ZenBusiness vs. Northwest Registered Agent (Who’s #1?)

ZenBusiness Cost Efficiency

With small business owners in mind, ZenBusiness has meticulously and successfully crafted a three-tiered system for its formation and incorporation packages.

For starters, they have a $39-per-year Starter plan that includes the three essentials of business formation: the drafting and filing of your Articles of Organization or Incorporation, a year of registered agent service, and an Operating Agreement or Corporate Bylaws.

Meanwhile, upgrading to their $149/year Pro plan adds a managed yearly report and compliance management service, an EIN, expedited filing service, and a banking resolution template to the Starter plan’s perks, making this plan extraordinary and well worth the money.

The Premium option, which costs $249 per year, is likewise a decent investment in our opinion. However, the first two packages are our favorites because no other bundles can match them.

As you can see, all three tiers include the services we believe are essential for a business formation and are designed to accommodate enterprises of all sizes, with the higher tiers providing a choice of additional beneficial services.

When comparing the rates and inclusions of ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent, you can plainly see that there is a $176 difference between the two. Northwest Registered Agent is $176 more expensive than ZenBusiness that has so many critical services included in their packages.

In this category, ZenBusiness clearly outperforms Northwest Registered Agent.

Winner: ZenBusiness

Northwest’s Cost Efficiency

Unlike most other business formation services, Northwest does not provide different packages. If you want to use their LLC and incorporation services, you just have to purchase their only package for $225 plus a one-year state charge. This includes all of the essential services, such as an operating agreement, registered agent service, and quick filing, among others.

We like the fact that it includes everything but the basics that will surely put up your business. However, the high cost is clearly a concern.

Although the package does not appear to be overwhelmed with nonsense, Northwest’s full formation fee is simply too costly. We believe that their expertise and track record enable them to provide a level of excellence to their customers that most competitors cannot match. However, their pricing appears to reflect this excellence far too much.

ZenBusiness Track Record and Reliability

Despite being one of the newest companies in the business formation industry, this Texas-based start-up founded in 2015 has already formed thousands of enterprises and carved their place in this competitive field by fully embracing technology and the benefits it delivers.

This permits ZenBusiness to complete a wide range of business services online, which is the primary reason for their lower rates and appeal to the masses, particularly their loyal customers, who never tire of praising this company online, resulting in thousands of reviews and nearly perfect five-star ratings.

Northwest Track Record and Reliability

Northwest was founded in Spokane, Washington, in 1998. Their key goal is to make business formation and registered agent services as simple as possible for their customers while remaining transparent with them.

Since their establishment, they have assisted in the development of over two million businesses, and according to their website, they are currently capable of generating 200 new LLCs and corporations each day. Although there are only few reviews for Northwest online, the ones that are there are mainly positive and align with the company’s vision and ideals, proving that they are true to their commitment to maintain and secure their customers’ businesses as if they were their own.

Despite the fact that ZenBusiness gathered hundreds of favorable feedbacks and managed to assist thousands of entrepreneurs over a short period of time, when it comes to the most experienced business formation and legal services provider, Northwest comes out on top by years!

Winner: Northwest Registered Agent

ZenBusiness Customer Service Quality

They may be contacted in a number of ways, including email, snail mail, phone support, and online chat. ZenBusiness promises to respond to enquiries and complaints within 24 hours.

They offer customer service outside typical business hours, beginning at 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. CT on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends until 7 p.m. CT on weekends. Most of the businesses we looked at only provided service during weekday business hours, so they are exceptional in this regard.

Meanwhile, ZenBusiness’s website has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page as well as a Help Center with a collection of articles that can assist clients with their inquiries. All their packages even include a customisable dashboard and real-time chat assistance.

Based on client feedback and reviews, ZenBusiness’ customer service is well regarded for the helpfulness and competence of their agents, as well as the quickness with which they answer complaints and questions.

Despite a few complaints about ZenBusiness’s customer service, accusing them of failing to acknowledge or handle concerns and difficulties in a timely manner, ZenBusiness responds quickly to these concerns via the TrustPilot website and the Better Business Bureau, making an effort to resolve any issues.

Northwest’s Customer Service Quality

Northwest’s major asset is its outstanding customer service. When you sign up, you will be paired with a local Corporate Guide who will walk you through the process and handle any issues that arise. One-on-one support from Northwest is a key selling point since it helps you to build a connection with a trusted partner.

Whereas many companies in this industry outsource customer support in big numbers and work with unfamiliar call centers with numerous major clients, Northwest’s true commitment to providing the best customer care possible actually stands out. Their customer support is not outsourced and is trained in-house from the start.

