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Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes
Last Updated: December 4, 2025
*Mr. Cuban may receive financial compensation for his support.
LegalZoom opened for business in 2001, and since then it has formed more than 4 million business entities. LegalZoom has significant brand power due to its consistent advertising efforts, and it has plenty of experience. The company is also currently offering LLC formations for free (+ state fee), but it charges $249/year for registered agent service.
✔ When it comes to experience and brand recognition, LegalZoom impresses. They have millions of business customers.✔ LegalZoom offers a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee that you can leverage at any time within 60 days of your purchase. It’s nearly identical to the refund policy we have at ZenBusiness.✔ LegalZoom’s extended customer service hours run from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on weekends.✔ Beyond your LLC formation, LegalZoom has a wide variety of other business and personal services available — more than most competitors.
✘ While LegalZoom offers a $0 (+ state fee) LLC formation package, it has high prices for some other services. For example, LegalZoom charges $249/year for registered agent service. Additionally, if you’d like to form a corporation instead of an LLC, LegalZoom charges at least $149 while ZenBusiness will still do it for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee.
LegalZoom offers three levels of LLC formation service packages: Basic, Pro, and Premium. To review the full details of each package yourself, take a look at the breakdown below.
➢ Business Name Availability Check: LegalZoom searches the business database of the state where you’re forming an LLC to determine whether the business name you want is available or if it’s claimed by another entity.
➢ Preparation of Your Articles of Organization: This document is the form required by the state to create your new LLC. LegalZoom will draft your Articles of Organization for your state of formation.
➢ 1-800Accountant consultation: Like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers a free 1-800Accountant consultation to discuss tax savings services.
Includes everything from the Basic package, plus…
➢ Operating Agreement: This is an internal document that outlines several important aspects of how your LLC functions. LegalZoom will provide a template for you to create an operating agreement for your new LLC.
➢ EIN: Also known as a Federal Tax ID number, an employer identification number (EIN) is essentially a Social Security number for a business entity. LegalZoom will acquire your EIN from the IRS.
➢ Access to legal document templates: For one year, you get access to over 150 customizable legal documents.
➢ 30-Day Subscription to Assist: You get thirty days of free access to LegalZoom’s attorney assistance program, which gives you unlimited 30-minute consultations about new legal questions. You can also have your contracts and legal documents reviewed by an attorney.
Includes everything from the Pro package, plus…
➢ 6 Month Subscription to Bookkeeping Tools: You’ll have access to a bookkeeping app to help track expenses, create invoices, and maximize tax deductions. This service renews at $9.99/month after the trial expires.
Compare ZenBusiness Plans
$0
+ state fees | does not renew
Starter
Standard
$199
+ state fees | renews at $199/yr
Pro
Most Popular
$349
$399
Save $50
+ state fees | renews at $399/yr
Premium
Best Value
*Processing times are based on receiving complete information. ZenBusiness processing times do not include Secretary of State processing times, which can vary.**Starter includes one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance (renews at $199/yr).***See full offer details. Deposit products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.† SPECIAL OFFERS – Each package includes special service offers. After the initial period ends, these services automatically renew at their regular price. You can cancel these services at any time before or after the introductory period ends.
At the end of the day, LegalZoom has some meaningful positives, but they also have some disadvantages that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here’s when you should and shouldn’t form an LLC with LegalZoom.
If you place a high value on working with an experienced online legal service, LegalZoom is an option. The company’s long hours of availability and free LLC formation package are also points in its favor, but keep in mind you will still have to pay state filing fees.
If you want to save some money on other features, there are some alternative LLC services that can beat what LegalZoom has to offer. LegalZoom charges $149 to form a corporation and $249 for registered agent service, while ZenBusiness charges $0 and $199, respectively.
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Start your LLC with ZenBusiness
Pricing starts at just $0 + state fee
Frequently Asked Questions About LegalZoom
LegalZoom has been around since 2001, and they’ve served millions of customers with reliable and trustworthy business services since then. Their customer feedback used to be a bit of a mixed bag, but it has improved in recent years.
They have thousands of reviews available online, and more of them are positive than negative. Their clients appreciate their speedy services, but they also have some issues with inconsistent customer support.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any discount codes for LegalZoom. LegalZoom does have reasonable pricing to begin with, but it’s disappointing that there aren’t any ways to knock their rates down a bit.
LegalZoom has a 100% satisfaction guarantee that’s nearly identical to the ZenBusiness refund policy. If you request a refund within 60 days of your purchase date, they’ll provide it with no questions asked. This is one of the industry’s best refund policies, in our opinion.
It depends. Each state has a way to reserve a business name before forming your entity itself. In general, this is only necessary if you aren’t yet ready to enter the LLC formation process.
If you’re ready to start your business, there’s no reason to reserve your name before forming your LLC. That said, we will note that certain states (like Alabama) require you to reserve a name before you form your business.
We contacted LegalZoom’s customer support via phone, and they told us that they don’t offer assistance with publication requirements because that step technically occurs after the business entity itself is formed. Interested in a company that will handle this process for you? Take a look at ZenBusiness — we will take care of your New York publication step.
You can contact LegalZoom via phone by calling one of the phone numbers listed on their website (there are three, two of which are dedicated to sales and customer care). They also have a chat feature available on their website.
Yes, there’s no requirement that you be present in the U.S. to form an LLC. In fact, you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen or resident to form an LLC either, as foreign nationals are allowed to own and operate LLCs just like U.S. citizens are.
LegalZoom offers more additional services than the majority of its competitors, partially due to the fact that they provide many personal services in addition to their business offerings. For example, they can help individuals with their last will and testament, power of attorney, divorce proceedings, etc.
As for their business services, LegalZoom offers registered agent service, trademark and copyright protection, doing business as (DBA) names, amendments, dissolutions, foreign qualifications, conversions, annual reports, operating agreements, EIN acquisition, business licensing, and more. See more here: LegalZoom LLC and Corporate Dissolution Service Review
This is a tough question to answer without knowing the specific needs of your unique business. Some entrepreneurs enjoy getting an EIN included with their LLC formation, even if it means spending extra to add it on.
The convenience of not having to get one themselves through the IRS is worth it, and they like to have Articles of Organization and EIN confirmation in the same place — the LLC service’s dashboard. However, we understand if you’d rather save some money and acquire your own EIN from the IRS directly, which is free.
LegalZoom’s biggest advantage is their long track record and large customer base, while their biggest disadvantage is that many of their popular services are more expensive than similar options from ZenBusiness.
Experience matters and LegalZoom has plenty of it. They have been around for decades and have helped millions of customers form and manage businesses. Their longevity and customer volume are an advantage over many competitors.
When it comes to disadvantages, their overall pricing for several popular services is often higher than alternatives. For example, LegalZoom charges at least $149 plus state fees to form a corporation (ZenBusiness has a $0 plus state fees Starter Package) and $249/year for registered agent service (ZenBusiness charges $199 per year).
Yes. LegalZoom offers registered agent service for $249 per year, and it also provides annual report services for $199 (plus state fee).
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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