{ "sym": "In", "updated": "2026-08-06", "verdict": "Stripe Atlas, and it isn't close for the default case \u2014 $500 all-in (Delaware fees and first-year registered agent included), a C-corp or LLC live within two business days, EIN, founder stock, and automated 83(b) filing even for non-US founders, with 100,000+ companies formed from 140+ countries. Clerky is the pick when you expect institutional diligence \u2014 it's what YC sends unincorporated founders to, and its attorney-maintained docs are the ones law firms don't rewrite later. Firstbase wins when you want Wyoming as an option or one vendor for formation plus mailroom/registered-agent/compliance. doola wins for non-US solo founders running an LLC that bills US customers. LegalZoom is the mass-market comparison: any state, any entity, $0 + state fees \u2014 right for a home-state small business, wrong for a venture-path startup.", "top5": [ { "rank": 1, "name": "Stripe Atlas", "maker": "Stripe", "url": "https://stripe.com/atlas", "docs": "https://docs.stripe.com/atlas", "pricing": "$500 one-time (incl. Delaware filing fees + first-year registered agent) \u00b7 $100/yr renewal \u00b7 C-corp or LLC", "best_for": "The default venture path: a Delaware C-corp (or LLC) formed in two business days with equity, EIN, and 83(b) handled, from anywhere in the world.", "why": "The category's compounding default: 100,000+ founders from 140+ countries (vendor, Aug 2026), legal docs built with Cooley, next-day expedited Delaware processing, automated 83(b) filing including the non-US-founder path nobody else automates as cleanly, plus $2,500 in Stripe credits and $50k+ in partner perks. The one-time $500 covers state fees \u2014 most rivals' teaser prices don't.", "watch": "Delaware only \u2014 no Wyoming, no home-state option. It ends at formation: accounting, tax filings, and mail are someone else's job (Firstbase and doola bundle them). And it is unapologetically a funnel into Stripe's payments ecosystem; the $2,500 credit is an acquisition cost, not a gift.", "evidence": [ { "stat": "$500 one-time incl. government fees + first-year registered agent; $100/yr after (vendor pricing, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://stripe.com/atlas" }, { "stat": "100,000+ founders, 140+ countries, incorporation within two business days (vendor, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://stripe.com/atlas" }, { "stat": "Automated 83(b) filing incl. dedicated non-US founder flow; India ODI and Singapore founder guides (docs, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://docs.stripe.com/atlas" } ], "tile_note": "the default, two days" }, { "rank": 2, "name": "Clerky", "maker": "Clerky (founded by startup attorneys)", "url": "https://www.clerky.com", "docs": "https://handbooks.clerky.com/legal-concepts", "pricing": "Incorporation $427 pay-per-use \u00b7 Lifetime package $819 (incl. first-year registered agent + unlimited post-incorporation, hiring, and fundraising docs \u2014 SAFEs $9 \u00e0 la carte)", "best_for": "Founders who expect real diligence \u2014 the paperwork-perfectionist option run by ex-Silicon Valley startup attorneys, and YC's standing referral.", "why": "The quality benchmark: 20,000+ startups incorporated, alumni include Coinbase, Gusto, Segment, and Zapier, and YC partner Kirsty Nathoo's endorsement is categorical \u2014 when YC funds an unincorporated startup, she sends founders to Clerky. Law-firm partners at Gunderson Dettmer and Orrick vouch that Clerky companies arrive diligence-clean; the lifetime package then covers SAFEs, notes, hiring, and board consents forever.", "watch": "Delaware C-corps (and PBCs) only \u2014 no LLC, so it can't serve the solopreneur or tax-pass-through case at all. No banking, perks, or back-office bundle; pay-per-use pricing nickel-and-dimes if you skip the $819 lifetime tier. US-founder-oriented compared with Atlas's international rails.", "evidence": [ { "stat": "20,000+ startups incorporated; YC partner endorsement on homepage (vendor, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.clerky.com/" }, { "stat": "$427 incorporation pay-per-use \u00b7 $819 lifetime incl. unlimited fundraising/hiring/maintenance docs (vendor pricing, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.clerky.com/pricing" } ], "tile_note": "attorney-grade, yc's