ZenBusiness vs Swyft Filings 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 ZenBusiness and Swyft Filings. And to help you determine which is better, 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. 

Overall, we find that ZenBusiness offers a better value with their business formation packages, especially when it comes to registered agent services.

Features and Services Overview

ZenBusiness has three business formation plans to choose from, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $299. They have a great track record with BBB, competitive pricing, and a seamless formation process. ZenBusiness offers a great value for your money compared to competitors and more services are offered.

Swyft Filings has three business formation packages and a variety of a la carte services. Package prices range from $49 to $299 plus state filing fees, and are sold for a one-time expense. Swyft Filings is known for speed, as their signup process is quick and they have faster turnaround times.

Plans Pricing

The ZenBusiness Starter Plan costs $0 plus state fees and provides you with a business name availability search in your state’s database and the business formation service, with full customer support. It also offers a few extras, including an accounting consultation to help you get started with your finances. You’ll also have access to your formation documents online at any time.

The Pro Plan costs $199 plus state fees and offers all the services above plus an operating agreement template and annual compliance service, which means ZenBusiness will remind you of reporting due dates based on your state requirements. The plan also includes expedited filing so that your LLC is approved and ready to go faster.

The Premium Plan costs $299 plus state fees and contains everything within the Pro Plan with the added advantage of rush filing, as well as a business domain name, website, and email. Note that none of these plans include registered agent services. They are available for an additional $99 fee. ZenBusiness also has a document library that customers can access for $99. 

The packages offered by Swyft Filings are similar in price to those offered by ZenBusiness. The Basic Package costs $49 and provides the verification of your company name, preparation of the articles of organization, and document filing with the state. You’ll also get online access to your documents and lifetime customer support. This plan comes with a one-hour business tax consultation to help you prepare for your first tax season, and company compliance alerts so you never miss a deadline. 

Swyft Filings’ Standard Package costs $149 plus state fees. This includes all the services included in the Basic Package, but with the addition of a custom operating agreement and a federal tax ID, or EIN. You will also get access to custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes, which is a form that helps you set up your very first meeting as an LLC.

For $299 plus state fees, the Premium Package offers everything in the Standard Package with the advantage of expedited filing, as well as a business website and web hosting services. You also get a digital LLC kit, which includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger for tracking transfers of ownership, and customized stock certificates.

Starter Plan vs Basic Package

Starter package offers formation at $0 + state fees, and it doesn’t renew. On the other hand, Swyft Filings packages only cost a one-time fee. Similar to Swyft Filings, registered agent services are not included in their packages and are offered at an additional cost. ZenBusiness overall provides better value in this comparison, as the service formation is free.

Pro Plan vs Standard Package

Both the ZenBusiness and Swyft Filings’ middle-tier offerings include an operating agreement. You will get the benefits of expedited filing times with the ZenBusiness Pro Plan. The Swyft Filings Standard Package has a lower cost up front, however you still need to pay for registered agent services. It also includes an EIN number. 

Premium Plan vs Premium Package

Costs for the ZenBusiness Premium Plan and the Swyft Filings Premium package are the same, however it is an annual charge. Processing times are expedited with Swyft Filings’ Premium Package and with ZenBusiness. A website is included with both plans as well as compliance alerts so you never miss a deadline.

Customer Service

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

ZenBusiness

User Experience – What to Expect 

When you first go to the ZenBusiness site, you’re prompted to begin entering information, starting with your proposed company name. There is a menu at the top that you can explore to find some free tools, products and pricing, and more about the company.

However, you can only find a la carte product prices. You cannot immediately see the packages of services and their pricing.

When you enter your company name, you’re asked a series of automated questions, and the chatbot then makes product and package recommendations, allowing the user to see the service packages and prices.

How is the formation process?

The questions were simple and quick, but most visitors might prefer to see packages and prices right away before starting the process.

Once the product recommendations are made — and they are not described in great detail — you can choose which you prefer and the site takes you immediately to payment. Keep in mind that if you do not pay right away, but instead want to come back to it later, you will have to go through all the questions again.

When we went through this process the first time, we received an email within an hour with an offer to assist. We then went a step further and actually formed an LLC. We chose the starter plan and added registered agent services, the EIN service, and the rush filing service.

The entire process took about 15 minutes and was very simple. Throughout the process, the chatbot recommended other products, and with a simple click, we could purchase or reject. Even though we were clearly being sold to, it did not feel intrusive.

