LegalZoom vs Rocket Lawyer: LLC formation compared (2026)

How does a one-time fee compare with a membership?

LegalZoom charges once for the formation package. Rocket Lawyer charges every year for a legal membership, and the LLC filing is one of the things that membership covers.

LegalZoom lists Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $299. It describes the Managed Service and Expert Service fees as one-time. The catch is the follow-on subscription. On Managed Service, LegalZoom lists a charge of $49/mo after 30 days for the advisor subscription, and on Expert Service $99/mo on the same schedule, unless you cancel.¹

Rocket Lawyer has Standard at $149/year, Plus at $249/year and Pro at $349/year, each with a free 7-day trial. Rocket Lawyer lists the filing for a new business as first one free, and a second one is $99 + state fees. Rocket Lawyer says the offer requires a current membership. So the price of the LLC is really the price of a year of membership, and keeping the membership means paying for it again.²

With either company the state's own filing fee is added on top. The state fee table lists it for every state, and the LLC cost calculator puts it next to a plan.

LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer in one table

The table below lines up the plan our rating compares for each provider with every tier both publish, the plan cost across the first and second year before state fees, what each keeps for good and what runs on a trial, then agent, renewal and refund terms.

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

Where do the two part ways?

The split runs along billing, lawyer access, stated speed and who can buy add-ons. Each line below names the fact that separates them.

• Lower two-year plan cost: LegalZoom: $249 vs $298
• Higher Trustpilot score: LegalZoom: 4.6/5 vs 4.5/5
• First-time founders: Rocket Lawyer: 1 of 3 supports included (AI guidance) vs 0 for LegalZoom
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 5
• Founders outside the U.S.: LegalZoom states it serves non-U.S. founders; Rocket Lawyer doesn't say

Lawyers, advisors and AI

Rocket Lawyer builds attorney access into the membership. Standard lists Ask an Attorney with a cap (Limit 12) and a written response within 1 business day. Plus lists Ask an Attorney (Limit 36) and Consult an Attorney Live (Limit 12). Pro lists both, with no limit listed. On every tier an AI legal assistant gives AI answers to unlimited questions.²

LegalZoom lists its people as trial items instead. Its Managed Service listing includes dedicated business advisors and an advisor review of your filing, and both stop with the trial unless you pay $49/mo. Expert Service adds an advisor, attorney, and accountant plus unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations, also on a trial, with $99/mo after. Our record shows no AI guidance in LegalZoom's plans.¹

Add-ons and who may buy them

Rocket Lawyer limits add-ons by tier. The EIN service (the federal tax ID a bank asks for) is $70 for Plus and Pro members, and its registered agent is $125 a year with the same membership requirement; our record notes the agent is not available to non-members or Standard members. Annual report filing is $100 with Pro membership.^{3, 4, 5}

LegalZoom lists the EIN inside Managed Service and Expert Service and sells it alone for $79. Its agent is sold on its own, with no package or membership, at $249/year (first-time registered agent customers). For annual reports, LegalZoom lists a filing at $99 plus state fees, billed once, or a Compliance Filings subscription that starts at $199/year.^{6, 7, 8, 9}

Which one states a filing time?

LegalZoom states 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) and sells expedited processing for $99. Rocket Lawyer doesn't publish a processing time or a rush option for any membership.¹⁰

LegalZoom says the rush option can get papers to the state in as little as one business day. Its times come from comparison pages that still use older plan names, so they aren't tied to a current package, and they cover LegalZoom's own step, not the state's review. Our LLC timeline guide separates the two. Services that state a turnaround are listed on the fastest filing page.¹⁰

How do renewals, cancelling and refunds compare?

Both registered agent services renew on their own. Rocket Lawyer's runs in successive 1-year terms and LegalZoom's renews at the purchase price, with the rate subject to change.^{7, 11}

Cancelling the agent differs a little. Rocket Lawyer's service is cancelled by phone and must be canceled prior to the renewal date to avoid recurring annual charges; its terms also say you must file change-of-agent paperwork with the state. LegalZoom lets you cancel by phone or online, though proof of new RA may be required.^{11, 12}

Refund windows are short at both. Rocket Lawyer's terms say all refund requests must be made within 30 days of purchase, with none on annual plans after 30 days. 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. For a Rocket Lawyer member who only wanted the filing, that rules out a refund on an annual plan once the window has passed.^{11, 12}

For mail, Rocket Lawyer says "We'll forward all state legal documents directly to you." LegalZoom scans legal papers to your account. Both list their own address in the agent field of the state record.⁴

Which reader fits each one?

Each line below pairs a reader's need with the published fact that decides it, so a line only applies if the need is yours.

• Lower plan cost across the first and second year, with trials cancelled on time, points to LegalZoom: $249 against $298.
• An owner who wants to ask a lawyer questions all year, without a monthly add-on, fits Rocket Lawyer, where every membership includes Ask an Attorney, capped on Standard and Plus.
• A first-time founder who wants an AI assistant fits Rocket Lawyer. Its plans include one of the three supports, against none of the three supports for LegalZoom.
• If a stated filing time or a paid rush is needed, LegalZoom, since Rocket Lawyer publishes neither.
• For the widest range of business services from one company, LegalZoom sells 9 of the 10 types we track and Rocket Lawyer 5.
• A founder living outside the U.S. has a stated path at LegalZoom, which says on its page for Australian founders that it can get an EIN without the need for a Social Security Number. Rocket Lawyer doesn't publish a position.¹³
• A buyer who wants a registered agent without buying a membership fits LegalZoom, since Rocket Lawyer sells its agent only to Plus and Pro members.

Each provider's full record is on the LegalZoom review and the Rocket Lawyer review, with prices by tier on LegalZoom pricing and Rocket Lawyer pricing. Other options, ordered by our rating, are on LegalZoom alternatives and Rocket Lawyer alternatives.