In Texas, the same “$0 LLC” costs $300 in year one with Bizee and $549 with LegalZoom. Here’s the short version: both plans start at $0 plus your state fee, but Bizee includes a free first year of registered agent service and LegalZoom doesn’t include one at all.
A registered agent is the person or company that receives legal papers and official state mail for your LLC. If you want a company in that role, Bizee’s agent renews at $149 a year, while LegalZoom sells its agent at $249 a year. If you can be your own agent, both plans and filing it yourself cost the same $300 in Texas.
All prices below are as of October 2026 and come from each company’s own website. Prices change, so confirm them at checkout.
Disclosure
This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Our recommendations are based on independent research and are never influenced by partners.
To be plain about it: we earn a commission if you buy through our Bizee link. We have no affiliate relationship with LegalZoom and earn nothing if you choose it. That doesn’t change the numbers, and we’ve said where LegalZoom is stronger.
Key Takeaways
- Both companies’ entry plans cost $0 plus your state filing fee.
- With a company as registered agent in Texas, Bizee Basic totals $300 in year one. LegalZoom Basic totals $549.
- Over five years in Texas, that gap grows to $896 (Bizee) versus $1,545 (LegalZoom).
- LegalZoom’s Managed and Expert plans include 30 days of advisor access, then bill $49 or $99 a month unless you cancel.
- LegalZoom has the longer refund window (60 days before filing) and an attorney review in Expert Service.
- Filing yourself costs only the state fee, and it’s the cheapest route if you can be your own registered agent.
Bizee vs LegalZoom at a Glance
Bizee was formerly called Incfile. According to Bizee, the rebrand didn’t change its leadership or existing services. The state-fee math below uses Texas, where the Texas Secretary of State lists the LLC certificate of formation fee at $300.
| Bizee | LegalZoom | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Basic: $0 + state fee | Basic: $0 + state filing fees |
| Middle plan | Standard: $199 + state fee | Managed Service: $249 + state filing fees |
| Top plan | Premium: $299 + state fee | Expert Service: $299 + state filing fees |
| What renews or auto-bills | Package price is one-time and doesn’t renew; registered agent renews yearly | Advisor plan bills monthly after 30 days ($49 Managed, $99 Expert) unless canceled; registered agent auto-renews yearly |
| Registered agent, year one | Free with formation | Not included in any LLC package; $249/year if added |
| Registered agent after year one | $149/year | $249/year |
| EIN | Standard and up | Managed Service and up |
| Operating agreement | Standard and up | Managed Service and up |
| Attorney access | Not listed in the packages we checked | Expert Service: licensed attorney reviews the LLC filing |
| Refund window | Generally until Bizee forwards payment to the state (typically within 24 hours, per Bizee) | Within 60 days of purchase if documents haven’t been submitted to the state |
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business’s federal tax ID. The IRS says you can get one directly from the IRS for free. You never have to pay a fee for it.
An operating agreement sets out how your LLC is run, and you can write your own.
What You Get for $0
Bizee Basic ($0 + state fee). Bizee says the package price is a one-time formation fee that doesn’t renew. Basic includes the first year of registered agent service free, and Bizee says continuing after that is optional. Its order page also lists a virtual address free for the first month, also optional to continue.
LegalZoom Basic ($0 + state filing fees). LegalZoom says this plan covers a company name check, the state filing of your articles of organization (the document that legally creates your LLC) and a tax consult from 1-800Accountant. It doesn’t include a registered agent, an EIN or an operating agreement.
Here’s the gap. Bizee’s $0 plan covers your registered agent for a year, and LegalZoom’s doesn’t. Your state requires your LLC to keep a registered agent on file. So if you want a company in that role, LegalZoom’s $0 plan leaves you buying it separately.
The Registered Agent Bill: Bizee vs LegalZoom Over Five Years
At the $0 tier, the package price barely matters. The registered agent is the number that moves.
LegalZoom lists its registered agent service at $249 a year, and it “auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel.” Bizee lists its standalone service at $149 a year, and renewals are billed by its partner LegalInc.
Say you’re forming a one-person LLC in Texas with a company as your registered agent. These totals use the $300 state fee and Basic plans on both sides:
| Timeframe | Bizee Basic | LegalZoom Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | $300 | $549 ($0 + $300 + $249) |
| Three years | $598 ($300 + $149 + $149) | $1,047 ($300 + $249 × 3) |
| Five years | $896 | $1,545 |
These totals cover only the formation fee and the registered agent. Annual reports and taxes aren’t included. They vary by state and are the same whichever company you use.
If You Act as Your Own Registered Agent
You can serve as your own registered agent if you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours. Then the registered agent bill disappears:
- Bizee Basic: $300
- LegalZoom Basic: $300
- Filing yourself: $300
Filing yourself is the cheapest choice here, tied with the $0 plans. It stays cheapest if you’re reliably reachable during the day.
If you travel often, don’t want your home address on the public record, or live outside the formation state, a company agent earns its fee. For the do-it-yourself route, follow our guide on how to incorporate yourself for free.
The Paid Tiers and Their Monthly Plans
This is where the billing models differ most.
Bizee Standard and Premium
- Standard ($199 + state fee): Bizee says this adds your EIN, an operating agreement and faster processing (about 2 weeks instead of 4-6 weeks, per Bizee).
- Premium ($299 + state fee): Bizee says this adds business contract templates, a custom domain and email, a business phone number, lifetime compliance alerts and what it calls priority 4-day processing.
