EasyFiling or LegalZoom: Which LLC Formation Service Is Right for You?

EasyFiling includes registered agent service, EIN filing, and compliance support in its formation plans starting at $249 per year plus state fees. LegalZoom’s $0 Basic plan covers only the Articles of Organization filing; the registered agent costs $249 per year separately, and the EIN service costs $79 on top of that. By the time you add what you actually need to run a U.S. LLC, LegalZoom’s total is higher.

LegalZoom is the most recognized name in online legal services. It has served millions of customers since 2001 and is publicly traded (NASDAQ: LZ). That brand recognition does not automatically make it the best fit, particularly for non-resident founders who need more than just a formation filing. We built EasyFiling specifically for international entrepreneurs forming U.S. companies from abroad, and that focus shapes everything from our pricing to our post-formation services.

EasyFiling or LegalZoom? What Does Each Service Actually Include?

LegalZoom offers three LLC formation tiers as of May 2026:

• The Basic plan costs $0 plus state filing fees. It includes only the preparation and filing of your Articles of Organization. No registered agent. No EIN. No operating agreement. Standard processing takes 20 to 30 business days. LegalZoom’s processing time does not include Secretary of State processing, which varies by state.
• The Pro plan costs $249 plus state filing fees. It adds an operating agreement template, EIN filing, and a compliance calendar. It does not include registered agent service.
• The Premium plan costs $299 plus state filing fees. It includes everything in Pro plus 30 days of attorney consultations through LegalZoom’s Business Advisory Plan. After the 30-day trial, the advisory plan auto-renews at $49 per month unless canceled.
• Registered agent service is sold separately across all three plans at $249 per year. This is the highest registered agent fee among major formation services.

EasyFiling’s plans work differently.

• Our Basic plan costs $0 in service fees (plus state filing fees) and includes Articles of Organization filing.
• Our Starter plan costs $249 per year (plus state fees) and includes formation, registered agent service, and annual report filing.
• Our Business 360 plan costs $999 per year (plus state fees) and bundles formation, EIN, registered agent, monthly bookkeeping, and tax return filing into a single annual fee.

The pricing gap becomes clear when you compare what each provider charges for the same set of services: formation, registered agent, and EIN.

Service	EasyFiling (Starter Plan)	LegalZoom (Pro Plan + RA)
Formation filing	Included	Included
Registered agent (Year 1)	Included	$249/year (separate)
EIN filing	Available as an add-on	Included in Pro ($249)
Operating agreement	Included in Pro plan ($199)	Included in Pro ($249)
Annual report filing	Included	$99/year + state fees (separate)
Year 1 total (service fees only)	$249	$498 to $597+

State filing fees are additional for both providers and vary by state. Prices verified as of May 2026.

State Availability: Where Can You Form?

Both EasyFiling and LegalZoom form LLCs in all 50 states. This is a notable difference from services like Stripe Atlas, which only operates in Delaware.

The real question is which state you should form in. LegalZoom’s checkout flow lets you pick your state but does not provide much guidance on the tax and compliance implications of that choice. We see the consequences of this every month.

A founder from Germany used LegalZoom to form a California LLC because his first U.S. client was in Los Angeles. He did not know about California’s $800 annual franchise tax, which is due every year regardless of revenue. He came to us eight months later looking to dissolve the California LLC and re-form in Wyoming. The dissolution, new formation, new EIN application, and bank account updates cost him over $1,200 in total, plus the $800 franchise tax he had already paid to California.

At EasyFiling, we discuss state selection with every client before filing. For non-resident founders with no physical presence in a specific state, Wyoming ($100 filing fee, $60 annual report, no state income tax, no franchise tax) and Delaware ($90 filing fee, $300 annual LLC tax) are the two states we most frequently recommend. We explain the trade-offs in plain terms so founders make an informed decision before we file anything.

Non-Resident Founders: A Critical Gap in LegalZoom’s Service

LegalZoom was built for U.S. residents. Its website, checkout flow, support documentation, and service model are all designed around founders who have a Social Security Number, a U.S. address, and familiarity with state and federal compliance requirements.

Non-resident founders face a different set of challenges that LegalZoom does not address:

EIN for non-SSN holders. If you do not have a Social Security Number, you cannot apply for an EIN online through the IRS website. You must fax or mail Form SS-4 to the IRS. LegalZoom’s $79 EIN service works for SSN holders who could have done it themselves in 15 minutes on irs.gov. For non-residents, the EIN process involves Form SS-4, a Third Party Designee authorization, and a 4 to 8-week wait for IRS processing. We handle this process for non-resident clients daily and faxed 52 Form SS-4 applications in April 2026 alone.

ITIN assistance. Many non-resident LLC owners need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to file U.S. taxes or open certain financial accounts. LegalZoom does not offer ITIN services. We do, through our ITIN service.

Form 5472 filing. Every foreign-owned single-member LLC must file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 annually, even if it has zero revenue. The penalty for missing this filing is $25,000. LegalZoom does not file Form 5472. Most non-resident founders using LegalZoom do not learn about this requirement until they receive an IRS penalty notice. Our Business 360 plan includes Form 5472 filing.

