To start a limited liability company (LLC) in the Lone Star State, it is crucial to find the best LLC formation service available.
The right LLC service will file your articles of organization with the Texas Secretary of State and provide a range of other essential services, ensuring your LLC complies with business regulations.
Choosing the wrong LLC service can delay the filing of your paperwork, leading to lost business time and revenue.
To help you find the best LLC service in Texas for setting up your new company, I’ve reviewed 17 of the leading LLC formation services and ranked the top 10. Here are my findings.
1. Northwest Registered Agent: 9.45/10 (Best Overall LLC Service)
Northwest is the top LLC formation service in Texas, offering an affordable package and industry-leading customer support.
Pros
Northwest’s formation package includes all the essential services to start a limited liability company in Texas.
They assist with filing your articles of organization with the Texas Secretary of State, creating an operating agreement, providing a business name and address in Texas, offering a business tax consultation with in-house accountants, and a three-month free trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.
With a free year of registered agent service, your personal information is protected, and you receive service of process and all your mail uploaded to a convenient online storage portal.
Northwest also offers additional services, such as obtaining an employer identification number (EIN), a Certificate of Good Standing, and state-certified copies of your formation documents, which are optional extras available for purchase when needed.
The standout feature of Northwest is its customer support service. Their support personnel, known as Corporate Guides, are a team of former small business owners, accountants, and lawyers with extensive experience running an LLC.
The Corporate Guides provide assistance during your business formation process and offer top-notch business advice to help you manage your Texas LLC.
Northwest’s formation package normally costs $225, but I’ve secured an 82% discount for our readers. Using my dedicated link, you can get the package for just $39.
Cons
The only drawback with Northwest is that it doesn’t provide website-building tools to help your Texas LLC establish an online presence. You won’t get a business website, email hosting, or domain name registration.
However, this is a minor issue as you can create your own business website using services like Squarespace for as low as $15.
Overall
Northwest is my top recommendation for the best LLC formation service in Texas. Its $39 formation package includes all the essential services needed to start your Texas LLC, including a free year of registered agent service (also known as resident agent service).
Northwest’s experienced Corporate Guides assist you during your Texas LLC formation process and provide valuable business advice to help you overcome challenges during your business journey.
If you need an affordable and reliable LLC service provider in Texas with excellent customer support, visit Northwest Registered Agent today and get an 82% discount on its formation package.
2. ZenBusiness: 8.25/10 (Best Essentials LLC Service)
ZenBusiness offers an enticing $0 price, but like many things that seem too good to be true, there are some caveats.
Pros
ZenBusiness provides all the services you need to legally establish your LLC for just the cost of state fees. They ensure your chosen business name is available, verify the accuracy of your information, and file your formation documents.
For those needing more than the basics, ZenBusiness offers additional packages. The $199 Pro plan includes help with your operating agreement and expedited filing (taking around four to six days). The $299 Premium plan includes rush filing (one to two days), along with a domain name, an email address, and a website-building tool.
A standout feature is their US-based customer service team, available with extended hours on weekdays and Sundays.
Cons
While ZenBusiness covers the basics for $0, anything beyond that will cost extra.
Unlike some providers, ZenBusiness does not include a free year of registered agent services. They charge $199 per year for registered agent services, starting from the first year.
Additionally, ZenBusiness does not offer small business advice. If you have questions about taxes or need backend operations advice, they won’t be able to help. However, they are proficient at handling standard customer service issues like password changes or account updates.
Overall
For essential LLC services, ZenBusiness is an excellent choice with an unbeatable price of $0 (plus filing fee). They ensure your business name is available, verify the accuracy of your formation documents, and file everything with the appropriate government agencies.
Registered agent service will cost extra with ZenBusiness, but they provide peace of mind with a 100% accuracy guarantee and worry-free compliance.
If you’re looking for essential LLC services and want to learn more about ZenBusiness, you can visit their website.
3. Harbor Compliance: 7.15/10 (Best Premium LLC Service)
Harbor Compliance is my top choice for premium LLC formation services because of their personalized support.
Pros
Harbor Compliance’s formation package helps your Texas LLC with filing the initial paperwork with the Texas Secretary of State, provides an operating agreement template, assists in obtaining an EIN, and includes a year of registered agent service.
However, the real value of Harbor Compliance lies in their customer support. Unlike other LLC services where you call an anonymous hotline or engage with a chatbot, Harbor Compliance assigns you a personal account manager who you can contact anytime you face challenges during your business journey.
Cons
With a formation package priced at $399 and an all-inclusive Compliance package at $799, Harbor Compliance is quite expensive and may not be suitable for those with limited business capital.
Overall
Harbor Compliance is a reliable LLC formation service in Texas offering premium services that support your business formation process.
Their customer support is top-notch because, instead of dealing with an anonymous helpline, participating in an online forum, or engaging with a chatbot, you get a personal support representative dedicated to answering your business-related questions and providing guidance whenever you face LLC challenges.
