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Forming your corporation on your own can be quite a time-consuming and dreary process. This is why many business owners often turn to incorporation services to handle the work for them.
With incorporation services, you don’t have to undergo the hassle of going through the necessary filing process and paperwork yourself – they can do it on your behalf.
With that said, if you’re looking for the best incorporation services for your business, then you have come to the right place. This brief guide will walk you through a detailed comparison with two of the most popular formation services to date: Northwest Registered Agent and Incorporate.com.
5 Key Comparison Points
In this guide, you will find a comprehensive comparison of these two incorporation services. The comparison will be based on these five critical aspects of the business:
- Price and value for money
- Track record and experience
- Customer service quality
- Each service’s ease of use
- Turnaround times
Hopefully, with this comparison, you’ll be able to decide which of the two services is better suited for your business’s specific needs.
Overall Pricing and Value
Northwest Registered Agent
Although Northwest Registered Agent is one of the top formation services on the market nowadays, it is also one of the priciest providers available. 
The company offers a $225 formation service package that includes a full incorporation service plus free registered agent service for a year. However, this package does not include the fees for state filing. Thus, the indicated price could go higher.
Moreover, Northwest is a company that takes pride in providing top-quality service to all of its clients. However, there are several formation services out there that offer exceptional service at a fraction of Northwest’s service cost.
Incorporate.com
If you thought Northwest is expensive, Incorporate.com tends to offer much higher prices. The company provides two formation services, priced at $734 and $634. 
These plans only include the yearly report service and compliance dashboard if you choose to purchase the registered agent service on top of the package’s price. The registered agent service costs a whopping $235 a year.
If you add the total price and the added features and services, you will be spending quite the amount. Such an amount would make an excellent investment to further your business’s development and finance future projects.
Winner: Northwest Registered Agent
While Northwest’s price points aren’t as budget-friendly as other services, comparing it with Incorporate.com’s prices will show you that it’s the better option to go for.
Northwest Registered Agent’s Official Website
Company Track Record and Experience
Northwest Registered Agent
Established in 1998, Northwest started as a medium-sized business with the tagline “We’re Just Not Annoying.” This Washington-based formation service has a primary goal of streamlining business formation and registered agent services while being full-transparent with their clients.
Since Northwest’s founding, the service provider has helped form an average of 2 million businesses. Additionally, they also stated on their website that they are currently working with over 200 new corporations and LLCs daily.
Although there are not many online customer reviews for Northwest, most of the few reviews were positive and in favor of the company. Moreover, most reviews also conclude that most of the formation service’s customers were satisfied with their service.
Incorporate.com
Their services were founded in 1899, so it is very easy to say that Incorporate.com offers an abundance of experience in the formation service industry.
Since its opening, it has helped form more than 750,000 businesses. Its unmatched experience is what makes Incorporate.com one of the prime formation services when it comes to customer volume and business longevity.
Even though Incorporate.com has been in the business for over twelve decades, there are few customer reviews for the company online.
Additionally, the very few customer reviews for this company from third-party review sites were mostly negative. Many customers complained about the company’s outrageous pricing and a handful of hidden fees.
Winner: Northwest Registered Agent
Though Northwest has not been in the industry longer than Incorporate.com, the volume of businesses they helped form, as well as the numerous positive reviews, trump Incorporate.com’s solid decades of experience. Therefore, it is undeniably clear that the winning team in this category is Northwest.
Customer Service
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest offers two customer support options – email and phone support. The formation service allows customers to fill out a virtual form on their website to send an email query.
Northwest’s customer support team provides satisfactory responses based on multiple customer reviews. Moreover, although their reps typically take almost 24 hours to reply to emails, their responses were comprehensive. They also elaborate on the customers’ questions to satisfy them.
When it comes to the formation service’s phone support, most of their customers stated that they could quickly get a hold of one of the company’s agents. They were also able to receive detailed responses, and their customer service representatives were friendly too.
Incorporate.com
Incorporate.com offers chat, email, and phone support. Based on few reviews, customers who tried reaching the company’s support team via chat received instant responses. The formation service’s support agents were also knowledgeable and very friendly, which is highly commendable.
As per email support, customers who sent email inquiries received a response for their email inquiry just a little over 24 hours. Although the time frame is not as satisfactory, their agents provided thorough answers, similar to how they do chat queries.
