom charges $49/mo for the Business Advisor Plan until you cancel. The Expert Service plan works the same way at $99/mo. The formation fee itself is one-time, so a buyer who cancels in time pays only that fee and the state's. The full tier-by-tier breakdown is on the LegalZoom pricing page.¹

No registered agent in the plan

A registered agent is the person or company named on the state record to receive legal papers for the LLC. None of LegalZoom's formation plans lists one. Its own agent service costs $249/year for first-time agent customers and auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel. Several alternatives put a first year of agent service inside the formation price, which shifts the year-one total.⁴

Stated speed

LegalZoom states 5 to 14 business days and adds that these are service processing times, not state approval times. The state's own review comes after. Our records hold no published rush price for LegalZoom, so the standard window is the one we can compare.²

Refunds

LegalZoom's general guarantee allows subscription refunds within 30 days of initial subscription purchase. Its registered agent terms say that if LegalZoom ends the service, it will "refund you any prepaid fees specifically related to the current RA Service Term". The section on refund terms below sets these against other providers.⁵

Reviews

LegalZoom shows 4.6 on Trustpilot from a large review base (33,485 reviews). Several of the providers we compare show a higher score, though some from far fewer reviews.⁶

How do the LegalZoom alternatives compare?

LegalZoom appears first, then every alternative in order of our rating, with ties in our editorial order. The plan shown is each provider's fullest plan at or under the price cap in how we rate.

The cost column covers the plan's own fees across the first and second year, before state fees. It leaves out add-ons that start billing after a free period, which the sections below name provider by provider. To add your state's fee, use the LLC cost calculator or the state fees table.

Which alternative fits each reason to switch?

Each alternative differs from LegalZoom on at least one fact. The list below shows where, then the sections after it group them by the reason a reader has for leaving.

• Tailor Brands: faster stated processing (1 business day vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); more services included for good (7 vs 4); higher Trustpilot score (4.8 vs 4.6); more first-time-founder support included (3 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance). Full comparison
• Bizee (formerly Incfile): faster stated processing (approximately 4 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); more services included for good (5 vs 4); higher Trustpilot score (4.8 vs 4.6). Full comparison
• ZenBusiness: faster stated processing (1 business day vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); more services included for good (6 vs 4); higher Trustpilot score (4.8 vs 4.6); more first-time-founder support included (3 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance). Full comparison
• Swyft Filings: lower two-year plan cost ($199 vs $249); faster stated processing (3 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); higher Trustpilot score (4.7 vs 4.6). Full comparison
• doola: faster stated processing (1 to 2 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); more first-time-founder support included (2 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance). Full comparison
• Inc Authority: lower two-year plan cost ($0 vs $249); faster stated processing (24 hours vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); higher Trustpilot score (4.9 vs 4.6). Full comparison
• InCorp Services: lower two-year plan cost ($99 vs $249); faster stated processing (1 to 2 business days before state submission vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)); higher Trustpilot score (4.7 vs 4.6).
• Northwest Registered Agent: lower two-year plan cost ($39 vs $249). Full comparison
• BizFilings: lower two-year plan cost ($199 vs $249); faster stated processing (3 to 4 business days (submitted) vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)). Full comparison
• Rocket Lawyer: more first-time-founder support included (1 vs 0 of annual report filing, coaching and AI guidance). Full comparison
• Harbor Compliance: lower two-year plan cost ($99 vs $249).

Lower cost across the first and second year

Inc Authority's Free LLC costs $0 for the plan itself and includes a first year of registered agent service. That agent renews at $249/yr after the first year, so its second year is not free. Northwest charges $39 + state fees and includes a year of agent service, then $125 per year. InCorp and Harbor Compliance also sit below LegalZoom on plan cost. The lowest-cost list for the first and second year and the Inc Authority and LegalZoom comparison carry the full figures.^{7, 8, 9}

Faster stated filing

Several alternatives state a turnaround of a day or less on their compared plan. Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness each state 1 business day, and Inc Authority states 24 hours. doola states 1 to 2 business days and Swyft Filings 3 business days on Standard. These are the providers' own handling times; the state still sets its review time, as the LLC timeline guide explains. The fastest filing list orders every plan by stated speed.

