‘$0 formation’ is real and it is not free: ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, LegalZoom, Tailor Brands and Swyft Filings file your articles for nothing plus the state fee, and earn on the registered agent, the EIN, the operating agreement and the compliance subscription afterwards. Inc Authority bundles a free EIN and a free first year of registered agent; Bizee bundles the agent year; Northwest charges $39 and $125 a year for the agent with no upsell funnel. Stripe Atlas ($500), Clerky ($427) and Firstbase ($99) are paid products for startups, and Companies House in the UK now charges £100, not the £50 widely quoted. Prices are USD and were checked on 23 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free formation service that fits
- The most included for $0 plus state fee: Inc Authority — free LLC filing, free EIN and a free first year of registered agent; renewal price undisclosed.
- $0 filing with a free agent year from a big name: Bizee (formerly Incfile) — free first-year registered agent; renewal not stated.
- Transparent agent pricing, no funnel: Northwest Registered Agent — $39 plus state fee to form, $125 a year for the agent, no per-document charges.
- Delaware C-corp for a venture-backed startup: Stripe Atlas ($500, refunded if you fund Treasury with $5,000) or Clerky ($427 pay-per-use).
- UK: Companies House directly — £100 online, usually registered within 24 hours.
Which company formation & registered agent services tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every US service below will file formation documents for $0 plus the state’s own fee, except where the row says otherwise, and every one of them earns afterwards. The Scorecard records what the $0 includes (articles and a name check everywhere; an EIN and an agent year at Inc Authority; an agent year at Bizee), what the registered agent costs after year one (ZenBusiness $199, Northwest $125, Harbor $159, Stripe Atlas $100, Firstbase $299, Swyft about $596 implied from a quarterly price; Bizee and Inc Authority do not say), and the subscriptions that auto-renew (LegalZoom’s attorney plan at $49 a month after 30 days, Tailor Brands’ bookkeeping at $39 after a trial).
The state fee is the real price — $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts per Northwest’s page — and filing directly with the state costs exactly that, if you have an agent. Delaware requires one; the direct-filing row is scored on what its pages state. Companies House’s online fee is £100.
The table shows the headline price, the agent cost after year one and the Free Score; Friction is scored heavily on undisclosed renewals and auto-renewing add-ons. Open a row for the full list of upsells and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · free EIN · free RA year 1 | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| N |
Startup program | $39 + state fee · RA $125/yr · no hidden fees | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · free RA year 1 · renewal not stated | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · RA $99 then $199/yr · EIN $99 | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Startup program | £100 online · 24 hours · no agent needed | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| L |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · Pro $249 · attorney plan auto-renews | No | 66 | Scorecard ↓ |
| T |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · 14 business days · RA $199/yr | No | 64 | Scorecard ↓ |
| H |
Startup program | RA $99 first year · renews $159 · multi-year discounts | No | 60 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Free forever | $0 + state fee · RA $149+ quarterly | No | 58 | Scorecard ↓ |
| D |
Startup program | Direct filing · agent required · fee PDF not retrievable | No | 56 | Scorecard ↓ |
| F |
Startup program | $99 one-time · RA $299/yr · DE or WY | No | 54 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Startup program | $500 one-time · DE only · RA $100/yr after year 1 | No | 52 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Startup program | $427 pay-per-use · $819 lifetime · DE | No | 48 | Scorecard ↓ |
| D |
Startup program | $297/yr + state fee · annual billing | No | 44 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 23 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free formation service plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1I
Inc AuthorityUS · free LLC registration, a free EIN, a free first year of registered agent, 24-hour processing and bank-account setup; renewal prices are not disclosedFree forever$0 + state fee · free EIN · free RA year 1No card80⌄
- What’s free
- Free LLC registration, free EIN, free one-year registered agent service, 24-hour processing, bank account setup, business funding analysis; you pay only the state fee
- Hard limits
- Registered agent renewal price not stated · bylaws, operating agreement, tax preparation and website are upsells without listed prices
- Time limit
- RA free for one year
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The agent renewal after year one, or any add-on
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated
- Best free for
- A founder who wants the most done for the state fee and will shop the agent renewal when it comes
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · incauthority.com
2N
Northwest Registered AgentUS · $39 plus the state fee to form an LLC with registered agent service included, then $125 a year for the agent with no per-document chargesStartup program$39 + state fee · RA $125/yr · no hidden feesNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- LLC formation $39 plus state fees including registered agent service; agent $125 a year, no hidden fees or per-document charges; $100 a year per state at five or more states; state fees from $40 (Kentucky) to $500 (Massachusetts)
- Hard limits
- No $0 tier · whether the first agent year is free is not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- None beyond the agent renewal
- Cheapest paid step
- $39 plus state fee; RA $125/year
- Best free for
- A founder who would rather pay $39 than enter a funnel
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · northwestregisteredagent.com
Why it ranks here. Not $0 and arguably the cheapest over three years: no EIN fee, no subscription, a published renewal. Scored as a programme because you pay from day one.
