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 MyCompanyWorks and Harbor Compliance. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of MyCompanyWorks VS. Harbor Compliance
MyCompanyWorks won’t blow you away when it comes to the pricing and included features in their LLC formation packages, but they do have some advantages of their own. The most impressive aspect of MyCompanyWorks as a company is their tremendous customer feedback, as nearly all of their 2,500+ online reviews are positive. We also appreciate the fact that they guarantee that all LLC formation orders will be processed and filed with the state within one business day.
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.
These are both quality companies that are quite capable of forming your LLC and providing registered agent service, but overall we prefer MyCompanyWorks due to their lower price points.
We Recommend Zen Business
These LLC Services vs Other Options
MyCompanyWorks ranks eighth in our comprehensive guide to the best registered agent services, and they hold down the #5 spot in our LLC formation service rankings. Meanwhile, Harbor Compliance earned the #13 spot on our LLC service guide, and checked into the seventh spot 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 article runs down our top 14 options, including a spotlight on Zen Business, our top pick.
Pricing & Additional Features
MyCompanyWorks:
- LLC formation (starts at $79) – They provide the essentials of LLC formation: a business name availability check, along with the preparation and filing of your articles of organization. In addition, you’ll receive a custom operating agreement, custom meeting minutes, the Startup Wizard interactive checklist, and free ebooks.
- Registered agent ($99/year) – MyCompanyWorks has a low rate of $99 per year for registered agent service, which is one of the lowest rates for any national registered agent provider. Their registered agent service doesn’t include any additional features, but at this price point, they don’t really need to.
Who should use their services? We think that MyCompanyWorks’ reasonable price points and spectacular customer reviews should appeal to a wide variety of entrepreneurs. They’re one of our favorite providers of LLC formation and registered agent services.
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.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
MyCompanyWorks: $178 (plus state fee)
Harbor Compliance: $399 (plus state fee)
Customer Satisfaction
MyCompanyWorks: Most of MyCompanyWorks’ thousands of customer reviews are located on Shopper Approved, where they hold a 4.9 average score (out of 5) with 2,855 reviews. Their clients seem pleased with the efficiency of MyCompanyWorks’ services, as well as with their thorough explanations for each step of the LLC creation process. Customer feedback is a strength for MyCompanyWorks.
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.
Quality of Customer Service
MyCompanyWorks: MyCompanyWorks provides access to their customer support team via phone or email. In our experience, and also based on their customer feedback, either option gives you quick response times and well-informed assistance from their team of knowledgeable professionals. The only issue with their customer support is their short window of availability, as their representatives are only available from 11am until 7pm ET on weekdays.
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.
Company Stats and Track Record
MyCompanyWorks: MyCompanyWorks was formed as MyNewCompany in 2001, and they’ve formed over 50,000 LLCs and corporations since then. In 2017, they were named to the Inc5000 rankings of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
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.
Final Scores and Our Recommendation
We Recommend Zen Business
MyCompanyWorks (4.1/5): We appreciate their 100% satisfaction guarantee, next-day processing, and strong customer reviews. Their $99 annual rate for registered agent service is impressive as well. If you’re looking for low price points and well-rounded services, give MyCompanyWorks a look.
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.
Our Favorite Service – Zen Business (4.9/5): While we really appreciate both Harbor Compliance and MyCompanyWorks, 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.