Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through links in this guide. That does not change your price. This is a documentary assessment of published information, not a hands-on test or a claim that I used this service.
Research checked October 5, 2026. U.S. pricing unless stated otherwise; checkout, taxes, location and selected services can change the total.
LegalZoom makes more sense when you want to compare filing assistance and optional legal support in the same purchasing process. Its familiar name is not the decision. The decision is whether the specific package gives you help you will actually use, at a total cost you understand.
For a simple LLC, a basic filing service may be enough. For a founder who wants attorney access for defined questions, a higher package could be more useful. Keep those cases separate: preparation of a state document and advice about a business decision are different services.
Start with the current LLC offer
LegalZoom’s LLC overview advertises Basic at $0 plus state fees, Pro at $249 plus state fees, and Premium at $299 plus state fees. Those are dated public package amounts. The final order and subscription terms matter more than a price copied into an older review.
Higher packages add setup or support benefits beyond the formation filing. Read the line items instead of assuming Premium means every service is permanently included. Time-limited attorney access or another introductory subscription can create a later recurring charge. Ask what renews, what the renewal costs, and how to stop it.
A useful way to choose is to identify the one additional task you need most. If it is an operating agreement for unusual ownership, check whether the package actually supplies individualized legal help for that arrangement. If it is EIN handling, compare the convenience charge with doing the eligible IRS application yourself.
Registered-agent service is a separate cost decision
The registered-agent page lists $249 per year and describes automatic renewal. It advertises scanning and digital access to official correspondence, deadline reminders and assistance with changing agents. Verify the applicable change filing and coverage for your state.
Do not assume that buying an LLC package automatically gives you permanent registered-agent service. Mark the included duration, if any, in your own purchase record. Compare the annual charge with the service scope and your need for centralization, rather than treating the expense as unavoidable because you used LegalZoom for formation.
An agent’s job is to receive specified official documents. You still need to respond to lawsuits, keep licenses current, make filings and pay taxes. A reminder helps prevent an overlooked task; it does not perform that task unless your contract explicitly includes filing assistance.
Attorney access: ask about boundaries first
LegalZoom’s business services catalogue includes legal-support offerings. That can be relevant when a founder wants help reviewing a contract or addressing a defined legal question. It is not enough to see the word attorney in a feature list. Check your state, the permitted topics, consultation length, document limits and exclusions.
Ask whether the service includes an attorney-client relationship for the issue you raise, whether litigation representation is excluded, and what work carries a separate fee. A short consultation can identify a risk without providing the full work needed to resolve it. That is still useful, as long as you understand the deliverable.
For an ecommerce founder, a supplier agreement, product claim, employment arrangement or ownership dispute may be more important than the formation form. Describe the actual question when assessing a legal plan. The cheapest way to file an entity is not necessarily the cheapest way to resolve a contract problem.
Where a basic filing package fits
Basic deserves consideration when the structure and state have already been chosen, the company has uncomplicated ownership, and you can complete the remaining setup tasks. It provides a route for submitting formation information while keeping the initial provider fee low.
The limitation is the work outside that scope. List tax registrations, permits, bookkeeping, account verification and ownership documents you still need. Assign each to yourself or a qualified adviser. The presence of an LLC record is not permission to perform every regulated activity.
Also check the timing. State processing can differ from a provider’s preparation speed. If you have a supplier onboarding deadline, do not schedule it around an unqualified promise of instant formation. Ask what milestone the quoted delivery time actually describes.
Compare total cost without mixing categories
Build separate rows for the formation service, state fee, agent renewal, legal subscription, document work and later compliance filings. Then compare a like-for-like combination with Bizee or Northwest Registered Agent. Do not compare an attorney-support bundle with another company’s bare filing charge and call the difference an overpayment.
On the other hand, a bundle can be poor value if you will not use the extra services. An included consultation has no practical benefit if it expires before you have a question ready. Schedule that question before buying, or choose a simpler order and obtain legal help when needed.
The IRS EIN guidance confirms that applying directly carries no IRS fee. Some founders can use the online process; others must follow another application route. A paid application service purchases help, not a different kind of EIN.
Check privacy and address claims carefully
A provider address in the registered-agent field can reduce exposure of your home address in that field. It does not make all ownership information private. Look at the actual formation and reporting forms for your state, and identify the information that will appear publicly.
Separate a business mailing address from a physical operating location. A bank or processor can request more information than the state needed for formation. Do not describe a mail-receiving address as premises you occupy if that is not true. Ask each institution whether your proposed address arrangement meets its requirements.
Privacy also depends on what you submit later. An annual report or license application may collect more information. Keep an approved address-use record so you do not accidentally publish a personal address in a later filing.
A current compliance check
Review government instructions before accepting a compliance add-on. FinCEN’s BOI page currently says U.S.-created companies are exempt from BOI reporting, while foreign-created reporting companies follow a different framework. Older formation checklists may contain outdated advice.
That does not remove state reports or tax obligations. It means you should verify each claimed requirement against the agency that administers it. Keep a simple calendar showing the obligation, deadline, source and responsible person. Your subscription list should be a separate document so government requirements and optional services do not get confused.
My verdict
LegalZoom is worth evaluating when you value a guided formation process and may use its defined legal-support options. It is less compelling when all you need is a narrow filing task and you will not use the extras. The right package depends on the business problem, the renewal terms and the scope of help.
Review the current LegalZoom offer after making a list of required tasks. Buy the package that covers those tasks, and treat anything outside its written scope as work you still need to arrange.
Related guides
- LegalZoom legal-support plans
- Bizee vs LegalZoom
- Remote business foundations
Build the business behind the tools
The tools in this guide are part of a bigger picture. At Ecommerce Paradise, I teach how to build and run a high-ticket ecommerce business. Start with a clear business model, then choose the tools that help you execute it.
If you are still figuring out the model, read my high-ticket dropshipping guide. You will understand the relationship between your store, suppliers, customers, and profit before spending money on software.
For product research, use my high-ticket niches list to explore categories and narrow down your ideas. Go deep before you go wide.
Next, work through my supplier sourcing guide so you know how to research manufacturers and approach them about becoming an authorized dealer.
My business formation checklist helps you organize the legal and financial setup. Use it to prepare your questions and confirm the requirements that apply to your business.
Get help putting the pieces together
If you want me to help you work through your next decisions, check out my private coaching. Bring your actual questions so we can focus on what is holding you up.
If you want a complete business build, take a look at the done-for-you store service. Review the scope and choose the support that fits your situation.
Trevor Fenner is the founder of Ecommerce Paradise. His main projects are Ecommerce Paradise, Supplier Paradise, and Review Paradise, which is currently in development. TrevorFenner.com publishes research-based reviews and practical guides to online business tools and remote-work services, with clear affiliate disclosures.