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 as of July 2026, with verified prices, 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 observed in July 2026 and change regularly: always verify the current price and scope on each provider's website. 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 observed in July 2026. Dollar amounts are billed by U.S. services; Statecove's is in euros. Prices excluding state fees are flagged.
| Service | Base price (July 2026) | State fees | Model | Primary audience | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| doola | from $297/yr | extra | Self-serve | Non-residents | English |
| Firstbase | $399 (formation) | included | 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 | 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
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. doola handles the EIN application through the IRS process designed for founders without an SSN. Higher tiers (Total Compliance at $1,999/year, then a Max plan) add bookkeeping and the annual tax filing. The model is an annual subscription and support is in English. It is a sound choice for a non-resident who is comfortable working on their own and wants formation and compliance on a single platform.
Firstbase
Firstbase (firstbase.io) charges $399 as a one-time fee for formation, state fees included, in Wyoming or Delaware. The package covers the EIN, a U.S. address, a banking introduction (Mercury) and support. After the first year, the registered agent runs about $299/year, and the non-resident tax filing (Form 5472 for foreign-owned LLCs) is sold separately, around $899/year. Firstbase supports non-residents without an SSN or ITIN. Support is in English and the experience remains self-serve. The formation price is attractive; just remember to factor in the recurring costs to reason over time.
Stripe Atlas
Stripe Atlas costs $500 as a one-time fee and forms a company in Delaware. The package covers the Delaware filing, the EIN (via Form SS-4), legal templates, opening a bank account (Mercury or a partner) and the first year of registered agent (about $100/year thereafter). 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.
LegalZoom and ZenBusiness
LegalZoom and ZenBusiness are two longtime generalists of the U.S. market. Their headline prices are low — $0 + state fees for the base tier — but the substance is in the tiers: at LegalZoom, the Pro plan ($249) adds the EIN and operating agreement, the Premium ($299) a trial of legal advice; at ZenBusiness, the Pro ($199/year) includes the EIN and an operating agreement, the Premium ($399/year) the registered agent. Both services are first positioned for entrepreneurs resident in the United States: they can form an LLC, but their processes and support are not specifically designed for a non-resident's needs (EIN without an SSN by fax, remote account opening). Their support is in English, and the advertised prices often work through subscriptions and add-ons that renew.
Forming directly through Northwest
Finally, you can go directly through a registered agent such as Northwest Registered Agent: $39 + state fees for formation, registered agent free the first year then $125/year, operating agreement included. 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) 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.
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.