What happens after payment?

Once the signup process and payment were complete, we had immediate access to our dashboard. The dashboard shows everything you have to do, and what ZenBusiness is working on for you. It’s also where you can access your formation documents once the formation process is complete.

The dashboard also shows all the products still available to purchase.

Shortly after forming the LLC, we received a welcome email about what would happen next.

In Summary

Overall, the site is easy to use if you’re ready to go and just want to complete the process. Otherwise, information can be difficult to find. You have the option to sign up for a free account on the site, though we had difficulty finding that option. However, signing up for the account doesn’t seem to give you access to anything you can’t access without an account.

Customer Support

We tested all three forms of ZenBusiness’ customer support – and detail our findings below. 

Chat support

When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option, we received a response within five minutes.

The question we asked was about the annual compliance a la carte service, which costs $199, compared to the registered agent service with annual compliance included, which is $149.**

We asked if those two annual compliance services are different, considering the price discrepancy. The customer service agent was polite but could not explain the discrepancy. 

**Not long after our call, ZenBusiness removed the registered agent + annual compliance service for $149 from their a la carte products page.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Very quick

Phone support

We called ZenBusiness 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, and the answer was no.

The customer service representative was very professional and polite and did not make any sales pitches.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Immediate

Email support

We asked the same question via email about registered agent services and received the same response in 45 minutes. Our question was answered thoroughly and politely. The person who responded made no sales pitches.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Very quick

Swyft Filings

User Experience – What to Expect 

When you first go to the Swyft Filings site, enter your entity type (LLC) and the state of formation and then click the Get Started button to begin your filing. Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your desired business name and the state of incorporation once more. You’ll then get a confirmation message that your name is available, along with another Get Started button. 

The following screen prompts you to enter in your contact information. Once you’ve entered your information, click Get My LLC. The next screen asks what type of business your LLC will be. Begin typing your description and choose an option from the drop down menu. 

If none of the options fit, you can type a custom description in your own words. You’ll then be asked to enter how many employees you expect to have. At this point, you’ll have a chance to add registered agent services to your filing for an additional $149 per quarter. Click your appropriate choice to move to the next step.

Next, you will be asked if you’d like to add a business license and compliance package for an additional $99. Make your selection to move to the next screen, which is where you will get to review the three service packages offered. 

Review the packages and what’s included in each and click the Select button underneath your choice. The next screen asks if you want to add a business bank account with Bank of America. You can accept or decline.

Finally, you’ll get a chance to review all of your information before making your purchase. You also have the option to pay in monthly installments or pay the full amount. Click the Confirm button to move forward with payment and complete your filing.

How is the formation process?

Overall, the initial process to begin formation was quick, easy, and straightforward. However, one downside was not being able to see all of the details of the three plans until you actually begin your filing. It would be helpful to be able to compare pricing and packages beforehand in order to assess whether Swyft Filings is right for you upfront.

You are also regularly upsold through the process and provided with several a la carte services, all before you get a chance to review the three available packages. In addition, there is no option to save your information in case you want to come back to your filing later on. You have to complete the entire process in one sitting or else you’ll need to start over from the beginning.

Customer Support

We tested all three forms of Swyft Filings customer support, and detail our findings below. 

Chat & Email support

When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option, we received a response within 24 hours. We discovered that the online chat feature is not a live chat feature, it’s more of a contact form. Once you fill out your information, it sends an email to customer support, so the chat and email features are essentially the same.

The question we asked was about registered agent services and whether or not they were included in any of the packages. A representative got back to us and explained that registered agent services are not included in any package, but you can add at check out for a $149 quarterly fee. 

They also mentioned that there is the option to provide your own registered agent at check out. The response was thorough and polite and didn’t include any sales pitches. They also closed with an invitation to reach out again if we had any further questions.

Support Rating:

Response time:

Reasonable

Phone support

We called Swyft Filings to ask the same question regarding 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, and the answer was no. The representative proceeded to explain the quarterly service the same way it was outlined in the email response. The customer service representative was very professional and polite and did not try to sell additional services. 

Support Rating:

Response time:

Immediate

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. 

Zen Business

Better Business Bureau

ZenBusiness has an A- rating on BBB.

