LegalZoom vs Bizee (Incfile): Which Is Best for Your LLC? (2024)

LLC formation services exist for one reason: it can be a hassle registering an LLC on your own. If you’re a small business owner or a first-time merchant, you can’t afford to waste time and money on complicated paperwork and expensive mistakes.

For an LLC formation service to earn your business, it should be worth the peace of mind and expediency it provides. Both LegalZoom and Bizee (formerly Incfile) offer efficient and easy-to-use LLC formation services. But with a notable price difference – and the future of your LLC – on the line, you need to be sure about which one is best for you.

That’s why I spent many hours meticulously researching the details of both services, what their customers have to say about them, and expert reviews. What I found is that while you can’t really go wrong with either, LegalZoom’s wider variety of features and reliable service make it the best choice for most. But the results are very close.

So, keep reading to find out exactly why LegalZoom came out on top overall (and where it sometimes didn’t), or check out LegalZoom’s latest offers today and register your LLC ASAP.

Features

You Can Get the Basics With Either, but LegalZoom Goes Above and Beyond

Let’s get the most important part out of the way first: On their starting packages, both LegalZoom and Bizee provide everything you need to register your LLC, like Articles of Organization filing and name availability checks. The only real difference is that Bizee offers a free Registered Agent service for the first year, while LegalZoom includes a digital welcome packet and a free website, courtesy of Wix.

It’s also worth noting that LegalZoom takes anywhere from 5–14 business days to file your LLC registration – with the option to pay extra for expedited filing – while Bizee offers next-day filing. Either way, keep in mind that this does not include state processing times, which can take weeks or even months.

To be honest, the starting packages of both are pretty similar. This applies to the medium-priced packages as well. On their medium-priced packages, Bizee and LegalZoom both include Employee Identification Number (EIN) registration, Operating Agreement drafting, and short business and tax consultations. Bizee gains a slight edge thanks to its faster filing speeds and free Registered Agent service.

However, LegalZoom really stands out thanks to its wide selection of additional business and legal features. LegalZoom provides a wide array of legal services, such as trademark and copyright assistance, virtual mailboxes, and a host of other offerings, including access to a Registered Agent service. Sure, these come at an extra fee, but you only pay for what you need, and you’re getting the best of the best for your business.

Out of the hundreds of reviews I consulted, a significantly larger percentage of merchants reported positive experiences with LegalZoom’s Registered Agent services when compared to Bizee’s. LegalZoom is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), while Bizee is not. In the end, LegalZoom tops this category thanks to its broad selection of additional features for businesses of all kinds.

Ease of Use

Both Services Take the Weight Off Your Shoulders

When it comes to starting your LLC, navigating the complexities of legal paperwork can be daunting. That’s why services like LegalZoom and Bizee exist in the first place. So, I’m happy to report that both services excel when it comes to user-friendliness and ease of use.

Getting started with either service is a breeze. All you have to do is go to their respective homepages and select your business entity type and package of choice. Regardless of the service you choose, you could file for your LLC registration in a matter of minutes.

What’s more, once you have finished your filing process, both LegalZoom and Bizee present well-designed user dashboards, making it easy to access and manage all important documents throughout the process.

Just like before, LegalZoom sets itself apart by offering some additional features that enhance its overall ease of use. The most notable of which might be its bank account setup assistance. LegalZoom offers to help you create a business bank account along with your LLC formation process. You can even save money if you open your account with select banks.

Bizee, on the other hand, offers a slightly easier-to-navigate dashboard. Its customer support is also available in Spanish, which can make registering an LLC in the US a lot easier for non-native speakers.

Overall, both LegalZoom and Bizee deliver exceptionally user-friendly LLC formation services. And while both offer some additional ease-of-use features, it’s not enough to put either in the obvious lead. I would say that this category is pretty much a tie, with Bizee earning a slight lead thanks to its Spanish-speaking support.

Pricing

Bizee Offers Better Value, but Not by Much

LegalZoom and Bizee share similar approaches to pricing. Both services offer a free plan (state filing fees not included) that offers just enough to get your LLC up and running. Both offer two more tiers of service for a one-off fee, and both charge recurring fees for ongoing services like their Registered Agent services or virtual mailboxes.

