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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 15, 2022
Updated on April 9, 2024
If you’re starting an LLC in Montana, 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 Montana? 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 for business formation services in Montana.
Best Value
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Small Budget
Best Variety of Legal Services
Best for Variety of Business-Essential Services
For those looking to establish a Montana LLC, ZenBusiness presents a range of suitable plans. The Starter plan is available at Montana state fees only. This includes a business name availability search, Montana LLC formation, and full support.
The Pro plan costs $199 plus Montana state fees. This package extends the features of the Starter plan by offering an operating agreement template, an EIN, annual compliance service, and rush filing.
The Premium plan costs $349 plus Montana state fees. It covers everything in the Pro plan, as well as a business document template library, domain name, website, and email.
ZenBusiness emerges as the prime choice for Montana LLC formations, credited for its cost-effective foundational services. They guarantee 100% accuracy in LLC filing, starting at a mere $0 plus Montana’s state fees.
Notably, their dedication extends beyond profit, as reflected in their status as a Public Benefit Corporation, mirroring the principles of a nonprofit.
Additionally, ZenBusiness offers a variety of auxiliary services for your Montana LLC, such as registered agent services and indispensable business tools. While some may come at an extra charge, their longstanding positive customer feedback speaks volumes about their quality and value.
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 stands out as an attractive option. Priced at $39 plus Montana state fees, it offers business formation, complimentary registered agent services for a year, a business address specific to Montana, an operating agreement tailored to Montana regulations, and additional benefits.
The value of this plan for a Montana LLC becomes evident when considering the inclusion of vital services like the registered agent services and a Montana-specific operating agreement. However, even if one opts out of the registered agent services, the full price of the plan remains unchanged.
Northwest Registered Agent, deeply ingrained in its name, is prominently recognized for its registered agent services in Montana. As registered agent service providers, they are known to provide highly personalized customer support and prompt notifications regarding correspondence.
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.
Swyft Filings has several options. Their Basic package, covering just the Montana state fees, ensures your company name is verified, prepares Montana-specific articles of organization, and files them with state authorities. This also grants online document access and lifetime customer support.
For $199 plus Montana fees, the Standard package adds a custom operating agreement, a federal tax ID (EIN), banking resolution services, and organizational minutes to aid in your first Montana LLC meeting.
The Premium package, priced at $299 plus Montana state fees, encompasses all Standard offerings and introduces expedited filing. Montana businesses also gain a business document library, compliance notifications, a domain and website, plus a digital LLC kit which includes a company “seal”, a transfer ledger, and ownership certificates.
Swyft Filings is well-regarded for top-notch customer support, consistently receiving positive reviews from Montana LLC owners.
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.
Bizee provides several packages tailored for the state’s businesses. The Silver package, priced at just the Montana state fees, 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 requirements in Montana. You’ll also get access to a personalized online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support.
The Gold package includes all the services included in the Silver package, plus a Montana 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 Montana 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 registered agent service. For first-time entrepreneurs looking to save, Bizee stands out in the competition.
The Basic plan, priced at just the Montana state fees, includes a business name availability search in Montana, business formation services, full customer support, a digital welcome packet, and a business website. Additionally, Montana LLC owners can access their formation documents online anytime.
At $249, the Pro plan encompasses everything the Basic plan offers. Still, it enhances the experience with a Montana-specific operating agreement, an EIN, a business license guide tailored to Montana regulations, and initial phone consultations with specialists.
For an even more robust service, the Premium pPlan, at $299, provides all Pro benefits plus unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations and changes to your Montana LLC for 30 days, complemented by hands-on guidance from a business attorney specializing in Montana laws.
A significant highlight of LegalZoom is the broad array of additional legal services and documents they offer to Montana LLCs.
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.
Tailor Brands offers tailored plans designed to meet the state’s business requirements. The Lite plan, priced at $49 plus Montana state fees, ensures your business formation within the state and adheres to standard Montana processing times.
For a more comprehensive package, the Essential plan, priced at $199 annually, offers the Montana LLC owner the benefits of an annual compliance service suited for Montana’s regulations, an operating agreement crafted for the Montana business landscape, and expedited processing, ensuring quicker business establishment in Montana.
Expanding the spectrum of services, their Elite plan, at $249 annually, caters to the modern Montana business by offering a domain name, eight distinct logos, a business website builder, and several other tools tailored to the Montana market.
A standout feature of Tailor Brands is its emphasis on providing contemporary business tools, such as a logo maker, website, and domain name, making it a prime choice for new Montana LLCs looking to make a digital impact.
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 and Trustpilot ratings and 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 might take this review data 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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