Direct Incorporation Review (2023) Is It a Legit Company?

If you're considering hiring Direct Incorporation service to handle your LLC formation process, you've come to the right place.

For the purposes of this review, we teamed up with our legal team and tested this Michigan-based service to see what it offers and if it's a good value for money.

Continue reading to find out if Direct Incorporation service is a good fit for your startup company.

What Is Direct Incorporation?

Direct Incorporation is an online service launched in 2003 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This family-owned business service focuses on helping entrepreneurs create their LLCs quickly and more affordably.

It also upholds a Better Business Bureau standard and offers ongoing compliance to its clients.

When Direct Incorporation reached 20,000 clients in 2008, it expanded its service offerings to include those aimed at helping small companies develop an internet presence.

Later in 2015, the service unveiled its Executive Club platform, which provides expert advice from attorneys and professional LLC owners.

Apart from processing legal papers, this LLC service also offers the LLC formation process, filing corporate paperwork, and domain licensing in its different packages.

Since its launch, the company has created over 80,000 enterprises in the US.

Service Features and Prices

Here’s a breakdown of the LLC formation packages offered by the Direct Incorporation service.

• Standard Package ($174 + state fees): A federal income tax ID number, guidance with forming an S-Corporation, annual report, help with drafting and submitting your certificate of organization, a name check, and a 3-week trial membership to the Executive Club are all included in this standard LLC formation package.
• Premier Package ($279 + state fees): If you subscribe to this plan, you get features from the standard package plus an LLC kit, corporate suite, and an operating agreement.
• Venture Package ($699 + state fees): Includes features from the elite bundle plus trademark security, a custom business logo, an operating agreement, a 12-month subscription to the Executive Club, and a DBA name.

Additional Services

Apart from the four package plans offered by Direct Incorporation LLC service, there are other services on their website, including:

Benefits

Here are the benefits of using Direct Incorporation service to form an LLC.

1. Good Customer Support

Direct Incorporation offers great customer service through email and phone.

This LLC service does not provide a live chat feature like its rivals, but we were able to get in touch with their support via phone every day of the week.

Additionally, we discovered that this online service doesn't have a central business email; each support team member has an individual email displayed on the 'Our Team' webpage.

In this case, we recommend contacting a team member who fits your needs.

3. Long-term Maintenance

A long engagement is the primary goal of Direct Incorporation's services.

After completing the creation process, you can continue receiving annual and monthly statements, prompt website upkeep, expert business guidance, and more.

In our experience, we subscribed to the Elite package Business Compliance Program.

This stand-alone service gave us continuous access to stock scanners, IRS filing notices, operating agreements, license renewal notifications, and essential details about our LLC's standing with the state.

6. Comprehensive Trademark Search

Direct Incorporation offers legal advice from a qualified trademark attorney in addition to searching the federal trademark database and registering your mark on your behalf.

Trademarks are essential to your company's success because they make it simple for customers and consumers to recognize and locate goods and services.

Downsides of Direct Incorporation Service

One of the major downsides to this LLC formation service is its high pricing structure. For starters, there are no free packages and services.

Plus, the most affordable choice is as expensive as some mid-tier deals from competing LCC firms.

Also, their registered agent service runs free for six months only.

This is a drawback considering other business bureau services like IncFile offer the same feature for free for the first year.

Who Should Hire Direct Incorporation Service?

Any entrepreneur or LLC owner looking for a comprehensive compliance filing at a premium price should hire Direct Incorporation service.

This LLC service is also a good fit if you're looking for a Venture bundle that offers rich features like trademark protection, logo design, and pro website services.

Additionally, it's a bonus that all its packages include an EIN registration for your business.

Other User Testimonials

"I've worked with Direct Incorporation service for over 6 years, and their service team is always professional, prompt, and thorough when handling my compliance."
- Max, Colorado 

"On my first trial, purchasing their plan was easy. I also called one of their support members, and he promptly responded and guided me through the order filing process."
- Dave, Texas 

"I didn't appreciate the slow turnaround times. After purchasing their venture package, I waited for three months to get my LLC paperwork filed."
- Beth, Arizona 

"I really enjoyed my registration and filing experience with Direct Incorporation, but I feel like their pricing is way higher compared to other LLCs in the market."
- Phoebe, Massachusetts 

Comparison To Other Services

Let's look at how Direct Incorporation service compares to other top LLC formation services in the industry.

1. ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness is a big name in the LLC sector. In terms of pricing, ZenBusiness offers fair prices as opposed to Direct Incorporation service.

The lower plan for ZenBusiness goes for $0, while Direct Incorporation charges $174. Hence we recommend hiring ZenBusiness if you're tight budget-wise.

LLC creation packages of Direct Incorporation compare well with ZenBusiness.

For starters, ZenBusiness does not provide registered agent service; if purchased separately, this service costs $99 for the first year and $199/yr afterward.

On the other hand, Incorporation includes six months of registered agent service at no additional cost. However, they charge $159 per year for continued service after that period.

These LLC services offer free EIN acquisition in their plans and free online document storage space.

2. Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent is relatively affordable; for $39, it offers 12 months of registered agent service, which is a huge plus.

Unlike Direct Incorporation, its base package includes additional formation necessities, including Articles of Organization and an online dashboard.

Unfortunately, Northwest Registered agent lacks popular services like domain registration and website design, even in its premium versions, so if you want internet integration, we recommend using the Direct Incorporation service.

Regarding customer support, both companies offer excellent and qualified customer care.

Although in our experience, Northwest offers a more personalized support team than the Direct Incorporation service. Also, the customer feedback for Northwest is stronger than for Direct Incorporation.

3. Incfile

IncFile was established in 2004 and has since worked with over 250,000 clients. In this regard, Direct Incorporation's track record may seem less impressive with its 80,000 clients.

Similar to Direct Incorporation, IncFile operates swiftly and provides paperwork to the state in a single day.

Strong phone or email communication is provided by both services, although the Direct Incorporation service lacks a live chat function.

In our experience, the staff members of these companies are kind, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Also, as far as turnaround time is concerned, both IncFile and Direct Incorporation offer relatively close delivery times.

IncFile has a 1-day 8 weeks turnaround depending on your state, while Direct Incorporation offers 2 days to 12 weeks.

Overall, IncFile offers more value at lower package levels, while Direct Inc is the superior option if you want a comprehensive and exclusive package plan.

FAQs

Is Direct Incorporation Worth It?

For entrepreneurs who need everything from company registration to logo creation, Direct Incorporation is the best option.

Additionally, it provides cutting-edge services that other LLCs do not.

However, if you want a more affordable LLC service with basic features, ZenBusiness might be a better option.

Unlike Direct Incorporation, ZenBusiness offers a free basic plan with all you need to start your business.

In addition to their first-rate customer care, shorter turnarounds, and affordable prices, ZenBusiness also offers a  professional legal agent service to help you manage your LLC in accordance with state regulations.