Wyoming charges $100 to form an LLC, and an online filing is active immediately. The yearly license tax is $60 or more. It is popular with non-US founders, but if you live and do business in another state you will usually have to register there too.
Northwest charges $39 plus the state fee and includes a year of registered agent service, an operating agreement and a business address to keep your home address off public filings. After year one the agent is $125 a year. It has one package, so there are no tiers to compare.
$39 + state fee
Pros
$39 includes a year of registered agent, an operating agreement and a business address
Registered agent renews at a flat $125/yr
Cancel any service in the portal with no fee
Cons
EIN is a $50 add-on ($200 without an SSN)
Annual report filing is auto-enrolled at $100 + state fee unless you opt out
Lower Trustpilot score (4.1, 318 reviews) than the big brands
Doola forms US LLCs for founders who live outside the US. Every plan is a yearly subscription starting at $297, and it includes the EIN, operating agreement, registered agent and a US address. US residents can get the same filing for less elsewhere.
$297/yr + state fee, renews yearly
Pros
Built for non-US founders: no SSN or US residency needed
Starter includes EIN, operating agreement, registered agent and a US business address
Separate ITIN service ($499) and bank account applications through Mercury
Cons
Every plan renews yearly; Starter is $297 every year, not once
Payments are nonrefundable; the money-back guarantee pays credit or a gift card, only for Doola's own errors
Bizee, formerly Incfile, files your LLC for $0 and includes a free first year of registered agent service, then $149 a year. The $0 Basic plan is slow (Bizee quotes 4 to 6 weeks in total), and refunds end once your fee goes to the state, usually within 24 hours.
$0 + state fee
Pros
$0 Basic includes a free first year of registered agent
Registered agent renews at $149/yr, below ZenBusiness and LegalZoom
4.8/5 on Trustpilot from 26,442 reviews
Cons
Basic takes about 4 to 6 weeks; Standard about 2 weeks
Refunds end once fees go to the state, usually within 24 hours
EIN ($70) and operating agreement ($99) cost extra on Basic
Northwest forms in any state for $39 for non-US founders and charges $200 for an EIN without an SSN (Northwest international, Northwest EIN). It is the cheapest route if you can open a bank account yourself. The agent renews at $125 a year.
Doola is built for founders outside the US. Starter includes the EIN, operating agreement, agent and a US address, and it runs bank applications through Mercury (Doola pricing, Doola). The $297 is yearly, not one-time.
Bizee suits a US resident who wants a cheap Wyoming filing and has time. Its $0 Basic plan quotes 4 to 6 weeks in total (Bizee order form), which wastes Wyoming's instant online approval, so Standard at $199 (about 2 weeks) is the fairer comparison.
Wyoming traps to avoid
Forming in Wyoming does not free you from your home state. If you live and do business elsewhere, you will usually have to register there too, and pay that state's fees and agent on top of Wyoming's.
The license tax is a floor, not a flat fee. It is $60 or $.0002 of your Wyoming assets, whichever is greater (WY SOS FAQ), so a company with large Wyoming assets pays more.
For non-US founders, Doola's guarantee covers only Doola's own errors, must be claimed within 14 days and pays at most $297 in credit or a gift card (Doola guarantee).