Comparing U.S. LLC formation services quickly becomes dizzying: doola shows $297, Firstbase $399, LegalZoom starts at $0, Stripe Atlas at $500… and a French-speaking agency like Statecove sits around €2,000. Why such gaps for what looks like "the same thing"? Precisely because it is not the same thing. This guide compares the main options with pricing re-verified on 19 August 2026, without disparaging anyone — then helps you choose by profile: autonomy and English, or human support end to end.
This guide is not tax or legal advice
The information below is factual and general. The prices quoted are those verified on 19 August 2026 on each provider's official pages, and they change regularly: always check the current price and scope before deciding. No tax promises here: the tax treatment of an LLC depends on your country of residence and is a matter for a licensed professional.
What these prices don't compare
Before any table, an essential reading key: LLC formation services fall into two families, which share neither price nor promise.
- Automated self-serve. These are SaaS platforms (doola, Firstbase, LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Stripe Atlas). You fill out an online form, in English, the platform files the documents, and you then drive the steps (EIN, banking, renewals). The price is low because the process is industrialized and much of the work remains yours.
- Human done-for-you. A single contact owns the whole process end to end, in your language. The price is higher because it pays for human time, personalized follow-up and the handling of sensitive points (EIN without an SSN, compliance, a consistent banking application).
Neither family is inherently "better": they answer different needs. Comparing their prices without comparing their scope is like comparing a flat-pack piece of furniture with one delivered fully assembled.
The comparison in one table
Here are the main services, with their headline price verified on 19 August 2026. Dollar amounts are billed by U.S. services; Statecove's is in euros. Prices excluding state fees are flagged.
| Service | Base price (19 Aug 2026) | State fees | Model | Primary audience | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| doola | from $297/yr | extra | Self-serve | Non-residents | English |
| Firstbase | $399 catalog ($99 promo) | extra | Self-serve | Non-residents | English |
| Stripe Atlas | $500 (one-time) | included | Self-serve | Startups (Delaware C-Corp) | English |
| LegalZoom | $0 – $299 | extra | Self-serve | Mostly US residents | English |
| ZenBusiness | $0 – $399/yr | extra | Self-serve | Mostly US residents | English |
| Northwest (direct) | $39 + state fees | extra | Self-serve | Mostly US residents | English |
| Statecove | €2,000 (one-time) | included | Done-for-you | French-speaking non-residents | French |
Beware of surface comparisons
A headline price is not an "all-in" price. Depending on the service, you often need to add state fees ($50 to $500 depending on the state), the recurring registered agent, the EIN, or annual compliance. The lowest figure at the moment of clicking is not always the lowest over three years.
A closer look at each service
Every service below also has a dedicated head-to-head comparison, with the full criteria table and our sources: see all our comparisons.
doola
doola is one of the best-known players among non-US founders. Its entry tier, Starter, starts at $297/year (excluding state fees) and includes LLC (or C-Corp) formation, the EIN, an operating agreement, the registered agent and a U.S. business address, across all 50 states. doola handles the EIN application through the IRS process designed for founders without an SSN.
Two points deserve careful reading. First, Starter covers compliance alerts, meaning reminders, but not the filing of the annual report: that, like tax returns, belongs to the Tax and Compliance tier at $1,999/year (a Business-in-a-Box tier at $2,999/year sits above it). Second, the stated EIN timelines differ by page: doola's help center indicates 9 to 12 weeks standard and 5 to 8 weeks with the expedited option billed at $300, while its "Process" page shows 4 to 6 weeks on average. Either way, the final timeline depends on the IRS. The model is an annual subscription and support is in English: a sound choice for a non-resident who is comfortable working alone and wants formation and compliance on a single platform.
Head to head: doola versus French-speaking human support.
Firstbase
Firstbase (firstbase.io) lists $399 as a one-time catalog price for formation, in Wyoming or Delaware. The package covers the EIN, a U.S. address, a banking introduction (Mercury) and support, and the company serves non-residents without an SSN or ITIN — its help center then states 20 to 30 business days for the EIN, against 1 to 3 business days with an SSN.
