You are about to form your LLC and it comes down to two tabs. ZenBusiness says $0 plus state fees. Northwest says $39 plus state fees. The free one looks like the obvious pick.
It stops being obvious at checkout, when the registered agent comes up. A registered agent is the person or company named on your state filing to receive lawsuits and official notices for the LLC. Most states require one while the LLC exists. New York makes an additional agent optional. Pennsylvania requires a registered office instead. Minnesota requires a registered office but makes the agent optional for LLCs formed there; out-of-state LLCs registering in Minnesota still need an agent. Northwest includes the first year in its $39 fee. ZenBusiness's plan page lists $199 a year for it; its first-year offer is noted above.
So the fair comparison is not $0 against $39. It is the formation fee plus the agent, year after year. At the standard plan-page rates, Northwest costs $160 less in year one and $74 less in every year after. The state filing fee is the same whichever service files, so it is left out of every figure on this page.
Quick comparison at a glance
One LLC in one state. Prices from each provider's own pricing page, checked 2026.
| Dimension | Northwest | ZenBusiness |
|---|---|---|
| Formation fee | $39 | $0 Starter, $199 Pro, $299 Premium |
| Registered agent, year one | Included | $199 standard add-on; first-year offer may apply |
| Registered agent, after year one | $125/year | $199/year |
| Package renewal | None | Pro renews at $199/year, Premium at $299/year |
| Other renewals to watch | None required | Worry-Free Compliance $199/year after a free first year on Starter; website builder $15/month after its trial if left selected |
What it costs over five years
Formation fee plus registered agent, one state, state fees excluded. ZenBusiness Pro includes its yearly package renewal. Optional add-ons are left out; the section below lists the ones that renew.
| Route | Year 1 | Each year after | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $39 | $125 | $539 |
| ZenBusiness Starter + agent | $199 | $199 | $995$456 more |
| ZenBusiness Pro + agent | $398 | $398 | $1,990$1,451 more |
Pro costs more because the package renews every year on top of the agent. Pro includes Worry-Free Compliance, which ZenBusiness lists as covering your required annual report filing, plus an EIN, an operating agreement template and processing in 1 business day. If you are happy to file your own annual report, which in many states is a short online form, Starter plus the agent is the fairer ZenBusiness figure to compare.
What each one includes
Northwest's $39 LLC covers the state filing paperwork and a year of registered agent service. Its formation pages also list a free domain name, web hosting, an email address, a phone line, brand protection and address use where state rules allow. After year one the agent renews at $125 a year. Annual report filing is a separate $100 service plus state fees; check your account if you plan to file reports yourself.
ZenBusiness Starter covers the state filing at $0, with standard processing of 7 to 10 business days or $79 for rush. It includes a free first year of Worry-Free Compliance, which then renews at $199 a year unless you cancel. Its checkout also preselects a website builder that is free for 30 days and then $15 a month. You can remove it before you pay. The agent is separate; the standard rate is $199 a year before any first-year offer.
None of that is hidden. ZenBusiness states each renewal on its pricing page. The point is that the $0 package is the start of the bill, not the whole of it, so read the order summary before you pay.
If you plan to be your own registered agent
This is the one case where ZenBusiness Starter comes out ahead on price. You can act as your own agent if you have a street address in the state and you are there during business hours to accept legal papers. Then you skip the agent fee and Starter costs $0 against Northwest's $39.
Two things to weigh first. Your address goes on the public record as the agent address, and a process server can arrive at it during the day. And ZenBusiness's $0 fee is the same as filing the form yourself on the state's website, so the choice there is between ZenBusiness's help with the paperwork and doing it directly. Our guide to being your own registered agent covers the rules state by state.
Where ZenBusiness is the better choice
You will be your own registered agent and want help with the filing rather than doing it on the state's site yourself.
You want someone else to file every annual report and you would rather pay one package renewal for that than track the deadline. Check whether the state's annual report fee is included or billed on top before deciding the filing service is worth $199 a year.
You want the business extras in one account. Premium adds a domain, a business email and a documents library at $299, renewing at $299 a year.
Where Northwest is the better choice
You want a professional registered agent. The standard-rate comparison gives Northwest a $456 five-year advantage; the ZenBusiness offer narrows that gap.
You want a business address included. Northwest's formation page lists address use where your state allows it. Check the other address fields before assuming your home address will stay private.
You plan to file your own annual reports. The agent renews at $125 a year. Check that paid report filing is not active if you do not want it; state fees and taxes still apply.
Quick decision guide
- You want a registered agent service, not to be your own agent
- You want a business address included
- You want the lower cost in year one and every year after
- You will be your own agent and want filing help
- You want annual reports filed for you as a yearly package
- You want a domain and email bundled on Premium
Already formed with ZenBusiness?
You can keep your LLC exactly as it is and change only the registered agent. Northwest files the change of agent for you and pays the state filing fee. Our ZenBusiness renewal review runs the switch math, and the cancellation guide covers the order to do it in so there is no gap in coverage.
Common questions
Is ZenBusiness really $0? The Starter filing service is $0 plus your state's fee. The standard agent add-on is $199 a year before any first-year offer, and Worry-Free Compliance renews at $199 a year after its free first year unless you cancel.
Does Northwest charge anything after the first year? The registered agent renews at $125 a year. Report filing and other paid services are separate, as are state fees and taxes.
Do I pay the state filing fee with either one? Yes. Both add the state's filing fee on top of the service fee. Your state's guide lists the fee.
Can I form with ZenBusiness and use Northwest as my agent? Your registered agent is whoever you name on the filing, so it can be a different company from the one that files. Ask ZenBusiness how to enter an outside agent before you check out. Forming with the agent you plan to keep is usually simpler.
Which one do you recommend? Northwest, for anyone who wants a registered agent service. ZenBusiness when you will be your own agent or want annual reports filed as a yearly package.
Bottom line
The $0 plan is a real $0 filing service, and it is a good deal if you will be your own registered agent. With the agent at the standard plan-page rate, it becomes $199 in year one, against Northwest's $39, and the gap continues every year after.
Most new LLCs: Northwest
$39 plus the state fee, with the first year of registered agent service included and Northwest's address on your filings. Then $125 a year for the agent.
Form your LLC with Northwest ↗Comparing Bizee too?
The same five-year math for Northwest against Bizee's three packages.
What the $39 LLC includes
A line-by-line look at Northwest's formation offer and what year two costs.
Sources, research & corrections
Sources: Northwest LLC formation page, Northwest registered agent page, ZenBusiness formation plans and FAQ. Prices read on each provider's own page, not through an affiliate link. Verified 2026.
This comparison reflects each provider's published pricing as of 2026. Prices change. Check the order summary before you pay. Some links on this page are affiliate links.