ZenBusiness vs Swyft Filings: LLC formation compared (2026)

What separates ZenBusiness from Swyft Filings?

Billing, trials and the agent price separate them most. Swyft's paid plans don't renew but carry several trials, and its agent is priced by the quarter; ZenBusiness renews its paid plans and keeps more inside them.

• Lower two-year plan cost: Swyft Filings: $199 vs $598
• Faster stated processing: ZenBusiness: 1 business day vs 3 business days
• More services included for good: ZenBusiness: 6 vs 2
• Higher Trustpilot score: ZenBusiness: 4.8/5 vs 4.7/5
• First-time founders: ZenBusiness: 3 of 3 supports included (annual report filed for you, business coaching, AI guidance) vs 0 for Swyft Filings
• All-in-one platform: ZenBusiness: sells 7 of 10 business service types we track vs 6
• Founders outside the U.S.: Swyft Filings states it serves non-U.S. founders; ZenBusiness doesn't say

Read the cost line with the trials in mind, because Swyft Standard comes to $199 over both years only if every trial is cancelled in time, and ZenBusiness's $598 is for Premium, its top tier. Neither figure includes a registered agent. Set ZenBusiness Pro beside Swyft Standard instead, and both cost $199 up front. In year two, Pro renews at $199/yr and keeps filing your annual report. Swyft's plan doesn't renew, but ComplianceGuard, its report filing service, bills $199/year after its trial unless cancelled, and the Standard mailbox bills $29/mo after its free period.^{2, 3, 4}

How do the plans look next to each other?

Our rating compares ZenBusiness Premium with Swyft Standard, and the table puts those two in columns. Each provider's full tier list, permanent and trial items, agent price and refund terms follow.

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

Swyft also showed a sale price of $169 for Standard when our data was gathered, so check the price at checkout. Neither company includes the state fee; the state fee table gives it, and the cost calculator adds it for you.¹

What starts billing after the free period ends?

Swyft has more trial items than ZenBusiness, and only ComplianceGuard and the mailbox have a stated follow-on price. On ZenBusiness Pro and Premium the website builder is the only trial.

On every Swyft plan, ComplianceGuard comes with a 14-day free trial, then bills $199/year. Standard and Premium include a business address and virtual mailbox for a while (1 month free on Standard, 3 months free on Premium), and after that it costs $29/mo. The Swyft Legal Suite, with document templates and attorney guidance, runs for a set time by tier (Basic and Standard 1 month, Premium 2 months). For that suite, what applies after the free period is not stated on the pricing page.^{2, 4}

ZenBusiness includes its website builder for 30 days on every plan, then $15/mo. Starter also comes with one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance, the report filing service, which then renews at $199/yr unless you decline it. Our package contents guide separates what plans keep from what they only lend.^{3, 5}

Which one files faster?

At the top tier, both state 1 business day. ZenBusiness states 1 business day on Pro as well, while Swyft's middle tier states 3 business days.¹

Rush options differ. ZenBusiness sells rush on Starter for $79. Swyft sells express processing on Basic for $50 and same-day processing on Basic and Standard for $100, which Premium includes. The state's own review time comes after either, as our LLC timeline guide explains.^{1, 3}

What does each registered agent cost and how does it bill?

ZenBusiness bills its agent yearly, at $99 for the first year with formation and $199/yr after. Swyft's agent page and checkout price its agent at $149 per quarter, which would come to $596/year if billed every quarter.^{6, 7}

Swyft's checkout says the first agent charge comes in 90 days. Its FAQ describes the service as renewing annually, so the two statements don't agree on the billing cycle. Until Swyft clarifies, a yearly comparison of the two agents can't be settled from its pages.⁷

Cancelling differs too. ZenBusiness asks you to cancel by contacting customer support by phone. Swyft says a replacement agent must be designated (or business dissolved) before cancellation, so another agent has to be on file with the state first unless the LLC is dissolved. Swyft judges refund requests case by case, by charge type and order status, and its FAQ says a refund may be possible if processing hasn't started. ZenBusiness takes refund requests on the agent only if the service has not yet been used. Swyft says legal papers served on the LLC usually show up in your account within 2-3 hours; ZenBusiness says it uploads documents to your dashboard and will send email notifications immediately, without giving an upload time. Our cancel or switch guide covers the state filing involved.^{6, 7, 8, 9, 10}

Can founders outside the U.S. use either?

Swyft's FAQ answers the question directly: "A non-US citizen can legally form an LLC in the United States." ZenBusiness doesn't publish a position on the pages in our record.¹¹

The Swyft statement is a general legal answer. It doesn't confirm that Swyft's order form takes a foreign address, so a founder abroad should check that at checkout. Our non-U.S. founders list and guide for non-U.S. residents cover the wider picture.

Which reader does each one fit?

Each pick below follows from a fact in the records. Categories where both publish the same thing are left out.

• Lowest total over both years for the compared plans: Swyft Standard at $199, if ComplianceGuard and the mailbox are cancelled after their trials, and before a registered agent, which neither plan includes.
• Annual report filed every year without a separate subscription: ZenBusiness Pro or Premium, while the renewal is paid. Otherwise ZenBusiness sells single filings at $100 per report.¹²
• First-time founders: ZenBusiness Premium, which includes all three supports, among them Personal Velo AI guidance and a one-on-one consultation on Premium. Swyft includes none of the three supports for good and offers 1 at any price.³
• Same-day filing in the top tier: Swyft Premium, which includes it; ZenBusiness's fastest stated time is 1 business day.
• A clearly stated yearly agent price: ZenBusiness, at $99 for the first year and $199/yr after. Swyft quotes $149 per quarter while its FAQ describes annual renewal.^{6, 7}
• Founders outside the U.S.: Swyft, the only one of the two whose pages address it.
• Weekend phone help: ZenBusiness, open Sat-Sun 9am-6pm CT. Swyft lists Monday - Friday, 8AM - 8PM CT.^{7, 13}
• Breadth of business services: ZenBusiness sells 7 of the 10 types we track, Swyft 6.

More is on the ZenBusiness review, the Swyft Filings review, Swyft Filings pricing and ZenBusiness pricing. For other options, see Swyft Filings alternatives.