Watch how state fees are handled, because it has changed. On 19 August 2026, the pricing page shows at once a struck-through catalog price of $399, a promotional price of $99, and a banner reading "Formation is on us. Pay only your state fee.", which puts state fees on you. These statements coexist on the site: confirm the total at checkout. On the recurring side, the registered agent runs $299/year and per state, annual compliance (annual report filing, reminders) belongs to the Agent Autopilot plan at $299/year, and the non-resident tax filing (Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs) is sold separately, from $899/year. A Firstbase One bundle exists at $199/month, i.e. $2,388/year. Support is in English and the experience remains self-serve.
Head to head: Firstbase versus French-speaking human support.
Stripe Atlas
Stripe Atlas costs $500 as a one-time fee and forms a company in Delaware. It is the clearest offer of the lot: the package covers the Delaware filing including state fees, the EIN (via Form SS-4), legal templates, opening a bank account (Mercury, Brex or a partner) and the first year of registered agent, which then renews at $100/year. Stripe states the EIN in 10 to 50 business days for a founder without an SSN, against 1 to 4 business days with one, and lets you take card payments before it arrives, with transfers capped at $100,000. In return, Delaware's annual obligations stay on you, and they differ by structure: the annual report and franchise tax due 1 March for a C-Corp, a flat $400 annual tax due 1 June for an LLC, which files no annual report.
Important point: Atlas offers the C-Corp or the LLC, but its positioning and tooling are heavily geared toward the Delaware C-Corp, the standard for startups aiming to raise capital. For a service, freelance or e-commerce activity with no investors, an LLC (often in Wyoming) is generally a better fit than a Delaware C-Corp. If the structure question applies to you, our guide LLC or C-Corp: which structure to choose? covers it.
Head to head: Stripe Atlas versus French-speaking human support.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom is a longtime generalist of the U.S. market, with a broad legal ecosystem (trademarks, wills, licenses, attorney access). Its headline price is low — $0 + state fees — but that Basic tier includes no EIN, no operating agreement and no registered agent. The Pro tier ($249) adds the EIN, the operating agreement and legal consultations; Premium ($299) mainly adds bookkeeping tools. The EIN sold on its own costs $79.
Two things matter for a non-resident. First, the recurring costs: the registered agent runs $249/year and is included in no formation tier, annual report filing is a separate service at $199/year, and two subscriptions start after a trial period on the higher tiers (legal advice at $49/month, bookkeeping at $9.99/month). Second, the EIN: LegalZoom's official page states that applying online requires the business to be located in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, and that otherwise Form SS-4 is prepared and sent to you, leaving the filing to you. Support is in English.
Head to head: LegalZoom versus French-speaking human support.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness plays the annual-plan card: formation at $0 + state fees (the Starter plan, which does not renew), then Pro at $199/year and Premium at $399/year, two subscriptions that renew for as long as the company exists. Pro includes the EIN, the operating agreement and Worry-Free Compliance (annual report, BOI report, alerts); on Starter that compliance is free for the first year then billed $199/year, while the EIN stays an add-on there ($99). The registered agent is $199/year as an add-on — its product page separately shows a first-year rate of $99, an internal display difference at ZenBusiness worth confirming before you order. Premium includes it for the first year.
It is one of the few generalists to explicitly document the non-resident founder case: its official page confirms that a non-citizen and non-resident can form an LLC with no U.S. residence or bank account, an ITIN standing in for an SSN. Two caveats, though: ZenBusiness prepares Form SS-4 but does not file it for you (immediate by phone, four business days by fax, four to five weeks by mail, and seven to eleven weeks if an ITIN must be obtained first); and its built-in bank account, operated by Thread Bank, requires a U.S. mobile number for authentication and is limited to single-member LLCs.
Head to head: ZenBusiness versus French-speaking human support.
Forming directly through Northwest
Finally, you can go directly through a registered agent such as Northwest Registered Agent: its formation page shows $39 + state fees, registered agent service included in the package presented, then $125/year for one state ($100/year per state from five states up). Legal forms, including an operating agreement, come with the service. It is the most economical option on paper, with a reputation for transparent pricing. In return, all the driving stays with you: EIN application, account opening, tracking obligations — all in English. It is an excellent choice for anyone fully autonomous and comfortable with U.S. procedures.
Why such large price gaps?
Understanding where prices come from avoids nasty surprises. Three factors explain most of the gap between $297 and €2,000.
- Automation versus human work. A $297 service industrializes the filing: the same form for thousands of clients, with no bespoke intervention. Done-for-you support mobilizes a person who handles your case, checks the information, secures the EIN and answers you directly.
