ZenBusiness vs. Northwest: guided platform or privacy-led support?
ZenBusiness builds an ongoing guided platform around formation. Northwest leads with a $39 filing service, first-year registered agent, business-address use on filings, and support. The better choice is the operating model you will still want after year one.
Choose Northwest when professional registered-agent coverage, a provider address on eligible public filings, and a simpler $125 agent renewal are the core jobs. Choose ZenBusiness when its dashboard, compliance workflow, templates, and bundled software are valuable enough to justify a higher and potentially stacked renewal. File directly with the state when you need neither system.
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.
The apples-to-apples cost includes a registered agent
| Route | Service fee | Year 1 | Year 2 | Main renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY, self as agent | $0 | F | A | None beyond government obligations |
| Northwest formationCheck current official offer → | $39 | F + $39 | A + $125 if agent continues | Registered agent $125/year after included first year |
| ZenBusiness Starter + agentCheck current official offer → | $0 formation | F + advertised $99 first-year agent | A + $199 if agent continues | Registered agent $199/year |
| ZenBusiness ProCheck current official offer → | $199/year | F + $199; agent extra | A + $199; add agent if used | Pro and registered agent can be separate renewals |
| ZenBusiness PremiumCheck current official offer → | $399/year | F + $399; first-year agent advertised as included | A + plan renewal; current help also states agent renews at $199 after year one | Confirm the exact stacked renewal in the final order summary |
Northwest sells a compact formation; ZenBusiness sells tiers
| Item | Northwest $39 formation | ZenBusiness Starter | ZenBusiness Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| State filing preparation | Included | Included | Included with rush handling |
| Registered agent | First year included; $125 renewal | Not included; $99 first year/$199 renewal advertised separately | Not included; separate charge |
| Operating agreement | Included with formation; free templates also published | Not in the core $0 service | Included |
| EIN | $50 add-on with SSN; IRS route is $0 | Not included | Included |
| Compliance | Alerts/support; annual filings remain the owner’s obligation unless separately ordered | Basic dashboard/reminders | Worry-Free Compliance Essentials is part of the annual plan |
| Business identity tools | Business address on filings, mail scans, domain, website, email, and phone are advertised | Starter platform tools vary | Templates and ongoing platform features |
The operating agreement question is not merely whether a PDF exists. A one-person agreement can often be standardized. A multi-member agreement needs rules for ownership, contributions, authority, distributions, deadlock, departure, death, disability, and IP. Neither provider’s standard formation package replaces a lawyer for that work.
Privacy and support are where Northwest differentiates
Northwest advertises “Privacy by Default,” says it does not sell client data, and centers its Corporate Guide support. Its formation offer says it can use its business address on public filings where allowed. That is materially different from merely placing a commercial agent address in the registered-agent field.
But “privacy” is not anonymity. A state may still require organizer, principal office, manager/member, or mailing information. Tax agencies, banks, payment processors, insurers, licenses, contracts, and website disclosures may require other addresses. Confirm each field with your state and with Northwest before ordering.
ZenBusiness offers phone/chat support seven days and a more extensive dashboard. That can be better for an owner who wants one guided interface. The trade-off is service-by-service billing: Pro, Premium, registered agent, Worry-Free Compliance, money tools, and domain/site products can have separate terms. Inventory them rather than assuming a package name covers everything forever.
Cancellation is a compliance project
ZenBusiness says registered-agent cancellation requires contacting support and appointing a replacement first. Its formation refund window is 60 days, minus state/third-party costs; annual subscriptions generally have a 30-day refund window and no prorated refund after that. Canceling one subscription does not cancel the others, and canceling services does not dissolve the LLC.
Northwest’s current terms include separate auto-pay and termination policies and make the customer responsible for accurate, current filing information. Its general terms do not feature the same broad public formation guarantee. Before purchase, ask exactly which order elements are refundable, until what event, and how auto-pay is disabled. Assume the state fee and completed or third-party work are not recoverable unless the written terms say otherwise.
Choose by the job—not the affiliate payout
File directly instead when
Your state form is straightforward, you have an acceptable agent/address plan, you can get the EIN free, you can prepare the correct one-owner documents, and neither provider’s ongoing system prevents a specific failure.