9 Cheapest Registered Agent Services (2026 Buying Guide)

Registered-agent service costs $119 to $249 a year with most providers on this list, and the first-year price is often lower than what you pay from year two. We compared each provider's published first-year and renewal prices and checked the service inside our own Northwest account, opened when we formed an Alaska LLC in June 2026.

Northwest Registered Agent is our top pick: $125 a year, and the first year is included when you form your LLC with it for $39 + state fee. Harbor Compliance ranks second, at $99 for new customers and $159 a year after that, with no formation purchase needed. ZenBusiness ranks third for its guided dashboard, but its agent service renews at $199 a year.

If you only compare one number, use the renewal column below. That is what you pay every year after the first.

9 Cheapest Registered Agent Services (October 2026)

1 - Northwest Registered Agent (Best Overall)

In the account we opened when we formed our Alaska LLC in June 2026, Northwest Registered Agent's client dashboard lists Registered Agent Service as an active order next to the formation. The service page shows the $125 annual renewal, and a separate screen manages renewals and autopay, so nothing depends on remembering a due date.

The company also states its price hasn't moved in 20 years, with no per-document charges layered on top [1].

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($125/yr flat): the account dashboard lists this service as active and separately manages renewals, annual compliance and autopay.
• LLC Formation ($39 + state fee): includes the first year of registered-agent service, so the first agent bill arrives in year two.

2 - Harbor Compliance (Best for Multi-State Compliance)

Harbor Compliance sells this service on its own, with no formation purchase required to sign up.

Its own team states every active account gets same-day scanning and free access to Entity Manager. That tool plugs directly into Secretary of State systems in every state where a business operates.

Deadline tracking stays reminder-only unless a customer adds the separate filing service on top [2].

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($99 first year for new customers, $159/yr renewal): the provider states every account includes same-day scanning and free Entity Manager access across every state on file.

3 - ZenBusiness (Best Guided Platform)

ZenBusiness's account dashboard shows a Registered Agent tile inside its Compliance tab, next to the tools for annual reports and amendments.

That tile shows an "Appoint ZenBusiness" prompt for anyone who hasn't added the service yet. ZenBusiness never folds it silently into an existing order.

A promotional discount cuts the opening year's price in half when a customer forms an LLC through the company at the same time [3].

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($99 first year with a ZenBusiness formation, otherwise $199; $199/yr renewal): the Compliance tab carries its own Registered Agent tile with an "Appoint ZenBusiness" prompt for accounts that haven't added it yet.

4 - MyCompanyWorks (Cheapest Registered Agent)

MyCompanyWorks sells this service on its own, so a customer can add it without picking a specific plan first. The job itself is carried out by its parent company, Registered Agent Solutions Inc.

Only one flat rate gets published, with no separate first-year or renewal figure listed anywhere on the site [4]. The company backs the service with business-hours phone and email support, and it publishes a plain-language refund policy for customers who change their mind early.

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service (starts at $119/yr): sold as its own add-on rather than folded into a specific formation package, with business-hours phone and email support behind it.

5 - Bizee (Best Essentials)

Bizee's account dashboard carries a dedicated Registered Agent tab, separate from the tab that tracks state and IRS filings. The first year ships free with any LLC formation order, and it appears as its own line on the confirmation email rather than folded into one combined total.

After that, the same rate applies whether a customer keeps the service standalone or simply renews it going forward [5].

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service (free first year with formation, $149/yr standalone or after year one): the account dashboard keeps this on its own dedicated tab, apart from the tab covering state and IRS filings.

6 - Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings does not fold this service into any base formation option, so it always shows up as its own separate line.

The company's own order page bills it every quarter rather than once a year. That rhythm raises the effective yearly cost well above what the sticker price suggests [6].

A published customer review of the company also flags occasional confusing language around which services come from Swyft Filings directly versus an outside partner.

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($149+ per quarter, roughly $596/yr effective): billed quarterly rather than annually, and never bundled free into any of the company's base formation packages.

