Firstbase vs Tailor Brands: pricing and features compared
Data last updated: Apr 21, 2026Firstbase starts at $399 plus state fees. Tailor Brands starts at $0 plus state fees. Sticker-price differences between LLC formation services rarely tell the full story, since the cheapest tier usually excludes the EIN filing and operating agreement most filers need.
The registered agent renewal is the line item that actually matters over time: Tailor Brands is $199 per year, Firstbase is $299. Over five years that delta adds up to $400, which is typically a larger swing than the formation-tier sticker price.
Tailor Brands offers a genuine $0 formation tier; Firstbase does not. The free tier is meaningful if you only need state filing and are comfortable applying for an EIN yourself on irs.gov. It stops being free the moment you bundle the basic documents most LLCs need.
Tailor Brands has 14,203 Trustpilot reviews compared to Firstbase's 1,045. The volume gap is usually about review solicitation rather than quality, but the higher-volume score tends to be the more statistically stable signal.
For most filers, the decision between two services is decided by three things: whether you need a $0 tier or can absorb a mid-tier to get the EIN and operating agreement bundled, how much the registered agent will cost you in year two and onward, and whether the support quality matters to you (it matters more if you're paying $200+ for the service in the first place).
Key differences at a glance
- Tailor Brands is $399 cheaper at the starting tier (one of them has a free tier).
- Tailor Brands has the cheaper registered agent renewal ($199/yr vs $299/yr). Over five years that is a $400 difference.
- Firstbase includes EIN filing in its default price; Tailor Brands sells it as a paid add-on. You can always get an EIN directly from the IRS in five minutes for free.
- Tailor Brands has a genuine $0 formation tier. The other does not.
- Firstbase includes mail scanning (physical mail delivered to the registered agent gets scanned and forwarded digitally). The other does not.
Where each service fits
Pick Firstbase when
Pick Firstbase when you need mail scanning bundled with the registered agent.
Pick Tailor Brands when
Pick Tailor Brands when you want the lowest possible day-one sticker price; you're optimizing for lower long-term cost (RA renewal is cheaper); you want a genuine $0 formation tier (and don't need the add-ons); you want a high-volume review history (14,203 Trustpilot reviews vs 1,045).
What each service offers that the other does not
Only Firstbase
- EIN included free
- Mail scanning
- Banking partner integration
Only Tailor Brands
- Free $0 formation tier
- Phone support
Both services
- Operating agreement included free
- Compliance dashboard
- Non-US founder support
- Live chat support
What it costs under your specific situation
Running the same LLC through three common scenarios. Year-1 and 5-year totals exclude state fees, which are identical for both services.
| Scenario | Firstbase Year 1 | Tailor Brands Year 1 | Firstbase 5-year | Tailor Brands 5-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just the basics: state filing, RA year 1, nothing else You file the EIN yourself at irs.gov and skip a written operating agreement. | $399 | $0 | $1,595 | $796 |
| You want EIN and operating agreement handled too Most new LLCs end up here. Assumes $70 EIN and $99 OA add-ons where the service charges for them. | $399 | $70 | $1,595 | $866 |
| Standalone registered agent only (no formation) You already formed the LLC elsewhere. Just swapping to this service's RA. | $299 | $199 | $1,495 | $995 |
Full feature comparison
| Dimension | Firstbase | Tailor Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price Cheapest tier, excludes state fees | $399 | Free |
| Registered agent year 1 | Not included | Not included |
| Registered agent renewal Year 2 onward, annual | $299/yr | $199/yr |
| Free $0 tier | No | Yes |
| EIN application | Included free | Paid add-on |
| Operating agreement | Included free | Included free |
| Compliance dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Mail scanning | Yes | No |
| International founders | Yes | Yes |
| Banking partner | Mercury | None |
| Phone support | No | Business hours Eastern |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.8/5 (1,045 reviews) | 4.7/5 (14,203 reviews) |
Pricing tiers side by side
Firstbase
- Start — $399
- One (Start bundle) — $399 · renews $2,388/yr
Includes RA year 1 · renews $299/yr
Tailor Brands
- Lite — Free
- Essential — $199 · renews $199/yr
- Elite — $249 · renews $249/yr
Support and ratings, interpreted
Firstbase offers email, live chat. Tailor Brands offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: Firstbase is 4.8 across 1,045 reviews; Tailor Brands is 4.7 across 14,203. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
Firstbase
No phone support.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Firstbase markets 24/7 global support for founders; no public phone number is listed..
Trustpilot: 4.8/5 from 1,045 reviews.
Tailor Brands
Phone: Business hours Eastern.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Business hours.
Trustpilot: 4.7/5 from 14,203 reviews.
Before you pick either service
A few things apply no matter which one you choose. These catch enough first-time filers to be worth stating plainly.
The state fee is identical. Whether you use Firstbase, Tailor Brands, or neither, your state charges the same formation fee. Nothing a service does lowers that number. The fee ranges from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts depending on where you form. See the state-by-state guide for exact numbers.
You can get an EIN for free at irs.gov in five minutes. Both Firstbase and Tailor Brands either bundle EIN filing or sell it as a paid add-on. You're never required to pay for EIN filing; the IRS charges nothing and the online form takes about five minutes. If a service is pitching "we'll handle your EIN" as a headline feature, that's convenience pricing, not necessity.
