BizFilings vs IncFile (Who’s Your Best Bet?)

Last updated on: July 9, 2021
Disclosure: We earn a commission from some partner links. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

If you want to launch an LLC, finding the best LLC formation service could be quite a feat given the sheer abundance of choices. 

This BizFilings vs IncFile LLC service comparison guide is meant to help you choose a professional LLC formation company according to the specific needs of your business entity.

The article will cover some of the key aspects of both companies, including:

  • Individual features;
  • Competitive prices;
  • Customer feedback and more.

So without further ado, let’s dive into what makes each of these two options worthy of consideration.

Do BizFilings and IncFile Offer Good Value?

When it comes to popular and reputable LLC formation service providers, BizFilings and IncFile both offer plenty of surprisingly helpful features. And while both can help you form your business more efficiently, IncFile comes out quite a bit ahead.

IncFile’s strongest side is their starting price point of exactly $0 that includes a year of registered agent service. By contrast, BizFilings charges $99 for their basic package, though they too include a registered agent service, albeit six months worth.

Still, both of these business incorporation services are more than trustworthy.

6 Things They Have In Common

Affordable: 

It’s no secret that qualified business attorneys possess both experience and skill to form a company with more ease and speed than any DIY method. But most small business owners can’t exactly afford the fees that come with hiring a business attorney given that most reputable lawyers’ LLC prices are fairly high. This is where IncFile and BizFilings come in, offering more reasonable rates that could help you save hundreds of dollars while still enjoying high-quality professional services.

Registered Agent Service

A registered agent is technically an intermediary between your legal entity and the state who receives all official correspondence on behalf of your company. A qualified LLC formation service is able to not only provide this service but also help file annual reports and handle other compliance requirements. Both IncFile and BizFilings add this service to all of their formation packages free of charge. Even though neither of them is known for having the best LLC registered agent services out there, both companies are indisputably reliable in this regard.

Customer Support

Regardless of whether you choose IncFile or BizFilings, you are guaranteed to gain access to comprehensive and convenient customer service.

Both employ strong customer support teams and professional customer representatives who are fully qualified to answer any questions in regards to starting an LLC, licensing, or taxation. 

Additional Services

In addition to the main LLC service that covers general formation aspects, Incfile and Bizfilings packages also include quite a number of essential features such as:

  • Acquiring federal tax ID numbers (EIN) which are required to pay business taxes, hire employees, etc;
  • Obtaining foreign qualifications;
  • Opening business bank accounts and more;

Efficiency

The fastest way to open an LLC is to use expedited filing services. Both BizFilings and IncFile offer expedited processing at fairly reasonable rates. Selecting one of the faster formation speed options can reduce your turnaround time from 4-6 weeks to only a couple of days.

Experience

The two company incorporation services have helped formed thousands of businesses since their launch. So if you’re looking for the best service possible that’s more than able to handle your LLC formation documentation, you could go with either. Their experience allows them to efficiently create a compliant LLC even in the states with more complex formation guidelines.

Side by Side Comparisons

Pricing

Quite often the pricing of the services is the first thing that many potential customers consider when choosing an online formation company. For this reason, both of these professional services offer tiered formation packages.

When comparing Incfile and Bizfilings prices, the former is by far the winning option. With a base rate this low, they are the most affordable option in the industry. Their basic business formation package includes everything you need to register an LLC and costs only $0.

BizFilings offers fairly competitive rates but their prices start at $99.

Incfile and Bizfilings pricing can be classified into 3 tiers according to their formation packages:

IncFile

  • Silver: $0
  • Gold: $149
  • Platinum: $299

BizFilings

  • Basic: $99
  • Standard: $229
  • Complete: from $199 to $434 depending on the state.

Features

Since the subscriptions offered by the two company incorporation services are similar in structure, let’s examine them side by side.

Basic Plan

If you subscribe to their Silver package, IncFile will provide all necessary features for creating an LLC, such as:

  • LLC formation;
  • Business name availability search;
  • A year of compliance notifications including your filing deadlines;
  • A year of free registered agent service.

BizFilings Basic package is equivalent in nature and also includes additional state-level compliance features. The plan covers:

  • LLC formation;
  • Business name verification;
  • Registered agent service free of charge for the first 6 months;
  • Document library;
  • 6 months of free BizComply access;

Mid-Tier Plan

IncFile Gold package covers the base features found in the Silver package while also including such additional services as:

  • EIN acquisition;
  • Drafting of the operating agreement;
  • Creating a business bank account;
  • Preparing a banking resolution;
  • Providing tax consultation and more.

Standard package from BizFilings extends the Basic package features to also include:

  • Personalized LLC kit & seal;
  • Creating a business operating agreement;
  • Multiple expedited filing options.

Top-Tier Plan 

If you want every aspect of your formation covered, your best options would be IncFile’s Platinum package that offers:

  • Expedited filing speed;
  • Business email;
  • Contract templates;
  • Business domain name.

BizFilings’ Complete package is on the same top-tier level and adds the following features:

  • Federal Tax ID acquisition;
  • Expedited filing options;
  • Compliance DVD package;
  • Overnight shipping;
  • Certified copy of documents.

All in all, IncFile packages offer better value. Their services are more in line with the needs of a wider range of business entities even without the inclusion of a business tax consultation.

