Best LLC Formation Services in 2026: Real First-Year Costs Compared
Seven formation options compared on first-year cost with the registered agent counted, checked on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026.
Short answer: for a one-owner LLC formed in Texas, the lowest first-year bill we could confirm is $300. Bizee's Basic package adds nothing to the state fee and includes one free year of registered agent service, but its page does not list an EIN or an operating agreement.
Filing yourself with the Texas Secretary of State costs the same state fee, if you live in Texas and can act as your own agent. For a founder who lives outside the US, doola's Starter plan at $297 a year, plus state fees, is the lowest annual price we found for an LLC plan that bundles formation, an EIN and a registered agent.
Key facts7 tools compared: Bizee, Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205), Stripe Atlas, doola, LegalZoom…
- 7 tools compared: Bizee, Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205), Stripe Atlas, doola, LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Firstbase
- Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205) (best for: Texas residents who can act as their own registered agent and want the lowest possible cost): $300 state filing fee to the Texas Secretary of State; a registered agent is extra unless you live in Texas
- Stripe Atlas (best for: Founders who want a Delaware C-corp with founder stock, an EIN and a registered agent in one payment): $500 one-time for a Delaware corporation; agent renews at $100 a year after year one
- doola (best for: Non-US founders who want formation, an EIN and a registered agent under one annual plan): $297 a year plus state fees, billed annually; the tax filing tier costs more
Forming an LLC through a service means three costs: a package price, a state filing fee and, if you do not live in the state, a registered agent that renews every year. The headline package price often leaves out the other two. This page adds the three together for one owner and one Texas LLC, then compares each offer on that first-year total.
Toolradar data: Toolradar's legal and compliance ranking covers 328 tools, and 20% of them offer a free, freemium or open-source plan, as of 12 October 2026 (toolradar.com/best/legal). That ranking names no LLC formation service, so every formation price here comes from the vendor's own pricing page.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
Basic costs only the state fee in year one, with one free year of registered agent service. The page prints no year-two agent price.
Basic $0 plus state fee; Standard $199 plus state fee; one free year of registered agent in both
US residents who want the lowest first-year bill and an agent handled for one year
Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205)
The state fee is the whole state bill and the EIN is free, so the total is that fee plus any agent you hire.
$300 state filing fee to the Texas Secretary of State; a registered agent is extra unless you live in Texas
Texas residents who can act as their own registered agent and want the lowest possible cost
One $500 payment covers the Delaware filing, founder shares, an EIN and a year of agent service, but it forms a corporation, not an LLC.
$500 one-time for a Delaware corporation; agent renews at $100 a year after year one
Founders who want a Delaware C-corp with founder stock, an EIN and a registered agent in one payment
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bizee | Basic $0 plus state fee; Standard $199 plus state fee; one free year of registered agent in both | US residents who want the lowest first-year bill and an agent handled for one year |
| Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205) | $300 state filing fee to the Texas Secretary of State; a registered agent is extra unless you live in Texas | Texas residents who can act as their own registered agent and want the lowest possible cost |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 one-time for a Delaware corporation; agent renews at $100 a year after year one | Founders who want a Delaware C-corp with founder stock, an EIN and a registered agent in one payment |
| doola | $297 a year plus state fees, billed annually; the tax filing tier costs more | Non-US founders who want formation, an EIN and a registered agent under one annual plan |
| LegalZoom | Managed Service $249 plus state fees; advisor renews at $49 a month after 30 days | Owners who want an EIN and an operating agreement with a dedicated advisor, and already have a registered agent |
| ZenBusiness | Pro $199 plus state fees, renewing yearly; the registered agent is sold separately | Founders who want an EIN and operating agreement in one plan and will pay separately for an agent |
| Firstbase | Start $99 one-time plus state fee, Delaware or Wyoming only; registered agent $299 a year | Founders forming in Delaware or Wyoming who want a bank account and expert support with the first filing |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Bizee
Basic costs only the state fee in year one, with one free year of registered agent service. The page prints no year-two agent price.
