ZenBusiness reviews its own products and services and compares them to others in the industry.
ZenBusiness reviews and compares Inc Authority and LegalZoom for LLC formation. Both offer free formation (plus state fees), but Inc Authority includes one year of registered agent service at no charge while LegalZoom charges $249 annually for this service. Both companies have extensive upsells throughout the ordering process.
Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes“Inc Authority” is the registered trademark of Inc Authority, LLC “LegalZoom” is the registered trademark of LegalZoom.com, Inc.
Last Updated: September 12, 2025
*Mr. Cuban may receive financial compensation for his support.
If you’re looking to start a registered business, then you might be considering using a business formation service like LegalZoom or Inc Authority. These business formation companies (and other companies like them) can be very helpful if you feel overwhelmed by all the business paperwork you’re facing.
But in the Inc Authority vs. LegalZoom matchup, who comes out on top? Are there any alternatives you should consider instead? In this guide, we’ll review both LegalZoom and Inc Authority, comparing how these two options compete in terms of value, customer service, customer reviews, and more.
Let’s get started.
On the surface, Inc Authority and LegalZoom seem to be really similar: both companies can help you form and manage a business. But each company has its own unique pros, cons, and company history.
LegalZoom is a well-known business and legal services brand. It got its start in 2001, originally offering a small library of services to help form limited liability companies (LLCs) or assist individuals with writing wills and testaments. Over time, they expanded their service library to cover legal services for both business and personal needs. Since their founding, they’ve helped provide personal and business legal services for over 9 million customers.
According to their website, Inc Authority (and its family of related brands) has over thirty years of experience in the business formation industry. For what it’s worth, though, Inc Authority, LLC was first incorporated in Nevada in 2015, so some of that experience stems from its related companies. Since its founding, Inc Authority has helped form over 250,000 business entities.
LegalZoom and Inc Authority have a fair bit of common ground as two reputable companies in the business formation and legal services sector. We’ll dive into these distinctions throughout this guide, but here’s a quick glance at these companies.
In our assessment of LegalZoom and Inc Authority, we evaluated each company on the basis of several different categories: business formation services, registered agent service, additional service offerings, customer feedback, and customer reviews.
Let’s take a closer look at those categories.
Both LegalZoom and Inc Authority can help you form a limited liability company, corporation, or nonprofit. But how much will it cost you?
LegalZoom offers several different LLC formation packages that you can choose from, ranging from the basic package to get you started to robust features in the more premium packages. Here’s a quick look at the package choices from LegalZoom:
If you’re interested in forming a corporation instead, LegalZoom’s corporation packages start at $149.
Inc Authority takes a slightly different approach, as they promote one main product for the LLC formation process, their free LLC package (or free corporation package, if that’s what you prefer). With this offering, Inc Authority will file your Articles of Organization on your behalf, and you’ll get a year of free registered agent service included. You’ll also get to choose one free premium service (when we tested the order form, the options included a free EIN or free expedited processing).
On the main page promoting this package, it initially appears like Inc Authority offers a bunch of free products all at once, including a free EIN and free expedited processing, along with a free website. But this advertising is actually a bit misleading; like we’ve already mentioned, you get to pick a free EIN or free expedited processing in the package; you’ll pay extra for the other option (unless you forgo it). The website offering isn’t completely free, either; you’ll get a temporary free trial for web features like domain registration and a website builder, and you’ll be charged automatically when these trials expire.
It’s also worth noting that both Inc Authority and LegalZoom offer a good number of upsells during the LLC formation process (especially if you use the free LLC packages). With either brand, you’ll need to read the fine print carefully before opting into any free trials or add-on services so you know what to expect in terms of costs and renewal periods.
If you’re starting a registered business like a corporation or LLC, then you’ll need to designate a registered agent. Your registered agent will accept service of process and other important state communications on your behalf. Technically speaking, you might be able to serve as your own registered agent, but that’s not generally recommended. To be eligible to be your own agent, you need to be an individual resident of your state, have a physical address in the state, and be present at that address during all normal business hours.
For most small business owners, those criteria are too restrictive to be sustainable. That’s why it can be quite helpful to hire a registered agent service, and both LegalZoom and Inc Authority offer these services.
LegalZoom charges $249 per year for registered agent service. Meanwhile, Inc Authority doesn’t publish their registered agent service cost on their website. When we asked a customer service representative what the cost was, we were told that the annual renewal cost would be “around $199,” but that this price was subject to change. On the plus side, Inc Authority does offer one year of free registered agent service if you use them to create your LLC.
Both Inc Authority and LegalZoom offer a variety of products beyond basic business formation services, which can be helpful if you’re looking to handle several business tasks in one place. But these brands don’t offer the same services. While we won’t list every possible service here (this Inc Authority vs. LegalZoom comparison would be far too long if we did), we can give you a decent idea of what to expect from these brands.
The bulk of Inc Authority’s service library focuses on business-related services, including help getting an EIN, drafting bylaws or an operating agreement, setting up legal forms like ownership certificates, creating minutes and resolutions, crafting business plans, and more. They also offer Compliance360, a yearly subscription for compliance services that includes two free amendments per year and customized reminders about state deadlines. If you need branding help, Inc Authority also offers a variety of website-building tools, including a do-it-yourself approach or a plan where a professional builds a site for you. They even offer some personal services, including a revocable living trust and tax preparation (tax prep is available for both business and personal returns). Inc Authority also partners with a few other service providers to offer things like a business bank account for separating personal and business finances, business insurance, payroll services, and more.
