Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom

Business owners use incorporation services to form their businesses and avoid spending thousands of dollars on lawyers or trying to figure out the paperwork themselves. Online legal service providers are a hassle-free solution for entrepreneurs looking to build a startup and established business owners who don’t want to wrangle formation documents.

Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom are popular choices in the industry, but they feature quite a few differences. Read this Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom review to determine which provider has the best overall LLC formation services for your business’s needs.

Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom: At a Glance

• If having a registered agent is particularly important to you, Northwest Registered Agent offers a year of registered agent service as part of their starter package. LegalZoom, however, only provides this service as a separate package.

• LegalZoom provides a more robust array of compliance services than Northwest Registered Agent, making it easier for a business to remain in good standing with the government.

• Although LegalZoom and Northwest Registered Agent both offer additional legal services, Northwest Registered Agent’s legal advice services are only available in Utah. 

Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom: Formation Service Differences

Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom feature quite a few critical differences regarding their LLC formation services, registered agent services, legal services, customer support, and prices. More details are below. 

Business Formation Pricing

Northwest Registered Agent offers an LLC formation package for $225 + state filing fees. States typically charge a flat fee for LLC filing, ranging from $40 to $500. Northwest’s filing service fee is slightly higher than its competitors, but it includes one year of free registered agent service to make that cost worthwhile. 

A Northwest Registered Agent standard package also includes the following: 

• LLC business formation 

• Legal document filing 

• Articles of Organization 

• Free limited mail forwarding service

• An Operating Agreement

• A client account with free forms and tools 

In addition to these standard services, Northwest also offers multiple upsells. For example, you can choose to have Northwest get an EIN for your company, establish a virtual office, or invest in a trademark service. The cost of these services depends on your state. 

Northwest also offers the option to create a free account with them to get all the state forms and tools you need to start your limited liability company. This allows you to start the LLC formation process yourself and then add Northwest’s service if you find the process to be too much of a hassle.

LegalZoom offers multiple LLC formation packages, and the price depends on the type of business structure you want to register. 

• Limited liability company (LLC): $79 + state fees

• Corporation (C-Corp or S-Corp): $149 + state fees

• Doing business as (DBA): $99 + state fees

• Nonprofit: $99 + state fees 

Once you form your company, you can hire LegalZoom for additional services, such as annual reports and contracts.

In contrast with Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom does not include your first year of a registered agent service in your starter package. Suppose you want LegalZoom to become your registered agent. In that case, you will need to invest in their registered agent package, which costs $229 per year. 

Northwest Registered Agent charges more for their LLC formation services than LegalZoom. Still, the value of the Northwest package is higher since they include registered agent services for an entire year. 

Northwest Registered Agent charges more for their LLC formation services than LegalZoom. Still, the value of the Northwest package is higher since they include registered agent services for an entire year. 

Turnaround Times

With Northwest, turnaround times for the formation process are transparent and depend on your state. When you choose where to form your LLC during checkout, you will see how many business days the filing time takes, with rush filing available in some states. Typically, processing times take one to five days, but in some states, it can take up to 30 days. 

LegalZoom claims to start filing when you submit your intake questionnaire and payment. The standard filing time can take five to ten business days, but it ultimately depends on the state where you are forming your business.

LegalZoom also offers rush order processing at an additional cost. Here is a breakdown of LegalZoom turnaround time packages. 

The LegalZoom Express Gold package may be worth it if you are in a rush to incorporate. However, depending on your state, you can form your LLC quickly without paying for rush filing. 

Registered Agent Service

By law, your business must have a registered agent that receives legal documents and communication on behalf of your LLC or corporation. Some examples include tax documents, lawsuits, subpoenas, and debt collection letters. 

To become your registered agent, the person you designate must pass these requirements: 

• Be over 18 years of age

• Have a street address in the state (not a P.O. Box) 

• Be present at that address during business hours 

These requirements sound simple, but naming a family member or a friend your registered agent instead of going with a professional registered agent service has significant downsides. For example, since many legal documents can only be served in person, your registered agent must be present in one location for the entire business day. 

Failing to maintain a registered agent could result in legal troubles for your business, so it’s crucial to invest in a registered agent service that you can trust. Benefits of going with a professional registered agent service include:  

Confidence 

By going with a professional service, you are minimizing the possibility of human error and maximizing the professionalism of all transactions. You can be confident that your legal documents and communications will get to the right place.  

