Service review
LegalZoom — review
LegalZoom's pitch: 20+ years, 4M+ businesses formed, the legal services brand most people recognize. The pitch works on first-time founders who'd rather pay for a name they trust. The pitch falls apart for anyone who can compare prices.
Pricing
- Basic — $0 + state fee. Articles of Organization filing only.
- Pro — $249 + state fee. Adds operating agreement, EIN, attorney consultation.
- Premium — $299 + state fee. Adds business compliance, document storage.
The attorney-consultation hook
LegalZoom's only true differentiator is the optional attorney consult subscription ($39.99/month after free trial). For a one-shot LLC formation, you don't need a recurring legal service — most operators cancel after the first call.
Best for
Founders who want a brand-recognized name on the paperwork. People who genuinely want quarterly attorney consults bundled in.
Caveats
- Pricier than ZenBusiness, Northwest, Bizee for equivalent feature sets
- Aggressive upsells in checkout — count 6+ optional add-ons
- Their "express gold" filing tier ($299) is the most-overpriced product in the LLC formation market