5 months ago · Updated 4 days ago
How we research: We compare the public pricing, plan details and terms published on each provider's website. We have not purchased these services, so scores and rankings are our editorial opinion, not customer ratings. Prices change; confirm the current offer with the provider. Some links on this page are affiliate links — see our affiliate disclosure.
Northwest vs Bizee comes down to one real trade-off: Bizee costs less upfront and over time, while Northwest delivers better privacy, stronger registered agent service, and a checkout experience that doesn't push you to spend more. Both form LLCs in all 50 states. Both include registered agent service free for year one. The difference is in what happens after the sale.
If you want the lowest first-year cost and don't mind reviewing optional add-ons, Bizee's free Basic plan fits. If privacy or registered agent quality matters to you, Northwest is worth the extra $6 a year on renewal.
Quick Verdict: Northwest vs Bizee
Northwest wins on privacy, registered agent quality, and checkout experience. Bizee wins on price — both year one and ongoing. Neither is the wrong choice; it depends on what you're optimizing for.
Northwest vs Bizee at a Glance
Here's how the two services compare across the categories that matter most for most LLC owners.
| Category | Northwest | Bizee | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation fee | $39 + state fee | $0 + state fee | Bizee |
| RA Year 1 | Free (included) | Free (included) | Tie |
| RA Year 2+ | $125/yr | $149/yr | Northwest |
| 3-year total cost | $289 + state fees | $298 + state fees | Northwest |
| Privacy protection | Privacy by Default | Standard | Northwest |
| Registered agent | In-house | Outsourced | Northwest |
| Add-ons at checkout | Single published plan | Optional add-ons offered | Northwest |
| Customer support | Dedicated Corporate Guide | Generic team, M–F only | Northwest |
| BBB profile | Check current BBB profile | Check current BBB profile | — |
| Processing time | 2–3 weeks | 3–4 weeks | Northwest |
| Dashboard / UX | Functional, older UI | Modern, clean | Bizee |
| Operating since | 1998 | 2004 (as Incfile) | Northwest |
Pricing Comparison
Bizee costs less in year one, and Northwest costs less from year two. The formation fee is $0 (vs $39 for Northwest), but registered agent renewal is $149/yr (vs $125/yr). Over three years, Northwest comes out $9 lower. The totals are close, so the difference is mostly when you pay: Bizee costs less at the start, Northwest costs less each year after.
Year-by-Year Cost Breakdown
| Year | Northwest | Bizee Basic | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $39 + state fee | $0 + state fee | Bizee saves $39 |
| Year 2 | $125 | $149 | Northwest saves $24 |
| Year 3 | $125 | $149 | Northwest saves $24 |
| 3-Year Total | $289 | $298 | Northwest saves $9 |
State filing fees are identical regardless of which service you use — they go directly to the state. The only difference is the service fee.
Bizee Paid Plans
Bizee also offers paid tiers if you want extras bundled: Standard at $199 adds EIN filing, a customized operating agreement, and a banking resolution. Premium at $299 adds expedited filing and digital tools. For most people starting an LLC, the free Basic plan covers everything you actually need — EIN is free from the IRS, and operating agreements don't require a paid service.
What You Actually Get With Northwest
Northwest charges $39 and includes registered agent service free for year one, a free operating agreement, privacy protection on state filings, a free domain and business email address, and a dedicated Corporate Guide assigned to your account. One published formation price.
The registered agent service is handled in-house — Northwest has registered agent coverage in all 50 states. When legal documents arrive, their team handles them directly. No third-party relay.
Their "Privacy by Default" policy means they use their own business address on public state filings whenever possible, keeping your home address out of searchable state records. For most solo founders and freelancers, that's a meaningful protection that other services charge extra for or don't offer at all.
- Privacy by Default — their address on filings
- In-house registered agent, all 50 states
- Flat published formation price
- Dedicated Corporate Guide
- Free operating agreement, domain, email
- a BBB profile that should be checked directly, in business since 1998
- $39 upfront (Bizee is $0)
- Older dashboard UI
- No live chat support
- 2–3 week standard processing
For a full breakdown of every fee and add-on, see our Northwest Registered Agent review.
What You Actually Get With Bizee
Bizee (formerly Incfile until 2023) lets you form an LLC for $0 plus the state filing fee. The free Basic plan includes registered agent service for the first year, compliance reminders, and access to their client dashboard. Over a million businesses have been formed through the platform since 2004.
