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Competitive Pricing Analysis — US Formation, Canadian Formation & Registered Agents
Last updated: 2026-04-05 Sources: Direct website fetches (LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, Tailor Brands, Harbor Compliance) + industry research Purpose: Inform Performance West pricing strategy for US formations, Canadian formations, and registered agent services
US LLC Formation — Competitor Pricing
The "$0 + State Fees" Race
Most major competitors now offer a $0 base-tier formation. The real revenue comes from recurring subscriptions (RA, compliance), upsells (EIN, OA, rush processing), and auto-renewing annual plans that customers forget to cancel.
Competitor Breakdown
ZenBusiness (verified from website)
| Tier | Price | Renews At | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 + state fees | Does not renew | Articles filing, name search, 7-10 day processing, 50% off 1st yr compliance |
| Pro | $199 + state fees | $199/yr | Starter + OA template + EIN + 1-day processing + logo builder |
| Premium | $399 + state fees | $399/yr | Pro + RA + advanced compliance + business advisor consult |
Add-ons: EIN $99, rush processing $79, Worry-Free Compliance $199/yr, Advanced Compliance $299/yr, business document templates $99
Key insight: ZenBusiness's Pro at $199/yr auto-renews. Year 1 customer pays $199; year 2 they pay another $199 even if they don't need anything. The $0 Starter is a lead-gen funnel — most upsell to Pro during checkout.
LegalZoom (verified from website)
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 + state fees | Articles only, name check, tax consult |
| Pro | $249 + state fees | Basic + OA + EIN + 30-day attorney access (auto-renews at $49/mo) |
| Premium | $299 + state fees | Pro + RA (1yr) + eSignatures (1yr) + Wix website + compliance alerts |
Key insight: LegalZoom is the premium brand but their $249 Pro tier includes a $49/mo attorney subscription that auto-renews. Many customers don't realize they're signing up for a recurring charge. Their Premium at $299 is actually reasonable given it includes RA.
Tailor Brands (verified from website)
| Tier | Price | Renews At | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $0 + state fees | N/A | Articles, 14-day processing, business coaching |
| Essential | $199/yr + state fees | $199/yr | Lite + OA + compliance + 1-day processing |
| Elite | $249/yr + state fees | $249/yr | Essential + domain + website + branding tools |
Key insight: Tailor Brands is a branding/website company that added LLC formation. Their value prop is design tools, not legal expertise.
Northwest Registered Agent
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Single tier | $39 + state fees | Articles + 1yr RA included + OA + mail forwarding |
Key insight: Northwest is the value leader. $39 flat, no tiers, no upsells, includes 1yr RA. They make money on RA renewals ($125/yr). Very transparent pricing — no hidden subscriptions. Popular with informed customers who've researched.
Bizee (formerly Incfile)
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 + state fees | Articles + 1yr RA free |
| Pro | $199 + state fees | Basic + OA + EIN + banking resolution |
| Premium | $349 + state fees | Pro + expedited + business docs + domain |
Key insight: Bizee offers free 1st-year RA with every formation, even the $0 tier. Revenue comes from RA renewals ($119/yr) and upsells.
Swyft Filings
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 + state fees | Articles + name check |
| Standard | $199 + state fees | Basic + EIN + OA + 1yr RA free |
| Premium | $299 + state fees | Standard + FedEx delivery + website + business license report |
Inc Authority
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 + state fees | Articles only |
| Starter | $199 + state fees | Free + EIN + OA |
| Executive | $399 + state fees | Starter + expedited + docs + compliance |
Rocket Lawyer
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Members | $0 formation ($39.99/mo membership) | RA included, all legal docs included |
| Non-members | $99.99 + state fees | One-time, no membership |
Key insight: Subscription model. The "free" formation requires a $39.99/mo membership that most people forget to cancel. Very profitable model.
CorpNet
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $79 + state fees | Articles + name check |
| Deluxe | $179 + state fees | Basic + EIN + OA + 1yr RA |
| Complete | $249 + state fees | Deluxe + compliance + custom docs |
US Registered Agent — Competitor Pricing
| Service | First Year | Annual Renewal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest RA | $125 | $125 | Included free with $39 formation. Flat, transparent. |
| ZenBusiness | Included in Premium | $199/yr | Not sold standalone — bundled with compliance |
| LegalZoom | Included in Premium | $249/yr | Also sold standalone at $249/yr |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $149 | Standalone RA specialist. SOC 2 certified. Entity Manager software. |
| Bizee | Free (with any formation) | $119/yr | Loss-leader first year |
| Swyft Filings | Free (with Standard+) | $149/yr | |
| Inc Authority | $99 | $99 | Cheapest ongoing |
| CorpNet | $149 | $149 | |
| CSC Global | $299 | $299 | Enterprise/corporate. 50-state coverage. |
| CT Corporation | $310 | $310 | Law firm focused. Oldest RA service. |
| Cogency Global | ~$200 | ~$200 | Mid-market corporate |
| Registered Agents Inc. | $99 | $99 | Budget option |
Market range: $99-$310/yr. Most popular price point: $125-$149/yr.
