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Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes
Are you looking to form an LLC, but you don’t want to go it alone? Fortunately, there are plenty of reputable companies out there like MyCorporation and LegalZoom that can help you with LLC services. But how do you know which one you should choose for your formation?
With this MyCorporation vs. LegalZoom comparison, all the information you need to make a decision — from commonalities to major differences — is laid out in a convenient fashion. We’ll also examine how these companies compare to a top competitor.
MyCorporation and LegalZoom are two of the most popular LLC formation services in America, and they’re both options to form your new company. They each have some advantages over the other.
Most importantly, LegalZoom’s pricing is more affordable than MyCorporation’s, even for similar services. Furthermore, LegalZoom has extended customer support availability, which MyCorporation doesn’t. However, MyCorporation includes annual report services with its higher-tier packages (LegalZoom doesn’t).
Important Note: The prices listed below for MyCorporation reflect the final prices after their required shipping fee on all packages.
If you would like to learn more about these two service providers before making your decision, read on to discover all the relevant details!
1) Affordable: Both of these LLC services are hundreds of dollars cheaper than hiring an attorney to draft and file your formation documents. It’s a nice middle ground between the formality of a lawyer and the hassle of the do-it-yourself route.
2) Customer Support: MyCorporation and LegalZoom have customer support systems that can come through in a pinch. Anytime you have a question or run into some unexpected trouble, all you have to do is pick up the phone.
3) Experience: These companies both handle high volumes of clients. With millions of customers served each, LegalZoom and MyCorporation are two well-oiled LLC service machines.
4) Additional Services: LegalZoom and MyCorporation have dozens of other services available. If you need a registered agent or help with anything from foreign qualifications to annual reports, these companies have the resources to assist with those and other requirements.
5) Satisfaction Guarantees: Both MyCorporation and LegalZoom offer satisfaction guarantees. If you’re unhappy with your LLC service for any reason, all you have to do to get a refund is ask for one.
6) Educational: LegalZoom and MyCorporation both have online learning centers with information about business formations, ongoing compliance issues, payroll services, and more.
LegalZoom: While LegalZoom does offer a $0 (+ state fee) package for LLCs, the number of upsells can get overwhelming — and expensive. They charge $249 per year for registered agent service. For dissolution information check out: LegalZoom LLC and Corporate Dissolution Service Review.
MyCorporation: Their prices look better on the surface than they really are because they charge an additional $34 for shipping and handling, a fee we’ve added to their package prices to make them easier to compare. While their $133 Basic package is expensive for such a barebones formation package, their $158 Standard package adds a year of annual report service, which is a valuable feature. They only include registered agent service with their $258 Deluxe and $358 Premium packages, and after that, their registered agent service costs $120 per year.
LegalZoom: LegalZoom has served more than 2 million business customers since it started offering business services online in 2001.
MyCorporation: They’ve served more than 1 million businesses since opening in 1998.
LegalZoom: LegalZoom offers phone and email support. We reached out twice via the email form on their site, but it took them a full week to respond. The response we received was generic, thanking us for reaching out but not answering our question.
When we contacted them via phone, our question was answered thoroughly. The representative went into detail about our different options and then sent us an email with their direct extension so that we could reach out directly with questions. Overall, while their customer service via phone is good, their online support could be improved.
MyCorporation: MyCorporation offers customer service via phone and email. We submitted a question by email and received a response by mid-afternoon the next day. Our question was answered but not greatly expanded on. We also called, and our response was slightly more detailed. We didn’t wait on hold for long, and it was easy to navigate through to a customer service representative. Its support reps are available from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET on weekdays.
LegalZoom: Their turnarounds are based on which package you order rather than which state you’re forming in. With their most expensive package, you could receive your finalized business formation documents in 7-10 business days, but their cheaper packages take as long as 30 business days (six weeks).
MyCorporation: MyCorporation isn’t very clear regarding turnaround times for forming an LLC. Depending on your state it could take a few days, or it could take several weeks. They invite you to pay an extra $100 plus the state’s fees to expedite processing “up to 85%” compared to standard filing, but they provide no specific timeframes beyond that.
LegalZoom: We found 6,000+ reviews for LegalZoom, and while they do have some negative reviews mixed in, a majority of this feedback is positive. Their satisfied customers often talk about how convenient and easy it is to use LegalZoom’s services.
