You want to start your own LLC (Limited Liability Company) but you don’t know where to begin. The sheer amount of information available online for LLC formation is making you even more confused.
Luckily for you, in this Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness review, we compare these top LLC formation services. The aim of this ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority comparison guide is to make it easier for you to choose between the two.
Both ZenBusiness and Inc Authority offer services to help small businesses like yours get started.
So without further ado, let’s dive straight in.
Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness: The Summary Box
This Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison summarizes key features of both services.
| Inc Authority | ZenBusiness |
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| With 35+ years of experience, Inc Authority offers business formation services and business ownership assistance. Business owners looking for free LLC formation service (plus state fees) can launch their business with Inc Authority. | Although relatively new, ZenBusiness has quickly made a name for itself in the business formation service industry. With its affordable plans and high-quality customer support, it’s becoming the preferred choice of many business owners looking for LLC services. |
Inc Authority
- With nearly 30 years of experience, Inc Authority offers business formation services and business ownership assistance. Business owners looking for free LLC formation service (plus state fees) can launch their business with Inc Authority.
Incfile
- Although relatively new, ZenBusiness has quickly made a place for itself in the business formation service industry. With its affordable plans and high-quality customer support, it’s becoming the preferred choice of many business owners looking for LLC services
Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness: A Quick Overview
| Inc Authority | ZenBusiness | |
| Affordability | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Customer Testimonials | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Company’s Reputation | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Customer Support | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Registered Agent Service | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
Pros and Cons: Inc Authority
| Pros | Cons |
| LLC formation at no cost ($0 + state fees) | Numerous upsells |
| Free registered agent service for a year | Higher premium packages |
| Tax planning consultation | All sales are final. There are no refunds |
Pros
- LLC formation at no cost ($0 + state fees)
- Free registered agent service for a year
- Tax planning consultation
Cons
- Numerous upsells
- Higher premium packages
- All sales are final. There are no refunds
Pros and Cons: ZenBusiness
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent customer support | Filing fees are paid yearly |
| Transparent pricing | Limited website templates |
| Starter pack costs $0 + state fees | Registered agent service is an add-on |
Pros
- Excellent customer support
- Transparent pricing
- Starter pack costs $0 + state fees
Cons
- Filing fees are paid yearly
- Limited website templates
- Registered agent service is an add-on
A crucial factor in the Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness decision is pricing. Here’s how they stack up:
Pricing Details: Inc Authority
| Pricing Plan | Price |
| Free | $0 state fee |
| Starter | $399 state fee |
| Executive | $499 state fee |
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Pricing Details: ZenBusiness
| Pricing Plan | Price |
| Starter | $0 |
| Pro | $199 (billed annually) |
| Premium | $349 (billed annually) |
Try ZenBusiness
Who is it For?
If you are confused as to which LLC service is right for you, the table below compares Inc Authority ZenBusiness options to help make things clearer.
| Inc Authority | ZenBusiness |
| Business owners who value customer satisfaction | Business owners who value company reputation |
| Small business owners who are happy with a basic LLC package as the premium packages are comparatively pricier | Small business owners who are looking for easy and fuss-free LLC formation services |
| Business owners who want to enjoy the benefit of one-year free registered agent service | Business owners who want to enjoy the benefit of free accounting consultation included with every LLC formation package |
Detailed Review: Inc Authority
ZenBusiness and Inc Authority both offer various features, but let’s look at how Inc Authority fares based on the following 6 review points:
Image Source: Inc Authority
Affordability
Inc Authority has a basic plan of $0, i.e., free LLC formation service. You only have to pay the state fee. Its two premium bundles are priced at $299 and $499, which makes it a pricier option compared to its competitors.
So, if you don’t have the budget, maybe Inc Authority isn’t the right choice for you, as there are less expensive options available. But you can, of course, leverage their free services.
Turnaround Times
If you do a ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority comparison, you’ll find that both offer similar turnaround times. However, processing speeds can vary based on your chosen package and state requirements.
Depending on where your business is located, it can take anywhere from a couple of days up to several weeks. If you visit their website, you can select your state to start your LLC to know how long it will take to process your LLC formation.
If you do a ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority comparison, you’ll find that both offer similar turnaround times.
Company Reputation
Another really important aspect of the Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison is each company’s reputation in the industry.
Inc Authority has been offering LLC services since 1989 and has garnered a strong positive company reputation over the years. They help form over 25,000 LLCs and corporations every year with their high-quality services. This makes them a very trustworthy brand for forming businesses.
This TrustPilot review puts into perspective the reputation Inc Authority has.
Image via TrustPilot
The final verdict for this Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison is that both companies are trustworthy and reputable.
Ease of Use
Inc Authority has a user-friendly website. Its easy navigation and interface make it convenient for a new business owner to pick a service and order it online. The only downside is their numerous upsells and third-party offers that may hamper your order-planning process and experience.
(Launch your new business with Inc Authority’s trusted services today for free.)
