ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom Comparison

The process of establishing a business entity is an essential part of starting a business. Its complexity and often tiresome nature prompt many business founders to seek professional assistance for correct execution. These business formation services often extend to providing other helpful services to new business owners.

Two prominent online service providers in this area are ZenBusiness and LegalZoom. To guide you in choosing the most suitable one for you and your enterprise, we’ve meticulously reviewed their services from the perspective of an entrepreneur. Continue reading to make an informed decision that will steer your business toward the path of success.

Services Overview

Our Verdict

Following an exhaustive review, we concluded that ZenBusiness delivers superior value and a wider range of services. Choosing ZenBusiness could result in cost savings, exceptional customer service, and quicker processing times.

The principal strength of LegalZoom lies in its brand — if you anticipate your business will require significant legal advice, LegalZoom might be a more suitable choice for you.

Pricing

Turnaround Time

Help and Support

Customer Satisfaction

Ease of Use

Overall Score: 4.7/5

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Pricing

Turnaround Time

Help and Support

Customer Satisfaction

Ease of Use

Overall Score: 4.2/5

Learn More

ZenBusiness offers a better overall value with more competitive pricing than LegalZoom.

Pros and Cons

Plans and Pricing – Winner: ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness

Renowned for some of the most affordable rates in the industry, ZenBusiness offers a free LLC formation package — Starter plan.

For those desiring more comprehensive features, the $199 Pro package offers continuous compliance support, an EIN, an operating agreement, and rush processing.

Additionally, the $349 Premium plan includes rush processing service, a business website package, and a domain name.

Please note that none of these plans include state filing fees, which vary from state to state.

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

ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness was founded in 2015 and has formed over 500,000 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 – Winner: ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness

The customer support team at ZenBusiness is accessible via phone, email, or our online chat portal, and they’re available even on Sundays.

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: ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness

At ZenBusiness, formation speeds are state-dependent. For urgent requests, premium packages offer rush service. Compared to other formation services, ZenBusiness matches or slightly exceeds their speed.

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 – It’s a tie between the two

ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness shines in customer feedback, with over 12,000 reviews on Trustpilot alone, most of which are positive. Clients often praise their services for being efficient and easy to use.

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.

Additional Services – Winner: ZenBusiness

Both ZenBusiness and LegalZoom provide a variety of supplemental business services with many areas of overlap. Both can facilitate the acquisition of an EIN, filing of annual reports, foreign registrations, and more.

Nonetheless, each company offers distinct services that are not provided by the other. For instance, ZenBusiness offers bookkeeping and accounting services, which are not part of LegalZoom’s offerings. On the other hand, LegalZoom provides an extensive suite of legal services that aren’t available through ZenBusiness.