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by Benjamin AronsonAre you looking to start a business?
Instead of hiring a lawyer which is a very costly option, you can choose an online incorporation service.
I’m sure you know that. That’s why you got to our Bizfilings vs LegalZoom comparison.
In this article, we are going to map what you need to know in order to make an educated decision between Bizfilings and LegalZoom. Let’s find out which company is a better choice to help set up your new LLC!
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BizFilings is a leading LLC formation service that has helped over 500,000 small businesses.
The main goal of BizFilings is to help entrepreneurs and business owners start, run and grow their companies.
Their expert staff, step-by-step processes, and no hidden fees policy allows businesses to form a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or other business structures with confidence.
Like Incfile, BizFillings works with companies of all sizes offers many different legal resources, whether you are a client or not. For example, you can take advantage of their business name availability check even if you’re not a client.
BizFilings also offers a full range of business filing and compliance products, including registered agent services in all 50 states equipped with knowledgeable staff and tools to help businesses remain in compliance with state regulations.
LegalZoom is a dedicated legal provider that has been improving access to quality legal care since 2001. To date, They have helped over 2.8 million small businesses file their articles of organization.
Over a decade later they created an “independent attorney network”. A network for people to get personalized legal advice to address their individual needs.
If you’re looking for an online formation service with years of experience, LegalZoom is the way to go. Their experience is a big advantage in the online filing industry.
Their focus isn’t only on forming LLCs and corporations. In 2016 they opened their doors as a full-fledged law firm in England.
LegalZoom is one of the most well-known LLC providers. If you’re interested to see how LegalZoom competitors stack up, check out ZenBusiness vs Northwest Registered Agent and Incfile vs LegalZoom.
Both BizFilings and LegalZoom provide hassle-free LLC formation services. Although this is a comparison they have a lot in common. Both providers offer a three-series packaging structure.
BizFilings and LegalZoom name their packages differently so to keep things unified, we decided to organize the packages by the following terms:
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| Price of Package (without state fee) | $79 | $99 |
| Processing Time | 30 business days | 4-6weeks |
| Registered Agent | $249 per year | 6 months free, then $199 per year |
| Operating Agreement | $99 extra | $39 |
| EIN Registration | Must be bundled with Operating Agreement, $159 | $79 |
| Annual Compliance | 1st month free, $280 per year |
Bizfilings offers this package for $99 plus state fees. BizFilings also offers additional services such as Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a customizable operating agreement as an upsell.
The company offers this package for $79 plus state fees. Legalzoom also offers online compliance and annual compliance for an additional yearly fee.
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| Price of Package (without state fee) | $329 per year | $229 |
| Processing Time | 15 business days | 4-6weeks |
| Registered Agent | $159 per year | 6 months free, then $199 per year |
| Operating Agreement | $99 extra | |
| EIN Registration | Must be bundled with Operating Agreement, $159 | $79 extra |
| Annual Compliance | 1st month free, $280 per year |
In addition to LegalZoom and BizFilings base package, their traditional plans include:
In all of BizFilings LLC formation packages, they offer six months of registered agent assistance.
The main difference in the traditional plan is the quick preparation and filing of an LLC.
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| Price of Package (without state fee) | $349 | $359 |
| Processing Time | 7-10 business days | Next business day |
| Registered Agent | $159 per year | 6 months free, then $199 per year |
| Operating Agreement | $99 extra | |
| EIN Registration | Must be bundled with Operating Agreement, $159 | |
| Annual Compliance | 1st month free, $280 per year |
In addition to the traditional online incorporation plans, their supreme plans include:
This is a plan if you’re looking for a “one-stop-shop” from an LLC formation service. They offer everything that you might need when starting your business as well as compliance help.
This is a great plan if you’re in a hurry to form your business. If you’d like to get LegalZooms’ EIN registration, it is an upsell and costs $59.
While LegalZoom offers a base formation package of $79 to form a corporation/LLC, they provide so many upsells which can get expensive.
The worst part is that they do not include registered agent service with any of their packages. LegalZooms’ registered agent service costs $249 per year.
BizFilings start with their $99 Basic package, which includes six months of registered agent service.
LegalZoom has experience in helping almost 3 million businesses! And with over 20 years in the industry, they definitely have the experience.
BizFilings has filed more than half a million businesses and has thousands of positive reviews. BizFilings offers over 25 years of experience and professionalism.
LegalZoom has a phone number and offers a standard and complete customer service line. Their representatives go the extra mile providing a direct extension so that you can reach out directly with your questions. Their great customer support had earned many positive customer reviews.
BizFilings also provides great phone and email support. They’ve also decided to use a “leave a message” feature on the left side of each page on their website to be more available.
LegalZoom’s turnarounds are based on which package you order, rather than which state the formation is being processed.
The supreme package lets you receive your finalized business formation documents much faster. Within 7-10 business days but their cheaper packages take as long as 30 business days.
BizFilings focuses on the core business filing needs – and it performs these services fast and with precision and efficiency. With BizFilings it depends on the state you file your LLC. If you decide to use Bizfiling you won’t be disappointed with their LLC filing times.
The most affordable option would give you a 4-6 week turnaround, which you can cut to 7-10 business days with their more expensive plans.
↪ Free Name Availability – Similar to Northwest Registered Agents, you can check Your Business Name in a State for Free
↪ Registered Agent Service– You will get six months of registered agent service
↪ Rush Filing – Super-fast turnaround times are important when you’re forming your business
↪ Refund – They will refund the fee within the first 60 days if you are not satisfied with their services
↪ Proven Track Record – LegalZoom has over three million customers that are happy
↪ Customer Support – Their team is available 7 days a week to answer all questions about your business
⊠ Customer Reviews – We’ve only managed to find a few customer reviews for BizFillings from third-party websites.
⊠ Cost of Service – LegalZoom is significantly more expensive when it comes to services like an operating agreement and EIN.
Overall, they’re both good options to file and form your company. If you’re still struggling to choose, let us help you.
Bizfilings is best for –Employers looking for an added registered agent service in every plan.
LegalZoom is best for – Business owners looking for a filing company with serious brand power. Legalzoom is a bit pricey, but they have the experience that others don’t have.
Whoever you choose, LegalZoom and BizFillings will give you great customer support and if you’re trying to figure out the best state to registered your LLC, they can help.
Benjamin is the Co-Founder and CEO of FinancePond. He worked at a private accounting firm before he created FinancePond. Benjamin is an entrepreneur at heart and firmly believes in strong personal finance and investing education. He has a passion for finance and his goal is to cut out the fluff and make personal finance simple for everyone.