Privacy 

Your registered agent address is a part of the public record, so using your address or the address of a family member or a friend means giving up personal privacy. Through a registered agent service, you’ll have a reliable source for documents without sharing your information with the public.

Hassle-Free 

Hiring a registered agent service gives you flexibility, peace of mind, and consistent professional support with your business. 

Northwest includes one free year of registered agent services in their business formation services. After that first year, you can keep Northwest as your registered agent for $125 per year. 

This is what Northwest includes in its registered agent services package: 

• Locally-scanned documents

• Northwest signature Corporate Guides 

• Privacy

• Free limited mail forwarding

• Instant online service

• Pre-filled state forms

• Annual report reminders

LegalZoom offers registered agent services at a higher price point, for $299 per year. The package includes the following: 

• Alerts whenever mail arrives

• Emails notifying you about vital tax and annual report deadlines

• $1M in identity theft protection and credit monitoring services

• Unlimited cloud storage

Registered agent service is critical, especially if you are a new business. Overall, Northwest provides a more comprehensive service at a lower rate than LegalZoom.  

Compliance Services

After incorporation, your business must stay on top of compliance-related documents to maintain good standing with the law. Compliance-related documents include an operating agreement, articles of organization, employer identification number, and annual reports. 

Northwest Registered Agent offers an annual report service for $100 + state filing fees. Registered businesses must file regular reports — typically once a year, but some states require twice a year — to confirm or update your business information on file. Failing to file your report can have serious consequences, including losing your small business. 

LegalZoom offers several compliance-related services, such as:

• Operating Agreement: $99 + fees

• Annual Report: $99 + fees 

• Initial Report: $35 + fees

• Recordkeeping: $99/year for unlimited usage

• Compliance calendar: $69/year

• Bylaws and resolutions: $99

LegalZoom offers more options for compliance than Northwest Registered Agent, and the price for the annual report service is almost identical.

Legal Services

Northwest Registered Agent offers a legal advice service, Law on Call, exclusively to its clients in Utah. For a monthly subscription of $9, you get instant access to a licensed lawyer on call for unlimited and instant legal help.

If, during the call, you determine that you need done-for-you legal services, you can hire Northwest lawyers to do it for you and pay by the hour. Hourly rates are competitive and depend on the lawyer’s years of experience: 

• 1-3 years: $99/hour

• 3-7 years: $150/hour

• 7-10 years: $200/hour

• 10+ years: $250/hour 

Northwest lawyers can work on agreements, contracts, document reviews, preparation, and legal research, among other legal jobs. 

Currently, Law on Call is only available to Northwest clients in Utah. However, there are plans to expand to other states soon. If you’re worried about being one of 36-53% of small businesses sued every year, however, this limited availability could be a big issue.[1]

LegalZoom offers legal advice services through its Business Advisory Plan. Available in all states, you can choose a prepaid 6-month or a 12-month plan to get the following benefits: 

• 30-minute independent attorney consultations on legal concerns

• Contract and legal document reviews (up to 10 pages)

• Annual business evaluation report (12-month plan only)

• Unlimited downloads from a legal form template library

• Discounts on other LegalZoom packages

You can also choose from LegalZoom’s diverse options of done-for-you legal services. Some examples include: 

• Business compliance

• Legal forms and agreements

• Business changes and filings

• Taxes, licenses, and permits

LegalZoom Business Advisory Plan is the only viable legal advice service option unless you do business in Utah and qualify for Northwest’s Law on Call. If you ARE one of the 313,590 small businesses that call Utah home, Law on Call is worth looking into.[2]

Add-On Business Services

Under additional services, Northwest Registered Agent offers the following packages: 

• Trademark service: protect your brand name, logo, phrase, or design for $249 + filing fees

• Law on Call: legal advice service only available in Utah for $9/month 

• EIN service: get your Federal Employer Identification Number for $50 (with SSN) or $200 (without SSN) 

• Foreign Qualification: register a business in a new state 

• Mail forwarding: accept your mail and forward it

• Virtual office: staffed on-demand secretarial services

LegalZoom offers various services you can pick and choose from to only invest in the services you need. Here are some of the things that LegalZoom can do for you: 

• Corporate supplies: order a corporate kit, a company seal, stock certificates, or member certificates 

• Certified copies: order a copy of any document that your company has filed with the Secretary of State, such as Articles of Incorporation or annual reports

• Certificates of Good Standing: get evidence that your company has submitted all necessary reports and fees to the state 

• Business Advisory Plan: prepaid legal advice 

LegalZoom also offers intellectual property and real estate services. LegalZoom has more diverse offerings, while Northwest provides unique benefits, such as mail forwarding and a virtual office.  