7 - InCorp

InCorp sells formation and registered agent service as two entirely separate purchases rather than one combined order. Paying one year at a time costs the most, and the rate steps down the more years a customer prepays at once [7].

The company's own account tools store filed paperwork at no added charge. A separate monitoring feature watches for identity-theft-style changes on file with the state.

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($129/yr at a 1-year term, down to $87/yr at 5 years prepaid): the Entity Management System stores filed documents free, and EntityWatch monitors the account for unauthorized changes on file.

8 - Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer only includes this service with its Plus and Pro memberships. It isn't sold on its own to anyone else.

Members pay close to half the non-member rate [8].

Membership also brings a library of attorney-drafted documents with e-signature, plus direct attorney access for other legal questions. This registered agent duty runs through Rocket Lawyer Corporate Services LLC, a company it owns outright.

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($124.99/yr add-on with a separately billed Plus or Pro membership): membership itself also opens up attorney-drafted document templates with e-signature and direct attorney access.

9 - LegalZoom

LegalZoom never once offered this service during the formation checkout flow we documented on the account. Its own site promotes other tools first and treats registered agent service as a separate purchase to consider later.

United States Corporation Agents, Inc. carries out the job, a company LegalZoom owns outright rather than an unrelated outside contractor [9].

Service Snapshot:

• Registered Agent Service ($249/yr, renews at the same rate each year): the company's own subsidiary handles the job, while the account itself markets contract review and a licenses tracker instead of this service.

How We Picked and Tested the Cheapest Registered Agent Services

Our testing methodology combines published prices with what we could see inside real accounts. We hold an active Northwest registered-agent account from the Alaska LLC we formed in June 2026. The ZenBusiness test purchased LLC formation only, without its paid agent service, and the Harbor Compliance assessment covered a Q&A with its team and a walkthrough of the signup wizard without a paid order.

Each overall score is the average of six categories, rounded to one decimal place. Because this page ranks agents on cost, Price here measures what the service costs over its first two years when bought on its own. That is why some Price scores differ from our best registered agent services guide.

MyCompanyWorks moved from second to fourth; its scores now follow that guide, with Price rescored on the same two-year basis. Scores for providers ranked fifth and below are carried over from the previous version of this page.

1. Support

Northwest Registered Agent scores 5.0, ZenBusiness 4.8 and Harbor Compliance 4.7. Northwest and ZenBusiness keep live contact options easy to find, and in our Alaska signup a Northwest Corporate Guide called to verify the account.

2. Price

We added the first-year price to one renewal for each agent bought on its own: MyCompanyWorks $238, Northwest Registered Agent $250, Harbor Compliance $258 and ZenBusiness $398. The first three land within $20 of each other and each score 4.9 for Price.

ZenBusiness scores 4.2. Its $99 first-year offer needs a ZenBusiness formation, and even then two years cost $298. Forming your LLC with Northwest changes its total too: the $39 + state fee formation includes the first agent year, so the first $125 bill arrives in year two.

3. Features

Northwest Registered Agent has the highest Features score at 4.8, while ZenBusiness and Harbor Compliance each score 4.7. Northwest's forms library and handling of agent-change paperwork add practical value beyond receiving documents.

Harbor Compliance's Entity Manager stands out for tracking registrations in multiple states, while ZenBusiness provides guided account tools through Velo.

4. Privacy and Security

Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance share the highest Privacy and Security score at 4.9, while ZenBusiness scores 4.7. We considered documented address-use policies and secure document handling alongside the account observations available to us.

An agent's address can replace a personal address in the registered-agent field, but it does not remove information required elsewhere on state filings.

5. Compliance Alerts

Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance each score 4.9 for Compliance Alerts, MyCompanyWorks 4.7 and ZenBusiness 4.6. We considered the clarity and availability of deadline reminders; managed filing services, when offered, may carry a separate charge.

