Why services are ranked as they are

For anything a state decides, we use the state's documents and link them next to the fact, with the month we confirmed it. Prices for services come directly from the companies and carry a read date.

Start with the answer, then the how and why, then the source; difficult terms link to definitions.

For a service, add the first-year price to the next two renewal payments to get its three-year cost. We total the state's three-year fees as filing plus two reports plus minimum tax, and leave out anything without a fixed amount.

1. Total for three years (37%). Total year one plus two renewals at each company's published prices. State fees are identical for any filer, so they are listed apart from the comparison.
2. Filing jobs included (27%). Tick off the recurring jobs the price handles: registered agent, state report, EIN application and use in other states.
3. Clear price information (13%). Is the first-year price, the renewal and the state fee posted before checkout? Easy-to-find prices score higher.
4. Year-two price (12%). Watch the shift once the first year ends. A steady price beats a low start that rises.
5. State coverage (11%). Does the service cover a single state or every state? That matters for a company that grows.

When two picks are close, the page states the criterion that settled it and what the lower pick offers.

The order is Simple Filing Guide's own editorial view of these criteria and is not a customer rating.

Each state guide compares Mainstay Filing, which serves all fifty states, with the registered agent companies built around that state. A company is ranked only for services it sells at a posted price.

We do not use customer ratings. The guides are general information, and the order is an editorial decision.