Customer Support
Inc Authority offers customer support through calls, emails, and live chat options. Live support is available Monday to Friday from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific time. However, you can’t reach them on weekends for customer support. During our Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison, we found the latter to be better, mainly because it extends support on weekends as well.
Inclusions in the Free Plan
This ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority comparison won’t be complete without comparing what each offers as part of their free plan.
Here are the services you get for free with Inc Authority:
- Business formation
- Free registered agent services for 1 year
- Business name search
- S-Corp election form filing
- Brief tax consultation
- Business credit and funding analysis
- Digital document storage options for managing business finances
- LLC kit (basic version)
Registered Agent Services
Inc Authority offers its customers one year of free registered agent services included in its LLC formation package. After the first year, it costs $99 per year.
To know more about these services, read our detailed Inc Authority review.
Now let’s look at how ZenBusiness stacks up against Inc Authority.
Detailed Review: ZenBusiness
When it comes to business formation process services, ZenBusiness stands out as one of the most sought-after companies in the industry.
Apart from filing your LLC, it offers you feature-packed services such as operating agreement templates and invoicing apps. Likewise, ZenBusiness offers premium plans that include Employer Identification Number (EIN), business email services, and website domain services, among others.
Image Source: ZenBusiness
Let’s review ZenBusiness based on the 6 review points, as we did with Inc Authority.
Affordability
The basic plan at ZenBusiness starts at $0 + state filing fees similar to Inc Authority. However, compared to Inc Authority, its LLC packages are much more reasonable, making them a more affordable option for start-ups and small business owners.
Turnaround Times
The turnaround times for ZenBusiness vary with the package you choose. Starter pack offers a processing speed of 2 to 3 weeks. For the Pro package, it takes about 4 to 6 days, whereas for the Premium package, the turnaround time is 1 to 2 days. This distinction between packages isn’t there in the case of Inc Authority.
When doing an Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison, we found that you can pay more to get faster processing speeds for both.
(Start your business for free now with ZenBusiness.)
Company Reputation
Compared to Inc Authority, ZenBusiness is fairly new in the LLC formation business, having its inception in 2015. But, in such a short time, it has managed to launch 500,000+ businesses with its fast filing speeds and 100% accuracy guarantee.
Positive ZenBusiness reviews from customers reflect its growing reputation and ability to provide worry-free compliance. Apart from that, here’s a glimpse of what customers think of ZenBusiness.
Image via TrustPilot
Ease of Use
ZenBusiness has a well-designed website that is easy to navigate and order from. Unlike Inc Authority, it does not show you multiple upsells as you try to order a service. That’s a big relief and an advantage, both. So, according to our Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison, the latter has a better user interface.
Customer Support
ZenBusiness offers its customers support through three main channels—chat, calls, and emails. The company responds to emails within 1 business day. For chats and calls, the business hours are from Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm central time. On Sundays the business hours are from 10 am to 7 pm central time. Not many other competitors are available to extend customer support on Sundays. This works in favor of ZenBusiness.
Inclusions in the Free Plan
When doing an Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison, you’ll find the Inc Authority offers a lot more free services. ZenBusiness offers only free preparation and filing of business documents and no other free services. Every other service is available as an add-on for an additional cost.
Registered Agent Service
It will cost you $199 per year for ZenBusiness to serve as your registered agent as an add-on service. There is no free registered agent service for the first year included in its LLC packages. Clearly, Inc Authority is the winner in this aspect of this Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison.
Start Your Business with ZenBusiness
Inc Authority Pricing Plans
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Inc Authority’s pricing plans and the top features it offers in every package. Along with the services, this table also shows you the various add-on services you might need.
| Plan Features | Free | Starter | Fast Track |
| Cost | $0 + state fees | $299 + state fees | $499 + state fees |
| Operating Agreement | No | Yes | Yes |
| Registered Agent | Included for one year, following $99/year | Included for one year, following $99/year | Included for one year, following $99/year |
| Order Processing Times | 1 to 3 weeks | 1 to 3 weeks (add-on available) | Expedited processing times with express processing |
| Annual Compliance | No | Yes | Yes |
| INC Success Advisor Package | No | Add-on available | Yes |
| Web Domain | No | No | Yes |
| Employer Identification Number (EIN) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name Availability Check | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personalized Business Advice | No | Add-on available | Yes |
| Professional Tax Consultation | No | Yes | Yes |
Image via Inc Authority
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ZenBusiness Pricing Plans
Here’s a breakdown of the different pricing plans that ZenBusiness offers to its customers. It also details the various services that you can get with the plans along with essential add-on services.
| Plan Features | Starter | Pro | Premium |
| Cost | $0 + state fees | $199 + state fees | $349 + state fees |
| Operating Agreement | One-time fee $125 | One-time fee $125 | One-time fee $125 |
| Registered Agent | $199/yearly | $199/yearly | $199/yearly |
| Order Processing Times | 2 to 3 weeks | 1 to 5 business days | 1 to 5 business days |
| Annual Compliance | Included for one year | Yes | Yes |
| Domain Name Registration | $25/yearly | $25/yearly | Yes |
| EIN | One-time fee $99 | One-time fee $99 | One-time fee $99 |
| Name Availability Check | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Consultation | Tax Savings Consultation | Tax Savings Consultation | Tax Savings Consultation |
Image via ZenBusiness
Try ZenBusiness’s Services
ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority: Customer Testimonials
To get a real-world perspective on the Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison, let’s look at what some customers have to say about using their LLC formation services.
