The Quick Verdict
Bizee is a solid pick if you want the cheapest possible way to form an LLC and don’t mind some upselling along the way.
If you want a company that never pushes upgrades and offers rock-solid, predictable customer support, you might be happier elsewhere.
Bizee (formerly known as Incfile before a 2023 rebrand) built its reputation on a genuinely free formation package — you only pay your state’s filing fee. That’s a real deal, not a bait-and-switch headline. But the free tier is bare-bones, and Bizee makes its money by nudging you toward add-ons once you’re in the door. It’s a decent service with real value at the entry level, but you need to go in knowing what you’re actually getting for free and what you’ll end up paying for later.
What This Service Offers
Bizee has been around since 2004 (under the Incfile name) and says it has helped form over a million businesses. The rebrand to Bizee in 2023 came with a slightly updated platform and dashboard, but the core business model hasn’t changed: get you in the door with a free filing offer, then sell you the extras.
Here’s how the pricing tiers break down:
Free tier (Silver plan): Bizee prepares and files your articles of organization (the document that officially creates your LLC with the state) for free. You pay only your state’s filing fee, which ranges from about $50 to $500 depending on the state. This tier includes a year of registered agent service (the person or company legally designated to receive official mail and legal notices on your business’s behalf) at no charge for the first year.
Gold plan (around $199 plus state fees): Adds an EIN (Employer Identification Number, the tax ID your business needs to open a bank account and file taxes), operating agreement (the internal document spelling out how your LLC is owned and run), banking resolution, and expedited filing speed.
Platinum plan (around $299 plus state fees): Adds an operating agreement, expedited shipping of documents, a business contract template library, and a domain name plus business email for one year.
After year one, registered agent service renews at $119 a year if you want to keep Bizee in that role. That’s roughly in line with the industry, though a few competitors charge less.
What’s not included, no matter which tier you pick: a business license search (state and local), a beneficial ownership information report (a new federal filing requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act), annual report filing in most states, and any legal advice about which entity type fits your situation. All of those cost extra or require you to handle them yourself.
Bizee files in all 50 states. Standard processing typically takes one to three weeks depending on how backed up the state’s office is — this is largely outside Bizee’s control since it’s the state doing the actual approval, not Bizee. Expedited processing (available on paid tiers) can shave that down to a few business days in states that offer rush service.
What We Like
The free tier is actually free. A lot of “free LLC formation” offers online bury fees somewhere in the fine print. Bizee’s base package really does mean you pay nothing beyond the state’s own filing fee. For a first-time founder on a tight budget, that’s meaningful.
Free registered agent service for year one. Most competitors charge $100 to $300 a year for this from day one. Getting it free for the first year is a genuine cost savings, even though the renewal price kicks in afterward.
Dashboard is easy to use. Once you’re set up, the Bizee dashboard shows your filing status, documents, and compliance deadlines in one place. It’s not fancy, but it’s clear, and first-time business owners won’t get lost in it.
Decent educational content. Bizee’s site has a lot of plain-English explainers about entity types, tax elections, and compliance basics. It’s not a replacement for a CPA or attorney, but it’s more useful than the thin FAQ pages some competitors offer.
Wide range of add-on services. Beyond formation, Bizee sells things like trademark registration help, business plan templates, and worker’s comp insurance referrals. If you want a one-stop shop rather than piecing services together, that convenience has some value, though you’ll pay retail-ish prices for it.
What Could Be Better
The upsells start immediately and don’t let up. As soon as you begin the free filing process, you’ll see prompts for the EIN service (which you can get free directly from the IRS in about ten minutes), the operating agreement, expedited processing, and various add-ons. None of this is illegal or even unusual in the industry, but it can feel like a slow drip of “just one more thing” charges before your total order goes from $0 to $250 or more.
Customer support is inconsistent. Reviews on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are mixed. Many customers report fast, helpful service. A meaningful number of others describe long hold times, unclear answers about filing status, or difficulty getting a straight answer about why a filing was delayed. Support is mostly email and chat-based; phone support exists but isn’t the primary channel, and some users report it’s hard to reach a live person quickly.
Processing delays get blamed on the state, but responses can be slow too. Some complaints on BBB and Trustpilot describe weeks of silence after submitting documents, with customers unsure whether the holdup was the state’s office or Bizee’s internal queue. State backlogs are real and out of any provider’s control, but the lack of proactive communication during those waits is a legitimate complaint.
The EIN add-on is a bad value. Getting an EIN directly from the IRS is free and takes about ten minutes online if you’re a U.S. resident with a Social Security number. Bizee charges roughly $70 to $99 for something you can do yourself for free. This is standard practice across the formation industry, but it’s worth calling out clearly: don’t pay for this one unless you have a specific reason you can’t apply yourself (for example, you’re a non-U.S. resident without an SSN, which does complicate the process).
