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Written by: Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Updated on April 26, 2023
If you’re starting an LLC, the business entity formation process is one of the first and most important hurdles. This step can be terribly complex and time-consuming, which is why many entrepreneurs turn to professional formation services.
But which are the best LLC formation services in Alabama? This article takes a closer look, stepping into an entrepreneur’s shoes, to help you choose the service that puts you on the road to success.
Here we summarize our top four picks of business formation services in Alabama.
ZenBusiness offers free business formation plan (unlike many other competitors), has great customer service and the site is ease to use.
Northwest Registered Agent differentiates itself from competitors with transparent pricing, great customer service, and a commitment to maintaining your privacy.
We recommend Incfile because of good quality services with a lot of features and affordable online incorporation services.
The BizFilings Basic Plan and Standard Plan both offer good value, and the site is easy to use.
With a Rocket Lawyer membership, you can form your business for free and get documents such as an operating agreement, for which other services charge a fee.
ZenBusiness has three business formation plans to choose from, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $299. They have a great track record with BBB, competitive pricing, and a seamless formation process.
ZenBusiness’s Starter Plan costs $0 plus state fees, and includes a business name availability search in the relevant state’s database, and the business formation service with full customer support. It also offers a few extras, including an accounting consultation to help you get started with your finances. You’ll also have access to your formation documents online at any time.
The Pro Plan includes all the services above plus an operating agreement template and annual compliance service, which means ZenBusiness will remind you of reporting due dates based on state requirements. The plan also includes expedited filing so that your LLC is approved and ready to go faster. The Pro Plan costs $199 plus state fees.
ZenBusiness also offers a Premium Plan for $299 plus state fees, which includes everything in the Pro Plan with the advantage of rush filing, as well as a business domain name, website, and email.
Note that none of these plans include registered agent services. They are available for an additional $99 fee. ZenBusiness also has a document library that customers can access for $99.
ZenBusiness provides extremely valuable services for aspiring business owners. Each of the ZenBusiness plans includes a robust list of services. One small drawback is that a registered agent service is an add-on. However, great customer support, easy-to-use site and positive customer reviews add it to the top of our list.
Northwest Registered Agent handles the business formation process for you, making it nearly seamless while offering additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner. Whether you’re forming a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation, Northwest Registered Agent takes care of all the red tape so you don’t have to.
Northwest’s plan, at $225 plus state fees includes business formation, free registered agent services for a year, a business address, an operating agreement, and a few extras.
This plan is a fairly good value since registered agent services and an operating agreement, which is very important, is included.
But if you do not choose the registered agent services, you’re still charged the full plan price. However, Northwest Registered Agent is offering a special price of $39 for the package if you use this link!
Overall, Northwest Registered Agent provides valuable services for aspiring business owners. They can ensure that your new business gets off on the right foot. Their service is easy to use and offers a great customer experience, which we learned from testing their support services, reading countless customer reviews, and moving through their online formation process.
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent because of their transparent pricing, outstanding customer service, and a commitment to maintaining your privacy.
Northwest Registered Agent can take the time and hassle out of starting your business and the ongoing process of staying in compliance with your state’s laws. Their streamlined pricing is uncommon amongst competitors, so you’ll have more control over what you pay for.
Incfile offers three business formation packages: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Silver Package is free and includes free registered agent services for one year. Incfile also gives customers access to an online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support.
The free Silver Package includes the preparation and filing of the articles of organization and unlimited name searches. It also includes free registered agent services for a year, making it a great value for only the $200 Alabama filing fee.
The $149 Gold Package offers the added services of an operating agreement, business tax consultation, and lifetime company alerts. It has a few other benefits as well, so it’s an overall good value with a total cost of $349.
The $299 Platinum Package, with a total of $499 including the state fee, has the additional benefit of expedited filing as well as domain name and business filing. You’ll also receive access to business contract templates. However, if you have either the Silver or Gold package, you can gain access to the entire document library for $150.
Incfile also offers a number of a la carte services. For a fee, Incfile can handle tasks like filing your annual report and changing your registered agent.
Incfile is great for entrepreneurs on a budget, as their Silver Package covers the basics and includes a free year of their registered agent service. Competitors like LegalZoom and Swyft Filings have a more robust suite of services, but can be more expensive.
