LegalZoom vs Bizee (formerly Incfile): LLC formation compared (2026)

What does each one charge and include?

Each column below uses the plan our rating compares, LegalZoom Managed Service and Bizee Premium, with every published tier, the plan cost across the first and second year, and what each keeps for good or only for a trial.

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

Neither price includes the state's filing fee. Look up your state in the state fee table, or let the LLC cost calculator add it to a plan. The full plan list shows every tier from every provider we compare.

Where do LegalZoom and Bizee part ways?

The biggest gaps are in what happens after checkout, how long each says filing takes, and whether a registered agent comes with the plan. Each line in the list names the fact that decides it.

• Lower two-year plan cost: LegalZoom: $249 vs $299
• Faster stated processing: Bizee (formerly Incfile): approximately 4 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)
• More services included for good: Bizee (formerly Incfile): 5 vs 4
• Higher Trustpilot score: Bizee (formerly Incfile): 4.8/5 vs 4.6/5
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 7

Plan tiers, each paid once

LegalZoom lists Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $299. Managed Service adds an EIN (the federal tax ID number banks ask for), an operating agreement, a licenses and permits report and a Wix website. Expert Service adds an attorney, an accountant and bookkeeping, each for a trial period.¹

Bizee charges $0 for Basic, $199 for Standard and $299 for Premium, and its order page says "our formation fee is one-time." Every Bizee tier lists S-Corp Election Filing (IRS Form 2553), the form an LLC uses to be taxed as an S corporation. Standard adds the EIN and an operating agreement. Premium adds expedited filing, 25+ attorney-written legal documents, and a domain with business email.^{2, 3}

What starts billing later

On LegalZoom the clock runs on several Managed Service items: the legal forms library, eSignature, a dedicated advisor and the advisor's review of your filing. Each is included only for a trial, and the plan bills $49/mo after 30 days unless you cancel. Expert Service rolls into $99/mo the same way.¹

Bizee's timed items are different in kind. The registered agent is free for the first year and then costs $149/year. A virtual address is free for the first month and then $29/month. Premium also includes a business phone line with an AI assistant for the first year, and a note on the page reads "Offer valid only for US-based clients." Bizee doesn't publish what that phone line costs afterwards.^{3, 4, 5}

What does a registered agent cost with each?

With Bizee the first year costs nothing extra on any plan, and $149/year after that. LegalZoom lists its agent service at $249/year for first-time agent customers, bought apart from the formation plan.^{4, 6}

A registered agent is the person or company named on the state record to accept legal papers for your LLC. LegalZoom says its service renews at the purchase rate each year, so year two costs the same unless LegalZoom changes the rate. Bizee says it runs its agent service by "owning and operating our own offices in all 50 states", and the service comes with free lifetime compliance notifications.^{4, 6}

Mail handling differs a little. LegalZoom scans legal papers into your account, and for other mail says "we will upload the documents to your account and email you." Bizee says "All Service of Process (SOP) are mailed via FedEx with tracking." Either way the agent's address goes in the agent field of your filing, while fields such as the principal office follow your state's rules. The registered agent guide explains what stays on the public record.^{4, 6}

Which one says it files faster?

Bizee Premium states approximately 4 business days, and Bizee adds, "we file within one business day of your order." LegalZoom lists 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) without tying it to a plan, and sells a rush option for $99.^{3, 7}

Speed on Bizee depends on the tier. Standard states approximately 2 weeks and, per Bizee's FAQ, includes expedited filing. Basic states 4 to 6 weeks. LegalZoom says its rush option can get documents to the state in as little as one business day, and it also notes that these are service processing times, not state approval times. Its figures come from comparison pages that still use older plan names, so they aren't tied to a current tier. The LLC timeline guide shows where the state's own review fits.^{3, 7}

What costs extra after formation?

The main extras are the EIN on the free plans, an operating agreement, and someone to file your annual report. Prices for the first two are close; the annual report is where the two publish very different terms.

• EIN bought on its own: $79 at LegalZoom, $70 at Bizee.^{8, 9}
• Operating agreement: from $99 at LegalZoom, $99 at Bizee.^{3, 10}
• Annual report filing: LegalZoom sells a single filing at $99 + state filing fees and an auto-filing subscription that starts at $199/year. Bizee sells a filing service but doesn't publish its price.^{11, 12}

Neither company puts annual report filing inside a formation plan, and neither publishes business coaching or AI guidance, so each plan includes none of the three supports on our first-time founder measure. The annual report guide covers what the state asks for each year.

Can you get your money back or cancel easily?

Bizee says orders are generally refundable until payment is forwarded to any government entity, which it says happens typically within twenty-four hours after an order is placed. LegalZoom's general guarantee covers subscriptions within 30 days of initial subscription purchase, and its agent terms refund prepaid fees only if LegalZoom ends the service.^{13, 14}

Cancelling the agent service works differently too. LegalZoom takes cancellations by phone or online, and says proof of new RA may be required. Bizee asks you to cancel by assigning a new registered agent with the state and notifying Bizee of the change, and its policy says it doesn't take cancellation requests by phone or email. With either one, filing the change of agent with the state before the old service stops keeps the LLC from going without one. Our guide to cancelling or switching a service walks through the order.^{13, 14}

Support hours also differ. 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. Bizee lists a phone line open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, and its Standard and Premium plans include Unlimited Phone & Email Support. Its contact page lists no live chat.^{3, 15, 16}

Can you form with either from outside the U.S.?

LegalZoom says it can, without residency or travel, and it can get an EIN without the need for a Social Security Number. Bizee publishes only general guidance that non-residents can form a U.S. business.¹⁷

LegalZoom's statements come from a page written for Australian founders, which also says it will help open your account with providers within days of formation. Bizee's position comes from an article, not a service page, and the same article says applying for an EIN through a third party is "not typically available to those who do not have an SSN or ITIN." Our list of services for non-U.S. founders shows which providers state that they serve founders abroad.^{17, 18}

Which buyer fits LegalZoom, and which fits Bizee?

Read each line as a match between one need and one published fact. None of them is a judgment of service quality.

1. Lower plan cost by the end of year two, with every trial cancelled on time and no agent bought: LegalZoom Managed Service at $249 against $299 for Bizee Premium. If you also want the provider as your agent, LegalZoom adds $249/year from year one, while Bizee's first year is included and $149/year follows.^{6, 19}
2. A registered agent bundled into the first year: Bizee, on every tier.
3. The shorter stated processing time: Bizee Premium at approximately 4 business days, against 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) at LegalZoom.
4. More services kept for good in the compared plan: Bizee Premium with 5, LegalZoom Managed Service with 4.
5. One company for the widest range of business services: LegalZoom, which sells 9 of the 10 types we track against 7 for Bizee, including attorney access.
6. Forming from outside the U.S.: LegalZoom, whose own pages state that it serves founders abroad.
7. Live chat with support: LegalZoom, since Bizee's contact page lists none.

Neither one separates on the first-time founder measure, for the reasons given under extras above. Both have their own pages with more detail: the LegalZoom review, the Bizee review, LegalZoom pricing and Bizee pricing. For other options ranked by our rating, see LegalZoom alternatives or Bizee alternatives.