Business bank account guidance. Non-residents cannot walk into a Chase or Bank of America branch to open a business account. They need banks that accept passport-based identity verification, like Mercury, Wise, or Relay. LegalZoom does not provide bank account assistance. We guide every client through the remote bank account opening process.

Tax filing. LegalZoom recently partnered with 1-800Accountant for bookkeeping and tax services, but these are separate paid services, not included in any formation plan. Our Business 360 plan includes monthly bookkeeping and annual tax return filing (Forms 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 5472) as part of the annual fee.

We have served 10,000+ clients across 175+ countries and 6 continents. Our entire service model is built for founders outside the United States. LegalZoom serves a much broader audience (wills, trusts, trademarks, divorces, and real estate) and does it well, but non-resident LLC formation is not its specialty.

Processing Speed: How Long Does Formation Take?

LegalZoom’s processing time depends on which plan you choose. The Basic plan takes 20 to 30 business days for LegalZoom’s internal processing before your documents are even submitted to the Secretary of State. The Pro plan takes approximately 15 business days. The Premium plan takes 7 to 10 business days. You can pay extra for expedited processing on the Basic and Pro plans.

These timelines are LegalZoom’s processing time only. Secretary of State processing time is additional and varies by state.

EasyFiling’s standard formation processing completes within 5 to 10 business days in most states as of May 2026, including submission to the Secretary of State. Wyoming formations typically process in 3 to 5 business days. Delaware formations through the Division of Corporations typically take 3 to 5 business days with standard processing.

One thing we have learned from filing hundreds of formations per month: state processing times fluctuate. Florida’s Division of Corporations has been running 5 to 7 business days this quarter. New York’s Department of State has been closer to 10 to 15 business days. We track these timelines weekly and set accurate expectations with clients upfront.

The Upsell Problem

LegalZoom’s checkout process has a well-documented pattern of presenting add-ons and trial subscriptions that significantly increase the total cost. Multiple independent reviews describe the checkout flow as “aggressive” in surfacing additional paid services.

Examples of add-ons you will encounter during LegalZoom’s checkout:

Registered agent: $249/year (not included in any plan). EIN filing: $79 (free from the IRS if you have an SSN). Operating agreement template: $99 as a standalone purchase. Compliance calendar: $199/year plus state filing fees for annual report filing. Business license report: $99. Founder’s Kit: $99. Business Advisory Plan (attorney access): starts at a free 30-day trial, then auto-renews at $49/month.

A founder who starts with the “$0 Basic plan” and then adds a registered agent, an EIN, and an operating agreement template ends up paying $427 in service fees before state filing fees. Adding annual compliance monitoring pushes that past $600 in year one.

EasyFiling’s pricing is bundled. The Starter plan at $249 per year includes formation, a registered agent, and annual report filing. The Business 360 plan, at $999 per year, includes formation, an EIN, a registered agent, bookkeeping, and tax filing. No trial subscriptions. No auto-renewing add-ons.

Registered Agent: $249/Year vs. Starting at $5/Month

LegalZoom charges $249 per year for registered agent service in one state. This is the highest price among major formation services. For comparison, Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 per year, ZenBusiness charges $199 per year, and Bizee charges $119 per year after the first year.

EasyFiling’s registered agent service starts at $5 per month for Delaware and is included in all Starter and Business 360 plans. Our registered agent service includes a physical address in the state of formation, receipt of all legal and tax correspondence, digital scanning of documents, and access through your client dashboard.

Every state requires an LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical address in the state of formation. If your registered agent lapses, the state can administratively dissolve your LLC. We had a client from Pakistan whose previous registered agent (not LegalZoom, but a similar provider) auto-renewed at a higher rate, and the client’s credit card on file had expired. The agent resigned without notice, and the client’s Wyoming LLC fell out of good standing within 60 days. We reinstated the LLC, appointed ourselves as the new registered agent, and resolved the issue in under two weeks, but the client paid $50 in state reinstatement fees that could have been avoided.

Cost Comparison: Year One Through Year Three

This table compares total estimated costs for a single-member Wyoming LLC owned by a non-resident founder.

Cost Category	EasyFiling (Business 360)	LegalZoom (Pro + RA + Tax)
Formation service fee	$999/year	$249 (Pro plan, Year 1)
State filing fee (Wyoming)	$100	$100
Registered agent	Included	$249/year
EIN filing	Included	$79
Operating agreement	Included	Included in Pro
Annual report filing (Wyoming)	Included	$99/year + $60 state fee
Bookkeeping	Included	$150 to $300/month (via 1-800Accountant or third party)
Tax filing (Form 5472 + 1120)	Included	$500 to $2,000/year (external CPA)
Estimated Year 1 total	~$1,099	~$3,136 to $6,436
Estimated 3-year total	~$3,297	~$8,208 to $17,508

All figures estimated as of May 2026. State fees verified against the Wyoming Secretary of State. External bookkeeping and CPA costs are market estimates. LegalZoom service fees verified against legalzoom.com.

