BizFilings vs LegalZoom: LLC formation compared (2026)

How do BizFilings and LegalZoom compare in a table?

Below, BizFilings Core sits next to LegalZoom Managed Service. Rows cover each company's plan list, price, contents kept for good and kept for a trial, speed, agent terms and refunds.

Auto-renewal, cancelling and refunds are as each provider states them for its registered agent and subscription services.

Neither company folds the state's fee into its price. Add it with the LLC cost calculator, or look it up in the state fee table. BizFilings' plan prices were read from its checkout page for an Alaska LLC, so a quote for another state may differ.

What separates the two on the facts?

LegalZoom keeps more inside its compared plan and sells more services overall. BizFilings states a shorter processing time and costs less on the compared plans. The list gives the deciding figure for each.

• Lower two-year plan cost: BizFilings: $199 vs $249
• Faster stated processing: BizFilings: 3 to 4 business days (submitted) vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)
• More services included for good: LegalZoom: 4 vs 1
• Higher Trustpilot score: LegalZoom: 4.6/5 vs 4.5/5
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 4

What each tier holds

BizFilings lists Basic at $99, Core at $199 and All-Inclusive at $399. Every one includes registered agent service (3 months free) and a name check. Core adds an Employer Identification Number and certified copies. All-Inclusive adds 1-day rush filing, a Certificate of Good Standing and research on which business licenses apply.^{3, 4}

LegalZoom lists Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $299, each a one-time fee. In that listing, Managed Service keeps the EIN and operating agreement for good, along with a licenses and permits report and a website built on Wix that LegalZoom's own plan table shows with no time limit. Its legal forms library, eSignature, advisor access and advisor review of the filing last only for a trial period. Expert Service adds an attorney and an accountant, but on the same trial basis, so after the trial it bills $99/mo unless you cancel it.¹

Who files your annual report

Neither compared plan files it for you. LegalZoom sells a single annual report filing at $99 + state filing fees, billed once, or ongoing automatic filing that starts at $199/year (auto-filing excludes Indiana, Maryland, Wyoming). BizFilings files reports through a managed service at a price by quote, and its BizComply reminder tool costs $75 a year on its own but comes free with Registered Agent Service.^{5, 6, 7, 8}

What keeps billing after checkout?

With LegalZoom, the main ongoing charge is the advisor plan; with BizFilings, it is the registered agent once the free months end. Both renew on their own.

LegalZoom's Managed Service bills $49/mo after 30 days. Cancel the advisor plan in time and nothing repeats, since the formation fee itself is paid once. Keep it for the full first year and it adds more than the plan's own price.¹

BizFilings' agent costs $220 for the first year and then $220/yr on auto-pay, with notice approximately a month before auto renewal. Paying ahead lowers the yearly rate: two years of Registered Agent Service for $370, or three years for $489. LegalZoom's agent is $249/year, a price for first-time registered agent customers, and it renews at the purchase rate each year, with the rate subject to change. None of LegalZoom's LLC plans lists an agent.^{2, 9, 10}

Which states the faster filing?

BizFilings, on the plans compared, though the figures measure different things. BizFilings states when the filing is submitted, which takes 7 to 10 business days on Basic, 3 to 4 business days on Core and 1 business day on All-Inclusive.⁴

LegalZoom states 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) on a comparison page that still uses the old Pro/Premium plan names, and says these are service processing times, not state approval times. The same page lists expedited processing for $99, which it says gets documents to the state in as little as one business day. BizFilings also has a separate rush service that works in as little as 24 hours in some states, with no published price. Our LLC timeline guide covers the state's own review time.^{11, 12}

How do refunds and cancelling differ?

BizFilings refunds formation orders, minus a fee. LegalZoom's general guarantee covers subscriptions for a short window, and its agent terms refund only in narrow cases.

BizFilings refunds the order less a $70 processing fee ($95 after preliminary name check), with state/supplier fees non-refundable and no pro-rata refunds. LegalZoom's general guarantee covers subscriptions within 30 days of initial subscription purchase; its agent terms refund prepaid fees only when LegalZoom ends the service. Its terms don't say whether the guarantee reaches the agent service.^{9, 13}

To drop the agent, BizFilings needs proof (in writing) that the company has a new registered agent on file with the state. LegalZoom says proof of new RA may be required. So BizFilings always asks for that proof, while LegalZoom may.^{9, 13}

Which serves founders outside the U.S.?

Both state that they do, through different routes. BizFilings sells a separate package for owners abroad at $389, with free Registered Agent Service for 6 months, an apostille as proof of U.S. incorporation and international express shipping. Its agent then renews at $167 a year.¹⁴

The EIN is where they split. At BizFilings the EIN service requires an SSN or ITIN, and BizFilings does not assist with form preparation or the obtainment of the ITIN. An ITIN is the tax number the IRS issues to people who can't get a Social Security number. LegalZoom says it files for the EIN without the need for a Social Security Number and will help open your account with providers within days of formation, though these statements come from its country page aimed at Australian founders.^{15, 16}

Which reader does each one fit?

These matches come from published facts, one per need where the two differ. Our rating places LegalZoom first, but either can be the closer fit.

• For the lower plan price, BizFilings Core at $199 against $249. Neither price covers a registered agent through year two: BizFilings bills $220/yr once its free months end, and LegalZoom sells its agent at $249/year.^{2, 10}
• For a shorter stated time to submission without buying rush, BizFilings Core at 3 to 4 business days, or All-Inclusive at 1 business day.⁴
• For more kept for good in the compared plan, LegalZoom Managed Service, with 4 counted services against 1.
• For one company selling the widest set of services after formation, LegalZoom: 9 of the 10 types we track, against 4.
• For a founder abroad without a Social Security number or ITIN, LegalZoom, since BizFilings' EIN service requires one.
• For a founder abroad who needs an apostille and international shipping, BizFilings' package for non-U.S. owners.

Each company has more on its own pages: the BizFilings review, the LegalZoom review, BizFilings pricing and LegalZoom pricing. For other options, see BizFilings alternatives or LegalZoom alternatives.