Northwest Registered Agent Review (2026): Pricing, Pros, and the Fine Print
Northwest Registered Agent is the odd one out in the LLC formation business. It has been in the registered agent game since 1998, operates in all 50 states, and sells exactly one formation package: $39 plus your state's filing fee. No tiers, no $0 teaser that turns into a $199 subscription at checkout. The question is whether that simplicity actually saves you money, and what the second year looks like. Here is the full breakdown, verified October 2026.
The $39 formation package: what is actually included
Northwest's LLC formation costs $39 plus the state filing fee (which varies by state, roughly $40 to $500, and goes straight to the Secretary of State). That $39 buys you:
- One full year of registered agent service. This is the headline value. The service normally costs $125/year after year one, so the formation fee effectively pays for itself several times over.
- Articles of organization filing with your state, prepared and submitted for you.
- An operating agreement template included at no extra charge. Many competitors charge separately for this or reserve it for a paid tier.
- Privacy by Default. Northwest lists its own office address on your public filings instead of yours, so your home address does not end up searchable in state records and on Google.
- Digital mailbox, mail scanning, and compliance reminders (annual report deadlines and similar notices).
- A business identity package (reported as of January 2026): a domain, website, email, and phone number at no extra cost while you maintain registered agent service.
There is no $0 tier, so the checkout total looks higher than Bizee's or ZenBusiness's free plans. The honest comparison is year-one totals, which we cover below.
Registered agent renewal: $125/year, and it matters
Every LLC needs a registered agent, and after the free first year Northwest's standalone registered agent service renews at $125 per year. That is the number to budget for every year after the first, and it is cheaper than most of the competition's equivalent service (see the comparison table below).
One useful detail: if you need registered agent coverage in five or more states, Northwest's reported price drops to $100 per state per year. If you are expanding across states, that is worth knowing.
Privacy protection: the real reason people pick Northwest
This is Northwest's strongest selling point and the reason privacy-focused founders choose it over cheaper options. The company states publicly that it does not sell customer data, and its Privacy by Default policy puts Northwest's address on your public filings rather than yours. You do not have to ask for it or pay extra; it simply happens.
Other formation services often share customer data with marketing partners, and some reserve address privacy for higher tiers or paid add-ons. If you run your business from home and do not want your personal address in public records, this is the feature that justifies the $39.
Checkout: genuinely no upsells
Multiple independent reviews confirm what Northwest advertises: the checkout flow has no required upsells and no sales calls. You can complete formation self-serve online without sitting through add-on offers. That is a meaningful difference from competitors whose $0 plans funnel you toward paid extras during signup.
Add-on prices, verified October 2026
The base package covers the essentials. If you need more, Northwest sells these as optional add-ons (prices reported October 2026):
- EIN (federal tax ID) filing: $50 for U.S. residents, $200 for non-U.S. residents. Remember that the IRS issues EINs for free through its own online application, so this is a convenience fee, not a requirement.
- Annual report filing: $100 plus the state fee.
- Foreign LLC registration: $225 plus state fees.
- Trademark service: $599, including the USPTO fee.
- Premium mail forwarding: $20/month. Virtual office: $29/month. Phone service: $9/month.
Year-one cost vs. Bizee and ZenBusiness
Headline prices lie. Here is what a comparable year-one bundle actually costs: formation plus the first year of registered agent service, an EIN, and an operating agreement. State filing fees are excluded because they are identical no matter which service you use.
| Provider | Formation fee | Registered agent (yr 1) | EIN | Operating agreement | Year-one total* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $39 | Included | $50 add-on | Included | $89 |
| Bizee (Basic + $99 bundle) | $0 | Included | $99 bundle (EIN + operating agreement + contracts) | $99 | |
| Bizee (Standard) | $199 | Included | Included | Included | $199 |
| ZenBusiness (Starter) | $0 | $199/yr add-on | $99 add-on | $99 add-on | $397 |
| ZenBusiness (Pro) | $199/yr | $199/yr add-on | Included | Included | $398 |
*Excludes the state filing fee, which is the same regardless of provider.
The takeaway: Northwest's $89 year-one total beats Bizee's cheapest bundled path ($99) and is dramatically cheaper than a comparable ZenBusiness setup (nearly $400). The $0 plans only win if you skip the registered agent and documents entirely, which is not really comparable.
Year two onward, the gap persists: Northwest's registered agent renews at $125/year, Bizee's renewal is reported between $119 and $149/year depending on the source (confirm before you file), and ZenBusiness charges $199/year for the registered agent add-on. ZenBusiness's Worry-Free Compliance also auto-renews at $199/year after the free first year, a charge many Starter customers do not expect.
Who should skip Northwest
Northwest is not for everyone. Consider alternatives if any of these apply:
- You need attorney access. Northwest does not bundle legal consultations; LegalZoom does (at a much higher price).
- You are a non-U.S. resident. The EIN add-on jumps to $200 for non-U.S. residents, which narrows the price advantage.
- You want a fully guided, app-first experience. ZenBusiness has the best dashboard and mobile app in the category, and that polish costs real money.
- You want the absolute lowest upfront number. Bizee's $0 Basic plan is genuinely free plus the state fee, as long as you are comfortable filing your own EIN and writing your own operating agreement.
Sources
- Northwest formation pricing ($39 + state fee, first year of registered agent included) and registered agent renewal ($125/yr): boostsuite.com/northwest-vs-zenbusiness
- Northwest formation cost confirmation and registered agent renewal: boostsuite.com/northwest-vs-corpnet
- Northwest add-on pricing (EIN $50 US / $200 non-US, annual report $100, trademark $599, mail forwarding $20/mo), privacy by default, $100/state multi-state rate, business identity package: wayiwork.com/perks/northwest-registered-agent
- Bizee plan pricing (Basic $0, Standard $199, Premium $299) and registered agent renewal ($119/yr): nerdwallet.com
- Bizee add-on pricing ($99 Premium Bundle, $70 standalone EIN, $99 standalone operating agreement): venturesmarter.com/bizee-review
- Bizee registered agent renewal ($149/yr per that source) and ZenBusiness Premium ($399/yr) comparison: venturesmarter.com/zenbusiness-vs-bizee
- ZenBusiness plan pricing (Starter $0, Pro $199/yr, Premium $349/$399) and registered agent add-on ($199/yr), Worry-Free Compliance auto-renewal ($199/yr): llc.org/review/zenbusiness