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With the right online incorporation service, it’s not all that difficult to formally incorporate your business. This is simply a sensible idea than just running an informal business out of your home. Incorporating the business protects you from creditors and others from going after your personal assets to cover your business liabilities.
This leads us to the question of whether you’re better off with MyCompanyWorks or with the Northwest Registered Agent Service to handle and help with your incorporation. This guide will take a closer look at each brand to see which service best suits your incorporation needs. We will compare them directly on the basis of the following factors:
Brand History and Reputation
It really doesn’t make sense to go with an unknown incorporation service with no track record to speak of. How will you know they have the expertise to do the job right? For all you know, the website may just be a scam.
You should look for a brand with many years of experience, along with thousands of satisfied customers over the years. Check for online customer reviews, and make sure the brand has a good average rating from satisfied clients.
MyCompanyWorks
The MyCompanyWorks incorporation service started out in 2001, so it’s among the oldest brands in the industry. At the time, they used the name MyNewCompany.com. Over the last two decades, they’ve helped to incorporate at least 60,000 new businesses. 
You’ll find plenty of customer reviews on MyCompanyWorks online. We easily found at least a thousand customer reviews on various forums and 3rd-party sites, along with 3,500 reviews on the MyCompanyWorks website itself. The vast majority of all these customer reviews give perfect scores for MyCompanyWorks, resulting in an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
MyCompanyWorks Official Website
Northwest Registered Agent Service
Surprisingly, Northwest is even older. It started out way back in 1998, making it among the oldest brands in the business. 
The Northwest service is also extremely popular, even after more than two decades. They have assisted a total of 2 million customers already, and even now they take care of at least 200 incorporation applications each day. That’s a lot of business.
Yet despite the clear popularity of the Northwest brand, there aren’t all that many reviews on it. We looked online and found only a few hundred customer reviews on Northwest. Still, most of these are rave reviews.
Northwest Registered Agent’s Official Website
Winner: Tied
They’re both among the oldest brands in the industry. While MyCompanyWorks has received thousands of glowing customer reviews, Northwest has established its reputation by simply accumulating 2 million customers over the years. Both brands have proven their worth, and they can both be trusted to do the job right.
Of course, it’s up to you as to what kind of proof you want to establish a brand’s reputation. If you’re more concerned with the number of rave reviews, then you might be more impressed with MyCompanyWorks. However, if the number of total (and current) customers is more impressive for you, then Northwest may be more trustworthy in your opinion.
Costs and Value for Money
What exactly does each brand offer customers? How much do they cost, and what features do they offer? Here, we list the various packages and available features, along with the cost for each package. Take note that the state fee isn’t included, since the fee will vary depending on the state in which you’re applying.
MyCompanyWorks
| Package | Cost | Features and Services |
| Basic | $79 + state fee |
|
| Entrepreneur | $199+ state fee | The Basic features, plus:
|
| Complete | $279+ state fee | The Entrepreneur features, plus:
|
As you can see, the fees are rather on the high side. What’s more, you need to go with the Complete package to receive the registered agent service as part of the package. You can add this option as part of your Basic or Entrepreneur package, but that will cost you an extra $99 per year.
Northwest Registered Agent Service
| Package | Cost | Features and Services |
| Basic | $225 |
|
| Optional Add-ons | • Tax ID
• S Corporation Election with the IRS • Premium mail forwarding • Virtual office • Certificate of good standing • Certified copy • Apostille • 2nd telephone number • Corporate supplies • FMCSA BOC-3 Filing (for trucking companies) • FCC Telecommunications 499-A registration services |
This time, there’s just one Basic package. But you’re able to tailor it to suit your specific needs, by adding optional services that you might need. That means you’re not required to pay for a set of features that may include services you don’t really want.
Winner: MyCompanyWorks
Both tend to charge rather high rates, and you’re paying dearly for the required registered agent services. At least you pay less for these services with MyCompanyWorks, as the costs for services with Northwest tend to be on the high side.
With MyCompanyWorks, you’re paying $99 for the registered agent service. That will cost you $125 with Northwest.
The Basic package from MyCompanyWorks costs only $79, and you get a long list of services for your money. With the Basic package from Northwest, you pay $100 simply for the filing service and a few other services.
Ease of Process
Since you don’t have to leave home to get the incorporation service started, it’s best if you’re able to use the incorporation website without a hitch. Costs should be clearly shown, and the features of each package should be listed. Each feature and service should be explained.
MyCompanyWorks
It’s easy enough to get to the various incorporation packages offered. They’re laid out side by side, with the costs and features listed. Each feature is easy to understand, as you just need to hover your mouse pointer over a feature to get additional information.