The registered agent renewal is what matters long-term. The formation fee is a one-time cost. The registered agent is what recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC open. Over five years, the RA renewal cost usually exceeds the formation fee. Compare on that number, not just the day-one sticker.
Operating agreements are separately priced at most services. Any LLC with more than one member, and any LLC relying on its liability shield, should have a written operating agreement. It governs ownership percentages, profit splits, management structure, and dissolution. California, Maine, Missouri, and New York require it by statute; every other state treats it as strongly recommended. Don't skip it to save $99.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Which is cheaper, Firstbase or Tailor Brands?
Tailor Brands is cheaper at the starting tier ($0 vs $399). Over 5 years including RA renewals, the gap is about $799.
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Does Firstbase or Tailor Brands have better support?
Firstbase offers email, live chat. Tailor Brands offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: Firstbase is 4.8 across 1,045 reviews; Tailor Brands is 4.7 across 14,203. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
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Is Tailor Brands's free tier really free?
The $0 tier covers state filing and typically includes year one of registered agent service. It does not include EIN filing (you can still get one for free from the IRS directly) or an operating agreement, which most filers need. Once you add those, Tailor Brands's free tier ends up around $169, which is very close to what Firstbase charges for its bundled mid-tier package. Pick the free tier if you're comfortable doing the add-ons yourself; pick a bundled service if you want everything in one place.
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Should I just file the LLC myself instead of using Firstbase or Tailor Brands?
You can. The state fee is identical whether you use a service or not. What these services sell is convenience: a handled registered agent (which you can also buy standalone), a bundled operating agreement, compliance reminders, and in some cases banking and tax integrations. If your time is worth more than $50 an hour and you would rather not research your state's specific filing quirks, a service pays for itself. If you like DIY administrative work, file directly at your state's Secretary of State portal.
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How much does the registered agent cost with each service from year 2 onward?
Firstbase renews at $299/yr. Tailor Brands renews at $199/yr. This number matters because it recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC. Over a five-year window, the registered agent renewal cost typically exceeds the formation fee, so it's worth more attention than most reviews give it.
Full reviews
Sources
- Pricing: www.firstbase.io/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Start is a one-time $399 formation fee. Firstbase One bundles Start with Mailroom Premium, Agent, Accounting, and Tax Filing at $199/month billed annually ($2,388/yr). - Registered agent renewal usd: www.firstbase.io/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Firstbase Agent is $299 annually per state, sold as a standalone subscription and covered within Firstbase One. - Features: www.firstbase.io/ · verified April 21, 2026
Homepage states: 'Form your LLC or C-Corp. No paperwork or legal headaches. Our platform automates the entire company formation process.' Mailroom product offers mail scanning; Agent product offers compliance dashboard and annual report filings. - Banking partner: www.firstbase.io/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Firstbase lists banking account opening assistance as part of Start. Mercury is the named partner surfaced consistently across the product pages and founder reviews. - International: www.firstbase.io/ · verified April 21, 2026
Marketed for founders in 188 countries; the $899/yr tax filing tier for single-member LLCs non-US owned is explicit on the pricing page. - Founded: www.ycombinator.com/companies/firstbase-io · verified April 21, 2026
Y Combinator profile and Crunchbase both place Firstbase's founding in 2019. Some sources cite 2018. - Headquarters: www.firstbase.io/about · verified April 21, 2026
About page references NYC and Sao Paulo offices; Crunchbase and LinkedIn list 447 Broadway, New York as HQ. - Support: www.firstbase.io/ · verified April 21, 2026
Homepage advertises 24/7 global customer support. No public phone number listed on the homepage or pricing page; support routed through help.firstbase.io. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/firstbase.io · verified April 21, 2026
Trustpilot shows Firstbase.io at 4.8/5 across approximately 1,045 reviews per the 2026 snapshot. Review count has grown from 650+ earlier in the year. - Pricing: www.tailorbrands.com/product-pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Vendor's own pricing page shows three tiers: Lite $0, Essential $199 per year (popular), Elite $249 per year. All prices exclude state fees. Lite processes in 14 business days, Essential and Elite in 1 business day. Essential and Elite include 30-day trial of bookkeeping then $30 per month. Disclaimer at the bottom confirms prices are current but subject to change, with the binding price being whatever is shown at checkout. - Registered agent: www.tailorbrands.com/llc-formation/llc-cost · verified April 21, 2026
LLC cost page cites registered agent service at $199 to $400. Tailor Brands' own add-on is $199 per year. Must be selected at formation; cannot be added later. - Features: www.tailorbrands.com/llc-formation · verified April 21, 2026
LLC formation page confirms online-only filing, AI-guided (Navi assistant), operating agreement included across all tiers, branding tools (logo, digital business card, website builder) bundled. EIN application is a paid add-on. - Support: www.tailorbrands.com/product-pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Phone support listed as 332-286-2770 throughout the site. Live chat widget available on pricing and formation pages. - Headquarters: www.tailorbrands.com/ · verified April 21, 2026
Tailor Brands is a dual-headquartered company with offices in New York (Brooklyn) and Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded 2014 by Nadav Shatz, Yali Saar, and Tom Lahat. Vendor's own about page does not state founding year explicitly; date sourced from the founders' public company history and capital raises. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/tailorbrands.com · verified April 21, 2026
4.7 of 5 stars from 14,203 reviews (Claimed profile, paid Trustpilot subscription).