3B
BizeeUS (formerly Incfile) · start a business for $0 plus state fees with one free year of registered agent for new LLCs; the agent’s renewal price is not on the pageFree forever$0 + state fee · free RA year 1 · renewal not statedNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Start a business for $0 plus state fees; new LLCs get one free year of registered agent service
- Hard limits
- Agent renewal price not stated · EIN, virtual address, DBA, trademark and LLC kit upsells without prices
- Time limit
- RA free for one year
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The agent renewal, or an EIN
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated on the page
- Best free for
- A $0 filing with the agent year bundled, from a long-established brand
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · bizee.com/pricing and its registered agent page
Why it ranks here. Inc Authority without the free EIN; the same silence on renewals.
4Z
ZenBusinessUS · $0 plus state fees for an LLC, S-corp or C-corp with a name check and articles; the registered agent is $99 the first year then $199, the EIN $99Free forever$0 + state fee · RA $99 then $199/yr · EIN $99No card72⌄
- What’s free
- Starts at $0 plus state fees: name check, articles of organisation, free Velo AI, name generator, a 30-minute tax consultation
- Hard limits
- Registered agent $99 first year then $199 a year · EIN $99 · operating agreement $99 · fast filing $79 · Worry-Free Compliance $199 a year · package prices not on the vendor page
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Anything beyond the articles
- Cheapest paid step
- RA $199/year; EIN $99 one-time
- Best free for
- A DIY filer who will get the EIN from the IRS free and find an agent elsewhere
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zenbusiness.com/pricing and its registered agent page
Why it ranks here. Every add-on is priced on the page, which is more than most say, and every add-on is dear: the agent at $199 is the most expensive annual rate here except Firstbase and Swyft.
5C
Companies House (UK)UK · register a limited company directly online for £100, usually within 24 hours, or by post for £124; a registered office address is requiredStartup program£100 online · 24 hours · no agent neededNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- Online registration for £100, usually registered within 24 hours; by post £124 in 8–10 days
- Hard limits
- A registered office address is required · no formation agent needed
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- A debit or credit card pays the fee online.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- £100 online
- Best free for
- Any UK founder — the direct route is the cheapest and the fastest
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · gov.uk (the fee is £100, not the £50 often quoted)
Why it ranks here. No $0 but no funnel either: the government fee, paid once, with nothing to renew. The £50 figure still circulating is out of date.
6L
LegalZoomUS · Basic at $0 plus state fees with articles, a name check and a tax consultation; Pro at $249 adds the EIN, operating agreement and 30 days of attorney access that renews at $49 a monthFree forever$0 + state fee · Pro $249 · attorney plan auto-renewsNo card66⌄
- What’s free
- Basic $0 plus state fees: articles of organisation, name check, a 1-800Accountant tax consultation
- Hard limits
- No EIN, operating agreement or agent in Basic · Pro $249 includes 30 days of attorney access then $49 a month auto-renewing · Premium $299 adds bookkeeping at $9.99 a month after six months · agent price not stated
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- An EIN, an operating agreement or the agent
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro $249 plus state fees
- Best free for
- A founder who wants the best-known brand on the paperwork
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-pricing
Why it ranks here. The $0 tier is bare and the paid tiers carry auto-renewing subscriptions; the agent price is not on the page.
7T
Tailor BrandsUS · Lite at $0 plus state fees with formation in 14 business days, a 30-day bookkeeping trial and coaching; Essential is $199 a year and the agent $199Free forever$0 + state fee · 14 business days · RA $199/yrNo card64⌄
- What’s free
- Lite $0 plus state fees: formation within 14 business days, 30-day bookkeeping trial, coaching platform
- Hard limits
- No operating agreement or compliance in Lite · bookkeeping $39 a month after the trial · paid tiers are annual subscriptions
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- An operating agreement, compliance or the agent
- Cheapest paid step
- Essential $199/year plus state fees; RA $199/year; EIN $99
- Best free for
- A founder in no hurry who wants branding tools alongside
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · tailorbrands.com/llc-formation/pricing
Why it ranks here. The slowest $0 filing and the most subscription-shaped paid tiers.
