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If you are in the process of forming a new corporation, then you may want to consider hiring an incorporation service to help you.
Although there are numerous incorporation services to choose from, ZenBusiness stands out because of its affordability and reputation. Nonetheless, there are alternative incorporation services that can help with your business formation.
This ZenBusiness alternative guide will provide you with its top competitors. It gives a quick rundown of their advantages and disadvantages to help you determine the most suitable option for your needs
ZenBusiness’s Official Website
1. Incfile- $
Incfile was established in 2004 and they have been able to form over 250,000 businesses since then. This online legal service company offers customized services based on the state where you want to form your business. They are a great ZenBusiness alternative because of their affordable prices, user-friendly services, and tremendous customer feedback. 
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Pricing
If you are looking for an incorporation service with the best prices in the industry, Incfile is worth considering. Unlike other companies, Incfile Incorporation Company provides business formation services at no fee. Their entry-level silver plan starts at $0 plus state fees, their mid-tier gold plan goes for $149 plus state fees while the premier platinum plan goes for $299 plus state fees.
Even with all their LLC formation services, you will still get a full year of registered agent service. This is a solid feature considering that every LLC will require a registered agent. After one year, the registered agent services cost $119 per year. Overall, Incfile offers great value for money.
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Ease of Use
The incorporation process by Incfile is quite easy. Basically, the ordering process is based on the state you are forming your business in. Hence, they will personalize the steps for incorporation based on the type of business and the state.
Impressively, the order forms have hyperlinks that explain their features so you can decide if you need them. However, you can expect a few upsells and third-party offers during the ordering process.
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Customer Support
Incfile has a solid reputation when it comes to its customer service. You can get in touch with their customer support team through phone (from 9am to 6pm on weekdays) or via email. Plus, their representatives are responsive and friendly. Customer support services are also available through an online customer request form.
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Customer Reviews
If positive customer feedback matters to you, then you will be pleased to know that Incfile has thousands of positive reviews on the internet. The negative feedback is only a handful, meaning that most of their customers are satisfied with their incorporation services.
When to Choose Incfile
Coupled with affordable LLC formation services, Incfile is your to-go-to incorporation service if you have a tight budget. They are fast, cheap, and user-friendly without compromising on the quality of their features. They also boast of thousands of positive customer reviews and their customer support is tremendous.
2. Northwest Registered Agent- $225
With their exceptional customer service and premium registered agent services, it is not surprising that Northwest Registered Agent made the list of ZenBusiness alternative choices. Although their prices are on the higher side, we still believe that they are worth considering. 
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Pricing
The price for incorporation by Northwest starts at $225 plus state fees, which is slightly more than ZenBusiness and other alternatives on our list. Basically, the single package costs $100 plus a compulsory fee of $125 for the registered agent service.
This is a bit disappointing because one cannot use another registered agent or even act as the agent themselves.
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Ease of Use
Northwest software is quite easy to use and navigate. Hence clients will have an easy time throughout the ordering process. Besides, to start the incorporation process, you simply need to give them information about yourself and your business.
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Customer Support
If customer support matters to you, then Northwest can be an ideal choice. This is their biggest selling point to ensure customer satisfaction. Their customer support team is available from 8 am to 6 pm Eastern time from Monday to Friday.
Impressively, the company provides Corporate Guides, who are U.S. based support agents who are professionally trained. Since your guides are assigned to your account, you can easily communicate with them when you have any question or need additional information. Additionally, you can submit your questions via an online platform and the team will answer them through email.
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Customer Reviews
Northwest has a great reputation when it comes to customer reviews online. However, the volume of their reviews may not compare to other incorporation services like ZenBusiness and Incfile.
When to Choose Northwest
Northwest Registered Agent may be a suitable choice if you want the providers for your incorporation services to be the registered agents as well. They are also an excellent choice for private corporation registration and their customer support is unmatched.
