Updated November 4, 2026 · 11 services tested
We tested 11 LLC services for Colorado. Northwest is our pick: $39 + $50 state fee, with the first registered agent year included (then $125/yr).
By Jon Morgan · Fact-checked by Jon Tobin, Business Attorney · How we test
Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + $50 state feeForm my LLC for $39 (opens in a new tab)
LegalZoom
$0 + $50 state feeSee LegalZoom plans (opens in a new tab)Save 20% with code: venturesmarter20
ZenBusiness
$0 + $50 state feeSee ZenBusiness plans (opens in a new tab)Prices checked November 4, 2026. Colorado's state filing fee is $50.
| Service | LLC Fees | Registered Agent Price | Money-Back Guarantee | Score | Compare offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39 + $50 state fee | Free first year with the $39 LLC, then $125/yr | 90 days | 4.9 | Form my LLC (opens in a new tab) |
| $0 / $249 / $299 + $50 state fee | $249 first year, then $249/yr (not in any plan) | Request within 60 days, before submission | 4.7 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
| $0 / $199/year / $299/year + $50 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | 60 days; state and third-party fees excluded | 4.6 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | $0 + $50 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $249/yr | None | 4.5 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $50 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | None | 4.4 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $49 + $50 state fee | $14.99/mo first year, then $14.99/mo (inside its compliance plan) | 30-60 day | 4.3 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | $99 + $50 state fee | $99 first year, then $159/yr (sold separately) | None stated | 4.1 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $50 state fee | $596 first year, then $596/yr (billed $149 a quarter; not in any plan) | Satisfaction guarantee | 4.0 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $50 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $149/yr | Refundable before filing | 3.9 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | Standard $149/year ($34.99/month); Plus $249/year ($49.99/month); Pro $349/year ($64.99/month). First registration $0 service fee + state/third-party fees; later registrations $99 + $50 state fee. | $124.99 first year, then $124.99/yr (Plus or Pro membership required) | None stated | 3.7 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $79 + $50 state fee | $119 first year, then $119/yr (year one included with Entrepreneur or Complete) | Satisfaction guarantee | 3.6 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
Prices checked November 4, 2026. Colorado's state filing fee is $50.
Each score combines support, price, features, turnaround, ease of use and user ratings.
Refund: 90 days
BBB: No, A rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No rush tier listed in selected offer
Northwest Registered Agent is our Best Overall choice for Colorado founders who value direct filing guidance and a registered-agent year with formation.
After checkout, we received an invoice and confirmation email, then reviewed the company details while the dashboard moved the order through verification.
Human support is Northwest's strongest advantage. A Corporate Guide verifies formation details by phone, and filed documents land in the account once the state approves them.
A missed agent notice or deadline can cost far more than the filing itself, so that follow-through matters.
Address privacy has real limits worth knowing before you buy. Northwest can keep a personal address off the public filing where state rules allow it, but banks and government forms may still ask for a genuine principal-office address.
Pros
Cons
Colorado filing fees are separate. At checkout, confirm the selected offer, any add-ons you want to keep, and the full total.
Refund: Request within 60 days, before submission
BBB: Yes, A+ rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No rush offer stated in selected package
LegalZoom pairs LLC filing with a broader legal-services account, so the subscription matters as much as the Articles themselves.
In our test account, we found legal forms, attorney-consult access, eSign, document tools, LZ Books and license-report prompts.
LegalZoom also asked for more business details after payment, so our order did not fully complete in one pass.
The attorney-consult and bookkeeping perks can renew automatically once their trial periods end. Read those terms before you sign up.
Once the Colorado filing is done, the attorney consultations and document library stay in the same account. That makes it easy to come back when contracts or legal questions come up.
Get 20% off eligible LegalZoom LLC formation and other services with Venture Smarter code venturesmarter20.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60 days; state and third-party fees excluded
BBB: Yes, BBB accredited
ZenBusiness had the clearest path from checkout to the first post-filing task in our test. The checkout screen showed phone and chat support at each step and kept the running order summary visible.
The current offer lists a 30-day website-builder trial as preselected but removable before purchase; it renews at $15/month if kept.
The dashboard made the real difference after payment. Velo AI, ZenBusiness's in-account assistant, checked formation status, EIN, compliance and website-tool items on first login, then turned the loose ends into a short task list.
That guidance helps a first-time filer keep the annual filing visible after the Articles go in. The main drawback is that registered-agent service is not part of any plan and costs extra.
Pros
Cons
Remove the preselected website-builder trial if you do not want its $15/month renewal. Colorado's filing fee is separate, so confirm your package and total at checkout.
BBB: Not accredited
Same & Next Day Filing: Choose free 24h express or $49 add-on
Advisory Services: Tax consultation
Inc Authority lowers the first-year bill more than any other provider we tested, but registered-agent renewal is the cost to watch.
We formed our test Colorado LLC through Inc Authority, and the first payment stayed at the state filing fee alone while first-year agent service showed as included at checkout.