As you add more options to your package, you get a running tally of the total costs. These will include the state fee as well. You get all these bits of information without first having to enter your business information into the application form.
Northwest Registered Agent Service
As you only have a single package to deal with, here the process is much easier. You then get to the next webpage for your options, and each option will have a link that can provide additional explanations for each service. As you add options to your customized package, you add the costs to the running tally.
Like with MyCompanyWorks, you get the info you need without the tedious step of first entering your business info. That way, you won’t have to waste your time and effort filling up the application form first, only to discover you’re not yet satisfied with the costs or the features you’re getting.
Winner: Tied
Both have excellent websites with straightforward designs. You can find out everything you need without first having to enter your business info. You have explanations for all offered services, and a running tally of the total costs. They’re both models of transparency.
Formation Speed
First of all, you need to have reasonable expectations regarding the time it will take to finish the entire incorporation process. It can take weeks, and much depends on the efficiency of the state government you’re dealing with. If you’ve dealt with state departments in the past, you know that they sure take their time.
To be fair, these departments do have lots of incorporation applications to handle each day. It didn’t help that the recent pandemic crisis resulted in layoffs for many state governments.
But at the very least, you should work with an incorporation service that can handle your incorporation service promptly. Keep in mind that the more popular incorporation services may take a bit longer, since you basically have to fall in a (very long) line. But some incorporation services offer an expedited filing service as an add-on.
MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks doesn’t handle as many incorporation applications as many other brands (including Northwest). That’s probably one of the reasons why they’re able to advertise their “same day processing” service to customers. This is an included feature for each of their incorporation packages.
That’s to say, if you’re able to complete your incorporation application by 3PM EST, then they’d be able to process your application that very same day. If you finish after that deadline, Northwest can at least start processing your application the very next business day.
They also offer an expedited service, for the low additional cost of only $20. When you’ve completed your application form, you will get a time estimate as to when the incorporation process will finally get done. You’ll get time estimates for both the standard and the expedited service, so you know how many days of waiting you take out with your $20.
Northwest Registered Agent Service
This time, you only have the standard filing service speed. There’s no expedited service, and you stand in line along with the other 200 customers per day that Northwest takes on. In general, you may have to wait 4 to 6 weeks.
Winner: MyCompanyWorks
At least MyCompanyWorks doesn’t handle as many customers per day as Northwest. That means that even with the standard filing service, your wait may be a little bit shorter. You even have to option to get the expedited filing service for only $20. There’s no similar option with Northwest.
Customer Support
While both websites are easy to navigate and use, with information laid put neatly, you may still have questions. So how does the customer support department of each brand stack up?
MyCompanyWorks
You’re able to contact the customer support either through phone or email. You can call them on weekdays, from 8AM to 4PM PST. You won’t have to wait long for someone knowledgeable to get on the line, to answer your questions clearly and politely.
For email, the contact window is from 7AM to 5PM. You’ll get an informative response within 24 hours.
Northwest
We weren’t able to find the operating hours for both email and phone for Northwest. On the other hand, they’re very easy to contact.
The Northwest phone number is on every webpage, so you can just try calling them. There are no phone trees, and the person who answers your call will actually be able to answer your questions.
In some rare cases, you may get a voicemail when you call. If this happens, you’ll get a return call in 2 hours or less.
For email, you’ll get a response the very same day you shoot them an email message. In addition, each email will have a proper signature with contact information. That way, you’re able to contact that very same person for additional info.
Winner: Tied
Both offer excellent customer support. With MyCompanyWorks, you get clear information as to when you can call them or send them an email. Responses are very prompt, and you get nice and clear answers to your questions.
With Northwest, the person who answers the phone will also answer your questions. In the off-chance you get voicemail, they call you back in 2 hours. You also receive a response to your email that same day. It’s just annoying that you don’t have an idea of when you should call.
Conclusion: MyCompanyWorks Wins
This is a very close contest. In many of the areas for comparison, the 2 brands actually tied with each other. In fact, we may not be surprised to find some readers concluding that Northwest actually wins this contest (at least for them).
After all, Northwest does boast of having helped 2 million customers, and they still deal with lots of customers each day. It also doesn’t hurt that they offer a single package that you can customize with add-ons.
Still, MyCompanyWorks has thousands of reviews from satisfied customers to prove their expertise. They offer slightly better services with lower costs, and they do things a bit faster. While you’re not wasting your money with either of these brands, you may get more value for your money with MyCompanyWorks.