If you are starting an LLC, two names come up again and again in your research: Nolo and ZenBusiness. To help you choose, we put them head to head and compared them point by point to see which comes out on top.
About ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is a one-stop-shop registered agent service. It files all your paperwork for you, keeps your business compliant year after year and backs its work with a 100% accuracy guarantee. It can also act as your registered agent and help you get your IRS paperwork started.
About Nolo
Nolo is a broad legal-resource website that helps anyone searching online for help with the law. Think of it as a search engine that surfaces only legal services and lawyers. It does offer LLC services, but they are a little harder to find, and formation is not Nolo's core brand.
What They Both Offer
ZenBusiness and Nolo will both help you get your LLC or nonprofit off the ground, and both are professional operations that get the job done. But one has to be crowned the winner, so read on.
- Both will file your paperwork.
- Either will get your company legally established.
- Both can help with key documents such as operating agreements.
Where They Differ
Now for the fine detail. There are real differences between the two. First, here is what ZenBusiness offers that Nolo does not:
- A 100% accuracy guarantee
- A clear breakdown of which services you need and why
- À la carte options — pick what you need and leave the rest
And here is what Nolo offers that ZenBusiness does not:
- Bundled services
- Lower prices
- A slightly faster initial setup
And the Winner Is…
Pricing: Nolo. Nolo edges ahead on price, largely because its registered agent renewal comes in around $50 a year cheaper.
Experience: ZenBusiness. We give the edge here to ZenBusiness. LLCs, small business and registered agent services are all it does. Nolo, by contrast, feels like a jack of all trades — and may not have mastered this particular one.
Customer support: ZenBusiness. Because ZenBusiness only handles small business, you never have to worry about being routed through a phone tree built for accident attorneys and everything else under the sun.
Turnaround time: ZenBusiness. Both offer expedited options, and Nolo is marginally quicker to set up, but ZenBusiness is actually faster at completing the paperwork itself. Its more detailed upfront questions mean the back end moves quickly.
Winner Overall – ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is a touch more expensive, but when you are starting your own company, the really important work — filing your paperwork correctly with the government — is not the place to cut corners.
In the end, ZenBusiness's focused expertise and accuracy guarantee won the day for us.
Related: ZenBusiness vs Swyft Filings, ZenBusiness vs Incfile