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 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 MyCorporation. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of Harbor Compliance VS. MyCorporation
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.
MyCorporation receives solid customer reviews, and they also offer good support. However, the issues with MyCorporation start with their $34 shipping fee, which is not added into the advertised price of their packages. This is a rather lofty fee considering all it covers is mailing a few pieces of paper. In addition, they offer “rush processing” for $100 or more, but they don’t indicate how much this speeds up your turnaround time.
This is a close competition, and overall we feel like it’s a true toss-up. Both of these companies have their own advantages, but they both also have some pricing issues that rub us the wrong way.
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. Meanwhile, MyCorporation holds down the ninth spot in our registered agent guide, and they’re in the #10 spot in our LLC guide.
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 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.
MyCorporation:
- LLC formation (starts at $133) – MyCorporation’s Basic package includes only the necessary features to form an LLC, like a business name availability check, and the preparation and filing of your articles of organization. However, for an additional $25, they’ll add one year of managed annual report service.
- Registered agent ($120/year) – MyCorporation charges an annual fee of $120 for registered agent service, which does not include any additional features beyond the basics of registered agent.
Who should use their services? MyCorporation really doesn’t stand out from the pack in any specific way. There’s certainly nothing wrong with purchasing LLC formation or registered agent services from them, but there’s also no real reason to recommend them.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
Harbor Compliance: $399 (plus state fee)
MyCorporation: $253 (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.
MyCorporation: MyCorporation doesn’t have a ton of online customer feedback, but what they do have is mostly positive. Their largest collections of reviews are on Google, where they have 148 reviews and a perfect 5-star rating, and on Trustpilot, where they have 200 reviews and a 3.5 out of 5 star score. Their customers typically discuss how pleased they are with MyCorporation’s customer service department, and they also appreciate how simple they make the formation process.
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.
MyCorporation: With MyCorporation, you can access their customer support team via either phone or email. Either way, their support reps are quite responsive, as we’ve never had to wait on hold for long, and they also reply to emails quickly. Their representatives are highly trained, and they’re capable of answering difficult questions. We’re pleased with the quality of their support overall.
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.
MyCorporation: Since they opened in 1998, MyCorporation has served over a million clients. They’re based in California, but they provide business services in all 50 states. They offer a wide variety of business services, and we appreciate their level of transparency. You can actually contact their CEO directly on Twitter @deborahsweeney if you have any questions or comments about their service.
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.
MyCorporation (3.8/5): MyCorporation has some aspects we appreciate, and they stack up favorably against some competitors due to their solid customer reviews. We’re not fans of all their additional fees, but that doesn’t mean they’re a bad choice for your business.
Our Favorite Service – ZenBusiness (4.9/5): While we appreciate some aspects of what MyCorporation and Harbor Compliance 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.