Experience

BizFilings first registered in 1994 as Wolters Kluwer Financial Solutions and soon expanded to service over 500,000 businesses over the following years. Their track record shows almost double the volume of IncFile’s 250 000 formations since their launch in 2003.

But despite their smaller customer volume, IncFile makes up for it with stellar user reviews which can’t be said for BizFilings. So letting IncFile handle your LLC formation process is not only entirely safe but also yields more efficient results.

Turnaround Times

When it comes to turnaround times, IncFile and BizFilings packages show one of the largest disparities.

Incfile claims quite unprecedented filing speeds, citing their ability to prepare and file your LLC formation documents within a single business day. Keep in mind that even this level of efficiency could be hindered by the standard processing speed in your state.

To counter that, they offer expedited filing service options for all states, though the speeds are once again contingent on the state. Expedited fees also vary depending on the state, with $50 being the average standard and $152 being the highest rate overall. 

BizFilings process LLC formations with regards to each package. The basic package comes with a regular 4-6 week processing, while Standard and Complete packages offer a faster 7-10 business day turnaround. 

Like Incfile, BizFilings also has an expedited filing service that comes with a separate $60 charge. Choosing this option is unlikely to earn you any significant speed improvements since the turnaround times are still determined by the state. This option mainly ensures that BizFilings must treat your order as a priority.

Incfile is once again ahead of the curve on this one. They deal with much clearer procedures when it comes to putting out quick turnaround times, which in this case hinges on the state guidelines only as opposed to your formation package privileges.

Customer Support

One of the key aspects to consider when selecting the best LLC formation company is the extensive customer support which is why both companies maintain strong customer support networks.

IncFile’s contact customer support team can be reached via phone or email from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 7 pm EST.

BizFilings has extended customer service hours, ensuring their reps are available from 9 am to 8 pm CT. 20:00. You can always contact their customer service via phone, email, or online chat.

Order Tracking

Both BizFilings and IncFile have intuitive real-time order tracking tools allowing you to check the status of your order whenever possible. You can track your LLC formation as soon as you place your order and until its registration is complete. 

Registered Agent Service

Designating a registered agent service for LLC is essential for running a business in any state. These duties can be performed by both legal entities and regular individuals as long as they meet state requirements.

But if you’d rather hire the services of a reputed registered agent than gamble with your company’s compliance status, ordering one of the packages from an online service provider is unlikely to disappoint.

Each LLC formation package from BizFilings and IncFile includes a free registered agent LLC service, although their validity periods differ by six months. 

IncFile offers a full year of this service, after which it will charge $119 annually, and BizFilings gives you only 6 months of their registered agent service for free with a $149.99 renewal fee.

Ease of Use

One of the main reasons for using LLC formation services is to form a new entity faster and without getting involved in the bureaucratic hassle of it all. Both of these companies have plenty of easy-to-use services designed to make business formation more efficient. 

IncFile follows a streamlined formation process consisting of a few simple steps. All you need to do is provide some basic information, specifically the state of formation and the type of business structure you want to create.

To start the order process with BizFilings, simply go through their registration form. Every order is assigned its unique number, so it’s much easier to engage with customer support reps as all you need to do is give them your profile number.

Here IncFile and BizFilings both come out on top as equally efficient LLC filing services.

Customer Reviews

As for the IncFile and BizFilings reviews, most of the reliable feedback can be found with independent review aggregator systems.

Despite their decades of experience, BizFilings currently have only 5 customer reviews, three of which are on Better Business Bureau (BBB). For a company so proficient in creating an LLC in record times, this level of feedback is shockingly sparse.

For IncFile you will find more than 16000 online reviews along with stellar ratings. This is what makes them one of the few reputable top-notch online incorporation services providers.

In terms of customer feedback, IncFile and BizFilings are vastly different. So if this aspect is important to you, pay close attention to what confirmed customers say online about the LLC formation company of your choice.

Additional Services

Choosing either BizFilings or IncFile will grant you services that are equally skillful. Both can launch and maintain your business while providing extra features, including:

  • Business license research;
  • Doing business as (DBA) names registration;
  • Annual reports drafting and more.

It’s worthy of note that only BizFilings supports publication service for LLC formations required in Arizona, Nebraska, and New York. But unlike BizFilings, IncFile offers business accounting services and financial consultations.

Which Is the LLC Formation Service for You?

If you want to open an LLC, remember that saving money isn’t the only factor that works for an effective business formation. Some of the best online LLC service providers can only make so many concessions regarding their pricing policy.

Although there are quite a few similarities between BizFilings and IncFile, namely reputability and proof of legitimate operations, their differences are vast and that more crucial.

Hopefully, this IncFile vs BizFilings review can help you decide which of these two is more suitable for your business. So let’s sum it up once and for all:

Choose IncFile:

  • If you want to get the best prices for the entirety of your LLC formation process; 
  • If you value customer feedback;
  • If you require accounting and tax services;
  • If you’re looking to get free registered agent services for at least 1 year.

Choose BizFilings:

  • If you’re fine with flexible turnaround times;
  • If the budget for opening your LLC allows for extra spending;
  • If you or other business owners value experience over customer reviews or online presence.
Senior Business Tax Writer, etc
Jean Wilson Murray
https://bestllcservices.co/
(323) 789-5289
Senior Business Tax Writer, etc
Jean Wilson Murray

Entrepreneur, investor, financial commentator

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