ZenBusiness vs Northwest: Package Comparison
Although ZenBusiness and Northwest provide different legal services, they both cover all of the basic LLC filing requirements no matter which state you form your LLC.
ZenBusiness Review
Similar to Incorporate.com, Incfile, and LegalZoom, ZenBusiness provides 3 formation packages for your LLC filings:
Starter
Starter – Form an LLC for $49 + state fees. This package includes:
- Standard Filing Service
- Registered Agent
- Operating Agreement Template
- 100% Accuracy Guarantee
Pro
Pro – Form an LLC for $149 + state fees. This package includes everything from the Starter pack and:
- Expedite Filing Speed
- Employer ID Number (EIN)
- Banking Resolution Template
- Worry-Free Compliance
Premium
Premium – Form an LLC for $249 + state fees. This package includes everything from Starter and Pro plus packages plus:
- Rush Filing Speed
- Business Domain Name
- Business Website
- Business Email Address
All Packages are billed annually and do NOT include state fees. This is because the cost to form an LLC differs from state to state.
Northwest Registered Agents Review
Northwest does things a bit differently. No packages, and no energy trying to figure out which package is right for you.
Northwest offers a single filing option for $225 + state fees.
They keep things very simple. As a business owner, you simply file your LLC and choose add-on services that you are interested in.
Let’s break it down.
Single LLC formation $225 + state fees
- Business Name Service- Northwest will search your state’s official business database in order to ensure that your business name is still available.
- Preparation and Filing of Articles of Organization – Documents outlining a business’ information. These documents are a necessity when forming an LLC or incorporating.
- Operating Agreement – An Operating agreement outlines the operations of a business (roles, financials and who makes decisions). While this document isn’t required to form an LLC, it is very important when you want to open a bank account.
- Year of Registered Agent Services – Businesses looking to form an LLC are required to appoint a registered agent. Northwest offers a full year of FREE registered agent services (after which, costs $125 yearly).
Optional Add-ons
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) $50 – An EIN is a 9-digit federal tax number assigned to your business by the IRS.
- Yearly Compliance $100/year – Northwest Registered Agents will file your annual required paperwork.
- S Corporation Election with the IRS $50 – An LLC can elect to be taxed as an S Corporation and Northwest will take care of the paperwork required.
- Certificate of Good Standing $57.50 – An official document provided by the state that certifies your business’ existence.
Northwest offers additional add-ons but the services mentioned above are their most popular.
ZenBusiness ($49) and Northwest ($225) are two of our favorite options. They include important features like free registered agent service and great customer support.
Another great formation service, IncAuthority offers an LLC formation for $0 + state fees. If you’re interested in a steal, check our review out!
Zenbusienss Vs. Northwest Registered Agents: Low Cost LLC Formation
Although ZenBusiness and Northwest are similar, they have their differences and overall they’re both great choices when it comes to forming LLCs.
Choosing the right formation service depends on what your company needs.
If you’re looking for lower prices and great featured packages, then ZenBusiness would be the best choice for your company.
But if you’re more inclined to trust a business with a longer proven track record then the Northwest registered agents would be your best bet.
ZenBusiness does Offer Good Value – ZenBusiness includes the 3 important features:
- LLC formation
- Free registered agent
- Free operating agreement template in every package.
But so does the Northwest -It provides value for the right entrepreneur. They provide 3 great features that add to their value:
- Long-term experience in the field
- Real customer feedback
- Amazing Support Team
Even though their prices are higher than many other LLC services, they provide excellent customer service with no BS, waiting or hours of forwarding calls.
ZenBusiness can give you great pricing of packages and Northwest can provide you with amazing Customer Service.
In the end, they’re both Winners because when it comes to providing value to their customers they do so one way or another.
ZenBusiness Vs Northwest Registered Agents: Pros and Cons
The Pros of Zenbusiness
✔ One of the most Affordable LLC Companies available!
– With pricing that starts at just $49. This is $60 less compared to LegalZoom, the most well-known service.
✔ They love making things EASY!