referral" }, { "rank": 3, "name": "Firstbase", "maker": "Firstbase.io", "url": "https://www.firstbase.io", "docs": "https://help.firstbase.io/", "pricing": "Start $399 one-time (LLC or C-corp, Delaware or Wyoming) \u00b7 Agent $299/yr/state \u00b7 Mailroom $35\u201350/mo \u00b7 One bundle $199/mo (agent + mailroom + accounting + tax)", "best_for": "Founders \u2014 especially non-US \u2014 who want formation plus the boring aftermath (registered agent, US address and mail, annual reports, bookkeeping, tax filings) from one vendor.", "why": "The strongest formation-plus-operations stack: 30,000+ companies incorporated from 191 countries that went on to raise $3B (vendor, Aug 2026). It's the only top pick offering Wyoming alongside Delaware \u2014 materially cheaper ongoing compliance for LLCs \u2014 and its Agent/Mailroom/One products keep earning after the certificate arrives.", "watch": "The model is the upsell: $399 gets you in, but the maintained state costs $199/mo on the One bundle and tax filing runs $1,799/yr for C-corps. Documents are solid but not the attorney-maintained gold standard Clerky sells. Don't confuse it with firstbasehq.com, an unrelated remote-equipment company.", "evidence": [ { "stat": "30,000+ companies from 191 countries; $3B raised by customers (vendor homepage, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.firstbase.io/" }, { "stat": "Start $399 one-time, Delaware or Wyoming, LLC or C-corp; Agent $299/yr; One $199/mo (vendor pricing, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.firstbase.io/pricing" } ], "tile_note": "wyoming option, full back-office" }, { "rank": 4, "name": "doola", "maker": "doola", "url": "https://www.doola.com", "docs": "https://help.doola.com/", "pricing": "Starter $297/yr + state fees (LLC, EIN, registered agent, virtual address) \u00b7 Tax & Compliance $1,599/yr \u00b7 Business-in-a-Box $2,399/yr", "best_for": "Non-US solo founders and e-commerce operators forming a US LLC to bank and bill in dollars \u2014 no SSN, no US visit.", "why": "The international LLC specialist: 15,000+ founders from 175+ countries (vendor, Aug 2026), with EIN/ITIN handling for founders who lack an SSN and bundles that carry a non-resident through bookkeeping and the 1120/5472 filings that trip up foreign-owned single-member LLCs. Its AI Co-Founder assistant signals where the category is heading \u2014 formation as the front door to an automated back office.", "watch": "LLC-first \u2014 the wrong tool for a venture-path Delaware C-corp, and its formation pricing is an annual subscription ($297/yr) rather than a one-time fee, so compare lifetime cost honestly. Smaller company than the picks above; homepage stats are vendor-reported and unaudited.", "evidence": [ { "stat": "15,000+ founders from 175+ countries (vendor homepage, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.doola.com/" }, { "stat": "Starter $297/yr + state fees \u00b7 Tax & Compliance $1,599/yr \u00b7 Business-in-a-Box $2,399/yr (vendor pricing, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.doola.com/pricing/" } ], "tile_note": "international llc specialist" }, { "rank": 5, "name": "LegalZoom", "maker": "LegalZoom (NASDAQ: LZ)", "url": "https://www.legalzoom.com", "docs": "https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/article-center", "pricing": "Formation $0 + state fees \u00b7 Pro $249 (operating agreement, EIN, attorney consults) \u00b7 Premium $299 \u00b7 watch the auto-renewing subscriptions attached to paid tiers", "best_for": "The mass-market comparison: any state, any entity type, 25 years of brand trust \u2014 right for a home-state small business, not for a venture-path startup.", "why": "The scale reference every startup-formation service is measured against: 9M+ legal milestones over 25 years, and since 2021 the first US public company to own and operate a law firm. Its $0-plus-state-fees entry defines the industry's loss-leader pricing floor, and it files in all 50 states \u2014 something none of the startup-grade picks do.", "watch": "Not startup-grade: no standard VC-ready equity structure, vesting, or automated 83(b) workflow \u2014 founders who form here routinely pay a lawyer to redo the stack before a priced