LegalZoom Alternatives 2026: 6 Options, 3 Free
LegalZoom alternatives: ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, Northwest Registered Agent and 2 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•4 min read•Legal, Contracts & E-signature
Verdict:LegalZoom's LLC page lists three packages: Basic at $0 plus state filing fees, Managed Service at $249 plus state fees, and Expert Service at $299 plus state fees. Managed and Expert add a 30-day advisor that auto-renews at $49 or $99 a month unless canceled. The Basic package covers filing the articles of organization, a name check and a tax consult, so the filing itself is the cheap part and the add-ons are where cost builds. Several competitors list the same $0 service fee: ZenBusiness, Bizee and Inc Authority all advertise $0 plus state fees. Do not stop at the headline, though. Registered agent service, annual report filings and compliance filings are where these companies charge afterwards; ZenBusiness lists $199 a year for a registered agent, and Northwest lists $125 after the first year. State fees are the same whoever files, and each state sets its own, so they are not a reason to prefer one provider. Stripe Atlas and Rocket Lawyer are different products, a Delaware startup package and a document membership. This page states facts and prices only. For questions about entity type, tax treatment or legal structure, a licensed attorney or accountant in your state is the person to ask. Compare the first-year total, including recurring fees, across providers before ordering.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | Free (LLC formation starting at $0 plus state fees) | Web | People forming an LLC who want a $0 service fee | Docs only |
| Bizee | Free (Basic LLC package at $0 plus state fee); paid from $199 per one-time plus state fee (Standard) | Web | LLC formation with a registered agent included | Docs only |
| Inc Authority | Free (LLC at $0 plus state fees, with registered agent for the first year) | Web | LLC formation at no service fee | Docs only |
| Northwest Registered Agent | Paid from $39 per one-time plus state fee | Web | LLC formation with a low flat service fee | Docs only |
| Rocket Lawyer | Paid from $34.99 per month (Standard, billed monthly) | Web | People who also want legal document templates | Docs only |
| Stripe Atlas | Paid from $500 per one-time | Web | Startups forming a Delaware company | Docs only |
| Tailor Brands | Free (Basic Lite LLC plan at $0 plus state fees); paid from $199 per year (Essential, plus state fees; Elite $249) | Web | Business formation | Docs only |
| Swyft Filings | Free (Basic package at $0 plus state fees); paid from $169 per one-time plus state fees (Standard, struck-through $199) | Web | Business formation | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You want a $0 service fee for a simple LLC (ZenBusiness is the pick)
- You want a mid-priced package with registered agent included (Bizee is the pick)
- You want a low flat fee with registered agent included (Northwest Registered Agent is the pick)
- You also want legal document templates (Rocket Lawyer is the pick)
- You are forming a Delaware startup company (Stripe Atlas is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on LegalZoom features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
LegalZoom today: Free (Basic LLC package at $0 plus state filing fees: articles of organization, name check and a tax consult); paid from $249 per one-time plus state filing fees (Managed Service) (LegalZoom pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Why people look for LegalZoom alternatives
LegalZoom's Basic LLC package is $0 plus state filing fees and covers the articles of organization, a name check and a tax consult. The operating agreement, EIN and attorney guidance start with Pro at $249 plus state fees, and the attorney plan auto-renews at $49 per month after the 30-day period unless you cancel. Premium is $299 plus fees, with bookkeeping that auto-renews at $9.99 per month. State filing fees are charged on top of every package, and no registered agent fee after the first year is listed.
ZenBusiness
Compared with LegalZoom: ZenBusiness lists LLC formation starting at $0 plus state fees, the same entry price as LegalZoom Basic. Its page lists registered agent at $199 a year and annual report filing at $100, so compare recurring costs, not just the starting price.
Price: Free (LLC formation starting at $0 plus state fees) (ZenBusiness pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: People forming an LLC who want a $0 service fee.
Worth knowing: Listed recurring fees: registered agent $199 a year, compliance filings $199 a year, annual report filing $100 per report.
Bizee
Compared with LegalZoom: Bizee's Basic package is $0 plus the state fee, Standard $199 and Premium $299, each with one year of registered agent service. LegalZoom Managed is $249 plus state fees, so Bizee's mid tier costs less.
Price: Free (Basic LLC package at $0 plus state fee); paid from $199 per one-time plus state fee (Standard) (Bizee pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: LLC formation with a registered agent included.
Worth knowing: Premium is $299 plus state fee. Each package includes one year of registered agent service.
Inc Authority
Compared with LegalZoom: Inc Authority lists an LLC at $0 plus state fees with registered agent for the first year. Its page gives no renewal price for the agent or state fee amounts, so ask before ordering, unlike LegalZoom's published tiers.
Price: Free (LLC at $0 plus state fees, with registered agent for the first year) (Inc Authority pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: LLC formation at no service fee.
Northwest Registered Agent
Compared with LegalZoom: Northwest Registered Agent lists $39 plus state fees, which includes a first year of registered agent service, then $125 a year. It is a cheaper flat price than LegalZoom's $249 Managed Service.
Price: Paid from $39 per one-time plus state fee (Northwest Registered Agent pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: LLC formation with a low flat service fee.
Rocket Lawyer
Compared with LegalZoom: Rocket Lawyer's first LLC registration is free with a membership excluding state fees, and Standard is $34.99 a month or $149 a year. LegalZoom sells the filing alone; Rocket bundles documents, but needs a membership.
Price: Paid from $34.99 per month (Standard, billed monthly) (Rocket Lawyer pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: People who also want legal document templates.
Stripe Atlas
Compared with LegalZoom: Stripe Atlas is $500 one-time for Delaware incorporation, including state fees and a first year of registered agent service, then $100 a year. It is built for startups that want a Delaware corporation, not a simple LLC.
Price: Paid from $500 per one-time (Stripe Atlas pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary service.
Best for: Startups forming a Delaware company.
Worth knowing: Includes Delaware incorporation with state fees and a first year of registered agent service, then $100 a year. The $500 is refundable if a Stripe Treasury account is funded with $5,000 within 90 days.
Other popular options (paid)
Tailor Brands
Compared with LegalZoom: Basic Lite is $0 plus state fees, like LegalZoom's Basic LLC package. Essential is $199 a year and Elite $249 a year plus state fees, adding bookkeeping trial, branding tools and a free domain for a year.
Price: Free (Basic Lite LLC plan at $0 plus state fees); paid from $199 per year (Essential, plus state fees; Elite $249) (Tailor Brands pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Swyft Filings
Compared with LegalZoom: Basic is $0 plus state fees; Standard is $169 and Premium $269 plus state fees. Premium adds same-day processing, a business address and unlimited attorney consultations, against LegalZoom's Expert Service at $299 plus state fees.
Price: Free (Basic package at $0 plus state fees); paid from $169 per one-time plus state fees (Standard, struck-through $199) (Swyft Filings pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Which one to pick
- You want a $0 service fee for a simple LLC: ZenBusiness
- You want a mid-priced package with registered agent included: Bizee
- You want a low flat fee with registered agent included: Northwest Registered Agent
- You also want legal document templates: Rocket Lawyer
- You are forming a Delaware startup company: Stripe Atlas
Limits of this review
Docs-only for ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, Northwest Registered Agent, Rocket Lawyer, Stripe Atlas: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from LegalZoom. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, Northwest Registered Agent, Rocket Lawyer, Stripe Atlas, Tailor Brands, Swyft Filings. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.