A fair, data-backed roundup of the leading services for forming a US LLC from abroad — including our own. Real prices, EIN timing, banking, and no-SSN support, side by side.
Forming a US LLC as a non-resident has never been easier — or more confusing. A dozen services promise the same thing, but their prices, what those prices include, and how much help you actually get vary enormously. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest real cost once you add the state fee, the EIN, a registered agent, and a US address. This roundup compares seven leading options so you can match a provider to how you actually want to work, not just to a sticker price.
We weighted five things that matter most to non-resident founders: (1) total real cost in year one, including add-ons, not just the headline price; (2) EIN process and speed without an SSN or ITIN; (3) whether a registered agent and US address are included or extra; (4) the quality of banking help — a managed introduction versus a self-serve referral; and (5) fit for non-residents (no-SSN support and ongoing compliance). We did not score on brand or marketing spend.
Affiliation disclosure: OpenEntity is our own service, and we list it first. We have tried to be fair to every competitor and to credit their genuine strengths — several beat us on headline price or specific features, and we say so plainly below. Treat our self-assessment with healthy skepticism and verify the claims yourself.
All pricing and feature data is accurate to the best of our research as of June 2026. Providers change plans frequently, state filing fees differ by state, and some packages are quoted differently depending on the state you choose. Always verify current pricing on each provider's own site before you buy.
| Service | Price | Model | State fee | EIN at entry | RA year 1 | Banking | No-SSN | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenEntityOURS | $499 one-time | One-time | Included | Expedited (3–5 biz days) | Included (1 yr) | Intro: Mercury / Relay / Wise | Yes — no SSN | One all-inclusive price + fast EIN + banking help |
| StartGlobal | $399 one-time* | One-time | Included | Standard (no SSN) | Included (1 yr) | Intro: Mercury / Relay | Yes — no SSN | Lowest all-inclusive one-time price |
| Firstbase | $399 one-time | One-time (add-ons) | Extra | Expedited (no SSN/ITIN) | Extra ($299/yr) | Mercury application | Yes — no SSN | Modular, pay-for-what-you-need |
| Doola | $297/year | Subscription | Extra | Standard | Included while subscribed | Intro | Yes — no SSN | Bundled ongoing tax & compliance |
| Clemta | $29/mo or $349/yr | Subscription | Extra | Standard (expedited Premium-only) | Included while subscribed | Mercury Pre-EIN / Wise | Yes — no SSN | Mercury Pre-EIN + multi-currency |
| Bizee | $0 + state fee | One-time (add-ons) | Extra (paid directly) | Extra (+$70) | Free (1st year) | Referral | Yes — but mostly self-serve | Lowest headline cost, self-directed |
* StartGlobal is quoted at $399 in many states; some states show $599 — verify per state. Data as of June 2026; confirm on each provider's site.
Best all-inclusive package for non-residents (our pick)
OpenEntity is our own end-to-end formation service built specifically for non-US founders who want a single, predictable price rather than a stack of add-ons. We are listing it first because it directly matches the intent most readers arrive with — one all-inclusive fee, a fast EIN, and real help opening a US bank account. To be transparent: this is our service, so weigh our claims against the independent providers below and verify everything yourself.
Ongoing cost: Year 2+ is roughly $209/yr for registered agent and address renewal.
Best for: Non-residents who want ONE all-inclusive price, a fast EIN, and genuine banking help.
Lowest all-inclusive one-time price
StartGlobal is a strong, genuinely all-inclusive competitor and the closest match to OpenEntity on structure. For $399 one-time it folds the state filing fee into the price, files for your EIN without requiring an SSN, and includes a registered agent for the first year plus an operating agreement and a banking introduction to Mercury or Relay.
Ongoing cost: Registered agent renews at $99/yr.
Best for: Founders who want the lowest fully-bundled one-time price and don't need expedited EIN.
Modular, pay-for-what-you-need
Firstbase is a well-known, polished platform with a $399 one-time formation fee and a genuinely strong expedited EIN process that works without an SSN or ITIN, plus a built-in Mercury application flow. The important nuance for budgeting: the registered agent ($299/yr) and US mailing address ($35/mo) are add-ons, so the real first-year total is higher than the headline once those are included.