round. Paid tiers bolt on auto-renewing subscriptions ($49/mo attorney plan, $9.99/mo bookkeeping) that outlast the formation.", "evidence": [ { "stat": "9M+ legal milestones; 25 years; first public company to own a US law firm, 2021 (vendor, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.legalzoom.com/about-us" }, { "stat": "$0 + state fees Basic \u00b7 Pro $249 \u00b7 Premium $299, with auto-renewing add-on subscriptions (vendor pricing, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-pricing.html" } ], "tile_note": "mass-market, any state" } ], "matrix": { "cols": [ "Setup cost", "Ongoing cost", "Entities", "States", "Non-US founders", "83(b) / VC-grade docs", "Beyond formation" ], "rows": [ [ "Stripe Atlas", "$500 all-in", "$100/yr", "C-corp \u00b7 LLC", "Delaware only", "Yes \u2014 140+ countries, auto 83(b)", "Yes (Cooley-built)", "SAFEs \u00b7 perks \u00b7 Stripe rails" ], [ "Clerky", "$427 or $819 lifetime", "~$125/yr agent", "C-corp \u00b7 PBC", "Delaware only", "Partial", "Yes \u2014 the benchmark", "Unlimited legal paperwork (lifetime)" ], [ "Firstbase", "$399", "$299/yr agent \u00b7 $199/mo One", "C-corp \u00b7 LLC", "Delaware \u00b7 Wyoming", "Yes \u2014 191 countries", "Standard docs", "Mailroom \u00b7 accounting \u00b7 tax" ], [ "doola", "$297/yr (subscription)", "$297\u20132,399/yr", "LLC (C-corp secondary)", "Any state via support", "Yes \u2014 core market, no SSN", "No", "Books \u00b7 tax \u00b7 AI assistant" ], [ "LegalZoom", "$0\u2013299 + state fees", "add-on subscriptions", "All types", "All 50", "Limited", "No", "Attorney plans \u00b7 trademarks" ], [ "Gust Launch", "$450", "subscription", "C-corp", "Delaware only", "Partial", "Yes + cap table", "Equity mgmt \u00b7 SAFEs" ], [ "Bizee", "$0\u2013299 + state fees", "agent upsell", "All types", "All 50", "Limited", "No", "Minimal" ], [ "Northwest RA", "$225 incl. 1yr agent", "agent renewal", "LLC \u00b7 corp", "All 50", "Limited", "No", "Privacy-first agent service" ] ] }, "rules": [ { "if": "You're on the venture path and want to be a company this week", "then": "Stripe Atlas Delaware C-corp \u2014 $500 covers state fees, equity, EIN, and 83(b), live in two business days. Don't overthink it; this is what 100k+ founders did." }, { "if": "You expect YC, institutional investors, or acquirer diligence to read your paperwork", "then": "Clerky's $819 lifetime package \u2014 attorney-maintained docs that law firms don't rewrite, plus unlimited SAFEs and hiring paperwork forever." }, { "if": "You're a non-US founder without an SSN monetizing US customers as a solo operator", "then": "doola (or StartGlobal) for the LLC + EIN/ITIN + bookkeeping + 5472-safe tax path; Atlas if you actually need a C-corp for investors." }, { "if": "You want Wyoming's cheaper compliance, or formation bundled with a US address, mail, registered agent, and annual reports", "then": "Firstbase Start at $399 \u2014 then budget honestly for the $199/mo One bundle you'll be sold." }, { "if": "You're building a home-state small business \u2014 agency, restaurant, consultancy \u2014 not raising venture money", "then": "Skip Delaware entirely; a $0-tier home-state LLC via LegalZoom or Bizee plus your state's fee is correct, and dual-state registration costs are the trap Delaware defaults create." }, { "if": "Headlines about companies fleeing Delaware make you hesitate", "then": "Stay Delaware anyway for a venture C-corp in 2026 \u2014 the DExit wave (Tesla, Dropbox, a16z to Nevada, Jul 2025) is a public-company and GP fight; investors still expect Delaware paper, and Atlas/Clerky/Gust file nowhere else." } ], "field": [ { "name": "Gust Launch", "maker": "Gust", "note": "$450 Delaware C-corp with cap table, SAFE tooling, and Brex banking baked in \u2014 the equity-management-first formation; page current as of Jan 2026 but low market visibility", "url": "https://gust.com/launch", "oss": false, "entry": "$450 + subscription", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Capbase", "maker": "MainStreet (acquirer)", "note": "Incorporation + cap table platform, now branded 'Capbase by MainStreet' post-acquisition; site still sells $999/yr but content freshness is unverifiable \u2014 treat with caution", "url": "https://capbase.com", "oss": false, "entry": "$999/yr", "status": "acquired" }, { "name": "AngelList