The short answer
ZenBusiness is a broad small-business platform: formation packages, compliance reminders and filings, and tools such as a website builder, a domain and business email. It suits owners who want those tools in one account. For a founder outside the United States, the costs that decide the comparison are the registered agent, which ZenBusiness sells separately in every package, and the EIN for an owner without an SSN.
Price over two years
Without the state fee:
- startyour.llc: $40 once for our work, EIN included, plus $45 for the first year of registered agent service. Year 2: $45. Two years: $130, plus the state fee.
- ZenBusiness Starter: $0 for the formation. The EIN is a $99 add-on and the registered agent $199 a year. Year 1: $298. Year 2: $199. Two years: $497, plus the state fee.
- ZenBusiness Pro ($199 a year) and Premium ($299 a year) include the EIN and renew yearly; the registered agent is $199 a year on top.
On Starter, ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance service is free for the first year and $199 a year after that if you keep it. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
What is included
ZenBusiness Starter covers the formation with standard processing; Pro and Premium add the EIN, an operating agreement template, Worry-Free Compliance and processing in one business day, and Premium adds a domain, business email and a business documents library. ZenBusiness states that registered agent service is not included in any package. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
startyour.llc includes:
- Name check and the formation filing, filed within 48 hours.
- The EIN application, also for owners without an SSN or ITIN.
- The first year of registered agent service, then $45 a year at cost.
- An operating agreement, which banks and payment providers ask for.
- Optional: CORA bookkeeping at $30 a month, which includes the yearly Form 5472.
Registered agent and renewals
Every LLC needs a registered agent for as long as it exists. At ZenBusiness it is $199 a year, from the first year. At startyour.llc it is $45 a year, which is what it costs us, with the first year included in the order. We write two months before each renewal. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
EIN for non-residents
ZenBusiness says it can help prepare Form SS-4 for non-resident applicants, while the steps it describes, sending the form to the IRS by mail or fax or calling the IRS, are carried out by the applicant. At startyour.llc we prepare the application, you sign once, and we send it to the IRS for you as part of the $40 fee. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
Who should choose ZenBusiness
US-based owners who want formation together with compliance reminders, a website, a domain and email from one provider, and who value having those tools in a single account.
Who should choose startyour.llc
Founders outside the United States who want the EIN obtained for them, a registered agent at $45 a year, no yearly package, and the option of CORA bookkeeping with Form 5472 for $30 a month. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
Every provider side by side, year 1 and year 2, with the date the prices were checked.
Compare providersFrequently asked
Is the ZenBusiness Starter package really $0?
The formation service is $0 on Starter, plus the state fee. The registered agent and the EIN are paid add-ons. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
Does startyour.llc include an operating agreement?
Yes. An operating agreement is part of every order, because banks and payment providers ask for it.
Does startyour.llc remind me of deadlines?
We write before each registered agent renewal. With CORA, every IRS and state deadline for your LLC is on your dashboard.
What does an LLC cost every year, whichever service I use?
The state's annual report fee or yearly tax, if your state has one: Wyoming from $60, Delaware $300, New Mexico nothing. A foreign-owned single-member LLC also files Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 every year, even with no income; the penalty for missing it is $25,000. Prices checked on 2 November 2026; see the full side-by-side comparison on our Compare page.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; check your own situation with a professional.