8H
Harbor ComplianceUS · registered agent at $99 the first year for new customers, renewing at $159, with two- and three-year prepay at $198 and $297; formation pricing is not on the pageStartup programRA $99 first year · renews $159 · multi-year discountsNo card60⌄
- What’s free
- Registered agent $99 first year for new customers; renews at $159 a year; 2 years $198, 3 years $297
- Hard limits
- Filing fees extra · formation price not on the page
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Renewal at $159
- Cheapest paid step
- $99 first year
- Best free for
- Prepaying an agent for three years at $99 a year
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · harborcompliance.com/registered-agent-service
Why it ranks here. An agent, not a formation service: listed because the three-year rate beats everyone except Northwest’s multi-state price.
9S
Swyft FilingsUS · Basic at $0 plus state fees with articles in 7–10 business days and a month of its legal suite; the registered agent is $149-plus per quarter, about $596 a yearFree forever$0 + state fee · RA $149+ quarterlyNo card58⌄
- What’s free
- Basic $0 plus state fees: articles prepared and filed in 7–10 business days, name check, lifetime support, a ComplianceGuard trial, Legal Suite one month free
- Hard limits
- Registered agent $149-plus quarterly per entity per state (about $596 a year, not stated annually) · operating agreement $35 · express $50
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The agent, or an upgrade
- Cheapest paid step
- Standard $169 plus state fees
- Best free for
- A $0 filing for someone who already has a registered agent
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · swyftfilings.com/pricing and its RA page
Why it ranks here. The quarterly agent price makes it the most expensive agent on the list by a wide margin; the filing is fine.
10D
Delaware Division of CorporationsUS · file directly with Delaware if you have a Delaware registered agent, which the state requires; the LLC annual tax is $300Startup programDirect filing · agent required · fee PDF not retrievableNo card56⌄
- What’s free
- Direct formation; every entity must maintain a Delaware registered agent; LLC annual tax $300; corporation franchise tax from $175; annual report $50 or $25; name reservation $75
- Hard limits
- Formation filing fee not on the vendor pages · an agent is mandatory
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- None
- Cheapest paid step
- Not stated (fee schedule unavailable)
- Best free for
- A founder with a Delaware agent already in place who wants no intermediary
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · corp.delaware.gov
Why it ranks here. The purest route, though its formation fee could not be confirmed; the annual taxes it does state are the cost people forget.
11F
FirstbaseUS · Start at $99 one-time (struck from $399): Delaware or Wyoming formation, EIN, bank-account help and documents; the registered agent is $299 a year per stateStartup program$99 one-time · RA $299/yr · DE or WYNo card54⌄
- What’s free
- Start $99 one-time: formation with the state fee paid by you, EIN, bank account help, documents
- Hard limits
- Registered agent $299 a year per state · Firstbase One $199 a month billed yearly · mailroom $35 a month · tax filing $899–1,799 a year
- Time limit
- None
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Everything after formation
- Cheapest paid step
- Start $99 plus state fee plus RA $299/year
- Best free for
- A non-US founder who needs the 5472 and pro-forma 1120 packages later
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · firstbase.io/pricing
Why it ranks here. Built for non-resident founders and priced like it; the $299 agent is the most expensive annual rate on the list.
12S
Stripe AtlasUS · $500 one-time for a Delaware company including government fees, the first year of registered agent, EIN, 83(b) and $2,500 in Stripe credits; refunded if you fund Stripe Treasury with $5,000 within 90 daysStartup program$500 one-time · DE only · RA $100/yr after year 1No card52⌄
- What’s free
- A $500 one-time setup fee including government fees and the first year of registered agent, plus EIN, 83(b) election and $2,500 Stripe credits
- Hard limits
- Delaware only · agent $100 a year after the first, auto-renewing · the refund is conditional on a $5,000 Treasury deposit within 90 days
- Time limit
- RA one year
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The agent renewal at $100
- Cheapest paid step
- $500 one-time
- Best free for
- A startup that will bank with Stripe and wants the standard Delaware stack done right
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · stripe.com/atlas
Why it ranks here. Not free, possibly refunded, and the cheapest agent renewal of any startup-focused service; scored for what it costs on day one.