Stack", "maker": "AngelList", "note": "The 2021-era incorporation/banking bundle is gone \u2014 angellist.com/stack now surfaces Rollups and fund products with no formation offering", "url": "https://www.angellist.com/stack", "oss": false, "entry": "\u2014", "status": "dead" }, { "name": "Bizee", "maker": "Bizee (renamed from Incfile, 2023)", "note": "$0 + state fee mass-market formation; 1M+ businesses since 2004 under the Incfile then Bizee brands", "url": "https://bizee.com", "oss": false, "entry": "$0 + state fees", "status": "renamed" }, { "name": "ZenBusiness", "maker": "ZenBusiness", "note": "$0-entry formation with 950K+ businesses launched; registered agent $199/yr; SMB-oriented, not startup-grade", "url": "https://www.zenbusiness.com", "oss": false, "entry": "$0 + state fees", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Northwest Registered Agent", "maker": "Northwest", "note": "$225 formation incl. a year of registered agent; the privacy pick \u2014 uses its own address on public filings and doesn't resell your data", "url": "https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc-formation-service", "oss": false, "entry": "$225", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Harvard Business Services", "maker": "HBS Inc. (no relation to Harvard University)", "note": "Delaware specialist since 1981, 400K+ entities formed; $50/yr registered agent guaranteed for life \u2014 the cheap renewal escape hatch after Atlas year one", "url": "https://www.delawareinc.com", "oss": false, "entry": "from ~$179", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Swyft Filings", "maker": "Swyft Filings", "note": "600K+ businesses formed since 2015; $0/$169/$269 tiers, speed-tiered processing", "url": "https://www.swyftfilings.com", "oss": false, "entry": "$0 + state fees", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Tailor Brands", "maker": "Tailor Brands", "note": "Branding-suite-led $0 LLC formation aimed at solopreneurs; formation as top-of-funnel for logo/website subscriptions", "url": "https://www.tailorbrands.com/llc-formation", "oss": false, "entry": "$0 + state fees", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Rocket Lawyer", "maker": "Rocket Lawyer", "note": "Formation via legal-subscription membership model with attorney access; legal-docs breadth overlaps element Lg", "url": "https://www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/starting-a-business/form-an-llc", "oss": false, "entry": "membership", "status": "active" }, { "name": "StartGlobal", "maker": "StartGlobal", "note": "US LLC for non-residents \u2014 $399 formation, no SSN or US visit required; Managed LLC $149/mo bundles agent, reports, books, and tax; LLC-only", "url": "https://startglobal.co", "oss": false, "entry": "$399", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Osome", "maker": "Osome", "note": "Incorporation + accounting for Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, and UAE \u2014 the non-US-jurisdiction counterpart to this element's US-centric canon", "url": "https://osome.com", "oss": false, "entry": "varies by market", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Ownr", "maker": "RBC Ventures", "note": "Canadian incorporation and compliance, RBC-backed \u2014 the Canada answer to this element", "url": "https://www.ownr.co", "oss": false, "entry": "CAD, varies", "status": "active" }, { "name": "Delaware Division of Corporations (DIY)", "maker": "State of Delaware", "note": "Direct filing without an intermediary \u2014 cheapest on paper, but you still need a registered agent and you draft your own docs; 2M+ entities call Delaware home", "url": "https://corp.delaware.gov", "oss": false, "entry": "state fees only", "status": "active" } ], "signals": [ { "fact": "US business applications ran at 531,423/month (seasonally adjusted, Jun 2026, +1.1% MoM) \u2014 a ~6M/yr formation pace keeps the category structurally huge", "src": "https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/pdf/bfs_current.pdf" }, { "fact": "Delaware remains the default jurisdiction: 2M+ legal entities and >66% of the Fortune 500 (Division of Corporations, accessed Aug 2026)", "src": "https://corp.delaware.gov/aboutagency/" }, { "fact": "DExit is real