LegalZoom vs. Bizee: Differences, pros & cons in 2024
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 8:54 a.m. UTC June 19, 2024
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Pros
- Offers three competitive LLC plans.
- Free year of registered agent services on all plans.
- High ratings from past customers.
Cons
- 24-hour processing is only on the highest plan.
- Business contract templates only on the highest plan.
Pros
- Offers a free LLC service.
- Free package includes a Wix website.
- Premium plan comes with advice from an attorney.
Cons
- Free package has limited services.
- Expensive registered agent service ($199 per year).
- Mid-tier plan is expensive compared to other LLC services.
Featured LLC service offers
LegalZoom
Free version available
Yes
Lowest published package price
$249
Live chat
Yes
ZenBusiness
Free version available
Yes
Lowest published package price
$199
Live chat
Yes: Human
Northwest Registered Agent
Free version available
No
Lowest published package price
$39
Live chat
Yes
When you start a business, one of the first things you need to do is register your business with the state (or states) where the business will operate. A common choice for initial business formation is an LLC (limited liability company) because of its liability protection and potential tax advantages.
To establish an LLC, you need to create documents like articles of organization and an operating agreement. You could go to a lawyer for these services, but to save money and time, many small businesses use an online service provider.
To help you make this decision, we reviewed two of the most popular business formation services, Bizee (formerly Incfile) and LegalZoom, based on price, features, customer reviews and customer support. As you read through our guide, you’ll find that LegalZoom offers additional legal support, while Bizee offers affordable plans with unlimited customer support.
Note: As of December 2023, Incfile has rebranded to Bizee.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: LLC services
LegalZoom and Bizee offer basic LLC formation services for free. However, if you factor in premium plan features, Bizee is a less expensive way to file your LLC paperwork and maintain your business. Its mid-tier plan is cheaper than LegalZoom’s ($199 compared to LegalZoom’s $249), while its most expensive tier is the same price for both providers (at $299, plus state filing fees).
LegalZoom’s free plan comes with access to a free Wix website. However, its plans can also come with additional services that will increase the overall price in time. For example, its highest-tier plan includes unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations, which are only free for a month. After that, you’ll be charged a recurring monthly subscription fee of $49 that renews automatically. It’s worth noting that Bizee does offer a 30-minute business tax consultation with its services.
When you start an LLC, it is a legal requirement that you appoint a registered agent. If you appoint yourself as your registered agent, you must be present in your business office during all regular business hours. There’s no stepping out for a meal or to meet a client. You also run the risk of having embarrassing paperwork delivered to your office in front of customers since the registered agent’s address is where such paperwork is served.
To avoid the above headaches, many companies hire a registered agent service. Bizee offers free registered agent services for the first year when you form your LLC, but this added service renews at $119 per year. In contrast, registered agent services cost $249 per year through LegalZoom right out of the gate with no free trial period.
LegalZoom’s additional trial plans end shortly after signup. This put it below Bizee in our ratings of best LLC formation services, but it still makes the list. Part of the reason for its inclusion is its provision of legal services. For new businesses, this legal support can be extremely helpful, even if it is only offered for free for one month. Just be sure to read the fine print to understand how much additional services will cost you upfront and how to cancel if you wish to opt out.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: Registered agent services
Bizee and LegalZoom both provide registered agent services, but Bizee’s are far more affordable. You get the first year free with LLC formation, and after that, it’s $119 per year. Bizee provides you with digital uploads of the documents received (accessible through your dashboard), email and text notifications when a new document arrives and mail forwarding.
It’s a different story over at LegalZoom. You have to pay for this extra service from day one, and the price point sits at $249 per year. LegalZoom’s registered agent service features are also not as comprehensive as Bizee’s. You’ll only get email and postcard notifications of new documents received. And, while those documents will be uploaded digitally to your account, there is no mail forwarding, a service Bizee offers for free.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: Cost
| BASE PLAN | MID-TIER PLAN | HIGH-TIER PLAN | REGISTERED AGENT SERVICE* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bizee
| $0 plus state filing fees
| $199 plus state filing fees
| $299 plus state filing fees
| Free for the first year, $119 per year after that
|
LegalZoom
| $0 plus state filing fees
| $249 plus state filing fees
| $299 plus state filing fees
| $199 per year
|
*The registered agent service comes with an annual recurring fee. In some cases, companies waive it for the first year or other specified period of time. It’s also included in some companies’ plans.