If you need a premium LLC service provider that offers personalized customer support and are willing to spend $399 for the service, visit Harbor Compliance to explore their offerings.
4. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is a unique addition to this list because LLC formation isn’t its primary focus. Instead, it’s a complementary service offered alongside its main offering—online legal services.
For $99 (plus state fees), Rocket Lawyer assists with filing your initial formation paperwork and provides an online document storage portal. This means its business formation service is neither the most affordable nor the best supported.
If you need online legal services, Rocket Lawyer is a solid choice. However, its LLC formation service isn’t exceptional.
5. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings offers significant value with its $49 basic package.
Swyft Filings helps complete and file your articles of organization, provides a free 30-minute tax consultation with one of its in-house accountants, gives you online access to track your filing progress, and includes business domain name registration.
However, it doesn’t rank higher on this list because, unlike Northwest, it doesn’t include a free year of registered agent service.
If you need a full year of registered agent service, Swyft Filings charges $149, making it three times more expensive than Northwest.
6. MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks is similar to Swyft Filings.
It offers most of what you need to start an LLC in its basic package, priced at $79. However, if you want to include registered agent service, you’ll need to upgrade to their premium package, which costs $279.
Considering that Northwest includes registered agent service in their $39 plan, MyCompanyWorks isn’t the best value.
7. Inc Authority
Inc Authority likely has the most misleading pricing strategy on this list.
They attract customers with the promise of a free business setup, but as with ZenBusiness, “free” often ends up being more expensive.
Inc Authority will file your initial formation documents for $0 (plus state fee), but any additional services (like an operating agreement, EIN, or company seal) require their next cheapest package at $399. For a year of registered agent service, you’ll need to opt for their $799 premium package!
If you just need your articles of organization filed for free, ZenBusiness is a better choice. For anything beyond that, Northwest remains the superior option.
8. Incorporate Fast
Incorporate Fast differentiates itself by living up to its name. It promises to file your formation paperwork on the same day it’s received when you sign up for its $99 (plus state fee) package, making it the only provider to make this commitment.
Their basic package also includes assistance with your operating agreement, some sample legal documents, and a free year of registered agent service, making it a solid choice.
9. BizFilings
BizFilings will file your formation documents and provide a free year of registered agent service. However, it does not offer a business tax assessment, an operating agreement template, or online document storage.
10. LegalZoom
LegalZoom, like Rocket Lawyer, is primarily an online legal service company that also offers LLC formation services. For $99, it will file your articles of organization with the Texas Secretary of State and provide a banking resolution. However, it doesn’t offer free registered agent services or additional support after that.
If you’re already using LegalZoom for its online legal services, you might consider using it to form an LLC. If not, there are better options available.
Other LLC Services
In addition to the 10 best LLC services listed above, I also investigated seven others. They were all quite unremarkable and honestly didn’t deserve a full writeup. They’re listed below for the sake of thoroughness.
11. Incorporate.com
Incorporate.com offers the same limited LLC formation packages as Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom, but without the excuse of being a side service. This is its primary role, and yet it doesn’t offer much more.
12. CorpNet
CorpNet charges $79 for its business formation service, but it only files your initial formation documents and provides compliance alerts for things like your annual reports and franchise tax payments. It offers free registered agent service, but only for the first 60 days.
If you want anything more, Northwest is a much better option.
13. MyCorporation
MyCorporation charges $133 (plus state fees) to prepare your operating agreement and process your articles of organization. For more comprehensive features like those offered by Northwest, you’ll need to pay additional fees.
14. Direct Incorporation
Direct Incorporation follows the trend of charging a lot for very little, offering its Texas LLC service for $147 (plus state fees). It includes an EIN and a banking resolution, but it still falls short of being a market leader.
15. InCorp
InCorp helps with filing your formation paperwork and assists you with your Texas LLC operating agreement, all for $117.
16. Nationwide Incorporations
Nationwide Incorporations charges $200 for the same limited services you can get from InCorp.
17. SunDoc Filings
SunDoc Filings offers to submit your formation paperwork for $79 and provides a few additional services if you opt for their $99 and $279 LLC formation packages. Regardless of which package you choose, you’ll still be getting far less value compared to Northwest, so it’s not the best option.
The Best LLC Service Review Summary
After evaluating the best LLC formation services, it’s clear that Northwest Registered Agent is the superior choice for starting your Texas LLC.
Northwest’s LLC formation packages include assistance with completing your articles of organization and filing them on your behalf, a business name and address in Texas, an online document storage portal, compliance alerts, a free three-month trial of VoIP service, a free consultation with in-house accountants, and a free year of registered agent service.
Considering their highly discounted $39 price, which is less than half the industry average and less than a quarter of some competitors, Northwest was the best and easiest choice.
The Corporate Guides offer excellent business advice to assist you whenever you encounter challenges during your business journey.
If you’re looking for a hassle-free business formation service that will get your new Texas business started and provide the best overall value for money, along with great customer care, head to Northwest now.
