Services offered by registered agents (RAs) are generally similar. They accept legal and state documents for you. Pricing, customer service and other legal services plans are the only differences. Consider your company’s legal requirements and your overall budget when choosing the right registered agent service.
These are the six top registered agent services in 2020:
| Register Agent Services | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | (Best Overall) Business owners who need a simple and reliable RA service | $125 per annum |
| InFile | A new business owner with a limited budget is looking for the best deal on registering agents | $119 (First year free of charge with new business formation |
| Zen Business | Pricing package for a custom registered agent or business formation | $99 per annum (first year $49 for new business formation). |
| LegalZoom | You can also find many other online legal services | $299 per annum |
| Biz Council | A registered agent service and ongoing legal advice | With its $89 per-month plan, there is no cost |
| Rocket Lawyer | Affordable legal services – registered agent, business formations, legal advice and legal docs | $149.99/year (save 25% if you are a member). |
Tip For more information about what a registered representative does for your company, please read our beginner guide to becoming a registered agent.
Contents
- 1 Northwest Registered Agent: Best RA Service for Small Businesses
- 2 IncFile: The Best Deal for a New Company’s Registered Agent
- 3 ZenBusiness: The Most Flexible RA and Business Formation Programs
- 4 LegalZoom: The Best Choice for Additional Legal Services
- 5 BizCounsel: The Best Registered Agent Deal with a Advice Plan
- 6 Rocket Lawyer: The Most Affordable Combination Of Legal Services and Registered Agents
- 7 Bottom line
How we evaluated registered agent service companies
We reviewed the following:
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- How much does RA cost? Are there discounts for the first year?
- Additional services: Is there an additional service that is included with the standard registered agent service
- Customer reviews online: What was your experience?
- Software quality: How will the signup process and ease-of-use be?
- You can use a company to provide RA services. Can you also use them for legal services like business formation to launch your business or attorney advice?
- Customer Service: How can I reach the companies?
Northwest Registered Agent: Best RA Service for Small Businesses
What makes Northwest unique is it specializes in registered agent (RA) services. This focus allows them to perfect the RA service with locally scanned documents and customer service reps (called Local Guides) that are experts in registered agent services. In addition to being your RA, they can also assist with business formation and maintaining your business with the state.
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| Northwest Registered Agent Pros | Northwest Registered Agent Cons |
|---|---|
| Talk to a local guide for free | Inadequacy of comprehensive legal services |
| Documents that have been locally scanned | |
| Customer privacy enhanced | |
| Highly rated customer service |
Contact Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Agent Pricing
$125 per year
Northwest Registered Agent Features
- Local Corporate Guides When you call Northwest, you will speak to a “Local Business Guide” who is knowledgeable in the specific state you are calling. This is a great benefit for RA services because they can help you navigate the process. A registered agent can go by many different names depending on the state they are in and have different business requirements.
- Documents locally scanned: Northwest will scan the document and upload it from the location where it is received. It is possible for mail to be lost if it is sent to another company.
- No sales of personal data:Some large online legal service providers will sell your personal information. Northwest has committed to never selling any customer’s data.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern Time by phone, email and chat.
Why we like Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest’s About Us page is one of the most customer-centric pages ever created. Their slogan is “We’re just not annoying.” They also believe that money should never be in the way of a good relationship. You don’t have any obligation to be happy with the service you receive. Northwest does not have any investors or debt and is the owner of their commercial real property. The business can be run by its owners without the need for outside supervision, unlike other legal services.
IncFile: The Best Deal for a New Company’s Registered Agent
What separates IncFile from other registered agent services is its initial low cost. The first year of RA services is free when you form a business (LLC or corporation). After the first year, it’s $119 a year. Included with the RA service is a digital dashboard that reminds you of important dates such as business registration renewal.
| Pros at IncFile | IncFile Agent Cons |
|---|---|
| Registration of a business is free for the first year | No legal form maker |
| Register your business for free | |
| Online dashboard for RAs | |
| SMS Notifications |
Pricing for IncFile Agents
$119 per year, but it’s free the first year you register your new business.
IncFile’s business registration (LLC/C-corp and S-corp) are free.
IncFile Agent Features
- IncFile:IncFile is the leader in pricing. The first year of registration for registered agent services, when forming a company, comes with no cost.
- Additional legal service: IncFile offers unique legal services including filings with the IRS and a search for trade names.
- Online dashboard Log in to an online portal to view important information regarding your registered agent service, such as the renewal date and scanned documents.
- SMS notifications When IncFile receives documents on your behalf, it will send a text message to you.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time by phone or email.
Why we like IncFile as a registered agent
IncFile is the best online pricing provider for legal services. The delivery of services is high-quality, despite the lower price. Third-party review sites rate IncFile at 4.8 out 5 stars. Customers were pleased with the customer service experience and the simple process of signing up for legal services.
ZenBusiness: The Most Flexible RA and Business Formation Programs
What separates ZenBusiness from competitors is the ability to combine RA services with a custom business formation package—create one that fits your needs. Also, similar to IncFile, it provides a first-year discount on RA services when you combine them with a business formation. ZenBusiness is highly rated online. With any negative reviews, it tries to resolve the customer’s complaint.
| ZenBusiness Registered Agent Pros | Zen Business Registered Agent Cons |
|---|---|
| Customer service at its best | Recent increases in the length of customer responses have led to a longer response time |
| You don’t have to worry about compliance | |
| Unique additional legal services | |
| There are many plans available |
ZenBusiness Agent Pricing
$99 per annum
Existing business owners can also choose from several plans. The lowest-cost business formation and registered agent plan costs $49 the first year, and $119 each year thereafter.