Just because both services have similar models, however, doesn’t mean we have another tie on our hands. The biggest difference between the two lies in their second package. While both offer just about the same features for an extra fee – namely, EIN registration, Operating Agreement drafting, and a free business consultation – Bizee’s medium package is considerably cheaper.

While LegalZoom’s Pro package will run you $249 + state fees, you can get the same offering with Bizee’s Gold package for just $199 + state fees. This price difference alone is enough for Bizee to take the lead on pricing.

That said, you’ll be paying very similar amounts for any recurring services with either. Once the free period is over, Bizee’s and LegalZoom’s monthly fees for the Registered Agent service are pretty similar. Bizee’s Registered Agent service is just 10 bucks per month cheaper than LegalZoom’s, but the latter has better reviews across the board.

This pattern repeats itself for most of the comparable services. Bizee offers cheaper services while LegalZoom costs a little extra but offers better customer care and more experience. What’s more, LegalZoom is actually cheaper (and offers more features) in its highest-paid package than Bizee. But I wouldn’t give too much weight to that, since either medium-tiered plan will be the most valuable proposition for almost all merchants.

Support

Bizee’s Support Is Frankly Disappointing

The one category where LegalZoom blows Bizee out of the water is customer support. On their review of LegalZoom, my colleague reports stellar interactions with support. LegalZoom offers phone and live-chat support throughout the week (though the hours of availability are different on weekends). Throughout all interactions with support, LegalZoom’s agents were knowledgeable and efficient, helping my colleague with specific doubts in minutes.

Its contact forms could use some work, and phone support is only available on the Pro and Premium packages. Still, LegalZoom offers top-notch support for all customers. Separate merchant reviews seem to confirm this too. Even some of the not-so-favorable ones praised the quality of LegalZoom’s support for complaint resolution.

I can’t say the same thing about Bizee. Both our own review and many of the merchant reviews I consulted pointed to the same problem: Bizee’s support is inefficient and its agents don’t always know what they’re talking about. Though Bizee supposedly offers the same channels of support, live chat can be difficult to reach even during normal business hours.

This means your best bet for getting in touch with Bizee is through phone support. The bad news is that it’s often a toss-up. Though the phone support representatives are (as far as I can tell) always friendly and willing to answer your questions, that doesn’t mean that they can.

Though the fact that Bizee offers support in Spanish is definitely helpful, it’s not enough to make up for its deficiencies. LegalZoom is the obvious winner in this category.

Choose the Service That Works Best for Your Business

It’s easy to compare two services when one is obviously superior to the other. But the fact of the matter is that both LegalZoom and Bizee offer great value LLC formation services. If you can deal with subpar customer support, and you don’t need many features outside of LLC formation, then Bizee’s valuable plans and extremely user-friendly interface could be right for you.

However, thanks to its wide array of extra services, years of experience, and tons of favorable reviews, I recommend LegalZoom for most business owners. That goes double for first-time merchants and owners of small online businesses. LegalZoom’s ongoing services can offer a helping hand with your LLC’s ongoing operations, not just the formation process.

FAQ

Is LegalZoom better than Bizee?

While I recommend LegalZoom over Bizee for most business owners, I wouldn’t definitively say it’s better either. LegalZoom’s broader feature selection and better overall merchant reviews make it an outstanding choice for most. Bizee, however, offers a slightly easier and not-so-slightly cheaper service that many would appreciate.

If you want to know which one is better for you, I recommend that you check our in-depth comparison of the two.

Can I trust Bizee?

While Bizee is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it still has hundreds of positive reviews from merchants who’ve used the service. Overall, Bizee is more than trustworthy, though you might want to make sure that it offers all the features you need for your LLC.

Is Bizee cheaper than LegalZoom for LLC formation?

In short, yes. The main difference lies in both services’ best-value packages. Both Bizee and LegalZoom offer similar features, but Bizee is considerably cheaper. That said, both services offer free (subject to state fees) LLC registration, and LegalZoom’s most expensive package is actually cheaper than Bizee’s.

If you want to know more, I recommend checking out our in-depth pricing comparison.

Does LegalZoom offer legal services?

LegalZoom offers legal assistance. That said, you should be aware that LegalZoom is not a law firm, and the exact details of your agreement will depend on the particular service you purchased and many more factors. Either way, I recommend thoroughly reading the terms of agreement for any service before you make a purchase.