Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
3
Formations
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
Compare the Best LegalZoom Alternatives
Top LegalZoom Competitors & Alternatives Of 2025
Rocket Lawyer
Better for Comprehensive LLC Setup
Rocket Lawyer
Free LLC setup
No
Ongoing fees for premium service
Yes
Processing time
One to two business days
No
Yes
One to two business days
Compared with LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer offers faster processing and includes everything you need to get a business up and running: name availability search, online document access, EIN assistance, registered agent service and more.
Rocket Lawyer comes with a higher cost than most services because it’s one of few services that doesn’t include an option to register your LLC for free. However, if you want additional business services and legal guidance, Rocket Lawyer’s straightforward pricing and comprehensive services offer the best value.
Learn more: Read our full Rocket Lawyer review.
ZenBusiness
Better for EIN Assistance
ZenBusiness
Free LLC setup
Yes
Ongoing fees for premium service
Yes
Processing time
One to 10 business days, depending on plan
Yes
Yes
One to 10 business days, depending on plan
ZenBusiness and LegalZoom offer comparable company formation services but differ on the extras that are available with premium plans.
For company formation, ZenBusiness beats LegalZoom on assistance applying for an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS. This service is included with the ZenBusiness Pro and Premium plans, but it’s an extra cost with LegalZoom even if you sign up for a comparable paid plan.
The two services also diverge on the ongoing services you can subscribe to. ZenBusiness focuses on business marketing, providing a domain, website builder and email address with its Premium plan. LegalZoom sticks to legal guidance, offering a 30-day subscription to attorney assistance with its paid plans.
Learn more: Read our full ZenBusiness review.
Northwest Registered Agent
Better for Free Online Document Access
Northwest Registered Agent
Free LLC setup
No
Ongoing fees for premium service
No
Processing time
Varies; users report just a few minutes to less than a week
No
No
Varies; users report just a few minutes to less than a week
LegalZoom requires a Pro or Premium (paid) plan to access your business documents online, while many alternatives offer online access with their free plans. Northwest Registered Agent beats LegalZoom on this feature, offering online document access with its free LLC registration so you don’t have to pay for a subscription to retrieve your business paperwork.
In addition, Northwest Registered Agent offers premium services at a slightly lower price and is much more highly rated among customers than LegalZoom.
Learn more:Read our full Northwest Registered Agent review.
Inc Authority
Better for Free LLC Service
Inc Authority
Free LLC setup
Yes
Ongoing fees for premium service
Yes
Processing time
24 hours
Yes
Yes
24 hours
Inc Authority stands out against LegalZoom and all alternatives for offering the best value with its free LLC service. Its $0 plan includes not only LLC filing, but also EIN assistance and one year of registered agent service, which cost extra with LegalZoom.
Inc Authority also processes free LLC registrations within 24 hours. Processing with LegalZoom’s free LLC service takes up to 20 days, or you’ll pay extra for expedited 24-hour processing.
Learn more: Read our full Inc Authority review.
Swyft Filings
Better for Fast Processing
Swyft Filings
Free LLC setup
Yes
Ongoing fees for premium service
No
Processing time
Same day to 10 days, depending on plan
Yes
No
Same day to 10 days, depending on plan
While LegalZoom offers to file your articles of organization within 24 hours on its Premium plan, Swyft Filings goes the extra mile and offers same-day filing. You have to pay for its $249 Premium plan and order before 3 p.m. CT to get this service, but it’s an option that doesn’t even exist with LegalZoom.
However, if fast filing isn’t your priority, note that Swyft Filings falls short of LegalZoom in ease of use. It offers no email customer support, its pricing is less transparent, and Forbes Advisor experts say it’s generally more difficult to navigate than LegalZoom.
Learn more: Read our full Swyft Filings review.
What LegalZoom Does Well
LegalZoom stands out from many alternative LLC services for providing more than just company formation. It excels at:
- Free LLC registration: Do a name availability search and file articles of registration for no cost beyond the state filing fee.
- Additional legal assistance: With additional one-off and subscription services, LegalZoom provides copyright and trademark services as well as lawyers to offer legal counsel when issues arise in your business.
- Personal legal services: Get guidance with your will and trust, property deeds and divorce with the same convenience LegalZoom offers for business set up.
Where LegalZoom Falls Short
LegalZoom doesn’t specialize in business formation as some alternatives do, so it falls short in these areas of the process:
- Processing time: LegalZoom can take up to 14 days to process an LLC registration on its free plan. Most alternatives process free registrations within two weeks (10 business days).
- Price transparency: A lot of add-on products make it difficult to know what your final price will be until you go through the sign-up process. Customers find alternatives, especially Northwest Registered Agent, more transparent with pricing.
- EIN assistance: LegalZoom charges an additional fee to help you set up an EIN, while Inc Authority, Rocket Lawyer, Swyft Filings and ZenBusiness all include the service with one of their paid plans.
Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
3
Formations
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
Which LegalZoom Alternative Is Right For My Business?
Which LLC service is the best fit for your business depends on your business needs and budget. LegalZoom could be the best fit if you need ongoing legal assistance for both your business and personal life.
If you just need to register your business and don’t need ongoing assistance, a LegalZoom alternative might be a better fit. Even though it comes with a higher cost, Rocket Lawyer is the best alternative for a comprehensive LLC setup that includes everything you need to get your business up and running. For a simpler alternative, Inc Authority gets your business set up quickly for free and doesn’t nicke-and-dime you for a tax ID or registered agent service.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is LegalZoom a trusted site?
Yes, LegalZoom is a well-known name in online legal services and trusted by many customers as legitimate and safe to use. However, compared with alternatives, LegalZoom isn’t highly rated by customers for overall satisfaction.
What is the LegalZoom controversy?
Several years ago, LegalZoom faced legal challenges for the unauthorized practice of law for the way it provided its legal services. The challenges were cleared, however, and the federal government consequently issued guidance allowing online legal services to operate.
Are there any alternatives to LegalZoom?
Dozens of online legal services exist to help with various legal paperwork, filing and advice. LegalZoom offers a broad array of services for businesses and individuals, while alternatives focus on specific areas, such as business formation, wills and trusts, or divorce.
