Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom

Do LegalZoom and Northwest offer good value?

Before we dive into our comprehensive comparison of Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom, let’s briefly outline a couple of differences between these LLC formation services.

First and foremost, Northwest includes a full year of registered agent service with any LLC service purchase, while LegalZoom doesn’t include this service in any of its LLC formation packages. However, LegalZoom offers a free (+ state fee) LLC package, while Northwest charges $225. In general, LegalZoom is a solid Northwest alternative.

6 Things They Have in Common

1) Affordable: Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom can both help with your LLC formation without costing you an arm and a leg like hiring a business attorney to draft and file your formation documents.

2) Customer Support: This is one of the biggest reasons these services can be a benefit to you. Instead of going it alone when you have questions, you can contact their customer service department and get answers from knowledgeable professionals.

3) Experience: With thousands upon thousands of satisfied customers, LegalZoom and Northwest Registered Agent have the experience necessary to earn your trust.

4) Additional Services: After your LLC formation, these companies still have a lot to offer. Their business services can provide solutions for ongoing compliance requirements, including registered agent service and more.

5) Educational: Their websites have a number of free tools to help you learn about the business world and run your LLC. Both companies provide information on issues that confront many business owners, like asset protection, licensing, permits, etc.

6) Efficiency: Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom both offer expedited services that can speed up your formation process ― often from weeks or even months down to mere days. This costs extra, of course, but it can be worth it if you’re in a hurry.

Side-by-Side Comparisons

Pricing

Northwest: At $225, their price point is high compared to many competitors. Still, the inclusion of a full year of their registered agent service is a good feature that makes their pricing more attractive. Once the first year is up, the registered agent service will renew at $125 per year.

LegalZoom: While LegalZoom does offer a $0 (+ state fee) package for LLCs, the number of upsells can get overwhelming — and expensive. They charge $199 per year for registered agent service.

Experience

Northwest: Northwest Registered Agent has been around since 1998, and since then, they’ve served 2+ million customers.

LegalZoom: LegalZoom has served more than 2 million business customers since it started offering business services online in 2001.

Customer Support

Northwest: Northwest offers phone and email support. We first tested their email support, and while it took nearly 24 hours to receive an email back, the response was detailed, and the rep went beyond simply answering our question and checking off an email response. We also called and received similarly impressive service. The representative who answered the phone took the time to ask for details so that he could give us the most accurate answer.

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.

Turnaround Times

Northwest: When you select your state from the dropdown menu of the application, an estimated turnaround time will display on the screen. Most states have expedited service available for an additional fee, so you’ll see two turnaround times on the order form.

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).

Customer Reviews

Northwest: Northwest Registered Agent doesn’t have a ton of customer feedback, but they do have around 800 reviews, and they’re mostly positive.

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.

Ease of Use

Northwest: The application process with Northwest is streamlined and easy to follow. You simply enter your personal info and business details and pay for the order. There aren’t any upsells, and Northwest only offers one LLC formation service package.

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.

Additional Services

These companies provide many similar services, and you can count on either of them to provide registered agent service, annual reports, foreign registrations, and more.

However, LegalZoom has a wide variety of personal services that Northwest Registered Agent doesn’t offer. For instance, you can count on LegalZoom to create your estate plan or draft a pet protection agreement. They also offer their business clients consultations with attorneys, which Northwest doesn’t. However, Northwest also has a couple of services LegalZoom doesn’t have, like mail forwarding and virtual offices.

Which is the best LLC formation website for you?

Even though they are both good LLC formation websites, there are plenty of differences between Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom. However, you may prefer one over the other for different reasons than we do. With that in mind, here are a couple of scenarios that can help you make your choice between these two services and us at ZenBusiness.

➥ Choose Northwest Registered Agent if:

Are you looking for personalized customer support? Perhaps you place a high value on registered agent service? Northwest Registered Agent could be an option. Overall, they’re a decent LegalZoom alternative.

➦ Choose LegalZoom if:

Do you prefer using the service that is more well-known, with a high volume of customers and lots of brand recognition? Do you want to save some money on your LLC formation? If so, LegalZoom might be worth a look.

🎉 Choose ZenBusiness if:

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.