Incfile vs BizFilings Comparison

Business entity formation is a crucial element of launching a business, and because it’s often complex and tedious many entrepreneurs hire a professional to do the job right. 

Two of the leading online services to consider are Incfile and BizFilings. And to help you determine which is best, and which might be best for you and your business, we have thoroughly reviewed their services by putting ourselves in the shoes of an entrepreneur. Read on to make the choice that will put your business on the highway to success. 

We recommend Incfile over BizFilings due to their affordability and wide range of services.

Features and Services Overview

Incfile offers three business formation packages: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Silver Package is free, plus state fees, and includes free registered agent services for one year, as do all the packages. Incfile also gives customers access to an online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support. 

Incfile also offers a number of a la carte services. For a fee, Incfile can handle tasks like filing your annual report and changing your registered agent.

The BizFilings Basic Plan offers a good value overall, with free registered agent services for six months. You can purchase extra services with all their plans, including an operating agreement and other forms, and a business license research package. 

They don’t offer as many services as some competitors and they are more expensive than Incfile, but if you’re just interested in forming your business, they are a good option. 

Plans Pricing

Incfile’s “base” package includes the preparation and filing of the articles of organization and unlimited name searches. It also includes free registered agent services for a year, making it a great value at no additional cost other than state fees.

The Incfile $149 “middle” package provides the added services of an operating agreement, business tax consultation, and lifetime company alerts. It has a few other benefits as well, so it’s an overall good value.

The Incfile $299 “top-tier” package offers the additional benefit of expedited filing as well as a domain name and business formation. You’ll also receive access to business contract templates. However, if you have either the “base” or “middle” package, you can gain access to the entire document library for $150.

The BizFilings “base” plan is $99 plus state fees and includes a business name availability search through your state and the business formation service, as well as registered agent services for six months, which is something that some competitors do not offer. It also offers a 24/7 business monitoring tool and a library of common business documents.

The BizFiling’s “middle” plan is $229 plus state fees and includes all the services included in the “base” plan, but with the addition of an LLC kit and seal, an operating agreement and other form templates, and expedited processing. 

The $359 “top-tier” plan offers everything in the “middle” plan with several added benefits, such as:

• EIN number
• Compliance DVD
• Certified copies of LLC documents (state fees apply)
• Overnight shipping

Clearly, Incfile is the less expensive option, although BizFilings does offer some services that Incfile does not.

Incfile also offers free registered agent services for one year, while BizFilings only offers it for six months. 

Silver Plan vs Basic Plan 

Incfile’s Silver Plan is free except for the state fees, while BizFilings charges $99 for their Basic Plan in addition to the state fees. BizFiling’s registered agent services are much more expensive than Incfile’s after the free period. 

The only additional benefit that BizFilings offers with their Basic Plan is the 24/7 business monitoring tool, which sends reminders for important filing dates. However, it’s important to note that the tool is only available if BizFilings is the registered agent for your LLC. 

Gold Plan vs Standard Plan 

Incfile’s Gold Plan is less expensive than BizFilings’ Standard Plan and offers many more features, including an EIN, bank resolution, and form 2553. The main advantage the BizFilings’ Standard Plan offers is expedited shipping, but overall Incfile offers a better value. 

Platinum Plan vs Complete Plan

Considering BizFiling’s $359 Complete Plan price, the Incfile Platinum plan gives you much more bang for your buck at $299.  Many of the services Incfile offers are not offered at all by BizFilings, even at an extra cost over the plan price. The Incfile plan seems a much better choice unless you need the overnight shipping BizFilings offers. 

Customer Service

We tested the customer service experience of both services from every angle. Here’s what we found. 

Incfile

When you first go to the Incfile site, clicking on the “Start My Business” button will open up a new window. You’ll then see a couple of drop down menus: one for your business type (choose LLC) and one for the state in which you are filing. Once you choose your state, you’ll see specific pricing.

Each of the three available plans will appear, along with an outline of what’s included in each. The price displayed will include both the package fee and the fees for your particular state. Once you’ve made your decision, click the “Get the Silver/Gold/Platinum Package”. You will then be prompted to enter your contact information and mailing address.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose standard or expedited filing. Incfile also includes the typical processing time in your chosen state so you can make a more informed decision. 