Both Bizee and LegalZoom offer a free LLC formation plan, but that doesn’t mean the service is completely free. While Bizee and LegalZoom won’t charge you for their most basic packages, you still have to pay state filing fees and, in some cases, for other services that are lacking in these free plans but that are required for you to form an LLC or corporation. For example, if you want to hire a registered agent, you must pay an additional fee for these services from day one with LegalZoom.
Each company’s fee-free package includes completely different perks. With Bizee, you get live phone customer service with every package and free registered agent services for a year. With LegalZoom, you’ll get a free Wix website. However, if you form an LLC with LegalZoom, you will have to appoint a registered agent, which costs $249 per year at LegalZoom.
Bizee’s Gold plan is only $199 versus LegalZoom’s Pro package price of $249. For this extra $50, you get access to phone customer service with LegalZoom and consultations around business needs. Both of these packages contain a similar suite of benefits, with Bizee providing a business banking account and 30-minutes of business tax consultation while LegalZoom provides consultation with both business insurance and tax specialists.
Finally, both companies offer a third-tier plan for a higher price of $299. At this level, you get a domain and business email address with Bizee but not website hosting like you would with LegalZoom. Bizee will also give you access to a library of business contract templates and next-day business formation filing.
At the third-tier level, LegalZoom provides a 30-day trial of some of its subscription services, like legal consultations, copyright registration and legal form templates. Each of these services will cost you an additional $49 per month if you don’t cancel them before the end of the month trial.
At the end of the day, Bizee gives you more bang for your buck. Extra services in LegalZoom’s larger packages come with short-term subscriptions and long-term fees. However, if you need extra legal guidance as you get your LLC started, LegalZoom’s free one-month attorney plan may be just what you need. Bizee, however, sticks to essential features, such as registered agent services. Also, its free add-on subscription trials are much longer than LegalZoom’s.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: Features
| NAME AVAILABILITY SEARCH | ONLINE DOCUMENT ACCESS | MOBILE APP | LEGAL SERVICES | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bizee
| Yes, no plan signup necessary
| Yes
| No
| Yes, 30-minute business tax consultation
|
LegalZoom
| Yes, with business formation plans
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes, but only for the first 30 days under select circumstances for Premium packages
|
Bizee does not have an app, so it’s not the best choice for mobile users. LegalZoom does have an app for iPhones, but there is no app available in the Google Play Store. So, it won’t be the best choice for Android mobile users.
Both services offer free search for business name availability. However, Bizee allows you to use its service for free before signing up for one of its business formation plans and requires only your name and email address. LegalZoom requires a sign-up for at least its free business formation plan before you can access this service.
With Bizee, you can access your documents online through your dashboard at any time. LegalZoom provides online document access at all tiers but said access is somewhat limited. For LLC formation, it only includes:
- Articles of organization.
- Bylaws and operating agreement.
- Signing instructions.
Other documents you create through LegalZoom’s services, such as trademark applications, annual reports or business contracts, are not viewable online.
There is no access to free legal consultation with Bizee, while LegalZoom does offer this service in a limited capacity. During the first 30 days after signing up for LegalZoom’s Premium plan, you can access unlimited 30-minute consultations with an attorney for new topics and paperwork only. Unless you cancel the service, you’ll be charged $49 per month after the first 30 days.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: Add-ons
For legal advice, Bizee offers 30 minutes of business tax consultation as part of its services. LegalZoom offers a Legal Plan trial for 30 days in its Premium plan. After the 30-day period, it renews at $49 per month. Likewise, Bizee offers free registered agent services in its LLC formation plans that become a $119 per year charge thereafter.
While some add-on features must be purchased separately in both companies’ free plans, some of these add-ons are included in the providers’ second and third-tier plans. For example, an EIN registration is included in the second and third-tier LLC formation plans of both LegalZoom and Bizee. If purchased as an add-on to each provider’s free plan, however, an EIN through Bizee costs $70, while an EIN purchased through LegalZoom costs $79.