Performance West at $99/yr is at market floor — matching Harbor Compliance's first-year rate and undercutting Northwest RA ($125), Swyft ($149), and CorpNet ($149). Wyoming at $49/yr is the cheapest RA in the market.
US Annual Report Filing — Competitor Pricing
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness Worry-Free Compliance | $199/yr | Includes annual report + compliance alerts |
| ZenBusiness Advanced Compliance | $299/yr | Worry-Free + advanced monitoring |
| LegalZoom Compliance | Part of Premium ($299 formation) | Annual report reminders (not filing) |
| Harbor Compliance | $99/yr + state fees | Actual filing service |
| Northwest RA | $100/report + state fees | Per-filing basis |
| Bizee | ~$99/yr | Part of compliance package |
| Inc Authority | $99/yr |
Performance West at $99/yr for annual report filing is at market rate. Our $199/yr maintenance bundle (AR + RA) is competitive with ZenBusiness's $199 Worry-Free Compliance but includes more (RA renewal).
Canadian Formation — Competitor Pricing
The Canadian market is much smaller than US formation. Fewer competitors, higher prices, less automation. Most are Ontario-focused.
Canadian Competitor Breakdown
Ownr (by RBC — largest Canadian competitor)
| Service | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal incorporation | C$499 + gov fees (~C$200) | Articles, bylaws, CRA BN, minute book, 1yr RA |
| Ontario incorporation | C$499 + gov fees (~C$360) | Same as federal but Ontario-specific |
| BC incorporation | C$499 + gov fees (~C$350) | Same |
| Alberta incorporation | C$499 + gov fees (~C$275) | Same |
| Annual renewal | C$49/yr | Maintain registered office, document storage |
Key insight: Ownr is owned by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada). Digital-first, self-service platform. C$499 is ~US$390 — very close to our $399 Complete tier. Their C$49/yr renewal (~US$38) is much cheaper than our $199/yr maintenance, BUT it only includes address service, not actual annual report filing.
Ontario Business Central
| Service | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Standard | C$499 + C$360 gov fee | Articles, bylaws, resolutions, certificate |
| Ontario Premium | C$699 + C$360 gov fee | Standard + minute book + corporate seal + register setup |
| Minute book add-on | C$99 | Physical minute book binder |
| Corporate seal | C$49 | Traditional embossed seal |
Key insight: Traditional service. C$499 (~US$390) for a basic Ontario incorporation. No tech platform — human-processed orders.
OnCorp (Dye & Durham)
| Service | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario incorporation | C$399 + gov fees | Articles, certificate, initial return |
| Federal incorporation | C$399 + gov fees | Articles, certificate |
| Premium packages | C$599-799 + gov fees | Above + minute book + RA + compliance |
Key insight: Part of Dye & Durham (legal tech conglomerate). C$399 (~US$312) is the price floor for Canadian service providers.
Legalinc / Online incorporation services
| Service | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Ontario | C$399-599 + gov fees | Articles + certificate |
| Premium Ontario | C$699-999 + gov fees | Articles + bylaws + minute book + RA |
| Basic BC | C$399-599 + gov fees | Similar structure |
Law Firms (traditional)
| Service | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario incorporation | C$1,000-3,000 + gov fees | Includes legal advice, custom articles, shareholder agreements |
| BC incorporation | C$1,500-3,000 + gov fees | Higher due to fewer automated providers |
| Federal incorporation | C$1,500-2,500 + gov fees | Often includes multi-province registration advice |
DIY (Government Direct)
| Jurisdiction | Gov Fee | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Federal (CBCA) | C$200 | Corporations Canada Online Filing Centre |
| Ontario | C$360 | Ontario Business Registry |
| BC | C$350 | BC Corporate Online |
| Alberta | C$275 | Alberta Corporate Registry |
Canadian Registered Agent / Registered Office — Pricing
Canadian corporations must maintain a registered office (not the same as US "registered agent" but functionally similar — an address where legal notices can be served).
