When you’re to materialize an exciting business idea into an LLC, Northwest and ZenBusiness are the top choices in online formation services available for most entrepreneurs.
But which one to hire? This ZenBusiness vs Northwest comparison will surely help you decide.
We know starting something new is thrilling and challenging. So while you are dealing with multiple challenges of your new venture, why spoil your excitement with the burden of paperwork and filing your business with LLC DIY. It is especially not a good idea when someone else could do it for you faster and better at a fraction of the cost.
In this ZenBusiness vs. Northwest Registered Agent guide, we compared the pricing, customer service, public feedback, quality of services, legitimacy, reputation, additional features, and more. So, let’s have a quick look.
Rating | Startup Price | Famous For | Ranking | Official Website | |
ZenBusiness | 4.75/5 | $49 | Overall Best | 1st | zenbusiness.com |
Northwest Registered Agent | 4.25/5 | $225 | Supreme Privacy policy | 4th | northwestregisteredagent.com |
How do We Compare the LLC Services?
Among hundreds of LLC formation services, we only included the 8 best in our list. Do you know why? Well, the answer is pretty simple. There is no doubt that most LLC services have at least something good which helps them sustain in the market. But, is that enough to rank them among the top service providers? We think no.
Our experts judge every LLC filing service strickly and evaluate the performance on pre-set criteria of 8 basic and most important qualities that every LLC should have. Let’s have a look at where these two stand in that criteria.
Northwest Registered Agent vs ZenBusiness | An Overview
Sr # | Features | ZenBusiness | Northwest Registered Agent |
1 | Company’s reputation | 4.7/5 | 4.5/5 |
2 | Registered Agent Service | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
3 | Customer Support | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 |
4 | Pricing and Plans | 4.8/5 | 3.5/5 |
5 | User experience on the company’s website | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
6 | Turn around time | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
7 | Key and value-added features | 4.9/5 | 4/5 |
8 | Customers reviews | 4.6/5 | 3.7/5 |
Detailed Side by Side Comparison
1. Company Reputation
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has worked really hard to compete with some big giants in the market. Within a short period of 6 years, it has earned the trust of thousands of happy customers with overall positive reviews. Just since the onset of the COVID pandemic, Zenbusiness has formed more than 100,000 micro & small businesses through their platform.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent was established in 1998. With the experience of two decades and dedicated efforts, it has served more than 150,000 customers so far. Having such a huge customer profile and experience in resume, Northwest Registered Agent has gained a good reputation in the market.
2. Registered Agent Service
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness offers top-notch registered agent services for only $99 per year. If you form an LLC with ZenBusiness, they offer you a free registered agent for the 1st year of incorporation with them even in their startup package. After that, they charge you $119 each year.
You can also add worry-free compliance with registered agent service to stay updated and tension-free related to state correspondence. It will cost you only $149 per year to enjoy both of these features.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest registered agent services are also free for the 1st year of incorporation with them. After that, they charge you $125 per year. If you need Registered Agent services for more than 4 states, interestingly they give you a discount and it cost you $100 per year.
Northwest as your Registered Agent scans your legal and state documents and 5 normal mails in a year. Moreover, they also send you instructions and reminders related to annual report compliance.
3. Customer Support
ZenBusiness
Most clients are satisfied and happy with the customer support team as ZenBusiness has cooperative and knowledgeable customer care representatives. Unfortunately, some clients rated ZenBusiness customer services a bit low at Better Business Bureau (BBB)as they find the support team a bit slow in responding back.
Northwest Registered Agent
Premium customer support is the biggest strength of Northwest Registered Agent. They offer 24/7 customer service and the team answers your queries in a reasonable time. Support representatives are available on a phone call and email and try their best to address your issues. Their knowledgeable team has answers to any problem related to LLC formation.
4. Pricing and Plans
ZenBusiness
To accommodate the needs of a range of customers, ZenBusiness offers 3 packages at a very competitive price. They charge you $49 for the starter package, $199 for the pro, and $299 for the premium package.