- What's included… and what isn't. A low headline price often excludes state fees, the recurring registered agent, the EIN or annual compliance. Added up, these items bring seemingly distant services closer together. Our guide How much does a U.S. LLC really cost? breaks it down item by item.
- Language and handling. Managing an EIN without an SSN, a consistent banking application and annual obligations in English and on your own takes time and vigilance. Paying more often means delegating that time and that risk to someone whose job it is, in your own language.
In short: price does not measure a service's quality, but how much work is left on your plate. The less you want to do yourself, the more you pay for it — which is logical, and entirely upfront.
Which service for which profile?
Here is an honest decision grid. No option is universally "the best": each excels for a specific profile.
- You want the lowest price and you are autonomous and comfortable in English. Forming directly through Northwest, or via doola Starter / Firstbase, is perfectly defensible. You drive, you save, you own the follow-up.
- You are a non-resident who wants formation and compliance on one platform. doola (tiers with bookkeeping) or Firstbase (formation + tax options) are built for it, provided you are comfortable in English and self-serve.
- You are a startup aiming to raise capital. Stripe Atlas and its Delaware C-Corp are designed for this case. The question then becomes "which structure" as much as "which service" (see LLC or C-Corp).
- You are an entrepreneur resident in the United States. The generalists LegalZoom and ZenBusiness cover that domestic market well.
- You are French-speaking and you want a human contact to handle everything, end to end, in your language. That is exactly the niche of an agency like Statecove: a secured EIN without an SSN, compliance included, zero English forms to fill out alone.
The right question to ask
Not "which service is cheapest?", but "how much time and risk am I willing to take on myself, and in which language?". The answer almost always points to the right option.
Where Statecove fits
Statecove is not one more self-serve platform. It is French-speaking human support on a done-for-you basis: you don't touch the paperwork, a single contact handles everything. The Formation Pack at €2,000 (one-time payment, Wyoming by default; New Mexico from €1,850) includes, with no surprises:
- the LLC formation, state fees included;
- obtaining the EIN (IRS tax number), even without an SSN;
- the registered agent for the first year;
- the Operating Agreement and official documents;
- full onboarding support, in French, until you receive your documents;
- a U.S. address on public records and an "Annual Obligations" sheet.
What follows is just as clear: the Maintenance Pack (€450/year, state fees excluded and rebilled at cost) covers the registered agent renewal, the annual report filing and deadline reminders; the Accounting Pack (from €800/year, on request) delegates the mandatory annual tax filing (Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 for a single-member LLC, Form 1065 + K-1 for a multi-member) to a U.S. CPA partner specialized in non-residents. Statecove is an administrative support agency: neither a law firm nor a tax advisor — regulated matters are entrusted to licensed professionals.
Discover the full detail of our all-inclusive packs to form and maintain your LLC, with no surprises and in French.
Our sources, and how we check them
Every figure in this guide was recorded on 19 August 2026 from the providers' official pages — never from affiliate round-ups, whose numbers frequently contradict each other. Where something is not published officially (an EIN processing time, a support language), we say so rather than filling the gap.
- doola: Pricing, Process and Registered Agent pages, plus its help center for EIN timelines.
- Firstbase: Pricing and Start pages, plus its help center on the EIN without an SSN or ITIN.
- Stripe Atlas: official Stripe documentation (incorporation, EIN timelines, registered agent) and the Partners page.
- LegalZoom: official LLC Pricing, Registered Agent, EIN and Annual Report pages.
- ZenBusiness: Formation Plans and Registered Agent pages, plus its help center (LLC for a non-citizen, EIN without an SSN).
- Northwest: LLC and Registered Agent pages.
The source-by-source detail, with clickable links, sits on each head-to-head comparison. Prices move: if you are reading this guide long after that date, take the current price from the provider.
Where to start
The market for LLC formation services is broad, and that is good news: there is an option for every profile. If you are autonomous and comfortable in English, a well-chosen self-serve service will save you money. If you want to fully delegate and speak to someone in French, human support comes into its own.
To understand the whole journey before choosing, see our pillar guide How to Form a U.S. LLC as a Non-Resident and, on the state, Wyoming vs Delaware vs New Mexico.
And if you are still torn between doing it yourself and delegating, tell us about your project: we will tell you honestly whether your case justifies full support or whether a lighter solution is enough.