It’s a tough decision. One of the most important aspects to consider when looking into legal services is cost and quality, but which one do you choose? Nationwide incorporation or LegalZoom comparison will suit your needs best!
Important: As there are many other alternatives of LegalZoom also available in the market, don’t forget to check our reviewed and selected 6 best LLC services to help you decide better.
LegalZoom vs Nationwide Incorporators | Quick Comparison
| Features | LegalZoom | Nationwide Incorporators |
| Price & Packages | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Customer Support | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Turnaround Time | 4.1/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.3/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Registered Agent Services | 3.5/0 | 3.4/5 |
| Customers’ Review and Feedback | 4.3/5 | 4.0/5 |
How We Review & Compare LLC Services
Before we go into details, let us discover how we review and compare services. In this comparison, we’ll walk through the six main factors including some others you need to consider when choosing between LegalZoom and Nationwide Incorporators. The following 6 factors are what made up for our stress test:
- Company Reputation
- Customer Service
- Affordability (Prices & Packages)
- Registered Agent Service
- Ease of Use
- Customers Review & Feedback
Detailed Comparison: Side by Side
1. Company’s Reputation
Nationwide Incorporators
It was founded in 1997 and has provided reliable business services to more than 150,000 customers. Being a mid-sized company, it has fewer reviews, and the customer profile is relatively low compared to the number of years in the business.
Many newer companies such as Zenbusiness have helped more than 100,000 micro & small businesses formed during the COVID-19 pandemic only.
LegalZoom
Since its inception in 1999, LegalZoom has served 3.6 million customers. You can find plenty of reviews about this company; however, the reviews are of mixed nature.
Some customers are pretty happy with the services provided by LegalZoom, while some are dissatisfied.
2. Customer Support
Nationwide Incorporators
Nationwide Incorporators has incredible customer support, and you are just a phone call away from company owner Robert E. Stenson.
Mr. Stenson personally handles many steps of your LLC formation. He is available to answer any questions on phone calls from 9 am to 6 pm ET on weekdays.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom’s customer service department has helpful professionals answering their phones. However, given the huge customer load and owing it to being a large company, it’s no surprise that you will find some of their support representatives better than others.
LegalZoom goes a step ahead of the others when it comes to providing customer support. They have extended service hours, which run from 10 am-8 pm ET weekdays and 10 am-7 pm ET weekends.
3. Affordability
Nationwide Incorporators
Nationwide Incorporators charges a lot more than LegalZoom’s basic package and other LLC formation services.
For $200, they provide an attorney review process for all documents in their basic package. This way, they serve as a middle ground between simple LLC filing companies and the full-scale services of law firms.
However, you can not deny that their price for incorporation service is way high compared to many competitors.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom charges $79 for their basic plan, which is still higher than ZenBusiness, IncFile, IncAuthority, etc. But, if you compare the pricing of Nationwide Incorporators and LegalZoom, you will find LegalZoom cheaper.
However, LegalZoom has fewer features in advanced plans than Nationwide Incorporators, which provide more personalized services and features.
4. Ease of Use
Nationwide Incorporators
One thing that customers find annoying about Nationwide Incorporators is that many of their services operate on variable pricing models, and they’re also not available to purchase online. For example, the registered agent service can not be ordered using their online platform. Instead, you have to hire this service via phone call.
The website layout is also somewhat outdated. Its web pages can get cluttered with content and the overall design is not appealing to many of its users.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has a simple and user-friendly website. You can pick any service and order it online using that website. Moreover, unlike Nationwide Incorporators, you do not have to make a phone call for any service.
5. Registered Agent Services
Nationwide Incorporators
Nationwide Incorporators do not offer registered agent service in any of their tiers. You have to make a phone call to get a quote for a registered agent service. They do not expressly declare the cost of this service.
It is a negative point in Nationwide Incorporators’ favor as many of its competitors offer free registered agent service for a year in their basic package. You can also compare the prices of top-rated registered agent services as a separate feature.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom, too, does not offer registered agent service in its plans, and you have to order this service as an add-on.
However, you do not need to call separately to get this service; you can directly purchase it from the website for $299 per year. However, if you incorporate it into your formation bundle, the first year will cost you $159 for a registered agent service.
