LLC formation services compared: what you pay over 3 years
By SoloWOS teamPublished
IN SHORT
Filing an LLC yourself costs only your state's fees, and the form takes about an evening on the Secretary of State's site. Formation services charge $0 to $500 upfront, but the real gap shows up in years two and three: registered agent renewals of $100 to $199 a year and plans that renew on their own.
Prices and limits as of .
Key takeaways
- State fees are the same whoever files: in Florida, $125 to form and $138.75 for each annual report, according to the Florida Division of Corporations.
- Northwest charges $39 plus the state fee and includes the first year of registered agent service, then $125 a year.
- ZenBusiness Pro renews at $199 a year and its registered agent costs $199 a year; LegalZoom's attorney subscription renews at $49 after 30 days unless you cancel.
- Stripe Atlas costs $500 once, then $100 a year, and forms your company in Delaware, which charges its own $400 annual LLC tax on top.
- Over 3 years in Florida, filing yourself costs $402.50 in state fees; the same LLC through a service with its agent runs about $650 to $1,600.
Most "LegalZoom vs ZenBusiness" pages compare the checkout price. That's the smallest number you'll pay. What adds up is what renews: the registered agent, a compliance plan, an attorney subscription you forgot to cancel. This post, part of our business setup series, puts every option on the same 3-year timeline, using each company's own price page and one real state's fees. If you haven't decided whether you need an LLC at all, start with our checklist for starting a freelance business.
What each option charges
| Option | Upfront | Registered agent | What renews or needs watching |
|---|---|---|---|
| File yourself with the state | $0 | $0 if you act as your own agent | Annual reports and deadlines are on you |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $39 | First year included, then $125 a year | The agent renewal |
| ZenBusiness Starter | $0 | $199 a year | The agent renewal |
| ZenBusiness Pro | $199 a year | $199 a year (check whether your plan bundles it) | The plan itself renews every year |
| ZenBusiness Premium | $299 or $399 (its site shows both) | $199 a year (check whether your plan bundles it) | Same as Pro |
| LegalZoom Basic, Pro, Premium | $0, $249, $299 | Check their site | Attorney subscription renews at $49 after 30 days; Premium's bookkeeping renews at $9.99 a month |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 (includes Delaware's filing fees and the first year of agent) | $100 a year after year one | Delaware's annual LLC tax is not included |
ZenBusiness contradicts itself: it lists its Premium plan at $299 on one page and $399 on another, so check the checkout screen before paying. Delaware, where Stripe Atlas forms companies, raised its annual LLC tax from $300 to $400 under House Bill 400 in 2026. The Division of Corporations' tax instructions show $400, but some older Delaware pages still say $300, so ignore any price page that quotes the old amount.
The 3-year math for one state
Florida makes a clean example because its fees are on one official page. Forming costs $125 ($100 for the articles of organization plus $25 to designate a registered agent). From the year after you form, an annual report is due between January 1 and May 1 and costs $138.75; file after May 1 and Florida adds a $400 late fee. Skip it entirely and the state administratively dissolves the LLC. Those state fees are identical whether you file yourself or through any service, so the comparison below is really about what the service adds.
| Option | Year 1 | Years 2 and 3 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| File yourself, be your own agent | $125 | $277.50 | $402.50 |
| LegalZoom Pro, be your own agent | $374 | $277.50 | $651.50 |
| Northwest | $164 | $527.50 | $691.50 |
| ZenBusiness Starter with its agent | $324 | $675.50 | $999.50 |
| ZenBusiness Pro with its agent (if not bundled) | $523 | $1,073.50 | $1,596.50 |
| Stripe Atlas (Delaware LLC) | $500 | $1,000, plus Florida's foreign registration and report fees | $1,500 plus Florida's fees |
WORKED EXAMPLE
A designer in Tampa, three ways
Filing herself on Florida's site: $125 now, then $138.75 each spring for two years, $402.50 in total. She lists her home office as the registered agent address. With Northwest: $39 plus $125 now, then $125 for the agent and $138.75 for the report in each of years 2 and 3, $691.50 in total, and her home address stays off the agent line. With Stripe Atlas: $500 now and $100 in each of years 2 and 3, plus Delaware's $400 tax due each June 1 (two payments within the 3 years), $1,500 before she registers the Delaware LLC in Florida, where she works, and pays Florida's fees on top.
