Updated November 10, 2026 · 9 services tested
We tested 9 LLC services for New York. Northwest is our pick: $39 + $200 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 + $200 state feeForm my LLC for $39 (opens in a new tab)
LegalZoom
$0 + $200 state feeSee LegalZoom plans (opens in a new tab)Save 20% with code: venturesmarter20
ZenBusiness
$0 + $200 state feeSee ZenBusiness plans (opens in a new tab)Prices checked November 10, 2026. New York's state filing fee is $200.
We formed an LLC with every service on this list, and Northwest Registered Agent is our top New York pick for privacy and human support.
Its $39 formation keeps a home address off New York's public filing and includes a full year of registered agent service before the $125 renewal starts.
ZenBusiness remains a strong guided online option: Starter costs $0 on top of the state fee, the filing flow takes about 10 minutes, and a 100% accuracy guarantee backs the paperwork.
LegalZoom is our second choice for New York owners who expect to use its legal forms, eSign tools, and bookkeeping after formation.
The rest of this list ranks nine providers on the same six factors: support, price, features, turnaround, ease of use, and user ratings.
New York fit sits on top of those, since the publication requirement and income-based annual fee add cost and steps most other states skip.
| Service | LLC Fees | Registered Agent Price | Money-Back Guarantee | Score | Compare offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39 with our exclusive link + $200 state fee | Free first year with the $39 LLC, then $125/yr | ✓ 90-day return policy | 4.9 | Form my LLC (opens in a new tab) |
| From $0 + $200 state fee | $249 first year, then $249/yr (not in any plan) | ✓ Backed by a 60-day guarantee | 4.7 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
| Begins at $0 + $200 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | ✓ 60-day refund available | 4.6 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $200 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $249/yr | ✓ 60-day refund window | 4.5 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $200 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | ✗ | 4.4 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | Starts at $49 + $200 state fee | $14.99/mo first year, then $14.99/mo (inside its compliance plan) | ✓ Refund in 30–60 days | 4.3 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | $99 flat + $200 state fee | $99 first year, then $159/yr (sold separately) | ✗ | 4.1 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $200 state fee | $596 first year, then $596/yr (billed $149 a quarter; not in any plan) | ✓ 60-day money-back | 3.9 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $0 + $200 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $149/yr | ✓ Refundable pre-state filing (24h); $30 fee applies | 3.7 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
Prices checked November 10, 2026. New York's state filing fee is $200.
Each score combines support, price, turnaround, ease of use, user ratings and features.
Refund: 90 days
BBB: Maintains an A rating
LLC Packages: Single offering
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Free Package Features: No complimentary features
Advisory Services: No
Order confirmation from Northwest Registered Agent arrived with an invoice, and a Corporate Guide verified our company details before the filing moved into the processing queue.
That verification step is the real advantage over a checkout that just takes payment and submits.
Filed documents land in the account once the state approves them, and unlimited scanning applies to service-of-process and state notices.
A missed agent letter is unlikely to slip past an owner watching that inbox. A dedicated team member also stays reachable for follow-up questions instead of routing through a general queue.
The tradeoff is address flexibility. Northwest can keep a personal address off the public filing, but some banks or state forms may still ask for a real principal office.
That limitation shows up more with New York's recurring filings than with a one-time task.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Backed by a 60-day guarantee
BBB: A+ at the BBB
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Company details were collected after payment cleared with LegalZoom, unlike every other provider on this list. Once formation moved forward, the account opened up document tools, a consult subscription, and a bookkeeping app.
That consult access was a limited-time subscription. It kept billing after the trial window closed unless we canceled it directly, so read the renewal terms before enabling it.
The bookkeeping tools stayed useful past the filing itself, tracking invoices and mileage for the new business. Once the Articles are filed, those tools stay in the same account. They're ready for the paperwork and questions that follow.
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Pros
Cons
Refund: 60-day refund available
BBB: Yes
Same & Next Day Filing: Included on Pro & Premium
Free Package Features: LLC formation with a 100% accuracy commitment
Advisory Services: Accounting consultation provided
ZenBusiness remains a strong guided online option in New York, and its checkout stayed clear instead of burying steps inside the account. Phone and chat links stayed visible, the order summary never disappeared, and no paid upgrade came pre-selected.
The dashboard is the bigger reason it earns the guided online formation spot.
Velo AI, ZenBusiness's in-account assistant, checked formation status and account setup the moment we logged in, then flagged what was still missing instead of waiting for us to ask.
That document center view is what our first screenshot below shows: an EIN not yet purchased and no filed documents yet, turned into next steps rather than a dead end.