A bigger issue showed up before final payment. Inc Authority required us to pick one free premium service, either EIN acquisition or 24-hour processing, and timed full-screen upsells followed right after that choice.
Most new owners should take the EIN if they need a bank account soon, then decline whatever else they do not understand.
The account gave us little ongoing dashboard support once the LLC was filed. Put the registered-agent renewal on your calendar well before year two arrives.
Pros
Cons
BBB: Not accredited
Tailor Brands puts LLC filing beside the website, logo and launch tools a public-facing business often needs next.
During testing, the dashboard kept formation progress, documents and marketing assets together in one place instead of scattered across separate accounts.
That combination helped a first-time filer who needed more than a bare Articles of Organization. Filing, the website and social assets all lived behind the same login, so nothing required a second signup.
Checkout still needs attention despite that convenience. Lite runs on slower standard processing, and choosing every optional extra can raise the total cost quickly if you accept every prompt.
Pros
Cons
Open any card for the complete review, scores and packages.
Refund: 30-60 day
BBB: A rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Advisory Services: Attorney support
LLC Attorney takes a paperwork-first approach instead of a software-first one. The strength here is legal review of the formation packet and a private filing option where Colorado's own rules still allow it.
A first-time filer gets extra attention on how the core formation documents fit together as one packet. Formation moved fast in our test, with same-day approval typical before the state's own review even begins.
Its dashboard is comparatively light. Owners who want ongoing reminders or brand tools built into the account may want to look elsewhere for those features.
Pros
Cons
Refund: None stated
BBB: Not highlighted
Advisory Services: Compliance software
Harbor Compliance's Client Portal is where the actual workflow shows up. After signup, the portal collects any outstanding formation details and a Project Status feature tracks progress until approval, then holds the finished documents for download.
Registered-agent customers also get same-day document scanning and access to Entity Manager, its compliance dashboard. That pairing earns its keep once the annual report becomes just one item on a bigger compliance calendar.
There is no dedicated onboarding call, but in-app tutorials and a support line cover most Portal questions. Price is the limiting factor here, not capability.
Harbor makes the most sense for organized deadline control, not for owners chasing the cheapest possible Articles filing.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Satisfaction guarantee
BBB: Not highlighted
Same & Next Day Filing: Premium 1 business day
Swyft Filings keeps the filing path simple and easy to follow from order to delivery. The service files the Articles, delivers documents on a clear timeline and offers upgrades for faster processing or added business paperwork.
Recurring agent and extra-service charges are what determine the long-term cost, not the entry price.
Registered-agent pricing and renewal terms can raise the total quickly, so it is worth comparing annualized costs against Northwest, Bizee and ZenBusiness before you commit.
It is a reasonable middle option overall. The dashboard gave us real-time status updates, and most filings on the platform finish ahead of the estimated timeline.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Refundable before filing
BBB: Not accredited
Bizee is the budget option for owners willing to manage a longer checkout and some manual setup afterward. In our test run, upsells appeared on separate screens, decline options stayed visible the whole time and paid upgrades were never pre-selected.
First-year registered agent service through a third party is the main appeal. The dashboard shows actions, filings, mailbox setup, contracts and compliance items in one view.
A 24-hour order-edit window gives you a chance to catch a wrong name, address or member detail before the order locks in. Use it to check those fields promptly after purchase.
The savings still require follow-through on your part. Free extras often need manual activation, and some documents are general templates rather than state-specific legal advice.
Pros
Cons
Refund: None stated
BBB: Not highlighted
Same & Next Day Filing: Member filing benefit
Free Package Features: Excluding state fees
Advisory Services: Legal documents and attorney support
Rocket Lawyer sells a legal membership first and an LLC filing second. Formation is only one part of the account. The stronger reason to subscribe is contracts, NDAs, leases, document review and attorney questions that keep coming up after you form.
That range can help a new owner who needs customer agreements or vendor paperwork right away. If filing the Articles is the only goal, the membership model asks for more commitment than a one-time filing service does.
Phone support answered questions quickly during testing, often on the first call, and email replies from Incorporation Specialists came back without much delay.
Treat Rocket Lawyer as a legal-document subscription that happens to include formation, not the cheapest filing service on this page.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Satisfaction guarantee
BBB: Not highlighted
Same & Next Day Filing: Same-day processing positioning
MyCompanyWorks keeps setup focused with a practical dashboard and a startup checklist instead of a large legal-services account. Its strengths are simple document handling and clear early-stage tasks laid out in order.
That can be enough when filing is the main job and you already know how you plan to handle tax, licensing and registered-agent questions on your own.
It lacks ZenBusiness's tested AI follow-up and Northwest's privacy system, so budget less hand-holding after checkout.
Choose it when you want a traditional filing service without brand tools or a legal subscription attached. The dashboard stays simple, which some owners will prefer over a busier account.
Pros
Cons
Our LLC service testing methodology covers pricing, services offered, customer support, filing speed, ease of use, reliability and Colorado fit.