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Inc Authority |
ZenBusiness |
| The service determination and willing to help out and not understanding customer was tremendous remarkable Dom gave his effort patience and his tremendous time management effort and made me feel very comfortable with making one of the best decisions of my life I just want to say thank you
– Sekani Manigault |
Very fast and exceptional service! I am highly satisfied with my order and the level of communication from the company.
– Monique Bravo |
| I received a call from one of the representatives just to confirm my information. He addressed me like family, rather than just another customer. I felt like I was talking to a (professional) friend and he answered all of my questions promptly and smoothly. And overall a very VERY positive experience.
– Jessica Kelly |
The process was so quick and easy. They took care of everything and so promptly. I highly recommend Zen Business. I look forward to working with them throughout the year.
– Griff Steadman |
FAQs
Q1. Is Inc Authority worth it?
A. A new business owner looking for an inexpensive LLC formation service can choose Inc Authority. The company has several customer assessments of approval and trustworthiness. With a high score of 4.9/5 on Trustpilot, Inc Authority has over 33,700 positive customer reviews and is worth choosing for your LLC filing. Also, given the various free services it offers, apart from business formation, you will not get a better deal.
Q2. How long will it take to launch my business with Inc Authority?
A. There is no set time frame when it comes to starting your business with Inc Authority as each business is different. A business that requires funding, inventory, and a lease on a building will take longer to be up and running. On the other hand, a small business that doesn’t require funding will have a shorter time frame. If you want to start your business ASAP, you can look at the Tycoon Bundle offered by Inc Authority which includes expedited service options.
Q3. Is ZenBusiness a legitimate business?
A. Yes, ZenBusiness is legit. Even though it has been in operation since 2015 and is a fairly new company, it has been BBB-accredited since 2019 with an A+ rating. The LLC service company is one of the best ones available on the market and is a great fit for small LLCs and start-ups.
Read our in-depth Inc Authority vs LegalZoom comparison to learn more about its services and how they fare against those offered by Inc Authority.
Q4. Is the ZenBusiness registered agent service worth it?
A. ZenBusiness offers registered agent service as an add-on for $199/year and is worth every penny. Apart from staying compliant with the state requirements, ZenBusiness offers digital copies of all important documents uploaded to your dashboard. This allows you to view, download, and print your document with ease.
Q5. Is ZenBusiness a good website to get your LLC?
A. Yes, ZenBusiness features among the most trustworthy LLC services. From its cost efficiency to its easy access to resources, it offers good value to its customers. You can choose from its packages and select what suits your business best. Still, if you want more options, you can also consider Inc Authority. Read this ZenBusiness vs Inc Authority comparison to find out which one is right for you.
Q6. What additional services do Inc Authority and ZenBusiness offer?
A. Both Inc Authority and ZenBisiness offer various services beyond basic LLC formation. For example, both provide tax services, with Inc Authority offering a free tax consultation and ZenBusiness providing accounting consultations. They also offer business email services in their higher-tier packages to help establish your professional online presence.
Q7. How do Inc Authority and ZenBusiness help with business taxes?
A. Both companies offer tax help, but in different ways. Inc Authority provides a free tax consultation with all their packages. This means you can ask questions about your business taxes and get expert advice.
On the other hand, ZenBusiness offers accounting consultations to help you manage your business finances. They can guide you on keeping good financial records, which is crucial for tax filing.
Q8. Can I form my LLC myself instead of using Inc Authority or ZenBusiness?
A. Yes, you can form an LLC on your own. However, using a service like Inc Authority and ZenBusiness can save you time and reduce the risk of mistakes. These companies know the legal requirements for each state and can help you file the right paperwork and meet deadlines.
Q9. How do Inc Authority and ZenBusiness compare in terms of processing times?
A. Processing time is a very important consideration in the Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison. That said, the LLC processing times for both companies vary depending on your state and package.
Inc Authority’s processing times typically range from a couple of days to three weeks, depending on your state. They offer expedited processing with their higher-tier packages.
On the other hand, ZenBusiness offers more specific timeframes: their Starter package takes 2-3 weeks, the Pro package takes 2–5 days, and the Premium package also takes 2–5 days. Faster processing can be crucial if you’re in a hurry to start your business or need your LLC formed by a specific date.
Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness: Final Verdict
After comparing Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness based on different parameters, we can say they are both top-tier LLC formation companies. Each of them has their own unique selling points that make them the preferred choice.
Both Inc Authority and ZenBusiness provide valuable resources for new business owners, including tax consultation services and LLC kits.
It all boils down to your business requirements and what you expect as part of the LLC formation package. No matter which service you choose for your business, it will help you take the stress out of filing your LLC on your own.
Use this Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness comparison as your guide to choosing the right option for your business. Good luck!
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