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 formation online 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 Harbor Compliance and Harvard Business Services. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of Harbor Compliance VS. Harvard Business Services
Harbor Compliance offers affordable pricing for registered agent service, which is complemented by a rather robust collection of inviting attributes. However, their pricing for business formation service is far too high for us to be able to widely recommend them to form your LLC.
Harvard Business Services is an excellent provider of LLC formation and registered agent services in the state of Delaware, although they do not provide service in any other state. They provide a full year of registered agent service with all of their formation packages, and they receive great customer reviews.
Overall, we prefer Harvard Business Services, although if you operate a business in any state other than Delaware, Harbor Compliance is an entirely capable service as well.
We Recommend Zen Business
These LLC Services vs Other Options
Harbor Compliance earned the #13 spot on our LLC service guide, and checked into the seventh spot for registered agent service. As for Harvard Business Services, they rank #7 on our top formation services list, and they came in at #10 for registered agents.
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 comparison review runs down our top 14 options, including a spotlight on Zen Business, our top pick.
Pricing & Additional Features
Harbor Compliance:
- LLC formation (starts at $399) – Harbor Compliance’s base formation package includes the basics of LLC formation, including a name availability check, as well as the preparation and filing of your articles of organization. In addition, you’ll receive one year of registered agent service ($99/year after that), a federal tax ID number (EIN), and a customizable LLC operating agreement.
- Registered agent ($99/year) – Their registered agent service is available for $99 per year, although if you pay for more than one year in advance ― or purchase service in at least four states ― Harbor Compliance will provide a discount of up to 10%. Additionally, you’ll receive access to software that helps you track and file your annual reports, making it easy to remain compliant with your state government.
Who should use their services? We really like what Harbor Compliance has to offer when it comes to registered agent. Anyone looking for low prices with great customer support should be interested in their registered agent service. We also appreciate their LLC formation service for entrepreneurs who need some specialized assistance, but their pricing is too high. If they dropped their prices, they would skyrocket their way up our list of best LLC services, but as is, they’re stuck near the bottom.
Harvard Business Services:
- LLC formation (starts at $89) – Harvard Business Services includes a business name check, the full preparation and filing of your articles of organization, one year of registered agent service, a digital seal customized with your business info, and compliance coaching.
- Registered agent ($50/year) – Their annual fee of $50 per year is highly impressive, especially when you consider that they guarantee this rate will never increase throughout the entire life cycle of your company. Their registered agent service does not include any additional features, but at this price point, it doesn’t need to.
Who should use their services? If you operate a business in Delaware, their registered agent service is your best option. Their business formation service is a strong offering as well, although it isn’t as obvious of a pick than their registered agent service is. There are still some competitors that can beat their pricing for LLC service.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
Harbor Compliance: $399 (plus state fee)
Harvard Business Services: $89 (plus state fee)
Customer Satisfaction
Harbor Compliance: We found 77 customer reviews on Google for Harbor Compliance, with an average score of 4.6 out of 5 stars, along with a 4.8-star rating with the Better Business Bureau (19 reviews), and a 4.8 score on Facebook (24 reviews). Their satisfied clients like to point out Harbor Compliance’s excellent customer support, often thanking their representatives by name in their reviews.
Harvard Business Services: Harvard Business Services has thousands of reviews available online, with most of them appearing on Trustpilot, where they have a sparkling reputation. With nearly 3,000 reviews, they maintain an incredible 99% rate of 4- or 5-star reviews. Their clients often discuss their low prices, excellent customer support, and high ease of use. Customer feedback is definitely a major selling point for Harvard Business Services.
Quality of Customer Service
Harbor Compliance: Harbor Compliance assigns a dedicated account manager (they call them compliance specialists) to oversee your account. These well-informed employees draw from their considerable knowledge base to help you navigate the nuances of business ownership and compliance. You can reach them via phone or email, or simply fill out the contact form on their website.
Harvard Business Services: Harvard Business Services offers customer support through a variety of different mediums, including phone, email, web chat, and Skype. Both in our own experience and according to their customer reviews, Harvard Business Services representatives are helpful and professional no matter how you contact them. Their response times are also quite quick, meaning you won’t have to sit around waiting to hear back from them. We also like how they list their staff members’ direct phone extensions on their website.
Company Stats and Track Record
Harbor Compliance: Harbor Compliance is a relatively recent addition to the business services industry, as they’ve served 25,000+ organizations since opening in 2012. There are certainly more experienced online formation services, but Harbor Compliance is finding success as a midsize company.
Harvard Business Services: Harvard Business Services has formed 190,000+ businesses in the state of Delaware since they opened back in 1981. For their first several years in business, the founder operated the company out of his own home, until the workload became too much to handle, and he expanded the business into a more typical office space.
Final Scores and Our Recommendation
We Recommend Zen Business
Harbor Compliance (3.9/5): We’re impressed by Harbor Compliance’s registered agent service, especially considering the strong price point. However, their LLC formation packages are expensive, and they’re only really worth it if you need their top-notch customer support and other advanced features.
Harvard Business Services (4.0/5): The only real drawback for Harvard Business Services is that they only deal with Delaware businesses. They have excellent prices and a great reputation, and they’re a top-notch service for any Delaware-based business.
Our Favorite Service – Zen Business (4.9/5): While we appreciate many aspects of what Harbor Compliance and Harvard Business Services 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.