Ongoing cost: Ongoing cost depends on add-ons — registered agent alone is $299/yr.
Best for: Founders who want a premium platform and prefer to assemble services à la carte.
Subscription that bundles ongoing tax & compliance
Doola takes a subscription approach: roughly $297 per year (recurring), with the state filing fee charged separately. You get a standard EIN, a registered agent for as long as you stay subscribed, and a banking introduction. Where Doola differentiates is the upsell path into bookkeeping, tax filing and compliance tiers (starting around $1,999/yr) for founders who want one vendor handling the ongoing back office.
Ongoing cost: The ~$297/yr subscription recurs; tax/compliance tiers are additional.
Best for: Founders who want a subscription that bundles ongoing tax and compliance, not just formation.
Mercury Pre-EIN + multi-currency for international founders
Clemta is a subscription service at $29/mo or $349/yr, with the state fee charged separately. EIN is standard on the base plan (expedited is Premium-only). Its standout for international founders is early banking access: a Mercury "Pre-EIN" pathway plus Wise, which can get multi-currency banking moving before your EIN lands.
Ongoing cost: Subscription recurs at $29/mo or $349/yr.
Best for: International founders who specifically want Mercury Pre-EIN access and multi-currency banking.
Lowest headline cost for self-directed founders
Bizee (the rebrand of Incfile) offers the lowest headline price: $0 plus the state fee, with a free registered agent for the first year. The trade-offs are that the EIN is a paid add-on (+$70), the operating agreement is extra (+$99), and banking is a referral rather than a managed introduction. It's a high-volume, mostly self-serve US incorporator rather than a non-resident specialist.
Ongoing cost: Registered agent renews at Bizee's standard rate after the free first year.
Best for: Self-directed founders comfortable handling EIN and banking themselves to minimise upfront cost.
The "best" service depends entirely on your priorities — price, speed, bundling, or ongoing support. Use these decision rules to narrow it down.
Choose an all-inclusive one-time provider. OpenEntity leads on expedited EIN plus banking help; StartGlobal is the value pick if you can accept standard EIN timing and your state is quoted at $399.
Firstbase (modular, excellent EIN) or Bizee (lowest headline cost) reward founders who don't mind paying for the registered agent, address and EIN as separate line items.
A subscription model fits better. Doola bundles bookkeeping and tax tiers; Clemta is the pick if early Mercury Pre-EIN access and multi-currency banking matter most.
Headline prices hide a lot. Add the state fee, EIN, registered agent, and address to compare like-for-like — a "free" or "$399" option can cost more than a bundled package once add-ons are included.
There is no single winner for everyone. For one all-inclusive price with a fast EIN and banking help, we rank our own service, OpenEntity ($499 one-time), first. StartGlobal ($399) is the lowest all-inclusive one-time price, Firstbase is best for modular needs, Doola for bundled ongoing tax, Clemta for Mercury Pre-EIN, and Bizee for the lowest headline cost. Match the model to your situation rather than chasing the lowest sticker price.
If you want a one-time fee instead of Doola's recurring subscription, StartGlobal and OpenEntity are the closest all-inclusive alternatives. If you like Firstbase but want the registered agent and address bundled in rather than as add-ons, OpenEntity and StartGlobal both include year-1 registered agent in the base price. Clemta is the alternative if early Mercury Pre-EIN access is your priority.
Yes. Every provider in this comparison can form your LLC and obtain an EIN without an SSN or ITIN — that is standard for non-resident formation. The differences are in speed (expedited vs standard EIN) and how much help you get opening a US bank account afterward.
All figures are accurate to the best of our research as of June 2026. Providers change pricing, state fees vary, and some plans are quoted differently per state. Always verify current pricing on each provider's own website before purchasing.
One all-inclusive price, an expedited EIN in 3–5 business days, and a real banking introduction to Mercury, Relay or Wise — built for non-residents.
Start My US LLC — $499