Budgeting for agent coverage still falls on the owner, since the entry plan never includes it. Even with that gap, ZenBusiness remains a useful fit for owners who want to see what happens after submission, not just the moment payment clears.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60-day refund window
BBB: Yes
Same & Next Day Filing: ~ Depends on premium tier
Advisory Services: Private banking specialist
Inc Authority is the bargain pick only if you read every screen slowly. In our formation test, the first payment stayed close to the New York state fee, and a full first year of agent coverage came included.
The catch showed up before final checkout. We had to choose one free extra, an EIN or 24-hour processing, and the offer sequence used a countdown timer on each screen, more pressure than any other provider tested.
Most filers should choose the EIN if a bank account is next, then decline anything unclear. There also is not much of an ongoing account after formation.
A logo builder and a confirmation email are what greet a buyer after payment, so the agent renewal date is the number worth writing down.
Pros
Cons
Refund: No
BBB: No
Free Package Features: LLC formation and 30-day bookkeeping trial included
Advisory Services: Business coaching across all plans
Tailor Brands makes the most sense when the LLC is part of a public launch. Formation progress, documents, logo work, and marketing assets sat in one dashboard during our test, instead of scattering across separate apps for a New York owner.
That single workspace helps a first-time filer who needs more than the Articles of Organization. A full set of branding tools unlocked once we stepped up from the base filing, giving a launch-ready New York business more than a bare receipt.
The catch is checkout discipline. Standard internal processing can run up to 14 business days unless expedited. The optional extras a New York owner adds along the way raise the real cost well above the entry price.
Pros
Cons
Open any card for the complete review, scores and packages.
Refund: Refund in 30–60 days
BBB: A rating at BBB
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Advisory Services: Attorney support (paid option)
LLC Attorney is the practical choice when document confidence matters more than a polished software account.
In our testing, one formation filed within 18 hours against the provider's own 24-hour promise, and attorney review focused on ownership structure and governance terms before problems could surface.
That attention pays off once the Articles are approved, since New York's writing requirement for LLC governance rewards getting the paperwork right the first time.
Support responded quickly by phone in our test, while email answers took closer to a day.
The tradeoff is that this is not a broad dashboard product. Owners who want ongoing reminders, brand tools, or a large support portal will find more of that with ZenBusiness or Northwest.
Pros
Cons
Refund: No
BBB: Yes
Same & Next Day Filing: ~ State dependent
Free Package Features: No free features included
Advisory Services: No
Harbor Compliance feels more like an entity-management service than a beginner filing app, and that is the reason to use it.
Our second screenshot below shows the client portal's project-status view tracking a formation order end to end. That same portal later houses agent mail and deadline alerts once registered agent service goes active.
The broader Entity Manager tool connects to every Secretary of State, which matters more once an owner runs more than one entity.
For a single New York LLC, that structure can be more than a first-time owner needs. It earns its keep once the publication requirement and biennial filing are only one piece of a wider compliance calendar.
The tradeoff is price and fit. Harbor is easier to justify when organized deadline tracking matters, not when the goal is the cheapest possible Articles filing.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60-day money-back
BBB: No
Same & Next Day Filing: On Premium plan
Free Package Features: LLC formation and lifetime support included
Advisory Services: No
A five-step online form took us from name entry straight to submission, one of the more direct paths among the providers tested.
Swyft Filings advertises 10-minute support replies across phone, email, and chat, and its dashboard reports most filings finish ahead of schedule.
The tradeoff for a New York filer is total cost after the first screen. Registered agent pricing runs higher than several competitors on this list, so it is worth annualizing that cost before comparing against Northwest or Bizee.
It is a reasonable middle option, but the account does not have the dashboard depth that pushed ZenBusiness and Northwest higher on this list.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Refundable pre-state filing (24h); $30 fee applies
BBB: No
Advisory Services: 1-hour tax consultation complimentary
Bizee tested better than a bare pricing table suggests. Each upsell sat on its own screen with a visible decline option, and nothing paid came pre-selected during our formation test.
The practical value is the first-year agent inclusion and a dashboard that tracks tasks, filings, mailbox setup, and compliance items in one place.
A 24-hour order-change window also helped when a name or address detail needed a fix before the filing went out.
The tradeoff is follow-through. Free extras like the virtual mailbox needed manual activation. The agent service also runs through a third party rather than Bizee itself, and some templates are not customized to a member's specific situation.
Pros
Cons
We scored these services using the same six-part LLC service testing methodology, weighted across support, price, features, turnaround, ease of use, and user ratings, then adjusted for New York fit.
New York's publication requirement changes the comparison, since the cheapest filing service is not always the easiest first year.
Rankings reflect what a new New York owner gets once the account is live, not just the number on the first checkout screen.
