When starting your new Maryland business, it’s essential to choose the best LLC service.
The right LLC service will have your business up and running within a few days by filing your formation documents and getting everything established with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
Conversely, the wrong LLC service could delay your entry into the business world by weeks or months, disrupting normal business operations by failing to file the necessary formation documents with the Maryland SDAT.
To help you choose the best LLC service, I reviewed and rated the top 10 LLC formation services using a four-stage investigation process, evaluating them on five different factors. Here are the results of my research into the best LLC service in Maryland.
1. Northwest Registered Agent: 9.45/10 (Best Overall Service)
Northwest Registered Agent checks all the boxes for an outstanding LLC service at a great price, and it’s the only service on my list that includes small business advice in its packages.
Pros
Northwest Registered Agent excels in various aspects.
They handle every step of forming your Maryland limited liability company (LLC) and launching your business.
Northwest takes care of filing your articles of organization with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation and provides a year of free Maryland registered agent services.
As a registered agent, Northwest accepts service of process, mail, and legal documents for your business during normal business hours. They also provide a name and office address for your documents, compliance notifications to remind you of annual report deadlines, and an online dashboard to manage your documents.
Additionally, Northwest offers a free accounting consultation to ensure your payment processing is set up correctly, a free LLC operating agreement template, and a 90-day free trial of VoIP service. Optional extras include a federal tax identification number (EIN), a Certificate of Good Standing, and state-certified copies of your LLC’s documents.
What sets Northwest apart is its Corporate Guides.
Instead of a typical customer support team, Northwest has a US-based team of former small business owners, entrepreneurs, accountants, and lawyers who can answer any questions about the LLC formation process and managing your Maryland business.
These specialists have either started and grown their own LLCs or have worked independently as LLC advisers, guiding hundreds through the process.
This small business guidance is a significant advantage, considering other advising firms may charge up to $5,000/day for similar services.
Another reason Northwest tops my list is its pricing.
At the typical price of $225, Northwest is a great deal. However, I’ve secured an 82% discount for A Platform for Good readers. If you sign up through my special link, the total price for LLC formation drops to $39 (plus state filing fee).
Even at $225, Northwest is a fantastic deal, but the discount to $39 makes it an unbeatable choice.
Cons
Other LLC service providers offer website setup tools in their premium packages, such as a free year of domain name registration, Google advertising credits, website hosting, and sometimes a free website builder. Northwest does not offer these.
However, with Google offering a $500 advertising credit to new businesses, premium website builders like Squarespace costing as little as $15/month, and domain names costing less than $12 to register, you can easily afford these add-ons with the money you save by using Northwest.
Overall
Northwest Registered Agent is my top recommendation for the best LLC service. They offer all the essentials for forming an LLC and have a US-based customer service team comprised of individuals who have formed their own LLCs and can guide you through any challenges your Maryland business may face.
If you’re looking for the best LLC service that goes above and beyond to ensure your company’s success and want to take advantage of an 82% discount, visit Northwest Registered Agent today.
2. ZenBusiness: 8.25/10 (Best Essentials LLC Service)
ZenBusiness provides everything you need to legally establish your LLC at the incredible price of $0.
Pros
For $0 (plus filing fee), ZenBusiness handles everything necessary to set up your LLC. They double-check all the information on your formation documents, file your documents with the Secretary of State, and ensure your business name is available.
They also offer a Pro plan ($199) that includes assistance with your operating agreement and expedited filing in approximately four to six days. Additionally, they provide services to help establish your company’s online presence, such as a business domain name, email address, and a custom website-building tool, along with rush filing in as little as one to two days.
Another benefit of ZenBusiness is their customer service team, which is available during extended weekday hours and on Sundays.
Cons
While filing your documents for $0 is great, any services beyond the basics will incur additional fees.
Some providers on my list offer free registered agent service for a year, but ZenBusiness does not. Their only package that includes registered agent service costs $199, meaning you’ll lose money your first year with ZenBusiness.
Another drawback is that although ZenBusiness customer service is available during extended hours and can help with simple issues like password changes or updating your information, they cannot offer small business advice.
Overall
If you only need the basics at a low cost, ZenBusiness is a solid choice. They ensure your forms are correctly filled out and submitted, and their customer service team is available during extended hours to answer questions throughout the formation process.
Although their services will cost more in the long run if you need registered agent services, their 100% accuracy guarantee and worry-free compliance make up for it.
If you’d like to learn more about ZenBusiness’ plans or services, visit their website for more information.
