Inc Authority vs Rocket Lawyer: pricing and features compared
Data last updated: Apr 21, 2026Inc Authority starts at $0 plus state fees. Rocket Lawyer starts at $40 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: Inc Authority is $249 per year, Rocket Lawyer is $250. Over five years that delta adds up to $4, which is typically a larger swing than the formation-tier sticker price.
Inc Authority offers a genuine $0 formation tier; Rocket Lawyer 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.
Inc Authority has 46,831 Trustpilot reviews compared to Rocket Lawyer's 9,717. 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
- Inc Authority is $40 cheaper at the starting tier (one of them has a free tier).
- Inc Authority has the cheaper registered agent renewal ($249/yr vs $250/yr). Over five years that is a $4 difference.
- Rocket Lawyer includes a free operating agreement; Inc Authority charges for it as an add-on. For a single-member LLC that can use a template, this matters less. For anything with multiple members, a proper operating agreement is not optional.
- Inc Authority has a genuine $0 formation tier. The other does not.
- Rocket Lawyer offers live chat support; the other relies on phone and email only.
Where each service fits
Pick Inc Authority when
Pick Inc Authority 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).
Pick Rocket Lawyer when
Pick Rocket Lawyer when you want the operating agreement bundled at no extra cost; you want live chat support.
What each service offers that the other does not
Only Inc Authority
- Free $0 formation tier
- Banking partner integration
Only Rocket Lawyer
- Operating agreement included free
- Live chat support
Both services
- Compliance dashboard
- Phone 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 | Inc Authority Year 1 | Rocket Lawyer Year 1 | Inc Authority 5-year | Rocket Lawyer 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. | $0 | $40 | $996 | $1,040 |
| 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. | $169 | $110 | $1,165 | $1,110 |
| Standalone registered agent only (no formation) You already formed the LLC elsewhere. Just swapping to this service's RA. | $249 | $250 | $1,245 | $1,250 |
Full feature comparison
| Dimension | Inc Authority | Rocket Lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price Cheapest tier, excludes state fees | Free | $40 |
| Registered agent year 1 | Included | Not included |
| Registered agent renewal Year 2 onward, annual | $249/yr | $250/yr |
| Free $0 tier | Yes | No |
| EIN application | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Operating agreement | Paid add-on | Included free |
| Compliance dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Mail scanning | No | No |
| International founders | No | No |
| Banking partner | Bank of America | None |
| Phone support | Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:00pm Pacific | Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT |
| Live chat | No | Yes |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.9/5 (46,831 reviews) | 4.5/5 (9,717 reviews) |
Pricing tiers side by side
Inc Authority
- Free — Free
Includes RA year 1 · renews $249/yr - Starter Business Bundle — Free
Includes RA year 1 · renews $249/yr - Fast Track Business Bundle — Free
Includes RA year 1 · renews $249/yr
Rocket Lawyer
- One-time LLC formation (non-member) — $100
- Rocket Legal (monthly subscription) — $40 · renews $40/yr
- Rocket Legal+ (annual subscription) — $240 · renews $240/yr
Support and ratings, interpreted
Inc Authority offers phone, email. Rocket Lawyer offers phone, email, live chat. Rocket Lawyer is the only one of the two with live chat, which matters if you anticipate back-and-forth questions during filing. Trustpilot: Inc Authority is 4.9 across 46,831 reviews; Rocket Lawyer is 4.5 across 9,717. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
Inc Authority
Phone: Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:00pm Pacific.
Email: yes.
No live chat.
Trustpilot: 4.9/5 from 46,831 reviews.
Rocket Lawyer
Phone: Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Monday-Friday business hours per vendor; vendor also offers Rocket Copilot AI chat 24/7 to members.
Trustpilot: 4.5/5 from 9,717 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 Inc Authority, Rocket Lawyer, 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 Inc Authority and Rocket Lawyer 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
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Which is cheaper, Inc Authority or Rocket Lawyer?
Inc Authority is cheaper at the starting tier ($0 vs $40). Over 5 years including RA renewals, the gap is about $44.
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Does Inc Authority or Rocket Lawyer have better support?
