ZenBusiness reviews its own products and services and compares them to others in the industry.
ZenBusiness reviews and compares LegalZoom and Incorporate.com for LLC formation. LegalZoom offers free formation (plus state fees) with extensive customer reviews while Incorporate.com charges $99 and has virtually no customer feedback despite being in business since 1899.
Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes“Incorporate.com” is a registered trademark of Corporation Service Company “LegalZoom” is the registered trademark of LegalZoom.com, Inc.
Last Updated: September 10, 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 Incorporate.com or LegalZoom. 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 Incorporate.com vs. LegalZoom matchup, who comes out on top? Are there any alternatives you should consider instead? In this guide, we’ll review both Incorporate.com and LegalZoom, comparing how these two options compete in terms of value, customer service, customer reviews, and more.
Let’s get started.
LegalZoom and Incorporate.com are two companies that can help you form and manage a business in the U.S. On the surface, the two brands might seem really similar, but each company has its own pros, cons, and company history.
LegalZoom got its start in 2001, originally offering a small library of services to help form 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 people with more than 9 million different legal needs.
Incorporate.com traces its history all the way back to 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware. As a registered trademark of the Corporation Service Company, they’ve changed their look (and name) a few times; prior to being called Incorporate.com, they were known as the Company Corporation. Since their inception, they’ve helped form more than 750,000 businesses.
Both Incorporate.com and LegalZoom have a lot of common ground since they’re both business formation service companies. But they do have their own distinctions, too. We’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of how these brands differ throughout this guide, but here’s a quick glance at these companies.
In our assessment of Incorporate.com and LegalZoom, 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 Incorporate.com can help you form a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, or nonprofit. In this section, we’ll highlight the different LLC formation packages these brands offer since the LLC is a popular business entity choice for new small business owners. Just keep in mind that formations for other entity types are an option, too.
Let’s start with LegalZoom’s LLC formation packages:
Next, here’s Incorporate.com’s pricing for LLC packages:
Both LegalZoom and Incorporate.com have similar price points for their packages, and they’re higher than some competitors. However, we find that LegalZoom generally gives more valuable services for the price; for example, the only service that’s truly valuable for most entrepreneurs from Incorporate.com’s premium packages is the business license service (not many small business owners would get a lot of value from a corporate kit).
Plus, it’s hard to argue with the free LLC formation package (plus state fees) that LegalZoom offers. That’s why we offer that same perk: here at ZenBusiness, we’ll form your LLC at no cost but your state’s fee.
Every registered business needs a registered agent. In some cases, you could serve as your own agent, but only if you meet the criteria: you’re a resident of the state, have a physical address, and can be at that address during all normal business hours. Since those criteria are too restrictive for most small business owners, many opt to hire a registered agent service. Both LegalZoom and Incorporate.com offer registered agent services.
They both charge a similar price point, too. LegalZoom charges $249 per year for its registered agent service, while Incorporate.com charges $235 per year. While these prices aren’t ridiculously high (we’ve seen some brands charge close to $600 a year), there are some competitors that charge less for this service, including ZenBusiness.
Registered agent service and formation services aren’t the only products you can purchase from LegalZoom and Incorporate.com — which is good news if you want a variety of services from a single brand. We won’t go over every single service offered by both of these brands, but we can give you a good picture of what these companies offer.
LegalZoom is one of just a few companies offering online legal services for both business and personal applications. For example, on the personal law side of things, LegalZoom can help you set up a trust or a living will, navigate divorce proceedings, set up power of attorney paperwork, and more. In the business services sector, LegalZoom helps business owners file an annual report, get an EIN, research business licenses, get trademarks, and more. They also have a subscription program where you can get support and assistance directly from licensed attorneys if you need more customized guidance. They even have a partnership with Bank of America to help you get a business bank account (an offer you’d encounter while setting up an LLC or corporation with them).
Incorporate.com also offers a variety of services, such as a corporate kit and company seal, operating agreement, getting an EIN, electing S corporation status, annual report service, and more. They also offer a helpful tool for researching business license requirements for your unique company. Incorporate.com has a few helpful services for business owners, but LegalZoom definitely has a more comprehensive library of services.
When we’re assessing a company, 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 at what customers are saying. So we took a look at some of the reviews for Incorporate.com and LegalZoom.