ZenBusiness Features
- ZenBusiness offers worry-free compliance when you sign up to the $179 per annum business formation and registered agent plans. This deal guarantees compliance with state or it will fix it at no cost.
- Exclusive service plans: All three ZenBusiness business formation and maintenance plans include an agent. Depending on your business requirements, choose the right plan.
- Highly rated user reviews:4.7 stars from third-party review websites. ZenBusiness was easy to use for customers. Customers also liked the speed of response.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Central Time by phone, chat, or email.
ZenBusiness: Why We Love It
ZenBusiness offers unique packages that include its registered agent program. ZenBusiness offers peace of mind for business owners who are concerned about keeping up with state documents. ZenBusiness is second, with a $49 initial fee ($119 thereafter) and the best business formation and RA deal IncFile has to offer.
LegalZoom: The Best Choice for Additional Legal Services
What separates Legal Zoom from the other registered agent service competitors is the additional features. Every RA service includes business data monitoring and up to $1 million in identity theft coverage through Experian. Additionally, LegalZoom provides a compliance calendar to keep you up to date with any RA-related deadlines in your state.
| LegalZoom Registered Agent Pros | LegalZoom Agent Cons |
|---|---|
| Business data monitoring | High costs |
| $1 Million in Identity Theft Coverage | |
| Calendar for compliance | |
| A large selection of legal services available |
LegalZoom Agent Pricing
$299 per annum
LegalZoom Agent Features
- A wide range of legal services are available: You can also get personalized legal docs and legal advice.
- Identity theft coverage and data monitoring: All RA services include Experian data monitoring.
- Compliance calendar LegalZoom offers a custom compliance calendar that alerts users to deadlines for tax returns and annual reports.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pacific Time, by phone, email or chat.
Why LegalZoom is a Registered Agent
LegalZoom’s high-quality and simple-to-use software is one reason it is more expensive. LegalZoom offers the best customer service, with weekends open–which can be important for side-businesses.
BizCounsel: The Best Registered Agent Deal with a Advice Plan
What separates BizCounsel from the other companies on this list is that its registered agent service is free. However, to get the free RA, you need to sign up for its $89 per month legal advice and document review plan. If you have a business that needs documents reviewed by an attorney frequently, or ongoing legal questions, BizCounsel has the best registered agent service deal.
| BizCounsel Registered agent Pros | BizCounsel Registered agent Cons |
|---|---|
| RA’s available for three businesses that have the Pro plan | You must purchase the legal advice plan |
| Unlimited attorney consultations | |
| Drafting custom legal documents | |
| Online reviews highly rated |
BizCounsel registered agent pricing
$89 to $189 per Month (RA included in legal advice and document review plans)
BizCounsel Registered Agent Features
- Multiple registered agent: If you own multiple businesses, you can have three registered agents under the BizCounsel Pro plan.
- Customer Support Team:Members can book appointments or facilitate meetings with an attorney by contacting a client success specialist.
- Responsive customer services: Negative online comments were followed up by a BizCounsel representative and the co-founder.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Pacific Time by phone or email.
BizCounsel is why we like it
BizCounsel was founded by LegalZoom’s founders over 20 years ago. They are familiar with the online legal services market. BizCounsel can help you with document drafting and legal questions.
Rocket Lawyer: The Most Affordable Combination Of Legal Services and Registered Agents
What separates Rocket Lawyer (RL) from the competition is the combination of lower-cost ongoing legal services such as customizable forms, legal advice, and a registered agent service. Rocket Lawyer’s pricing for a RA is slightly more expensive than most companies on this list. However, with the 25% member discount, the price is comparable.
| Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent Pros | Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent Cons |
|---|---|
| 100% satisfaction guarantee | RA services are slightly more costly |
| Online access to mailed documents | |
| Additional legal services at a low cost |
Rocket Lawyer Pricing for Registered Agents
Save 25% on your $149.99 annual cost by joining the $39.99 monthly Membership
Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent Features
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed: While other registered agent companies might offer a refund if they aren’t satisfied with their service, Rocket Lawyer is the only company that explicitly states it will refund.
- Documents organized online All documents will be scanned, and uploaded online. When you receive a document, you will be notified promptly via email.
- Premium membership. Rocket Lawyer offers a single, comprehensive membership that includes customizable legal documents, advice, and legal advice.
- Customer Service: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time via phone, chat, and email.
Rocket Lawyer is a Registered Agent: Why We Love It
Rocket Lawyer’s 100% satisfaction guarantee is very attractive. Rocket Lawyer offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t get a document within the time frame you requested, or you are unhappy with the RA services you received, you can request a refund. Rocket Lawyer offers a wide range of legal services that make it simple to handle multiple legal tasks, which can be crucial if you need to take several legal steps in order to start your own business.
Bottom line
Many registered agent services offer the same service: a safe place to drop off important documents or mail them. When choosing an RA company to represent your company, make sure you consider all legal services offered. If you are starting a business with a limited budget, consider the annual cost.