– ZenBusiness takes a massive burden off your shoulders by making the entire process of forming an LLC feel approachable and exciting.
As opposed to some other services that try to hide charges or trick you into buying unnecessary services.
✔Their Customer Feedback is Astounding!
– Customer feedback is a major strength for ZenBusiness. They have thousands of reviews and nearly all are positive.
✔More Bang for your Buck!
– While helping you with your startup or a business, they offer to take care of annual report filing and other ongoing LLC maintenance.
This is part of their Worry-Free Guarantee (included in the Pro package).
✔ ZenBusiness is unique in its own way.
– They’re a socially conscious organization, determined to do great things while maintaining their growth. The partnership they made with Kiva.org is helping lift people out of poverty.
They do this through financial lending and loan money to help women- and minority-owned businesses get off the ground.
The Pros of Northwest
✔ One of the best Customer Support teams available! – Northwest Registered Agents .\keeps its premium customer support in-house, with a team of professionally trained Corporate Guides.
Every time questions arise about complicated state rules or forming an LLC, the very first person we talk to can immediately find answers.
✔ Free Registered agent services for a whole year!
– Link Incorporate fast, Northwest is one of just a few LLC service providers that include a full year of registered agent service upon formation.
✔ Privacy Matters to Them!
– Unlike many of their competitors, Northwest Registered Agent won’t sell your information to other companies.
They also run their servers and write their code. In short, they take your security and privacy seriously.
✔Experience is the Key with Northwest Registered Agents.
– They’ve been around for more than 20 years and have vast experience in their field. Which makes them a trustworthy company that differs from all the rest.
In case you are looking for an alternative to compare to these two great companies the answer is a company called Swyft Filling LLC.
The Cons of ZenBusiness
✖The Lack of long-term Experience. – Still a new company, only starting in 2015 ZenBusiness doesn’t have the experience that Northwest can provide. However, they have done an amazing job even though they haven’t been around for decades.
✖They’re affordable but not the Cheapest option. – ZenBusiness does provide excellent value and some of the lowest prices online, there is a competitor that can offer a much better price – IncFile. But keep in mind that you’ll end up dealing with more (and somewhat annoying) upsells as a result.
It would help you to understand ‘’Who Incfile are?’’ and what they do.
The Cons of Northwest
✖The Costly Packages. – Northwest’s starting price point is pretty expensive. With slightly more expensive packages, they’re targeting a specific type of customer.
✖ Their 3rd Party Customer Reviews. – Compared to other services, Northwest Registered Agents has fewer 3rd-party customer reviews online. This isn’t technically a fault but customers have made it a point to mention that all types of feedback are necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ for ZenBusiness:
Q: How long will it take to form an LLC using your company?
A: Our formation team will get started right away, but official formation times vary state-to-state.
Q: Does ZenBusiness have a Refund Policy?
A: Yes. Buy with confidence knowing that purchases are 100% refundable. Minus any expenses incurred to begin your formation. Once payments and formation info goes to the state, but we cannot accept any cancellations or changes to filings.
Q: Is it true that they don’t have any Hidden Fees?
A: When they say no hidden fees, that’s exactly what they mean. Unlike most companies, ZenBusiness will only charge you for the services you select and buy during your formation process.
FAQ for Northwest Registered Agents:
Q: Does Northwest share or sell my information to Third parties or partners?
A: One of the things we love about Northwest Registered Agent is that they never share or sell your information with any third parties.
They’re so obsessive (in a good way!) about your privacy that they even write their code and run their servers to keep your info secure.
Q: How quickly does Northwest process LLC formations?
A: Northwest’s processing times vary depending on your state of formation, but in general they’re pretty fast.
But in case you need to speed up the process you can sign up for their expedited service which will reduce the time from a few weeks to a few days.
Q: What are the Customer Support number and email?
A: You can contact Northwest via phone by calling 509-768-2249. Instead of posting a general contact email address on their website, they provide a support inquiry form on the ‘’Contact us’’ page.
by Benjamin Aronson