- Pricing
- Basic $0 plus state fee; Standard $199 plus state fee; one free year of registered agent in both
Best for: US residents who want the lowest first-year bill and an agent handled for one year
Pros
- Basic adds nothing to the state fee, so a Texas LLC's first year is the state fee alone.
- Every package includes one free year of registered agent service from Bizee, which covers the Texas agent requirement for year one.
Cons
- The page lists no EIN, operating agreement or annual report inside any package, so check what you get before you pay.
- Bizee prints no renewal price for the registered agent, so the year-two cost is unknown.
Self-filed Texas LLC (Form 205)
The state fee is the whole state bill and the EIN is free, so the total is that fee plus any agent you hire.
- Pricing
- $300 state filing fee to the Texas Secretary of State; a registered agent is extra unless you live in Texas
Best for: Texas residents who can act as their own registered agent and want the lowest possible cost
Pros
- No service fee: the state filing fee is the whole state-side bill, and the IRS charges nothing for the EIN.
- You control the paperwork and the timing, and no vendor subscription renews in the background.
Cons
- Texas requires a registered agent with a Texas address. A non-resident who buys an agent from ZenBusiness reaches $499 in year one.
- The IRS online EIN tool needs a US principal place of business and an SSN or ITIN, so founders abroad use phone, fax or mail.
Stripe Atlas
One $500 payment covers the Delaware filing, founder shares, an EIN and a year of agent service, but it forms a corporation, not an LLC.
- Pricing
- $500 one-time for a Delaware corporation; agent renews at $100 a year after year one
Best for: Founders who want a Delaware C-corp with founder stock, an EIN and a registered agent in one payment
Pros
- One payment covers the Delaware filing and the first year of registered agent service, with an EIN included.
- Atlas files the 83(b) election for founder shares as part of the package.
Cons
- It forms a corporation with founder shares, so it suits a founder who plans to raise equity, not one who wants an LLC.
- The page does not say how Delaware's annual franchise tax is handled, so budget for it separately.
doola
Starter bundles formation, the EIN, an operating agreement, the agent and a virtual address in one annual plan. Tax filings need a higher tier.
- Pricing
- $297 a year plus state fees, billed annually; the tax filing tier costs more
Best for: Non-US founders who want formation, an EIN and a registered agent under one annual plan
Pros
- Starter is the lowest annual price we found for an LLC plan that puts the EIN and the registered agent in one bill.
- The page lists the registered agent inside Starter, so no separate agent charge appears on the plan.
Cons
- Starter has no tax filings. The tier that adds them costs $1,999 a year, a large step up in cost.
- State fees are paid on top and vary by state. With the Texas state fee, the first year comes to $597.
LegalZoom
Managed Service adds the EIN and operating agreement for $249 plus state fees. With no agent listed, Texas costs at least $549.
- Pricing
- Managed Service $249 plus state fees; advisor renews at $49 a month after 30 days
Best for: Owners who want an EIN and an operating agreement with a dedicated advisor, and already have a registered agent
Pros
- Managed Service includes the EIN and an operating agreement, so it covers more paperwork than a basic filing.
- The advisor is included for 30 days, which helps a first-time founder read the filing and the next steps.
Cons
- The advisor subscription auto-renews at $49 a month after 30 days unless you cancel, which is $588 a year if kept.
- No plan lists a registered agent and the page prints no agent price, so $549 is a floor for a Texas LLC, not its total.
ZenBusiness
Pro includes an EIN and an operating agreement template. The agent is sold separately, so year one is $698 in Texas.
- Pricing
- Pro $199 plus state fees, renewing yearly; the registered agent is sold separately
Best for: Founders who want an EIN and operating agreement in one plan and will pay separately for an agent
Pros
- Starter charges only state fees, so a founder who needs only the filing pays the least service fee.
- Pro and Premium both print their renewal prices, so you can see the year-two package price before you buy.
Cons
- No package includes the registered agent, which costs $199 a year on top of the Pro renewal.
- Its year-one Texas total is the highest of the Texas offers on this page.
Firstbase
Start covers the EIN and filing, but the required agent adds $299 a year, so year one is $398 plus the state fee.
