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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 May 8, 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 Illinois? 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 five picks of business formation services in Illinois.
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.
BetterLegal offers one business formation plan for $299 plus state fees, and affordable registered agent services.
The BizFilings Basic Plan and Standard Plan both offer good value and the site is easy to use.
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, plus state fees, and includes free registered agent services for one year. Incfile also gives customers access to an online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support.
In Illinois, the 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 at a fee of $150, which is the state 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. In Illinois, the total cost with the state fee is $299.
The $299 Platinum Package in Illinois, for a total of $449, 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.
BetterLegal’s LLC Formation Plan is their only packaged offering. For $299 plus state fees, it includes an operating agreement, employer identification number (EIN), and the business formation service. It also includes amendment or document research services and a business website.
In Illinois, the LLC Formation Plan costs a one-time fee of $299 plus the $150 Illinois filing fee and includes business name availability search and preparation and filing of the articles of organization. It also includes an operating agreement draft which allows you to record all pertinent information related to the ownership of your business, governance and business structure.
The BetterLegal LLC Formation Plan also includes a federal tax identification number. You’ll need this number to open a business bank account to pay your employees as well as your taxes when they become due.
The plan also comes with free website services, insurance evaluation, and tax analysis. BetterLegal is known for being a leading tax services provider, so you can rest assured that you’ll receive expert tax advice. You also receive amendment or document research services, minute templates, officer designation, banking resolution, and S corp tax election.
Note that this plan does not include registered agent services, which you can add for $10 per month or $90 per year.
BetterLegal is a bit more expensive compared to competitors, especially Incfile. However, their registered agent services are better priced and also offer a monthly payment option, which is unique.
The BizFilings Basic Plan offers a good value compared to others, 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 includes a business name availability search through your state and the business formation service, as well as registered agent services for six months, which is something that some competitors do not offer. It also offers a 24/7 business monitoring tool, and a library of common business documents. In Illinois the total price is $249.
The $229 Standard Plan includes all the services included in the basic plan, but with the addition of an LLC kit and seal, an operating agreement and other form templates, and expedited processing. The total cost for the plan in Illinois is $379 plus a state fee for expedited filing.
The $359 Complete Plan includes everything in the Standard Plan with several added benefits including:
The total cost of this plan in Illinois is $509 plus a state fee for expedited filing.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
Using a business formation service to start your Illinois LLC frees you up to focus on growing your business. These services handle the filing process for you and offer additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner.
When assessing whether or not a business formation service is right for you, it’s important to dive into the following four categories: included features, customer service, pricing, and turnaround time.
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.
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.
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