LegalZoom vs doola: LLC formation compared (2026)

How do LegalZoom and doola line up plan for plan?

Each column shows the plan our rating compares, LegalZoom Managed Service and doola Starter, next to every tier the company publishes and what each keeps after any trial ends.

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

Both quote prices before the state's own filing fee. The state fee table lists that fee for every state, and the LLC cost calculator adds it to either plan. To scan every provider's tiers together, open all plans side by side.

What separates LegalZoom from doola?

Billing is the root of most differences: a fee paid once at LegalZoom against a membership renewed every year at doola. They also part ways on stated speed, founder support and the range of services sold.

• Lower two-year plan cost: LegalZoom: $249 vs $594
• Faster stated processing: doola: 1 to 2 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)
• Higher Trustpilot score: LegalZoom: 4.6/5 vs 4.5/5
• First-time founders: doola: 2 of 3 supports included (annual report filed for you, AI guidance) vs 0 for LegalZoom
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 6

A one-time fee against a yearly membership

LegalZoom lists its plans as one-time fees: Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $299. The catch is the trial. On Managed Service, the legal forms library, eSignature, a business advisor and the advisor's filing review last for a trial period, then bill $49/mo. Expert Service carries a larger version at $99/mo.¹

doola sells Starter at $297/yr, Tax and Compliance at $1,999/yr and Business-in-a-Box at $2,999/yr. Its pricing FAQ says "All plans are billed annually," and its terms say recurring fees renew at the rates then in effect. doola doesn't publish a fixed renewal price for any tier.^{2, 3}

What each compared plan keeps

The two compared plans keep the same count of services for good, 4 at LegalZoom and 4 at doola, but not the same ones. LegalZoom Managed Service pairs the EIN and operating agreement with a licenses and permits report and a Wix website. doola Starter pairs them with a registered agent and a Virtual Mailing/Business Address.²

The upper doola tiers move into tax work. Tax and Compliance adds Annual State Report Filing, plus federal (IRS) and state tax filing and a 1:1 tax consultation. Business-in-a-Box adds Monthly/Quarterly Closings on top. LegalZoom's nearest match is Expert Service, where accountant help, tax prep and bookkeeping run only for the trial.²

What does each cost once the first year is over?

If you cancel LegalZoom's trial in time, its plan fee doesn't come back in year two. doola Starter bills again at the rates then in effect, a price doola doesn't publish.

So LegalZoom Managed Service stays at $249 by the end of year two, while doola's cost by then is $297/yr plus a second charge whose price isn't published.²

The registered agent changes the picture. LegalZoom doesn't include one in any plan and sells it at $249/year for first-time agent customers; it renews at the purchase rate each year. doola lists Registered Agent Service in every plan. A founder who needs an agent in both years pays LegalZoom for it each year, while doola's yearly fee already covers it.^{2, 4}

doola's agent page shows $297 per year, a figure that equals the Starter formation plan price, so it is unclear whether a cheaper agent-only option exists. Our LLC cost guide adds the state's recurring fees that apply with either.⁵

How fast does each say it files?

doola states 1 to 2 business days for the formation filing. LegalZoom states 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) and sells an expedited option for $99.⁶

LegalZoom adds that these are service processing times, not state approval times, and it publishes those figures on comparison pages that use older plan names. doola's figure comes from its pricing page, and the upper tiers include everything in Starter. doola doesn't publish a rush option for the state filing. What it sells is a faster IRS application for the EIN, at +$300, and its upper plans list Expedited EIN Processing (Only with Annual Billing). The LLC timeline guide separates the provider's step from the state's review and the IRS wait.^{2, 6, 7}

Which gives a first-time owner more help?

On our first-time founder measure doola includes two of the three supports in a plan and LegalZoom includes none of the three supports. The gap comes from annual report filing and AI guidance.

doola lists AI Co-Founder in every plan, as an AI assistant giving guidance from doola's knowledge base. Starter includes it with 25 credits, and the higher tiers add Co-Founder Actions. Annual report filing is the other support on our measure, and it sits only in Tax and Compliance and Business-in-a-Box, so a Starter buyer doesn't get it.⁸

LegalZoom sells report filing outside its plans: a single filing at $99 + state filing fees, or an auto-filing subscription that starts at $199/year. It doesn't publish coaching or AI guidance on the pages we checked, though every plan lists a Tax consult from 1-800Accountant. The first-time founder list ranks every provider on the same supports.^{1, 9, 10}

Which suits a founder without a Social Security number?

Both companies say they serve founders outside the U.S. doola says it in a guide on its own site, and LegalZoom on a country page written for Australian founders.

doola states that for "a non-resident without a US SSN, doola can help," and Starter lists the EIN plus Guidance to open US Bank Account. LegalZoom says it can get an EIN without the need for a Social Security Number, and it will help open your account with providers within days of formation. Both sets of statements come from the companies themselves. For the IRS side of an EIN without an SSN, see the guide to forming an LLC as a non-U.S. resident, and the non-U.S. founder list for other providers.^{11, 12, 13}

How do support, refunds and cancelling compare?

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. doola says the best route is to create a ticket, and its support page lists no phone line.^{14, 15}

Refunds are narrow with both. doola's terms allow a possible refund if you cancel "before we send your application to a state or government agency," but its terms also say "All payments are nonrefundable" and "We may deny any refund at our discretion." 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.^{3, 16}

Cancelling looks different too. doola lets you delete your account at any time, which is a general account rule rather than an agent-specific one. LegalZoom takes agent cancellations by phone or online and says proof of new RA may be required. Before either agent service stops, the state needs a new agent on file; our guide to cancelling or switching a service covers the order.^{3, 16}

Mail differs as well. doola offers same-day scans, but says "Physical mail forwarding is not included in your base registered agent subscription unless otherwise stated in your plan." LegalZoom scans legal papers and uploads other mail to your account.^{3, 5}

Who is LegalZoom for, and who is doola for?

Each pairing below rests on one published fact. They match needs to terms and say nothing about service quality.

• Paying once and keeping plan costs low by the end of year two, with the trial cancelled on time and no agent bought from LegalZoom, points to LegalZoom Managed Service at $249.
• An agent, an EIN and a business address in one yearly price points to doola Starter at $297/yr.²
• A short stated filing time favors doola, at 1 to 2 business days against 5 to 14 business days (standard processing).
• A first-time founder who wants AI guidance and, on a higher tier, annual reports filed for them fits doola, with two of the three supports included.
• Buying many business services from one company fits LegalZoom, which sells 9 of the 10 types we track against 6 for doola, attorney access among them.
• Phone support fits LegalZoom, since doola lists no phone line and points customers to tickets.
• Yearly tax filing handled by the same company fits doola Tax and Compliance, which lists federal and state returns in the plan.

For more depth, see the LegalZoom review, the doola review, LegalZoom pricing and doola pricing. LegalZoom alternatives and doola alternatives list other providers by our rating.