How It Compares
| | Bizee | Northwest Registered Agent | ZenBusiness |
|—|—|—|—|
| Starting price | $0 + state fee | $39 + state fee | $0 + state fee |
| Registered agent (year 1) | Free | Free | Free (Pro plan) |
| Registered agent renewal | ~$119/year | $125/year | ~$199/year |
| Operating agreement | Paid add-on | Included | Paid add-on (base plan) |
| Filing speed | Standard, expedited paid | Standard, some rush options | Standard, expedited paid |
| Customer support | Mixed reviews | Generally strong, known for direct answers | Mixed reviews |
Northwest Registered Agent tends to win on straightforward pricing and support quality — they include more in their base packages and are known for giving direct answers instead of pushing upsells. ZenBusiness is a close comparison to Bizee in terms of business model, with similarly aggressive upselling.
Bizee wins if your only priority is minimizing upfront cost and you’re comfortable handling the EIN and operating agreement yourself (or getting them elsewhere). It’s less competitive if you value strong support and a cleaner, upsell-free checkout experience.
Pricing Breakdown
What you’ll actually pay for a basic LLC with Bizee’s free tier:
- State filing fee: $50–$500 (varies widely; for example, Kentucky is around $40, Massachusetts is around $500)
- Registered agent: free year one, then ~$119/year
- EIN: free if you do it yourself with the IRS directly, or ~$70–$99 through Bizee
- Operating agreement: free template available elsewhere, or ~$40–$70 through Bizee
Realistic total cost for year one, if you take the free tier and skip the add-ons: just your state filing fee.
Realistic total cost if you take the Gold or Platinum tier with typical add-ons: $250–$400 including the state fee, depending on your state and what you select.
The hidden cost most people miss isn’t a Bizee fee at all — it’s the annual report almost every state requires to keep your LLC in good standing. Bizee charges extra to file this for you, and if you miss the deadline on your own, your state can dissolve your LLC administratively. Budget for this every year regardless of which formation service you use.
Who Should Use This Service
Best for: Solo founders and small business owners on a tight budget who are comfortable doing a little homework — getting their own EIN from the IRS, using a free operating agreement template, and tracking their own annual report deadline. If you want the cheapest legitimate path to an LLC and don’t need hand-holding, Bizee’s free tier delivers real value.
Not ideal for: Anyone who wants a single service that includes an operating agreement, EIN, and full compliance tracking without a la carte pricing. If you’d rather pay a bit more upfront and know exactly what you’re getting with no surprise upsells, a provider with more inclusive base pricing — or a service like ours that walks you through the whole process in one flow — may be a better fit.
FAQ
Is Bizee actually free?
The base LLC filing service is free — you only pay your state’s required filing fee, which goes to the state, not to Bizee. Add-ons like the EIN service, operating agreement, and expedited processing cost extra.
Is Bizee the same as Incfile?
Yes. Incfile rebranded to Bizee in 2023. It’s the same company, same ownership, with a refreshed platform and name.
How long does Bizee take to form an LLC?
Standard processing usually takes one to three weeks, depending on your state’s current backlog. Expedited processing, available on paid tiers, can reduce this to a few business days in states that offer rush filing.
Does Bizee file annual reports?
Not automatically. Annual report filing is a separate paid service. You’re responsible for tracking your state’s deadline unless you pay for Bizee’s compliance service or handle it yourself.
Should I pay Bizee for an EIN?
Generally, no. If you’re a U.S. resident with a Social Security number, you can get an EIN free and fast directly from the IRS website. The Bizee EIN add-on mainly makes sense if you’re a non-U.S. resident without an SSN, since that process is more complex.
Is Bizee good for a single-member LLC vs. a multi-member LLC?
The formation process is similar either way, but multi-member LLCs benefit more from a solid operating agreement since it governs how partners share profits, make decisions, and handle disputes. Consider paying for that document, or drafting one with an attorney, rather than skipping it.
Our Recommendation
Bizee earns its reputation as a low-cost entry point into forming an LLC, and the free tier is a genuine value if you’re comfortable with a bit of DIY on the EIN and operating agreement. Where it falls short is the constant upselling and inconsistent support once you’re past the initial filing.
If you’d rather have a clear, guided process from the start — one that walks you through choosing the right entity type, filing with your state, getting your EIN, and staying compliant afterward, all without a maze of upsells — that’s exactly what we built BusinessFormations.com to do. You can [get started here](https://www.businessformations.com/get-started/) and we’ll walk you through each step, so you know exactly what you’re getting and what it costs before you commit to anything.