File.Business vs LegalZoom.
LegalZoom is the household name with an attorney network attached. File.Business is the compliance workspace with every price published. The honest comparison is mostly about what your money buys after the formation week.
LZPick LegalZoom for
- The most trusted name in legal services
- An actual attorney network
- Breadth beyond compliance
FBPick File.Business for
- $100 a year on the agent, every year
- A platform, not a menu of one-off services
- Nothing converts behind your back
- Formation money stays in your pocket
Every line, both columns, real numbers.
No checkmark theater. Where LegalZoom is stronger, the right column says so.
| Feature | File.Business | LegalZoom |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation (service fee) | $0 + state fee at cost | Basic $0 · Pro $249 · Premium $299, + state fee |
| Registered Agent | $149/yr flat | $249/yr, renews at $249 |
| Attorney access | Guides + partner referrals | Attorney plan: 30-day trial, then $49/mo |
| Bookkeeping | Add-on $247/mo | LZ Books: 180-day trial, then $9.99/mo |
| Annual report service | $129 + state fee, flat | $99 + state fees |
| EIN application | $79, SS-4 route for non-US founders | $79 |
| Full platform plan | Business OS $29/mo or $249/yr | No equivalent; services sold separately |
| Compliance calendar | 51 jurisdictions, included | Alerts with select services |
| AI assistant | BosAI included | Not offered |
| Auto-converting trials | None | Attorney plan and LZ Books convert unless canceled |
| Trademarks and legal breadth | Trademark filing at $347 | Full legal marketplace, wills to IP |
| State fees | At cost, itemized before payment | At cost, on top |
LegalZoom pricing verified August 11, 2026 from their public pricing page and current independent reviews. Prices change; check theirs before you decide. Spot an outdated number? Tell us and we fix it.
Three years, both columns, all-in.
- Business OS $249/yr times 3
- LLC $0 service fee + agent yr1 free
- Agent $149 times 2 after year 1
- Registered agent $249 times 3 = $747
- Annual report service $99 times 3
- Before any package, trial conversion, or attorney fee
Both columns exclude state fees. The LegalZoom column is only the agent plus annual report service for three years; formation packages ($249 to $299), the $49/mo attorney plan, and LZ Books are on top when used. If you genuinely need ongoing attorney access, price their bundle seriously; that is their strength.
LegalZoom pricing verified August 11, 2026 from their public pricing page and current independent reviews. Prices change; check theirs before you decide. Spot an outdated number? Tell us and we fix it.
Where LegalZoom genuinely wins.
The most trusted name in legal services
Twenty-plus years and millions of customers. If brand assurance is what gets your business formed at all, that is worth something real.
An actual attorney network
The $49/mo plan buys consultations and document review from licensed attorneys. We do not practice law; for contract-heavy or dispute-prone businesses this is a genuine advantage.
Breadth beyond compliance
Trademarks, wills, IP, real estate documents: one account covers legal needs far outside entity compliance.
Where File.Business pulls ahead.
$100 a year on the agent, every year
Registered agent: $149 against $249 at renewal. Identical statutory job. Over five years that single line is $650.
A platform, not a menu of one-off services
LegalZoom sells filings; the compliance layer between them is on you. Business OS runs the calendar, tracks every deadline in 51 jurisdictions, files with two clicks, and answers questions with BosAI.
Nothing converts behind your back
No 30-day attorney trial flipping to $49/mo, no bookkeeping trial flipping on day 181. The bill you approve is the bill you get.
Formation money stays in your pocket
LLC formation carries a $0 service fee here; their mid package is $249 before the state fee. That difference funds your first year of Business OS.
Already with LegalZoom?
Leaving LegalZoom? Keep the LLC, change the agent ($49 + state fee, we file it), and cancel the $249 renewal. If you are on their attorney plan for real legal work, keep it; the two products coexist fine. Your compliance calendar rebuilds here either way.
$49 + state fee against their $249 renewal. The math pays for the switch immediately.
Formation papers into the vault; every state deadline onto the calendar.
Keep it if you use it. Compliance lives here; legal advice can stay there.
Common questions.
How is File.Business different from LegalZoom?
When is LegalZoom honestly the better pick?
Is this comparison up to date?
Can I move my LegalZoom LLC to File.Business?
Do I lose anything by not having attorneys on call?
What does year 2 look like at each?
Related reading and tools.
Guides that sit next to this one, each written to stand on its own.