Lastly, many customers stated that they could immediately connect with the support reps in terms of the service’s phone support. The customer support team was very professional and strived to deliver detailed and satisfactory answers to customers’ questions and concerns.
Winner: Incorporate.com
Although Northwest’s customer service is undoubtedly exceptional, given that Incorporate.com offers chat support alongside phone and email is a great bonus.
Additionally, chat support is an excellent option for customers who want to get quick responses but don’t want to talk to the phone.
Incorporate.com’s Official Website
Ease of Use
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest knows that most of its clients don’t know the ins and outs of forming a business. This is why their primary goal as a service provider is to simplify the entire formation process. Customers won’t have to go through the nitty-gritty of it.
Northwest makes sure that every aspect of business formation is streamlined and more manageable for business owners to understand.
When applying for the provider’s formation service, all you need to do is enter a few personal and business information and pay for your purchase.
Incorporate.com
To make it easier for you to figure out which formation package to pick, Incorporate.com provides a handy tool on their website called “wizard.”
The formation service’s website also features a pricing page that includes detailed information to make it easy for customers to make up their minds about which package and services to purchase.
Once you figure out which package to purchase, you will be stumbling upon seven upsells before reaching the checkout page. These upsells can be quite obtrusive, especially if you are not a fan of pushy third-party service ads.
On the other hand, given that Incorporate.com’s website is clean and well-organized, navigating the page is extremely easy even for non-techy users.
Winner: Northwest Registered Agent
Because Northwest provides a more straightforward application process with no intrusive upsells, the service provider is the apparent winner in this criteria.
Speed of Formation
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest provides customers with an estimated turnaround time based on their state of filing. When you go to the formation service’s website, you can select your state from the application’s dropdown menu. From there, you will see a rough estimate of your business’s formation speed.
The speed of formation varies depending on your state; some states have quicker turnarounds while some may take weeks. Moreover, you can also choose to speed up your business’s formation by paying for the provider’s expedited service for an added fee.
Incorporate.com
Once you reach the last page of your package purchase on Incorporate.com’s website, you will be provided with a detailed estimate of your business’s formation turnarounds.
The formation service’s transparency is something that is highly commendable as only very few service providers disclose close-to-accurate formation speed estimates.
Winner: Incorporate.com
It is evident that both companies offer stellar formation speed. Still, when it comes to providing clients with turnaround time estimates, Incorporate.com’s transparency gives them the edge in this category.
In addition to that, Incorporate.com also delivers faster formation speeds than its competitors in select states.
Conclusion
Both formation companies provide excellent services; they have their own strengths and weaknesses, just like any other business entity.
However, given that the price difference among the two providers is significantly high and they both provide the same level of service, it is easy to conclude that Northwest offers a better value for the money.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that both Northwest and Incorporate.com offer formation services at relatively higher price points. Thus, when choosing between the two providers, make sure to pick one that meets your requirements the best.
Common Questions
Why should I incorporate my business?
In case you didn’t know yet, incorporating or forming your business provides you with several advantages such as:
- Reduced personal liabilities.
- More secured personal assets.
- Improved credibility for small to medium businesses.
- Better personal privacy.
- Business formation helps build business credit.
What are the demerits of forming a business?
Once your business gets formed, you will have a higher level of administrative work. This can be a significant change and require a substantial financial investment on your end as the business owner.
What are the legal requirements when forming a business?
All LLCs are obliged to acquire an Operating Agreement while corporations must provide ByLaws along with Corporate Minutes. These are compulsory, and failure to obtain these legal documents may result in business owners running into legal trouble.
Should I hire a CPA?
Hiring a CPA or an Enrolled Agent is not really necessary when you plan to form your business. However, seeking expert tax advice from these professionals would be a big help when you choose to pursue the formation process.
Is it necessary to hire a professional formation service?
Hiring a formation service is not a requirement when forming your business. In fact, many business owners were able to create their business on their own. However, the entire process can be quite confusing, especially if you don’t have the know-how. It can also take a lot of time.
If you would rather spend your time with other vital business tasks instead of dedicating it to your business’s formation, then hiring a professional formation service provider to do the job can be a valuable investment.
What is the purpose of a Registered Agent?
A Registered Agent is a certified professional who handles the task of receiving official announcements. Most formation services provide the service of a Registered Agent for a fee.