LegalZoom has a very strong showing on Trustpilot; currently, across more than 23,000 Trustpilot reviews, they have an average score of 4.6/5 stars. Generally, customers report a good experience. Positive reviewers typically mention that the LLC formation process is easy, and that customer support representatives were a big help. That said, negative reviewers often say that they had a difficult time getting support when they needed to cancel a service. A few others complained that they’d signed up for certain services without meaning to.
Unfortunately, customer reviews are a glaring weakness for Incorporate.com. We couldn’t find any reviews for them with the BBB, and there are only two reviews on Trustpilot (both of them 1 stars). For a company that’s as old as Incorporate.com, it’s very surprising not to see more reviews. In the two reviews we did find, Incorporate.com received complaints for rude and unhelpful customer service.
If you place a lot of stock in customer reviews, you’ll find that Incorporate.com falls short, and you’ll want to look elsewhere. Both LegalZoom and ZenBusiness have far, far better track records with their customers.
If you ever encounter a question about your paperwork or about your business, you want to feel confident that you’ll get prompt, helpful customer support. That’s why we’ve taken time to review these brands’ customer support channels, too.
LegalZoom offers support through live chat or phone support. In fact, they have three different phone numbers listed across their site, with two numbers dedicated to sales and customer care. When we tested their live chat feature, we got a helpful answer to our question within a few minutes. Their customer support team also has a wide range of availability: you can reach them on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT or 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on weekends.
Most customer reviews mention a positive experience with LegalZoom’s support team, too. 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.
Incorporate.com is another story. They offer three support methods: a contact form on their website, a phone number, and live chat. While we’ve tested all of their support channels on several occasions, our most recent interactions were a mixed bag. When we reached out through live chat, we waited over 40 minutes to be connected to an agent, but no one joined to answer our question. However, when we submitted a question through their contact form, we got an email response within an hour. The few third-party reviews we could find for Incorporate.com also mentioned frustrations with unhelpful customer support representatives.
LegalZoom definitely has a stronger customer support department than Incorporate.com.
Related: LegalZoom LLC and Corporate Dissolution Service Review
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably got reservations about Incorporate.com. After all, no one wants to deal with lackluster customer support, and their customer review scores leave a lot to be desired.
But LegalZoom might not be the perfect fit, either. Yes, the brand offers a large library of both personal and business legal services, which could be helpful to some entrepreneurs. But some of their prices are on the higher side, and upsells throughout the order process could have you spending more than you intended.
If you’re seeking alternatives, check out ZenBusiness. We’re proud to offer our customers the best value and service. Like LegalZoom, we’ll form your LLC for free (plus 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 24,367 Trustpilot reviews, we’ve got a 4.8/5 average score. We pride ourselves on 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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LegalZoom, one of the most well-known services online, has formed more than 2 million businesses since 2001. Check out the comparison reviews below if you’d like to see how this giant stacks up to other good LLC websites.
LegalZoom compared to:
Incorporate.com and LegalZoom don’t help with steps like New York’s publication requirements. ZenBusiness does, though. If you need help with NY publication requirements, check out our New York publication service for more information.
Both LegalZoom and Incorporate.com offer a variety of upsells throughout the order form for starting an LLC or corporation. Common upsells include getting an EIN, adding registered agent service, creating an operating agreement, and more. With either service, you’ll need to be careful to read the fine print to know what services you’re opting into, the renewal terms for those services, and the anticipated costs.
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.
Incorporate.com’s website does acknowledge that they sometimes offer refunds. You can cancel an order and get a refund (minus a service fee) if you request the cancellation before Incorporate.com has submitted your paperwork to a government agency. If you request a refund after the forms are filed, Incorporate.com will decide whether or not to give you one. The wording of their refund policy sounds like these refunds are uncommon, however.
With either brand, state fees are non-refundable once they’re paid.
Incorporate.com doesn’t publish any promised formation speeds, so their formation speeds are likely based on the formation speeds of your state. Meanwhile, LegalZoom promises to process your paperwork within 5-14 business days if you use standard processing. You can also upgrade to expedited processing for a one-day turnaround.
You absolutely can form an LLC on your own. Using a formation service can be really helpful, though. Services like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, and Incorporate.com 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.
Incorporate.com’s brand has extensive experience (especially through the company that owns its trademark, Corporation Service Company). LegalZoom’s biggest perk is its free LLC formation service package; you just pay state fees.
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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