LLC services for first-time founders (2026)

How is the first-time founders list ordered?

Providers are ranked by how many of the three supports one of their published plans includes for good. Ties go to whoever offers more of them at any price, then to our rating.

1. Tailor Brands

   All three supports included in a plan:

   • Annual report filed for you (in Essential, Elite)
   • Business coaching (in Lite, Essential, Elite)
   • AI guidance (in Lite, Essential, Elite)

   Our rating 8.7/10 · Trustpilot 4.8/5

   Sources: Tailor Brands website; Trustpilot

   See Tailor Brands plans

2. ZenBusiness

   All three supports included in a plan:

   • Annual report filed for you (in Pro, Premium; trial on Starter)
   • Business coaching (in Premium)
   • AI guidance (in Starter, Pro, Premium)

   Our rating 8.0/10 · Trustpilot 4.8/5

   Sources: ZenBusiness website; Trustpilot

   See ZenBusiness plans

3. doola

   Two of the three supports included in a plan:

   • Annual report filed for you (in Tax and Compliance, Business-in-a-Box™)
   • AI guidance (in Starter, Tax and Compliance, Business-in-a-Box™)

   Our rating 7.2/10 · Trustpilot 4.5/5

   Sources: doola website; Trustpilot

   See doola plans

4. Rocket Lawyer

   One of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on, $100 per filing with Pro membership, excluding state fees)
   • AI guidance (in Standard membership, Plus membership, Pro membership)

   Our rating 6.8/10 · Trustpilot 4.5/5

   Sources: Rocket Lawyer website; Trustpilot

   See Rocket Lawyer plans

5. Harbor Compliance

   None of the three supports included in a plan, two more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on, $199/year per state + filing fees)
   • AI guidance (paid add-on)

   Our rating 5.1/10 · Trustpilot 3.1/5

   Sources: Harbor Compliance website; Trustpilot

   See Harbor Compliance plans

6. LegalZoom

   None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on, $199/year)

   Our rating 8.1/10 · Trustpilot 4.6/5

   Sources: LegalZoom website; Trustpilot

   See LegalZoom plans

7. Bizee (formerly Incfile)

   None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on)

   Our rating 8.0/10 · Trustpilot 4.8/5

   Sources: Bizee (formerly Incfile) website; Trustpilot

   See Bizee (formerly Incfile) plans

8. Swyft Filings

   None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Annual report filed for you (trial on Basic, Standard, Premium, then $199/year)

   Our rating 7.7/10 · Trustpilot 4.7/5

   Sources: Swyft Filings website; Trustpilot

   See Swyft Filings plans

9. Inc Authority

   None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

   • Business coaching (paid add-on, $299/year)

   Our rating 7.1/10 · Trustpilot 4.9/5

   Sources: Inc Authority website; Trustpilot

   See Inc Authority plans

10. InCorp Services

    None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

    • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on, $89 + state fees)

    Our rating 7.0/10 · Trustpilot 4.7/5

    Sources: InCorp Services website; Trustpilot

    See InCorp Services plans

11. Northwest Registered Agent

    None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

    • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on, $100 + state fees per filing)

    Our rating 6.9/10 · Trustpilot 4.1/5

    Sources: Northwest Registered Agent website; Trustpilot

    See Northwest Registered Agent plans

12. BizFilings

    None of the three supports included in a plan, one more offered for a fee or trial:

    • Annual report filed for you (paid add-on)

    Our rating 6.8/10 · Trustpilot 4.5/5

    Sources: BizFilings website; Trustpilot

    See BizFilings plans

"For good" means the support stays for as long as you keep the plan. A support that ends after a trial, or that you buy on top, counts only in the second step.

That second step explains the lower half. Harbor Compliance sells 2 of the supports separately, so it sits above LegalZoom, which sells 1, even though LegalZoom rates 8.1 and Harbor Compliance rates 5.1. The seven providers that offer a single support then follow our rating, from LegalZoom down to BizFilings at 6.8. Read the rating method for how that score is built.