The numbers tell a clear story. LegalZoom’s formation fee is lower, but the total cost of ownership is significantly higher because essential services are unbundled and sold separately.

What LegalZoom Does Well

LegalZoom has genuine strengths.

Brand recognition and trust. LegalZoom is a publicly traded company with over two decades of operating history. For U.S.-based founders who value working with a well-known brand, that matters.

Breadth of legal services. LegalZoom handles trademarks, copyrights, wills, trusts, estate planning, and divorce filings. If you need an LLC, a trademark registration, and a personal will, LegalZoom can handle all three under one account. EasyFiling focuses exclusively on business formation, compliance, and tax services.

Attorney access. LegalZoom’s Premium plan and Business Advisory Plan offer direct access to attorneys. For founders with complex legal questions about liability structure, intellectual property, or contracts, access has real value. EasyFiling is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice; we recommend founders consult a qualified attorney for legal matters and include a disclaimer to that effect on all content.

U.S. domestic market depth. If you are a U.S. resident forming an LLC in your home state, LegalZoom’s Pro plan, at $249 (plus state fees and a $249 registered agent), covers formation basics. The checkout upsells are avoidable if you know what you need before you start.

What EasyFiling Does Better for Non-Resident Founders

All-in-one compliance. Formation, registered agent, EIN, bookkeeping, annual report filing, tax returns (including Form 5472), and ITIN assistance in one plan. No separate purchases. No third-party referrals.

Non-resident expertise. Our team processes EIN applications via fax using Form SS-4 for non-SSN holders every week. We know that the IRS International line (+1 267-941-1099) has hold times exceeding 90 minutes during tax season. We know which banks accept non-resident LLC applications with passport-only verification. We know that New York requires a publication requirement that adds $300 to $1,500 in newspaper notice fees.LegalZoom’s support team is knowledgeable, but their training covers the full spectrum of legal services rather than the specific edge cases that non-resident founders encounter.

Lower total cost. Our Starter plan at $249/year includes a registered agent and annual report filing. LegalZoom charges $249/year for a registered agent alone, plus $99/year for compliance filing. The gap widens when you add bookkeeping and tax filing.

Faster processing. Our standard formation processing is 5 to 10 business days. LegalZoom’s standard processing is 20 to 30 business days on the Basic plan.

How to Decide

If you are a U.S. resident forming an LLC in your home state and want attorney access or additional legal services (trademarks, contracts, estate planning), LegalZoom’s platform offers a breadth of services that EasyFiling does not. Be prepared to pay separately for registered agent services, and decline any add-ons you do not need at checkout.

If you are a non-resident founder forming a U.S. LLC from outside the country and need EIN filing, bookkeeping, tax returns, Form 5472 compliance, and bank account guidance, EasyFiling’s Business 360 plan covers it all in one annual fee. Start your formation here or book a free consultation to talk through your specific situation.

Questions? Reach us on WhatsApp at wa.me/5104884946. We respond across time zones.

FAQ

Is LegalZoom’s $0 Basic plan really free?

The service fee is $0. You still pay state filing fees ($50 to $500, depending on your state). The Basic plan includes only the formation filing. Registered agent ($249/year), EIN ($79), and operating agreement ($99) cost extra. EasyFiling’s Starter plan at $249/year includes formation, registered agent, and annual report filing.

Does LegalZoom help non-residents get an EIN?

LegalZoom offers an EIN filing service for $79, but it is designed for SSN holders who can get one for free from IRS.gov. Non-residents without an SSN must file Form SS-4 by fax or mail. EasyFiling handles this process for non-resident clients, with a typical IRS turnaround of 4 to 6 weeks as of May 2026.

Does LegalZoom file Form 5472?

No. LegalZoom does not file Form 5472. This IRS filing is required annually of every foreign-owned single-member LLC, and the penalty for non-filing is $25,000. We include it in our tax filing service.

Why is LegalZoom’s registered agent so expensive?

LegalZoom charges $249 per state per year, the highest among major providers. EasyFiling’s registered agent starts at $5/month and is included in Starter and Business 360 plans.

Does LegalZoom offer bookkeeping and tax filing?

LegalZoom partnered with 1-800Accountant to offer these services, but they are separate paid subscriptions and are not included in any formation plan. EasyFiling’s Business 360 plan includes monthly bookkeeping and annual tax filing for $999/year plus state fees.

How long does LegalZoom take to process a formation?

LegalZoom’s internal processing takes 20 to 30 business days on the Basic plan, 15 days on Pro, and 7 to 10 days on Premium. Secretary of State processing time is additional. EasyFiling’s standard processing is 5 to 10 business days, including state submission.

Can I switch from LegalZoom to EasyFiling?

Yes. We handle registered agent transfers and can take over your compliance, bookkeeping, and tax filing. Migrate your company to EasyFiling here.