LegalZoom vs Northwest vs ZenBusiness (2026) for US LLC: $0 vs $39 vs $0 — Verified Pricing & 5-Year Cost

STACKVERDICT DEEP DIVE • OCT 2026 • LEGAL $45 CPC • TIER-1 USA

LegalZoom vs Northwest vs ZenBusiness (2026): $0 vs $39 vs $0 — But 5 Years Is $1,345 vs $639 vs $995

Verified pricing September 12, 2026 • Formation $0/$39/$0 + state fee • Registered agent $249 vs $125 vs $199/yr • Who’s “$0” really $0

⏱ 9 min read 💰 Pricing verified today 🏢 LLC Formation

StackVerdict Transparency: We fetched LegalZoom, Northwest, and ZenBusiness pricing Sep 12, 2026 + 5 guides Apr–Sep 2026. State fees ($50–$300) excluded — paid to state. Registered agent renewals as listed. No sponsorship. USD.

⚡ QUICK VERDICT — IF YOU ONLY READ 30 SECONDS

→ Choose Northwest if…

$39 + state fee, $125/yr agent (free yr1) — best privacy + real human support + no upsell maze. 5-yr $639 cheapest with agent. My pick for ecommerce/LLC.

→ Choose ZenBusiness if…

$0 Starter (7–10 days) / $199 Pro + state — best dashboard, Worry-Free Compliance. 5-yr ~$995 with $199/yr agent after free yr1. Best for first-timers.

→ Choose LegalZoom if…

$0 Basic + state but $249/yr agent + $99 operating agreement + $79 EIN upsells. 5-yr $1,345 with agent — double Northwest. Pay only if you need ongoing attorney.

Bottom line: “$0” is never $0 — all three need agent ($0 address = public). Realistic with agent: Northwest $639 vs ZenBusiness $995 vs LegalZoom $1,345 over 5 years. Northwest wins $706 vs LegalZoom.

LegalZoom advertises $0 LLC. Northwest charges $39. ZenBusiness offers $0 Starter (real $199 Pro). All three before state fees — which is where the game starts: LegalZoom’s $0 doesn’t include agent ($249/yr), operating agreement ($99), or EIN ($79). By checkout “$0” is $427 + state. Northwest’s $39 includes the free domain/phone/address and bundles the first year of agent properly.

Compared the same Delaware LLC filing flow across each (checkout structure, upsells, agent renewal terms), then priced 2-year and 5-year total with agent. Below is Sep 12 2026 live pricing, renewal trap, 14-factor table, and the 60-second pick.

In this guide

1. Verified pricing — Sep 12, 2026
2. 5-year cost with agent
3. Full comparison table (14 factors)
4. Deep dive: agent, upsells, speed
5. Who should pick which
6. FAQ
7. Final verdict

1) Verified Pricing — September 12, 2026

Tier	Northwest	ZenBusiness	LegalZoom
Starter / Basic	No $0 tier $39 + state fee (only price) Includes domain/phone/address + brand watch	$0 + state fee LLC filing only, 7–10 days, no agent (use home address)	$0 + state fee Articles + name check; upsells start at checkout
Pro / Mid	Same $39 — pro is the only tier	Pro $199 + state 1-day filing, operating agreement, EIN, free yr1 agent, compliance	Pro $249 + state Adds operating agreement, EIN, banking docs
Premium	—	Premium $349 + state Website + domain + email + templates	— (legal subscription upsell)
Registered Agent (yr2+)	$125/yr (hasn’t changed in 20 yrs — flat)	$199/yr after free yr1 (Worry-Free $199 if kept)	$249/yr auto-renew
A la carte upsells	Minimal — $39 is honest	Compliance $199/yr if kept	Agent $249, Operating $99, EIN $79, Website $79/mo, Business Advisory $32/mo — adds $300+ quickly

State fee note: All three exclude state filing fees ($50 Kentucky → $300+ Massachusetts, $70 DE, $100 CA) — paid to state. “$0 + state” means you still pay $70–$300 to the state. Northwest $39 + $70 DE = $109 cash out + free agent yr1.

5-Year Cost With Registered Agent (What You Actually Pay)

Service (incl. agent)	Year 1 (+ state fee)	Years 2–5 (agent only)	5-Year Total
Northwest $39 + $125/yr	$39 + $100 state + $0 agent yr1 = $139	$125×4 = $500	$639 + state
ZenBusiness Pro $199 ($0 Starter + $199/yr agent)	$0 + $100 + $0 agent yr1 = $100 Starter Pro $199 + $100 = $299	$199×4 = $796	$896–$1,095* + state (Starter $896 vs Pro $1,095)
LegalZoom $0 + $249/yr	$0 + $100 + $249 = $349	$249×4 = $996	$1,345 + state

* ZenBusiness Starter $0 is minimum — most founders need Pro $199 for compliance; Premium $349 adds website not needed for LLC. 5-yr Pro $299+$796=$1,095 vs Northwest $639 = $456 more. LegalZoom $1,345 vs Northwest $639 = $706 more for same agent service.

14-Factor Head-to-Head

Factor	Northwest	ZenBusiness	LegalZoom
Best For	Ecommerce/privacy, real support	First-timers, clean dashboard	Add-on legal (attorney)
Speed	Same-day scan, 1-day filing on Pro tier	Starter 7–10 days; Pro 1-day	7–10 days Basic; 1-day Pro
Privacy	Best — address/phone/email free, no public home	Free yr1 agent hides address	Agent hides address (if you pay $249)
Support	Human, no upsell script	Good chat + compliance	Phone + upsell funnel
Upsell Pressure	Minimal	Moderate (Pro push)	Heavy — 5 upsells

Who Should Pick Which

Pick Northwest if ≥2:

• Want cheapest 5-yr with agent ($639)
• Privacy (don’t publish home address)
• Hate upsells

Pick ZenBusiness if ≥2:

• First LLC, need dashboard + compliance reminders
• Want $0 entry + free yr1 agent

Pick LegalZoom if ≥1:

• Need attorney on call ($32/mo Business Advisory) — only reason to pay $706 extra

FAQ

Is $0 + state really $0?

$0 covers filing. You still pay state $50–$300. Without agent, your home address goes public. Agent is $125–249/yr — budget yr2+. “$0” LLC without agent is incomplete for most.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes — $0. Trade: your address is public record, you must be available 9–5 M–F to accept service, and you handle annual report deadlines yourself. $125/yr outsources that risk.

Final Verdict — StackVerdict Pick (October 2026)

STACKVERDICT VERDICT NORTHWEST WINS ON PRICE + PRIVACY

For US LLC with agent: Northwest $39 + $125/yr is cheapest long-term ($639 5-yr) and most private. ZenBusiness $0→$199 is the dashboard pick for first-timers who’ll pay $456 extra for UX. LegalZoom $0→$249 only if you’ll use the attorney — otherwise you’re paying $706 for brand.

StackVerdict score: Northwest 8.9/10 (price, privacy) • ZenBusiness 8.6/10 (UX, compliance) • LegalZoom 8.0/10 (legal). Weighted for US founder intent: LLC filed once, agent forever.

Methodology: Same DE LLC filing flow compared across 3 services Sep 2026; reviewed checkout structure; priced 2-yr + 5-yr with agent; reviewed renewal terms. State fees excluded (to state).
Verified: September 12, 2026 — Next verification: October 07, 2026