The Articles of Organization is the document that you’ll file with the Secretary of State’s office (or similar division) in the state where you are forming your LLC. Depending on the state, the LLC Articles of Organization may also be called a Certificate of Organization or Certificate of Formation… but they all do the same thing: they register your LLC with the state.
MyLLC is a fairly good choice for LLC services. Their bare-bones LLC formation is too expensive. However, their optional services are useful and reasonably priced. We like that MyLLC lets you choose exactly what extra services you need instead of limiting you to pre-selected bundles. Also, they offer great customer service.
MyLLC is a good choice for Registered Agent service although they are a little more expensive than some competitors. Also, the only other Registered Agent service that offers to shred unwanted mail for you is Northwest.
BizFilings is an okay choice for LLC formation services. They offer some of the best customer service in the industry, and their Basic Package is a good deal.
But the other packages are too expensive for the value, and their upsells are also over-priced in our opinion. Other drawbacks of choosing BizFilings include unclear turnaround times, and the unpredictable fees depending on which state you choose to form your LLC.
Using Harbor Compliance’s software services can save business owners a considerable amount of time in forming and managing their entities. Harbor Compliance is a young company but has built up its reputation quickly as a leading provider of licensing and compliance services.
However, their customer service prior to ordering is completely unhelpful, and the LLC formation packages by themselves are extremely basic. The annual subscription fees rapidly pile up as your needs grow, so you must decide if the excessive cost is worth the automation.
We think MaxFilings’s Silver package is a good deal. You get all the essential LLC formation services for a good price, and their website is easy to use. However, their customer service was pretty disappointing so if you think you will need help, we can’t recommend them.
MaxFilings offers the usual other LLC services beyond the formation filing, but you can do most of those things at home for free. If you’re looking for basic online incorporation services to start a limited liability company, MaxFilings is a good choice as long as you stick to the Silver package.
Overall, Inc Authority is a decent choice for Registered Agent and LLC formation services. They offer a truly free basic LLC formation service. And even better, this bare-bones LLC filing service includes a free year of Registered Agent service.
Incorporate.com isn’t a good choice for LLC services or registered agent services. Their services are very overpriced, and the company is misleading about these prices. We really don’t like that they force you to use their Registered Agent Service, especially given how crazy expensive it is.
We think Harvard Business Services is a good choice for LLC services and registered agent services as long as you want to register your company in Delaware. While they will (reluctantly) help you form your company in another state, they specialize in Delaware LLCs.
We like that IncFile’s Basic plan comes with a free year of Registered Agent service and you don’t pay IncFile any service fees. But we worry that people often select IncFile’s basic (free) package and end up paying for extra upsells.
Northwest Registered Agent has excellent customer service and they are industry experts. Northwest really values customers’ privacy, so they keep your address off public records and don’t sell your data to third parties.
Northwest Registered Agent has excellent customer service and they are industry experts. LegalZoom seems to hire only salespeople, and only wants to offer you subscriptions.
LegalZoom makes things complicated with lots of fine print, and their services are offered in confusing packages and monthly subscriptions. On the other hand, Northwest has a simple, easy-to-use website with clear and friendly language.
