Honest comparison
Incofile vs ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness pairs a “$0 + state fee” starter with a subscription model: most of its value-adds (compliance, registered agent, premium plans) renew every year. It is a polished product, best suited to owners who want an ongoing subscription bundle.
Competitor figures are as published by ZenBusiness 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 $199
- 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 ZenBusiness if you want…
- Clean, modern dashboard
- Worry-Free Compliance bundle handles annual reports for you
- Strong customer-review scores
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 | ZenBusiness Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Formation package | $399 one-time | $199 (renews $199/yr) |
| EIN + operating agreement | Included | Included |
| Registered agent, year 1 | Included (free first year) | $199 |
| Total year 1 | $399 | $398 |
| Registered agent, year 2 | $119 | $199 |
| Total year 2 | $119 | $398 |
| Two-year total | $518 | $796 |
Over two years Incofile Gold costs $278 less. Incofile prices are live from our pricing table. ZenBusiness registered agent: $199/year on Starter and Pro; included in Premium. Promotions and bundles change; always check the checkout total on both sites before you decide.
Package by package
| Incofile | ZenBusiness |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Starter — $0 + state fee Filing and basic documents; renews at $199/year |
| 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 — $199 + state fee Adds EIN, operating agreement, faster filing; renews at $199/year |
| 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 — $349 + state fee Adds website, domain, email; renews at $399/year |
Where ZenBusiness falls short — and where we do
Watch out for at ZenBusiness
- Plans are annual subscriptions — Pro and Premium renew at $199–$399 every year
- Worry-Free Compliance is free in year one, then auto-renews at $199/year
- Registered agent is an extra $199/year on the two cheaper plans
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 ZenBusiness — FAQs
Is Incofile cheaper than ZenBusiness?
On day one ZenBusiness’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 $796 with ZenBusiness Pro — so Incofile works out cheaper over two years. Our registered agent renews at $119 a year versus $199.
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 ZenBusiness 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 ZenBusiness beat Incofile?
Clean, modern dashboard. Worry-Free Compliance bundle handles annual reports for you If those matter more to you than price and personal support, ZenBusiness is a reasonable choice — we would rather you pick the right service than the wrong one.
Also compare: Incofile vs Bizee · Incofile vs LegalZoom · 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.
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