Comparison
LLC Formation True 3-Year Cost (2026): Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom — What the $0 Hook Hides
“Form an LLC for $0” usually means their service fee is $0 — not that year two is free, and not that registered agent is included forever. Below is the boring math: formation service + professional RA for three years, excluding state filing fees (those are the same no matter who you hire).
Side-by-side: Year 1 / 2 / 3 (formation + RA)
Scenario: cheapest advertised formation path that files an LLC, plus keep a professional registered agent for 3 years.
| Provider (path) | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwest Formation $39 (RA Y1 included) |
$39 | $125 | $125 | $289 |
|
Bizee (Incfile) Basic $0 (RA Y1 free) |
$0 | $149 | $149 | $298 |
|
ZenBusiness Starter $0 + RA add-on |
$99 | $199 | $199 | $497 |
|
LegalZoom Basic $0 + RA $249/yr |
$249 | $249 | $249 | $747 |
How each year was built
- Northwest: Y1 = $39 flat formation (includes year-1 RA). Y2–Y3 = $125/yr RA renewal. Official formation page.
- Bizee: Y1 = $0 Basic + free RA with formation. Y2–Y3 = $149/yr RA (official “ongoing” / standalone price). Older reviews sometimes cite $119 — we use $149 from Bizee’s own pages.
- ZenBusiness: Y1 = $0 Starter + $99 RA first-year promo when forming. Y2–Y3 = $199/yr RA. Starter does not include RA. Pro ($199/yr) and Premium ($399/yr) are higher annual plans — not used for this “lowest + RA” path.
- LegalZoom: Y1–Y3 = $0 Basic formation + $249/yr RA. RA is not included in Basic, Pro, or Premium formation packages.
Takeaway: The $0 hooks (Bizee, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom) win year 1 on service fee alone — but once you keep a professional RA for three years, Northwest ($289) and Bizee ($298) cluster at the bottom; ZenBusiness (~$497) and LegalZoom (~$747) pull away on RA renewals.
CTAs — Northwest (affiliate placeholders)
Skip these checkout upsells
Most founders can file lean. These are common paid add-ons — skip unless you have a specific reason.
| Upsell | Typical ask | Why skip / when to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Paid EIN filing | Northwest ~$50 (SSN); ZenBusiness Starter often ~$99; LegalZoom bundles EIN on Pro+ | IRS issues an EIN free at IRS.gov for most applicants with an SSN/ITIN. Pay only if you need hand-holding (e.g., no SSN path). |
| Operating agreement upsell | Often ~$50–$99 as an add-on; included on some mid/premium plans | Northwest includes a basic OA with formation. Simple single-member LLCs can use a solid template; multi-member / complex deals → lawyer. |
| Worry-Free Compliance / compliance subscriptions | ZenBusiness help cites ~$99–$299/yr range (confirm in cart) | partial Calendar your annual report yourself. DIY filing is usually a short state form + fee. |
| Annual report filing service | Northwest ~$100 + state fee | Optional. Keep if you want them to file; cancel if you file yourself. |
| Attorney / books trial auto-renews (LegalZoom) | Attorney plan ~$49/mo after 30 days; LZ Books ~$9.99/mo after 6 months | Cancel before trial ends if you don’t need them. Easy to overlook in the fine print. |
| ZenBusiness Pro / Premium annual plans | $199/yr Pro; $399/yr Premium | Not required to form. Premium includes RA; still usually pricier than Starter+$99 RA over time for simple needs. |
| Bizee Standard / Premium upgrades | $199 / $299 one-time | Basic already includes free year-1 RA. Upgrade only for specific bundled extras you will use. |
Privacy: why registered agent address matters
Your registered agent’s street address is listed on formation documents that many states publish online. If you appoint yourself at home, that home address often becomes a public-record magnet for junk mail, process servers, and data scrapers.
A professional RA puts their in-state address on the public filing, receives service of process during business hours, and forwards official documents to you. That is the privacy trade you are buying — not a vanity mailbox.
Northwest markets “privacy by default” (their address on public docs where allowed) as part of formation. Competitors also sell RA privacy — compare renewal price and whether year 1 is actually included.
Methodology (honest)
- Research date: September 4, 2026.
- Included: provider formation service fee + professional RA years 1–3.
- Excluded: state formation fees, state annual reports, franchise taxes, rush filing, trademarks, banking, bookkeeping.
- Lowest path that still keeps a professional RA (not DIY RA).
- If a price could not be confirmed on an official page, it is labeled unverified — we do not invent fees.
- Prices change. Always confirm on the provider’s site at checkout.
Unverified / confirm-at-checkout
- Bizee Basic checkout add-ons (OA / EIN exact dollars): unverified — check source at live checkout; package page confirms $0 / $199 / $299 tiers and free Y1 RA, not every à-la-carte add-on.
- ZenBusiness Worry-Free Compliance exact tier: help pages cite a range ($99–$299/yr) — unverified — check source for your cart’s tier.
- Bizee RA renewal: Official pages state $149/yr. Some third-party 2026 reviews still say $119 — we prefer official $149; if your account shows otherwise, trust the invoice.
Sources
- Northwest — Business Formation ($39 + state fees; RA free Y1, $125/yr after)
- ZenBusiness Help — How much does an LLC cost? (Starter $0 / Pro $199/yr / Premium $399/yr)
- ZenBusiness Help — Registered Agent pricing ($99 Y1 standalone; $199 renewal; Premium includes RA)
- ZenBusiness — Registered Agent marketing (50% off first year when forming → $99, renews $199/yr)
- Bizee — LLC packages (Basic $0 / Standard $199 / Premium $299; free Y1 RA)
- Bizee — What makes us different (ongoing RA $149/yr)
- Bizee — Registered Agent (standalone $149/yr; free Y1 with formation)
- LegalZoom — LLC overview (Basic $0 / Pro $249 / Premium $299 + state fees; trial auto-renews noted)
- LegalZoom — Registered Agent ($249/year)