ZenBusiness Review: Best Budget LLC Service? (2026)

ZenBusiness: Overview

ZenBusiness launched in 2015 in Austin, Texas, and has quickly become one of the most popular LLC formation services in the United States. Their pitch is straightforward: form your LLC for $0 plus your state's filing fee, then add on services as your business grows. It is a model that appeals to first-time founders, side-hustle owners, and anyone who wants to minimize upfront costs.

The company has filed over 1 million business formations and consistently earns high marks from customers for its user-friendly dashboard and fast processing times. ZenBusiness has positioned itself as the modern, tech-forward alternative to legacy players like LegalZoom, offering comparable services at a fraction of the cost.

Where ZenBusiness earns its 4.7 rating is in the combination of a genuinely free starting tier, a well-designed user interface, and solid compliance monitoring that keeps new LLC owners out of trouble. Where it loses points is in its registered agent pricing ($199/year, higher than Northwest's $125/year) and checkout flow that presents several upsell opportunities that can catch first-time buyers off guard.

Pricing Breakdown

ZenBusiness offers three tiers: Starter, Pro, and Premium. The Starter plan ($0 + state fee) is genuinely free — no catches, no hidden charges. It covers LLC formation, standard 7-day processing, and worry-free compliance alerts. This is the plan to choose if you want the absolute minimum cost to get your LLC formed.

The Pro plan ($199/year + state fee) is where ZenBusiness makes most of its revenue. It adds an operating agreement template, EIN filing with the IRS, and — most importantly — registered agent service. If you need a registered agent (and most LLC owners do), the Pro plan is more cost-effective than buying registered agent service separately. This is the tier ZenBusiness recommends for most customers.

The Premium plan ($399/year + state fee) adds rush processing (1 business day instead of 7), a business website with a custom domain, and a business email address. The rush processing is valuable if you need your LLC formed quickly, but the website builder is basic compared to dedicated platforms like Squarespace or Wix. Most founders will not need this tier.

One important note about pricing: ZenBusiness's registered agent renewal rate is $199/year on all plans. This is $74/year more than Northwest ($125/year) and $80/year more than Bizee ($119/year). Over 5 years, that difference adds up to $370-$400 in extra costs. If long-term registered agent cost is a priority, factor this into your decision.

Features & What You Get

$0 LLC Formation: ZenBusiness's headline feature. They prepare and file your Articles of Organization with your state for no charge — you only pay the state's filing fee. Standard processing takes approximately 7 business days, which is average for the industry. This makes it one of the most affordable ways to form an LLC, tied with Bizee and LegalZoom which also offer $0 formation.

Worry-Free Compliance: All plans include compliance monitoring that tracks your state's filing deadlines for annual reports, franchise taxes, and other obligations. ZenBusiness sends reminders before deadlines and helps ensure your LLC stays in good standing. This is a genuinely useful feature for first-time LLC owners who might not know about ongoing state requirements.

Business Dashboard: ZenBusiness provides a clean, modern online dashboard where you can access your formation documents, track filing status, manage compliance deadlines, and store business documents. The interface is noticeably better designed than what you get from older services like LegalZoom or Northwest.

Operating Agreement & EIN (Pro and above): The Pro plan includes a state-specific operating agreement template and EIN filing with the IRS. The operating agreement is customizable and covers the essential provisions every LLC needs. Remember that you can get an EIN for free directly from the IRS, so this is a convenience feature rather than a cost-saving one.

Customer Support

ZenBusiness offers customer support via phone, email, and live chat during extended business hours (Monday through Friday, and limited weekend hours). Response times are generally good — live chat connects you within a few minutes during business hours, and email inquiries are typically answered within 24 hours.

The support team is knowledgeable about the formation process and can walk you through state-specific requirements. However, ZenBusiness does not assign a dedicated account representative like Northwest does with its Corporate Guides. You may speak with a different agent each time you reach out, which means re-explaining your situation if you have an ongoing issue.

One area where ZenBusiness could improve is the checkout experience. Several customers report feeling pressured by upsells presented during the formation flow. While the add-ons are clearly labeled as optional, the presentation makes it easy to accidentally add services like business banking, website builders, or premium compliance packages you may not need.

Who It's Best For

Budget-conscious first-time founders: If you want to form an LLC with the absolute lowest upfront cost, ZenBusiness's $0 Starter plan is hard to beat. You get a properly filed LLC for nothing more than your state's filing fee. This makes it ideal for side-hustle owners, freelancers, and anyone testing a business idea without committing significant capital.

Founders who value a modern user experience: ZenBusiness's dashboard is one of the best in the industry. If you want an intuitive interface where you can track your filing status, access documents, and manage compliance deadlines in one place, ZenBusiness delivers a noticeably better experience than legacy competitors.

Founders who want an all-in-one bundle: The Pro plan at $199/year bundles formation, registered agent, operating agreement, and EIN into a single package. For founders who want to check every box in one checkout flow without shopping for separate services, it is a convenient option. Just be aware that the registered agent renewal rate ($199/year) is higher than Northwest ($125/year) for the long term.

How It Compares to Other Services

ZenBusiness vs. Northwest: ZenBusiness wins on upfront cost ($0 vs. $39), dashboard quality, and modern user experience. Northwest wins on registered agent pricing ($125/yr vs. $199/yr), privacy features (free mail forwarding), and customer support quality (dedicated US-based Corporate Guides). Choose ZenBusiness if minimizing upfront cost is your top priority. Choose Northwest if long-term value and support quality matter more.

ZenBusiness vs. LegalZoom: ZenBusiness is the better value for most LLC founders. Both offer $0 formation, but ZenBusiness has lower registered agent fees ($199/yr vs. $249/yr), faster processing (7 days vs. 14 days), and a more modern platform. LegalZoom's edge is its brand recognition and access to attorney consultations, which matter if you have complex legal needs beyond basic LLC formation.

ZenBusiness vs. Bizee: Very similar offerings. Both have $0 formation fees and comparable feature sets. Bizee edges out ZenBusiness on registered agent renewal ($119/yr vs. $199/yr), while ZenBusiness has faster standard processing (7 days vs. 10 days) and a better dashboard. For long-term registered agent savings, Bizee is the cheaper option.