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Written by: Natalie Fell
Natalie is a business writer with experience in operations, HR, and training & development within the software, healthcare, and financial services sectors.
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 30, 2023
In the ever-evolving world of startups and entrepreneurship, there’s a persistent need for reliable, efficient, and affordable business services.
One name that frequently pops up in these discussions is Swyft Filings — a platform acclaimed for its business formation and compliance services.
In this comprehensive Swyft Filings review, we aim to dissect the company’s offerings, explore its pricing models, and evaluate the overall user experience.
Swyft Filings emerges as an excellent choice for startups seeking an affordable solution to assist with the initial business setup whilst also offering support for the continued registration and corporate governance integral to ongoing business operations.
Their industry-leading processing speeds stand out as one of their key strengths.
These compelling factors underscore why we suggest Swyft Filings to novice entrepreneurs.
Pricing
Turnaround Time
Help and Support
Customer Satisfaction
Ease of Use
Overall Score: 4.4/5
Swyft Filings will assist you with the formation of various entities such as LLCs, S Corps, C Corps, or Nonprofits.
Prior to the formation of your business, it’s crucial to ensure that your chosen business name isn’t already in use. Swyft Filings provides an extensive name check service free of cost to help you navigate this step. Furthermore, if you opt to protect your business name with a trademark, Swyft Filings is ready to assist. In partnership with Trademark Engine, Swyft Filings offers this service for the starting price of $99, in addition to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filing fees.
Your LLC must be formed with your state by filing articles of organization, sometimes called a certificate of organization or a certificate of formation. This procedure can be executed either online or via mail. Swyft Filings streamlines this process by handling the online filing on your behalf. However, the time taken to gain approval for your LLC can fluctuate based on your specific state’s processing speed.
This can be a time-consuming and difficult process for an entrepreneur, and getting customer support from your state government office is often a challenge. With Swyft Filings, you have access to customer support during normal business hours.
Once your LLC is approved and official, you can access your formation documents on the Swyft Filings website at any time.
In most states, when you form an LLC, you need a registered agent. A registered agent is a person or business authorized to accept and respond to legal, tax, and financial documents on behalf of your business.
Swyft Filings only offers this service for purchase separately (a la carte), and the cost would be $199. Swyft Filings can act as your registered agent and ensure that all official correspondence is handled on time and properly filed. They also keep track of deadlines and send reminders of things you need to file, such as tax forms and annual reports.
A registered agent service will help keep you in compliance with the law and save you time by keeping track of key documents and filing deadlines. The agency will also provide support if any issues arise.
Swyft Filings’ registered agent service is handled through a partner company called LegalCorp Solutions or another third-party provider. If you need to cancel this service, you will first need to appoint a new registered agent with the appropriate state authority. You can then get in touch with Swyft Filings to proceed with canceling your registered agent service.
Swyft Filings offers an LLC operating agreement customized for your business and state. An operating agreement for an LLC is an important legal document that details who owns the business and also provides essential information pertaining to member duties.
An LLC operating agreement establishes the financial relationship between business owners (“members”) and the basics of the working relationships between those owners and the managers who oversee daily operations.
Custom operating agreement is included in paid plans (Standard and Premium). If you just want to opt for an operating agreement, it will cost you $35 for an operating agreement template.
An employer identification number (EIN) is a tax-identifying number for your business. It’s required if your LLC has more than one member or has employees. It’s obtained by applying through the IRS.
Swyft Filings will handle the application process for you and send you your EIN as soon as it’s approved. Obtaining your EIN/Federal Tax ID is included in Standard and Premium packages. If you go with the Basic (free) package, the cost is $70.
Swyft Filings business professionals can help you figure out which permits or licenses you need and help you with the applications for each one at the federal, state, and local levels.
Swyft Filings offers a business license research package for an additional fee of $99 + the cost of necessary licenses and permits that your business requires.
In most states, LLCs are required to file periodic reports, usually annually. Swyft Filings’ service fee for filing an annual report is $99 + state fees. If you choose the Basic or Standard plan and subscribe to Swyft Filings’ ComplianceGuard service, you can get one free report per year. This subscription will set you back $149 after a 14-day free trial.
The Digital Corporate Kit, available for an extra $99 or included with the Premium package, contains a company seal, 20 customized stock certificates, and an ownership ledger.