Colorado's own online filing step is simple, but the Periodic Report and registered-agent choice still affect the owner's first year after approval.
Our ranking follows the post-checkout experience a Colorado founder actually receives, not just the lowest advertised filing fee. We checked two moments after purchase to ground the scoring in what a real order looks like once payment clears.
Support scoring compared how each team answered real questions about filings, agents, documents and renewals. We favored a direct answer over a large help-center menu that never quite resolves the question.
Northwest earned the highest support score: our recorded signup included direct Corporate Guide follow-up by phone. LegalZoom followed with paid advisor and attorney access, while ZenBusiness's guided dashboard helps owners track tasks after filing.
Price scoring combined the provider charge, Colorado's own filing fee, agent renewal, EIN support, operating-agreement access and recurring compliance costs into one number.
Northwest and Inc Authority tied for the top price score. Northwest's $39 offer includes the first agent year before the $125 renewal.
Inc Authority's $0 provider-fee offer includes one agent year, then the agent service renews at $249/yr. ZenBusiness and LegalZoom scored lower after their plan and separate-agent costs were considered.
Feature scoring separated agent coverage, operating agreements, EIN assistance, document storage and recurring reminders by what an owner actually receives, not what the marketing page promises.
Northwest and LegalZoom tied for the top feature score. Northwest bundles first-year agent coverage and business identity tools; LegalZoom adds a wide document library and paid advisor or attorney services.
ZenBusiness's dashboard and compliance tools scored well, though registered-agent service is separate.
Turnaround scoring focused on intake clarity, order review and any avoidable pause before the provider actually sent the filing to the state.
Northwest and ZenBusiness tied for the top turnaround score. In our Northwest test, the filing was submitted after checkout; ZenBusiness lists one-business-day internal processing on Pro and Premium.
Neither provider controls the state approval queue. LegalZoom followed, and faster processing lost credit when optional offers or state-controlled queues added uncertainty.
Ease of use combined the checkout, dashboard, document access and post-payment direction into a single owner experience, not just how the signup form looked.
Only ZenBusiness reached the top ease-of-use score on this page, because formation, documents and follow-up tasks stayed together in one account.
Bizee and Inc Authority keep the provider fee low upfront, but their agent terms after year one differ: Bizee's consumer renewal is $149/year, while Inc Authority's renews at $249/year.
User-rating scoring pulled from published customer reviews and complaint patterns across independent review sites, weighted toward recent feedback.
ZenBusiness and Northwest again share the top spot in this category, both earning consistently strong marks from customers who filed through them. LegalZoom's name recognition helps its rating, though its post-payment intake drew more mixed feedback.
Colorado fit asked whether a provider actually handled the state's filing rhythm, agent requirement, recurring reports and post-approval tasks well, not just whether it could technically file here.
The ranking favors a provider that organizes a Colorado owner's whole first year, even when a cheaper checkout exists elsewhere on this page.
These are the core steps most founders follow to start an LLC in Colorado before choosing optional formation-service add-ons.
Colorado can suit owners who want an online formation process with a $50 Articles of Organization fee. Owners still need to maintain a compliant agent and file the annual Periodic Report.
LLCs do pay taxes in Colorado when income passes to members or the LLC elects corporate tax treatment. Most default LLCs are pass-through entities, so members may owe Colorado income tax and federal self-employment tax.
You do not need one general statewide business license in Colorado for every LLC, but your business may need local, occupational, sales tax or industry-specific licenses depending on what it does and where it operates.
The cost to form a Colorado LLC starts with the $50 online Articles of Organization fee listed by the Colorado Secretary of State. Formation services add their own service fees, and agent service may renew separately each year.
Yes. Colorado LLCs file a Periodic Report every year. The online fee is $25, the late filing penalty is $50, and the filing window runs from two months before through two months after the report month.
How long it takes depends on the provider and any delayed effective date.
The Colorado Secretary of State's LLC filing checklist explains that after payment, filing takes effect immediately if you leave the delayed-effective-date field blank; you can choose a date up to 90 days ahead.
A provider may need more time to review your information before submitting the filing.
Yes. Colorado requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a physical Colorado street address on file. A P.O. Box does not satisfy this requirement, whether you name yourself, a friend or a paid service.
Northwest is our Best Overall recommendation for Colorado founders who want a registered-agent year and direct filing guidance with formation. Its $39 offer includes the first agent year; service renews at $125/year after that.
LegalZoom ranks second and is the Best Full-Service Formation option for owners who will use its advisor, attorney and legal-document services.
ZenBusiness ranks third overall but is our Best for Guided Online Formation pick for founders who value guided forms and a task dashboard.
Compare the trade-offs and renewal terms before choosing, and include Colorado's separate filing and annual Periodic Report charges in your budget.
References
Our verdict
$39 + $50 state fee, with the first registered agent year included (then $125/yr). 90-day money-back guarantee.
Prices checked November 4, 2026. Colorado's state filing fee is $50.