Compare · Northwest vs ZenBusiness · retrieved 2 October 2026
Northwest vs ZenBusiness: what you pay in Year 1, 2, and 3
Two vendors, two jobs (registered agent; formation plus agent), three years. Northwest is flat list. ZenBusiness sells a $99 intro year that renews at $199, and formation plans where Starter does not renew. State formation and change fees are not in the totals. Dollars re-checked on official pages 2 October 2026 CT.
Registered agent only
Buy the statutory role without a formation package. Northwest is flat $125/year ($375 over three). Zen standalone is $99 year 1, then $199/year ($497 over three). The $99 intro cannot be re-upped.
| Vendor / product | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthwestRegistered agentFlat $125/year. $100/year per state if five or more. | $125List | $125List | $125List | $375 |
| ZenBusinessStandalone registered agentIntro $99 year 1, then $199/year. The $99 rate cannot be re-upped (re-checked 2 October 2026). | $99Promo | $199Renewal | $199Renewal | $497 |
Gap on RA-only over three years: $122 more at Zen’s renewal path than at Northwest’s flat list. Vendor dollars only.
Formation plus registered agent
Northwest formation is $39 + state; RA is free in year 1, then $125/year. Zen Starter is $0 + state and does not renew; the RA add-on is $199/year from day one. Pro and Premium renew annually; RA is a separate $199/year add-on on every Zen formation package (re-checked 2 October 2026).
| Vendor / product | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthwestFormation + RAFormation $39; RA free in year 1, then $125/year. | $39Free year 1 | $125Renewal | $125Renewal | $289 |
| ZenBusinessStarter + RA add-onStarter is $0 + state and does not renew. RA add-on is $199/year from day one. | $199List | $199List | $199List | $597 |
| ZenBusinessPro + RA add-onPro $199/year plus RA add-on $199/year. | $398List | $398Renewal | $398Renewal | $1,194 |
| ZenBusinessPremium + RA add-onPremium $299/year + RA add-on $199/year. RA not included in any formation package (re-checked 2026-10-02). | $498List | $498Renewal | $498Renewal | $1,494 |
Northwest vs ZenBusiness, side by side
| Stack | Northwest | ZenBusiness |
|---|---|---|
| RA-only, year 1 | $125 list | $99 promo |
| RA-only, years 2 and 3 | $125 list | $199 renewal |
| RA-only, 3-year | $375 | $497 |
| Formation + RA, year 1 | $39; RA free year 1 | Starter $0 + RA $199 |
| Formation + RA, 3-year (Starter path) | $289 | $597 |
| Formation + RA, 3-year (Pro) | $289 | $1,194 |
| Formation + RA, 3-year (Premium) | $289 | $1,494 |
Gap on RA-only over three years: $122 more at Zen than at Northwest. On formation + RA, Northwest sits at $289; Zen Starter + RA is $308 more; Pro + RA is $905 more; Premium + RA is $1,205 more. Those are vendor dollars only.
Switching agents is not symmetric
| Direction | What the vendor publishes |
|---|---|
| Appoint Northwest | Northwest publishes that it files the change of agent and pays the state fee when you appoint them. |
| Appoint ZenBusiness | Zen publishes that it can help file change or amendment paperwork. Filing Address did not find a published claim that Zen pays the state change fee when appointed (retrieved 2 October 2026). Treat the state’s change fee as yours unless Zen confirms otherwise in writing. |
| Leave ZenBusiness | Opposite direction. Appoint a successor, file the SOS change, then call Zen support with proof Zen is off the record. RA cannot be self-canceled in the dashboard. Leave ZenBusiness RA. |
State change fees among the sixteen states on this desk live on change of registered agent. They are not Northwest’s $125 or Zen’s $199 subscription.
Where Zen can still be the better fit
Fee gap is the wedge on this page. Zen’s formation dashboard, Worry-Free Compliance / Advanced Compliance Protection, and bundled EIN / operating-agreement tools on Pro and Premium are real product surface Northwest does not match one-for-one. If you want an all-in-one compliance suite and will pay for it, Zen’s higher 3-year stack can be intentional. If you mainly need the statutory agent at a flat list, Northwest’s $125/year and change-fee claim are the tighter bill.
Cadence, in one place
| Vendor | SKU | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | Registered agent | $125/year, list. No intro year. |
| Northwest | Formation | $39 + state. RA free year 1, then $125/year. |
| ZenBusiness | Standalone registered agent | $99 year 1 (promo), then $199/year. Intro cannot be re-upped. |
| ZenBusiness | Starter / Pro / Premium | Starter $0 (does not renew); Pro $199/year; Premium $299/year. RA add-on $199/year on every plan from day one. |
Questions
Northwest vs ZenBusiness: who costs less for registered agent?
RA-only, Northwest is $125 each year ($375 over three). ZenBusiness standalone RA is $99 year 1 then $199/year ($497 over three). Same statutory role; Zen’s 3-year vendor stack is $122 more on the retrieval dates. State fees are not in those totals.
Northwest Registered Agent vs ZenBusiness for formation plus RA?
Northwest formation is $39 + state; RA is free in year 1, then $125 + $125 = $289 over three vendor years. Zen Starter is $0 + state and does not renew; RA add-on is $199/year from day one ($597 over three). Pro + RA is $398/year ($1,194 over three). Premium + RA is $498/year ($1,494 over three). RA is not included in any Zen formation package on the 2 October 2026 re-check.
ZenBusiness vs Northwest registered agent — does either pay the state change fee?
Northwest publishes that it files the change of agent and pays the state fee when you appoint them. ZenBusiness says it can help file change paperwork; Filing Address did not find a published “we pay the state change fee when appointed” claim on Zen’s RA pages retrieved 2 October 2026. Leaving Zen is a different job — see leave ZenBusiness registered agent. Filing Address does not file the change for you.
Can I keep ZenBusiness registered agent at $99 after year 1?
No. Standalone RA is $99 in year 1 (intro), then $199/year. The intro cannot be re-upped. If you added RA with Starter or Pro formation, the add-on is $199 from day one — that path is not the $99 intro.
Related: 3-year cost · Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee · Northwest vs LegalZoom · Northwest vs Bizee · ZenBusiness renewal · leave ZenBusiness RA · change of agent.
Sources
Official vendor, secretary of state, or statute pages. Third-party “best of” lists were not used. Retrieval dates are on each row.
- Northwest Registered Agent — registered agent ($125/year; $100/year per state at 5+) Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Northwest — LLC formation Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- Northwest — change of agent (files change paperwork and pays required state filing fee when appointed; $125/year) Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ZenBusiness — formation plan pricing (Starter $0; Pro $199/yr; Premium $299/yr; RA add-on $199/yr on all plans) Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ZenBusiness — registered agent ($99 first year; renews $199/year; FAQ: separate registered agent in each state where the business is registered or qualified) Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ZenBusiness help / RA FAQ — registered agent pricing ($99 first year; renews $199/year) Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ZenBusiness help — formation plans (Starter / Pro / Premium cadence; RA add-on notes) Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ZenBusiness help — cancel a service or account (RA contact-support only; appoint replacement first) Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ZenBusiness help — how to change your registered agent (file state change before canceling Zen RA) Retrieved 2026-09-22.