Best LLC Formation Services with a Free Registered Agent Year (2026)

ZenBusiness is the most balanced all-in-one option for entrepreneurs who want formation, ongoing compliance, and a registered agent under one roof.

Key features: $0 Starter tier (plus state fee) with formation document prep and filing; a free first-year trial of Worry-Free Compliance with annual-report alerts; registered agent service available as a $199/yr add-on on any package; a modern dashboard and mobile app that track formation status in real time; and Velo, an AI assistant, plus lifetime customer support.

The Starter plan covers formation for $0 plus your state fee, with registered agent service available as a roughly $199-per-year add-on. The Premium package runs about $299 plus state fees as of 2026 and renews at the same rate, folding in advanced compliance protection and document templates; registered agent service is a separate $199/year add-on. Founders who only need the registered agent on its own can add it for about $99 the first year, then $199 annually.

What sets ZenBusiness apart isn't the cheapest sticker price - it's the support layer around the filing. The compliance tooling is the most thorough in this group, the interface is genuinely the easiest to navigate, and the help is responsive in a way budget providers rarely match.

Bizee (formerly Incfile) offers the most generous entry-level deal, with a free year of registered agent service on even its $0 plan.

Key features: $0 Silver plan with Articles of Organization filing and a full year of registered agent service included; lifetime company alerts on every plan; an EIN and operating agreement on the Gold tier; expedited filing on Platinum; and a track record of more than a million businesses formed.

The Silver plan is $0 plus your state fee and still includes a registered agent year - the rare combination this article's readers are usually hunting for. Gold runs about $199 and Platinum about $299, both plus state fees. After year one, the registered agent renews at roughly $119–$149 per year as of 2026, lower than most rivals.

The trade-offs are the upsell-heavy checkout and a registered agent service that's handled through a third party rather than entirely in-house. For a budget-first founder who's comfortable declining add-ons, the value is hard to beat.

Northwest is the pick for privacy-minded founders who want a registered agent run by the company itself, not a contractor.

Key features: $39 flat formation fee with a free first year of registered agent service; address privacy that keeps your personal details off public records; in-house, US-based support that knows formation law; and a no-upsell checkout where the flat fee covers what you need.

Northwest's model is refreshingly simple - a single $39 service fee (plus your state fee) with the registered agent year included, renewing at about $125 per year as of 2026, one of the lowest ongoing rates around. There's no tiered plan to decode and no parade of paid extras at checkout.

It isn't a literal $0 formation, so it falls just outside the strict "$0 plus state fee" framing, but the $39 buys a registered agent year and meaningfully better privacy than the free-tier providers. For founders who value keeping their name off the public record, that's often worth more than saving the $39.

LegalZoom is the most recognized name in the space and the broadest legal-services catalog, though it carries the highest registered agent cost.

Key features: A $0 Basic formation tier (plus state fee); attorney consultations on premium plans; trademark, contract, will, and other legal services beyond formation; and decades of brand presence.

Formation starts at $0 plus state fees, but the registered agent is an add-on rather than an included year, and it's the priciest in this group - about $249 per year as of 2026. The checkout is also known for pushing extras. You're paying partly for the brand and the wider legal catalog.

Rocket Lawyer is built around a legal subscription, which makes it most compelling if you'll lean on legal documents and advice throughout the year.

Key features: Free LLC formation for Rocket Legal Plus members (about $99.99 for non-members); on-demand legal document templates; attorney Q&A and consultations through the membership; and a registered agent discount for subscribers.

Formation is free only inside the membership; standalone it's roughly $99.99 plus state fees. The registered agent runs about $249.99 per year, dropping to around $149.99 for Legal Plus subscribers as of 2026 - again, an add-on rather than an included year. The math works when the recurring legal subscription is something you'll genuinely use.

Tailor Brands pairs LLC formation with a full branding toolkit - logo maker, website builder, and design tools - making it a fit for founders launching a brand alongside the entity.

Key features: A $0 Lite formation tier (plus state fee); an AI logo maker and website builder; digital business cards and social media design tools; and EIN and compliance services on higher tiers.

The Lite plan files your LLC for $0 plus state fees, but the registered agent is a flat $199-per-year add-on with no free first year, and the paid tiers (Essential and Elite, up to about $249 plus state fees as of 2026) run on annual subscriptions that keep recurring even after your branding work is done. The design tools are a real differentiator; the formation value alone trails the providers that include a registered agent year.