- Pricing
- Start $99 one-time plus state fee, Delaware or Wyoming only; registered agent $299 a year
Best for: Founders forming in Delaware or Wyoming who want a bank account and expert support with the first filing
Pros
- Start's one-time price plus the state fee is the whole service cost before the agent.
- Firstbase lists a $899-a-year tax package for non-US-owned single-member LLCs, covering Forms 5472 and a pro forma Form 1120.
Cons
- Start forms only in Delaware or Wyoming, so a Texas LLC cannot use this price.
- The agent is priced per state, so each extra state adds another $299 a year.
What it is
An LLC formation service files the articles of organization for you, and many also sell an EIN, a registered agent and an operating agreement. The state still charges its own filing fee, which usually appears as a separate line on the bill. Read the service price and the state price apart, because the headline figure can leave one of them out.
Why it matters
The registered agent, not the package price, decides the real bill. ZenBusiness Pro is priced per year plus state fees, but its registered agent is sold on top, so the package and the agent each renew. doola's Starter lists the agent inside the plan, so its annual bill is one number. Firstbase's Start is $99 one-time, but its page says a registered agent is required and sells one at $299 a year.
Year one also hides a trap. Bizee includes one free year of registered agent service in every package, and its page prints no year-two agent price. LegalZoom's Managed Service advisor auto-renews at $49 a month after 30 days unless you cancel.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Every price here was read on the vendor's own page on 12 October 2026: doola pricing, Stripe Atlas, Firstbase pricing, ZenBusiness pricing, Bizee pricing and LegalZoom LLC plans. The Texas state fee is the Form 205 filing fee for a certificate of formation, read on the Secretary of State's instructions page.
Methodology: first-year cost is the package price, plus the state fee, plus any registered agent the package leaves out, at the agent price the vendor prints. Stripe Atlas and Firstbase are not Texas offers. Atlas forms a Delaware corporation, and Firstbase Start forms in Delaware or Wyoming only, so they are priced apart from the Texas figures. Some vendor links on this page are referral links. If you sign up through one, Finpresso may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bizee Basic | $0 plus state fee | One free year of registered agent service; EIN and operating agreement not listed |
| Self-filed Texas LLC | $300 state fee | Filed with the Secretary of State; a Texas registered agent is required, and you can be it if you live in Texas |
| Bizee Standard | $199 plus state fee | One free year of registered agent service; the page does not list what it adds to Basic |
| doola Starter | $297 a year plus state fees | Formation, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent and virtual address, billed annually |
| doola Tax and Compliance | $1,999 a year plus state fees | Federal and state tax filings, the annual state report and a one-to-one tax consultation |
| LegalZoom Managed Service | $249 plus state fees | EIN, operating agreement and a dedicated advisor for 30 days; no registered agent listed |
| ZenBusiness Pro | $199 plus state fees, renewing yearly | EIN and operating agreement template; registered agent sold separately |
| Firstbase Start | $99 one-time plus state fee | Expedited EIN and bank account access through banking partners; Delaware or Wyoming only |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 one-time | Delaware corporation with the first year of registered agent and EIN; agent renews at $100 a year |
The bottom line
Choose Bizee Basic or a self-filed Texas LLC if you want the lowest year one and live in Texas for the self-filed route. Pick Bizee when you want the agent handled for year one and can accept an unknown year-two agent price.
Choose doola Starter if you are a non-US founder who wants formation, an EIN and an agent under one annual price. Buy tax work at the Tax and Compliance tier or from a separate filer, and read the renewal before you sign. The doola profile on Toolradar lists the tool details. Skip LegalZoom unless you need the advisor, and read its monthly renewal before you start.
For where to bank after formation, see our business bank accounts guide. Mercury's base checking has no monthly fee and free domestic ACH and wires, and its Plus plan is $29.90 a month (Mercury pricing, also on Toolradar). This page is general information, not personalized financial advice. Confirm current terms with each provider before you buy. Cite this: Finpresso, "Best LLC Formation Services in 2026: Real First-Year Costs Compared", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to form an LLC in 2026?
Is doola worth it for a non-US founder?
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Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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