Which one to choose
| Choose | If |
|---|---|
| File with your state yourself | You live in the state you form in, can list a street address there, and will put the annual report date on your calendar |
| Northwest | You want a registered agent address that isn't your home and the lowest renewal among these services |
| ZenBusiness | You want compliance reminders and are fine paying $199 a year for them and for the agent |
| LegalZoom Pro or Premium | You want access to an attorney, and you'll decide within 30 days whether to keep the $49 subscription |
| Stripe Atlas | You live outside the US or plan to raise money and want Delaware; a freelancer working from one US state usually pays twice (see Delaware or Wyoming) |
What a service does that you can't do for free
Less than the sales pages suggest. The articles of organization are a short form on your Secretary of State's website; LegalZoom's own comparison page puts state filing fees between $35 in Montana and $500 in Massachusetts, which matches what those two states list. The EIN that some plans bundle is free from the IRS and takes a few minutes online. An operating agreement template is easy to find.
What you do get: a registered agent address that keeps your home off public filings, someone tracking your report dates, and forms filled out in the right order. Those are worth paying for if you'd otherwise miss a deadline, since Florida's late fee alone ($400) is more than a year of Northwest's agent. Our registered agent explainer covers when you can be your own, and LLC fees by state lists the yearly charges we could confirm on official sites.
Before you pay anyone
- Check whether you need an LLC at all. The SBA notes that an LLC owner still pays self-employment tax, so the LLC alone doesn't lower your taxes. Run your numbers in the self-employment tax calculator.
- Form in the state where you live and work unless you have a specific reason not to.
- At checkout, uncheck add-ons you don't need and write down every trial end date.
- Put the annual report or tax date on your calendar the day you form.
- If you later stop freelancing, close the LLC properly; the fees don't stop on their own.
Where SoloWOS fits
SoloWOS doesn't form companies or act as a registered agent. Once your LLC exists, you can send invoices clients pay by card under the LLC's name, with payments going to your own Stripe account, and log business expenses with receipts, including the state fees and agent renewals in the tables above.
Prices checked on October 23, 2026 on each company's site. State fees come from each state's own site. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions
Is LegalZoom worth it for an LLC?
Only if you'll use the attorney access. The filing itself is the same form you can submit on your state's site for just the state fee. LegalZoom Pro costs $249 plus the state fee, and its attorney subscription renews at $49 after 30 days unless you cancel.
Can I file an LLC myself?
Yes. Every state lets you file the articles of organization (Texas calls it a certificate of formation) directly on the Secretary of State's website. You pay only the state fee and act as your own registered agent if you have a street address in that state.
What's the cheapest way to form an LLC?
Filing yourself in the state where you live. Among the services, Northwest had the lowest upfront price we found ($39 plus the state fee, first-year agent included), and ZenBusiness and LegalZoom both list $0 starter plans whose costs come later.
Does Stripe Atlas make sense for a freelancer?
Rarely for someone living and working in one US state. Atlas forms a Delaware company for $500, then $100 a year, and Delaware charges its own annual tax. You'd also register in your home state and pay its fees. It suits founders outside the US or those raising money.
Sources
Facts checked against these sources on October 23, 2026. Rules and amounts change, so confirm them at the source before you file or sign.
We don't get paid by any brand on this page: no affiliate links, no sponsored placements.
- Stripe Atlas: price and what's included
- Stripe Atlas docs: signing up
- LegalZoom: LLC formation plans
- LegalZoom: Ohio LLC page (plan renewals)
- LegalZoom: LegalZoom vs DIY LLC filing
- ZenBusiness: LLC pricing
- ZenBusiness help center: plans
- Northwest Registered Agent: LLC formation price
- Florida Division of Corporations: LLC fees
- Florida Division of Corporations: LLC annual report help
- Delaware Division of Corporations: LLC/LP/GP annual tax instructions ($400, due June 1)
- Delaware General Assembly: House Bill 400 (2026 fee changes, LLC tax $300 to $400)
- IRS: Get an employer identification number
- SBA: Choose a business structure
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- Delaware or Wyoming LLC: which one for a freelancer?Why forming in Delaware or Wyoming usually costs a US freelancer more: two sets of state fees, an out-of-state agent and no tax savings.
- Do freelancers need a business license?Most freelancers need no federal or state license, but many cities require a business registration. How Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco handle it.
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