Northwest Registered Agent’s Official Website
3. LegalZoom- $149
If you want to have access to legal forms or draft contracts, then you can try LegalZoom. LegalZoom has a solid reputation in the incorporation service industry, and it’s easy to see why. They have a tremendous volume of clients and have served 3.6 million clients since their formation. They are also known for their good customer support and registered agent service. 
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Pricing
LegalZoom prices are considerably higher than most companies in the industry. To form a corporation with this service, you will need to part with $149, which doesn’t include registered agent service. Their $99 is also significantly high considering that it does not include any valuable features or the registered agent service.
If you want the registered agent service added to your incorporation service, it costs $159/ per year. However, it will cost you $299 per year if you order the registered agent service as a standalone feature.
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Ease of Use
LegalZoom is not the most user-friendly incorporation service in the industry. Unlike ZenBusiness which is pretty straightforward, LegalZoom’s ordering process is a bit complicated.
Something else to note about the incorporation process by LegalZoom is that it includes a lot of upsells. When you try to order LLC formation service, you are likely to encounter over $1,000 upsells. This can be frustrating especially if you don’t require the services.
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Customer Support
Are you looking for an incorporation service with the longest availability hours? If so, then LegalZoom may appeal to you. With LegalZoom, you are assured of great customer phone support that is available from Monday to Friday, from 5 am to 7 pm PT.
Unlike ZenBusiness and most companies, they also offer Saturday phone support from 7 am to 4 pm PT. You can also access this support by sending an email request on their website.
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Customer Reviews
Customer review is not the biggest strength for LegalZoom. Although the company has more than 1,500 reviews online, they are both a mix of positive and negative reviews. Hence, it is difficult to determine whether they provide satisfactory services to their clients.
When to Choose LegalZoom
You may opt for LegalZoom if a solid reputation matters to you. Although their pricing is not great, they have the longest availability hours and they can help you access legal forms.
Final Verdict
Overall, all four companies; ZenBusiness, Incfile, Northwest, and LegalZoom are reputable and dependable LLC formation and incorporation services. Each company has its own advantages and disadvantages and your choice will depend on your personal preference.
Here is a rundown of the biggest advantage of each service:
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ZenBusiness
– The greatest strength of ZenBusiness is that they offer affordable LLC and incorporation services without compromising on the features.
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Incfile
– With Incfile, you will get your business formed for free and they have very strong customer reviews.
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Northwest Registered Agent
– Northwest has the advantage of providing top-notch customer support, thanks to their Corporate Guide system.
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LegalZoom
– You may want to settle for LegalZoom if having a strong reputation matters to you.
Common Questions
Which of These Companies Offers the Best Customer Support?
ZenBusiness, Incfile, and LegalZoom all offer good customer support for their services. However, the customer support offered by Northwest Registered Agent is unmatched. Northwest offers their clients Corporate Guide systems with knowledgeable representatives to answer any questions or concerns.
It is a requirement in my state to publish my company’s formation. Which of these services offer publication services?
States Georgia, Nebraska, Arizona, and Pennsylvania require publication to form a business. Of all the four companies provided in our list, only ZenBusiness offers this service. Nonetheless, Northwest offers its clients instructions on how to go about the publication.
Which is the cheapest service for my LLC formation?
If you are looking for the most affordable and budget-friendly incorporation service, try Incfile. Although ZenBusiness is also affordable, they cannot compare to Incfile, considering that their free service comes with registered agent service for one year.
Which is the better option if I need a Refund?
If you want a refund for your formation service, LegalZoom is your best bet. As a way to ensure 100% satisfaction guarantees, LegalZoom provides a full refund of the service fee as long as the request is made 60 days after the original purchase.
On the other hand, Northwest Registered agent charges $25 as a cancellation fee for refund requests while Incfile only allows a 24-hour window to make the refund request. When it comes to ZenBusiness, their refund policy is a bit complicated and is issued on very rare occasions.