Are you looking for the best registered agent service online in 2021, but not sure where to start?
We did the research to outline the top options.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at all five top companies to outline what sets them apart from each other. If you want to learn more about any of these options, click through to their website.
Overview (Entrepreneur Favorites)
We know you’re busy and don’t have unlimited time or money to spend online. If you’d like to skip the research and choose between the two entrepreneur-favorites and ‘best’ options, check out ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent.
These are the top registered agent services that help you keep your information private while including time-saving features. Both are excellent deals and can save you $200+ rather than using other options on this list.
Recommended Service
- ✔ Best Prices & Features
- ✔ Socially Conscious Company
- ✔ Thousands of Positive Reviews
Best Registered Agent Services Reviewed
Now that we’ve briefly outlined the two top-rated registered agent services, let’s dive into the more in depth part of this guide and compare all five.
- ZenBusiness = $99/year
- Northwest Registered Agent = $125/year
- Incfile = $119/year
- Rocket Lawyer = $149.99/year
- LegalZoom = $159-299/year
ZenBusiness | $99/year
The claim to fame for ZenBusiness is that they offer LLC and incorporation service for just $39, which is a lower price point than most competitors charge, and that package includes a full year of registered agent service. You can see that deal here.
As a standalone feature, their registered agent service is rather appealing as well, as ZenBusiness prices this service at a reasonable $99 per year.
Aside from their affordably priced business formation packages, the best attribute of ZenBusiness is their incredible customer feedback. We found more than 4,700 reviews of their services online, and almost all of them were positive. Their clients love to talk about how much money ZenBusiness saved them, and how easy it is to leverage their services.
Pros of ZenBusiness
- Excellent prices for registered agent service
- Offers free registered agent with their incorporation service
- Outstanding customer reviews
- Solid customer support network
Cons of ZenBusiness
- Shorter track record
Northwest | $125/year
Northwest Registered Agent has top-quality offerings that are easy to leverage for entrepreneurs looking to form a business online. This company has no nonsense and no upsells, and does a much better job with customer service than any other provider.
Rocket Tip: If you haven’t yet formed your business, Northwest will register your company (LLC, corporation or nonprofit corporation) and include one year of free registered agent service for $225 + state fee. Visit their website for more info.
Their services are delivered in a simple, direct manner, and there is a significant focus on their registered agent service, which is one of their top offerings.
While you can get cheaper options, Northwest does offer volume discounts that drop their price point to just $100/year per state if you require service in five or more states. Also, they actually started out as a registered agent service company over 20 years ago, and they’ve continually refined their service ever since.
For instance, they’re the only national registered agent service provider that offers local scanning of every single document they receive on your behalf ― their competitors only scan the government docs they’re legally required to.
Pros of Northwest Registered Agent
- Reasonable prices
- Volume discounts
- 12 months free registered agent with any formation
- All documents locally scanned
Cons of Northwest Registered Agent
- There are less expensive options available for standalone registered agent service
- High price points for incorporations and LLC formations
Incfile | $119/year
Incfile offers an impressive set of features with their business formation packages, and one of those is registered agent service. They include 12 months of registered agent for no additional fee with any of their incorporation packages, and they also have one of the lowest annual renewal fees available.
Rocket Tip: If you haven’t yet formed your business, Incfile will register your company (LLC, Corporation or Nonprofit Corporation) and include one year of free registered agent service for just $0 + state fee. Visit their website for more info.
Incfile is definitely a top contender for anyone seeking reliable, affordable registered agent service. Plus, if you’re looking to form a company online, they have many add-on features that can really enhance your business (for example, they offer many custom documents, business contract templates, and more).
One other attractive aspect of Incfile is their customer feedback. They have thousands of reviews available online, and nearly all of them are absolutely glowing. With just a small handful of negative feedback by comparison, customer reviews are a major strength for Incfile.
Pros of Incfile
- Reasonable registered agent pricing
- FREE business formation service
- Stellar customer reviews
- 12 months free registered agent with formation purchase
Cons of Incfile
- Lots of add-ons and upsells
Rocket Lawyer | $149.99/year
Visit Their Website
Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service doesn’t really stand out in any one way, but they do everything fairly well when it comes to providing reliable service.