Regardless of the plan, you get a free Registered Agent, Operating Agreement template, and 100% accuracy guarantee. In other words, ZenBusiness covers all the essential and most crucial requirements of LLC formation in their plans.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent’s pricing is on a higher end. It basically offers only one plan for $225 which is not affordable for entrepreneurs running short on budget. Moreover, the features offered in the plan are charged more than many reputed companies are offering.
5. User experience on the company’s website
ZenBusiness
Almost all the customers found it very easy to file their LLC with ZenBusiness. Their website has a simple and easy-to-use interface, and the registration process is very straightforward with easy checkout. You will not have to face too many upsells or third-party offers. You will have a dashboard where you can track your registration process.
Northwest Registered Agent
Like ZenBusiness, Northwest Registered Agent also offers only a few add-ons before checking out. They do not show you third-party offers that need data sharing which makes Northwest Registered Agent less annoying. However, the website is not easy to use compared to its competitors which makes the registration process a bit longer.
6. Turn around time
ZenBusiness
It could take almost two weeks to get your LLC or corporation registered with the state using the basic package of ZenBusiness. However, the expedited and rush filing in the Pro and Premium package reduces the turnaround time to 2-5 business days.
Northwest Registered Agent
The same-day order processing and 2-day filling time is an exciting feature offered by Northwest Registered Agent. However, a 2-day filing time costs you more compared to the regular filing. Hence, this fast turnaround is pricier than ZenBusiness.
7. Key and value-added features
ZenBusiness
The mix and match option makes it convenient for every new business owner to choose what they want and skip what they do not need. This is why customers of ZenBusiness praise them for their number of features such as name availability search, business website, two amendments per year, EIN, handling of state fees, and so much more.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent offers relatively fewer features and most of them are a bit expensive from a price point of view. With only one package and a few add-ons is not suitable for every entrepreneur. If you subscribe with Northwest Registered Agent and need additional services which Northwest does not offer such as website, official email, compliance services, you need to hire someone else. This would be for you to manage multiple and deal with multiple service providers.
8. Customers Reviews
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has great customer feedback on multiple third-party review platforms. Which shows how they are performing and what is not liked by customers. Trustpilot rates Zenbusiness excellent with 4.8/5 stars from 6198 reviews while BBB (Better Business Bureau)
rates ZenBusiness as A- and gives 3.54/5 stars from 35 reviews.
Northwest Registered Agent
With more than two decades in business and only a handful of reviews on reputed third-party review websites, this is what makes business owners uncomfortable while incorporating with Northwest Registered Agent. Trustpilot rates Northwest Registered Agent as excellent with 3.3/5 stars from 3 reviews. It is quite strange for such an old company to have almost no reviews. BBB gives Northwest Registered Agent 4.29/5 stars from 75 reviews.
A Quick Comparison of Basic Plans
Services | ZenBusiness | Northwest Registered Agent |
Price | $49 + State Fee | $225 + State Fee |
Turnaround Time | 2-3 weeks | 2-3 business days |
Registered Agent | Free for the 1st year, $99 per year afterward | Free for the 1st year, $125 per year afterward |
Operating Agreement Template | Included | Included |
Annual Report Service | Yes | No |
Accounting Consultation with CPA | Yes | No |
Business name availability search | Yes | Yes |
Additional Resources | Virtual Business Guide | Corporate Guides® |
Bottom Line
Every business owner has their personalized needs and requirements while they are looking for LLC filing services. Depending on your preference and customized needs;
Choose ZenBusiness
If you are looking for a company with an affordable pricing model, plenty of online reviews, multiple add-on features, and a pleasant user experience, ZenBusiness is the right choice.
Choose Northwest Registered Agent
If you want premium customer support, the track record is your priority, and do not prefer data sharing with other companies, Northwest Registered Agent is an excellent choice.