ZenBusiness Domain Review: ZenBusiness is a new and legitimate company formation service that has quickly established itself as a reliable and easy-to-use option that offers customizable packages and a pleasant user experience. It offers the most important features, such as a registered agent service, preparation, and filing of incorporation documents, and strong customer service. ZenBusiness is ideal for both veteran entrepreneurs and newcomers wishing to set up a limited liability company, especially in the creative fields.
Our team found out what it’s like to form an LLC in this ZenBusiness review to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Table of Contents
Why Trust Our ZenBusiness Domain Review?
Why trust what our team has to say about ZenBusiness? Our accredited team of lawyers spent hours reviewing all of the tools ZenBusiness has to offer, including account setup, the training process, and utilizing customer service. Our rating reflects our user experience with ZenBusiness itself and how it compares to other training companies. Want to learn more? See our methodology at the end of this article.
ZenBusiness Background
ZenBusiness is a public utility corporation founded in 2015 and based in Austin, Texas. According to the ZenBusiness website, the founders wanted to take the stress out of creating and managing an LLC or other type of company, especially for new small business owners who don’t yet know what they are doing.
ZenBusiness boasts fast and easy business start-ups, worry-free services, and expert assistance to register a company quickly and accurately. A quick glance at the company’s website allows customers to get an idea of the various tools and guidance that the ZenBusiness LLC package offers for starting a business, plus additional features that can be beneficial in keeping the business up and running.
ZenBusiness LLC Formation Features + Our Experience
We have spent over 250 hours reviewing LLC training services, including ZenBusiness. We will guide you through the most significant features of ZenBusiness and describe our experience using them.
Formation Process
ZenBusiness uses an interactive chat feature to form your LLC. The agent asks you a series of questions and records your answers to begin preparing your LLC documentation. One of the first pieces of information you will provide is the proposed name for your LLC, and ZenBusiness performs a preliminary search to make sure your name is available in your state.
You will also provide contact information, a very brief description of what you plan to offer with your LLC, and information about other members, if any, of your LLC. (For LLC purposes, owners are referred to as “members”). ZenBusiness uses this information to create your “articles of organization” (sometimes called a “certificate of formation” or “articles of incorporation”) which is the critical document that must be filed to form your business.
You will need to create an account on the ZenBusiness website and pay for your order before your incorporation documents are submitted. Once your account is set up, you will review your information one more time and provide any missing information before ZenBusiness queues your documents for filing. You may not be able to change your filing information after you have submitted it to ZenBusiness and before it is sent to the state for official filing. However, you can make changes to your LLC formation documents once they are certified.
Our experience:
ZenBusiness‘ interactive model is useful for first-time LLC owners who may not know what services they should hire an incorporation company to provide. As you answer questions about what you envision for your company, ZenBusiness makes recommendations for additional services, which you can easily accept or decline.
Turnaround Time
Processing times are highly dependent on the time frame of the state in which you file. ZenBusiness takes 2-3 weeks to complete the incorporation process at its standard filing speed. The Pro plan offers formation within 4-6 days, and the Premium plan offers formation in 1-2 days.
Our experience:
ZenBusiness provides a date on or around which your LLC is formed and official, so you are better able to track the process and know what to expect.
ZenBusiness Registered Agent Services
All states require each LLC to designate a “registered agent” (sometimes referred to as a “resident agent”) to serve as a physical address and point of contact where legal and tax documents can be delivered during business hours. LLC members may act as registered agents but may not wish to do so, as it is necessary to be present at the registered office during business hours. A business entity may act as a registered agent as long as it is not the LLC itself.
Most LLC formation companies offer registered agent services, and ZenBusiness is no different. However, while other companies offer a free first year or registered agent services for as little as $49, ZenBusiness‘ registered agent service costs $199 per year from the start.
Our experience:
Other incorporation services offer a free registered agent service for the first year. The registered agent service may also be included in the price of a higher package. ZenBusiness does not include a registered agent in any package: it will cost you $199 more per year.
Operating Agreement Template
An operating agreement describes the business practices and policies your LLC will follow. It is a contract signed by the LLC members that describe the ownership and management structure and the distribution of profits, losses, rights, duties, and voting policies. It can describe what happens if someone dies or leaves the LLC and what can cause the LLC to dissolve.
A handful of states require LLCs to have operating agreements on file, but most states do not. However, it is a good business practice to have one. Otherwise, the default state laws will apply to your LLC, which may not be exactly how you want it to operate.