The BizFilings Basic Plan offers good value, since they offer a few extras with the plan, including registered agent services for six months. You can purchase extra services with all their plans, including an operating agreement and other forms, and a business license research package.
They don’t offer as many services as some competitors, but if you’re just interested in forming your business, they are a good option.
The $99 Basic Plan, for a total with state fees of $299 in Alabama, includes a business name availability search and the business formation service, as well as registered agent services for six months, which is something some competitors do not offer. It also offers a 24/7 business monitoring tool, and a library of common business documents.
The $229 Standard Plan includes all the services included in the Basic Plan with the addition of an LLC kit and seal, an operating agreement and other form templates, and expedited processing. In Alabama, the cost with state fees is $429. A state fee for expedited filing will apply.
The $359 Complete Plan includes everything in the Standard Plan with several added benefits:
The cost with state fees is $559.
Most of the BizFilings plans and services offer good value. Their site is easy to use, and they offer a great customer service experience. They don’t offer as many services as some competitors, but if you’re just looking for a business formation service, they are a good option. If you’re looking for more services, LegalZoom might be a better choice.
Unlike most other LLC formation services, Rocket Lawyer does not offer packages of services, just a la carte service options. They also offer a $39.99 per month subscription service on their site with which you can get legal services, documents, and advice. The subscription has a seven-day free trial.
With a $39.99 per month Rocket Lawyer subscription, the business formation service comes with no fee, except for the $200 Alabama state fee, and you can get a 25% discount on registered agent services. The subscription gives you access to a host of business document templates, including an operating agreement.
Without a subscription, the business formation service costs $99 plus the $200 Alabama filing fee. You can also purchase other services, including expedited business filing for $100 and an EIN for $59.
Rocket Lawyer is a unique option, not offering packages of business formation services, but rather a subscription service that allows you to form your business for free and get access to a host of business form templates. We feel that the best value they offer is their subscription membership, which offers robust assistance for any legal concerns.
A business formation service handles the business formation process for you, making it nearly seamless while offering additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner. Whether you’re forming a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation, a business formation service takes care of all the red tape, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
With so many business formation services to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. There are four essential elements that can help you make your decision.
Each service offers various products, some more than others, and their plans are all designed differently. You may need some products but not others, so you need to choose a service that has everything you need.
For example, some services offer annual report filing, while others do not. If it’s important to you to have that task off your plate, you’ll want a service that offers that feature.
Another feature you might need is a digital dashboard where you can always access your business formation documents. You’ll want to choose a service that has everything you need to make starting and running your business as easy as possible.
One good way to learn about the quality of anything you’re buying is to listen to what people are saying about it. When we review services we look at Better Business Bureau ratings and reviews, as well as TrustPilot reviews. You should look at both positive and negative reviews to find out what people love about the service and issues customers have encountered.
Remember that fake reviews are common, so you’ll have to take some of the reviews with a grain of salt.
Of course, you’ll want to get the best value for your money!
Compare the cost of each service for everything you need. The price can really add up when you start adding extras, so be careful not to go too far. You also want to get good value and great customer service, so if you’re considering the cheapest service, check the reviews to see how people felt about it.
Business formation turnaround times vary with each service, so if you’re in a hurry to get your business up and running, you’ll want to look for the quickest service. You don’t want your order to sit in an office for too long before your paperwork gets filed with the state. Some services differentiate themselves with fast turnaround times, so if they also offer good value, that might be your best choice.
As an entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In nearly every case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewers are able to provide the most complete and insightful analysis of various LLC formation services.
Overall, LegalZoom is a reliable service that has been around for a while. If you need a one-stop shop for legal and business services, they are probably your best bet.
Rocket Lawyer is a unique option, not offering packages of business formation services, but a subscription service that allows you to form your business for free and get access to a host of business form templates.
Incfile is great for entrepreneurs on a budget, as their Silver Package covers the basics and includes a free year of their registered agent service. Competitors like LegalZoom and Swyft Filings have a more robust suite of services, but can be more expensive.
Most of the BizFilings plans and services are good value. Their site is easy to use, and they offer a great customer service experience. They don’t offer as many services as some competitors, but if you’re just looking for a business formation service, they are a good option.
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