In addition to add-ons offered in each provider’s plans, each also offers standalone features you can purchase as an add-on to your chosen LLC formation plan. Many of them are required or helpful in forming and maintaining your LLC.
Add-on business products and services offered by Bizee and LegalZoom include:
- Registered agent services: Registered agent services ensure you stay compliant with state and federal laws with reminders and staff to receive correspondence during normal business hours. Registered agent services are $119 per year with Bizee and $249 per year with LegalZoom.
- Virtual address: A virtual address allows you to provide a real business address without publishing your own, and then mail is scanned and viewable virtually. A virtual address is $29 per month through both Bizee and LegalZoom.
- Doing Business As (DBA) name filing: A DBA is a fictitious name or nickname for your business that can be used to enhance your brand. A DBA costs $99 when purchased from Bizee and between $99 and $119 when purchased from LegalZoom. These prices don’t reflect any added state filing fees.
- Foreign qualification: Foreign qualification allows you to conduct business in a state other than the one in which your LLC was formed. Under Bizee, you will pay $149 plus state filing fees, while LegalZoom offers the same filing service for between $229 and $339 plus state filing fees.
- Annual report filing: An annual report must be filed each year with your state, and it should give an overview of your business activities throughout the year. Both LegalZoom and Bizee offer annual report filing for $99, plus state filing fees.
- Trademark registration: With Bizee, registering a trademark to represent your brand’s products or services will cost you $199, plus state filing fees. LegalZoom will charge a hefty $599 plus federal fees for the same service.
- Legal plan: LegalZoom offers a Legal Plan with attorney consultations and a legal form library. After the 30-day trial offered in its LLC formation Premium plan, it will charge you as if you purchased it as an add-on. You can expect to be charged $49 when using this service as an add-on. Bizee does not have a legal plan, but they do offer 30 minutes of business tax consultation.
- Copyright filing: For copyright filing services, expect to pay $114 plus state filing fees if purchased through LegalZoom. Bizee does not offer this service.
Bizee vs. LegalZoom: Customer support
| 24/7 CUSTOMER SUPPORT | PHONE SUPPORT | LIVE CHAT | KNOWLEDGE BASE/HELP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bizee
| No
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|
LegalZoom
| No
| Yes, at the Pro and Premium tiers
| Yes
| Yes
|
Customer service looks very similar across both Bizee and LegalZoom. Both services offer live chat, which is available during customer service hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST at Bizee. Weekday customer service hours for LegalZoom are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST on the weekends. Both sites also offer an extensive library of articles related to LLC formation and maintenance.
The biggest difference is that LegalZoom only offers phone service to Pro and Premium clients, while Bizee’s phone service is available to everyone. Still, other differences exist. LegalZoom offers weekend support, whereas Bizee does not. Also, Bizee offers customer support in both English and Spanish, a service LegalZoom does not offer.
Featured LLC service offers
LegalZoom
Free version available
Yes
Lowest published package price
$249
Live chat
Yes
ZenBusiness
Free version available
Yes
Lowest published package price
$199
Live chat
Yes: Human
Northwest Registered Agent
Free version available
No
Lowest published package price
$39
Live chat
Yes
Which company formation service is right for your business?
LegalZoom is an expensive LLC formation option. However, if you want a premium experience, complete with such features as legal and weekend support, and you’re willing to pay a premium price for that experience, LegalZoom may be a good fit.
Hiroko Nishimura, owner of 24 Villages LLC and creator of AWS Newbies, considered LegalZoom when she was forming her LLC in 2019. “One of the important things for me was the fact that [the company] would deal with being my registered agent, as well,” said Nishimura. Because LegalZoom lacked this feature as an inclusion in its LLC formation plans, Nishima went with another provider with registered agent services included.
If, like Nishimura, you are looking for an all-in-one option for starting your LLC with little upfront costs, Bizee may be a good fit for you. Unlike LegalZoom, its plans offer you registered agent services free for one year and free LLC formation services.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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