MyCorporation: Of the 400 reviews we found for MyCorporation, the majority are high ratings, although their overall average score falls a bit short of some competitors.
LegalZoom: First, you’ll pick your business entity type (LLC, corporation, nonprofit) and which of LegalZoom’s three packages you’d like to purchase. From there, you fill out your business information and payment details over a series of screens that also include upsells for registered agent service, an operating agreement, an EIN, a license research package, ongoing compliance assistance, a tax consultation, ongoing legal guidance, standard or complex tax returns, a legal protection plan, two options for business bank accounts, expedited processing, and an LLC kit and seal.
MyCorporation: The application was easy to fill out, and we made it from the first page of the order form to the last screen within about ten minutes. You select your add-on options from the package selection screen before entering the application, but there is another series of upsells and third-party partnership offers right before you pay. The additional services at this stage of the application are offered based on choices you made earlier, and your price adds up on the screen as you go, including state-specific fees.
MyCorporation and LegalZoom both offer quite a few additional business services that can make your life much easier as an entrepreneur, and they provide many of the same services as well. For instance, you can purchase registered agent services, foreign qualifications, EIN acquisition, annual reports, and more from either LegalZoom or MyCorporation.
However, each of these companies has some exclusive services that you can’t order from the other one. MyCorporation offers some branding services like promotional products and apparel, retail packaging, and print marketing. Meanwhile, LegalZoom has quite a few exclusive services of their own, largely revolving around the fact that they provide personal services in addition to business services, so they can help you with things like last will and testament, divorce papers, and power of attorney.
LegalZoom and MyCorporation are both legitimate and capable companies that are worthy options for LLC service. We realize that some of you may still be undecided about which service you’d like to use, so let’s look over a few scenarios where you might prefer one over the other.
If you want managed annual report service for your LLC, MyCorporation’s Standard package could be a good fit. Overall, it’s a decent LegalZoom alternative.
Is experience a top priority? How about brand power or customer volume? Do you want to use the company with the lower price points? If these items are important to you, LegalZoom could be a fit.
If you’d like to form your LLC with ZenBusiness, we’re here to help. We offer $0 (+ state fee) LLC formations, and we have 12,000+ positive customer reviews. Form your LLC quickly and get more tools to start your dream 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:
While some of their competitors do handle state-specific requirements like publication, LegalZoom doesn’t. For what it’s worth, MyCorporation does not offer publication services either.
If you need help with NY publication requirements, check out our New York publication service for more information.
MyCorporation doesn’t drive us crazy in this regard, but it does have a list of add-on services on the first page of its order form and brings them back for a second round of upsells toward the end. LegalZoom has an extensive series of upsells throughout its order form, and it would add more than $1,000 to your order if you bought all of them.
LegalZoom has an advantage in this category thanks to its fantastic satisfaction guarantee. It’s nearly identical to the ZenBusiness refund policy.
If you’re not entirely pleased with their services, you have 60 days from the date of your initial purchase to request a refund, and they will grant it. No questions asked, no cancellation fees!
On the other hand, MyCorporation provides refunds at any time within 60 days of your initial purchase date. There may be a $25 processing fee involved, so check with them to make sure before making your request.
MyCorporation bases its turnaround times on each state’s processing speeds. In some states, it might only take a few days, but in others, it could take several weeks. As for LegalZoom, their turnaround time estimates are tied to the service package you purchase from them. Their top-tier Express Gold package is the fastest (7-10 business days), the Standard package is in the middle (15), and the Economy package is the slowest (30).
You can, and many entrepreneurs do form their own LLCs every day. However, we appreciate the peace of mind we receive from using a reputable formation service. In addition, each state has its own rules and regulations for LLC formations, so there can often be more legwork than people might expect.
LegalZoom’s offering of a free (+ state fee) LLC formation service is an advantage over some competitors, including MyCorporation. MyCorporation offers some financial services that most competitors don’t offer as optional add-ons to LLC formation. For example, they can provide assistance with income tax and unemployment insurance for your employees. Not all businesses need these of course, but it’s nice to have the option.
If you’re looking for assistance with maintaining your good standing with the state into the future, either of these companies can help. LegalZoom offers registered agent service for $249 per year, and they also have annual report service available for $99. MyCorporation offers annual report service for $99 per year and registered agent service for an annual fee of $120.
MyCorporation Comparisons
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 Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 800,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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