ZenBusiness LLC review 2023: Cost, plans, features and more
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 11:52 a.m. ET Aug. 2, 2023
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Our take
ZenBusiness includes a 30-minute tax consultation with its free LLC formation package, but you may need to buy pricey add-ons to get the other services you need.
Pros
- Free plan available.
- Each plan includes 30 minutes of tax advising.
- Free iOS and Android apps.
- Free worry-free compliance service for one year.
Cons
- No free year of registered agent services with company formation.
- Registered agent services are expensive ($199 per year).
- Add-ons can get pricey.
ZenBusiness LLC Review 2023
ZenBusiness (ZB) is a business formation platform that offers three LLC formation packages. Its packages start at $0, plus state fees, and ZB offers a long list of add-ons that can be used to tailor its services to your needs.
Each ZenBusiness package includes:
- Filing of state formation documents.
- An annual report.
- Ongoing compliance alerts for at least one year.
- Business name check.
- Articles of organization preparation.
- Dashboard with your documents.
- Free 30-minute call with a tax expert.
ZenBusiness’s packages don’t include registered agent services. Whether or not you’ll need to pay for those extra services depends on your business. Elizabeth A. Whitman, attorney-at-law with Whitman Legal Solutions confirms, “Registered agent service is important if you’re forming or qualifying an LLC in a state where you don’t reside.”
ZenBusiness LLC overview and facts
ZenBusiness is an Austin-based business services platform that offers formation services online. The company calls itself a small business, and it technically fits the definition since it has fewer than 500 employees.
One way ZenBusiness stands out against the competition is by offering 30-minutes of complimentary tax advising with each LLC formation plan and a worry-free compliance service (with filing deadline alerts and a free annual report) for free for at least the first year. But, according to Whitman, while a tax advisor may be helpful, having a CPA and attorney on your team from the start of the business is the better bet to avoid costly tax and business formation errors.
ZenBusiness’s customers seem generally satisfied with the services. The company has an “Excellent” rating on TrustPilot and a 4.6 out of five star user rating based on over 12,500 reviews. With that said, ZenBusiness has received a handful of one-star reviews on both platforms recently, with several clients commenting that they struggled to reach a customer service rep and resolve incorrect charges.
ZenBusiness LLC plans and pricing
ZenBusiness is one of a handful of business formation companies that offers free filing packages. Its LLC formation packages cost from $0 to $349, plus state fees. According to ZenBusiness, state filing fees range from $40 to $500, depending on where you register.
Aside from price, one of the main differences between the three LLC formation packages is the amount of time it will take to file your formation documents. By paying more, you can cut the timeframe down by days or even weeks.
According to Whitman, a costlier but speedier service might be worth it. “Turnaround time and expense are the two most important factors,” she says. “Some services advertise a low cost but take weeks to form your LLC, even though it can be done online in minutes with results within one or two business days.”
Starter
ZenBusiness’s Starter Package costs $0, plus state filing fees. It includes:
- Standard filing (two to three weeks on average).
- Filing of formation documents.
- Worry-free compliance with filing deadline alerts and a free annual report ($199 per year after the first year).
- 30 minutes of tax advising.
Pro
The Pro package from ZenBusiness costs $199, plus state fees. In addition to all the features that come with the free plan, this package includes:
- Expedited filing (one to five business days on average).
- Operating agreement template.
- An employer identification number (EIN).
If purchased separately, expedited filing costs $79 through ZenBusiness. In other words, you can save money by purchasing the free package and adding expedited filing, then filing your EIN on your own (a quick and free process), instead of paying for this mid-tier plan.
Premium
The top-tier plan from ZenBusiness costs $349, plus state filing fees. Unlike the other plans, the Premium plan includes:
- A business website.
- Business document templates.
- Domain name.
- Business email address.
Like the Premium Package, this plan appears to be overvalued. You can purchase web services at a much lower price through another provider. For example, WordPress charges just $4 a month for both a website and a domain name, and $3.50 a month for an email address. Its complementary business template library and EIN filing service, however, can save you a lot of time and hassle, time that could be spent making money elsewhere in your business.
ZenBusiness add-ons and optional features
ZenBusiness offers a long list of-add ons, and some customers can save money by choosing a free plan and adding the items they need instead of upgrading to a paid package. If you want to pick and choose your add-ons, however, it could be more cost effective to take your business elsewhere. For example, separate EIN filing ($99 at ZenBusiness) is cheaper through both LegalZoom ($79) and IncFile ($70) and is free on the IRS website.
ZenBusiness add-ons include:
- EIN filing: $99.