You’ll enter your company information, including information on your members or owners, business purpose, industry, and address. After entering these details, you’ll be offered a chance to upgrade to a higher level package before continuing. 

The next series of screens prompt you to enter the information that will appear on your articles of organization document. Then you’ll be asked if you’d like to use Incfile as your registered agent or act as your own (if allowed in that state). If you choose the Silver Package, the service is free for a year and $119 annually afterwards. The service is included in the price of both the Gold and Platinum packages.

From this point onward, depending which package you choose, you’ll be prompted to provide all the applicable information for each included service. If you choose Silver or Gold, you’ll have opportunities to add various a la carte services.

Once you’re finished making your choices, you’ll have a chance to review before you submit payment.

How is the formation process?

The formation process was quick and easy, making for a nearly seamless user experience. Opportunities to upgrade were more informative than intrusive, and it was made clear what you were getting with each package. 

One downside is that there’s no way to save your progress if you have to leave the page and come back later. However, if you click the back button and move back to the homepage, you will be prompted to either start over or resume.

Customer Support

We tested all three forms of Incfile customer support. 

Chat support

When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option, we received a response within two minutes. We asked a question about cancellation policy and how to cancel an order if we change our mind about the filing. The agent was very helpful and explained the process clearly.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Immediate

Phone support

We called Incfile to ask a question about registered agent services. Our call was answered almost immediately, and the question was answered promptly. 

The question was whether registered agent services are included in any of the plans. The answer was that they are included in Gold and Platinum and customers get a free year of registered agent services with the Silver Package. 

The customer service representative was very professional and polite and made sure to ask if we had any additional questions.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Immediate

Email support

We asked the same question via email about registered agent services and received the same response in under 24 hours. Our question was answered thoroughly and politely. The person who responded made no sales pitches and asked how else they could be of service. 

Support Rating:

Response time:

Reasonable

BizFilings

User Experience – What to Expect 

When you first go to the BizFilings site, you can choose a type of business formation and enter your state to get custom pricing for the plans, meaning that some of the state fees are shown. This is the only way to get information about the plans; it’s not included in the menu. 

The plans are in a format that allows you to easily choose your plan and extras. 

How Is the formation process?

Once you’ve selected your plan and extras, you’ll see your costs and can select to order the plan. It will then take you to a page where you’ll enter all your business information,

When going through the process of entering information, we found that you can choose your registered agent plan, but you cannot opt-out, so you’ll need to be prepared for the fee in six months unless you cancel the service,

The registered agent services fees are as follows:

• $176 one-year plan
• $320 two-year plan ($160/year)
• $420 three-year plan ($140/year)

This is somewhat confusing, considering we were told by customer service that the service costs $220 a year. Also, if you purchase it a la carte, it’s $220 per year.

After you make your registered agent choices, you’ll be offered additional products. You’ll then be taken to a page where you can review all your information before making payment. 

In Summary

We found the site to be very usable compared to some other similar services. We liked the way the packages and extras are presented, with plenty of information about each product. 

A few things were confusing, such as the registered agent service prices compared to what we were told by customer service. But mostly the information and service details were clear. 

Overall, the site was easy to use and business formation can be completed in a few minutes. 

Customer Support

We tested all three forms of the BizFilings customer support. 

Chat support

When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option on a Sunday, we received no response, so chat support is not available on the weekends. When we tried again on Monday, we received a response immediately.

Here was our question:

“Are the package fees annual fees or one-time fees – and if they are annual fees does that mean the registered agent services will continue after the first year?”

The response was that the plan fees are one-time fees, but the registered agent service is an annual fee of $220. We asked if the registered agent services were included for the first year, and the answer was that they are only included for 6 months, and then the annual fee kicks in.

They were very polite and clear in their responses. But the cust-serv rep did not mention that BizFilings offers discounted multi-year registered agent plans, as detailed above.  

Support Rating:

Response time:

Reasonable

Phone support

We called BizFilings and asked about their cancellation policy for the recurring registered agent services. Our call was answered immediately, and the answer was that you must file a change of registered agent with the state and then call BizFilings to cancel the service. The customer service agent was friendly and professional and did not try to sell us anything. 