If you are interested in their services, their agents can be reached via phone, online, or email during regular business hours.

Indeed, ZenBusiness’s customer service is competent, but it pales in comparison to Northwest’s high level of personalization in this area. Only Northwest Registered Agent, out of all the business formation services available, assigns a customer to a specific customer care representative to ensure that they give everything that a customer needs. Customers are unanimous in their enthusiasm for this one-of-a-kind and individualized assistance system, and we also do.

Winner: Northwest Registered Agent

ZenBusiness Ease of Ordering Process

ZenBusiness’s website is straightforward and stress-free to use. The ZenBusiness formation service order form takes only a few minutes to complete. All you have to do is choose a plan, submit some basic information about your business t, and they will take care of the rest.

Also, there are no hidden fees or unnecessary upsells later in the checkout process, and pricing information, as well as the particular contents of formation packages, are displayed upfront at the beginning of the order process.

Though there are a few upsells and third-party offers that you will encounter throughout the process, they are all very discreet and quite useful, so you will not be annoyed throughout.

Although both companies offer streamlined and simple ordering processes, ZenBusiness still managed to outwit Northwest Registered Agent in this category since their website is designed in a more user-friendly manner that is easier to understand and navigate.

Winner: ZenBusiness

Northwest’s Ease of Ordering Process

Although Northwest’s website is not as user-friendly as some of its competitors, it is fully functional. Their pricing is straightforward, with minimal chance for misinterpretation. With no upsells, the company focuses on its principal service line, making the application process simple and straightforward.

In addition, the order forms and checkout pages are designed to show the price of each product clearly. Their web dashboard, which neatly organizes all of your LLC paperwork, is very simple to use.

The website, on the other hand, should be better arranged – in a more modern but still straightforward style. While the site is chock-full of free templates and useful information, the content layout is not especially user-friendly, and finding what you are looking for can take some effort.

ZenBusiness Service Speed & TAT

ZenBusiness is on level with or slightly ahead of other formation services, so you will not have to wait long. Normal order processing times may differ significantly by state, with some jurisdictions requiring several weeks and others merely seven days or fewer.

Expedited filing is included in ZenBusiness’s middle-tier pricing plan, but it can also be purchased separately for $50. Meanwhile, expedited filings offer the quickest turnaround times, with formations often taking only a few days to complete — and in some situations, same-day or next-day formations are possible. This is part of their most expensive package however, if you want to avail it as a stand-alone service, you will have to pay $100.

ZenBusiness, unsurprisingly, won this category, as they frequently offer shorter turnaround times for typical orders.

They make expedited filing more accessible to customers by providing it in two of their packages rather than simply including it in the premium plan. This is a significant advantage for anyone who has to incorporate quickly.

Winner: ZenBusiness

Northwest’s Service Speed & TAT

The length of time it takes to complete your order is determined by the state in which you wish to incorporate an LLC. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks because the company only has one package.

When you select your state from their website’s dropdown menu, an estimated turnaround time will display on the screen. Because most jurisdictions charge a fee for expedited processing, the order form will list two turnaround times – standard and expedited.

ZenBusiness Customer Feedback

Since 2015, ZenBusiness has consistently proven that it is a reliable and trustworthy service, having formed over 150,000 firms to date. Given this, the Better Business Bureau has awarded them an A rating and 4.32 stars.

ZenBusiness also receives great ratings on Trustpilot. With over 5,900 unique reviews, they now have a 4.8 out of 5 rating. Given its newness in the market, this number of positive reviews is definitely impressive.

The majority of clients commended ZenBusiness for its efficiency and ease of use, according to the reviews. They also appreciate the help they received from customer service in guiding them through the process.

Finally, we like how ZenBusiness’s customer service team replies to the majority of reviews and, in particular, reaches out to a small number of complainants to resolve any unresolved concerns.

Northwest’s Customer Feedback

Despite the fact that Northwest is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, the majority of client reviews are favorable. In fact, the company has a four-star average rating, with the majority of clients praising the assistance they receive and the speed with which their services are delivered.

Northwest has received complaints or negative evaluations as well just like ZenBusiness. In fact, if you look at Northwest’s response as well as the status of the complaints, the bulk of them have already been resolved.

Despite a few reservations, most customer evaluations praise the organization for its excellent service, fast turnaround times, and other expertise.

To offer you a wider and clearer picture of how verified customers of ZenBusiness and Northwest viewed their complete experience with them, we collected a few images of customer reviews, both positive and negative, from various platforms like Trustpilot and combined them below for your reference.