These screenshots show two of the moments we checked closely: a dashboard flagging what still needs attention, and a compliance portal built around ongoing deadline tracking.
We judged support on how quickly an owner could get a practical answer about filings, agent service, documents, and renewals, favoring direct help over a maze of menus.
Northwest led this category, with LegalZoom close behind. ZenBusiness's Velo AI surfaces the next task before an owner has to ask; separately, a Northwest Corporate Guide verifies details before a filing ever moves into the queue.
Price scoring weighed the provider's own fee against agent renewals, EIN help, operating-agreement tools, and recurring compliance costs together. A cheap first screen counted for little when the second-year total was hard to follow.
Northwest and Inc Authority tied for the highest Price score. Northwest's $39 formation includes a first year of registered-agent service, while Inc Authority keeps the opening payment near the state fee but requires closer attention at renewal.
This category rewarded services that handle the work an owner usually needs once the Articles are filed: agent options, document tools, EIN help, and compliance reminders.
Northwest and LegalZoom tied at the top, with ZenBusiness and Inc Authority close behind.
Tailor Brands earned extra credit when brand assets were part of the launch, while Inc Authority's included EIN and agent year kept it competitive despite a thinner dashboard.
New York's own processing time is fixed, but a provider still decides how quickly the order itself moves before that clock even starts. We looked for a clean intake form and no avoidable delay before a filing went out the door.
Northwest and ZenBusiness tied at the top once expedited options were factored in, with LegalZoom close behind. A rushed order with confusing add-ons elsewhere did not score as well as a slower but cleaner path to submission.
Ease of use covered checkout clarity, dashboard organization, and whether the next step was obvious once payment cleared. The best accounts made it easy to see what was finished and what still needed attention.
ZenBusiness led this category, with Northwest close behind and Tailor Brands also scoring well for keeping brand and formation tasks in one workspace.
Bizee and Inc Authority can lower the first bill, but both ask an owner to watch renewals more closely.
This category weighed public reputation, pricing consistency, and whether the checkout matched what the marketing promised. A recognizable name only mattered when the actual filing workflow held up.
ZenBusiness and Northwest again led the group, reflecting the cleaner formation experience both delivered with fewer surprises.
LegalZoom carries the broadest name recognition on this list, but that did not translate into the smoothest checkout in testing.
New York fit measured how well each service handled the state's filing rhythm: the registered-agent decision, the publication requirement, and the recurring reports that follow approval.
That is why the top pick is not always the cheapest checkout. ZenBusiness and Northwest kept the first year organized after the state accepted the filing, which matters more in New York than in a state with a lighter compliance calendar.
Source: SBA Office of Advocacy 2025 State Profile, citing Business Employment Dynamics (BLS) and CRA Aggregate Data (FFIEC).
A formation service isn't a legal requirement to start an LLC in New York. This is the sequence a self-filer works through.
Formation timing in New York splits by filing method: online Articles of Organization clear almost immediately during Department of State business hours, while mail submissions run 2-3 weeks unless you pay $25, $75, or $150 to expedite to 24-hour, same-day, or 2-hour turnaround.
The Articles of Organization alone run $200 ($205 with the plain-copy fee), but the real New York number includes publication: typically $600 to $2,000 in county newspaper costs plus the $50 Certificate of Publication filing.
Small businesses account for 99.8% of all New York businesses, roughly 2.4 million total, per the SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 State Profile.
Not legally: the Secretary of State automatically serves as default agent for every LLC's service of process.
Most owners still hire a private registered agent to keep their street address off the public filing and route documents to a dedicated location.
It's a $9 filing owed every two years, due in whichever month matches the LLC's original formation date, and it keeps the address and management details on file with the Department of State current.
The conversion is a straightforward one in New York.
Personal asset protection and stronger investor or customer trust come with the LLC structure, though the tradeoff is taking on the publication requirement and annual filing fee a sole proprietorship never had.
Northwest is the New York LLC service we would choose first for most first-time owners who value privacy and direct support. Its $39 formation includes a full year of registered-agent service before the $125 renewal starts.
LegalZoom is our second choice for owners who value legal forms, eSign tools, and bookkeeping after formation. LLC Attorney is a stronger fit when reviewed documents matter more than dashboard guidance.
As our third pick, choose ZenBusiness if you want help keeping the New York filing process organized through formation and the steps that follow. Its clear workflow and dashboard reminders keep follow-up tasks visible after the Articles are filed.
References
Our verdict
$39 + $200 state fee, with the first registered agent year included (then $125/yr). 90-day money-back guarantee.
Prices checked November 10, 2026. New York's state filing fee is $200.