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Written by: Coralee Bechteler
Coralee is a business writer with experience in administrative services, education, and software testing.
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 September 12, 2023
If you’re starting an LLC in California, 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 California? 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 picks of business formation services in California.
Best for Startups
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Small Budget
Best Variety of Legal Services
Best for Speedy Filing and Retrieval of Documents
Best for Variety of Business-Essential Services
ZenBusiness offers tailored plans for entrepreneurs in the Golden State. The Starter plan is priced at $0 plus California state fees, ensuring a business name availability search and formation with dedicated support within the boundaries of California.
The Pro plan, at $199 plus California state fees, includes all the offerings of the Starter plan, an operating agreement template specifically for California LLCs, an EIN, an annual compliance service tailored for California regulations, and rush filing.
Their Premium plan, priced at $349 plus California state fees, offers all the advantages of the Pro plan with the addition of a business document template library, domain name, website, and email.
For those setting up an LLC in California, ZenBusiness emerges as our top recommendation due to its competitively priced base service. This includes LLC filing specific to California and a 100% accuracy guarantee starting at $0 plus state fees.
Notably, ZenBusiness operates as a Public Benefit Corporation, signifying its commitment to operate as a for-profit entity while also championing community goals akin to a nonprofit.
Beyond merely LLC formation in California, ZenBusiness offers an array of supplementary services, ranging from registered agents to vital business tools. However, taking advantage of these can lead to additional costs.
ZenBusiness offers valuable services for budding entrepreneurs. While registered agent services are an add-on, their excellent customer support, user-friendly site, and positive reviews make them a top choice.
Northwest’s plan is priced at $39 plus California state fees. It encompasses business formation in California, complimentary registered agent services for one year, a business address within the state, an operating agreement suited for California LLCs, and additional benefits.
Given the state-specific requirements, this plan presents an outstanding value for those forming an LLC in California. It encompasses critical services such as a registered agent and an operating agreement tailored for the state’s regulations — both of which are integral to maintaining a compliant California LLC.
However, it’s essential to note that even if you opt out of the registered agent services specific to California, the full plan price remains unchanged.
Northwest Registered Agent, as suggested by its moniker, has gained prominence mainly for their registered agent services. Especially within California, they stand out for offering personalized customer support and prompt correspondence notifications. This ensures businesses in California are always updated and in line with the state’s mandates.
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent because of their transparent pricing, outstanding customer service, and a commitment to maintaining your privacy. They pride themselves on personalizing their approach to meeting your registered agent needs, which are their specialty.
For future entrepreneurs in California, Swyft Filings offers state-tailored packages. Their Basic package, priced solely at California state fees, provides company name verification, preparation of the articles of organization tailored for California, and document submission with the California state office. Additionally, clients receive online access to their documents and lifelong customer support.
For those looking to avail of a more comprehensive plan, the Standard package can be purchased at $199 plus California state fees. This covers all services from the Basic package, with the enhancement of a custom operating agreement adapted for California LLCs and a federal tax ID or EIN. Moreover, clients in California can access custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes — a document integral to establishing your inaugural LLC meeting in the state.
Swyft Filings’ Premium package is designed to offer everything from the Standard package, augmented with expedited filing for California, a comprehensive business document library, reminders for compliance specific to California regulations, and a business domain name and website. Additionally, it comprises a digital LLC kit tailored for California businesses. This kit includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger optimized for tracking ownership transfers in California, and personalized ownership certificates designed for California LLCs. The Premium package comes at the cost of $299 plus California state filing fees.
Across the board, Swyft Filings stands out for its exemplary customer support and maintains a commendable reputation through positive customer reviews, especially for services related to California LLCs.
Swyft Filings offers fast processing but doesn’t include registered agent services in their packages, making additions somewhat costly. However, they provide good value overall and strong customer support.