Our experience:
ZenBusiness offers an operating agreement template for an additional $125. Although more expensive than competitive pricing, ZenBusiness offers an interactive chat process to help you customize your operating agreement without having to fill in the blanks yourself.
Other Business Services
Like other formation companies, ZenBusiness offers additional services to assist with the formation and maintenance of your LLC. While not required to file LLC paperwork with the state, these services are essential to the LLC’s success.
ZenBusiness Customer Service
If you are using a formation service – especially for the first time – you will have questions at some point in the start-up process. All incorporation companies offer some form of customer service – is it really helpful, or do they leave you in the dark? Read our experience with ZenBusiness customer service.
How to Get in Touch
Customer service is accessible regardless of the package you choose. Even with a basic $0 package, you can quickly connect with a customer service representative and get your questions answered. You can contact ZenBusiness in several ways:
- Chat with a live agent on the ZenBusiness website
- ZenBusiness phone number is 1-844-4-ZENBIZ (1-844-493-6249)
- Email at Hello@zenbusiness.com or Support@zenbusiness.com
Response Accuracy and Timeliness
At first, the automatic chat responses were not as accurate as we needed. However, it is easy to connect with a live agent within minutes to receive an accurate answer to your question.
Our experience:
We used the chat feature to ask how to add registered agent services after submitting documentation for an LLC. We were able to contact a real agent – not a bot! – within minutes and got our questions answered.
Satisfaction Guarantee
ZenBusiness does not offer a money-back guarantee if there are errors in your submission. They do have a refund policy that offers a 100% refund, “less expenses incurred to start your training.”
How We Scored Customer Satisfaction
Use the drop-down arrows in the table below to learn more about how we obtained our final ratings.
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Features | 5.0/5 | 5.0/5 | 3.1/5 | 5.0/5 | 3.1/5 |
Value For Money | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 | 3.9/5 | 2.8/5 | 2.8/5 |
Customer Service | 5.0/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 | 3.9/5 | 5.0/5 |
Usability | 5.0/5 | 5.0/5 | 4.2/5 | 3.3/5 | 4.2/5 |
Customer Satisfaction | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 | 3.9/5 |
Overall Rating | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
Start Now | Start Now | Start Now | Start Now | Start Now |
ZenBusiness Value
ZenBusiness offers starter, pro, and premium plans at different prices. Everything included in the starter plan is included in the premium plans. Check out our comparison chart and read more for details on how the plans compare.
Starter – $0 + state fees
- Preparation and filing of LLC
- Name availability search
- Phone and email support
- Online document access
- Statement of organizer
- Virtual business guide
- Google Ads credit
- 25% off the first year of registered agent service
- Standard filing speed of two to three weeks
- Worry-free compliance
Pro – $199 + state fees
- Preparation and filing of LLC
- Name availability search
- Phone and email support
- Online document access
- Statement of organizer
- Virtual business guide
- Google Ads credit
- 25% off the first year of registered agent service
- Worry-free compliance
- Expedited filing (4-6 business days)
- Operating agreement template
Premium – $299 + state fees
- Preparation and filing of LLC
- Name availability search
- Phone and email support
- Online document access
- Virtual business guide
- Google Ads credit
- 25% off the first year of registered agent service
- Operating agreement template
- Rush filing speed (1-3 business days)
- Worry-free compliance
- Business website
- Business domain name
ZenBusiness LLC’s most basic package is specially priced at $0 for first-time users, plus state filing fees (cost varies by state). The Starter package will automatically renew each year for $199 starting in the second year unless you cancel your subscription before then.
The ZenBusiness LLC Starter package is a great option if you need to create an LLC or corporation and don’t mind waiting the two- to three-week processing time to get operations up and running. If you need to file more quickly, you can pay an expedited filing fee to have your LLC created in about five to seven business days ($50) or a rush filing fee to have it, on average, in two to three business days ($100).
The ZenBusiness Pro package costs $199 per year, plus state fees. It includes everything the Starter package offers, plus express shipping and the operating contract template. This makes Pro an attractive option, as it offers a package that an entrepreneur needs to get their business registered quickly and running smoothly.
Finally, there is the Premium option, the most select ZenBusiness LLC package, which is priced at $299 per year, plus the state registration fee. Premium includes express company filing, website, and email setup, plus domain name privacy and a business email address.
If the speed of filing and online features are important to aspiring entrepreneurs, they could save $189 in additional fees by choosing the ZenBusiness Premium package instead of the Pro.
