Updated November 10, 2026 · 7 services tested
We tested 7 LLC services for South Dakota. Northwest is our pick: $39 + $150 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 + $150 state feeForm my LLC for $39 (opens in a new tab)
LegalZoom
$0 + $150 state feeSee LegalZoom plans (opens in a new tab)Save 20% with code: venturesmarter20
ZenBusiness
$0 + $150 state feeSee ZenBusiness plans (opens in a new tab)Prices checked November 10, 2026. South Dakota's state filing fee is $150.
Each provider on this list went through a real LLC formation order before we ranked a single one. Northwest took the top spot because its included first-year agent service and Corporate Guides team earn that ranking.
Northwest is the stronger pick when privacy and a real person on the phone matter more than dashboard polish.
We compared checkout behavior, support access, filing speed, document delivery and how each service handles South Dakota's ongoing report requirement. The table below lines up all seven side by side.
| Service | LLC Fees | Registered Agent Price | Money-Back Guarantee | Score | Compare offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39 via our link + $150 state fee | Free first year with the $39 LLC, then $125/yr | ✓ 90-day money-back policy | 4.9 | Form my LLC (opens in a new tab) |
| Starting at $0 + $150 state fee | $249 first year, then $249/yr (not in any plan) | ✓ 60-day refund window | 4.7 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
| Starting at $0 + $150 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | ✓ 60-day refund window | 4.6 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | Starting at $0 + $150 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $249/yr | ✓ 60-day refund window | 4.5 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | Starting at $0 + $150 state fee | $199 first year, then $199/yr (not in any plan) | ✗ | 4.4 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | From $49 + $150 state fee | $14.99/mo first year, then $14.99/mo (inside its compliance plan) | ✓ 30- to 60-day guarantee | 4.3 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
 | Starting at $0 + $150 state fee | Free first year with formation, then $149/yr | ✓ Refundable before state payment (24h); $30 fee | 4.1 | See plans (opens in a new tab) |
Prices checked November 10, 2026. South Dakota's state filing fee is $150.
Each score combines support, price, features, turnaround, ease of use and user ratings.
Refund: 90 days
BBB: Holds an A rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Free Package Features: No free-tier extras
Advisory Services: No
Our Northwest Registered Agent order started with a clear invoice, then walked us through a review of the company details before filing. A Corporate Guide was available when a question came up.
The registered-agent name and address appeared immediately after payment, and the dashboard also showed the renewal price and its next due date. That made the ongoing cost easy to track from day one.
Northwest's address can stand in for the company's own on many filings, but a bank or lender may still ask for the real principal address. We kept both on hand during setup.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60-day refund window
BBB: A+ rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Free Package Features: Digital welcome packet, and customizable website
LegalZoom asked for company details only after our payment cleared, a different order than every other service on this list, which collected those details before payment.
Its attorney network answered legal questions that went beyond the LLC filing itself, and LZ Books added bookkeeping tools to the same account once the order finished. That combination suits owners planning to lean on those extras after formation.
Those legal and financial tools show up right at login. They're easy to reach once the South Dakota paperwork is filed.
Exclusively for Venture Smarter users, apply code venturesmarter20 to enjoy 20% off LLC formation and other services at LegalZoom.
Pros
Cons
Registered-agent service runs $249 first year, then $249/yr.
Refund: 60-day refund window
BBB: BBB accredited
Advisory Services: Accounting consultation
ZenBusiness kept the running total visible on every checkout screen during our real formation order, and no optional extra arrived pre-selected. Phone and chat support stayed one click away the whole time.
After payment, Velo AI, ZenBusiness's in-account assistant, checked the new account and flagged what was still open across EIN, compliance and website work. That single list replaced several separate dashboard tabs.
Registered-agent coverage costs extra here, so we tracked that renewal once the state accepted our filing. The document center flagged a missing EIN and offered AI templates to help fill it.
Pros
Cons
Refund: 60-day refund window
BBB: BBB accredited
Same & Next Day Filing: ~ Depends on premium package
Advisory Services: Private banking specialist
Inc Authority walked us through a sequence of full-screen upsell offers, each with its own countdown timer, before reaching the final order review. That pacing made every decision feel more urgent than the offer itself required.
Registered-agent service came included for the first year, and a logo builder opened immediately once payment went through. The order summary clearly separated Inc Authority's own charge from the state's filing fee.
Once the confirmation email arrived, our test didn't turn up an ongoing dashboard to check filing progress or compliance deadlines, unlike every other service we tested here.
Inc Authority now advertises digital document storage and a client portal, so check what your account includes. Owners who want a bare-minimum formation and nothing else afterward will find that trade-off acceptable.
Pros
Cons
Refund: No
BBB: No
Free Package Features: LLC filing and 30-day bookkeeping trial
Advisory Services: Business coaching program
Tailor Brands put the filing status, logo options and a website builder inside one account after our order went through. That kept the legal work and the public-facing launch in a single place instead of scattered across separate tools.
Annual Compliance reminders go out by email, text and an in-app alert well before the due date, which matters once the launch checklist gets long. The account also tracked domain and social assets alongside the formation record.
Standard review can take up to two weeks without an upgrade, slower than several competitors on this list. Founders who need the LLC approved fast should weigh that against the branding tools before choosing this route.
Pros
Cons
Open any card for the complete review, scores and packages.