LegalZoom is one of just a few companies that offer a large library of legal services for both personal and business needs. For example, if you needed help getting a will, setting up a trust, navigating divorce proceedings, setting up power of attorney, or something else, LegalZoom’s personal services department could help. But if you needed help with your business, LegalZoom could help with filing your annual report, researching what licenses and permits you need, navigating a tax planning consultation, handling intellectual property services like getting a trademark, and other ongoing legal services. LegalZoom also has attorney services available through a subscription program, where you can have thirty-minute consultations with an attorney in your state.
When we’re assessing these online service companies, we like to look at third-party review sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau; we find that these are great sources to get an unbiased view of what customers are saying about their experiences. So we took a look at some of the reviews for Inc Authority and LegalZoom.
LegalZoom has a very strong showing on Trustpilot. As of this writing, they’ve got more than 23,000 reviews on the site. And generally speaking, customers have a good experience with the brand: they’ve got a 4.6/5 star average score. Positive customer reviews typically mention an easy time navigating the LLC setup process and personalized customer support when help was needed. That said, some reviewers complain that their support reps weren’t helpful when they needed to cancel a service (with some complaining that they unknowingly opted into certain services).
Inc Authority has an even stronger showing on Trustpilot, as they have a 4.9/5 average score across nearly 43,000 reviews (at the time of this writing). Positive customer reviews frequently mention helpful and informative customer service providers and an easy business setup process. Negative reviews are definitely in the minority, but those reviewers complain about being sold the same products twice, annoying upsells, and being overcharged for some services.
However, it’s worth noting that Inc Authority isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau; in fact, their profile receives an F rating for unanswered customer complaints. Note: We realize that the name listed on the profile we just linked is labeled “Inc for Free;” however, the company’s current name, “Inc Authority, LLC,” is listed as an alternate name on the profile. Additionally, customer service representatives have replied to negative BBB reviews under the name Inc Authority, so it’s safe to say that Inc Authority does recognize this profile as their own.
While both of these brands have strong Trustpilot scores, if you value BBB accreditation, you won’t find it with Inc Authority. LegalZoom and ZenBusiness would be better options.
Somewhere along the way, you’ll probably find that you have some questions; maybe they’ll be questions about your business, about one of the services you’re subscribed to, or something else. When those questions come up, you want to be confident that you’ll get answers quickly and easily (and ideally, from a helpful customer service representative).
Currently, LegalZoom offers support through phone or live chat, and you can reach their customer support teams from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT on weekdays or 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on weekends. It’s especially helpful that they offer customer support on the weekends. LegalZoom even offers three different phone numbers, with two dedicated to customer support and sales. When we last reached out through live chat, we got a prompt, helpful answer to our question in under ten minutes.
Most customer reviews also mention a positive experience with LegalZoom’s support team. There is a little room for improvement, especially when it comes to sorting out issues with unwanted subscriptions, but all told, people appreciate the support they receive from the brand.
Inc Authority offers customer support through phone, chat, or email. Their support team is based in the U.S., so you’ll be able to get help from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT on weekdays. They don’t have weekend availability, unfortunately. When we reached out with questions, we got a quick response within a matter of minutes.
Judging by customer reviews, it seems that Inc Authority’s support team consistently provides prompt, helpful service. Many reviewers mention how helpful support reps were, especially during the business formation process. That said, negative reviewers sometimes cite duplicate charges as a major complaint, a scenario that sometimes occurred after support reps reached out to correct filing issues.
Both Inc Authority and LegalZoom are well-established LLC formation services that can help you form and manage a business, but neither service is the right fit for everyone. Both brands have an appealing free LLC service offering (you just pay state filing fees), but upsells from either brand or Inc Authority’s poor BBB rating might have you looking into alternatives.
If that’s you, check out ZenBusiness. We’re proud to offer our customers the best value and service. Like LegalZoom and Inc Authority, we have a free LLC formation service package (just pay state filing fees). But we can also provide you with registered agent service at a great value ($99 for your first year and $199/year afterwards). Plus, we’re BBB accredited, and our customer feedback is fantastic: out of 24,381 Trustpilot reviews, we’ve got a 4.8/5 average score. We’re dedicated to providing excellent customer service whenever you need it.
Here at ZenBusiness, we pride ourselves on providing reliable services for a variety of small business needs at a great value. Whether you need registered agent service for a good price, help starting your LLC, a Money Pro app for managing your business finances, or something else, we’ve got your back. We’ll help handle the red tape for you so you can focus on what you love: running your business.
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Technically, Inc Authority only promotes one package on their website: their free LLC formation package. However, as you complete the free LLC formation plan, you’ll be prompted to select a variety of extra services, so in a way, you’ll build your own package as you go.
Inc Authority doesn’t offer to handle New York publication requirements, and neither does LegalZoom. If you need help with NY publication requirements, check out our New York publication service for more information.
In terms of upsells, neither brand wins the Inc Authority vs. LegalZoom matchup; both brands present a good number of upsells throughout their order forms. With either service, you’ll need to carefully read the terms and conditions of each product or subscription you opt into so you know what prices to expect.
LegalZoom offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee that states you can request a refund at any time within 60 days of your initial purchase. It’s nearly identical to the ZenBusiness refund policy and one of the most reasonable in the industry. Inc Authority used to have a more strict refund policy, but as of this writing, they do offer a 60-day money-back satisfaction guarantee as well.
With either brand, you’ll need to keep in mind that any payments made to a state agency (namely, the state filing fee for your formation paperwork) aren’t refundable.
You absolutely can form an LLC on your own. Using LLC services can be really helpful, though. Services like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, and Inc Authority can all take some of the paperwork off your plate. These services can also help you navigate your state’s business compliance rules and regulations, which might be trickier than you expect.
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by ZenBusiness Editorial Team
The ZenBusiness Editorial Team has more than 20 years of combined small business publishing experience and has helped over 850,000 entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies. Our writers and business formation experts are dedicated to providing accurate, practical, and trustworthy guidance so business owners can make confident decisions.
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