Bizee vs LegalZoom is really a question about what you want after your LLC paperwork is filed. Bizee (the company formerly known as Incfile) focuses on cheap, quick formation with a free year of registered agent service.
LegalZoom, in business since 2001, sells a wider legal platform that includes attorney consultations.
Both offer a $0 starting plan, so the real differences show up in the paid tiers, the renewal fees, and the extras. This guide walks through each one so you can pick without overpaying.
Quick Verdict
Choose Bizee if you want the lowest total cost for a straightforward LLC and you plan to keep your registered agent service on a budget.
Choose LegalZoom if you expect to lean on attorney advice, contract templates, or trademark help within the first few months.
Most first-time solo founders will spend less with Bizee, and the five-year math below shows why.
Bizee vs LegalZoom at a Glance
| Feature | Bizee | LegalZoom |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Silver: $0 + state fee | Basic: $0 + state filing fees |
| Middle plan | Gold: $199 + state fee | Pro: $249 + state filing fees |
| Top plan | Platinum: $299 + state fee | Premium: $299 + state filing fees |
| Registered agent, year 1 | Included free | Not included ($249 per year) |
| Registered agent renewal | $119 per year | $249 per year |
| Attorney access | Not built in | 30 days of unlimited 30-minute consults on Pro and Premium |
| Document library | 24 templates (per LegalZoom's page) | 150+ templates (per LegalZoom's page) |
| Company age | Filing LLCs since 2004 | Serving customers since 2001 |
LegalZoom's plan prices and feature claims come from its own comparison page, which lists prices as accurate on May 29, 2026.
Bizee's plan prices are consistent across reviews published between March and July 2026.
Because LegalZoom wrote that comparison page, treat its claims about Bizee as a competitor's view and check them yourself.
Pricing: Plan by Plan
Bizee Plans
Bizee's Silver plan costs $0 plus your state's filing fee. It covers preparing and filing your Articles of Organization, a name availability search, a dashboard, compliance alerts, and one year of registered agent service, according to LLC Founder's May 2026 review.
It does not include an EIN or an operating agreement.
Gold costs $199 plus the state fee and adds the EIN application, an operating agreement template, a banking resolution, and IRS Form 2553 preparation for an S corporation election.
Platinum costs $299 plus the state fee and adds expedited filing, business contract templates, and a domain name credit.
One review lists Platinum at $349, so confirm which price shows at checkout.
Prices and add-ons change, so it pays to look for a current Bizee promo code before you pay for Gold or Platinum.
LegalZoom Plans
LegalZoom's Basic plan costs $0 plus state filing fees and covers the articles of organization, a name check, and a tax consult from 1-800Accountant.
Pro costs $249 and adds an operating agreement, an EIN, one month of unlimited 30-minute attorney consults, a legal document library, unlimited eSignatures, and a website built on Wix. Premium costs $299 and adds bookkeeping tools, customizable templates, income and expense tracking, and mileage tracking, per LegalZoom's page.
Notice that Pro costs $50 more than Bizee's Gold, but it bundles attorney time that Gold does not. Whether that $50 is worth it depends on whether you will actually book those consults.
Registered Agent Costs and the Five-Year Math
A registered agent receives legal papers on behalf of your LLC, and every state requires you to have one.
You can act as your own agent in many states, but plenty of owners pay a service so their home address stays off public records.
This is where the two companies split the furthest. Bizee includes the first year free and then renews at $119 per year, according to LLC Founder (May 2026).
One review from Registered Agent Hub (July 2026) notes some packages renew at $149, so check your own renewal price at checkout.
LegalZoom charges $249 per year for registered agent service, as reported by Ecommerce Paradise in August 2026 and OnlineLLCGuide in May 2026.
Here is the simple math for a founder on each free plan who keeps the company's registered agent for five years, before state fees and add-ons:
| Company | Year 1 | Years 2 to 5 | Five-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizee Silver | $0 | 4 x $119 = $476 | $476 |
| LegalZoom Basic | $249 | 4 x $249 = $996 | $1,245 |
That is a $769 gap. If you already have a cheaper registered agent or act as your own, the gap shrinks a lot.