Inc Authority offers phone, email. Rocket Lawyer offers phone, email, live chat. Rocket Lawyer is the only one of the two with live chat, which matters if you anticipate back-and-forth questions during filing. Trustpilot: Inc Authority is 4.9 across 46,831 reviews; Rocket Lawyer is 4.5 across 9,717. 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 Inc Authority'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, Inc Authority's free tier ends up around $169, which is very close to what Rocket Lawyer 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 Inc Authority or Rocket Lawyer?
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?
Inc Authority renews at $249/yr. Rocket Lawyer renews at $250/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.incauthority.com/ · verified April 21, 2026
Homepage explicitly advertises FREE LLC registration, FREE 24-hour processing, FREE custom built website, and FREE registered agent for year one. Customer pays state fees only. - Premium-bundles: www.incauthority.com/premium-packages · verified April 21, 2026
Starter Business Bundle and Fast Track Business Bundle are listed with feature checklists but no prices. Vendor explicitly states these can only be ordered by phone (877-684-2836), so published pricing is not available. Priced tiers kept at 0 as placeholder; readers should be told to call. - Registered agent only: www.incauthority.com/registration/service/info/reg-ind · verified April 21, 2026
Inc Authority registered agent service listed at $249 per year, described as a $199 value, on their own registration add-on detail page. - Features: www.incauthority.com/free-llc · verified April 21, 2026
Free LLC page lists what the $0 tier actually includes. Operating agreement and EIN are not part of the free tier; both are upsells. - Banking partner: www.incauthority.com/ · verified April 21, 2026
Homepage promotes a Bank of America Business Advantage Banking bonus offer as a bundled partner perk. - Headquarters: www.incauthority.com/company/contact · verified April 21, 2026
Corporate address: Inc Authority, 1450 Vassar Street, Reno, NV 89502. Site references 30-plus years in business under the Inc Authority brand and predecessors; founding commonly cited as 1989. - Support: www.incauthority.com/company/contact · verified April 21, 2026
Phone support 877-462-6366 and local 775-333-5902, Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm Pacific. Email info@incauthority.com. No live chat offered. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/www.incauthority.com · verified April 21, 2026
4.9 of 5 stars from 46,831 reviews (Claimed profile, paid Trustpilot subscription). - Pricing: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Pricing page lists Rocket Legal at $39.99/month and Rocket Legal+ at $239.88/year, each with a 7-day free trial. Comparison table shows new business registration at $99.99 plus state fees for Rocket Legal, 'First one FREE, then $99.99 plus state fees' for Rocket Legal+, and full-price business filings for non-plus members (half off for Rocket Legal+). - Registered agent: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Pricing comparison table shows registered agent services at $249.99/year for Rocket Legal monthly members and $124.99/year for Rocket Legal+ annual members. Trademark services at $699.99 plus USPTO fees, or $349.99 for Rocket Legal+. - One time: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Non-member LLC formation is quoted at $99.99 plus state fees. Rocket Lawyer also advertises a 7-day free trial that gives members access to the 'first one free' formation benefit, so non-members rarely pay the $99.99 in practice without first considering membership. - Features: www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/starting-a-business/form-a… · verified April 21, 2026
LLC formation product page markets online filing, legal document library (including LLC Operating Agreement template included with membership), Articles of Organization preparation, registered agent service as an add-on, and access to Legal Pros (independent network attorneys) for consultation. - Operating agreement: www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/starting-a-business/form-a… · verified April 21, 2026
Operating agreement template is part of the Rocket Lawyer document library, which is free to personalize and sign under any active membership or 7-day free trial. - Support: www.rocketlawyer.com/contact-us · verified April 21, 2026
Phone (877) 881-0947 Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT. Email support@rocketlawyer.com. Chat with us widget on contact page. Rocket Copilot AI provides additional AI-powered chat to members. - Founded: www.rocketlawyer.com/about-us · verified April 21, 2026
About page states 'Since our founding in 2008, nearly 30 million people have created Rocket Lawyer accounts.' - Headquarters: www.rocketlawyer.com/about-us · verified April 21, 2026
Rocket Lawyer does not publish a specific headquarters city or street address on its About, Careers, Contact, or Newsroom pages. Set to null per playbook rule against inventing facts. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/rocketlawyer.com · verified April 21, 2026
Trustpilot profile shows 4.5 out of 5 stars across 9,717 total reviews as of 2026-04-21.