Compare · retrieved 30 August 2026
Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee: what you pay in Year 1, 2, and 3
Three vendors, two jobs (registered agent; formation plus agent), three years. Year-one checkout is not the price. Promo and free agent years are flagged. State formation fees are not in the totals. Incfile is Bizee’s former name; the live SKUs are Bizee’s.
Registered agent only
Buy the statutory role without a formation package. Northwest and Bizee are flat. ZenBusiness sells an intro year that does not repeat.
| 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 |
| BizeeStandalone registered agentStandalone $149/year. | $149List | $149List | $149List | $447 |
| ZenBusinessStandalone registered agentIntro $99 year 1, then $199/year. The $99 rate cannot be re-upped. | $99Promo | $199Renewal | $199Renewal | $497 |
Formation plus registered agent
A free agent year in the formation checkout ends. Zen Starter is $0 and does not renew; the RA add-on is $199 from day one, not the $99 standalone intro. Bizee formation plans are one-time; Zen Pro and Premium are annual.
| 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 |
| BizeeStandard + RAStandard $199 one-time; RA free year 1 with formation, then $149/year. | $199Free year 1 | $149Renewal | $149Renewal | $497 |
| BizeePremium + RAPremium $299 one-time; RA free year 1 with formation, then $149/year. | $299Free year 1 | $149Renewal | $149Renewal | $597 |
| 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 |
| BizeeBasic + RA — not a headline figureBasic is $0 + state, one-time. RA free year 1 then $149/year. Listed last on purpose: do not treat $0 as the comparison. | $0Free year 1 | $149Renewal | $149Renewal | $298 |
Northwest vs ZenBusiness
| 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, 3-year | $289 | Starter + RA $597; Pro + RA $1,194; Premium + RA $1,494 |
Northwest formation is $39; RA is free in year 1, then $125/year. Zen Starter does not renew, so the 3-year Starter bill is the RA add-on three times. Pro is $199/year plus the $199/year add-on. Premium is $299/year plus the $199/year RA add-on (RA not included in any package as of 2 October 2026).
ZenBusiness vs Incfile (Bizee)
Search still says Incfile. The vendor page retrieved 30 August 2026 is Bizee. There is no separate Incfile price list on this desk.
| Stack | ZenBusiness | Bizee (Incfile) |
|---|---|---|
| RA-only, year 1 | $99 promo | $149 list |
| RA-only, years 2 and 3 | $199 renewal | $149 list |
| RA-only, 3-year | $497 | $447 |
| Entry formation + RA, 3-year | Starter + RA $597 | Standard + RA $497 |
| Upper formation + RA, 3-year | Pro + RA $1,194; Premium + RA $1,494 | Premium + RA $597 |
Bizee vs Northwest
| Stack | Bizee | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| RA-only, each year | $149 list | $125 list |
| RA-only, 3-year | $447 | $375 |
| Formation + RA, year 1 | Standard $199 or Premium $299; RA free year 1 | $39; RA free year 1 |
| Formation + RA, years 2 and 3 | $149 renewal | $125 renewal |
| Formation + RA, 3-year | Standard $497; Premium $597 | $289 |
Northwest files the change of agent and pays the state fee. Bizee’s virtual address is $29/mo and cannot be the registered agent. Northwest mail forwarding starts at $20/mo; virtual office $29/mo. Those mail SKUs are not in the 3-year RA totals.
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 | Starter | $0 + state. Does not renew. RA add-on $199/year from day one. |
| ZenBusiness | Pro | $199/year + RA add-on $199/year. |
| ZenBusiness | Premium | $299/year + RA add-on $199/year; renews at $299 + RA. |
| ZenBusiness | Standalone RA | $99 year 1 (promo), then $199/year. Cannot re-up at $99. |
| Bizee | Basic / Standard / Premium | $0 / $199 / $299, one-time + state. Do not hero Basic $0. |
| Bizee | RA with formation / standalone | Free year 1 with formation, then $149/year. Standalone $149/year, no free year. |
Questions
Northwest vs ZenBusiness: who costs less over three years?
Registered agent only: Northwest is $125 each year ($375 over three). ZenBusiness standalone RA is $99 year 1 (promo) then $199 years 2 and 3 ($497). The $99 intro cannot be re-upped. Formation plus RA: Northwest is $39 year 1 (RA free) then $125 + $125 = $289. Zen Starter plus RA add-on is $199 each year ($597); Pro plus RA is $398 each year ($1,194); Premium plus RA add-on is $498 each year ($1,494) as of the 2 October 2026 re-check (RA not included in any formation package). State fees are not in those totals.
ZenBusiness vs Incfile: is Incfile still a product?
Incfile is the former name of Bizee. The live SKUs retrieved 30 August 2026 are Bizee’s. RA-only: Bizee $149/year ($447 over three) versus Zen standalone $99 + $199 + $199 = $497. Formation plus RA: Zen Starter plus RA add-on is $597; Bizee Standard plus RA is $497; Bizee Premium plus RA is $597. Zen Pro plus RA ($1,194) and Zen Premium plus RA ($1,494) are annual subscriptions; Bizee formation plans are one-time plus an RA renewal.
Bizee vs Northwest: is Bizee’s $0 Basic cheaper?
Do not treat the $0 Basic checkout as the bill. Basic is $0 + state, one-time; RA is free in year 1 with formation then $149/year. The 3-year vendor total is $298. Northwest formation plus RA is $289 ($39 + $125 + $125). RA-only, Northwest is $375 against Bizee’s $447. Bizee Standard plus RA is $497; Premium plus RA is $597.
Does ZenBusiness’s $99 registered agent last after year 1?
No. Standalone RA is $99 year 1, then $199/year. The intro cannot be re-upped. The Starter/Pro RA add-on is $199 from day one — it is not the $99 intro.
Arithmetic for every row lives on registered-agent cost. Northwest vs ZenBusiness alone: Northwest vs ZenBusiness. Northwest vs LegalZoom foil: Northwest vs LegalZoom. Northwest vs Bizee alone: Northwest vs Bizee. ZenBusiness year-2 RA specifically: ZenBusiness registered agent renewal. Leaving ZenBusiness as agent: leave ZenBusiness registered agent. Leaving LegalZoom as agent: leave LegalZoom registered agent. Leaving Bizee as agent: leave Bizee registered agent. Mail versus the statutory role is agent vs mailbox.
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 — incorporation service Retrieved 2026-08-30.
- Northwest — change of agent (files change paperwork and pays required state filing fee when appointed; $125/year) Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- Northwest — business address Retrieved 2026-08-30.
- 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 center Retrieved 2026-08-30.
- Bizee Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Bizee — LLC Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Bizee — registered agent (standalone $149/year; free year 1 with formation packages) Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Bizee — virtual address Retrieved 2026-08-30.
- Bizee vs Northwest Retrieved 2026-09-30.