Northwest Registered Agent vs Swyft Filings: LLC formation compared (2026)

Northwest and Swyft Filings, row by row

Our rating compares Northwest's only plan with Swyft's Standard plan. The table lists both, then the trial items, rush fees, agent price and the cancelling and refund terms each company publishes.

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

Both quote prices without the state filing fee. Look up your state on the filing fee table, or let the cost calculator add it for you. The full plan table adds every other provider we compare.

What really differs between Northwest and Swyft Filings?

Up-front price, stated speed and the cost of a registered agent differ most. The summary below gives each point with the fact that settles it.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Northwest Registered Agent: $39 vs $199
• More services included for good: Northwest Registered Agent: 3 vs 2
• Higher Trustpilot score: Swyft Filings: 4.7/5 vs 4.1/5
• Founders outside the U.S.: Swyft Filings states it serves non-U.S. founders; Northwest Registered Agent doesn't say

On contents, Northwest keeps 3 counted services for good and Swyft's Standard plan 2. Swyft's Standard includes an EIN, the federal tax ID banks ask for, which Northwest sells for $50 with a Social Security number. Both include an operating agreement, Swyft from Standard up. Northwest adds a free domain, website and email, which Swyft's plans don't list, and keeps its legal form templates, where Swyft's document suite is a trial.³

One plan or three?

Northwest sells one LLC plan at $39 + state fees. Swyft sells three, each paid once, and the tier mostly sets the speed.¹

Standard adds the EIN, an operating agreement, organizational minutes, a banking resolution and a short mailbox trial to Basic. Premium adds same-day processing, unlimited attorney consultations on a trial basis and a digital kit. Every tier comes with a free business tax consultation.

How fast does each one file?

Swyft publishes a time for every tier and Northwest publishes none. Swyft's Basic buyers can pay $50 for express processing or $100 for same-day, and Standard buyers can add same-day for $100.²

Northwest's speed reads not published in our records, and it lists no rush option. Whoever files, the state still reviews the paperwork on its own clock. The LLC timeline guide separates the two waits.

What starts billing after the free period?

Swyft bundles several trials into its plans. Northwest's incorporation service page lists one, a free registered agent year that then renews at $125/yr, with the business address tied to that service.¹

Every Swyft plan includes a trial of ComplianceGuard, its service that files the annual report each year. After the 14-day free trial, your card will automatically be charged $199 for a one-year subscription. Swyft adds, "The service renews each year unless cancelled by you."⁴

Swyft's business address and virtual mailbox is free for a set period by tier (Standard 1 month free, Premium 3 months free) and then costs $29/mo. Its legal document suite and attorney guidance are free on their own schedule (Basic and Standard 1 month, Premium 2 months), and for that suite what applies after the free period is not stated.⁵

If you keep nothing past the trials, Swyft's Standard costs $199 by the end of year two and Northwest $39, both before state fees. Neither figure includes a registered agent, which every LLC needs; keeping Northwest's adds $125/yr in year two, and Swyft's is billed by the quarter. Our LLC cost guide lists the yearly state charges that sit on top.¹

Why is the agent price so different?

Every LLC needs a registered agent to accept legal papers for it in the state. Northwest's agent costs $125 per year, and Swyft's costs $149 per quarter ($596/year).^{6, 7}

Northwest's corporation page describes the formation price as "a total that includes one year of registered agent service", though its LLC page doesn't say the agent is included. None of Swyft's LLC plans lists an agent.⁸

That makes the agent the largest ongoing difference between the two. Swyft's renews until cancelled, and Swyft says "We send reminders before any renewal." Swyft posts papers served on your company to your account, with legal SOP typically within 2 to 3 hours (SOP means service of process).^{7, 9}

Both list the agent's own address on the public filing. Northwest puts it plainly: "We list OUR business address on your public filings instead of yours." Swyft's version is "Keep your home address off public records." Fields such as the principal office still follow your state's rules.^{6, 7}

How do cancelling and refunds compare?

Northwest sets fewer conditions on leaving: its agent service cancels through the online account with no cancellation fee. Swyft won't cancel its agent until a replacement is on file or the business is closed.¹⁰

Swyft's help page says the registered agent must be changed, or the business must be voluntarily dissolved before the service can be cancelled. For an active LLC, that means filing the agent change with the state first.¹¹

On refunds, Northwest states purchases are non-refundable after 90 days. Swyft publishes no time window. Its help page says, "Billing questions should be evaluated by charge type and order status." The FAQ adds, "If processing has not started, you may be eligible for a refund."^{12, 13}

Annual reports work differently too. Swyft's ComplianceGuard charges yearly. Northwest's report service costs $100 + state fees, charged at filing. For agent customers its page says, "you'll automatically be enrolled in our renewal service."¹⁴

Who should pick Northwest, and who Swyft Filings?

These matches tie one need to one published fact, so a reader can check each against the side-by-side table rather than take a verdict on trust.

• The lowest plan price: Swyft's Basic at $0, with no agent and a slower stated time. Northwest's $39 + state fees plan comes with a free agent year on its incorporation service page.^{1, 2}
• A stated filing time, or a paid same-day option: Swyft, with Premium at 1 business day.²
• An EIN in the plan: Swyft Standard or Premium.
• The lower registered agent price over time: Northwest, at $125 per year against $149 per quarter ($596/year).^{6, 7}
• A higher Trustpilot score from more reviews: Swyft at 4.7 (7,988 reviews), against 4.1 (306 reviews) for Northwest.^{15, 16}
• Founders outside the U.S.: Swyft's FAQ says "A non-US citizen can legally form an LLC in the United States." That is a general statement, not a promise about its own order form. Northwest publishes no position, though it sells an EIN without a Social Security number for $200.^{3, 9}

The two tie on business services sold, 6 of the 10 types we track each, and both offer an online dashboard. They also tie for first-time founders: each plan includes none of the three supports we count. Swyft's report filing comes as a trial and Northwest's as a paid add-on, and neither publishes coaching or AI guidance.

Go deeper with the Northwest review and the Swyft Filings review, or the Northwest pricing page and Swyft Filings pricing page. Swyft Filings alternatives and Northwest alternatives list more options.