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 Rocket Lawyer and Swyft Filings. Which one is the better choice to form your new LLC and provide registered agent service?
30-Second Summary Of Rocket Lawyer VS. Swyft Filings
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.
Swyft Filings is a recent addition to the business formation services industry, but they serve a high volume of clients. Their best selling point is their excellent customer feedback, with thousands of reviews and high average rating scores.
While these are both strong companies with good track records, you can save some money on your LLC formation with Swyft Filings. On the other hand, Rocket Lawyer has a big experience advantage, so this competition likely comes down to your personal preferences as an entrepreneur.
We Recommend Zen Business
These LLC Services vs Other Options
Rocket Lawyer checked into the #11 spot in our top LLC services guide, while their registered agent service came in at #5. Meanwhile, Swyft Filings placed eighth in our LLC service guide, and they ranked #11 on our registered agents list.
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 review article runs down our top 14 options, including a spotlight on Zen Business, our top pick.
Pricing & Additional Features
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.
Swyft Filings:
- LLC formation ($49) – Swyft Filings’ entry-level formation package includes a business name availability check, as well as the preparation and filing of your articles of organization. In addition, you’ll receive a statement of the organizer, access to a compliance dashboard, and some third-party bonus offers like a free domain name for a year.
- Registered agent ($149/year) – Swyft Filings charges a flat rate of $149 per year for registered agent service. This rate includes regular compliance reminders so that you never miss an important filing due date.
Who should use their services? We typically recommend Swyft Filings to entrepreneurs that don’t need registered agent service. Their LLC formation package is reasonably priced, but it doesn’t include registered agent, and their registered agent service is too expensive to recommend as an add-on.
Total Price for LLC Formation + 1 Year Registered Agent
Rocket Lawyer: $249.98 (plus state fee)
Swyft Filings: $198 (plus state fee)
Customer Satisfaction
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.
Swyft Filings: Swyft Filings has more than 26,000 customer reviews online, and almost all of them are highly positive. Their satisfied customers often compliment their support reps for the excellent service they receive, and also comment on how easy Swyft Filings makes the business formation process.
Quality of Customer Service
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.
Swyft Filings: With Swyft Filings, you can access their customer support team via phone, email, or web chat. In our experience, their response times are quite fast, and their representatives are usually able to answer our questions quickly and accurately. They don’t particularly stand out from the crowd in this area, but they certainly hold their own.
Company Stats and Track Record
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.
Swyft Filings: Swyft Filings was created in 2012 by a lawyer, but other than the fact that they’ve helped form tens of thousands of businesses, there is little else on their website regarding their track record.
Final Scores and Our Recommendation
We Recommend Zen Business
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.
Swyft Filings (4.2/5): Swyft Filings has several advantages when compared to most competitors, like their low LLC service pricing and strong customer reviews. They have a considerable advantage compared to Rocket Lawyer in the area of LLC formation service pricing, but they can’t match Rocket Lawyer’s experience level.
Our Favorite Service – Zen Business (4.9/5): While we appreciate some aspects of what Rocket Lawyer and Swyft Filings 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.