Method
Method: how the picks are scored
Where each fact originates
When a state sets the number, the state's own document supplies it. A link and a confirmation month accompany every one. What a company charges is what it publishes, shown with the date we read it.
How a page is built
Each page gives the reply in a line, then figures, then the citation, and defines jargon in the glossary.
Three-year totals
Three years means one first year and two renewals. For the state, the three-year figure is filing, two reports and any minimum tax. Open-ended costs appear in the text only.
The five criteria
- Three-year price (36%). First-year price plus two renewals from each company's posted rates. State fees are identical for any filer, so they sit beside the table and stay out of the score.
- Chores removed from your list (26%). Count the recurring jobs the price absorbs: agent service, the state report, the EIN application and multi-state use.
- Price shown up front (15%). First-year price, renewal price and state fee should be visible before checkout. Clear posting earns points.
- Year-two bill (12%). A renewal that matches year one beats a bargain start followed by a jump.
- States served (11%). Does the service work in one state or in every state? Growth makes this count.
If the scores are close, the answer names the check that broke the tie and what the lower pick does well.
LLC Q and A scores are editorial opinion based on the checks above and are not customer ratings.
Who is ranked
The field is Mainstay Filing plus the state's own agent companies, and only for services with a published price.
Exclusions
No customer ratings, no customer quotes, no legal or tax advice. The order is editorial.