You finally launched the side hustle. Now a client, a supplier, or a bank wants to see an actual business entity, not just your name on an invoice.
Inc Authority promises to form that LLC for $0, plus whatever your state charges. In this Inc Authority review, I’ll walk through what’s actually free, the one part of the offer you need to watch closely, and how it stacks up against ZenBusiness and LegalZoom.
Short on time? Jump straight to my verdict.
What Is Inc Authority?
Inc Authority is a business formation service that’s been operating since 1989, filing LLCs and corporations for entrepreneurs across all 50 states. They say they’ve helped over 500,000 business owners get started.
They hold a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot from over 49,000 reviews, and a 4.9-star rating on Google from nearly 11,000 reviews. Forbes Advisor lists them as a top pick for free LLC formation.
Their pitch is simple: they’ll form your LLC or corporation for $0 in service fees. You only pay the state filing fee, which every formation service has to charge no matter who you use, because it goes to the government, not the company.
What’s Actually Free (and What Isn’t)
Included at no charge:
- LLC or corporation filing with your state
- Business name availability check
- EIN / federal tax ID
- Registered agent service for the first year
- 24-hour processing
- Digital document delivery and cloud storage
- A tax planning consultation and a business credit/funding review
What you pay: the mandatory state filing fee (varies by state, typically $50 to $500, and this goes to the government regardless of which formation service you use). Everything beyond that first year of registered agent service is optional: legal document packages, S-Corp election filing, a personal banker or dedicated advisor, business credit building, trademark filing, and website or marketing packages are all sold separately if you want them.
The One Thing to Watch: Registered Agent Auto-Renewal
This is the part most people miss, and it’s the reason I’d caution you before you assume the whole thing stays free forever.
Your first year of registered agent service is included. According to LLC University’s review of the signup flow, unlike the EIN step (which lets you opt out), there’s no “no thanks” option for the registered agent service during checkout. And once that first year ends, it renews automatically, with LLC University reporting a $179 per year renewal price.
That price isn’t published on Inc Authority’s own site as far as I could find, which matches a pattern other reviewers have flagged: the free filing itself is genuinely transparent, but ongoing subscription pricing is not front and center. Confirm the current renewal price directly with Inc Authority before you sign up, and set a calendar reminder a month before your first year ends so you can cancel or switch to a different registered agent if you don’t want to keep paying.
Inc Authority vs. ZenBusiness vs. LegalZoom
Inc Authority publishes its own comparison table, and the numbers are worth knowing, though keep in mind this is their own vendor-published data, so double-check current competitor pricing yourself before repeating these figures.
By Inc Authority’s own comparison: LegalZoom lists around $378 plus state fees ($0 filing, $299 registered agent, $99 tax ID). ZenBusiness lists around $298 plus state fees ($0 filing, $199 registered agent, $99 tax ID). Inc Authority lists $0 plus state fees for the same three items.
If ZenBusiness is the one you’re weighing most seriously, I’ve covered their pricing, what’s actually included free, and whether the reviews hold up in a full ZenBusiness review.
The catch, based on what I found above, is that Inc Authority’s $0 registered agent is only free for year one, while LegalZoom and ZenBusiness’s listed registered agent prices in that comparison may reflect their own first-year or ongoing rates differently. Compare the actual renewal terms of whichever service you’re considering, not just the year-one sticker price.
Is Inc Authority Legit?
Yes. It’s a real company with over three decades in business, a large volume of verifiable reviews, and Forbes recognition. The core free-filing offer is exactly what it claims to be.
The complaints that do show up in reviews and on forums center on what happens after the free filing: sales calls and emails pushing the paid add-ons, and frustration from customers who didn’t realize the registered agent service would auto-renew at a cost. None of that makes the company illegitimate, but it does mean you should treat the signup flow the way you’d treat any free trial: know what you’re agreeing to before you click through.
Who Should Use Inc Authority
Good fit if you’re turning a side hustle into a real business and want the LLC paperwork handled without paying $300+ in service fees to do it. This is exactly the point a lot of dropshipping and affiliate side hustles reach: you need the LLC for a business bank account, a supplier’s wholesale application, or basic liability protection, and there’s no reason to overpay for that specific task.
Skip it, or at least go in with eyes open, if you know you’ll forget to cancel a subscription you don’t need. If a $179 forgotten renewal a year from now would actually bother you, put the cancellation date in your calendar the day you sign up.
Inc Authority: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Genuinely $0 in service fees for the core LLC/corp filing, EIN, and first-year registered agent
- 4.9-star ratings across both Trustpilot and Google, at high review volumes
- Fast processing, typically a few business days
- Recognized by Forbes Advisor for free LLC formation
- No pressure to buy add-ons to get the free filing itself completed
Cons
- Registered agent renewal pricing isn’t published upfront on their own site
- No opt-out for the registered agent service during signup, unlike the EIN step
- Expect follow-up sales calls and emails about paid add-ons
- Premium services (tax prep, business credit, trademarks) are priced and sold separately, so the “one-stop shop” framing can get expensive if you say yes to everything
My Verdict: Is Inc Authority Worth It?
For the specific job of forming an LLC without paying $300+ in service fees, yes. The free filing is real, the inc Authority reviews back up the service quality, and for a side hustle that just needs to become a legal entity, it does exactly what it promises.
Just don’t treat it as a fully hands-off, forget-about-it service. Know what the registered agent renewal will cost before your free year ends, and say no to any add-on you’re not actually ready to use.
Start your free LLC with Inc Authority
Inc Authority FAQ
Is Inc Authority legit?
Yes. It’s been in business since 1989, holds a 4.9-star rating on both Trustpilot and Google across tens of thousands of reviews, and is recognized by Forbes Advisor for free LLC formation.
Is Inc Authority really free?
The LLC or corporation filing itself is $0 in service fees, plus your state’s mandatory filing fee. The first year of registered agent service is also included. After that first year, the registered agent service renews at a cost, so confirm the current renewal price before signing up.
How much does Inc Authority cost after the free year?
Reported registered agent renewal pricing is around $179 per year, based on third-party review sites, since Inc Authority doesn’t publish this figure on its own site. Confirm the current price directly before you rely on this number.
Inc Authority vs ZenBusiness: which is better?
Both offer $0 LLC filing. The difference shows up in registered agent and add-on pricing after the first year, so compare current renewal terms for both rather than just the signup price.
Inc Authority vs LegalZoom: which is better?
LegalZoom charges for LLC filing and registered agent services that Inc Authority includes free for the first year. LegalZoom has broader legal-service offerings beyond formation, so the right choice depends on whether you need more than a basic LLC filed.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you form your business through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services I believe are worth considering, and I’ve shared the trade-offs here so you can decide for yourself.