but elite: a16z reincorporated in Nevada Jul 9, 2025 and urged portfolio companies to consider following, citing Chancery unpredictability, after Tesla, Dropbox, and Tripadvisor departures", "src": "https://a16z.com/were-leaving-delaware-and-we-think-you-should-consider-leaving-too/" }, { "fact": "Stripe Atlas passed 100,000 founders from 140+ countries; $500 all-in with two-business-day formation (vendor, Aug 2026)", "src": "https://stripe.com/atlas" }, { "fact": "Pricing bifurcation: mass-market formation collapsed to $0-plus-state-fees loss leaders (LegalZoom, Bizee, ZenBusiness, Swyft, Tailor Brands) while startup-grade flat fees hold at $399\u2013$819 \u2014 the margin moved to registered-agent renewals, compliance, tax, and bookkeeping subscriptions", "src": "https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-pricing.html" }, { "fact": "Formation is becoming the front door to an AI back office: doola ships an 'AI Co-Founder' assistant and Firstbase bundles accounting/tax into a $199/mo One subscription (both Aug 2026)", "src": "https://www.doola.com/" } ], "notes": "Ranking criteria: correctness of the legal stack under later diligence, all-in cost honesty (state fees and renewals included), speed, non-US-founder support, and what happens after the certificate. The C-corp-vs-LLC decision is the category's real fork: Delaware C-corp if you'll raise venture money (Atlas, Clerky, Gust file nothing else that matters); LLC if you're a solo operator or non-US founder monetizing US customers (doola, StartGlobal, Firstbase-Wyoming) \u2014 converting an LLC to a C-corp later costs more than choosing right. Delaware franchise tax is the recurring gotcha: $175 minimum via authorized-shares method but $400 minimum under assumed-par-value (corp.delaware.gov calculator) \u2014 startups with standard 10M authorized shares must use the assumed-par-value method or face five-figure bills. Conflicts resolved: doola's homepage markets LLC-only while its checkout supports C-corps \u2014 we classify it LLC-first; Capbase's site still sells but is branded 'by MainStreet' post-acquisition with unverifiable freshness \u2014 status 'acquired', not 'active'; AngelList Stack's death is inferred from its landing page now serving Rollups content (single-source, no official sunset notice found). The parent-table claim that 'one in five Atlas startups charges a customer within 30 days' traces to Stripe's annual letters, which are PDF-only and were not verifiable this session. Delaware's SB 21 response to DExit (reported Mar 2025) could not be verified against a primary source \u2014 re-check before citing. Widely-recommended 'Atlas vs X' SEO comparisons are mostly affiliate content; none informed rankings. Adjacent elements: bank accounts (Mercury, Brex) \u2192 Bk; cap tables (Carta, Pulley) \u2192 Eq; contracts and counsel \u2192 Lg; bookkeeping/tax after formation \u2192 Ac; hiring across borders \u2192 Hr. Non-US-jurisdiction formation (Osome, Ownr, SeedLegals-style UK tooling) is noted in the field but out of canonical scope, which is US-entity formation.", "sources": [ "https://stripe.com/atlas", "https://docs.stripe.com/atlas", "https://www.clerky.com/pricing", "https://www.clerky.com/", "https://www.firstbase.io/pricing", "https://www.firstbase.io/", "https://www.doola.com/pricing/", "https://www.doola.com/", "https://gust.com/launch", "https://www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-pricing.html", "https://www.legalzoom.com/about-us", "https://corp.delaware.gov/frtaxcalc/", "https://corp.delaware.gov/aboutagency/", "https://a16z.com/were-leaving-delaware-and-we-think-you-should-consider-leaving-too/", "https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/pdf/bfs_current.pdf", "https://bizee.com", "https://www.zenbusiness.com/pricing/", "https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc-formation-service", "https://www.delawareinc.com/", "https://www.swyftfilings.com/", "https://startglobal.co", "https://osome.com/", "https://capbase.com", "https://www.angellist.com/stack" ], "element": { "number": 38, "name": "Incorporation", "group": "Back-office", "essential": true, "edition": "v2026.Q3", "revision": "r7", "license": "CC BY 4.0 \u2014 cite elems.ai", "url": "https://elems.ai/e/in.html" } }