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 online 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 Rocket Lawyer. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of Harbor Compliance VS. Rocket Lawyer
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.
LLC formation and registered agent are just two of many services provided by Rocket Lawyer ― the centerpiece of their offerings is their legal services subscription, which provides access to qualified business attorneys and several other perks. Rocket Lawyer also receives strong customer feedback, indicating that most of their clients are pleased with their service.
Overall, our preference in this competition boils down to what your company needs. Harbor Compliance has some advanced features that are valuable if you will actually use them, while Rocket Lawyer has the much lower price point for LLC formation.
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. Rocket Lawyer checked into the #11 spot in our top LLC services guide, while their registered agent service came in at #5.
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 LLC comparison article 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.
Rocket Lawyer:
- LLC formation ($99.99) – Rocket Lawyer has just one LLC formation package, and it includes no extra features beyond a business name check, and the drafting and filing your articles of organization. We will note that if you subscribe to Rocket Lawyer’s legal services plan for $39.99/month, they include LLC formation for free, as long as you’re a new client.
- Registered agent ($149.99/year) – They charge an annual fee of $149.99, although customers who subscribe to their legal services plan receive 25% off that rate. Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent is quite basic, providing the essentials but little else.
Who should use their services? For the most part, we recommend Rocket Lawyer to entrepreneurs who want their legal services subscription. Without subscribing to this plan, Rocket Lawyer’s prices are a bit too expensive to recommend. If you do think you’ll find value in the subscription, their offer of free LLC formation is a welcome one.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
Harbor Compliance: $399 (plus state fee)
Rocket Lawyer: $249.98 (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.
Rocket Lawyer: We found nearly 2,800 customer reviews for Rocket Lawyer on Trustpilot, Sitejabber, and Consumer Affairs. They receive far more positive feedback than negative, and above all else, their clients frequently discuss how easy their services are to use. In addition, customers seem quite pleased by the wide variety of services offered by Rocket Lawyer.
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.
Rocket Lawyer: With Rocket Lawyer, you can access customer support via phone, web chat, or email. Our favorite aspect of this service is their extended operating hours, which run from 9am to 9pm ET every weekday. Aside from that, their representatives are easy to get in touch with, and they offer knowledgeable and professional service regardless of which medium you choose to reach out.
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.
Rocket Lawyer: Rocket Lawyer has been in business since 2008, and they’ve served an impressive 20 million customers since then, although it’s unclear how many of those are business clients as opposed to individual customers. Overall, they’re the largest company in the legal services industry.
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.
Rocket Lawyer (4.1/5): Rocket Lawyer provides decent value, although it’s clear that they would rather have customers sign up for their legal services subscription than purchase LLC formation and registered agent services a la carte. They have lots of experience and good reviews, so if you’re interested in their subscription plan they’re worth a look.
Our Favorite Service – Zen Business (4.9/5): While we appreciate many aspects of what Rocket Lawyer 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.