Best LLC Service in New York (2026): Ranked and Reviewed
By Frederic Deltour, Entrepreneur and Business Consultant, 22+ years forming and operating companies.
Published: May 5, 2026 · Last updated: May 5, 2026
New York is the most procedurally complex and expensive major state for LLC formation. The $200 Articles of Organization filing fee is just the beginning. Within 120 days of formation, every New York LLC must publish notice in two designated newspapers for six consecutive weeks, then file a Certificate of Publication. In Manhattan, this publication requirement alone costs $1,400 to $1,950+. In Albany County, it costs $180 to $350. The county you designate on your Articles determines where you publish, and this is the biggest cost variable in New York LLC formation.
The service you choose for New York matters specifically because of county selection guidance. Northwest Registered Agent's Corporate Guides understand that choosing a lower-cost upstate county can save $1,000+ on publication without any legal consequence for your business.
Top LLC Services in New York: Quick Comparison
| Service & Plan | Service Fee | What's Actually Included | Registered Agent | EIN | Operating Agreement | Processing Speed | Data Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest RA Best Overall |
$39 + $200 state fee |
Articles + op agreement template + mail scanning + address privacy all year + BOI help | Free year 1 $125/yr after |
$50 add-on (free at IRS.gov) |
Included | 1-5 days prep | Never sells data |
| Bizee Basic Cheapest entry |
$0 + $200 state fee |
Articles only. Op agreement +$99, EIN +$70 if needed. To match NW features: add ~$169+ | Free year 1 $119/yr after |
Not included +$70 extra |
Not included +$99 extra |
~3 weeks standard | Shares with partners |
| Bizee Standard Fairer NW comparison |
$199 + $200 state fee |
Articles + op agreement + EIN + banking resolution + tax consult. Still lacks full address privacy. Expedited prep included (but state processing same) | Free year 1 $119/yr after |
Included | Included | ~1 day prep (state: 3 wks common) |
Shares with partners |
| ZenBusiness Pro Fairer NW comparison |
$199 + $200 state fee Renews $199/yr |
Articles + 1-day rush + op agreement + EIN + logo builder. No RA included (add $199/yr). Worry-Free Compliance auto-renews $199/yr if not cancelled | Not included +$199/yr extra |
Included | Included | 1-day prep | Some data sharing |
| LegalZoom Pro For legal access |
$249 + $200 state fee |
Articles + op agreement template + EIN + 90-day bookkeeping trial (auto-renews $9.99/mo if not cancelled). Attorney access only in Premium ($299). No RA included at any plan level | Not included +$249/yr extra |
Included | Included | 1-2 weeks prep | Shares with partners |
All fees exclude mandatory $200 New York state filing fee. EIN is always free at IRS.gov , never pay a service for this. Registered agent is legally required in every state. "Fairer NW comparison" plans include similar core features to Northwest's $39 package.
What Makes New York LLC Formation Unique
- $200 Articles of Organization: Filed by mail or walk-in at the Albany DOS office. As of 2026, New York does not support online LLC formation. Mail processing: 2-3 weeks. Walk-in same-day at Albany DOS office.
- Mandatory publication requirement (NY LLC Law Section 206): Within 120 days of formation, publish notice in two newspapers designated by the county clerk (one daily, one weekly) for six consecutive weeks. Then file the Certificate of Publication ($50) with the NY DOS. Failure to complete: LLC's authority to conduct business is suspended.
- County selection dramatically affects publication cost. The county listed on your Articles determines where you publish. Designating Manhattan can cost $1,400-$1,950+. Designating Albany County costs $180-$350 for the same legal result. You are not required to designate the county where you operate.
- Beneficial ownership filing (2026): $25. New York now requires LLCs formed in 2026 to file a beneficial ownership information report with the NY DOS at formation.
- Biennial statement: $9 every 2 years. One of the lowest ongoing LLC fees in the country. Due the last day of the anniversary month, every two years.
- No online filing for new formations. One of the last holdout states without online LLC filing as of 2026.
- State income tax: up to 10.9% (graduated). New York City adds a local income tax for NYC residents.
Service-by-Service Rankings for New York
#1 BEST OVERALLNorthwest Registered Agent , $39 + state fee
At $39, Northwest is the only service that includes: Articles filing, a custom operating agreement template, free first-year registered agent with their physical New York address on all public filings, full-year mail scanning, and access to dedicated Corporate Guides by phone with no upsells, no data selling, and no auto-renewing subscription traps.
Northwest's county selection guidance can save $1,000+ on New York's publication requirement by designating an upstate county instead of Manhattan.
What you get for $39: Articles of Organization, operating agreement template, free RA year 1 (then $125/yr), their address replaces yours on all public New York SOS records, mail forwarding and scanning, compliance reminders, BOI filing guidance.
What is not included: EIN ($50 add-on, or get it free directly at IRS.gov in 5 minutes).
3-year service total (excl. state fees): $289 ($39 + $125 + $125). Data privacy: Never sells customer data
Start with Northwest →#2 BUDGET ENTRYBizee Basic , $0 + state fee
Bizee's Basic plan is $0 and includes: Articles of Organization and free first-year registered agent. That's it. No operating agreement (add $99). No EIN (add $70, or do it free at IRS.gov). Standard filing preparation takes approximately 3 weeks. Heavy upsells throughout checkout. Bizee shares customer data with marketing partners per their terms of service.