For an extra charge of $129 + state fees, Swyft Filings procures the necessary permits enabling your business to sell products or services and collect sales tax within your state. These seller’s permits are sourced from the state where the LLC is formed, thus authorizing your business to accumulate sales tax.
Swyft Filings offers a Certificate of Good Standing for an added fee of $45 + state fees. This important document, acquired from the Secretary of State, certifies that your business is fully compliant and in good standing, a requirement often needed when setting up a bank account or applying for business loans.
Free business website & domain from Squarespace are included in the Swyft Filings top-tier plan. Hosting is included for one year, and then you’ll pay annual fees thereafter.
| Basic | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 plus state fees | $199 plus state fees | $299 plus state fees |
| Business name check | √ | √ | √ |
| Business formation | √ | √ | √ |
| Lifetime customer support | √ | √ | √ |
| EIN | √ | √ | |
| Organizational minutes | √ | √ | |
| Bank Resolution | √ | √ | |
| Founders kit | √ | ||
| Business document library | √ | ||
| Same day filing | √ | ||
| Business website and domain | √ | ||
| Compliance guard | Free 14-day trial, $149 per year after that | Free 14-day trial, $149 per year after that | Free 14-day trial, $149 per year after that |
| 24 hour access online dashboard | √ |
The Basic Package includes verification of your company name, preparation of the articles of organization, and document filing with the state. You’ll also get online access to your documents and lifetime customer support.
This plan is of great value and appropriate for entrepreneurs with a limited budget who just want to get their business up and running and plan to handle annual reporting and the operating agreement themselves.
You can add additional services at the time of purchase or later. This plan also may be appropriate for established businesses forming a new business structure or changing their business structure.
The Standard Package includes all the services included in the Basic Package, but with the addition of a federal tax ID (EIN), custom operating agreement, and custom corporate bylaws. You will also get access to custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes, which is a form that helps you set up your very first meeting as an LLC.
This plan is appropriate for businesses that want a little more help in terms of legal support and filings. The price offers good value considering the extra services you receive, particularly if you renew every year.
The Premium Package includes everything in the Standard Package with the advantage of expedited filing, as well as a business website and web hosting services. You also get a digital LLC kit, which includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger for tracking transfers of ownership, and customized stock certificates.
The advantages of this package are the expedited filing and the business website services. However, you can handle website services for less by using a web hosting site such as GoDaddy.
This plan would be beneficial for a business owner who wants to have a one-stop shop for their business services. The digital LLC package also includes some unique features that certain entrepreneurs may find appealing, like the digital company seal.
When you first navigate to the LLC page on Swyft Filing’s website, you’ll be greeted by three distinct packages, each boasting its own unique filing timeframe.
Here’s the breakdown:
Incorporation times vary from state to state and depend on the number of requests your state is working on. Swyft Filings can not control over how fast (or slow) your state’s government works, but you can contact them via email or at 877-777-0450 for information on processing times in specific states.
You can cancel your Legal Plan at any time by contacting support at [email protected]. After a cancellation by you, your Legal Plan will remain active until the expiration of the period when the cancellation was made.
When you first go to the Swyft Filings site, enter your entity type (LLC) and the state of formation and then click the Get Started button to begin your filing.
Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your desired business name and the state of incorporation once more. You’ll then get a confirmation message that your name is available, along with a Continue button. The following screen prompts you to enter your contact information. Once you’ve entered your information, click Continue.
The next screen asks what type of business your LLC will be. Begin typing your description and choose an option from the dropdown menu. If none of the options fit, you can type a custom description in your own words. You’ll then be asked to enter when you intend to have employees.
At this point, you’ll have a chance to add registered agent services to your filing for an additional $199 annually. Click your appropriate choice to move to the next step.
Next, you will be asked if you’d like to add a business license and compliance package for an additional $99. Make your selection to move to the next screen, which is where you will get to review the three service packages offered.
Review the packages and what’s included in each, and click the button underneath your choice. The next screen asks if you want to add a business bank account with Bank of America. You can accept or decline.
After that, you will be offered to schedule an optional free 30-minute consultation with Block Advisors by H&R Block.
Finally, you’ll get a chance to review all of your information before making your purchase.
Click the Confirm button to move forward with payment and complete your filing.
Overall, the initial process to begin formation was quick, easy, and straightforward.