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ownr | C$49/yr | Basic address service only |
| Ontario Business Central | C$199/yr | Full registered office |
| OnCorp | ~C$150/yr | Part of annual packages |
| Virtual office (Regus, WeWork) | C$100-300/mo | Full virtual office, overkill for RA |
| Anytime Mailbox (BC) | C$156-240/yr | Our current approach |
| Anytime Mailbox (ON) | C$96-168/yr | Toronto from C$7.99/mo |
| Law firm | C$200-500/yr | Often bundled with annual filings |
Competitive Position — Performance West
US Formation
| Tier | PW Price | Market Range | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $179 | $0-$99 | Above market. Most competitors offer $0 basic. We don't do loss-leader pricing — our $179 includes actual human review and quality filing. |
| Complete | $399 | $199-$399 | At market ceiling. Same as ZenBusiness Premium. But we include EIN + OA + RA (ZenBusiness charges $199/yr that auto-renews). |
| RA | $99/yr (WY: $49) | $99-$310/yr | At market floor. Matches Harbor Compliance first-year rate. Below Northwest ($125). Wyoming at $49 is cheapest in the market. |
| Annual Report | $99/yr | $99-$199/yr | At market floor. Good value. |
| EIN | $49 | $70-$99 | Below market. ZenBusiness $99, LegalZoom included only in Pro $249. |
| Operating Agreement | $99 | $0-$99 | At market. Many include in mid-tier; we include in Complete. |
| Maintenance Bundle | $179/yr | $199-$299/yr | Below market. ZenBusiness Worry-Free is $199 and doesn't include RA. Ours does at $179. |
| Free DID | $0 (with formation + RA) | Not offered by competitors | Unique perk. No competitor offers a free phone number with formation. |
Honest assessment: Our $179 Basic is above the $0 crowd. This is intentional — we don't use loss-leader tactics with hidden subscriptions. Customers who find us are generally comparing against the real cost of ZenBusiness ($0 + $199/yr Pro renewal + $199/yr RA = $398 year 1, $398/yr ongoing) or LegalZoom ($249 + $49/mo attorney = $837 year 1).
Our Complete at $399 is genuinely all-inclusive with no surprise renewals beyond RA ($99/yr) and optional maintenance ($179/yr).
Canadian Formation
| Tier | PW Price | Market Range (CAD) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation | C$449 + gov fees + AMB | C$399-599 | Competitive. Below Ownr (C$499) before AMB. Includes minutes + binder + compliance calendar. AMB mailbox billed separately (~C$96-240/yr). |
| CRA BN | $49 | C$0 (DIY) - C$99 | Fair. Ownr includes BN; we charge $49 add-on. |
| Maintenance | $179/yr | C$49-199/yr | Above Ownr's C$49/yr, but we actually file the annual return — they just hold your address. |
| Free DID | $0 (with formation + RA) | Not offered | Unique perk. Free Canadian phone number with formation + ongoing RA. |
Honest assessment: Our C$449 is below Ownr (C$499) and includes significantly more (AMB mailbox, organizational minutes, corporate binder, compliance calendar with automated reminders). Ownr is RBC-backed with a big marketing budget. Our advantage: we serve non-Canadian clients who need Canadian corps for business purposes (telecom carriers, international trade), which Ownr doesn't specifically market to.
The $179/yr maintenance is higher than Ownr's C$49/yr but we do the work (file the annual return) vs just storing documents.
CRTC Carrier Package
No direct competitor comparison — this is a unique product. The closest alternatives:
- Canadian telecom law firm: C$10,000-25,000+ for CRTC registration assistance
- DIY: Free (just mail a letter to CRTC) but requires Canadian corporation, registered office, understanding of CRTC process, BITS affidavit, CCTS membership, etc.
- Our $3,899 USD package is a turnkey solution with no comparable competitor
Pricing Recommendations
Current pricing (updated 2026-04-05):
- US Basic: $179 (above $0 crowd, justified by human review and quality filing)
- US Complete: $399 (matches ZenBusiness Premium, genuinely all-inclusive)
- US RA: $99/yr (at market floor — matches Harbor Compliance first-year; Wyoming $49)
- US Annual Report: $99/yr (market rate)
- US EIN: $49 (below market — good value signal)
- US Maintenance Bundle: $179/yr (below ZenBusiness $199, and ours includes RA)
- CA Formation: C$449 (below Ownr C$499, includes more)
- CRTC: $3,899 (unique product, no competitor comparison)
- Free DID: unique perk — no competitor offers this
Key Takeaways
-
The $0 formation is a marketing gimmick. Real cost of ZenBusiness "free" LLC: $0 + $199/yr Pro (auto-renews) + $199/yr RA = $398/yr ongoing. Our $179 one-time + $99/yr RA = $278 total year 1, $99/yr ongoing. We're actually cheaper long-term.
-
Registered agent is where the money is. Every competitor gives away formation to lock in recurring RA fees. Our $99/yr is at market floor (Wyoming $49 is the cheapest).
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Canadian market is underserved. Ownr (C$499) is the only tech-forward competitor. Law firms charge C$1,500+. Our C$449 undercuts Ownr with better deliverables. We dominate the "non-Canadian needing a Canadian corp" niche.
-
Annual compliance is the second recurring stream. ZenBusiness charges $199-299/yr just for reminders. We charge $179/yr and actually file the reports + include RA renewal.
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Nobody offers CRTC carrier registration. This is our moat. The $3,899 package has zero direct competitors in the online formation space.
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Free DID is a unique differentiator. No competitor offers a free phone number with formation. This drives RA renewal stickiness — lose the RA, lose the free number.