Real cost to match Northwest's features: $0 formation + $99 op agreement + $70 EIN = approximately $169 upfront, plus the data-sharing tradeoff, slower processing, and no full address privacy.
3-year service total (excl. state fees): $238 ($0 + $119 + $119 RA renewals). Shares data with partners
View Bizee Basic (cheapest entry)#2B FAIRER BIZEE COMPARISONBizee Standard , $199 + state fee
At $199, Bizee Standard includes: Articles + operating agreement + EIN + banking resolution + business tax consult + expedited in-house preparation (1 day, though state processing still takes the same time). This is the plan that is comparably featured to Northwest's $39 package, not the $0 Basic. The $160 premium over Northwest buys: expedited prep and a banking resolution. Northwest wins on: price ($39 vs $199), data privacy, address substitution policy, and support quality.
Still missing vs Northwest: Full address privacy (Bizee data-shares regardless of plan), and the same state processing time applies (state agencies process in the same timeframe regardless of which service you used).
3-year service total (excl. state fees): $437 ($199 + $119 + $119 RA renewals). Shares data with partners
#3 DASHBOARD TOOLSZenBusiness Pro , $199 + state fee (renews $199/yr)
ZenBusiness Pro at $199 includes: Articles, 1-day rush preparation, operating agreement, EIN, and a logo builder. What it does not include that Northwest does: registered agent service. You must add RA separately at $199/year. To get equivalent coverage to Northwest, ZenBusiness Pro + RA = $199 + $199 = $398 year one, renewing at $398/year. ZenBusiness's Starter plan is $0 but includes neither RA, EIN, nor an operating agreement. The Worry-Free Compliance service included with Starter auto-renews at $199/year if not cancelled. Read the checkout screen carefully.
Best use case: Founders who want a polished guided dashboard, are comfortable with $199/year recurring costs, and don't mind adding RA separately.
3-year total (Pro + RA, excl. state fees): $597 + $199 RA x 2 yrs = ~$995. Some data sharing
#4 ATTORNEY ACCESSLegalZoom Pro , $249 / Premium $299 + state fee
LegalZoom Pro ($249) includes: Articles + operating agreement template + EIN + 90-day bookkeeping trial (auto-renews at $9.99/month if not cancelled before day 90). LegalZoom Premium ($299) adds a 30-day attorney consultation trial (auto-renews at $49/month if not cancelled before day 30). Registered agent is not included in any LegalZoom plan at any price. Adding it costs $249/year, making LegalZoom the most expensive registered agent fee of any major service.
True first-year cost to match Northwest: LegalZoom Pro $249 + RA $249 = $498, vs Northwest's $39 total (with RA included free). LegalZoom's primary advantage is attorney access, if and only if you need it. For basic LLC formation without legal complexity, Northwest provides better value by a wide margin.
Watch the auto-renewals: The bookkeeping trial (Pro) auto-renews at $9.99/month. The attorney plan trial (Premium) auto-renews at $49/month. Set calendar reminders before day 30 (attorney) and day 90 (bookkeeping) if you don't plan to continue.
Best for: LLCs with complex legal questions, attorney access needs, or founders who anticipate ongoing legal consultation.
Shares data with partners
Original Research: New York Publication Cost by County
| County | Typical Publication Cost | First-Year Total (NW) |
|---|---|---|
| New York (Manhattan) | $1,400-$1,950+ | $1,689-$2,239+ |
| Kings (Brooklyn) | $1,250-$1,600+ | $1,539-$1,889+ |
| Queens | $1,150-$1,500+ | $1,439-$1,789+ |
| Westchester | $350-$600 | $639-$889 |
| Erie (Buffalo) | $200-$400 | $489-$689 |
| Albany | $180-$350 | $469-$639 |
First-year total includes: $200 state fee + $50 Certificate of Publication + $25 BOI filing + $39 Northwest service + publication cost.
Finding: A Manhattan business owner who designates Albany County saves $1,000-$1,600 on publication costs. There is no legal requirement to designate your operating county. Many New York LLC formation attorneys and experienced formation services recommend upstate county designation specifically for this reason. Verify current newspaper rates with the county clerk before filing.
How to Choose the Right New York LLC Service
- Does privacy matter? Only Northwest commits to never selling your data. End of comparison if privacy is a priority.
- Is $39 a genuine barrier? Bizee delivers the core service at $0 upfront. Accept the data-sharing tradeoff consciously.
- Do you want fully automated annual report filing? ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance plan handles this automatically at a higher overall cost.
- Do you need attorney consultations? LegalZoom is the only major service including this. Worth the premium only for complex legal questions.
For most New York LLC formations: Northwest Registered Agent at $39 is the correct answer.
When Northwest Is NOT the Right Choice for Your New York LLC
- You haven't researched county selection before filing. The county designation on your Articles of Organization is permanent (requires an amendment to change) and determines your publication cost. Research and decide your county before you file, not after.
- You need online or same-day formation. New York does not support online formation and standard mail processing takes 2-3 weeks. For fast formation, Texas (same-day for $750) or Delaware (same-day for $100 extra) are better options.
- You are not operating in New York. New York's publication requirement, $200 formation fee, and complex compliance structure make it one of the most expensive and complex formation states. If your business has no New York operations or nexus, form in your operating state instead.
Related: How to Form an LLC · Northwest Review · Northwest vs Bizee