Looking to form a liability limited company? LLC services such as LegalZoom and Incfile will help you. It’s a well-known fact that starting a business can be stressful especially if you do not know where to start.
LegalZoom and Incfile were formed to help such people. They will focus on your legal issues so you can concentrate on running your business.
In this LegalZoom vs Incfile review, you will learn the similarities and differences of these 2 so you can choose the best for your business legal needs.
LegalZoom vs Incfile
LegalZoom and Incfile are some of the best online legal services that will help you solve legal problems without hiring a lawyer. Lawyers in the USA are very expensive. Their fees range from $100 to $1,000 per hour.
You can save money on legal fees by seeking the help of an online business formation services.
It is worth noting that LegalZoom does not only help to form business but can apply for your trademark with them as well as help to create a will.
Incfile helps with the formation of any business such as LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, and other businesses.
LegalZoom was founded in 2001 by Edward R. Hartman, Brian P.Y. Liu, Robert Shapiro, and Brian S. Lee. It is located in California, United States. It has 1,080 employees.
Incfile was established in 2004 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. It has 11 to 50 employees.
Do LegalZoom and IncFile Offer Good Value?
Yes, these 2 business formation services offer good value. For a fraction of what you would pay an attorney, LegalZoom will help you prepare documents needed to start your business.
I recently evaluated these 2 companies to see if they can save you a visit to an attorney. I applied for a will, business formation documents, estate plans, and trademark plus used them to verify my company name availability.
I then asked a law professor to review these documents. Using these companies was better than me applying the documents because the process was quicker and was satisfied by their results.
Things They Have In Common
Both help with the formation of any business
You can search your business name with any of them
Both give lifetime customer support
Both have registered Agent
Both have packages that start at $0
Side by Side Comparison
| LegalZoom | IncFile | |
| Registered Agent | Price starts at a flat fee of $299/first year | Free for 1 year. After you will be paying $119 yearly |
| Advisory services | Charges for legal advice | Has free 1-hour consultation |
| Operating agreement | $99 extra | $40 |
| Order Processing Time | 30 days | Next business day |
| Annual compliance | 1 month free then after is $320 per year | You will be getting free alerts from the company |
| Web Domain and Hosting | No | Has website domain and hosting which costs $20 per month and is done via Snapweb |
| EIN registration | $60 extra | $70 extra |
Pricing (The Main Differences)
LegalZoom Pricing
Just like other business formation services, LegalZoom has different prices to cater to all people. Its pricing plans consist of economy, Standard, and Express Gold.
Economy
Package starts at $0 plus state filing fees, this is according to their official site. The turnaround for this package is 30 days. Features included in this package are:
- Business filing and name check
- LLC next steps guide
- Articles of organization
- Lifetime customer support
Standard
This package costs $329 plus state filing fees. Its turnaround time is 15 days. This package contains the services offered by the economy plus the following:
- Official certificates and seals
- LegalZoom VIP processing-ensures faster processing
- Deluxe organizer
Express Gold
It has the fastest delivery of 7 to 10 days. It costs $349 plus state filing fees. It contains the services offered by the economy and standard packages plus the following:
- Has rush processing with the secretary of state
- It features express shipping
IncFile LLC Pricing Plans
Incfile features 3 pricing plans. Silver which costs $0 plus state fees, Gold which costs $149 plus state fees and Platinum which costs $299 plus state fees. With the silver package, you can only get the following services:
- Unlimited name search
- Free registered agent but for a year only
- Prepare and file the articles of organization
With the gold package, you will get:
- IRS form 2553
- Online access dashboard
- Business tax consultation
- EIN business Tax number
- Banking resolution
- Lifetime company alerts
- Operating agreement
- Express shipping
- Unlimited support
- Business banking account
If you can afford the platinum package, the better. You will get the silver, gold package plus the following services:
- Domain name plus business email
- Business contract templates
- FedEx delivery
- Expedited filing
IncFile has affordable pricing plans while LegalZoom is a bit expensive. Incfile offers registered agent service for 1 full year in their pricing plans while LegalZoom does not.
Notable Features Compared
Legal Zoom Main Features
Business Formation
- Helps with the formation of any business such as sole proprietorship, LLC, C Corp or S Corp, Non-Profit organization, Employer Identification Number, DBA, etc. The company will help with naming your business, with tax, licenses, and permits.
Additional business services include registered agent services, business advisory legal plan, certificates of good standing, legal forms, agreements plus many more.
Personal Products
- Provide estate planning documents
- Helps prepare documents for your marriage, a new name plus divorce
- Will help to prepare the Last Will and Testament. Pricing start at $89
- Helps prepare title deed
- Helps protect your rental property with a residential lease. Pricing starts at $29
Intellectual Property
- Helps with trademark registration. Pricing is from $199 plus federal filing fees
Attorney Advice
- You can get legal help with real attorneys
IncFile Main Features
- Has online order status tracking
- Check company name availability
- Gives lifetime customer support
- Gives lifetime company alerts
- Helps prepare and file articles
- Has 1-year free registered agent service
- Business processing is fast
- Gives free business tax consultation
- Gives online access to incorporation documents
You can only get these services from LegalZoom: custom legal forms, speak with a live attorney and intellectual property filings.