6. User Ratings

Public customer reviews are one input alongside prices and account observations. ZenBusiness earns a 4.8 User Ratings score and Harbor Compliance 3.9, from the review snapshot checked on October 2, 2026.

ZenBusiness's score combines Trustpilot's 4.8/5 from 32,767 reviews and BBB's 4.04/5 from 817 customer reviews, weighted by review count.

Harbor Compliance's score uses Trustpilot's 3.1/5 from 53 reviews, BBB's 1.0/5 from 8 customer reviews, and Birdeye's 4.2/5 from 245 Google reviews, with the same weighting.

Harbor Compliance's six scores average 4.667/5 and ZenBusiness's 4.633/5, so they display 4.7 and 4.6. MyCompanyWorks averages 4.617/5, just behind ZenBusiness, which is why both cards show 4.6.

7. Best Fit

Forming a new LLC? Northwest's $39 + state fee formation covers the first agent year, and the agent then renews at $125. Already have an LLC? Harbor Compliance charges new customers $99 for the first year with no formation purchase needed.

MyCompanyWorks has the lowest flat rate at $119 a year, and InCorp drops to $87 a year if you prepay five years. Bizee's free first year only applies when you form your LLC through Bizee.

How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost in Year One and Year Two?

Most standalone registered-agent plans on this list cost $119 to $249 a year. The first year is where providers compete, so it is often cheaper than what you pay from year two:

• First year included with formation: Northwest Registered Agent with its $39 + state fee formation, then $125/year; Bizee with any LLC formation, then $149/year.
• Introductory first year: Harbor Compliance charges new customers $99, then $159/year. ZenBusiness charges $99 with a ZenBusiness formation, then $199/year.
• One flat rate: MyCompanyWorks $119/year, InCorp $129/year ($87/year with a 5-year prepay) and LegalZoom $249/year.
• Billing to read carefully: Swyft Filings bills $149 or more per quarter, at least $596 a year. Rocket Lawyer's $124.99 add-on requires a paid Plus or Pro membership.

You can also act as your own registered agent at no cost if you have a street address in the state and are there during business hours. The trade-off is that your address goes on the public record and you must be available to accept legal papers.

Forming a new LLC? Our cheapest LLC filing services guide compares formation fees and agent renewals together.

Registered Agent Requirements

Every state sets its own version of these rules, but the core requirements repeat across nearly all of them.

• The agent must be a resident of the state or a business entity authorized to operate there.
• A real street address in that state is required for the registered office, and P.O. boxes and virtual mailboxes don't qualify.
• The job itself stays narrow by design. It covers accepting service of process and official state notices, then forwarding them to the company.
• An owner or an employee can usually serve as the company's own agent, provided they meet the residency and address rules above.
• Some states split registered agents into commercial and noncommercial categories with separate registration steps, while others treat every agent the same way.

How to Change Your Registered Agent

1. Confirm the incoming agent actually meets the new state's eligibility and address rules first.
2. Get that agent's written consent, since most states require it before the change takes effect.
3. File the state's own change-of-agent form and pay its fee, both of which vary by state.
4. Wait for state confirmation before treating the switch as final, since some states process the change instantly online while others take weeks by mail.
5. Several providers on this list will handle that exact filing directly the moment a reader signs up with them.

Check your own state's page on this site for its exact form, fee and processing time, since none of those three details are the same in every state.

FAQs

Our Verdict

Northwest Registered Agent is our Best Overall pick. Its agent service is $125 a year, the first year is included when you form your LLC with Northwest for $39 + state fee, and the account we use for our Alaska LLC shows the renewal price and date on one screen.

Harbor Compliance ranks second at 4.7/5. New customers pay $99 for the first year and $159 a year after that, and its Entity Manager helps if you run companies in more than one state.

ZenBusiness ranks third at 4.6/5 for its guided dashboard. Budget for its $199 annual renewal, the highest of the three.

Shopping on price alone? MyCompanyWorks has the lowest flat rate at $119 a year, and Bizee's first year is free when you form your LLC through it.