• Many positive reviews
• Friendly customer support
• Low number of complaints

ZenBusiness has an A- rating from the BBB with 4.35/5 stars based on 166 customer reviews. They have been an accredited BBB business since 2019. They have received 56 complaints in three years, all of which have a closed status.

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 discussed the chat support being excellent at resolving issues.

Another person said they received their formation paperwork in “record time”, and one said they were “blown away” by how easy it was to set up their LLC and get questions answered. They also said that customer service agents went “above and beyond” to provide helpful details.

Some of the negative reviews concern errors made in processing and issues canceling accounts. One person said they waited 6 weeks and their LLC still had not been formed; another said they waited over a year for their EIN. But it should be noted that EIN is an add-on service that is not included in the packages, so it may have been a misunderstanding on the customer’s part.

Some reviewers pointed out that ZenBusiness would not cancel their account unless they first dissolved their LLC with the state or filed a change of agent form.

You can read reviews on the BBB website.

Trustpilot

ZenBusiness has a high trust score rating on Trustpilot.

• Many positive reviews
• Friendly customer support
• Low number of complaints

The Trustpilot score for ZenBusiness is 4.7/5 stars from 10,079 customer reviews.

The ZenBusiness reviews from Trustpilot have the following range:

• Excellent 86%
• Great 8%
• Average 2%
• Poor 1%
• Bad 3%

Many positive Trustpilot reviews, again, revolve around great customer service. One person said they were “shocked” at how easy it was to form their LLC, and that it was finalized within days. Another person liked the ease of answering the questions asked by the chatbot that guided them through the process of formation. Others mentioned the quick and friendly responses from customer service.

Some of the less favorable reviews revolve around fee disclosures and the fees themselves. One person complained that all fees for the products they ordered were not charged immediately so they received surprise charges on their credit card.

Others complained that the site consistently uses “upselling strategies” to get users to buy more products and that $49 for an operating agreement template is “disgustingly absurd”. Another customer complained that there seem to be hidden fees and that they ended up paying double what they expected.

You can read reviews on the Trustpilot website.

Swyft Filings

Better Business Bureau

Swyft Filings does not have a rating on BBB.

• Polite customer service
• Quick response times
• High trust score rating

Swyft Filings is not currently accredited with the BBB, yet has 4.44/5 stars based on 355 customer reviews. They closed 129 complaints in the last three years, including 58 in the past year. 

Positive customer reviews highlighted the politeness of staff members and being helpful to new entrepreneurs. People also said they appreciated the thoroughness of customer service, especially over the phone. 

Some customer service representatives were mentioned by name and customers who made mistakes during the filing process mentioned that problems were quickly addressed and remedied.

Negative reviews and complaints mentioned a lack of responsiveness, especially over email. There were also complaints regarding Swyft not honoring the money-back guarantee.

Swyft Filings also recently changed their registered agent services from an annual fee to a quarterly fee, which came as a surprise to many existing customers, signaling a potential lack in communication.

You can read reviews on the BBB website. 

Trustpilot 

Swyft Filings has a high trust score rating on Trustpilot.

• Polite customer service
• Quick response times
• High trust score rating

The Trustpilot score for Swyft Filings is 4.7/5 stars based on 4,856 customer reviews.

The Swyft Filings reviews from Trustpilot have the following range:

• Excellent 87%
• Great 6%
• Average 2%
• Poor <1%
• Bad 5%

Positive reviews under Trustpilot were similar to those at the Better Business Bureau. Customers were pleased with the helpfulness and patience of customer service representatives and mentioned some of them by name. Other reviews mentioned the user-friendly website and quick turnaround times. 

Some of the negative reviews focused on undisclosed extra fees, being charged for services without consent, and that the process “felt like a scam”. People also complained about feeling nickeled and dimed for extra services and how they ultimately wound up spending more than they had anticipated.

You can read reviews on the TrustPilot website. 

Pros and Cons

ZenBusiness 

Swyft Filings

Verdict

After a thorough assessment, we have determined that ZenBusiness offers the better value. The main drawback of Swyft Filings is the exorbitant cost of their registered agent services, which run $149 per quarter, or nearly $600 each year. 

The main advantage of Swyft is in its name, and they do deliver on their promise of quick processing. However, by choosing ZenBusiness, you’ll save some money and likely receive higher quality customer service and equally fast turnaround times. 

Our approach

As an 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 ZenBusiness and Swyft Filings 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 ZenBusiness and Swyft Filings LLC formation services.