User Experience
LegalZoom offers an easy to use online business formation. According to their official site, no filling complicated forms. However, you will be required to give important information such as your state and type of business that you want to set up.
The same case applies to Incfile. You will be required to enter your business type and state of formation then the company will take care of the filing for you. It is as simple as that.
Ease of Use
The entire order process of both companies does not take longer than 20 to 30 minutes. LegalZoom and Incfile have a user dashboard which makes it easy to manage your documents.
The companies will help you launch your business with no contracts and hidden fees.
Customer Support
LegalZoom Customer Service
If you have any issues regarding their services, contact their support. I had an excellent representative before, named Mike who handled my request perfectly. You can contact them through phone, email, and address.
Phone: 1-888-203-7652
Email: support@legalZoom.com
The support is available from Monday to Friday.
IncFile Customer Service
IncFile offers a client dashboard for tracking your orders. In case you have a query, you can ask their support using this contact:
Phone number: 844.830.8267
Turnaround Times
The turnaround time for LegalZoom depends on the package that they offer. The economy is 30 days, the standard is 15 days while Express Gold is 7 to 10 days. The filing times for Incfile depends on the state that you are in. They range from 5 business days to 1 week.
Your documents can be processed in 1 to 2 days but you will be required to pay more.
Order Tracking
You can monitor the progress of your order if you are using LegalZoom. Simply log into your LegalZoom account. You will see your dashboard with an account overview, open orders, completed orders, etc.
The open orders section will be displaying the status of your order. The same thing applies to Incfile. After placing an order with them, you will be able to check order status on your dashboard.
Registered Agent Service
Both online business formation services provide registered agent services. Registered agents are crucial when forming or running your business. They make sure you get timely notices and avoid fines, represent your business, and are always available to receive important documents.
Incfile provides free registered agent services for 1 year, then charges $119 yearly. Price starts at a flat fee of $299/first year for LegalZoom.
Which is the Better LLC Service for You?
Incfile is the best option in this industry considering it has free registered agent services for 1 year, has affordable pricing plans, and faster turnaround time. If you want other arrays of legal services, the best option is LegalZoom.
The company can help you file for a trademark, connect you with a live attorney, file for a business tax return, and many more.
Choose IncFile if You Are:
A small business owner who is looking for affordable legal services with faster turnaround time. It is also the best option if you don’t need regular legal help.
Choose LegalZoom if:
You will need lawyer services regularly and will want various legal services.
If I Decide to Use IncFile, Which Package Should I Choose?
If you decide to use IncFile, I would recommend using the gold package. It is affordable and comes with many features such as:
- Lifetime company alerts
- Online access dashboard
- Business tax consultation
- IRS form 2553
- EIN business Tax number
- Banking resolution
- Operating agreement
- Express shipping
- Business banking account
- Unlimited support
When starting a new business, you are required many things such as a business banking account, filing important LLC documents such as articles of organization, operating agreement, employee identification number, a business website, etc.
It is crucial for a new business person to get help from an online LLC formation service to make the process of setting up a company smooth. The gold package of Incfile is perfect for you.
It has everything that you need to start your business. It is the most popular since it is affordable and has all the tools and additional benefits needed to form a business.
Which Service Has Fewer Upsells?
Both services have different upsells. There are several services LegalZoom will try to sell to you. You may need some of them for your business while some are not necessary.
Some of the LegalZoom upsells include a registered agent for $159. It is mandatory to have a registered agent when setting up your LLC. The company has over 6 upsells. On the other hand, Incfile has fewer upsells.
Does Either of these Services Have a Refund Policy?
Yes, both LegalZoom and Incfile have a good refund policy. In fact, LegalZoom’s has one of the best fund-free policies in the industry of LLC formation services.
You have 60 days to analyze your purchase and decide if the services are worth your money. If you prefer to ask for a refund, you will get one with no problems and there are no cancellation fees.
To request a refund from LegalZoom, contact their customer care using the phone number and email provided before. Make sure you keep a record of the person you spoke so you can refer to them in case you need a confirmation.
With Incfile, your order is refundable as long your request has not been forwarded to the state. According to their official website, no refund if payment has been forwarded to the state.
There is a $30 cancellation fee plus any expenses incurred.
Which LLC Formation Website Is Faster?
LegalZoom has specific dates for filing with the state and they depend on the package that you will choose. The economy is 30 days, the standard is 15 days while express gold is 7 to 10 days.
Business formation with LegalZoom is a bit slower compared with Incfile which takes 5 days to 1 week. You can receive your documents in 1 to 2 days if you pay for expedited processing.
For those in a hurry to open their business, choose Incfile.
Does IncFile or LegalZoom Handle New York Publication Requirements?
Some states such as Arizona, Georgia, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and New York require proof of business formation put in a local newspaper. New business is supposed to be published in approved newspapers or journals.
New York requires publication for LLC only, Nebraska and Arizona require for corporations and LLCs while Georgia and Pennsylvania require for corporations only.
LegalZoom and Incfile do not assist with these services. You are supposed to do it yourself or contact people who offer these services.