In our opinion, the biggest disadvantage of all ZenBusiness LLC packages is that they do not include an EIN, which is required for banking and hiring employees. However, an EIN can be added to the packages for a flat fee of $99.
How ZenBusiness Compares
Among the best LLC services, how does ZenBusiness compare? We’ve done all the work for you. Take a look at our comparison chart and read on to learn more about how different LLC creation service providers compare to each other.
Basic Package Comparison
ZenBusiness | LegalZoom | Incfile | Swyft Filings | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost | $0 | $79 | $0 | $49 |
Registered Agent | 25% OFF first year | $299 | Free for 1 year | $149 |
Operating Agreement | $125 | $99 | $40 | $35 |
EIN Registration Fee | $99 | $79 | $70 | $79 |
Processing Time | 2 to 3 weeks | 20 days | 3 to 12 weeks | 7 to 10 days |
ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom

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LegalZoom is an online legal technology company that helps its customers get the legal help they need without necessarily having to look for a lawyer. Although LegalZoom offers more than just business startup services, we’ll only look at that feature to fairly compare their services to ZenBusiness.
Like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers three pricing tiers for its LLC filing services – Economy, Standard, and Express Gold – but the basic ZenBusiness LLC plan costs less. For example, ZenBusiness‘ Starter plan will cost $0 for first-time filers and has a two- to three-week processing time, while LegalZoom’s Economy plan costs $79 and has a 20-day processing time.
When it comes to customer satisfaction, both ZenBusiness and LegalZoom seem to have won over customers: Both entities have “Excellent” ratings on Trustpilot, but ZenBusiness has a slight edge with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of more than 10,000 reviews. LegalZoom has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of more than 1,700 reviews. (It’s worth noting that LegalZoom’s reviews are from clients who may have used the company for legal services that may have had nothing to do with running a business.)
Based on price and customer reviews, we would recommend ZenBusiness over LegalZoom to anyone looking for a simple company formation service. On the other hand, if you need legal assistance or additional business services, such as intellectual property registration, you may be interested in LegalZoom.
ZenBusiness vs IncFile

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Incfile is more like ZenBusiness than LegalZoom because Incfile’s sole purpose is to help entrepreneurs incorporate their businesses. Incfile’s website boasts that the company has “the fastest and easiest way to create your LLC” and promises to be “simple, affordable, and supportive.”
If we look at the cost and features, Incfile is certainly stiffer competition to ZenBusiness compared to other startup services. Incfile is undoubtedly faster, as it promises customers that order processing will begin the next business day at no additional cost.
And speaking of costs, it’s hard to overlook Incfile’s special first-year pricing, free – yes, free – for its basic Silver package. Silver includes LLC filing, a registered agent, and other business formation services for only the cost of the state fee and will automatically renew each year for $119 (ZenBusiness‘ Starter package renews at $199 per year).
Neither the Incfile Silver package nor the ZenBusiness Starter package includes an operating agreement document or an EIN. For $125, you can add an operating agreement to the ZenBusiness LLC Starter package; for $99, you can add an EIN. Incfile Silver customers can add an operating agreement to their package for $40 and an EIN for $70.
Here are the customer reviews. ZenBusiness has more “Excellent” reviews than Incfile on Trustpilot. Of the 10,000+ reviews of ZenBusiness, 86% were “Excellent,” and only 3% were “Poor”. On the other hand, of Incfile’s 5,000+ reviews, 84% were “Excellent,” and 4% were “Bad.” That said, Incfile has nearly 38,000 reviews on Shopper Approved and maintains an impressive 4.8 out of 5-star rating. (Both companies have more than 4 stars in Better Business Bureau reviews, but ZenBusiness has received more than 80 complaints in the past three years, compared to more than 260 for Incfile.
Based on customer feedback, we can recommend that you use ZenBusiness instead of Incfile for your business needs. However, Incfile is a more affordable option, and we have found both options to be excellent for LLC formation.
ZenBusiness vs Swyft Filings

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Another competitor in the online business formation space is Swyft Filings, founded in Houston in 2015. According to its website, Swyft Filings will help you “start your business with confidence” and promises to be affordable, fast, and easy. Compared to other services, Swyft Filings offers decent prices and fast processing times.
At first glance, the Swyft Filings basic package seems quite comparable to the ZenBusiness LLC Starter. The basic Swyft Filings package costs $49 and promises a faster turnaround time of 7 to 10 business days, compared to 2 to 3 weeks for ZenBusiness.
