Honest comparison
Incofile vs LegalZoom
LegalZoom is the best-known legal-services brand in the US and offers far more than formation — attorney consultations, trademarks, wills, contracts. That breadth comes with the highest prices in the category, particularly for registered agent service.
Competitor figures are as published by LegalZoom and reported by independent reviewers in September 2026; they can change at any time. Incofile prices shown are our live prices.
The short version
Choose Incofile if you want…
- One price, paid once — no subscriptions or auto-renewals
- EIN, operating agreement and first-year registered agent all in our Gold package
- Registered agent at $119/year, not $249
- A real filing team that checks every order and answers by name
- Help for non-US founders (EIN without an SSN, ITIN, US mailbox)
Choose LegalZoom if you want…
- Access to licensed attorneys and a wide legal-services catalogue
- Household-name brand
- Good for complex, multi-service needs
We would rather you pick the right service than the wrong one.
What an LLC really costs: year 1 and year 2
Most owners need four things: the state filing, an EIN, an operating agreement, and a registered agent. Here is what that set costs with each service (state filing fee is the same whoever files it, so it is left out).
| Incofile Gold | LegalZoom Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Formation package | $399 one-time | $249 one-time |
| EIN + operating agreement | Included | Included |
| Registered agent, year 1 | Included (free first year) | $249 |
| Total year 1 | $399 | $498 |
| Registered agent, year 2 | $119 | $249 |
| Total year 2 | $119 | $249 |
| Two-year total | $518 | $747 |
Over two years Incofile Gold costs $229 less. Incofile prices are live from our pricing table. LegalZoom registered agent: $249/year, not included in any plan. Promotions and bundles change; always check the checkout total on both sites before you decide.
Package by package
| Incofile | LegalZoom |
|---|---|
| Silver — $99 + state fee Preparation & filing of formation documents, Unlimited business name searches, Statement of organizer, Lifetime compliance alerts, Online order status tracking, Registered agent service (first year free), Business bank account offer |
Basic — $0 + state fee Filing and basic documents |
| Gold — $399 + state fee Preparation & filing of formation documents, Unlimited business name searches, Statement of organizer, Lifetime compliance alerts, Online order status tracking, Registered agent service (first year free), Operating agreement template, EIN / Tax ID number (IRS Form SS-4), Banking resolution, Business contract templates, Business bank account offer, Expedited filing, Free business tax consultation |
Pro — $249 + state fee Adds EIN, operating agreement, compliance calendar |
| Platinum — $499 + state fee Preparation & filing of formation documents, Unlimited business name searches, Statement of organizer, Lifetime compliance alerts, Online order status tracking, Registered agent service (first year free), Operating agreement template, EIN / Tax ID number (IRS Form SS-4), Banking resolution, Business contract templates, Business bank account offer, Expedited filing, Free business tax consultation, Free domain name & business email, Dedicated phone & email support |
Premium — $399 + state fee Adds attorney guidance and legal forms library |
Where LegalZoom falls short — and where we do
Watch out for at LegalZoom
- Registered agent at $249/year is the most expensive of the major providers
- Formation plans cost more than comparable tiers elsewhere
- Frequent upsells during checkout
Watch out for at Incofile
- We are a smaller team — you get named support, but not 24/7 phone lines
- No attorney network; for legal advice you will need a lawyer
- Our Silver package is $99, not $0 — we do not run a free tier
Incofile vs LegalZoom — FAQs
Is Incofile cheaper than LegalZoom?
On day one LegalZoom’s $0 starter is cheaper than any Incofile package. For the full set-up most owners need (formation, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent), the two-year total is $518 with Incofile Gold and $747 with LegalZoom Pro — so Incofile works out cheaper over two years. Our registered agent renews at $119 a year versus $249.
Does Incofile charge a monthly or annual subscription?
No. Formation packages are a one-time fee. The only thing that renews is registered agent service ($119 per year after the free first year), and you can cancel it at any time.
Can I switch my registered agent from LegalZoom to Incofile?
Yes. We file the change-of-agent form with your state and take over from the effective date. Contact us with your company name and state and we will quote the state fee.
Where does LegalZoom beat Incofile?
Access to licensed attorneys and a wide legal-services catalogue. Household-name brand If those matter more to you than price and personal support, LegalZoom is a reasonable choice — we would rather you pick the right service than the wrong one.
Also compare: Incofile vs Bizee · Incofile vs ZenBusiness · What makes us different
Form your LLC with a team that answers by name
One-time pricing, EIN and operating agreement included in Gold, registered agent free for the first year.
Start my business