File.Business vs Stripe Atlas.
Stripe Atlas is the fastest way to a Delaware C-Corp with investor-grade equity setup. File.Business covers all 51 jurisdictions and stays for the years after formation. Which one fits depends on the company you are building.
SAPick Stripe Atlas for
- Venture-track C-Corps
- The perk package
- Brand gravity
FBPick File.Business for
- Delaware is where Atlas stops
- Formation is day one; compliance is every year after
- Cheaper for the common case
- You may not be a C-Corp
Every line, both columns, real numbers.
No checkmark theater. Where Stripe Atlas is stronger, the right column says so.
| Feature | File.Business | Stripe Atlas |
|---|---|---|
| Price to form | LLC $0 service fee + state fee | $500 one-time, includes DE fees |
| States covered | All 51 jurisdictions | Delaware only |
| Entity types | LLC, Corp, S-Corp, Nonprofit | DE C-Corp and DE LLC |
| Registered Agent | $149/yr flat, free yr1 with bundles | Year 1 included, $100/yr after |
| 83(b) election support | Guides + templates | Best-in-class automated flow |
| Founder perks | Partner network | $2,500 Stripe credits + $50k in partner deals |
| Ongoing compliance | Calendar, annual report AutoFile $99/yr, alerts | Not offered after formation |
| Operating outside Delaware | Foreign qualification $247 + state fee, tracked for you | You arrange it elsewhere |
| Annual report filing | $129 + state fee, any state | Not offered |
| EIN | $79, SS-4 fax route for non-US founders | Included |
| Bookkeeping and tax | Add-ons from $247/mo | Partner referrals |
| AI assistant | BosAI included in the workspace | Not offered |
| Cap table tools | Included with Complete bundle (Corp) | Equity issuance at formation |
| Speed | Same week, state depending | Typically 2 business days |
| State fees | At cost, itemized before payment | DE fees inside the $500 |
| Money-back terms | 60-day on service fees | Case-by-case |
Stripe Atlas 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 Spot an outdated number?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.
A California founder who does not need Delaware.
- LLC $0 service fee + CA state fee ($70)
- Monitoring $79/yr times 3
- One state, one calendar
- $500 formation, Delaware only
- $100/yr agent renewal times 2
- CA foreign qualification still owed
If you are a Delaware C-Corp raising venture money, run this math the other way: Atlas is $500 with the credits, and we would tell you it is a fine choice. The comparison depends on which company you are building.
Stripe Atlas 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 Stripe Atlas genuinely wins.
Venture-track C-Corps
If you are raising from US venture funds, a Delaware C-Corp with clean equity issuance and an automated 83(b) election is exactly what Atlas was built for. Their incorporation flow for that one path is the best in the industry.
The perk package
$2,500 in Stripe processing credits and a partner deal book worth tens of thousands is real money for a funded startup. We have a partner network; we do not match that headline number.
Brand gravity
Investors and accelerators know Atlas. If signal matters to your round, that recognition has value.
Where File.Business pulls ahead.
Delaware is where Atlas stops
Atlas forms you in Delaware and hands you the keys. If you live and operate in California, Texas, or anywhere else, you still owe foreign qualification, a second registered agent, and two states of annual filings. We form in any of the 51 jurisdictions, file the foreign qualification ($199 + state fee) when you need it, and track both states on one calendar.
Formation is day one; compliance is every year after
Atlas has no annual report service and no ongoing calendar. Miss a Delaware franchise tax deadline and the state does not care who formed you. Our workspace exists for the years after formation.
Cheaper for the common case
A single-state LLC with us: $0 service fee + your state fee, agent free for year 1 with a bundle, monitoring $79/yr. Atlas charges $500 whether or not you need Delaware.
You may not be a C-Corp
Most operating small businesses are better served by a home-state LLC, sometimes with an S-Corp election ($147 with us). Atlas does not advise on that; our onboarding asks what you are running and prices the right path.
Already with Stripe Atlas?
Formed with Atlas already? Keep the C-Corp. Connect it to a free File.Business workspace, we become your registered agent at renewal ($149 instead of $100), your franchise tax and annual report land on the calendar, and foreign qualification gets filed when needed.
Formed with Atlas already? Nothing needs to be re-formed. Connect the entity to a free workspace.
We take over as registered agent, and franchise tax plus annual report land on your calendar.
Foreign qualification and annual reports: priced per filing, tracked for you.