Northwest vs. Bizee: privacy-led support or lowest entry cost?
Bizee wins the initial service-fee headline. Northwest costs $39 more but makes registered-agent support, business-address use, and a simpler support model the center of the offer. Home-based owners should compare address fields—not slogans.
Choose Northwest when using its address on eligible public filings, its Corporate Guide support, and a $125 agent renewal justify the $39 formation fee. Choose Bizee Basic when the lowest first-year service cost matters more and you have separately verified every address field and the agent’s $149 renewal. File directly if you need neither provider.
F = your state’s required formation fee. A = required year-two state annual-report, franchise-tax, or similar charge. Those government amounts are not provider revenue and differ dramatically by state. “Year 1” below excludes optional rush fees, publication, licenses, tax advice, and other add-ons unless named.
Northwest can be cheaper by year two
| Route | Service fee | Year 1 | Year 2 | Agent renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY, self as agent | $0 | F | A | $0 |
| Northwest formationCheck current official offer → | $39 | F + $39 | A + $125 if agent continues | $125/year after included year |
| Bizee BasicCheck current official offer → | $0 | F | A + $149 if current checkout renewal applies and agent continues | Current order FAQ: $149/year after included year |
Bizee saves $39 on the provider fee in year one. Northwest’s currently advertised agent renewal is $24 lower. Over two years, with the same F and A and both agents retained, Northwest is $15 more in total. In year three, Northwest becomes $9 less cumulatively under those stated prices. Price changes, state fees, address add-ons, and cancellation timing can reverse that; calculate from your final order.
For a home business, map every address field
| Address job | Northwest | Bizee | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered agent | Included first year | Included first year | Agent name/address becomes public in state registry |
| Business/principal address on formation | Advertises use of its business address on public filings where allowed | Registered-agent address does not automatically replace the business address; virtual address is separate | Exact state form fields and provider permission |
| Ordinary mail | Limited mail scanning tied to its address service; read quantity/type rules | Separate virtual-address subscription advertised | Checks, packages, returns, bank mail, customer mail, forwarding fees |
| Bank, IRS, licenses, website | Neither registered-agent service guarantees that one address is valid for every institution or disclosure. | Each recipient’s address rules | |
A professional agent can keep a home address out of the registered-agent field and avoid receiving service of process in front of family or customers. It cannot make the owner invisible, replace every principal-office requirement, or act as a general mailbox unless the contract says so.
Northwest is more document-forward; Bizee monetizes package upgrades
Northwest’s $39 formation advertises first-year agent service, an operating agreement, initial resolutions, business-address use, and identity tools. It separately sells EIN handling for $50 with an SSN. The IRS route remains free.
Bizee Basic advertises core formation plus first-year registered agent. Standard at $199 adds EIN, operating agreement, banking resolution, and expedited provider handling. Premium at $299 adds contract templates, domain/email, business phone, and priority handling. The packages are publicly described as one-time payments, but agent, address, domain/email, and other add-ons can renew independently.
The decisive question is not which column has more checkmarks. It is which included item solves a job you would otherwise pay for. A free domain is not value if it creates a second domain registrar; a template is not value if the ownership arrangement needs custom drafting.
The cancellation systems differ—and both require state action
Bizee says formation cancellation must happen while the order is still in Review/hold status and before government or third-party payment, typically within 24 hours. Once applied, third-party fulfillment and renewal charges can be non-refundable. To stop agent renewal, appoint a replacement with the state and notify Bizee before expiration.
Northwest’s current terms separate auto-pay and termination. They do not advertise a broad, simple formation refund guarantee on the main terms page. Ask for the exact refund deadline and whether any work has begun before paying. To stop agent service safely, replace Northwest on the state record or dissolve the entity, then cancel auto-pay and save confirmation.
Choose Northwest for the address/support job; Bizee for the entry-price job
File directly instead when
You are comfortable being your own agent or have chosen an agent separately, the public-address result is acceptable, and you can manage a simple state filing plus the free IRS EIN process.
Check Northwest’s current offer → Check Bizee’s current offer →