3. Harbor Compliance: 7.15/10 (Best Premium LLC Service)
Harbor Compliance provides a personal account manager to address all your inquiries and concerns, but this service comes at an extra cost.
Pros
Harbor Compliance handles all the essentials for LLC formation.
They ensure your business name is available, prepare and file your articles of organization with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, provide an operating agreement template, help secure an employer identification number (EIN) so you can hire employees, and offer a year of free Maryland registered agent services. This means you’ll have a registered agent to accept legal documents and mail on behalf of your LLC during normal business hours, as well as a business address to use on your formation documents.
The standout benefit of Harbor Compliance is the personalized attention you receive from your own account manager.
There’s no need to contact an anonymous hotline. Harbor Compliance assigns you a personal representative who understands your specific situation and provides tailored advice.
Cons
The downside is that this personalized service isn’t free.
Harbor Compliance’s formation package is $399, and their Compliance package is $799. This is roughly double the standard fee of Northwest Registered Agent and 10 times more than the special price I secured for A Platform for Good customers.
Overall
While it may not be the best LLC service overall, Harbor Compliance differentiates itself by offering a dedicated account manager, a feature not provided by any other company in this industry.
Even though their $399 pricing is 10 times more than my special offer with Northwest Registered Agent, they are still among the best LLC service providers.
If you’re willing to pay extra for a personal account manager, visit their website here.
4. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is well-known for its online legal services, but you might not realize that it also offers a wide range of Maryland LLC services.
A distinct advantage of Rocket Lawyer’s LLC services is the inclusion of legal services, which none of the top three Maryland LLC service providers offer.
For $99 with its basic package, Rocket Lawyer includes a seven-day free trial of its legal services subscription. This membership gives you access to a vast library of customizable legal documents, a 30-minute legal consultation with a lawyer on any topic, lawyer-reviewed legal documents, and attorney protection if your documents are disputed in court.
Having attorneys on its customer support team is a significant benefit, as they can answer any questions about the business formation process or the legal aspects of your Maryland business.
However, Rocket Lawyer doesn’t provide some of the additional services offered by Northwest Registered Agent. You won’t get Maryland registered agent services unless you pay an extra $149 per year. They also don’t offer compliance alerts for filing your annual report or VoIP services.
You don’t have to pay for its expensive LLC services to use its convenient online legal services. Simply sign up for a free account on their website and subscribe to their legal services.
Check out my Rocket Lawyer review to learn more about the company’s offerings and discounts.
5. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings entered the LLC formation service industry in 2012, making them a relatively new player.
Their basic package offers a solid deal for $49 (plus filing fee). They assist with compiling and filing your articles of organization with the appropriate government agencies, provide an online account to access your documents, offer a 30-minute business tax consultation, and even include one year of free domain name registration.
However, unlike Northwest Registered Agent, Swyft Filings does not offer a complimentary year of registered agent services. They charge $149 per year for registered agent services, which can end up costing you significantly more in the long run.
For a more detailed analysis of their services, read my Swyft Filings review.
6. MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks has shown some inconsistency in the quality of its services.
For $79, they will draft and submit your articles of organization, assist you with your operating agreement, provide online access to your vital documents, and notify you of any upcoming compliance filing deadlines (such as annual reports).
However, there is a downside.
The only package that includes a free year of registered agent services is their premium plan, which costs a hefty $279. MyCompanyWorks is a less attractive option compared to Northwest Registered Agent, which costs $39 and includes a year of free registered agent service and a registered office address.
7. Inc Authority
Inc Authority may appear to be a budget-friendly LLC service, but upon closer inspection, it’s anything but.
They will assist you in preparing and filing your articles of organization with the appropriate agencies for free, but you’ll incur high fees for everything else.
Their basic package, which includes an operating agreement, a federal employer identification number (EIN), and a business seal, costs $399 (plus state fees). A year of free registered agent service, which includes a business address for your formation documents and free mail forwarding, is only available with their expensive $799 premium package.
Even if you’re low on funds and only need to submit your documents, ZenBusiness is a superior solution for your LLC in Maryland.
8. Incorporate Fast
Incorporate Fast is an LLC formation service offering a basic package for $99 (plus state fees).
This package includes filing your articles of organization, free registered agent service (including a street address), help with your operating agreement, and samples of documents you may need to form your company.
It does not provide additional services, such as a business tax assessment or online document storage, but their $199 package will assist you in obtaining an EIN.
Their standout feature is that they process every new business filing the same day it’s received, a benefit not provided by other LLC services. Check them out if you’re in a hurry to form your business entity and don’t mind paying more for fewer services.
However, if you want affordable pricing with a wide range of extra services, Northwest Registered Agent is the better choice.