13C
ClerkyUS · pay-per-use Delaware incorporation at $427 or a lifetime package at $819 including expedited filing and a first-year agent at $125; lawyer-grade startup documentsStartup program$427 pay-per-use · $819 lifetime · DENo card48⌄
- What’s free
- Lifetime Package $819 one-time including Delaware expedited filing ($203) and first-year agent ($125), or pay-per-use incorporation at $427
- Hard limits
- Delaware · post-incorporation setup $299 · foreign qualification from $125 · stock plan $199
- Time limit
- RA one year
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Each additional document set
- Cheapest paid step
- $427 one-time
- Best free for
- A YC-style startup whose investors expect Clerky documents
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · clerky.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Priced for the documents, not the filing; the right tool for a specific kind of company and not a free one.
14D
doolaUS · Starter at $297 a year plus state fees with formation, EIN, operating agreement, agent and virtual address, all billed annually; only its Pulse tool has a trialStartup program$297/yr + state fee · annual billingNo card44⌄
- What’s free
- Starter $297 a year plus state fees: formation, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent, virtual address
- Hard limits
- All plans billed annually · Pulse 30-day trial then $300 a year · Tax & Compliance $1,999, Business-in-a-Box $2,999
- Time limit
- 30-day trial on Pulse only
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Tax filing or compliance tiers
- Cheapest paid step
- Starter $297/year plus state fees
- Best free for
- A non-US founder who wants the agent and address bundled in one annual fee
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · doola.com/pricing (monthly figure inconsistent)
Why it ranks here. A subscription from the first day; included so non-resident founders can compare it with Firstbase.
Which free formation service has no credit-card requirement?
No US service states a card requirement for the $0 filing, because the state fee has to be paid at filing and every one of them collects it; Companies House takes a card for its £100. The question is not the card but what renews on it: LegalZoom’s attorney plan at $49 a month after 30 days, Tailor Brands’ bookkeeping at $39 after its trial, Stripe Atlas’s agent at $100 after year one, and the agent renewals Bizee and Inc Authority do not disclose.
The one unconditional free item in the category is the EIN, which the IRS issues free online in minutes. Every service that charges $99 for it is charging for a form.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free formation service fits your situation?
US founder, want the most for $0
Inc Authority.
US founder, want no funnel
Northwest.
Venture-backed Delaware startup
Stripe Atlas or Clerky.
Non-US founder
Firstbase or doola.
Already have an agent
Any $0 filer, or the state directly.
UK
Companies House online, £100.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, getting a company legally formed and a registered agent in place for the lowest real cost, with the upsells visible. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 23 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections to the Kurums editorial team.
How did we verify these free tiers?
We opened each service’s pricing page and recorded what the headline price includes, state-fee pass-through, registered agent cost in year one and after, and every add-on with a stated price. For ZenBusiness, LegalZoom and Northwest, alternate official pages were used; Stripe Atlas’s row uses its product page; Delaware’s formation fee could not be confirmed. Companies House’s page states £100, correcting the £50 figure in our hub card’s source notes. Generic state direct filing is not listed as a row because fees vary by state.
Prices are USD except Companies House (GBP). Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is $0 LLC formation really free?
You pay the state fee at filing — $40 to $500 depending on the state — and the service earns on the registered agent, EIN, operating agreement and compliance add-ons afterwards. The filing itself is free at ZenBusiness, Bizee, Inc Authority, LegalZoom, Tailor Brands and Swyft Filings.
Which $0 service includes the most?
Inc Authority: free filing, a free EIN and a free first year of registered agent. Bizee includes the agent year but not the EIN; ZenBusiness and LegalZoom charge for both.
What does a registered agent cost after the first year?
Northwest $125, Harbor Compliance $159, ZenBusiness $199, Tailor Brands $199, Firstbase $299, Stripe Atlas $100, Swyft about $596 (billed $149-plus quarterly). Bizee and Inc Authority do not state it.
Is Stripe Atlas free?
No — $500 one-time, including government fees, the first agent year, EIN and 83(b). The fee is refunded if you fund Stripe Treasury with $5,000 within 90 days.
How much does it cost to register a UK company?
£100 online at Companies House, usually within 24 hours, or £124 by post. The £50 fee often quoted is out of date.
Do I need to pay for an EIN?
No. The IRS issues EINs free online. Services charging $99 are charging to fill in the form for you.
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