The trade-off is the checkout experience. Bizee offers optional add-ons during checkout, such as EIN filing ($70, though it's free from the IRS), operating agreement add-ons, and compliance services. You can decline all of them, but you need to know to do that.
The registered agent service is outsourced to a third party, which is worth knowing if you ever need to resolve a document handling issue quickly. Support is available Monday through Friday, 9am–6pm CST by phone or live chat — no weekend availability.
- $0 formation fee on Basic plan
- RA included free Year 1, then $149/yr
- Modern, clean dashboard
- 1M+ businesses formed
- Live chat support available
- Optional add-ons offered during checkout
- Registered agent is outsourced
- BBB profile worth checking before you buy
- Auto-renews RA — requires credit card upfront
- No dedicated account representative
- No weekend phone support
See the full picture in our Bizee review, including a look at the add-ons offered at checkout.
Registered Agent Comparison
Both services include registered agent service free for year one. After that, Bizee charges $149/yr and Northwest charges $125/yr. The price difference is small. The quality difference is more meaningful.
Northwest handles registered agent services entirely in-house. They have registered agent coverage in all 50 states, and the people receiving your legal documents are Northwest employees. If something arrives — a lawsuit, a state notice, a compliance document — it goes to their staff directly.
Bizee outsources this to a third-party provider. That's not automatically bad, but it adds a relay step. If there's ever a time-sensitive document or a handling issue, you're dealing with a company that's two degrees removed from your account.
For a deeper look at what registered agent service actually does and why it matters, see our guide to the best registered agent services.
Privacy Comparison
Northwest's Privacy by Default policy is the clearest differentiator in this comparison. When you form an LLC through Northwest, they use their business address on public state filings wherever the state allows it. Your home address stays off the record. If you're a solo founder working from home, that's not a small thing — state business registrations are public documents, searchable by anyone.
Bizee doesn't offer equivalent privacy protection. Your address goes on the filing. That's standard for most formation services, but it means you're either using your home address (which becomes public) or paying extra for a virtual address add-on.
Customer Support Comparison
Northwest assigns each customer a dedicated Corporate Guide — a real person on their team who handles your account. You can reach them by phone or email, and they stay with you through the formation process and after. The support model is built around preventing problems rather than handling complaints.
Bizee offers phone and live chat support Monday through Friday, 9am–6pm CST. No weekend availability. Support is handled by a general team rather than a dedicated rep, which means you may get different people on different calls. For routine questions, that's fine. For something time-sensitive or complicated, the difference shows.
Add-ons and Checkout Experience
This is where the two services diverge most visibly. Northwest's checkout is one screen. You enter your LLC information, pay $39, and you're done. There are optional add-ons available, but they're not pushed during the process.
Bizee's checkout offers optional add-ons. Common add-ons include:
- EIN filing — $70. The IRS issues EINs for free at IRS.gov. You don't need to pay for this.
- Operating agreement — $40–$99. Northwest includes one free. You can also find templates online.
- Annual compliance service — $99/yr. Bizee will remind you about annual report deadlines either way. This is not required.
- Expedited processing — $75. Included free in Northwest's $39 formation in states that allow it.
If you use Bizee's free Basic plan and decline every add-on, you get a solid formation service. The challenge is knowing which ones to skip. For anyone new to LLC formation, the add-on options can be confusing and add to the cost if you're not paying attention.
Ease of Use for Beginners
Bizee has the more modern interface. The formation wizard walks you through each step with clear labels and tooltips. The dashboard for managing your LLC after formation is clean and easy to navigate. If you've never formed a business before, Bizee's UI is genuinely easier to use.
Northwest's platform is functional but older. The formation process is simple because there's less to it — a single published price means fewer decisions. The dashboard works but doesn't have the polish of Bizee's. For most people, that's fine. You log in a handful of times a year to check on compliance reminders.
Not sure which structure is right for your situation? The free LLC tool asks a few questions about your business and gives you a personalized recommendation in under two minutes.
Real User Scenarios: Who Should Pick Which
The right choice depends on what you're actually trying to solve. Here's how each service fits six common situations.
