Inc Authority vs Swyft Filings: LLC formation compared (2026)

How do Inc Authority and Swyft Filings line up?

Our table puts the Free LLC plan next to Swyft Filings Standard, the plan each one is rated on, followed by the trial items, agent price, renewal terms and refund rules each company states.

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

Neither price includes what your state charges to file. Look up that figure on the state filing fee table, or run both plans through the LLC cost calculator to see a first-year total. Every published plan from every service is on the full plan list.

What separates Inc Authority from Swyft Filings?

Plan structure, the cost of a registered agent and what each sells after formation are where they part ways. Each line below is decided by a published figure.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Inc Authority: $0 vs $199
• Faster stated processing: Inc Authority: 24 hours vs 3 business days
• More services included for good: Swyft Filings: 2 vs 1
• Higher Trustpilot score: Inc Authority: 4.9/5 vs 4.7/5
• All-in-one platform: Swyft Filings: sells 6 of 10 business service types we track vs 4
• Founders outside the U.S.: Swyft Filings states it serves non-U.S. founders; Inc Authority doesn't say

One free plan against a tiered lineup

Inc Authority publishes a price for a single plan, Free LLC. Swyft Filings sells Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299. Swyft's tiers are paid once, with no plan renewal.³

The free plans differ in what they hand you. Inc Authority's comes with the agent's first year. Swyft Basic comes with a name check, a free business tax consultation and trials of its compliance and legal document services. Inc Authority lists an EIN (the federal tax ID banks ask for) as a standalone service at $49 and a custom operating agreement at $89. Swyft puts both in Standard and Premium, along with organizational minutes and a banking resolution.^{5, 6}

Stated speed for each tier

Swyft states a time for each tier: 7-10 business days on Basic, 3 business days on Standard and 1 business day on Premium, where the plan card adds an item called "Same-day processing". Inc Authority advertises 24 hours, and its FAQ explains that your order is submitted within 24 hours during business hours. That is the time to send the filing, and Inc Authority's own FAQ puts the state's turnaround anywhere from one week to six months. Swyft's paid rush options are listed in the table. Our timeline guide splits the service's step from the state's review.^{1, 3}

What will the registered agent cost you after year one?

With Inc Authority, nothing in year one and $249/year after that. With Swyft Filings, $149 per quarter, which works out to $596/year, and no formation plan includes it.^{2, 7}

Every LLC needs a registered agent, a person or company that accepts legal papers for it at an address in the state. Swyft's checkout says you will be charged for Registered Agent ($149/quarter) in 90 days, so its agent bill starts well inside the first year. Inc Authority's card charge comes approximately 1-year from date of incorporation, and its terms say the cost of your subscription is subject to change. Its terms also allow a $50 late penalty when a renewal payment is missed.^{7, 8, 9}

Both services renew automatically. Over a full year, Swyft's quarterly rate costs more than twice Inc Authority's yearly one. Naming yourself or another person as agent avoids both bills, though with Inc Authority it also means passing on the free year. The registered agent guide covers who can serve.

Which trial charges should you watch for?

Swyft Filings has more of them. Its ComplianceGuard service, which files your annual report each year, runs a 14-day free trial on every plan and then bills $199/year unless you cancel.⁴

Swyft Standard and Premium also include a business address and virtual mailbox for a short spell (Standard 1 month free, Premium 3 months free), then $29/mo. The Swyft Legal Suite of documents and attorney guidance comes free for a limited period, and what applies after the free period is not stated.¹⁰

Inc Authority's list is shorter, led by the agent's free year; the table shows the one other time-limited item. It doesn't publish an annual report filing service at all. It sells the Inc Success Advisor program, phone and email help with startup questions, for $299/year.¹¹

How do refunds and cancelling differ?

Inc Authority offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on your first online purchase, minus state/third-party filing fees. Swyft Filings decides refunds case by case, with no published time window.^{9, 12}

To stop Inc Authority's agent service, you can cancel at any time by phone or email, though cancelling may require proof of new agent or dissolution. Swyft is stricter in wording: a replacement agent must be designated (or business dissolved) before cancellation. With either one, plan on having a new agent on file, or the LLC dissolved, before the service ends. Our guide to cancelling or switching a service walks through the order of steps.^{9, 13}

Which one fits your situation?

Each match below rests on a fact the two companies publish, so read it as a pairing of a need with a term rather than a verdict on quality.

• Lowest bill to get the LLC filed with an agent in place for year one: Inc Authority, where the plan is $0 and the agent's first year is free.¹
• An EIN and operating agreement inside the plan price: Swyft Filings Standard or Premium.
• Higher rating on our method: Swyft Filings, at 7.7.
• Selling more kinds of business services: Swyft Filings, with 6 of the 10 types we track against 4 for Inc Authority.
• A plain written refund window: Inc Authority's guarantee.
• Forming from outside the U.S.: Swyft Filings comes closer, since its FAQ says "A non-US citizen can legally form an LLC in the United States." That is a statement about the law rather than about its order form, and Inc Authority says only that there is no limit on where members are located.^{14, 15}
• First-time founders: a tie on included support. Neither compared plan includes an annual report filed for you, coaching from a person or AI guidance for good. Inc Authority sells the coaching separately, and Swyft sells the report filing.

For the full picture, read the Inc Authority review, the Swyft Filings review, Inc Authority pricing and Swyft Filings pricing. Alternatives to Swyft Filings and alternatives to Inc Authority list other options in rating order.