I'm finally getting serious about forming my LLC and have narrowed it down to ZenBusiness, Inc Authority, and Bizee. I've read so many reviews that my head is spinning. The pricing structures seem so different, one has a free tier, one bundles a lot upfront, and one seems to nickel-and-dime for extras. I'd love to hear from people who actually used these services for their small business. What was the real total cost, and were there any hidden fees or aggressive upsells? Which one felt like the best value for a solo owner just starting out? Looking for honest experiences, not just marketing fluff.
LLC Formation
Zenbusiness vs inc authority vs bizee, which one comes out ahead?
i used Inc Authority a few years ago. The free formation is real, but be prepared for a sales call about their registered agent and compliance packages. I ended up paying for the registered agent because it was easier than switching later. Total cost after a year was around $200. Not terrible, but I wish I had known upfront.
ZenBusiness has a good dashboard and their basic formation is cheap, but the upsells during checkout are relentless. I declined everything and just paid the state fee. Later I got hit with a $49 annual report reminder service fee that I didn’t remember signing up for. Check your cart carefully.
Bizee (formerly Incfile) was straightforward for me. I paid the $0 plus state fee package and skipped the registered agent because I use a virtual address. They did try to sell me on an EIN service, but I just got it myself from the IRS for free.
Does anyone know if Inc Authority includes the EIN in their free package? I’m leaning that way because I don’t want to deal with the IRS form
I think Inc Authority does include EIN assistance, but you have to ask for it. They gave me a packet to fill out. Honestly, the EIN is simple enough to do online yourself. Took me ten minutes.
I’ve used both ZenBusiness and Bizee for different businesses. ZenBusiness felt more polished, but Bizee was cheaper overall. The real difference for me was cstomer service. ZenBusiness answered my chat within a minute, while Bizee took a day to reply. If you need hand-holding, ZenBusiness might be worth the extraa cost.
Don’t forget that all three services charge for the state fee, and some inflate it. Make sure you comppare the total first-year cost, not just the promotional price. I made that mistake with ZenBusiness and ended up paying more than I expected.
I went with Inc Authority cuz the free formation let me save money for other startup costs. The upsells are annoying, but I just said no. No regrets so far, though I’ve only been operating for six months.
This might be off-topic, but does anyone have experience using a local attorney instead? I’m starting to think the online serovices are all the same and a local person might be better for advice.
I think for a simple LLC with with no special needs, any of the three will work. Just read the fine print on the registered agent service because that’s where they make their money after the first year.
Thanks, everyone. I ended up going with Bizee because the total first-year year cost was the lowest after I declined the extras. I’ll report back if I run into any issues with their customer service.