Inc Authority vs LegalZoom: LLC formation compared (2026)

What does each one cost in the first and second year?

Before state fees, Inc Authority costs nothing in the first year if you take only the Free LLC, and LegalZoom lists Managed Service at $249. Both can add a later bill: LegalZoom's after 30 days, Inc Authority's after the first year.²

Inc Authority includes a year of registered agent service with the Free LLC. After that, the card on file is charged $249/year about a year after the LLC is formed, and the order page tells buyers to cancel within the first year to avoid the charge. Its terms also allow a $50 late penalty on missed renewal payment.^{3, 4}

LegalZoom's plan fee is paid once. Its trial items run the other way, starting soon after purchase rather than a year later. LegalZoom lists the legal forms library, eSignature, advisor access and the advisor's filing review as included for a trial, and then the plan bills $49/mo. On Expert Service ($299) the follow-on charge is $99/mo. LegalZoom doesn't list an agent in any plan; it sells one at $249/year.^{2, 5}

So the plan totals our rating uses, $0 for Inc Authority and $249 for LegalZoom by the end of year two, assume every trial and free period is cancelled on time. The LLC cost guide adds the state's yearly charges, and the free LLC formation guide explains what a zero-price plan leaves out.

Inc Authority and LegalZoom, column by column

The table puts the plan each rating is based on beside the other, with every published plan, the prices before state fees, items kept for good, items on a trial and the agent and refund terms.

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

The state's filing fee comes on top in both columns; Inc Authority's own wording is Pay only state filing fees. Look up your state in the state fee table. The cost calculator adds that fee to either plan and to any of the other providers in all plans side by side, which is handy if neither of these two ends up fitting.¹

Where do Inc Authority and LegalZoom part ways?

They split on price, stated speed, how many items each plan keeps for good and how many kinds of services each company sells. Every line below names the deciding fact.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Inc Authority: $0 vs $249
• Faster stated processing: Inc Authority: 24 hours vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)
• More services included for good: LegalZoom: 4 vs 1
• Higher Trustpilot score: Inc Authority: 4.9/5 vs 4.6/5
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 4
• Founders outside the U.S.: LegalZoom states it serves non-U.S. founders; Inc Authority doesn't say

Our rating splits these into parts. Inc Authority scores 9.8 on satisfaction and 6.3 on plan value, both higher than LegalZoom's 9.2 and 3.8. LegalZoom's lead comes from services and dashboard, 9.2 against 3.2. How we rate shows the weights.

How fast does each one file?

Inc Authority states 24 hours. LegalZoom lists 5 to 14 business days (standard processing), and expedited processing for $99, which it says can submit documents in as little as one business day.⁶

Read both claims with care. Inc Authority's FAQ describes its rush service as meaning your order is submitted within 24 hours during business hours, and an Inc Authority blog post says free-plan buyers can select either a free EIN or expedited filing as part of the basic package. LegalZoom publishes its times on a comparison page that uses older plan names and adds that these are service processing times, not state approval times. Neither figure covers the state's own review; the LLC timeline guide separates the two, and the fastest filing list ranks providers by stated time.^{1, 6}

How do their registered agent terms compare?

The standalone price is the same, $249/year at Inc Authority and $249/year at LegalZoom, so the difference is the free first year. Inc Authority includes it with the Free LLC; LegalZoom lists no agent in its formation plans.^{3, 5}

A registered agent accepts lawsuits and official notices for the LLC at an address in its state. Both services renew on their own. LegalZoom's price is only available for first time registered agent customers, and the service renews at the purchase rate each year, with the rate subject to change. Inc Authority's terms say the cost of your subscription is subject to change. Either way, the agent's address goes in the agent field of the state filing; other public fields follow the state's rules. The registered agent guide covers what the role involves.^{3, 5}

Which one gives you a person to ask?

Both sell access to people, on different billing. Inc Authority's Inc Success Advisor is an add-on at $299/year, with topics listed as licenses, payroll, banking, funding, IRS letters. LegalZoom lists business advisors in Managed Service for a trial, then $49/mo.^{2, 7}

Neither plan includes annual report filing, coaching or AI guidance for good. LegalZoom sells compliance filings that file annual reports for you, starting at $199/year, or a single filing at $99 + state filing fees. Inc Authority doesn't publish an annual report filing service. Support hours differ too. Inc Authority answers the phone M-F 7:30am-5:00pm Pacific, and LegalZoom lists phone, chat and email, open Mon to Fri 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT; weekends 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.^{8, 9, 10, 11}

What are the refund and cancelling terms?

Inc Authority offers the longer window: a 60-day money-back guarantee on initial online purchase, less state/third-party filing fees. LegalZoom's general guarantee covers subscriptions within 30 days of initial subscription purchase, and its agent terms refund prepaid fees only when LegalZoom ends the service.^{4, 12}

Inc Authority takes cancellations at any time by phone or email. Cancelling is not retroactive, so a renewal already charged stays charged. LegalZoom takes them by phone or online but notes proof of new RA may be required, meaning evidence that another agent is now on file with the state. Our guide to cancelling or switching covers the order of steps.^{4, 12}

Which one works for founders outside the U.S.?

LegalZoom states that it does, and Inc Authority doesn't publish a position. LegalZoom says it can get an EIN without the need for a Social Security Number and will help open your account with providers within days of formation.¹³

Those statements come from a LegalZoom country page aimed at Australian founders. Inc Authority's free LLC page says only that an LLC has no limitations as to how many members can be involved or where they're located, which is a statement about LLCs, not about whom it serves. The non-U.S. founders list shows which providers say they serve owners abroad.¹⁴

Which reader does each one fit?

Each line ties a reader's need to a published term. None of them is a judgment of service quality.

• A $0 plan that includes a first agent year, Inc Authority, whose agent then renews at $249/year. LegalZoom lists Basic at $0 too, but no agent in any plan; it sells one at $249/year.^{1, 2, 3, 5}
• Shortest stated processing, Inc Authority at 24 hours against the 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) LegalZoom lists.
• More items kept for good, LegalZoom Managed Service with 4 against 1, including the EIN and operating agreement. Bought alone at Inc Authority, those cost $49 and $89.^{15, 16}
• One company for many business services, LegalZoom, which sells 9 of the 10 types we track against 4. See the all-in-one list.
• Annual reports filed for you by the same company, LegalZoom, from $199/year.⁸
• A higher Trustpilot score, Inc Authority at 4.9 / 5 from 49,233 reviews, against 4.6 for LegalZoom.^{17, 18}
• Forming from outside the U.S., LegalZoom, the one that says it serves founders abroad.

First-time founders weighing support can also check the first-time founder list. The Inc Authority review, LegalZoom review, Inc Authority pricing and LegalZoom pricing have the full records, and Inc Authority alternatives or LegalZoom alternatives list other options.