Support Rating:

Response time:

Immediate

Email support

We sent an email asking about the various business formation turnaround times – regular, expedited, and rush. We received an initial response in an hour and a half, but the response was a question about what state we were filing in and stating that turnaround times vary by state. We answered the question and got our next response with a clear and professional answer in about 15 minutes.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Very quick

Customer Reviews

We wanted to know how real customers feel about both services, so we thoroughly explored customer reviews at the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot. Below we’ve summarized our findings. 

Incfile

Better Business Bureau

Incfile is not currently accredited with the BBB.

• Great customer service
• Good issue resolution
• Proactive representatives

Incfile is not currently accredited with the BBB. They have 4.67/5 stars in customer reviews and have received 260 complaints in three years. A total of 30 complaints have been resolved over the last 12 months.

Many positive reviews at BBB revolve around exceptional customer service. Customers mentioned phone support being very helpful and cordial, as well as proactive in identifying potential problems. Customers also mentioned chat support being excellent at resolving issues. 

One customer highlighted the responsiveness of the representative they were working with and that their issue was resolved quickly. Another had a difficult problem to solve and the representative that was handling the case “took care of the problem immediately”.

Most of the negative reviews were categorized as a “problem with product or service”. A common issue seemed to be a lack of communication between Incfile and customers, especially when it came to expectations regarding turnaround time and refunds. 

But it’s worth noting that at the time of this review, the most recent complaint was several months old. You can read reviews on the BBB website. 

Trustpilot 

Incfile has a high trust score rating on Trustpilot.

• User friendly website
• Transparent pricing
• Great customer service

The Trustpilot score for Incfile is 4.7/5 stars.

Incfile reviews at TrustPilot break down as follows:

• Excellent 82%
• Great 9%
• Average 2%
• Poor <1%
• Bad 6%

Positive reviews mostly involved how easy it was to file an LLC. Some commented on the user-friendliness of the website and appreciated the transparency in pricing and the added features. Some reviews mentioned customer service representatives by name and praised them for being highly responsive and helpful.

Reviews in the “bad” category included confusion over state filing fees, a lack of communication from representatives, and poor customer service over the phone. Other customers complained about long turnaround times and a lack of transparency in terms of how long things would take to process, especially when it came to state filings. 

It does seem like a representative from Incfile is monitoring the negative reviews and the company makes an attempt to resolve issues. You can read reviews on the TrustPilot website. 

BizFilings

Better Business Bureau

BizFilings has an A+ rating from the BBB.

• Great customer service
• Few complaints
• Streamlined process

BizFilings has an A+ rating from the BBB with 5/5 stars in customer reviews, but there is only one review. They have been an accredited BBB business since 1997. They have received two complaints in three years, both of which have a closed status.

The one positive review was as follows:

“I’ve registered multiple businesses with BizFilings over the years and have experienced nothing but success with them. They’re quickly available to help answer any questions I have along the way. Reading the other review, it’s clear the individual doesn’t understand that BizFilings offers a service to streamline registration and compliance activities. Of course, this is a service you pay for and personally, I’d rather let the experts do it so I may focus on the core of my business. Keep up the great work.”

We also read the complaints about BizFilings on the BBB website. Both revolved around canceling registered agent services. To cancel the service, you must file a change of registered agent form with your state. Both of the complainers said they were subject to aggressive collection efforts for the unpaid registered agent service fees.

You can read reviews on the BBB website. 

Trustpilot 

There are no reviews of BizFilings on TrustPilot.

Pros and Cons

Incfile

BizFilings

Verdict

After a thorough assessment, we have determined that Incfile offers the better value and broader service offerings over BizFilings. By choosing Incfile you will save money and get more for it. In addition, customers seem broadly happy with their services, though our customer service experience with BizFilings was good as well.

Both companies offer valuable services, but we would recommend Incfile over BizFilings. 

Our approach

As a leading entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business.

As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In this case, we:

• Examined every single page of both the Incfile and BizFilings websites
• Reviewed all of their offerings, from a la carte products to packages
• Put ourselves in the customer’s shoes, creating accounts
• Communicated with customer service via chat, email and phone
• Gained a full understanding of the customer experience and service value

Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewer and team are able to provide the most complete and insightful comparison of Incfile and BizFilings LLC formation services.