- Worry-free compliance (includes annual report filing and alerts): $199 per year.
- Operating agreement template: $99.
- Registered agent services: $199 per year.
- Business document library: $99.
- Rush state filing: $79.
- Business license and permit report: $99.
- Domain name registration: $25 per year.
Web add-ons
ZenBusiness offers services you can use to get your web presence up-and-running, but unlike some formation companies these web services aren’t complimentary: they come with the paid Premium package or they can be purchased separately.
ZenBusiness’s web add-ons are also much pricier than what you’d pay with a website builder platform like Wix. They include:
- Business website: $125 per year.
- Domain name registration: $25 per year.
- Business email address: $25 per year.
- Domain name privacy: $10 per year.
Banking add-ons
ZenBusiness offers money management add-ons and banking services that are provided by Thread Bank, including:
- Business banking: $5 per month.
- Money Pro (for expense tracking and invoicing): $30 per month.
ZenBusiness customer support and experience
ZenBusiness offers customer support by phone or by live chat during their business hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT on Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT on Sundays.
You can connect with a live agent in under a minute, but for phone support, you might experience hold times. You can also request a call-back, or send an email to support@zenbusiness.com, and ZenBusiness strives to respond within one business day.
ZenBusiness vs. LegalZoom
If ZenBusiness doesn’t have what you need at the right price, you might consider LegalZoom instead.
LegalZoom offers different features from ZenBusiness in its $0 plan. Both offer free LLC formation services. However, while ZenBusiness offers free compliance services in its free plan (including filing alerts and an annual report for the first year), LegalZoom offers a customizable Wix website.
So, determining which is best for your needs comes down to which complementary features you most need. If your state offers a quick and easy way to file your annual report and your registered agent offers compliance alerts, then you might opt for LegalZoom, which doesn’t offer these services in its free plan but does offer a free website. If, however, you need compliance services to help you through your first year in business, consider ZenBusiness.
Read our full LegalZoom review to learn more.
ZenBusiness vs. Incfile
When it comes to forming your LLC, both IncFile and ZenBusiness offer comparable features. Their second-tier plans offer the best deal. For $199, you get LLC formation services, an EIN and a free operating agreement with each. However, while ZenBusiness offers a worry-free compliance service in this plan (complete with an annual report and filing deadline alerts), IncFile offers free registered agent services for one year for free.
So, if you or someone within your company cannot serve as your own registered agent, you will save money by opting for IncFile’s second-tier plan. If, however, you would more benefit from a professional service provider helping you to stay on top of compliance obligations, like filing your annual report, during your first year in business, consider ZenBusiness.
Check out our full Incfile review for more information.
Is ZenBusiness right for your business?
Like many other online business formation services, ZenBusiness offers a $0 plan that lacks certain useful features like an operating agreement. Depending on the add-ons you need, ZenBusiness’s free Starter plan could be the right choice for you, but its Pro package stands out by offering rush LLC formation services, a free operating agreement and EIN filing. It also offers a 100% accuracy guarantee and worry-free compliance services for one year.
So, if you are hesitant about your ability to correctly form your LLC, choosing ZenBusiness gives you a full-featured LLC formation service and peace of mind. However, if you’ve already formed a business before and feel comfortable creating an operating agreement, filing for your own EIN and managing your own compliance tasks, you may consider simply going the path alone and consulting with an attorney once or twice throughout the process.
For example, you may consider forming your LLC with LegalZoom, which offers free LLC formation services without any extra filings (such as an operating agreement) and the ability to hire a lawyer for consultations as needed for $16.59 per month.
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If you’re looking for a service to file your LLC formation documents, ZenBusiness can be a good, low-cost option. For more advanced business formation support, you may be able to find a lower-priced service elsewhere. Check out our best LLC services list for more options.
Worry free-compliance is offered in ZenBusiness’s free LLC formation plan for one year, at which point the service renews at $199 per year. This service includes filing of your annual reports, up to two business amendment filings per year and alerts for your upcoming compliance dates. Each plan also offers a 100% accuracy guarantee.
ZenBusiness provides disclosures explaining their fee policies, but customers who don’t examine them may be surprised by certain charges. For example, their “worry-free compliance” service costs $199 per year after the first year, and people who use it will be billed for state compliance fees as well. ZenBusiness also automatically renews your subscriptions upon monthly or annual expiration.
ZenBusiness has a 60-day money-back guarantee, but doesn’t refund filing fees or other fees that have already been paid to third parties (including registered agent services).
ZenBusiness provides business formation services, including a registered agent service that can be purchased as an add-on. ZenBusiness also provides add-on banking features through Thread Bank, as well as web services.
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