Best LLC Service Review Methodology
Here’s how I determined which limited liability company (LLC) service is the best formation service in Texas and which ones are just exploiting their brand recognition.
Why You Should Trust Me
You can trust my LLC formation service recommendations because I’ve invested more time and effort into researching this than most would consider reasonable.
My journey began with forming my first company. I lacked the time to master the complexities of completing formation paperwork and the patience to deal with rejections from corporate gatekeepers due to mistakes. So, I decided to hire a service. Unfortunately, I chose poorly, ending up with overpriced and subpar services.
My second attempt at setting up an LLC was much smoother, thanks to Northwest Registered Agent’s efficient process.
The third time, I opted for Harbor Compliance to benefit from their personal account manager, making the process straightforward once again.
However, my experience extends beyond just using these services. After selling my second business, I sought new opportunities. Conversations with fellow entrepreneurs revealed a common issue: an abundance of small business advice that was often incomplete, contradictory, or too technical to be practical.
This realization led me to start A Platform for Good. Since then, I’ve helped over 1,000 business owners select the right formation service to start their new ventures.
How I Selected the Best LLC Service
Selecting the best LLC formation service involved a thorough four-stage process.
Stage 1: Reviews
The first step was an in-depth examination of online customer reviews for the top 50 LLC services in Texas.
I spent many long nights poring over feedback on Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Google Business, and Facebook (among other review sites) to identify which LLC services were trustworthy and which were scams.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
Once I determined which companies were reliable, the next step was to review their websites to understand exactly what they were offering.
I scrutinized pricing pages and detailed breakdowns of the products and business services available to find out who was offering what and at what price.
Stage 3: Speaking With Real Customers
Online customer reviews can only provide so much insight. To truly understand what it’s like to use a service, you need feedback directly from users.
To ensure I got an unbiased and accurate understanding of these Texas LLC services, I reached out to customers I’d recommended over the years seeking their input. I inquired about the simplicity and ease of their systems, the politeness and helpfulness of their support teams, and the actual speed of their application processing.
This direct feedback revealed which promises were scams and which were genuine.
Stage 4: Speaking With Their Sales Teams
The final step was to interact with their sales teams to see how aggressively they would try to upsell me.
I played the role of a naive first-timer, asking all the basic questions and then waiting to see how many times I was asked, “Do you want to add this service?”
If you’re looking for the Best Registered Agent Services in Texas, Check out our list here.
Rating Factors
Throughout my analysis, I continually evaluated these LLC formation services based on five key factors.
Factor 1: Offerings
As you may have gathered from the information above, starting an LLC involves multiple steps. You need to file your articles of organization, obtain an EIN, set up bank accounts, choose a premium registered agent service to have an address in the state, and handle many other tasks.
To ensure you get as many of these tasks completed when you invest your hard-earned money, the first factor I assessed was the range of products and services each LLC formation service offered.
This allowed me to rank lower those companies that relied more on their brand name than on providing quality services, and to elevate those that genuinely aimed to solve your problems.
Factor 2: Price
There’s no point in finding a Texas LLC service that offers everything you need if it consumes half your yearly budget.
To ensure you have enough funds left for your office setup, the next factor I considered was price. This helped to highlight the best value LLC formation services and push them toward the top of the list.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-Up
Product and service offerings are essential, and value is crucial, but if you can’t easily enter your details on the sign-up forms, neither offerings nor value matter.
I registered with each of these business formation services to walk through the sign-up process, ensuring they had smoothed out any kinks or issues in the onboarding process.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
Signing up with a business formation service that offers a wide range of products at a reasonable price is a great start, but if navigating the system is a headache or it requires outdated software to complete forms, it will only lead to frustration.
To ensure all these systems were user-friendly and easy to navigate, I set up an account with each of these Texas LLC formation services and tried to register my fictional LLC. I completed my forms, submitted them to the Texas Secretary of State, and then waited patiently for my business formation documents to arrive in my inbox.
Factor 5: Customer Service
The recent trend of offshoring customer support to unrelated call centers with representatives who know less about the services they support than the regulations governing those services has left me dissatisfied with many customer support experiences.
To evaluate the quality of customer service, I tested each business formation service’s support team thoroughly. I sent polite email requests, called with obvious questions, and used their online chat portals to lodge various complaints. I assessed how they handled my inquiries, the appropriateness of their responses, and the speed of their replies.
In Conclusion
For $39, Northwest Registered Agent offers everything you need to establish your new Texas LLC, along with several additional benefits. These include a free session with its in-house accounting team to set up your financial systems, an online document storage portal, a three-month free trial of VoIP service, compliance alerts, an operating agreement template, and a free year of registered agent service.
Northwest’s Corporate Guides provide the best customer support in the industry. They assist with your business formation process and offer valuable small business advice to help you manage your Texas LLC.
If you’re ready to form an LLC in Texas and want a service that ensures minimal expense and hassle, visit Northwest Registered Agent now and enjoy an 82% discount on your LLC formation.