Incfile caters to aspiring LLC owners in California, too. The Silver package, priced at California state fees, handles the preparation and filing of the articles of organization, offers unlimited name searches, and includes a year of free registered agent services.
The Gold package, available at $199, builds upon the Silver plan by adding a California-specific operating agreement template, lifetime company alerts, business tax consultation, an EIN, IRS Form 2553 filing, banking resolution services, and extended support via a personalized dashboard, phone, and email.
The Platinum package, at $299, combines all the Gold offerings with expedited California filing, a business domain name and email, and access to over 20 attorney-reviewed business contract templates, providing a comprehensive foundation for new entrepreneurs in the state.
In essence, Incfile ensures a seamless LLC formation process in California, with packages that cater to diverse business needs, emphasizing compliance, support, and valuable additional services.
Incfile provides substantial value, especially with their Silver package that costs only state fees and includes a year of registered agent service. For first-time entrepreneurs looking to save, Incfile stands out in the competition.
For those establishing an LLC in California, LegalZoom offers packages adapted to the state’s specific requirements:
The Basic plan, priced solely at California state fees, provides a business name availability search in the state and business formation services. Clients benefit from full customer support, a digital welcome packet, a business website, and online access to their formation documents.
The Pro plan, available for $249, builds on the Basic plan by introducing a California-specific operating agreement, an EIN, a business license guide tailored to California’s regulations, and initial phone interactions with specialists.
At $299, the Premium plan incorporates all Pro plan offerings and goes a step further, providing unlimited 30-minute consultations with attorneys and changes to your California LLC for 30 days, complemented by direct guidance from a business attorney.
LegalZoom stands out in California not only for its LLC formation services but also for its expansive range of additional legal services and documentation, catering to the unique needs of businesses in the state.
LegalZoom’s services are easy to use and they offer great customer experience. They offer a wider variety of legal services and have been in business for more than 20 years. Overall, they’re a great one-stop shop for all of your business formation and legal needs.
SunDoc offers a Basic plan that includes business formation, a business license summary, and email delivery of your documents. This package costs $79 plus California filing fees.
Their Key plan, which comes at the cost of $99 plus California filing fees, has the additional benefit of a name availability search, which is odd since most services offer this in their base plan.
Their Premier plan, which costs $279, includes an EIN and an LLC kit and seal. The LLC kit includes multiple business document templates, including an operating agreement and a resolution.
Many other services — like registered agent and operating agreement — are offered for additional fees.
SunDoc Filings distinguishes itself with outstanding customer service, which is reflected in its Trustpilot score and reviews.
If you’re looking for excellent customer service, SunDoc Filings is a great choice and their Premier plan is a good value compared to competitors. Their registered agent services are also reasonably priced at $149 annually.
For businesses in California, Tailor Brands provides packages adapted to the Golden State’s specifications:
The Lite plan, priced at $49 plus California state fees, facilitates your business formation with the state, adhering to standard state processing durations.
The Essential plan, designed especially for California entrepreneurs, comes at $199 annually. This package goes beyond the Lite plan by incorporating an annual compliance service tailored to California’s regulations, a state-specific operating agreement, and expedited processing.
For those aiming for a comprehensive package, the Elite plan, priced at $249 annually, integrates modern business necessities like a domain name, eight logos tailored for the California market, a business website builder, and other valuable extras.
Tailor Brands distinguishes itself in California by not only addressing LLC formation needs but also equipping new businesses with cutting-edge tools, such as logo makers, websites, and domain names, ensuring a holistic brand-building experience.
Tailor Brands’ plans are a decent value, but the main reason that we chose them for the list is the extensive business tools they offer. If you can overcome their aggressive sales tactics, you can access a variety of services to meet all your business needs.
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 and services, and their plans are all designed differently. You may need some services but not others, so you need to choose the service that offers everything you need. For example, only some of the providers offer annual report filing.
If it’s important to you to get 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.
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 feel 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.
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 about the 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.
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.
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