Refund: 30- to 60-day guarantee
BBB: A rating
Same & Next Day Filing: No
Advisory Services: Attorney support (paid add-on)
LLC Attorney pairs the filing with a business advisor review before anything goes to the state, and our test documents came back correctly formatted with no errors to fix.
The paperwork arrived with company documents already prepared, so there was no separate step to draft them ourselves. Private filing options also kept our address off records where the state's process allowed it.
Support answered through phone, email and live chat during testing, and a call connected to a live advisor within three minutes.
Pros
Cons
Refund: Refundable before state payment (24h); $30 fee
BBB: No
Same & Next Day Filing: Platinum Package
Advisory Services: 1-hour free tax consultation
Bizee placed each upsell on its own screen during our formation order, with the decline option always visible next to the paid choice. Nothing arrived pre-selected on our behalf.
The registered agent listed on our filing was Republic Registered Agent LLC, a third party Bizee contracts with rather than acting as its own agent.
The dashboard still centralized filings, contracts and a compliance checklist once the account opened.
A few of the free extras, like the virtual mailbox, sat unclaimed in the dashboard until we manually activated them. A 24-hour order-change window is available to fix a mistyped detail before the filing goes out to the state.
Pros
Cons
We ran South Dakota's seven providers through the same seven-part LLC service testing methodology: support, price, features, turnaround, ease of use, user ratings and South Dakota fit.
Every score reflects the full order, not the advertised starting price alone.
The screenshots below come from our own Tailor Brands and LegalZoom testing.
A Corporate Guide walked our Northwest order through a full detail review before it went to the state, offering the most direct human contact of any service here. ZenBusiness backed that up with a support link that never disappeared from checkout.
Northwest led the Support score on this page, with ZenBusiness close behind. Both kept a real answer within reach whether the question came up before or after payment.
A near-zero entry cost never decided this category on its own. We weighed the entry cost against agent renewal, EIN help and ongoing compliance charges.
Bizee and Northwest climbed once their included first-year agent service changed the real math. Northwest led the Price score on this page, while ZenBusiness's free entry option stays easy to track from checkout through the account.
Document breadth and post-formation tools separated the services here more than the checkout screen did. Credit went to accounts that stayed useful once the state approved the filing, not just the moment of submission.
Tailor Brands scored well on launch tools and LLC Attorney scored well on document thoroughness, but Northwest and LegalZoom tied for the top Features score.
ZenBusiness's EIN help, compliance coverage and document library still add useful value. Bizee scored lowest, and Inc Authority lost points because our test didn't turn up a post-formation dashboard.
The state controls part of the clock, but each provider still controls everything leading up to submission. We looked at intake clarity, order review and any avoidable delay before filing.
Northwest and ZenBusiness tied for the top Turnaround score, while Tailor Brands' standard review can stretch past two weeks without an upgrade. A fast filing buried in confusing checkout screens never scored well here.
Checkout clarity and dashboard organization drove this score more than any single feature. We asked how quickly a first-time owner could tell finished work from what still needed attention.
Bizee and Inc Authority scored lower here, since both ask the owner to track more manually after checkout, while ZenBusiness's dashboard kept formation and follow-up tasks in one clear list.
Public review scores mattered only when they matched what we actually saw during testing. A familiar brand name didn't earn credit on its own.
Northwest and ZenBusiness tied for the top User Ratings score among the seven, and both delivered a formation experience that matched their reputation. Bizee's third-party agent setup drew the most mixed outside feedback.
South Dakota keeps its own formation filing simple, so fit came down to the registered-agent requirement and the yearly report deadline more than anything else. We checked how clearly each service surfaced both.
The strongest fit came from services whose dashboard kept the anniversary-month report on the calendar without extra digging. A provider that only files the first form and stops there scored lower here, whatever its price looked like at checkout.
South Dakota has 96,770 small businesses. They employ 216,705 people, or 58% of the state's workforce [6].
Eight steps stand between you and a formed South Dakota LLC:
Online formations are usually processed immediately, while paper filings average one to three business days. Our LLC formation timeline guide explains what can slow an order down.
If you later close the company, follow the steps for dissolving a South Dakota LLC.
Online LLC filings are usually processed immediately, and paper filings average one to three business days. A formation service may add its own internal review time before sending the order to the state.
The minimum cost is the $150 online state filing fee. Paper filing costs $165. A formation service, name reservation or registered-agent plan can add to the total.
No. You can file the Articles of Organization directly with the Secretary of State. A service can prepare the filing, supply company documents and help track later deadlines.
Yes. Every LLC needs a registered agent with a physical and mailing address in South Dakota. The agent receives legal and state notices for the company.
No. South Dakota does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the state. It is still useful because it records ownership, voting, management and profit rules.
Professional registered-agent service usually costs $119 to $249 a year.
Northwest, Bizee and Inc Authority include the first year with formation, while ZenBusiness charges separately, with Inc Authority's renewal reaching $249 after its free first year.
South Dakota's filing step is simple, so the real choice is what each service does once it files the paperwork.
Northwest Registered Agent is our Best Overall pick for its included first-year agent service, clear renewal price and access to a real person on the phone.
ZenBusiness remains a strong fit for first-time owners who value its guided dashboard and short list of follow-up tasks. Choose Northwest when privacy, included agent coverage and hands-on support matter most.
References
Our verdict
$39 + $150 state fee, with the first registered agent year included (then $125/yr). 90-day money-back guarantee.
Prices checked November 10, 2026. South Dakota's state filing fee is $150.