Incfile vs LegalZoom Comparison

Setting up a business entity is a vital initial step in commencing a business, and due to its frequent complexity and tediousness, numerous entrepreneurs enlist professional assistance to ensure things are done correctly. These business formation services also extend additional offerings that can be beneficial to a novice business owner.

Two predominant online platforms to take into account are Incfile and LegalZoom. To aid you in identifying the superior service, and which may be the optimal fit for you and your business, we have conducted an exhaustive evaluation of their services from an entrepreneur’s viewpoint.

Service Overview

Our Verdict

Upon detailed evaluation, we’ve ascertained that Incfile offers superior value with their Silver package, as it doesn’t entail any costs beyond state filing fees and provides one year of registered agent services free of charge.

LegalZoom’s major strength lies in its name — if you predict that your business will necessitate significant legal counsel, it’s likely the ideal choice for you.

Pricing

Turnaround Time

Help and Support

Customer Satisfaction

Ease of Use

Overall Score: 4.2/5

Learn More

Pricing

Turnaround Time

Help and Support

Customer Satisfaction

Ease of Use

Overall Score: 4.2/5

Learn More

We’ve determined that Incfile presents formation services of better value, especially since their Silver package is free and includes registered agent services for one year.

Pros and Cons

Plans and Pricing – Winner: Incfile

Incfile

Incfile’s formation services are free, also providing a year of free registered agent services. After the first year, the registered agent service renews at $119/year. The Gold ($199) and Platinum ($299) packages offer substantial features, justifying their cost.

LegalZoom

While LegalZoom offers an initial $0 LLC package, the continual upselling may become costly and cumbersome. Moreover, none of their formation packages come with a registered agent service, which is an add-on service priced at $249 annually.

Experience – Winner: LegalZoom

Incfile

Incfile, established in 2004, has aided in the formation of over 1 million businesses.

LegalZoom

Having served more than 3.5 million customers since 2001, with approximately half being business clients, LegalZoom has extensive experience in this field.

Customer Support – It’s a tie between the two

Incfile

We tested Incfile’s customer service channels thoroughly, including chat, email, and phone. The response times were impressive across all platforms: with almost instant replies on chat, immediate phone pickup, and an email response in less than a day. You can expect clear and helpful information from Incfile’s customer support, ensuring your queries will be handled efficiently and promptly.

LegalZoom

They provide support via phone, chat, and email. Overall all three channels have quick responses with polite and professional customer service representatives.

Turnaround Times – Winner: Incfile

Incfile

Incfile guarantees same-day processing for their Premium plan and 24–48 hours filing time with the Silver and Gold plans. The turnaround time is state-dependent, but usually, it takes around three weeks to form your business. Incfile provides a valuable comparison tool to help you estimate your turnaround time.

LegalZoom

Unlike many rivals, their processing times depend on the package chosen, not the state of formation. For their premium package, finalized business formation documents could be received within 7–10 business days. Still, more economical packages could take up to 30 business days (or six weeks).

Customer Reviews – Winner: Incfile

Incfile

Incfile has over 14,000 customer reviews on Trustpilot alone, with the majority of them sharing highly positive customer feedback.

LegalZoom

We found over 9,000 reviews on BBB and Trustpilot, with a significant portion being positive. Happy customers frequently mentioned LegalZoom’s services’ convenience and user-friendliness.

Ease of Use – Winner: Incfile

Incfile

The process of forming a business with this service is fast, simple, and user-friendly. The upgrade options provide clear and useful information rather than being pushy. However, the lack of a feature to save your progress can be inconvenient if you need to step away and return later.

Despite this, the website overall is straightforward and easy to use, particularly if you’re prepared to finish the entire process in one go.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom provides a streamlined approach to LLC formation, reducing the complexity of the DIY route. Their platform is well-designed, with intuitive steps, making it easy for business owners to navigate through the process and set up their operations effectively. However, numerous costly upsells can make the process somewhat confusing and potentially expensive.

Additional Services – Winner: Incfile

Incfile and LegalZoom both grant access to an extensive range of supplementary services beneficial for initiating or maintaining a compliant business entity.

Many of their offerings are identical, encompassing registered agent service, annual reports, “doing business as” (DBA) names, foreign qualifications, EIN acquisitions, and more.

Nonetheless, LegalZoom expands its scope by providing several legal (personal) services not covered by Incfile. This can be largely attributed to the fact that Incfile restricts its offerings to business services such as business compliance services and domain and email address services.

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