What counts as each of the three supports?

Each support covers a different need: a state filing done for you, a person to ask, or an automated assistant.

1. Annual report filed for you. The provider prepares the state's recurring report and submits it. A reminder that the report is due doesn't count, because you still file it yourself.
2. Business coaching from a person. Guidance from a named human service, such as Tailor Brands' Business Coaching Program, with a business trainer giving one-on-one guidance plus expert workshops, or ZenBusiness' business advisor, a one-on-one consultation, Premium only.^{2, 3}
3. AI guidance. An assistant that answers questions or suggests next steps, such as Tailor Brands' Navi, built into every plan, or ZenBusiness' Velo, in all plans.^{2, 4}

The AI tools differ in scope. doola's AI Co-Founder draws on that company's own knowledge base, and Starter gets AI Co-Founder with 25 credits. Rocket Lawyer's AI legal assistant offers "AI-powered answers to unlimited questions". Harbor Compliance's Compliance Navigator AI is a research tool aimed at compliance professionals, sold by subscription.^{5, 6, 7}

Which plan carries all three supports?

The plan counts as much as the provider, because the supports are spread across tiers. Here is where each of the top three places them.

At Tailor Brands, coaching is "Included with any plan purchased" and Navi is part of every plan, Lite included. The annual report filing is the piece that needs an upgrade: it is included in Essential and Elite, not in Lite. Essential renews at $199/yr.^{1, 3}

ZenBusiness splits them three ways. Velo comes with Starter, and Worry-Free Compliance, its annual report service, is included in Pro and Premium, one optional free year on Starter. The one-on-one consultation is Premium only, and Premium renews at $299/yr. The compliance service is also sold separately at $199/year.^{2, 8}

doola doesn't publish coaching from a person, and its filing service sits in its upper plans. Starter does not include ongoing compliance filings. The annual report is part of Tax and Compliance at $1,999/yr and of Business-in-a-Box, while every plan carries the AI tool.^{9, 10}

The Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness comparison sets those two plan lines side by side, and the ZenBusiness and doola comparison does the same for that pair.

Does the provider file the annual report, or only remind you?

Several providers send reminders for free but charge to file. The list counts only filing, so here is what each of the others asks for it.

• LegalZoom: LegalZoom lists a Compliance Filings subscription that starts at $199/year, auto-renews; its auto-filing excludes Indiana, Maryland, Wyoming.¹¹
• Swyft Filings: a ComplianceGuard trial in every LLC plan, then $199/year auto-charged unless cancelled.¹²
• Rocket Lawyer: $100 per filing with a Pro membership; its pricing page shows 'Not included' for Standard and Plus.¹³
• Harbor Compliance: $199 per state per year plus filing fees.¹⁴
• Northwest Registered Agent: $100 + state fees per filing, and its registered agent customers are auto-enrolled.¹⁵
• InCorp Services: $89 + state fees, not in the LLC Formation Service.¹⁶
• Bizee (formerly Incfile): a filing service with no amount or renewal cadence published, plus lifetime compliance alerts.^{17, 18}
• BizFilings: a managed service at a price by quote.¹⁹

Whoever files, the state's own report fee is extra. What the report asks for, and when it is due, varies by state; the annual report guide explains the basics, and each state page, such as forming an LLC in New York, gives that state's rules.

What does this list leave out?

It counts which supports exist, not how good they are. We don't rate coaching sessions or AI answers, and the list ignores price, speed and the registered agent.

Coaching help also comes outside the plans. Inc Authority sells an Inc Success Advisor, whose Business Startup Experts give unlimited phone and email support on business questions, at $299/year. LegalZoom lists "Dedicated business advisors for setup, compliance, and coaching" on its Managed Service plan for an introductory period; its Business Advisor Plan auto-renews at $49/mo after 30 days.^{20, 21}

Price can change the picture. The plans that bundle all three supports are paid and bill yearly, so the list sorted by cost through year two is the place to weigh them against free plans. For owners who want the widest range of services under one account, the all-in-one platforms list counts that instead.