Bizee says these package prices are one-time. In Texas, Standard comes to $499 ($199 + $300) and Premium to $599 ($299 + $300). The only ongoing charge to watch is the registered agent after year one.
LegalZoom Managed Service and Expert Service
- Managed Service ($249 + state filing fees): LegalZoom says this adds an EIN and an operating agreement, plus a business advisor plan (setup, compliance and coaching) included for 30 days. After that, your card is charged $49 a month unless you cancel. LegalZoom says you can cancel anytime. In Texas, the upfront total is $549 ($249 + $300).
- Expert Service ($299 + state filing fees): LegalZoom says this adds a team that includes a tax expert, an attorney and a business advisor for 30 days, then auto-renews at $99 a month unless you cancel. LegalZoom also says a licensed attorney reviews the LLC filing. In Texas, the upfront total is $599 ($299 + $300).
At the top tier, the upfront price is identical in Texas: $599 for Bizee Premium and $599 for LegalZoom Expert Service.
The difference is what comes next. Bizee’s package doesn’t bill again. LegalZoom’s Expert plan starts billing $99 a month after 30 days unless you cancel. If you only want the 30 days of attorney, tax and advisor access, set a reminder to cancel before the window ends.
Neither LegalZoom tier includes a registered agent, so the $249 a year is a separate purchase.
Where LegalZoom Is Stronger
If you want a licensed attorney to review your filing, or hands-on advisor access during setup, LegalZoom’s Expert Service offers that. Attorney review isn’t listed among the Bizee packages we checked.
LegalZoom also says that if a filing is rejected or incorrect because of its error, it corrects the filing at no extra cost. That’s a real comfort for first-time filers.
Many single-owner LLCs file a standard form, and the do-it-yourself process is well documented. If your setup is simple, you may not need an attorney’s review. With co-owners or unusual ownership terms, paying for professional advice may be worth it, whether through LegalZoom or an attorney you hire directly.
Refunds: LegalZoom Gives You More Time
LegalZoom is the more forgiving of the two here.
- LegalZoom: Per its guarantee and refund policy, for formations you can request a refund within 60 days of purchase as long as your documents haven’t been submitted to the state. Once they’re submitted, there are no refunds, and state filing fees can’t be refunded after submission.
- Bizee: Per its cancellation policy, an order is generally refundable until payment is forwarded to a government entity such as the state. Bizee says that’s typically within 24 hours of ordering, and refunds are less any other expenses paid or incurred.
With Bizee, your window to change your mind is short. Double-check your LLC name, state and package before you order.
Bizee’s policy also explains how to cancel registered agent service: assign a new registered agent with the state and notify Bizee before the expiration date. Bizee says the service may renew automatically, with the card on file charged by its partner (for example, LegalInc). Put the renewal date on your calendar.
Which Should You Choose: Bizee vs LegalZoom or Filing Yourself?
Choose Bizee if:
- You want a company as your registered agent at the lowest cost in year one and beyond ($149 a year after the free year, versus LegalZoom’s $249).
- You’d rather avoid monthly advisor billing. Bizee’s package prices are one-time.
- You want the EIN, operating agreement and faster processing in one package (Standard, $199 + state fee).
Choose LegalZoom if:
- You want a licensed attorney to review your LLC filing (Expert Service).
- You value the 60-day refund window before filing.
- You want 30 days of advisor access and will cancel the monthly plan if you don’t need it.
File yourself if:
- You can be your own registered agent. The state fee is then your only cost, and the $0 plans add nothing in dollars.
- You’re comfortable using your state’s Secretary of State portal, getting your EIN free at IRS.gov and writing a simple operating agreement.
FAQ
Is LegalZoom’s $0 LLC really free?
Not entirely. LegalZoom lists Basic at $0 plus state filing fees, so you still pay the state. In Texas, that’s $300 per the Texas Secretary of State. Basic includes the name check, the state filing and a tax consult, but not an EIN, an operating agreement or a registered agent. LegalZoom sells the agent separately at $249 a year.
Does LegalZoom charge monthly?
It can. LegalZoom says Managed Service includes a business advisor plan for 30 days, then auto-renews at $49 a month. Expert Service includes its professional team for 30 days, then auto-renews at $99 a month. LegalZoom says you can cancel anytime. Basic doesn’t include these plans, and registered agent service is billed yearly.
Which is cheaper over five years?
In the Texas example with Basic plans and a company as registered agent, Bizee comes to $896 and LegalZoom to $1,545. The gap comes from the agent: free in year one and $149 a year after with Bizee, versus $249 a year with LegalZoom. Being your own agent makes both Basic plans $300 in formation costs.
Do I need a registered agent service?
You need a registered agent, but not necessarily a paid service. You can serve as your own with a physical address in the state and availability during business hours. A paid service makes sense if you’re often away, want your home address off the public record or don’t live in the formation state.
Can I cancel LegalZoom’s registered agent?
Yes. LegalZoom says the service auto-renews at the purchase rate each year until you cancel, and that you can cancel anytime. Before you cancel, appoint a replacement registered agent with your state, since your LLC must keep one on file. Your state’s filing office can tell you how to update it.
Your Next Step
Run your own state’s numbers in our LLC cost calculator, and check the cheapest states to start an LLC if you’re still choosing where to form. Want more detail on one company? Read our Bizee review, see how it stacks up in Bizee vs ZenBusiness and Bizee vs Northwest, or scan our LLC formation services compared.
Ready to file? You can start your LLC with Bizee here. That’s an affiliate link.
Last updated: October 17, 2026
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Business formation rules, fees, and deadlines vary by state and change often. Always consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or tax professional before making decisions about your business.
