No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee ($234 due at checkout)
Score9.2out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. The Montana formation, the registered agent and the annual report all fall under one $199 charge.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the annual report for you. Montana charges $20 every year for it, due April 15, and lateness adds $15; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
Its three-year total exceeds Montana Registered Agent.co's by $200; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The formation document prepared and filed on your behalf
- Registered agent service for the year
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
- Montana's fee is passed along at cost
- Covers the EIN application
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above Montana Registered Agent.co's
No.2
Best value here
2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a Montana LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: Montana Registered Agent.co. Its Montana formation is $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Montana every year.
In the price
- The formation filing
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- $199 to form the LLC, state fee on top
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best local option
3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for a filing made only in Montana
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: Registered Agent MT.org. Its Montana formation is $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Montana every year.
Registered Agent MT.org mirrors Montana Registered Agent.co on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.
In the price
- The formation filing
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- Formation at $199, with the filing fee extra
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.2 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | Montana Registered Agent.co | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | A Montana business holding down its costs | Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Registered Agent MT.org | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | A Montana business holding down its costs | Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
Montana LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the annual report |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
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| Montana Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Registered Agent MT.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Montana's $35 filing fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The decisive criterion in Montana was work taken off the founder. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
Montana requires a report every year at a state fee of $20, with $15 added for lateness. Mainstay's price includes the filing and Montana Registered Agent.co's does not, and that coverage outweighed Montana Registered Agent.co's lower three-year cost.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The Montana LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State, budget $35. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Obligations after the Montana filing is accepted
File the annual report every year; the date is April 15. $20 goes to the state. Filing late adds $15. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on Montana LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in Montana?
The state filing fee is $35; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization, lodged with the Montana Secretary of State.
Does a Montana LLC have to name a registered agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a registered agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in Montana.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the annual report, filed every year, due April 15, at a state fee of $20.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which Montana LLC service does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since a single yearly charge of $199 covers the Montana formation, a year as your registered agent and the annual report, then renews at $199.
The record
- Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee sheet: standard annual report fee, on the record as of October 2026
- Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Montana report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201, on the record as of August 2026
- Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Montana registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Montana service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Montana Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Registered Agent MT.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026