Northwest Registered Agent vs Rocket Lawyer: LLC formation compared (2026)

Northwest and Rocket Lawyer in one table

The table puts the plan our rating compares for each company next to the other, followed by the agent terms, report filing, renewal, cancelling and refund rules as each one publishes them.

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

Rocket Lawyer lists three memberships and Northwest one formation plan, so the rows don't pair tier for tier. Neither figure includes the state's filing fee. The state fee table shows yours, and the LLC cost calculator adds it to either plan. All plans side by side covers every provider we track.

Where do Northwest and Rocket Lawyer differ most?

Billing model, the price of a registered agent and the legal help in the plan are the biggest gaps. The summary below states each one with its deciding fact.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Northwest Registered Agent: $39 vs $298
• More services included for good: Rocket Lawyer: 4 vs 3
• Higher Trustpilot score: Rocket Lawyer: 4.5/5 vs 4.1/5
• First-time founders: Rocket Lawyer: 1 of 3 supports included (AI guidance) vs 0 for Northwest Registered Agent
• All-in-one platform: Northwest Registered Agent: sells 6 of 10 business service types we track vs 5

Northwest's single plan, as recorded from its incorporation service and LLC pages, lists the agent year, an operating agreement, legal form templates, a business address, and a free domain name, website, email address, and phone number. Our count keeps 3 of those for good.³

Rocket Lawyer's memberships are legal plans first. Every tier includes name availability research, an AI legal assistant, legal documents you can make and sign, contract review and a business name and logo generator. On the compared Standard membership, our count keeps 4 services for good.

How does a membership change the cost?

A membership bills every year for as long as you keep it, while Northwest's formation fee is paid once. Rocket Lawyer's tiers cost $149/year for Standard, $249/year for Plus and $349/year for Pro, each billed yearly after a free 7-day trial.²

Rocket Lawyer's pricing table describes the LLC filing as "first one free, then $99 + state fees." The company says the offer requires a current membership, so the free filing is tied to paying for the year.²

Northwest has no plan fee in year two. What carries on is the registered agent, which its incorporation service page lists as free for a year and then $125/yr. With that renewal added, Northwest's total by the end of year two still sits below the Standard membership's. Our LLC cost guide adds the yearly state charges that apply whichever company you use.¹

What does a registered agent cost at each?

A registered agent receives lawsuits and state notices for your LLC at an address in the state. Northwest's incorporation service page bundles the first year into its $39 + state fees filing, then charges $125 per year.^{1, 4}

The corporation page words it as "a total that includes one year of registered agent service", while the LLC page leaves the agent out of its description.⁵

Rocket Lawyer's agent costs $125 with a Plus or Pro membership. That price needs a Plus or Pro membership, so a Standard member who wants Rocket Lawyer as agent would first move up to Plus at $249/year. The agent service will automatically renew for successive 1-year terms.^{2, 6, 7}

Both put the agent's address in the agent field of your state filing. Northwest goes further in wording: "We list OUR business address on your public filings instead of yours." Rocket Lawyer's page says appointing an agent helps you protect your privacy, without saying which public fields it replaces. Other fields, such as the principal office, follow your state's rules either way.^{4, 6}

On mail, Northwest scans legal papers into your account and scans ordinary business mail up to 5 docs per year for free. Rocket Lawyer scans to your email and account and says "We'll forward all state legal documents directly to you."^{4, 6}

Which gives more legal and AI help?

Rocket Lawyer, on the published plan contents. Every membership includes an AI legal assistant with AI answers to unlimited questions, attorney questions with a promise to get a written response within 1 business day, and contract review that lets you see a list of key terms and red flags.²

Attorney limits rise with the tier. Standard lists Ask an Attorney (Limit 12). Plus lists Ask an Attorney (Limit 36); Consult an Attorney Live (Limit 12). Pro lists Ask an Attorney and Consult an Attorney Live (Included, no limit listed). The document library offers "Unlimited documents & e-signatures" on all three.²

Northwest's plan carries an operating agreement and legal form templates. It doesn't publish attorney access or an AI assistant in our records.

Who files the annual report, and at what price?

Both charge for it separately. Northwest files for $100 + state fees per report. Its page tells agent customers, "you'll automatically be enrolled in our renewal service."⁸

Rocket Lawyer files for $100 with Pro membership, excluding state fees. Its pricing page shows annual report "Not included" on Standard and Plus, so on those tiers you would file the report yourself or upgrade.⁹

An EIN is extra at both. Northwest gets one for $50 with a Social Security number. Rocket Lawyer's price is $70 with a Plus or Pro membership, so Standard members can't buy it at that tier.^{10, 11}

How do cancelling and refunds compare?

Northwest lets you cancel anytime by logging onto your account, and Rocket Lawyer takes cancellations by phone. Rocket Lawyer adds that the agent service must be canceled prior to the renewal date to avoid the next yearly charge, and that you file change-of-agent paperwork with the state.^{7, 12}

For refunds, Northwest says purchases are non-refundable after 90 days. Rocket Lawyer takes requests within 30 days of purchase, and its terms allow none on annual plans after 30 days, which reaches the yearly membership too.^{7, 13}

Which fits which founder?

Each line below matches a reader's need to the published fact that decides it between these two providers, with no judgment of quality behind it.

1. For the lower plan cost by the end of year two, Northwest, at $39 before state fees against $298 for the Standard membership. Northwest stays lower with its agent renewal of $125/yr added.¹
2. For a registered agent at the lowest total, Northwest. Rocket Lawyer's agent costs $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, which means paying for one of those tiers first.⁶
3. For ongoing attorney questions and contract review after formation, Rocket Lawyer, where they come with every tier.
4. For a first-time founder, Rocket Lawyer includes one of the three supports we count: its AI legal assistant. Northwest's plan includes none of the three supports. Annual report filing is an add-on at both, and neither publishes business coaching.
5. For more kinds of business services from one company, Northwest sells 6 of the 10 types we track and Rocket Lawyer 5.
6. For a larger Trustpilot record, Rocket Lawyer at 4.5 / 5, 9,838 reviews against Northwest's 4.1 (306 reviews).^{14, 15}

Neither publishes a position on forming LLCs for founders outside the U.S. Northwest does sell an EIN for people without a Social Security number at $200. The list for non-U.S. founders shows which providers state one.¹⁰

Read the full Northwest review and Rocket Lawyer review, or the Northwest price breakdown and Rocket Lawyer price breakdown. Rocket Lawyer alternatives and Northwest alternatives list other options in rating order.