One downside was that you are continuously upsold through the process and provided with several a la carte services.
The site also makes it possible to continue your filing anytime, so you don’t have to complete the process in one sitting.
Overall, the site is easy to use if you’re ready to go and just want to complete the process. Otherwise, information can be difficult to find to form an LLC on your own.
Swyft Filings lives up to its name in terms of speedy processing times. However, the biggest drawback is that they don’t include registered agent services in any of their packages.
We tested all the customer service options by asking real questions through chat, email, and phone.
When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option, we received a response within 24 hours. We discovered that the online chat feature is not a live chat feature; it’s more of a contact form. Once you fill out your information, it sends an email to customer support, so the chat and email features are essentially the same.
The question we asked was about the registered agent services and whether or not they were included in any of the service packages. A representative got back to us and explained that registered agent services are not included in any package, but you can add them at checkout for $199 annually.
They also mentioned that there is the option to provide your own registered agent at checkout. The response was thorough and polite and didn’t include any sales pitches. They also closed with an invitation to reach out again if we had any further questions.
Chat & Email Support Rating:
Response time:
Reasonable
We called Swyft Filings to ask the same question regarding registered agent services. Our call was answered almost immediately, and the question was answered promptly.
The question was whether registered agent services were included in any of the plans, and the answer was no. The representative proceeded to explain the annual service the same way it was outlined in the email response. The customer service representative was very professional and polite and did not try to sell additional services.
Phone Support Rating:
Response time:
Immediate
The best way to learn about Swyft Filings is to see what real customers thought of their experience. We visited the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot.
Swyft Filings is not currently accredited with the BBB but has 4.25/5 stars in customer reviews. They closed 186 complaints in the last three years, including 60 in the past year.
The following aspects are emphasized as positive in BBB customer reviews:
The following aspects are emphasized as negative in BBB customer reviews:
The Trustpilot score for Swyft Filings is 4.8/5 stars from more than 6,200 reviews. 89% of customers rated the company as excellent.
The following aspects are emphasized as positive in Trustpilot customer reviews:
The following aspects are emphasized as negative in Trustpilot customer reviews:
Swyft Filings also has 4.2/5 stars from 351 Google reviews.
Use our dropdown calculator to check how much LLC formation will cost using Swyft Filings. Simply choose a plan and a la carte service and select the state where you want to form an LLC to calculate the exact cost based on your needs and preferences.
Swyft Filings’ prices are hard to beat. However, their registered agent services are not included in any packages.
| Swyft Filings | Incfile | ZenBusiness | BizFilings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plans and Pricing | $0 – $299 | $0 – $299 | $0 – $349 | $99 – $359 |
| Registered Agent Service | Not included, $199 annually | Included for one year then $119 annually | Not included, $199 annually | Included for 3 months then $220 annually |
| Processing Time | Incorporation time vary from state to state; Filing time depends from the plan | Varies from the state; Incfile will pass your data to the governing body in 1 day. | Standard, rush | Standard state times |
| Money-Back Guarantee | No, but they offer 100% satisfaction guarantee | No | 60 days | No |
| Our Rating | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4 |
| Our Review | Full Review | Full Review | Full Review | |
| Website | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Incfile has very competitive pricing. Their basic plan, called the Silver package, is free and includes registered agent services for a year. Their Gold package is only $199 and includes the operating agreement as well as a banking resolution. Their Premium package is $299 and includes some additional services that Swyft Filings does not.
Swyft Filings and ZenBusiness have similar offerings, including an entry-level plan that costs only state fees.
All three of BizFilings’ plans are more expensive than Swyft Filings, and they don’t offer as many services.
Swyft Filings was founded in 2015 and is based in Houston, Texas. The current CEO is Alan Godfrey. They are a privately held firm with between 50 and 200 employees.
The company prides itself on quick turnaround times and taking care of the business formation process to take the burden off busy entrepreneurs. Swyft Filings serves both US and foreign nationals.
As a leading 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 this case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewer and team are able to provide the most complete and insightful review of Swyft Filings’ LLC formation services.
A service like Swyft Filings can make the business formation process easy for you and ensure that it’s done correctly. They provide customer support and additional services to support your business.
Swyft Filings offers very competitive prices and quick turnaround times. They also have good customer support.
Swyft Filings has very competitive prices, including their Basic plan, which costs state fees only.
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