What is the cheapest way to form an LLC?

File the articles yourself on your state’s portal and pay only the state fee, serve as your own registered agent if you qualify, get the EIN free from the IRS, and write the operating agreement yourself. See LLC fees by state for the state part.

Is a $0 LLC formation package really free?

No. You still pay the state filing fee, and most $0 tiers leave out the registered agent, EIN, and operating agreement. The agent is the recurring cost: on 20 October 2026 renewals ranged from $99 a year (Zenind) to $149 a quarter (Swyft Filings).

Do I need to pay a formation service for an EIN?

No. The IRS issues EINs free online and warns that you never have to pay a fee for one. A service only fills in the same application. The online tool needs an SSN or ITIN; without one, or if the business is based outside the US, the IRS takes the application by phone, fax, or mail. See Get an EIN.

Which LLC formation service is best for non-US founders?

Pick one built for founders without a US address. doola’s Starter plan ($297 a year on 20 October 2026) bundles the filing, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent, and a US business address. It is a yearly subscription, not a one-time fee.

What renews after the first year?

Usually the registered agent, plus anything that was a free trial. ZenBusiness Pro and Premium renew at their package price each year, and LegalZoom’s advisor plans start billing monthly after 30 days. The state’s own annual report fee is separate; see LLC annual report.

Best LLC Formation Services 2026: Compared by Fit, Not Payout

Ten ways to form an LLC, sorted by who each one fits: do it yourself for the state fee, lowest-cost agent, privacy, non-US founders, or all-in-one. Package prices, registered agent renewals, EIN and operating agreement, and auto-renew traps, checked 20 Oct 2026.

Quick answer: if you can fill in one online form, file with your state and skip the service. If you want a company to be your registered agent, compare what the agent costs from year two, because that is the bill that repeats. Lowest verified renewals: Zenind ($99/yr) and Northwest ($125/yr, with privacy as the default). Outside the US: doola.

LLC formation services compared

Prices are each company’s own published price on 20 October 2026 and exclude state filing fees.

Service · fits	Formation price	Registered agent	EIN · operating agreement
Lowest cost, you do the paperwork
Do it yourself with your stateComfortable filing one online form	State fee only	You, free (your street address goes on the public record)	EIN free from the IRS · operating agreement from our free builder
Lowest cost with a paid registered agent
ZenindLowest agent renewal we verified	$0 Basic · $149 Standard · $249 Premium	$99/yr, from year 1	Both in Standard and Premium; operating agreement alone $99
Bizee$0 filing with a free first agent year	$0 Basic · $199 Standard · $299 Premium	Free year 1 (some checkouts show 3–12 months), then $149/yr	Operating agreement in Standard and Premium; EIN by tier not shown on the pages we checked
Privacy first
Northwest Registered AgentKeeping your home address off the filing	$39	Year 1 included, then $125/yr	Operating agreement from its included forms; EIN not in the $39
Founders outside the US
doolaFounders living outside the US	Starter $297/yr, billed every year	Included in Starter	Both included in Starter, plus a US business address
All-in-one: EIN and operating agreement done for you
CorpNetA year of agent bundled with the paperwork	$99 Basic · $219 Deluxe · $269 Complete	60 days (Basic) or 1 year (Deluxe, Complete), then $149/yr	EIN in Deluxe and Complete; operating agreement in Complete
ZenBusinessOngoing annual-report filing handled	$0 Starter · $199 Pro · $299 Premium (Pro and Premium renew yearly)	Not included; $199/yr	Both in Pro and Premium; $99 each on Starter
MyCorporationOperating agreement at the lowest paid tier	From $109	$120 year 1, then $249/yr	Operating agreement in every LLC package; EIN is an add-on
LegalZoomWants an advisor or attorney on call	$0 Basic · $249 Managed · $299 Expert	$249/yr, auto-renews	Both in Managed and Expert
Swyft FilingsEIN, agreement, minutes, and bank resolution in one package	$0 Basic · $199 Standard · $299 Premium ($30 off each paid tier on 20 Oct)	Not included; $149 per quarter	Both in Standard and Premium; operating agreement $35 on Basic

Do it yourself for just the state fee

File the articles on your state’s business filing site. The fee depends on the state; see LLC fees by state and the step-by-step guides for Florida, California, Texas, or any state.
Be your own registered agent if you live in the state and can be found at a street address during business hours. That address becomes public. See Registered agent for an LLC.
Get the EIN free from the IRS: Get an EIN.
Write the operating agreement with the free operating agreement builder.

Two-year cost with each company’s own agent

Cheapest tier plus that company’s registered agent for two years, before state fees. This is where the $0 offers separate.

Bizee Basic: $149 ($0 + free first year + $149, if the free period is a full year)
Northwest: $164 ($39 + included first year + $125)
Zenind Basic: $198 ($0 + $99 + $99)
CorpNet Deluxe: $368 ($219 with the first year + $149, before its 3% fee)
ZenBusiness Starter: $398 ($0 + $199 + $199)
MyCorporation: $478 ($109 + $120 + $249)
LegalZoom Basic: $498 ($0 + $249 + $249)
doola Starter: $594 ($297 + $297 (EIN, agreement, and address included))
Swyft Filings Basic: $1,192 ($0 + 4 × $149 + 4 × $149)

You don’t have to buy the agent from the company that files. You can file with one, use another agent, or be your own.

Check these before you pay

ZenBusiness: the Starter website-builder trial is preselected and renews at $15/mo. The free year of Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199/yr.
LegalZoom: Managed and Expert include an advisor plan for 30 days, then it bills $49 or $99 a month until you cancel.
Swyft Filings: every package includes free months of its Legal Suite, and paid packages add free months of its virtual mailbox ($29/mo list). The package page doesn’t show the Legal Suite price after the free months, so check checkout.
CorpNet: a 3% convenience fee is added on top of the package and state fee.
Zenind Premium: the compliance and annual-report service is free for year 1, then $100/yr.
Any BOI or FinCEN filing add-on: U.S. LLCs no longer file one. See Do LLCs file a BOI report?

How this list is ordered

Grouped by the kind of reader each option fits, then by the lowest verified agent renewal inside each group. Every price was read on the company’s own pricing or terms page on 20 October 2026. Where a page didn’t show something, the table says so instead of guessing. Prices change often, so confirm at checkout.

Formation service FAQ

What is the cheapest way to form an LLC?: File the articles yourself on your state’s portal and pay only the state fee, serve as your own registered agent if you qualify, get the EIN free from the IRS, and write the operating agreement yourself. See LLC fees by state for the state part.
Is a $0 LLC formation package really free?: No. You still pay the state filing fee, and most $0 tiers leave out the registered agent, EIN, and operating agreement. The agent is the recurring cost: on 20 October 2026 renewals ranged from $99 a year (Zenind) to $149 a quarter (Swyft Filings).
Do I need to pay a formation service for an EIN?: No. The IRS issues EINs free online and warns that you never have to pay a fee for one. A service only fills in the same application. The online tool needs an SSN or ITIN; without one, or if the business is based outside the US, the IRS takes the application by phone, fax, or mail. See Get an EIN.
Which LLC formation service is best for non-US founders?: Pick one built for founders without a US address. doola’s Starter plan ($297 a year on 20 October 2026) bundles the filing, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent, and a US business address. It is a yearly subscription, not a one-time fee.
What renews after the first year?: Usually the registered agent, plus anything that was a free trial. ZenBusiness Pro and Premium renew at their package price each year, and LegalZoom’s advisor plans start billing monthly after 30 days. The state’s own annual report fee is separate; see LLC annual report.

Best LLC formation services in 2026, compared by fit (not by payout)