The biggest drawback is that the low-level Swyft Filings package does not include a registered agent or an operating agreement. If you need Swyft Filings to act as your registered agent, it will cost you $149 more per year; adding the operating agreement costs $35.
Another disadvantage is that Swyft Filings‘ customer service is only available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, while ZenBusiness customer service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST.
It appears that both Swyft Filings and ZenBusiness have thousands of satisfied customers, with lots of positive customer reviews and “Excellent” ratings on Trustpilot. ZenBusiness‘ rating carries more weight, with over 10,000 reviews, compared to just over 5,000 reviews for Swyft Filings.
If you are new to the business formation process and think you will benefit from a provider that has extended hours, you may want to choose the ZenBusiness LLC option. That said, both ZenBusiness and Swyft Filings are solid choices for LLC formation. Read our full review of Swyft Filings here.
Our ZenBusiness Review Methodology
Our team uses an unbiased review method for all LLC training services we rate. Our method includes spending considerable time using as many tools as we can on each of the LLC services and documenting our experience. We give ratings from 0.0 to 1.0, with 1.0 being the best, for experiences in the following areas:
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Cost | $0+ | $0+ | $0+ | $49+ | $39+ |
Customer Service | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Operating Agreement | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Registered Agent Service | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
EIN | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
License Reports | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
Compliance | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Expert Help | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
Tax Advisory | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Tax Preparation | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Guarantee of Acceptance | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |

BEST OVERALL
ZenBusiness is the best LLC formation service overall.
FAQs
Should I use ZenBusiness for my LLC?
If you’re an already established or aspiring entrepreneur who needs to register an LLC or corporation, ZenBusiness is the best option. For $0 plus state fees (for the first year), you can get started with the basic ZenBusiness LLC package and be in business after a relatively short processing period of two to three weeks.
On the other hand, if you already have a business but need a registered agent, ZenBusiness offers registered agent services starting at $199 a year. You would have peace of mind knowing that a ZenBusiness representative will make sure your business is in good standing with the government.
ZenBusiness may not be the best option if you need a bit more in terms of legal services when it comes to your business. If that’s you, you may want to opt for a company like LegalZoom or LegalShield that can help you form your LLC or corporation and provide you with legal help. However, if you want a little inspiration to help get your business off the ground, ZenBusiness offers unique resources to spark your creativity and learn about your strengths when it comes to operating a business.
Can ZenBusiness assist with ongoing compliance requirements for my LLC?
Yes, ZenBusiness offers a “Worry-Free Compliance” service to help ensure that your LLC meets its ongoing compliance obligations. This service includes reminders of annual filing deadlines, assistance with the necessary paperwork, and guidance to keep your business operational and legitimate. By availing of this service, you can focus on growing your business without the stress of tracking compliance requirements.
Maintaining compliance is essential to retain your LLC’s liability protection and avoid penalties. ZenBusiness’s “Worry-Free Compliance” service provides peace of mind by handling these obligations on your behalf.
What is ZenBusiness’s refund policy?
ZenBusiness offers a 100% refund minus the costs already incurred in the business formation process. Unlike some other LLC formation companies, ZenBusiness doesn’t have a 100% satisfaction guarantee offering money back for erroneous filings.
However, their customer satisfaction score ranks as high or higher than companies with such a guarantee.
How long has ZenBusiness been around?
ZenBusiness was started in 2015 and has quickly established itself as one of the top-ranked LLC formation services.
It’s a public benefit corporation, which is a type of for-profit corporation that aims to make a positive impact on society.
What is an operating agreement, and does ZenBusiness provide one?
An operating agreement is a crucial document that outlines the internal operations, ownership structure, and rules governing an LLC. While not all states require an operating agreement to be filed, having one is highly recommended for the smooth functioning of the business and to establish clear guidelines among members.
ZenBusiness recognizes the importance of an operating agreement and offers an operating agreement template as an additional service. For a fee of $125, you can customize and create an operating agreement tailored to your LLC’s specific needs. This feature saves you time and effort in drafting the document from scratch.
Mike DaVinci HighTechBlogging.com
Mike DaVinci is a skilled content writer with a talent for storytelling. He specializes in creating captivating narratives that engage readers and leave them feeling inspired. His writing has been featured in various publications, including magazines, blogs, and business websites. Mike’s particular interest in human interest stories allows him to uncover the heart of any story and convey it to his readers in an emotional and authentic way. He believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with people and inspiring positive change in the world.
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