9. BizFilings
BizFilings offers LLC formation services for $99 (plus state filing fee).
This package includes filing the articles of organization for your Maryland LLC, a free year of Maryland registered agent services (which provides a street address in the state for your formation documents), and compliance alerts to remind you of annual reports. However, it doesn’t offer additional services like business tax assessment, online document storage, or help with your operating agreement, meaning you’re paying more for fewer services.
10. LegalZoom
LegalZoom continues the trend of offering basic packages for $99 (plus state fees) that provide minimal services. LegalZoom will assist you in filing your articles of organization and provide a banking resolution, but that’s about it.
If you already use LegalZoom’s legal or registered agent services and prefer to have all your business matters handled by one provider, you might consider them for LLC services as well. However, there’s little benefit in using them solely for LLC formation.
To learn more about LegalZoom’s services and offerings, check out my comprehensive LegalZoom Review.
Other LLC Services
While researching Maryland LLC formation services, I came across seven additional options. However, I didn’t find it necessary to conduct extensive reviews of these less favorable options. Here they are in no particular order.
11. Incorporate.com
Incorporate.com, similar to Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom, offers a $99 basic package that provides minimal services. It assists you in filing your articles of organization and offers online document storage, but that’s the extent of its service. You won’t get registered agent services or compliance alerts for filing your annual reports.
12. CorpNet
CorpNet charges $108 (plus state service fee) for LLC formation services, which includes filing your articles of organization and sending compliance notifications to remind you to file the annual report for your Maryland LLC. However, it doesn’t provide Maryland registered agent service or any of the other additional services that Northwest offers.
13. MyCorporation
MyCorporation will file the articles of organization for your Maryland LLC and help you develop your operating agreement in its $133 basic package. However, each additional service comes with an extra charge, meaning you’ll pay more for things like Maryland registered agent service and compliance alerts than it’s worth.
14. Direct Incorporation
Direct Incorporation builds on MyCorporation’s offerings (filing the articles of organization for your Maryland LLC and drafting your operating agreement) by adding a banking resolution and assistance with obtaining your EIN. However, their service costs $147 (plus state fees). This is quite high considering you don’t even get Maryland registered agent service included.
15. InCorp
InCorp charges $117 (plus state fee) to file your formation documents and help you draft an operating agreement for your Maryland LLC. Any additional services, such as Maryland registered agent service, come with extra fees.
You can check out my complete InCorp review here.
16. Nationwide Incorporations
Nationwide Incorporations offers the same minimal services as InCorp (filing formation documents and assistance with your operating agreement) but at a much higher cost of $200 (plus state fee).
17. SunDoc Filings
SunDoc Filings’ basic package, priced at $79 (plus state fee), includes submitting the formation documents for your Maryland LLC. Their $99 Key package assists with your operating agreement, and their $279 Premier package helps with your EIN application. These offerings seem insignificant compared to the best LLC services available.
Best LLC Service Review Summary
After conducting extensive research into 17 different Maryland LLC services, I narrowed it down to the top 10, and Northwest Registered Agent emerged as the clear winner.
A Platform for Good readers can get their basic plan for $39, which includes all the necessary business formation services, along with guidance from their Corporate Guides. If you were to hire a consulting firm instead, you might pay $5,000 per day for the same advice, making this an exceptional deal.
If you’re ready to start your Maryland LLC and want comprehensive formation services along with expert guidance, check out Northwest Registered Agent now.
Best LLC Service Review Methodology
Here’s the method I used to determine the best LLC service.
Why You Should Trust Me
You can trust my recommendations for reputable Maryland LLC services because I have extensive knowledge of the industry, surpassing even those who work for the business formation companies on my list.
My journey into the LLC service industry began when I used three different LLC services to launch my three businesses. I had to use multiple providers because two of them couldn’t meet all my LLC service needs. (They have since improved their Maryland LLC services, so I won’t name them here as you shouldn’t base your decisions on outdated information.)
For the launch of this website, I used a third provider, and the services were far superior to what I paid for them. That’s why I chose Northwest Registered Agent as the top Maryland LLC service.
Using these three services is just a small part of my experience. By assisting business owners in choosing the Maryland LLC services that best suited their requirements, I’ve gained substantial expertise. I’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort to researching the top Maryland LLC service providers. Since the launch of A Platform for Good, I’ve helped over 1,000 customers find their ideal LLC service.
How I Selected the Best LLC Service
Here’s the four-stage method I followed to identify the best service for forming an LLC in Maryland.