More included for good

LegalZoom Managed Service keeps 4 services after its trial ends. Against that, Tailor Brands Elite keeps 7, ZenBusiness Premium keeps 6 and Bizee Premium keeps 5, counting only the services listed in our method. Those plans carry trials too. Tailor Brands bookkeeping moves to $39/month after its free period, the ZenBusiness website builder comes as a 30-day special offer, and Bizee's virtual address is $29/mo if kept after the first month. Tailor Brands Elite ($249/yr) and ZenBusiness Premium ($299/yr) bill every year, which is why their combined cost for the first and second year is higher than LegalZoom's. The package contents guide explains what each counted service is.^{10, 11, 12, 13, 14}

More help for a first-time founder

Of the three first-time-founder supports we count (an annual report filed for you, business coaching from a person and AI guidance), LegalZoom includes none of the three supports in a plan; its compliance filing is a separate subscription. Tailor Brands includes all three supports, with its Business Coaching Program and the Navi assistant on every plan (Every plan comes with Navi built in). ZenBusiness also includes all three supports, including Personal Velo AI guidance, and doola includes two of the three supports, among them its AI Co-Founder assistant. The first-time founders list shows which plans include each support.^{14, 15, 16, 17}

One company for more than formation

LegalZoom is already one of the broadest providers we compare: it sells 9 of the 10 business service types we track, level with Tailor Brands at 9. Bizee and ZenBusiness each sell 7. A reader leaving LegalZoom for breadth alone has few places to go; the all-in-one platforms list has the full order.

A registered agent in the price

Bizee Premium includes registered agent service (1st year included), then charges $149/year. Northwest and Inc Authority do the same for the first year, as above. doola's Starter lists Registered Agent Service among the items in its yearly price, without saying for how long the agent stays included. The registered agent included list shows each provider's terms side by side, and the Bizee and LegalZoom comparison sets one against the other.^{3, 12, 18}

Higher Trustpilot score

Against LegalZoom's 4.6, Inc Authority shows 4.9 / 5, Tailor Brands 4.8 / 5, ZenBusiness 4.8 / 5 and Bizee 4.8 / 5. Swyft Filings shows 4.7 and InCorp 4.7 / 5, though InCorp's score rests on 95 reviews, so each new review moves it more than one would move LegalZoom's. Trustpilot is half of our rating, so it doesn't settle the order alone: Inc Authority has the highest score here but rates 7.1, below LegalZoom's 8.1, because its record shows fewer of the business service types we count and no online dashboard. It scores 3.2 on that part against LegalZoom's 9.2.^{6, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24}

Different refund terms

Refund terms differ. Inc Authority offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on initial online purchase, less state and third-party fees. ZenBusiness refunds its registered agent service on request only if the service has not yet been used, while Northwest's purchases become non-refundable after 90 days, and state filing fees are non-refundable. LegalZoom allows subscription refunds within 30 days of initial subscription purchase. The terms page of the provider you pick is worth reading before checkout.^{5, 25, 26, 27}

Founders outside the United States

LegalZoom says it forms LLCs for founders abroad and gets the EIN without the need for a Social Security Number, though that statement comes from its Australia-targeted country page. doola's Starter costs $297/yr and says it can help a non-resident without a US SSN; its fees automatically renew at the rates then in effect. Northwest sells a foreign EIN service for $200. The non-U.S. founders list and the doola and LegalZoom comparison cover the rest.^{3, 28, 29, 30, 31}

What happens to LegalZoom services if you switch?

Formation itself does not move: the LLC exists with the state no matter who filed it. What carries over are the subscriptions. The advisor plan keeps billing $49/mo until cancelled, and a LegalZoom registered agent service, if bought, auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel.^{1, 4}

To drop LegalZoom as registered agent, the LLC first names a new agent with the state. LegalZoom's overview page warns, in its own words, that "we may require proof that a new registered agent has been designated with your state". A side-by-side view against ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands or Northwest shows what the new provider would charge for the same items.⁵