LegalZoom vs Swyft Filings: LLC formation compared (2026)

What does each package start billing after checkout?

Each package fee is paid once, and both start subscriptions on a timer. LegalZoom's trial items bill after 30 days; Swyft's ComplianceGuard trial ends sooner and then bills for a full year.¹

LegalZoom lists Managed Service at $249. Its legal forms library, eSignature, business advisors and the advisor's review of your filing are trial items, and the plan bills $49/mo after 30 days if nothing is cancelled. Expert Service at $299 works the same way at $99/mo.¹

Swyft lists Standard at $199, and every package includes a 14-day trial of ComplianceGuard, then $199/year auto-charged unless cancelled. The trial covers one free annual report, one business amendment and a corporate minutes tool. Standard also opens a business address and virtual mailbox (Standard 1 month free, then $29/mo) and Swyft Legal Suite for a limited time (Basic and Standard 1 month, Premium 2 months); for the suite, what applies after the free period is not stated.^{2, 3, 4}

The upshot is a calendar to keep. A Swyft Standard buyer who wants nothing after formation has the ComplianceGuard, mailbox and Legal Suite trials to track; a LegalZoom buyer has the advisor subscription. The LLC cost guide shows the state charges that come on top with either.

How do LegalZoom and Swyft Filings line up?

The table puts the plan our rating compares for each provider beside every tier both publish, with cost over the first and second year, items kept, trials and agent terms.

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

The state filing fee is extra with both. Every state's figure is in the state fee table, and all plans side by side puts these packages next to the rest.

Where do LegalZoom and Swyft Filings split?

Swyft is ahead on plan cost over the first and second year, stated speed and Trustpilot score in this pairing, and LegalZoom on what it keeps for good and how many services it sells. The list names each deciding fact.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Swyft Filings: $199 vs $249
• Faster stated processing: Swyft Filings: 3 business days vs 5 to 14 business days (standard processing)
• More services included for good: LegalZoom: 4 vs 2
• Higher Trustpilot score: Swyft Filings: 4.7/5 vs 4.6/5
• All-in-one platform: LegalZoom: sells 9 of 10 business service types we track vs 6

What the middle packages keep

Both middle tiers include an EIN, the federal tax ID a bank asks for, and an operating agreement. LegalZoom lists Managed Service with a business licenses and permits report and a customizable website powered by Wix, with no time limit shown. Swyft Standard adds Custom organizational minutes and a Custom banking resolution, which our count of services doesn't include. Our method counts 4 kept items for LegalZoom and 2 for Swyft.²

At the top tier, Swyft Premium lists Unlimited attorney consultations as a Legal Suite benefit with a limited free period, and LegalZoom lists the attorney and accountant access in Expert Service as a trial item.²

How fast does each file, and what does rush cost?

Swyft states a time for each package, from 7-10 business days on Basic to 1 business day on Premium. LegalZoom states 5 to 14 business days (standard processing) without tying it to a package and sells rush for $99.^{2, 5}

Swyft sells its rush in steps. Basic buyers can add Express processing for $50, and same-day processing costs $100 on Basic and Standard; Premium includes same-day processing. LegalZoom says its rush can reach the state in as little as one business day, and adds that these are service processing times, not state approval times. That caveat holds for every service, so state review time comes on top. The LLC timeline guide covers that part, and the fastest filing list orders providers by stated time.^{2, 5}

Which registered agent costs less to keep?

LegalZoom's agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers). Swyft quotes $149 per quarter, which our record totals at $596/year, so over a year LegalZoom's is the cheaper one by a wide margin.^{6, 7}

A registered agent receives lawsuits and state notices for the LLC at an address in the state, and neither middle package includes one. LegalZoom's agent auto-renews at the purchase rate each year. Swyft says it will send reminders before any renewal, and that legal papers served on the LLC reach your account typically within 2-3 hours.^{6, 7, 8}

Leaving works differently. LegalZoom cancels by phone or online, though proof of new RA may be required. Swyft's help page says the registered agent must be changed, or the business must be voluntarily dissolved before the service can be cancelled, so the agent can't simply be switched off while the LLC is active.^{9, 10}

Swyft decides refunds case by case, while LegalZoom states a time window. Swyft says billing questions should be evaluated by charge type and order status and names no time window; its FAQ adds, "If processing has not started, you may be eligible for a refund." LegalZoom's guarantee covers subscriptions within 30 days of initial subscription purchase.^{9, 11}

Can founders outside the U.S. use either?

Both say yes in some form. LegalZoom's statement is about its own service, while Swyft's is a general legal answer in its FAQ.

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; these come from a country page aimed at Australian founders. Swyft's FAQ says "A non-US citizen can legally form an LLC in the United States." Our record notes that it does not explicitly confirm Swyft order flow supports non-US addresses. Founders abroad can compare more providers on the non-U.S. founders list.^{8, 12}

Who is each one a fit for?

These pairings rest on published facts only, and each names the fact behind it. A reader should match the line to their own priority.

1. Lowest plan cost across the first and second year, with trials cancelled: Swyft Standard, $199 against $249.
2. Fastest stated filing: Swyft, at 3 business days on Standard and 1 business day on Premium.²
3. More services kept for good: LegalZoom, 4 against 2.
4. One company for the most kinds of business services: LegalZoom, with 9 of the 10 types we track against 6.
5. A first-time founder: neither pulls ahead, with none of the three supports included for good at Swyft and none of the three supports at LegalZoom; Swyft includes report filing only in the ComplianceGuard trial, then $199/year, and LegalZoom sells it as a subscription that starts at $199/year.^{3, 13}
6. A long-term registered agent from the same company: LegalZoom, at a yearly price well under Swyft's.
7. Live chat support: LegalZoom lists phone, chat, email; for Swyft, chat not listed, with phone lines open Monday - Friday, 8AM - 8PM CT.^{7, 8, 14}

The LegalZoom review and Swyft Filings review hold the full records, and LegalZoom pricing and Swyft Filings pricing list each tier. For other options in rating order, see Swyft Filings alternatives or LegalZoom alternatives.