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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.
Published on August 16, 2022
Updated on April 9, 2024
If you’re starting an LLC in Maryland, 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 Maryland? 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 Maryland.
Best Overall
Best Resident Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Small Budget
Best for Legal Services
Best Support for Small Business Owners
For entrepreneurs aiming to establish an LLC in Maryland, ZenBusiness offers specialized plans tailored to the state. The Starter plan ($0 plus Maryland state fees) offers a business name availability search specific to Maryland and comprehensive formation services with full support.
The Pro plan ($199 plus Maryland state fees) builds on the Starter plan’s offerings, further including an operating agreement template suitable for a Maryland LLC, an EIN, annual compliance service designed for Maryland’s regulations, and rush filing for swift business establishment within Maryland.
The Premium plan ($349 plus Maryland state fees) comprises everything in the Pro plan, along with a business document template library, domain name, website, and email services tailored for Maryland businesses.
ZenBusiness stands out as the premier choice for LLC filings in Maryland, thanks to its cost-effective foundational services. Starting at just the cost of Maryland state fees, they offer LLC filing with a 100% accuracy guarantee.
Moreover, ZenBusiness functions as a Public Benefit Corporation, blending a for-profit model with community-focused goals akin to a nonprofit.
In addition to LLC formation, ZenBusiness extends a range of supplementary services for Maryland, from resident agents to vital business tools. While availing these might adjust the pricing, ZenBusiness has historically received consistent positive feedback from its Maryland clientele.
ZenBusiness offers valuable services for budding entrepreneurs. While resident agent services are an add-on, their excellent customer support, user-friendly site, and positive reviews make them a top choice.
Northwest’s Maryland-focused plan, priced at $39 plus Maryland state fees, encompasses business formation within Maryland, complimentary resident agent services for a year (an essential for Maryland LLCs), a business address suitable for Maryland’s corporate requirements, an operating agreement attuned to Maryland’s regulations, and some additional features.
This plan presents remarkable value, particularly for those establishing an LLC in Maryland. The inclusion of resident agent services and a Maryland-centric operating agreement — two pivotal components for any Maryland LLC — emphasizes its appeal.
It’s worth noting that even if one opts out of the resident agent services tailored for Maryland, the full price of the plan remains unchanged.
Northwest Registered Agent has carved its reputation primarily for its adeptness in providing resident agent services, especially in states like Maryland. Maryland LLCs can expect more personalized customer support and prompt notification of correspondences, ensuring they stay compliant and informed.
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 resident agent needs, which are their specialty.
Swyft Filings’ Basic package, at just Maryland state fees, provides company name verification, articles of organization preparation, and document submission to Maryland authorities. It also offers online document access and lifetime customer support.
At $199 plus Maryland state fees, the Standard package includes everything from the Basic, along with a custom operating agreement for a Maryland LLC, a federal tax ID (EIN), and tools like custom banking resolution and organizational minutes for your first Maryland LLC meeting.
The Premium package, at $299 plus Maryland state fees, adds expedited Maryland filing, a comprehensive business document library, compliance notifications, a business domain and website, and a digital LLC toolkit with a company “seal”, ownership tracking ledger, and tailored ownership certificates.
Swyft Filings is highly regarded in Maryland for its top-notch customer service and consistently positive reviews.
Swyft Filings offers fast processing but doesn’t include resident agent services in their packages, making additions somewhat costly. However, they provide good value overall and strong customer support.
The Silver package includes the preparation and filing of the articles of organization, unlimited name searches, business tax consultation, business banking account offer, and lifetime compliance alerts, with free registered agent services for a year. Lifetime company alerts mean that Bizee will remind you of any reporting due dates based on your state’s requirements. You’ll also get access to a personalized online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support. This plan will cost you only Maryland filing fees.
The Gold package includes all the services included in the Silver package, plus an operating agreement template, banking resolution, an EIN tax number, and the filing of IRS Form 2553, which allows LLCs to reap the tax benefits of an S Corporation. It costs $199.
The Platinum package, at $299, includes everything in the Gold package with the advantage of free expedited filing, as well as a domain name and business email. You’ll also receive access to business contract templates, which can be extremely helpful for new business owners. There are over 25 different contracts, all created and reviewed by attorneys.
Bizee provides substantial value, especially with their Silver package that costs only state fees and includes a year of resident agent service. For first-time entrepreneurs looking to save, Bizee stands out in the competition.
Rocket Lawyer doesn’t offer standard business formation packages for Maryland LLCs. Their fee for Maryland LLC formation is $99, but this becomes free with their $39.99 membership. Maryland entrepreneurs who opt for this membership can also avail of discounted resident agent services at $111.99, down from the regular Maryland rate of $149.99.
Furthermore, membership provides access to business document templates tailored for Maryland, including an operating agreement for your Maryland LLC.
Rocket Lawyer simplifies business start-up, though it lacks some services offered by competitors. Their membership stands out, providing ongoing legal assistance and offering the best value.
MyCorporation’s Basic plan for Maryland LLCs, at $99 plus state fees, encompasses business formation, a name availability search within Maryland, and online document storage.
The Standard plan, priced at $124 (plus Maryland state fees) annually, adds the benefit of annual report filing specific to Maryland LLC regulations.
Their Deluxe plan for Maryland, at $224 (plus state fees) annually, merges the offerings of the Standard plan with resident agent services tailored for Maryland.
Lastly, the Premium plan, priced at $324 (plus Maryland state fees) annually, incorporates a service named MaintainMyBiz.
However, be cautious when dealing with MyCorporation. They have a tendency to mark up state fees, a practice that isn’t typical in the industry.
Beyond these plans, MyCorporation offers a variety of additional services for extra fees. Some of these services, like unemployment insurance and tax withholding registration, are not commonly provided by other business formation services.
We put MyCorporation on the list because of the extensive list of services they offer, although we are not a fan of the marked-up state fees that are not disclosed. They have, however, been in business for a long time and have a good Trustpilot rating.
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. It’s wise to 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.
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.
Published on July 3, 2022
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