Other providers sit in the same range, with Northwest Registered Agent at $125 per year and ZenBusiness at $199 per year, according to Ecommerce Paradise (August 2026).
Speed: Who Files Faster?
Sources disagree here, so plan carefully. LegalZoom's own page says its standard processing takes 5 to 14 days while Bizee's standard processing can take 3 to 6 weeks unless you pay for expedited filing.
OnlineLLCGuide (May 2026) reports the opposite, with Bizee at one business day by default and LegalZoom Basic taking up to 30 days.
Much of the wait depends on your state's filing office, not the service. If speed matters, check your state's current processing times and compare each company's expedited options before you buy.
Support, Guarantees, and Legal Help
LegalZoom says it offers evening and weekend support, 24/7 chat, and a 100% Accurate Filing Guarantee, meaning it fixes errors on its end at no extra cost.
It also offers attorney access, which is where its extra cost buys the most. Its page values two hours of attorney time at $377 per hour, or about $754, using a national average.
That value only counts if you actually use the hours.
Bizee is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. It offers phone and email support, and LegalZoom's page claims that support runs on weekday business hours.
If you may need contract review or IP advice soon, LegalZoom's setup saves you from hunting down a lawyer on your own.
Checkout, Add-Ons, and Upsells
Both companies try to sell you extras. The Modern Freelancer (April 2026) calls Bizee's checkout an upsell gauntlet, with offers for an EIN at $70 to $99, websites, compliance packages, and faster processing.
You can skip them and still file on the free plan. Venture Smarter's hands-on test (August 2026) found that LegalZoom collected formation details after payment and showed a "today only" trademark search discount right after checkout.
The simplest defense is to decide what you need before you start. You can get an EIN for free directly from the IRS, so paying for one is a convenience choice, not a requirement.
Who Should Pick Bizee
Bizee fits you if you are forming a simple single-member LLC, want the lowest upfront and ongoing cost, and are comfortable handling your own operating agreement or paying for Gold to get one.
Its free first-year registered agent and $119 renewal make it the cheaper long-term option for most solo owners.
For a deeper look at features, support, and pricing, read this Bizee review before you decide.
Who Should Pick LegalZoom
LegalZoom fits you if you want attorney consults during your first month, a bigger template library with eSignatures, or a single platform that later handles compliance and trademarks.
The Pro and Premium plans make more sense when you know you will use those services. If you only need the filing, the $0 Basic plan works, but you would need to add other pieces yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bizee cheaper than LegalZoom?
For most owners, yes. Bizee's registered agent renews at $119 per year against LegalZoom's $249, and Bizee's Gold plan is $50 less than LegalZoom's Pro. LegalZoom's paid plans include attorney consults that Bizee's plans do not.
Is Bizee the same company as Incfile?
Yes. Incfile rebranded as Bizee at the end of 2023, according to LLC Geek's review.
Do the free plans include an EIN or operating agreement?
Neither free plan includes them. You can apply for an EIN at no cost through the IRS, and both companies sell the documents in paid tiers.
Which service is faster?
Reports conflict, and state processing times drive much of the delay. Compare expedited options and your state's current timelines before choosing.
Do I need an attorney to form an LLC?
Not for the filing itself. Forming an LLC is a state filing you can complete on your own or through a service. The Small Business Administration explains how business structures differ, and an attorney or accountant can help if your situation is complicated.
Where can I see LegalZoom's own side of the comparison?
LegalZoom publishes a Bizee comparison page with its plan prices and claims. Read it with the understanding that a competitor wrote it.
Final Take
Bizee wins on price for the typical solo founder, mostly because of its free registered agent year and lower renewal.
LegalZoom earns its higher cost only when you value attorney access, a large template library, and a broader set of legal services under one roof. Start with your real needs, price out the first five years instead of the first day, and skip any add-on you cannot explain in one sentence.