Customer Support

Northwest Registered Agent is a mid-sized, family-owned business with excellent customer service. They promise to answer all emails on the same day and claim not to use automated customer service software, prioritizing real human interactions with their in-house Corporate Guides. 

LegalZoom customer support is available Monday through Friday, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on the weekend over the phone. You can also reach them through a form on LegalZoom’s website and get a response via email. 

LegalZoom has more availability for customer service. However, according to customer reviews on Trustpilot, long waiting times and poor-quality assistance are common with LegalZoom. Northwest reviews are generally positive.  

Similarities Between Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom

Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom share certain similarities, such as:

However, each service is ultimately unique, and Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom have more differences than similarities. 

Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom: Customer Reviews

Northwest Registered Agent generally gets positive reviews, but LegalZoom has more customer feedback, with over 6,000 reviews. However, LegalZoom reviews are often more negative than Northwest’s. Overall, customer satisfaction at Northwest is higher than that at LegalZoom. 

Alternatives to Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom

Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom are popular business formation services. Still, there are better LLC services out there. Swyft Filings offers LLC formation and business management services at competitive rates featuring over 20,000 positive reviews. 

When it comes to Northwest and LegalZoom comparison, Swyft Filings has multiple advantages to offer: 

• Lower rates. It can cost as little as $0 + state filing fees to incorporate an LLC, corporation, or nonprofit with Swyft Filings. At the same time, Northwest charges $225 + state filing fees, and LegalZoom charges from $79 to $149 + filing fees, depending on the business structure you’re forming. 

• Fast processing times. Swyft Filings offers some of the quickest turnaround times in the industry and an option to get Express Processing or Same Day Processing to register your business in a matter of days. 

• Personalized customer support. Every Swyft Filings client can contact a Business Specialist by phone at (877) 777-0450 from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. CST or by email at [email protected]. 

Deciding Between Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom

There are several critical differences between Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom:  

If you’re looking for an alternative to Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom, Swyft Filings offers lower rates and personalized customer support to save you time and money. Our business formation service files the necessary paperwork easily and accurately on your behalf.

FAQs

How much does it cost to start an LLC?

The cost of LLC formation services depends on which online legal service provider you hire. Northwest Registered Agent offers an LLC filing service for $225 + filing fees, while LegalZoom charges $79 + filing fees for their package, $146 lower. However, cheaper options are available, with Swyft Filings charging only $0 + filing fees for business formation services.  

Is Northwest Registered Agent or LegalZoom better for starting an LLC?

Northwest charges a higher fee for their LLC formation service. Still, they also include a full year of registered agent services in their business formation package. Your business is required by law to have a registered agent. Investing in this service with LegalZoom would cost you $299 on top of the LLC formation fee, which makes it significantly more expensive than Northwest. 

Is Northwest Registered Agent cheaper than LegalZoom?

Northwest charges a higher fee for LLC formation services than LegalZoom but offers a more valuable package. Regarding registered agent services, Northwest is much cheaper, charging $125 per year, while LegalZoom charges $229 per year, $174 higher. These pricing differences can be critical to businesses, especially during high inflation, when 65% of small businesses already say they might close if inflation increases.[3]

What company offers ongoing legal services?

Northwest offers a Law on Call service to clients only in Utah for $9/month. This service gives you access to a licensed lawyer on call for unlimited legal help with questions or concerns and an opportunity to hire a lawyer at a competitive rate. LegalZoom offers a prepaid Business Advisory Plan to provide legal advice services for either 6 or 12 months nationwide.

What are some Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom alternatives?

Swyft Filings is a competitive alternative to Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom, featuring a lower LLC formation fee (just $0 + filing fees), personalized customer support, and over 20,000 positive reviews.  

Bibliography

1. Small Business Administration. “Impact of Litigation on Small Business.” Accessed March 13, 2023.

2. Small Business Administration. “Utah Small Business Economic Profile.” Accessed December 12, 2022.

3. Digital. “Inflation may force 2 in 3 small businesses to close in 2022.” Accessed December 12, 2022.