Their $149.99 price point isn’t great, but if you subscribe to their Premium legal services membership for $39.99/month, Rocket Lawyer will provide a 25% discount on registered agent service, as well as free formation service.
Rocket Lawyer does have a few points in their favor, starting with their high level of experience. In fact, they’re one of the most experienced business services companies in the industry, as they’ve served a whopping 20 million customers since they opened for business back in 2008.
Aside from Incfile and ZenBusiness, Rocket Lawyer probably has the next-most impressive customer feedback in this guide, as they have thousands of reviews online, and the majority of them are quite positive. Their one major drawback though is that they do not include registered agent service in a bundle with incorporation service.
Pros of Rocket Lawyer
- Strong customer feedback
- High customer volume
- Legal services subscription is a unique, valuable feature
Cons of Rocket Lawyer
- Fairly high prices for registered agent service on its own
- No registered agent service included with formation packages
LegalZoom | $299/year
Visit Their Website
LegalZoom is another contender for the top registered agent service, especially considering they have a truly impressive volume of customers. As one of the most well-known incorporation services, LegalZoom gives you the opportunity to partner with a company that has significant experience in the legal services field.
Another aspect of their service that we appreciate is their 100% satisfaction guarantee. This guarantee is one of the best in the entire industry, as you have 60 days to request a refund for any reason, and they’ll refund your fee.
The downside, however, is that they charge much more for registered agent service than the other options in this guide, and LegalZoom also doesn’t include a registered agent as a feature with their formation packages (even their $349 Express Gold package lacks registered agent service). In addition, their pricing can be confusing, as they charge $159 to add a year of registered agent to a formation plan, but $299 as a standalone feature.
Pros of LegalZoom
- Tons of experience
- Satisfaction guaranteed
Cons of LegalZoom
- High prices
- Registered agent not included with any formation package
Our Recommended Service
All five of the top registered agent services on this list are good options. They each have great prices and are reliable.
However, we prefer and recommend ZenBusiness if you’re looking for the most affordable registered agent service and great overall value. Out of all the major online business services, they offer the best deal.
Common Questions
Q: Can’t I Just Serve as My Own Registered Agent?
A: You are allowed to serve as your own registered agent, which has its pros and cons. On the positive side, you can save some money by not paying fees to a registered agent service.
On the other hand, if you serve as your own agent you’ll need to make your address a matter of public record, and you’ll also need to be present and available to receive deliveries during standard business hours every Monday through Friday. If you’d like to look into the pros and cons of this option, check out our guides for designating a registered agent for your company.
Q: Should I Hire an Attorney or Accountant to Be My Registered Agent?
A: Some entrepreneurs like to use their accountant or lawyer as their registered agent because they’re already comfortable with them as a business partner.
However, this can be a much more expensive option than hiring a registered agent service, and because most accountants and lawyers only have offices in one state, they can’t really help you if you want to expand beyond your company’s state of origin.
Q: Do I Need to Designate a Registered Agent to Form a Corporation?
A: All 50 states require you to designate a registered agent in your formation paperwork when you create your corporation. Your filing will be rejected if you leave out this crucial information.
Q: Can I Change My Registered Agent After I Form My Company?
A: You can change your registered agent at any time. The process isn’t exactly the same in every state, but in most states you’ll simply need to fill out a “Change of Registered Agent” form. There are also some states that allow you to change your registered agent in your annual report filing. For more information on how to do this yourself, see our guides.
Still Not Sure?
Choose ZenBusiness:
ZenBusiness has outstanding customer feedback, and their pricing for business formation service is very competitive. Especially if you still need to form your business, ZenBusiness is well worth a look for registered agent service.
Choose Northwest:
For the last 20 years, Northwest Registered Agent has been focusing on providing the best registered agent service available, and they continue to refine their offering. You’re guaranteed to get great customer service and timely responses from their team of professionals.
Choose Incfile:
If you are seeking more than just a registered agent service, and also need to form a corporation, Incfile offers the best pricing and features on incorporation packages.
Choose Rocket Lawyer:
If you’re interested in their legal services subscription program, Rocket Lawyer provides discounted registered agent service and free incorporation service, making them a good option if you need all of these features.
Choose LegalZoom:
If you think you will need any kind of legal advice or services, it could be a benefit to partner with a company like LegalZoom that offers these advanced features.