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 good LLC 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 MyCompanyWorks and Zen Business. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary of MyCompanyWorks vs. Zen Business
Zen Business Wins!
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 3,600+ 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.
Zen Business automates several different parts of the business formation process in order to offer their customers the lowest possible price points. Zen Business has only been around for a few years, but they’ve steadily increased their foothold in the online business services industry, with thousands of customers served to date.
Overall, we think Zen Business is the more widely appealing option between these companies, thanks in large part to their superior pricing. MyCompanyWorks is a solid company as well, but they just can’t compete with Zen Business’ pricing.
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.
Zen Business:
- LLC formation (starts at $39) – Zen Business will form your LLC for just $39 (except for your state fee) with the following features: a business name availability search, the preparation and filing of your articles of organization, registered agent service, and a sample operating agreement.
- Registered agent ($99/year) – Registered agent service from Zen Business costs $99 per year, although you can get your first year for free if you purchase business formation service from them. Aside from the basics of serving as your registered agent, this service does not include any additional features.
Who should use their services? Zen Business is our #1 overall pick for LLC formation service, and they came in second in our registered agent list as well. With that in mind, we strongly recommend them for anyone looking to form a business and/or acquire registered agent service. Especially considering that low $39 price point to combine both services, how can you go wrong?
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
MyCompanyWorks: $178 (plus state fee)
Zen Business: $39 (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 3,500+ 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.
Zen Business: We found more than 4,700 Zen Business reviews on Trustpilot, and 97% of them are positive in nature. Their reviewers clearly enjoy their affordable business entity formation service, and they also frequently comment on the ease of use provided by Zen Business.
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.
Zen Business: You can reach the Zen Business customer support team by phone, email, or web chat. In general, Zen Business has a service department that can compete with most of the other companies in this industry. Their representatives always reply quickly, and they seem to be knowledgeable as well, in our experience.
Company Stats and Track Record
MyCompanyWorks: MyCompanyWorks was formed as MyNewCompany in 2001, and they’ve formed more than 60,000 LLCs and corporations since then. In 2017, they were named to the Inc5000 rankings of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Zen Business: Zen Business is a recent addition to the business formation industry, as they just opened in 2015. The Texas-based company is trying to flip the online business services market on its head by offering highly affordable services that still include everything you need to maintain a compliant business entity.
Final Scores and Our Recommendation
Zen Business Wins!
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.
Zen Business (4.9/5): While we really appreciate 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 tough to beat the affordability of Zen Business’ services.