Stage 1: Reviews
The first stage involved examining online reviews of the key providers in this industry. Among the prominent LLC formation businesses, there is a strong history of encouraging clients to leave positive reviews online, resulting in some companies having over 4,500 reviews!
This review analysis process helped me understand the quality of various business formation services and eliminate any that did not meet basic performance criteria.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
After weeding out the underperforming services and gaining a broad understanding of each provider, I visited each website. I logged on, read the headlines and titles, and explored each company through its claims and comments online.
This allowed me to learn about the key LLC formation services offered by all the providers and understand how they positioned themselves in the market.
Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers
Once I understood how each company positioned itself, I needed to verify if they could back up their claims. Reading online reviews can sometimes help, but since people usually post reviews when they’ve had exceptionally good or bad experiences, the results often lean towards the extremes.
To get a balanced perspective, I spoke directly with real customers. This feedback ensured I gained a well-rounded understanding of previous customers’ experiences with each LLC formation company.
I reached out to acquaintances who had used business formation services, contacted people I’d recommended, and chatted with website visitors to learn about the pros and cons of their experiences.
This provided me with a comprehensive insight into what it was like to use each service provider and helped me identify the best LLC services.
Stage 4: Speaking With Their Sales Teams
The final phase of my investigation involved calling the sales and customer support departments and pressing them for answers.
I compiled feedback from my online review analysis and discussions with customers and challenged the customer service staff on the complaints customers had voiced.
This phase allowed me to assess how effectively each company handled criticism and less-than-positive reviews.
If you’re looking for the Best Registered Agent Services in Maryland, Check out our list here.
Rating Factors
After completing my four-stage analysis, I rated each Maryland LLC service using five distinct criteria.
Factor 1: Offerings
The first factor I evaluated was the provided services of each company.
Some LLC formation providers will only assist with the articles of organization and then boot you out until you pay additional fees for other services. Other formation services will provide you with an accountant consultation, Maryland registered agent service, online document access, and assistance with your operating agreement.
The difference in LLC formation services offered by each company prompted me to begin my evaluation here.
Factor 2: Price
The pricing was the second criteria I considered while selecting the best LLC service. Some services begin at $0 (excluding state fees), while others will not even talk to you for less than $399.
The cost of the services, or rather the cost per service, was the second factor I considered while ranking the services, in conjunction with the significant disparity in services offered.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up
The third factor I considered was the simplicity of the sign-up process.
Some LLC formation services use outdated legacy systems that look like they were constructed in the late 1990s by high school programming students. Others offer sophisticated, simple, and user-friendly systems that make starting a business effortless.
I evaluated each company’s sign-up process to determine which required the least amount of effort and mental capacity to complete.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
Design and functionality issues are often not resolved with just the sign-up process. In many cases, these issues extend throughout the onboarding phase.
Some LLC services provide pre-filled forms with all the necessary information, requiring only a signature from you. Other providers give blank forms, despite having all the essential information, and require you to enter the information multiple times on the same paperwork.
No one likes to spend more time than necessary on anything, especially when it comes to forming a new company. Therefore, evaluating the ease of use of each service was crucial to my rating system.
Factor 5: Customer Service
The final factor I considered was customer service, where I observed a significant disparity in value offered.
Some LLC services outsource their support teams to foreign countries and staff them with inadequately trained locals who lack knowledge of US business practices.
Conversely, services like Northwest Registered Agent have a US-based support team composed of former small business owners, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and accountants. These professionals have personal experience in overcoming business challenges and can advise you on the best solutions.
This considerable difference in customer service quality was my fifth and final rating criterion.
In Conclusion
Northwest Registered Agent provides comprehensive services such as filing your articles of organization with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation to ensure your Maryland LLC is properly formed, along with an intuitive online system to store your documents and a year of free Maryland registered agent services.
Additionally, they offer a free consultation with their in-house accountants to ensure your payment processing is correctly set up, a sample operating agreement, and a 90-day free trial of VoIP service.
Northwest’s Corporate Guides consist of US-based specialists who can answer any questions about the formation process and assist with any issues your Maryland LLC may encounter. These experts are former business owners, entrepreneurs, lawyers, or accountants with years of experience, enabling them to provide excellent business advice.
While Northwest does not offer premium services for establishing an online presence for your new business entity, as our reader, you will receive an 82% discount, reducing the basic package to just $39. This leaves you with ample funds for domain names and website creation.
Sign up for Northwest Registered Agent now if you’re ready to form an LLC in Maryland.
Check out my guide on the best states to form an LLC while you’re here.
If you want to learn more about what registered agent services can do for you, please read my guide on the best registered agent services.