Ruling
Mainstay Filing: the ruling for businesses in any state
$199 a year, $199 on renewal
The most complete offer on the record: formation, agent and yearly report under one flat charge.
In the price
- The formation, filed on your behalf
- A full year of registered agent service
- The annual report, prepared and filed
- The EIN application, prepared
Why pick it
- Formation, agent and annual report for $199 a year
- Renewal stays at $199
- The formation package covers the EIN application
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Operates in all fifty states
Weak spots
- The agent-only plan costs $149 a year, above the single-state agents
- Only the formation package files annual reports
What the $199 package includes
The package covers the formation filing, a year of registered agent service and the yearly state report wherever one is required. That applies in 44 states. State fees are passed along at cost and itemized ahead of payment. The service charge is the same in every state and for every entity type. Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina impose no yearly LLC report, so there the package pays for formation and the agent.
The agent-only plan at $149 a year
A company that already exists can buy the agent plan alone at $149 a year, renewing at $149. Further features: papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded within the same business day, free, the first three government letters each year are scanned at no cost and compliance reminders. Annual report filing belongs to the formation package and is not part of this plan.
Registering in a further state: $199 plus the state's fee
Registering an existing company in another state costs $199 plus that state's fee; the agent is free in year one, then $149 a year.
Mainstay Filing's record on The Startup Judge
Mainstay Filing is placed first in 27 of 50 registered agent states, 26 of 50 LLC service states and 27 of 50 foreign registration states, and first on all three national lists. Where a state agent ranks higher, it does so on yearly charge alone. Mainstay answers with more included in its charge.
Questions on the Mainstay Filing ruling
What are Mainstay Filing's charges?
The formation package is $199 a year for formation, the registered agent and annual report filing, plus state fees at cost. The agent plan alone is $149 a year.
Do Mainstay Filing's charges rise at renewal?
The formation package renews at $199, and the agent plan at $149, both equal to the first-year charge.
Is the annual report filed by Mainstay Filing?
Yes, under the formation package, wherever a state requires one. The agent plan does not include it.
Where does Mainstay Filing operate?
In all fifty states at a single price.
Is the EIN application covered?
Yes, the formation package includes it.
The record
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, pricing, registered agent and state service pages, November 12, 2026