6. Customers’ Review and Feedback
Nationwide Incorporators
Despite spending almost 25 years in the industry, Nationwide Incorporators do not have many customer reviews on third-party review platforms. We found 4 reviews of Nationwide Incorporators on Yelp.
There were 0 reviews on Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has 3,500 reviews on BBB with a 4.4/5 stars rating. The reviews are of mixed nature: positive and negative. However, recently there has been a massive shift of feedback towards the positive side, showing that LegalZoom has improved its incorporation services.
On Trustpilot, LegalZoom has gotten 4.3/5 stars from 1046 reviews, while customer affairs has given them 4.6/5 stars from 692 reviews.
Some More Features to Look At
In addition to our 6 point litmus test, you should consider some more features before taking a final decision.
Turnaround Time
Concerning filing speed, you need to call the Nationwide Incorporators representative. There is no specific information on the website regarding the overall LLC turnaround time.
On the other hand, LegalZoom is more efficient as they have clearly mentioned on the website that their basic plan takes about 30 days while premium packages cover expedite LLC filing within 15 days or 7-10 days accordingly.
Features Included in the Basic Package
The low-tier package of Nationwide Incorporators, along with filing your article of organization with the state, also covers organizational minutes and operating agreement. Unfortunately, with LegalZoom, these features will come at an added cost which noticeably increases your total expenses.
However, LegalZoom offers a banking resolution that is needed to open business checking and savings accounts. Still, Nationwide Incorporators has an advantage over LegalZoom by providing unique attorney-reviewed service.
By incorporating with Nationwide Incorporators, all your formation documentation will be prepared and reviewed by a professional business attorney.
Price Comparison | Nationwide Incorporators vs LegalZoom
Basic Plan
| Features | LegalZoom | Nationwide Incorporators |
| Price | $79 + state fee | $200 + state fee |
| Turnaround Time | 30 days | Not specified |
| Operating Agreement | No | Sample customizable operating agreement |
| Documents Reviewed By Attorney | No | Yes |
| Organizational Minutes | No | Yes |
| Banking Resolution | Yes | No |
Middle Plan
| Features | LegalZoom | Nationwide Incorporators |
| Price | $329 + state fee | $425 + state fee |
| Turnaround time | 15 business days | Priority processing and delivery |
| Deluxe Organizer | Yes | No |
| Official Certificates and Seal | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Compliance | One month free ($320 per year afterward) | State-specific checklist |
| Operating Agreement | No | Yes |
| Customized Minutes book | No | Yes |
Top Plan
| Features | LegalZoom | Nationwide Incorporators |
| Price | $349 + state fee | $475 + state fee |
| Turnaround time | 7-10 business days | Priority processing and delivery |
| Express Shipping | Yes | No |
| EIN Filing | No | Yes |
| Deluxe Organizer | Yes | Yes |
| Official Certificates and Seal | Yes | Yes |
Any Better Alternative?
If you are looking for comprehensive LLC services with a personalized legal touch, try BetterLegal, which also offers a $30 discount.
However, if you are looking for premium LLC services and want to enjoy all the perks at a single place, there is no better company than ZenBusiness.
Which LLC Service Is Better?
There are several things to consider when deciding which formation company you want for your new LLC. As mentioned earlier, in this quest, there is no right and wrong choice. LegalZoom and Nationwide Incorporators offer quality services that will get the job done, but each has its own unique selling point.
The final decision only depends upon your specific business situation. Let us make a final note on that.
Choose LegalZoom:
If you prefer brand power, appreciate the experience, and premium service, go with LegalZoom.
It covers the basic set of features at lower price points. As a reputable LLC formation service with a 3.5 million customer profile, it has all chances to work best for you.
Choose Nationwide Incorporators:
If the “Attorney-Powered” logo appeals to you and you need personalized legal assistance while forming an LLC, pick you Nationwide Incorporators. Here, all your formation documents will be drafted, checked, and filed by an experienced business lawyer.
You do not need to go anywhere for a personalized professional approach. Just pay some extra bucks, and get the advice from company specialists from time to time.
Aisha Noreen is an owner of a small business with more than 9 years of experience in the marketing industry. With the wisdom of an old soul, she always seeks innovation and mind-blowing ROI techniques. Her unique approach helped many small businesses thrive and she can surprise you in many ways as well. Believe it or not, her energy, passion, and creativity are contagious enough to transform your business and take it to another level.
