The limited liability company is an increasingly popular business structure in America, with thousands of new LLCs being formed every day. The LLC is effectually a hybrid business type, occupying the space between the rigid formalities of a corporation, and the casual nature of a general partnership or sole proprietorship.
If you want to form an LLC in the United States, you will need to designate a registered agent. The role of the registered agent involves the usage of their address as your official business address, which means they’ll receive important document deliveries on your behalf, including court summons and other official correspondence from your state government.
There are many companies that offer LLC creation services and registered agent services online, and it’s sometimes difficult to determine which one has your best interests in mind. In this comparison, we’ll take a close look at Nationwide Incorporators and BizFilings. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of BizFilings VS. Nationwide Incorporators
BizFilings’ entry-level LLC formation price is reasonable, and all of their formation packages include six months of registered agent service. However, their registered agent service is a bit overpriced, and their top two packages vary in price considerably depending on which state you’re forming in.
Nationwide Incorporators’ claim to fame is that every document they prepare is either drafted or reviewed by an experienced business attorney. While their prices may be a bit higher than some competitors for LLC formation service, their “Attorney-Powered” slogan is more than just a catchphrase.
Overall, these two companies are relative equals. While they do differ considerably in the way they provide LLC formation and registered agent service, they each have their advantages that make them a better option for certain entrepreneurs.
We Recommend Zen Business
These LLC Services vs Other Options
BizFilings came in at the #6 spot on our LLC guide, and they rank 12th on the registered agent list. As for Nationwide Incorporators, we ranked them ninth for LLC formations and 14th for registered agent service.
There are plenty of competing services in this industry though. If you want more information about two of the most popular options, check out our Zen Business vs LegalZoom comparison guide. To see our entire comprehensive guide to LLC formation services, this review article runs down our top 14 options, including a spotlight on Zen Business, our top pick.
Pricing & Additional Features
Nationwide Incorporators:
- LLC formation (starts at $145) – This package includes the essential elements of LLC formation, including a name availability check, and the drafting and filing of your articles of organization. Additionally, you’ll receive a sample operating agreement and organizational minutes.
- Registered agent (call for price) – Nationwide Incorporators does not offer registered agent service online, and you’ll need to call them to acquire a pricing estimate.
Who should use their services? We think Nationwide Incorporators is a great option for any entrepreneur who wants the additional peace of mind that comes with having an attorney review your filings. The main reason they don’t score higher in our overall rankings is because some businesses are quite simple, and therefore not everyone needs this layer of expertise.
BizFilings:
- LLC formation (starts at $99) – BizFilings’ Basic package includes a business name availability check, the preparation and filing of your articles of organization, and six months of registered agent service.
- Registered agent ($164/year) – BizFilings provides registered agent service for $164 per year, and they also offer six months for free if you purchase any of their LLC formation packages. They also include their BizComply online compliance monitoring tool, as well as franchise tax and annual report filing alerts.
Who should use their services? We like their LLC formation service because it includes everything you need to get your company up and running, without costing an arm and a leg. Their registered agent service is a bit frustrating though, because we appreciate the additional features included, but feel that their price point is too high.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
Nationwide Incorporators: Call for quote
BizFilings: $181 (plus state fee)
Customer Satisfaction
Nationwide Incorporators: We were only able to track down five reviews for Nationwide Incorporators, with four on Yelp and another one on Google. While that’s obviously not a large volume of reviews, all of them are positive, with customers commenting on how easy they make the business formation process. Their clients also discuss the excellent peace of mind they receive from having a qualified business attorney handling their business services.
BizFilings: While BizFilings has been around for decades, and they’ve served hundreds of thousands of customers, we were only able to find four customer reviews online. With such a tiny quantity of reviews to work with, it’s impossible to analyze that feedback in any way.
Quality of Customer Service
Nationwide Incorporators: Nationwide Incorporators provides access to their customer support team through email and phone. We have experience with both options, and are pleased to report that we received strong support through both email and phone. In fact, when we called Nationwide Incorporators, we actually got to speak to company founder Mike Ross ― a business attorney with 40 years of experience ― directly.
BizFilings: BizFilings provides customer support via phone and email. With either option, you’ll receive prompt service from knowledgeable professionals, and their hours of operation are longer than the vast majority of their competitors. You can reach BizFilings support reps from 7am-8pm ET Monday through Friday.
Company Stats and Track Record
Nationwide Incorporators: Nationwide Incorporators opened in 1997, and company founder Mike Ross has four decades of experience as a business lawyer. They don’t handle the same volume of clients that some competitors do, but as they say on their website, “Don’t confuse volume with quality.”
BizFilings: BizFilings has been around since 1996, and they’ve formed over half a million businesses in that time. The company is a subsidiary of the massive global information services company Wolters Kluwer.
Final Scores and Our Recommendation
We Recommend Zen Business
Nationwide Incorporators (4.2/5): We’re impressed by their attorney-reviewed document filing process, but especially with their registered agent service pricing operating on a variable basis, we understand that they’re not the right choice for everyone. If your company could benefit from their attorney-powered services, they could be the right choice for you.
BizFilings (4.1/5): BizFilings doesn’t really excel in any specific way. Their pricing and features are all acceptable, but not overly impressive.
Our Favorite Service – Zen Business (4.9/5): While we appreciate some aspects of what Nationwide Incorporators and BizFilings have to offer, Zen Business is actually our favorite LLC formation service. For just $39, they’ll provide the full formation process of your LLC, while also including a year of registered agent service. It’s one of the lowest price points in the industry for this combination of services, and you won’t have to sacrifice anything when it comes to features.