Pros and Cons Summary
Northwest Registered Agent
Bizee
Northwest Is Better If…
Northwest makes more sense when the $39 upfront fee is not the primary concern and you want a cleaner, more protected experience.
- Your home address is your only option — Northwest keeps it off public records automatically
- You want a service that won't try to sell you things mid-checkout
- You're a non-US resident who needs a reliable US presence for legal documents
- You want to talk to the same person every time you call
- You're forming your first LLC and want the process to be straightforward
- You plan to maintain registered agent service long-term — the quality of in-house service matters more over time
Bizee Is Better If…
Bizee is the right call when price is the deciding factor and you're comfortable navigating a more commercial checkout flow.
- You want to minimize Year 1 costs and the $39 difference matters to your budget
- You prefer a modern dashboard for managing documents and compliance
- You've formed an LLC before and know which add-ons to skip
- You want live chat available (though not on weekends)
- You plan to cancel registered agent service after year one and handle it separately
Final Verdict
Northwest wins on everything except price. Bizee wins on price. That's the honest summary.
For most people forming their first LLC — especially if you work from home or care about privacy — Northwest is the better choice. The $39 fee is a one-time cost, and what you get in return (privacy protection, in-house registered agent, dedicated support) is worth more than the small price difference between the two over three years.
If your primary goal is the lowest first-year cost and you're comfortable skipping the add-ons Bizee will push during checkout, the free Basic plan is a legitimate option. Just set a reminder before the registered agent auto-renewal kicks in.
See how both compare to other formation services in our best LLC services roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Northwest better than Bizee?
Northwest is better for privacy protection, registered agent quality, and a clean checkout experience. Bizee is lower on first-year price ($39 less upfront), while Northwest's registered agent renewal is $24/yr lower. Which is "better" depends on what you're optimizing for. If privacy or service quality matters, Northwest. If cost is the main concern, Bizee Basic.
Is Bizee cheaper than Northwest?
In year one, yes: Bizee's Basic plan is $0 formation (vs $39 for Northwest). After that, Bizee's registered agent is $149/yr (vs $125/yr), so over three years Northwest costs $9 less. State filing fees are the same regardless of which service you use.
Does Northwest include registered agent service?
Yes. The $39 formation fee includes registered agent service free for the first year. After that, it renews at $125/yr. Northwest handles registered agent services in-house across all 50 states.
Does Bizee include registered agent service?
Yes. All Bizee plans — including the free Basic plan — include registered agent service free for the first year. After that, it renews automatically at $149/yr. Note that Bizee requires a credit card upfront to activate the free year, and you must actively cancel before renewal if you don't want to continue.
Which is better for privacy?
Northwest. Their "Privacy by Default" policy means they use their own business address on public state filings wherever the state allows, keeping your home address out of searchable public records. Bizee doesn't offer equivalent privacy protection — your address goes on the filing by default.
Which is better for non-US residents?
Northwest is generally the better choice for non-residents. Their privacy protection keeps your foreign address out of public state records, and their in-house registered agent service means legal documents are handled reliably by their own staff. Both services form LLCs for non-residents in all 50 states.
Which one offers fewer add-ons at checkout?
Northwest. Its published formation price is $39 plus the state fee. Bizee's checkout includes multiple prompts for EIN filing ($70, though free from the IRS), operating agreements, annual compliance services, and expedited processing. You can decline all of them, but they're pushed throughout the process.
Can I switch from Bizee to Northwest later?
Yes. You can change your registered agent at any time by filing a change with your state's Secretary of State — typically a small fee ($5–$50 depending on the state). Your LLC stays the same; you're just switching who receives legal correspondence on your behalf.
Are Northwest and Bizee legit?
Yes. Northwest has been in business since 1998, holds a a BBB profile that should be checked directly, and has registered agent coverage in all 50 states. Bizee (formerly Incfile) has been operating since 2004 and has formed over one million businesses. Both are legitimate formation services. Northwest has the stronger reputation for customer satisfaction; Bizee's current BBB profile should be checked directly because ratings and complaint patterns change.
Which LLC service should beginners choose?
Northwest. For someone forming their first LLC, the single published price removes a lot of confusion. You pay $39, provide your information, and the process is done. Bizee's free plan is a good deal if you know what to skip — but for beginners who don't know that EIN filing is free or that the compliance add-on isn't required, the add-ons can add up quickly.