Before you hire any online legal service, it pays to do a little homework. I've written a series of head-to-head comparisons for exactly that reason. This one pits two services that scored highly in my individual reviews against each other: Northwest Registered Agent and the ever-popular LegalZoom.
About Northwest Registered Agent
With a strong focus on genuine customer service, Northwest Registered Agent has been in business for more than two decades. The company specializes in helping small businesses get off the ground and, as the name suggests, provides registered agent services for LLC clients.
About LegalZoom
LegalZoom is arguably the most recognizable online legal service around, and for good reason. It can handle everything from a last will and testament to helping you find a lawyer, and yes, it can form your small business too.
How they're the same
This comparison only works because the two companies overlap enough to put them side by side. Both offer strong small-business services and can help you find the right forms, complete them, and file them.
- Both can check whether your business name is already taken.
- Both can help you sort out tax information.
- Both can act as your registered agent.
How they're different
Each service has its specialties, and that's where they start to separate. First, what Northwest Registered Agent does that LegalZoom doesn't:
- Personal, live customer service.
- Multi-state registered agent service.
- Corporate seals, books, and similar extras.
And where LegalZoom sets itself apart:
- Legal forms across the whole legal spectrum, such as rental agreements.
- Attorney referrals.
- Tax filing services.
And the winner is...
Let's break it down by category, focusing on what they do similarly: LLC and small-business formation.
Pricing: Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest is generally the more affordable option for registered agent service, undercutting LegalZoom noticeably on that specific product. For basic LLC formation the two are closer, with LegalZoom's entry-level tier coming in a touch cheaper before state fees. Pricing shifts over time, so check each provider's current plans, but on the core registered agent service Northwest tends to win on value.
Experience: Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest has been working for small businesses since 1998. LegalZoom's experience is nothing to sneeze at either, having launched in 2001. What tips the edge to Northwest is that it's a small business at heart and has focused on small businesses from the start. That said, if you want a company with broader, more varied experience, LegalZoom takes this one.
Customer support: Northwest Registered Agent
Call me old-fashioned, but a company that lists a real phone number says a lot. At Northwest you not only get a direct number to their physical location, you get a live person answering when you call.
Turnaround time: tie
This one isn't really fair to score. Both can match your state's expedited filing speed. Beyond that, LegalZoom can deliver printed legal forms immediately, while Northwest gives you real-time customer service.
Overall winner: Northwest Registered Agent
Again, this comes down to what they have in common: small-business services. If that's the only category you're weighing, Northwest wins on price and customer service, two things that matter most to me. If you need broader legal services beyond formation, LegalZoom is the better fit.
And the winner is
Northwest Registered Agent
- Competitive pricing
- Deep experience with small businesses
- Excellent customer support
To read our terms of service, click here.